Ghost in the palace

The afternoon sun rested gently over the Empress’s courtyard, warming the quiet chamber with soft golden light. Outside, the palace seemed peaceful for once. The winter wind rustled faintly through the trees, and distant palace servants moved quietly through the corridors.

Inside the chamber, however, the atmosphere was lively.

Lian An sat comfortably near the low table, a cup of herbal tea resting between her hands. Her health had improved significantly over the past few days. The healer had finally allowed her to sit and walk around the courtyard for short periods.

Across from her floated the three familiar troublemakers who had refused to leave her alone since she woke up.

Fen Yu hovered lazily near the window, swinging her feet back and forth in the air.

Wei Rong leaned against one of the wooden pillars like a general supervising soldiers.

And Li Shen sat cross-legged midair beside the bookcase, examining a scroll he clearly wasn’t reading.

Fen Yu suddenly clapped her hands loudly.

”A wedding!”

Her voice echoed excitedly.

”I can’t believe we are going to a wedding!”

Wei Rong glanced at her with mild annoyance.

”You have repeated that sentence at least twenty times.”

Fen Yu ignored him.

”There will be food!”

Li Shen nodded thoughtfully.

”Traditional weddings usually serve dozens of dishes.”

Fen Yu’s eyes sparkled.

”Exactly!”

She turned toward Lian An.

”Your cousin must prepare something special.”

Lian An laughed softly.

”You ghosts only think about eating.”

Fen Yu pointed dramatically at her.

”Excuse me!”

”We are cultured ghosts.”

”We enjoy fine cuisine.”

Wei Rong snorted.

”You enjoy eating.”

Fen Yu glared at him.

”And you don’t?”

Wei Rong shrugged.

”I died in battle. I deserve good food.”

Li Shen raised his hand politely.

”As someone who died from overworking as a scholar, I also deserve good food.”

Lian An rubbed her temples.

”You three are unbelievable.”

Fen Yu suddenly floated closer to her.

”But we are happy.”

Lian An raised an eyebrow.

”Why?”

Fen Yu grinned mischievously.

”Because your cousin is getting married.”

Wei Rong nodded slightly.

”And because this wedding will be entertaining.”

Li Shen added calmly,

”And because weddings are historically significant cultural events.”

Fen Yu rolled her eyes.

”Stop talking like a book.”

She turned back toward Lian An again.

”But the most interesting part...”

Her grin widened.

”...is you.”

Lian An blinked.

”Me?”

Wei Rong smirked slightly.

”Yes.”

Fen Yu nodded enthusiastically.

”You!”

Lian An frowned suspiciously.

”What did I do?”

Fen Yu crossed her arms.

”Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

Wei Rong spoke casually.

”The Emperor sent you a dressmaker.”

Li Shen nodded.

”And jewelry.”

Fen Yu leaned closer dramatically.

”And accessories!”

Lian An immediately rolled her eyes.

”That means nothing.”

Fen Yu gasped.

”Nothing?”

Wei Rong raised an eyebrow.

”An emperor personally ordering clothes and jewelry for someone usually means something.”

Li Shen nodded.

”Historically speaking, such gestures are often symbolic.”

Lian An sighed heavily.

”You three are overthinking things.”

Fen Yu pointed at her.

”No.”

”You are underthinking things.”

Wei Rong smirked.

”You looked good when the dressmaker brought those fabrics.”

Fen Yu clapped again.

”Yes!”

”The jade green robe!”

”You will look beautiful!”

Lian An shook her head.

”You are exaggerating.”

Fen Yu floated closer again, examining her carefully.

”No.”

”You actually look very pretty these days.”

Wei Rong nodded casually.

”Your complexion improved.”

Li Shen added thoughtfully,

”Your spiritual aura is also stronger after surviving that incident.”

Fen Yu grinned mischievously.

”And the Emperor clearly noticed.”

Lian An coughed.

”That is not the point.”

Fen Yu tilted her head.

”Then what is?”

Lian An looked away slightly.

”He was just being considerate.”

Wei Rong laughed softly.

”Considerate?”

Fen Yu crossed her arms.

”That man nearly strangled you when you first arrived at the palace.”

Li Shen nodded seriously.

”Yes, that is historically accurate.”

Fen Yu pointed at Lian An.

”And now he sends you dresses and jewelry.”

Wei Rong smirked.

”Interesting development.”

Lian An sighed.

”You ghosts are impossible.”

Fen Yu grinned.

”Admit it.”

”What?”

”You looked happy.”

Lian An paused.

”...I did not.”

Wei Rong laughed.

”You did.”

Li Shen nodded.

”It was subtle, but noticeable.”

Fen Yu clapped again.

”Yes!”

”You smiled when you saw the fabrics.”

Lian An covered her face with her hand.

”You three observe too much.”

Fen Yu floated around her dramatically.

”Of course we observe.”

”We have nothing else to do.”

Wei Rong leaned back against the pillar.

”Besides, it is entertaining.”

Li Shen nodded.

”The dynamics between you and the Emperor have become very interesting.”

Fen Yu grinned wickedly.

”Yes!”

”You should thank him.”

Lian An frowned.

”For what?”

”For buying your scarf.”

Lian An froze.

”...What?”

The ghosts suddenly went quiet.

Fen Yu quickly looked at Wei Rong.

Wei Rong looked at Li Shen.

