Ghost in the palace

Night settled gently over the Imperial Palace.

Moonlight washed over the red-tiled roofs, while hundreds of lanterns glowed softly beneath the quiet sky.

The living had retired to their chambers.

But for the spirits—

The night had only just begun.

---

Three translucent figures floated leisurely through the palace corridors.

The stern General Ghost walked with his hands behind his back.

Beside him drifted the cheerful Fen Yu, unable to stay still for more than a moment.

Trailing behind them was the scholarly ghost, carrying a bamboo scroll despite no longer needing one.

Fen Yu stretched dramatically.

”I’m bored.”

The scholar ghost sighed.

”You say that every night.”

”Because every night is boring!”

The General glanced at him.

”If you’re bored, stop causing trouble.”

Fen Yu grinned.

”Impossible.”

---

As they turned a corner, they spotted several palace ghosts gathered beneath an ancient plum tree.

The spirits immediately straightened.

”Senior!”

”General!”

The General nodded politely.

Fen Yu, however, floated directly into the middle of the group.

”What are you all doing?”

One elderly ghost smiled nervously.

”We’re... chatting.”

”About what?”

”The weather.”

Fen Yu blinked.

”We’re ghosts.”

”We don’t feel weather.”

The group fell silent.

The scholar ghost covered his face.

”You frightened them.”

”I did not.”

---

A young palace ghost suddenly whispered,

”Have you been staying with Her Majesty?”

Fen Yu proudly folded his arms.

”Of course.”

”We’re practically family now.”

The scholar added with a smile,

”She keeps us quite busy.”

Another ghost looked surprised.

”The Empress can really see you?”

”She can.”

”And she talks to us.”

The surrounding spirits stared in amazement.

”How fortunate...”

---

The conversation soon became lively.

Ghosts exchanged old palace stories.

Some complained about the living moving furniture through their favorite walls.

Others joked about frightening lazy servants.

Laughter echoed beneath the moonlight.

Fen Yu laughed so hard he almost floated upside down.

---

Nearby, two younger ghosts suddenly lowered their voices.

”...Have you seen Shin Gu recently?”

The cheerful atmosphere disappeared instantly.

Several ghosts exchanged uneasy glances.

One elderly spirit answered quietly,

”We avoid that courtyard.”

Fen Yu frowned.

”Why?”

The elderly ghost looked around before speaking.

”Whenever she walks through the gardens...”

”...the spiritual energy around her feels strange.”

Another ghost nodded.

”It makes us uncomfortable.”

”We leave before she arrives.”

The scholar ghost became thoughtful.

”So all of you feel it?”

Every ghost present nodded.

”It isn’t pain.”

”It simply feels...”

”...wrong.”

The General remained silent, committing every word to memory.

---

To lighten the mood, Fen Yu suddenly pointed toward another ghost.

”You still hide inside the old kitchen?”

The ghost looked embarrassed.

”I like the smell of steamed buns.”

”But you can’t eat!”

”I know.”

”I can still remember the smell.”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Even the General’s stern expression softened.

---

Another ghost pointed at Fen Yu.

”And you?”

”Didn’t you spend three hours trying to scare a palace cat?”

Fen Yu coughed awkwardly.

”...The cat ignored me.”

”It chased you.”

”I was... strategically retreating.”

The courtyard filled with laughter again.

---

The scholar ghost smiled.

”These nights have become more peaceful.”

Fen Yu nodded.

”Yes.”

”The Empress has been busy recently.”

”Wedding preparations.”

”Princess Zhi.”

”The Dowager Empress.”

”Even the Emperor keeps visiting.”

The General crossed his arms.

”She has little time for us.”

Fen Yu pretended to wipe away tears.

”We’ve been abandoned.”

The scholar laughed.

”She hasn’t abandoned us.”

”She’s simply living.”

The General nodded once.

”And that’s a good thing.”

All three became quiet.

Not long ago, they had nearly watched the Empress leave the world forever.

Now—

She smiled.

She laughed.

She spent time with people who loved her.

Seeing that was enough.

---

Fen Yu suddenly grinned.

