Home / Ghost in the palace / Chapter 319: The Whisper Bowl Festival Meeting

Read free on Ficlyn

Ghost in the palace

Chapter 319: The Whisper Bowl Festival Meeting · Nov 02, 2026

Prev Chapter Novel Info Next Chapter

Chapter List (462)

Page number / 10

301 Chapter 301: Prayers Beneath the Shadow of the North 2026-11-02
302 Chapter 302: The Dowager’s Fear 2026-11-02
303 Chapter 303: the weight of the throne 2026-11-02
304 Chapter 304: The Dowager’s Quiet Thoughts 2026-11-02
305 Chapter 305: Forgotten Memories and Hidden Fear 2026-11-02
306 Chapter 306: Whispers of Fear in the Imperial Court 2026-11-02
307 Chapter 307: Questions Buried in History 2026-11-02
308 Chapter 308: Villages Filled With Grief 2026-11-02
309 Chapter 309: — The Promise He Never Intended to Keep 2026-11-02
310 Chapter 310: The Dowager Empress’s Thoughts 2026-11-02
311 Chapter 311: A Mother’s Advice 2026-11-02
312 Chapter 312: The Return of the Lost 2026-11-02
313 Chapter 313: The Three Mischievous Ghosts 2026-11-02
314 Chapter 314: The Strange Weakness 2026-11-02
315 Chapter 315: The Cry in the Night 2026-11-02
316 Chapter 316: The Dowager’s Concerns 2026-11-02
317 Chapter 317: — A New Market for the Common People 2026-11-02
318 Chapter 318: The Emperor’s Decree 2026-11-02
319 Chapter 319: The Whisper Bowl Festival Meeting 2026-11-02
320 Chapter 320: The Kingdom Awaits the Festival 2026-11-02
321 Chapter 321: The First Day of the Festival Market 2026-11-02
322 Chapter 322: Smiles Across the Empire 2026-11-02
323 Chapter 323: — The Festival Beyond the Palace 2026-11-02
324 Chapter 324: The Festival of Prosperity 2026-11-02
325 Chapter 325: The Festival’s Great Success 2026-11-02
326 Chapter 326: The Scroll in the Night 2026-11-02
327 Chapter 327: The Dowager’s Fear 2026-11-02
328 Chapter 328: The Cry That Shook the Kingdom 2026-11-02
329 Chapter 329: The Morning After the Cry 2026-11-02
330 Chapter 330: The Boundary of Light 2026-11-02
331 Chapter 331: The Emperor’s Promise 2026-11-02
332 Chapter 332: Someone Among Us 2026-11-02
333 Chapter 333: The Courtyard of Too Much Silence 2026-11-02
334 Chapter 334: The First Report 2026-11-02
335 Chapter 335: Lunch Beneath Smiling Masks 2026-11-02
336 Chapter 336: An Unexpected Request 2026-11-02
337 Chapter 337: The Empress’s Feast 2026-11-02
338 Chapter 338: The Feast in the Empress’s Courtyard 2026-11-02
339 Chapter 339: Shadows Behind a Smile 2026-11-02
340 Chapter 340: Whispers in the Servants’ Courtyard 2026-11-02
341 Chapter 341: Cracks in the Story 2026-11-02
342 Chapter 342: The Ghosts’ Early Morning Hunger 2026-11-02
343 Chapter 343: A Heart That Beat Differently 2026-11-02
344 Chapter 344: The Monk’s Protection 2026-11-02
345 Chapter 345: Blood in Prince Liang’s Courtyard 2026-11-02
346 Chapter 346: The Dowager’s Doubt 2026-11-02
347 Chapter 347: The Palace of Wandering Spirits 2026-11-02
348 Chapter 348: Tea Beneath the Pearl Blossoms 2026-11-02
349 Chapter 349: An Invitation for Afternoon Tea 2026-11-02
350 Chapter 350: storm before storm 2026-11-02

The morning sun shone brightly over the capital.

, but inside her chamber, Lian An was already planning something else.

The upcoming Spring Festival Market.

Every year, merchants from nearby towns gathered in the capital.

Food stalls.

Games.

Handmade crafts.

Performances.

Thousands of visitors would arrive.

For the Whisper Bowl Restaurant, it was the perfect opportunity.

Lian An changed into simple commoner clothing.

A light blue dress.

A plain cloak.

Nothing that would reveal her identity as the Empress.

After all, she preferred discussing business as the owner of Whisper Bowl rather than as royalty.

After saying goodbye to her family, she quietly left the Duke residence.

---

The moment she entered Whisper Bowl, the atmosphere brightened.

Staff members immediately recognized her.

”Boss!”

”Lady An is here!”

”Welcome back!”

Smiles spread across the restaurant.

Many employees had not seen her for weeks.

Lian An smiled warmly.

”Everyone seems energetic.”

One waitress laughed.

”We heard you almost died. We were terrified.”

Another employee nodded.

”Manager nearly worked herself sick worrying.”

Lian An rubbed her forehead.

”It wasn’t that serious.”

Everyone immediately disagreed.

”It was serious!”

The entire restaurant burst into laughter.

---

Soon her friend arrived.

