Ghost in the palace

The Imperial Palace had not been this tense in years.

Seventeen days had passed since Shin Gu’s death.

Seventeen days without a single major paranormal incident.

Yet instead of bringing comfort, the silence had created another question.

If Shin Gu was truly responsible for everything, why had the strange disturbances continued?

That question had brought everyone important into the Emperor’s private study.

The Emperor sat behind the large wooden table.

Beside him sat Lian An, the Empress.

Across from them were the Dowager Empress, Prince Liang, Princess Zhi, and Lady Chen.

No ministers were present.

This was not an ordinary court meeting.

This was a family discussion.

The Emperor placed a sealed report on the table.

"Seventeen days."

Everyone looked at him.

"Seventeen days since Shin Gu died."

Princess Zhi lowered her eyes.

The Dowager Empress remained silent.

Lady Chen’s fingers tightened around her sleeve.

Lian An looked toward the Emperor.

"And nothing happened during those seventeen days."

"Exactly."

The Emperor opened the report.

"That should have convinced us that Shin Gu was responsible."

Prince Liang shook his head.

"But it didn’t."

"No."

The Emperor’s expression was grave.

"Because something happened three days ago."

He pushed another document across the table.

Prince Liang picked it up.

His brows slowly furrowed.

"What is this?"

"A report from the northern region."

The room became quiet.

Lian An leaned closer.

"The north?"

The Emperor nodded.

"Several merchants traveling through the northern territories reported strange occurrences."

Princess Zhi looked uneasy.

"What kind?"

The Emperor glanced at the report.

"People disappearing."

Lady Chen immediately looked up.

"How many?"

"That is difficult to determine."

The Emperor paused.

"Because some of the people who disappeared were travelers. Others were people who had no close family nearby."

The Dowager Empress frowned.

"That could simply be banditry."

"I thought the same."

The Emperor opened another document.

"But then we found something else."

He placed several testimonies on the table.

"Different travelers from different towns described hearing voices at night."

Lian An’s expression became serious.

"Ghosts?"

"Possibly."

Prince Liang read the testimony.

"Several people claimed they saw figures walking near the northern mountains."

"Yes."

"And they said those figures were..."

He hesitated.

"Not entirely human."

Nobody spoke for several moments.

Lian An’s fingers slowly curled around her sleeve.

Fen Yu.

Wei Rong.

Li Shen.

The three ghosts immediately came to mind.

But the reports sounded different.

This was not simply a ghost haunting a palace.

There was something else.

Something larger.

The Emperor continued.

"At first, I thought the reports were exaggerated."

He looked at everyone.

"Then a merchant returned from the north and told one of our officials something far stranger."

"What?" Princess Zhi asked.

The Emperor’s gaze became solemn.

"He said there is a place in the northern mountains where..."

He paused.

"...ghosts and humans are said to live together."

Silence.

Lady Chen stared at him.

"Together?"

"That is what he claimed."

The Dowager Empress frowned.

"What exactly does that mean?"

"We don’t know."

The Emperor leaned back.

"The phrase he used was unusual."

He looked at the document.

"’Ghost-human breeding.’"

The room fell completely silent.

Even Lian An’s expression changed.

"What?"

Prince Liang immediately looked up.

The Emperor nodded.

"I know how absurd it sounds."

"It could simply be superstition," Princess Zhi said.

"It could."

The Emperor didn’t dismiss her words.

"But several unrelated travelers have described something similar."

Lady Chen asked quietly,

"Could it be another form of dark magic?"

"That is what I want to determine."

The Dowager Empress folded her hands.

"But if this is connected to Shin Gu, why would the activity suddenly appear in the north?"

The Emperor looked toward her.

"Perhaps it didn’t suddenly appear."

Everyone became still.

"Perhaps it was always there."

A chill seemed to pass through the room.

Lian An looked at the northern map spread across the table.

"Then Shin Gu may have been connected to them."

"That’s my suspicion."

Prince Liang studied the map.

"How far is this region from the capital?"

"Several weeks by horse."

"And how difficult is the terrain?"

"Extremely difficult."

The Dowager Empress immediately shook her head.

"Then we cannot simply send the Emperor there."

The Emperor gave her a faint smile.

"Mother."

"No."

She looked directly at him.

"You have barely survived one crisis, and now you want to travel into an unknown northern region because of rumors about ghosts?"

"I didn’t say I was going alone."

The Dowager Empress frowned.

"That doesn’t make it better."

Lian An looked at the map.

"If there is truly a connection, we need information."

"I agree," Prince Liang said.

The Dowager Empress turned toward him.

"You agree too easily."

Prince Liang smiled helplessly.

"Mother, I am not saying everyone should ride into the mountains tomorrow."

"Good."

"I am saying we need investigators."

The Emperor nodded.

"Exactly."

He tapped the northern region on the map.

"We need someone who can enter the area without attracting attention."

Princess Zhi looked thoughtful.

"Merchants."

"Yes."

"Traveling scholars."

"Possibly."

"Local officials."

The Emperor nodded.

"All of them."

Lady Chen looked at him.

"And what about us?"

The Emperor became silent.

The Dowager Empress immediately understood.

"No."

Everyone looked at her.

"You are not taking the entire family."

The Emperor sighed.

"Mother—"

"No."

Her voice became firmer.

"You, the Empress, Prince Liang, Princess Zhi, and I cannot all disappear from the capital."

Princess Zhi lowered her gaze.