”Tomorrow let’s visit her again.”

The scholar smiled.

”She’ll probably scold us.”

”Definitely.”

”And then feed us imaginary food.”

The General chuckled softly.

”I’ll accept that.”

The three friends looked toward the brightly lit palace wing where the Empress was staying.

Warm light spilled through the windows.

For a long moment, none of them spoke.

Then Fen Yu smiled.

”Our little Empress is finally happy.”

The General nodded.

”So our duty is simple.”

The scholar looked at him.

”Protect that happiness.”

The three ghosts silently agreed.

Together, they floated into the moonlit palace gardens, their laughter echoing quietly among the ancient trees as the other palace spirits gradually relaxed and joined them, making the once-lonely palace feel just a little less haunted.

The Imperial Palace was wrapped in silence.

The laughter that had filled the courtyards during the day had long since faded.

Only the occasional sound of the night watchman’s wooden clapper echoed through the distant corridors.

Inside Shin Gu’s courtyard, every lantern had been dimmed.

The servants believed their mistress was asleep after her frightening illness earlier that day.

No one dared disturb her.

But inside the innermost chamber—

Shin Gu sat cross-legged before a small wooden altar hidden behind a folding screen.

The room was illuminated by only three candles.

Their flames flickered gently.

Her usually composed face looked pale.

Dark circles rested beneath her eyes.

She took a slow breath.

”My spiritual energy...”

”...still hasn’t stabilized.”

She lifted one trembling hand toward the altar.

The carved symbols on its surface glowed faintly.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated.

For a long moment—

Nothing happened.

A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.

She tried again.

This time, a faint ripple of energy spread through the room.

The candle flames bent sharply before becoming still again.

Shin Gu frowned.

”It should not be this difficult...”

Her breathing grew uneven.

She pressed a hand against her chest.

A dull ache lingered there.

The strange backlash she had experienced days earlier had not disappeared completely.

She had hidden it well before the Imperial Healer and Prince Liang.

But she could not deceive herself.

Her strength was no longer flowing as smoothly as before.

She slowly extended her hand over the altar.

A tiny shimmer of light gathered above the carved surface.

It flickered weakly, as though struggling to remain lit.

Shin Gu whispered quietly,

”I have received your previous message.”

”My condition is unstable.”

”I cannot continue for several days.”

The faint light pulsed once.

She continued,

”I will remain silent until my strength returns.”

”Do not expect another message soon.”

As the final words left her lips, the small light faded away.

The room returned to darkness.

Shin Gu immediately bent forward.

”Cough...”

A dry cough escaped her throat.

Though no blood appeared this time, the effort left her breathing heavily.

She leaned back against a nearby pillar.

”...Too much.”

Her body felt unusually heavy.

Even lifting her arm required effort.

She had never experienced such exhaustion before.

For the first time in years—

She felt fragile.

Outside, a cool breeze drifted through the paper windows.

The candles danced softly.

Shin Gu stared at the altar for a long while.

”I can’t force it.”

”If I continue...”

”My condition will only worsen.”

She slowly reached forward and covered the altar with a silk cloth.

The carvings disappeared beneath the fabric.

”No more rituals.”

”Not for now.”

”I need to recover first.”

She stood carefully.

Even that simple movement made her slightly dizzy.

Supporting herself against the table, she walked toward the bed.

Her steps were slower than usual.

Without calling for her maids, she removed her outer robe herself and lay beneath the blanket.

The room became completely quiet.

Moonlight slipped through the window, casting pale silver across the floor.

Shin Gu gazed at the ceiling.

Her thoughts refused to settle.

Someone—or something—had disrupted the forces she relied upon.

She still didn’t know who.

That uncertainty unsettled her more than the weakness itself.

”...I’ll wait.”

She closed her eyes.

”Until my strength returns.”

Outside her chamber, the palace remained peaceful beneath the moon.

Inside, Shin Gu finally allowed herself to rest.

For the next few days, she would remain silent, gathering her strength and watching events unfold from the shadows.

Sometimes, even the most patient strategist knew when to pause.

And tonight—

Rest was her only choice.

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