She crossed her arms.

”You disappeared.”

Lian An smiled.

”I was busy.”

”Busy almost dying?”

”...”

”That’s what I thought.”

The friend sighed dramatically.

”You owe me compensation.”

Lian An laughed.

”What compensation?”

”A month of free food.”

”You already eat for free.”

”...Good point.”

---

The two women entered a private room upstairs.

Soon the twins and several senior managers joined them.

Tea was served.

Scrolls were opened.

The meeting began.

---

Her friend pointed at a map.

”The festival market will be held here.”

The map showed the capital square.

Hundreds of stalls would participate.

Competition would be fierce.

Lian An studied it carefully.

”We need something different.”

Everyone nodded.

The twins immediately agreed.

”If we only sell ordinary food, we won’t stand out.”

”Exactly.”

---

Lian An picked up a brush.

”First question.”

”What dishes attract crowds?”

The room fell silent.

Everyone began thinking.

Finally one manager spoke.

”Street food.”

Another nodded.

”Easy to carry.”

The friend added,

”Affordable.”

Lian An smiled.

”Good.”

She wrote three words.

Fast. Affordable. Memorable.

---

The discussion became lively.

One twin suggested grilled meat skewers.

The other suggested dumplings.

A manager recommended noodle bowls.

Another wanted fried rice.

Soon everyone was arguing.

---

”We should sell roasted duck!”

”No.”

”It’s expensive.”

”What about noodles?”

”Too slow.”

”Dumplings?”

”Too common.”

The debate continued.

---

Finally Lian An raised her hand.

Everyone became quiet.

She began writing.

Festival Menu

1. Crispy Chicken Skewers

2. Spicy Potato Twisters

3. Mini Dumplings

4. Sweet Rice Cakes

5. Honey Glazed Pancakes

6. Cold Fruit Tea

7. Plum Blossom Tea

8. Fried Lotus Chips

The room became silent.

Then—

Everyone’s eyes lit up.

---

Her friend pointed at the list.

”The potato thing.”

”What is that?”

Lian An smiled.

”Spiral-cut potatoes.”

”Crispy outside.”

”Soft inside.”

”Covered in seasoning.”

The entire room looked confused.

But interested.

---

One twin stood up.

”Can we make it?”

”We’ll learn.”

The other twin nodded.

”It sounds addictive.”

---

Lian An continued.

”We also need signature dishes.”

”Something people can only get from us.”

The friend nodded seriously.

”That’s important.”

---

They spent the next hour brainstorming.

Ideas filled several scrolls.

New sauces.

Special seasonings.

Unique drinks.

Festival-exclusive desserts.

---

Soon the discussion shifted toward prices.

This part caused even more arguments.

---

The friend wanted higher prices.

The twins wanted cheaper prices.

Managers wanted balance.

---

Finally Lian An wrote:

Profit comes from volume.

Not luxury.

Not expensive dishes.

The festival would attract thousands of customers.

Affordable food meant bigger crowds.

Bigger crowds meant bigger profit.

---

Everyone eventually agreed.

The final prices were set.

Reasonable enough for commoners.

Profitable enough for the restaurant.

---

Then came staffing.

The friend pointed at another list.

”We need at least fifty workers.”

The twins nodded.

”And twenty runners.”

”Plus cleaning staff.”

---

Lian An added another note.

”Everyone must smile.”

The room laughed.

One manager groaned.

”That’s harder than cooking.”

---

The friend pointed at him.

”Then practice.”

---

The meeting continued until noon.

The table became covered with papers.

Calculations.

Menus.

Schedules.

Shopping lists.

---

Finally the friend leaned back in her chair.

Exhausted.

”We just planned an entire festival operation.”

Lian An smiled.

”And we’re not finished.”

The entire room groaned.

---

Then she unfolded another blank scroll.

Everyone stared.

”No.”

”Please no.”

”We need rest.”

---

Lian An laughed.

”Fine.”

”We’ll continue tomorrow.”

The room erupted in celebration.

---

As everyone left, her friend remained behind.

The noise slowly faded.

Only the two women remained.

---

Her friend looked at her carefully.

”You seem happier.”

Lian An paused.

Then smiled softly.

”Maybe.”

Her friend nodded knowingly.

”Family?”

Lian An nodded.

”Family.”

---

Outside the window, the restaurant buzzed with life.

Employees laughed.

Customers chatted.

Plates clinked.

The familiar sounds filled the air.

---

Lian An looked around quietly.

The Whisper Bowl had grown far beyond what she imagined.

It wasn’t just a restaurant anymore.

It was a family.

A home.

A dream built with countless people.

And soon—

At the festival market—

It would shine even brighter.

Three days before the grand festival, the capital woke to an unusual sound.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Large drums echoed through the streets.

People peeked from windows.

Shopkeepers stepped out of their stores.

Children ran toward the main road.

Even farmers working outside the city walls paused and looked up.

”What happened?”

”Is there an emergency?”

”Did bandits attack?”

People began gathering.

Soon they saw city guards riding through the streets.

Behind them walked town criers carrying banners decorated with red silk.

One guard raised a scroll and shouted loudly.