"She is right."

The Emperor looked toward her.

She continued,

"If something happens here while we are away, the palace will become vulnerable."

Lian An nodded slowly.

"And the investigation itself could be used as a distraction."

The Emperor looked at her.

She was right.

If the enemy knew the most important members of the imperial family had left the capital—

They could exploit it.

Prince Liang tapped the map.

"Then we don’t all leave."

The Emperor looked at him.

Prince Liang continued.

"We can appoint trusted people to investigate the north."

The Dowager Empress nodded.

"That is what I was going to suggest."

Prince Liang smiled.

"Then I am pleased I saved you the trouble."

The Dowager Empress gave him an unimpressed look.

"Don’t become too proud."

Princess Zhi laughed softly.

For a brief moment, the tension broke.

Even Lian An smiled.

But the Emperor remained thoughtful.

"We need someone trustworthy."

"Several people," Prince Liang corrected.

"One person can be followed."

"Three can cross-check information."

The Emperor considered it.

"Agreed."

He picked up a brush.

"We will send three separate investigation teams."

Lady Chen asked,

"Will they know what they’re looking for?"

The Emperor shook his head.

"Not everything."

"Why?"

"Because we don’t know everything ourselves."

He looked at the strange northern report.

"If we tell them they are investigating ghosts and dark magic, they may become careless or frighten the locals."

Lian An nodded.

"Then send them as ordinary investigators."

"Exactly."

Prince Liang smiled.

"Merchants, travelers, and physicians."

The Emperor looked at him.

"Why physicians?"

"Because if the reports about humans and ghosts are connected to some ritual involving bodies, a physician may notice things an ordinary investigator won’t."

The Emperor’s expression became serious.

"Good."

He wrote it down.

"One group as merchants."

He wrote another line.

"One as traveling scholars."

Then another.

"And one as physicians."

The Dowager Empress looked relieved.

"Then you don’t need to go."

The Emperor looked at her.

"For now."

She immediately narrowed her eyes.

"Your Majesty."

He smiled slightly.

"I said for now."

The Dowager Empress sighed.

"That is exactly what worries me."

Lian An quietly laughed.

The Emperor glanced at her.

"You find this amusing?"

"A little."

"Why?"

"Because she has known you long enough to understand you."

Prince Liang laughed.

Princess Zhi covered her smile.

Even Lady Chen looked amused.

The Emperor shook his head.

"All of you have become too comfortable teasing me."

Lian An’s smile widened.

"Perhaps."

For a moment, the room felt warm again.

But then—

A knock came at the door.

Everyone became serious.

A palace guard entered and bowed.

"Your Majesty."

"Speak."

"The preparations for Lady Chen’s journey are complete."

Lady Chen straightened.

The Emperor looked toward her.

"You are still certain?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

The Dowager Empress looked at her with concern.

"You’re going to the shrine for several months."

"I know."

"It is not necessary."

Lady Chen smiled gently.

"I want to go."

Lian An looked at her.

"Why?"

Lady Chen’s expression became peaceful.

"After everything that happened, I need some quiet."

She lowered her gaze.

"I want to pray for the palace, for the family, and for those who were harmed."

The Dowager Empress sighed.

"I understand."

Lady Chen continued,

"And if there is still dark energy surrounding the palace..."

She looked toward the Emperor.

"Perhaps removing myself from the palace temporarily will also make things easier."

The Emperor considered her words.

"Very well."

He nodded.

"You may go to the retreat shrine."

Princess Zhi looked at Lady Chen.

"How long?"

"I don’t know."

Lady Chen smiled faintly.

"Until my heart becomes peaceful again."

Lian An stood and walked toward her.

She took Lady Chen’s hand.

"Take care of yourself."

Lady Chen squeezed her hand.

"I will."

The Dowager Empress then stood.

She embraced Lady Chen gently.

"Write to us."

"I will."

"Every few days."

Lady Chen laughed softly.

"Mother, I am going to a shrine, not disappearing into another world."

The Dowager Empress looked at her seriously.

"With everything that has happened lately, I don’t consider that impossible."

Everyone became quiet.

Then Prince Liang coughed.

"Mother..."

"What?"

"That wasn’t particularly comforting."

The Dowager Empress glared at him.

"I am worried."

"I know."

Lady Chen smiled.

"I’ll be safe."

The Emperor ordered the guards to accompany her.

"No traveling alone."

Lady Chen bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Lian An walked her toward the doorway.

Before leaving, Lady Chen turned back.

"For some reason..."

She hesitated.

"I feel that this peaceful period is only temporary."

Lian An’s expression became thoughtful.

"So do I."

Their eyes met.

Neither woman said anything else.

They didn’t need to.

The strange incidents had stopped.

Shin Gu was dead.

Yet the mystery remained.

And somewhere in the north—

There might be an answer.

Or perhaps another piece of the darkness that had reached the Imperial Palace.

Outside, the palace bells rang.

Lady Chen stepped into her waiting carriage.

The Emperor watched until it disappeared beyond the palace gates.

Then he turned back toward the others.

"Prepare the northern investigation."

Prince Liang nodded.

Princess Zhi stood beside him.

The Dowager Empress looked toward the northern map.

And Lian An quietly stared at the distant mountains drawn across the parchment.

The mystery was no longer confined to the palace.

It had reached beyond the capital.

And for the first time, they understood—

If they wanted to uncover who was truly behind the paranormal incidents, they would have to look beyond the palace walls.