Li Shen coughed awkwardly.

Lian An narrowed her eyes.

”What did you just say?”

Fen Yu laughed nervously.

”Nothing!”

Wei Rong shook his head.

”Forget it.”

Li Shen pretended to read his scroll again.

Lian An stared at them suspiciously.

”You three are hiding something.”

Fen Yu waved her hand quickly.

”No!”

”Not at all!”

Lian An leaned forward slightly.

”Tell me.”

Wei Rong sighed.

”You will find out eventually.”

Lian An crossed her arms.

”Find out what?”

The three ghosts exchanged glances.

Then Fen Yu smiled mischievously again.

”Nothing important.”

Lian An narrowed her eyes.

”I don’t trust that smile.”

Wei Rong chuckled.

”You shouldn’t.”

The room fell into laughter again.

For the first time in many days, the Empress’s chamber felt warm and alive.

But none of them noticed—

Outside the courtyard walls...

Dark eyes were watching.

And the next storm inside the palace was already beginning to form.

The laughter inside the Empress’s chamber slowly faded.

Just moments earlier, the room had been filled with teasing voices and playful arguments. Fen Yu was still floating near the window, grinning proudly after making fun of Lian An, while Wei Rong leaned against the pillar with his usual calm expression.

Li Shen closed the scroll he had been pretending to read.

Lian An looked at them suspiciously.

”You three were hiding something earlier.”

Fen Yu waved her hand quickly.

”No we weren’t!”

Wei Rong smirked.

”Changing the subject won’t help.”

Fen Yu immediately pointed at him.

”You’re the one who started it!”

Lian An sighed.

”Fine. I’ll just ask later.”

She leaned back in her chair.

The afternoon sun filtered through the windows, making the chamber warm and comfortable.

For a brief moment, everything felt peaceful.

But suddenly—

Li Shen’s expression changed.

The scholar ghost slowly lifted his head.

Fen Yu noticed it first.

”What’s wrong?”

Wei Rong straightened slightly.

”Something happened?”

Li Shen looked toward the courtyard entrance.

His voice became quieter.

”Did either of you feel that?”

Fen Yu frowned.

”Feel what?”

Wei Rong closed his eyes briefly.

For a moment, the room grew still.

Then his brows slowly furrowed.

”...Yes.”

Fen Yu blinked.

”Wait.”

She floated closer.

”You mean that strange feeling?”

Lian An looked at them curiously.

”What are you talking about?”

The three ghosts exchanged glances.

Their playful mood had disappeared completely.

Wei Rong crossed his arms slowly.

”Something just moved through the palace.”

Lian An raised an eyebrow.

”Moved?”

Li Shen spoke carefully.

”Spiritual energy.”

Fen Yu floated closer to the ceiling as if trying to sense something.

”It felt... cold.”

The room suddenly felt heavier.

Lian An frowned.

”You mean someone is using spiritual power?”

Wei Rong nodded slowly.

”Yes.”

”And it didn’t feel normal.”

Li Shen stepped closer to the window.

His voice lowered.

”That energy carried traces of something darker.”

Fen Yu crossed her arms.

”I felt it too.”

Lian An sat up slightly.

”What kind of energy?”

Wei Rong answered bluntly.

”Dark magic.”

The words made the room fall silent.

Lian An stared at them.

”Are you sure?”

Li Shen nodded slowly.

”We are ghosts.”

”Spiritual disturbances are easier for us to sense.”

Fen Yu’s playful expression had disappeared.

”That energy didn’t feel like normal cultivation.”

Wei Rong looked toward the palace roofs beyond the courtyard walls.

”It felt... corrupted.”

Lian An felt a small chill run down her spine.

She remembered what they had discussed earlier with the Emperor and the Duke.

Ghost breeding.

Soul manipulation.

Forbidden techniques.

”You think someone in the palace used dark magic?”

Li Shen spoke calmly.

”It is possible.”

Fen Yu hugged her arms.

”I don’t like that feeling.”

Wei Rong nodded.

”It wasn’t strong.”

”But it was definitely there.”

Lian An looked toward the courtyard outside.

”But the monks are already performing purification rituals.”

Li Shen shook his head slightly.

”If someone is powerful enough...”

”...they could hide their energy.”

Fen Yu floated nervously.

”Maybe we’re imagining things.”

Wei Rong frowned.

”No.”

”That energy was real.”

The room fell silent again.

Lian An slowly stood from her chair.

Her expression turned serious.

”If someone in the palace is really using dark magic...”

She looked at them.

”...then it could be connected to what happened to me.”

Fen Yu nodded quickly.

”Exactly.”

Wei Rong stepped closer.

”That’s why we should be careful.”

Li Shen added quietly,

”Very careful.”

Lian An looked toward the palace roofs again.

For a moment she said nothing.

Then she spoke calmly.

”Don’t tell anyone yet.”

The ghosts looked at her.

”Why?”

Fen Yu asked.

Lian An’s voice became thoughtful.

”Because if someone truly used dark magic...”

”...then they are watching us too.”

The three ghosts exchanged uneasy glances.

Outside the courtyard, the palace remained peaceful.

Servants moved through corridors.

Lanterns swayed gently in the wind.

Everything looked normal.

But now—

Lian An knew something important.

Somewhere inside the palace walls...

Someone had just used dark magic again.