”Hear ye! Hear ye!”

”The Spring Festival Market will officially begin in three days!”

Excited murmurs spread instantly.

The Spring Festival was already the biggest event of the year.

But the announcement wasn’t finished.

The guard continued,

”Food stalls from every province will gather in the capital!”

”Games, performances, prizes, and merchants will participate!”

Children immediately cheered.

Old men smiled.

Young women exchanged excited looks.

The guard raised his voice again.

”And this year—”

”The famous Whisper Bowl Restaurant will open a special festival food street!”

The crowd erupted.

”What?!”

”Whisper Bowl?”

”The restaurant everyone talks about?”

”I heard their food is amazing!”

”My cousin traveled three towns just to eat there!”

The excitement doubled.

Then came the final announcement.

The guard unrolled another scroll.

”Festival special prices!”

”Mini dumplings — 3 copper coins!”

”Honey pancakes — 2 copper coins!”

”Festival fruit tea — 1 copper coin!”

”Special festival dishes available for all commoners!”

For a moment—

Nobody spoke.

Then chaos erupted.

”Only one copper coin?!”

”That’s cheaper than market tea!”

”Three copper coins for dumplings?”

”Impossible!”

People stared in disbelief.

Usually festival food was expensive because of the crowds.

Yet Whisper Bowl was offering prices almost everyone could afford.

A vegetable seller laughed loudly.

”My whole family can eat there!”

A farmer grinned.

”We’re definitely going!”

A grandmother clutched her grandson’s hand.

”You wanted dumplings, didn’t you?”

The little boy nodded excitedly.

”Yes!”

”Then we’ll save money and go together.”

The boy jumped happily.

Meanwhile, news spread beyond the capital.

---

In nearby villages, horse messengers carried announcements.

At one village square, a guard stood on a platform.

”The Spring Festival Market begins in three days!”

Villagers immediately gathered.

A young woman whispered,

”Maybe we should visit the capital.”

Her husband nodded.

”We haven’t gone in years.”

Then they heard about the food prices.

Both froze.

”That’s cheaper than the town market.”

Soon everyone began discussing travel plans.

---

In another town, merchants smiled after hearing the announcement.

More visitors meant more customers.

More customers meant more profit.

An elderly merchant stroked his beard.

”The Duke family’s banquet.”

”The upcoming wedding.”

”And now this festival.”

”The capital will be crowded.”

His son grinned.

”We should prepare extra stock.”

---

At Whisper Bowl itself—

The staff were struggling to keep up.

Customers flooded inside.

Many came specifically because they had heard the announcement.

The friend manager stared at the packed restaurant.

”...We’re doomed.”

One of the twins nodded.

”Completely doomed.”

The other twin laughed.

”The good kind of doomed.”

Every table was full.

The waiting line extended outside.

People kept asking questions.

”What festival dishes are you selling?”

”When does the market open?”

”Will there be enough food?”

The staff barely had time to breathe.

---

Upstairs in a private room, Lian An listened to the reports.

Her friend dropped a stack of papers onto the table.

”We’ve become famous again.”

Lian An smiled.

”That’s good.”

”No.”

Her friend pointed outside.

”That’s terrifying.”

Lian An looked through the window.

The crowd stretched far beyond the restaurant entrance.

Even she was slightly surprised.

”...Maybe we need more workers.”

”Maybe?” her friend replied.

”We need twice as many.”

Both women laughed.

---

Elsewhere in the capital—

The news even reached the palace.

Maids talked about it.

Servants discussed it.

Guards planned to visit on their day off.

Everyone seemed excited.

The festival hadn’t even started yet.

Yet anticipation filled the entire kingdom.

---

As evening arrived, lanterns illuminated the streets.

Groups of people continued discussing the upcoming event.

Children counted the days.

Families planned their visits.

Merchants prepared their goods.

And throughout the capital—

One topic appeared again and again.

Whisper Bowl.

The restaurant everyone wanted to visit.

The food everyone wanted to taste.

And the festival everyone now eagerly awaited.

Far away, sitting in the restaurant office, Lian An looked at the bustling street below.

A small smile appeared on her face.

The festival had not even begun.

Yet already—

It was a success.

Prev Chapter Novel Info Next Chapter

Recommended Novels

Genius Doctor Black Belly Miss Dạ Bắc

My Sister Insisted on Swapping Marriages, and I Became a Marchioness Instead Mo Qi Jian

Genius Doctor Black Belly Miss North Night

The Deadly Hitwoman: The Heiress's Special Abilities Seven-leaf Hibiscus

The Golem Mage mystic dark

The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL] Kairie

The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant Yan Xiaomo

Peaceful Farm Life Evergreen Tree

Reborn In The Three Kingdoms Tang12

The Golem Mage mystic dark

From Folly to Fortune：I Rewrite My Life After Rebirth! Lu Chengfeng

Stop Fooling the Us, China Really is Doing This! Shen Qian Zhi Jian

The Feng Shui Treasure Appraiser Chao Ji Xue Ba

The Dramatic Crown Princess Wants to Poison Me! Chu Qianmo

African Entrepreneurship Record Evil er er er