Home / Ghost in the palace / Chapter 356: whisper in the garden

Read free on Ficlyn

Ghost in the palace

Chapter 356: whisper in the garden · Nov 02, 2026

Prev Chapter Novel Info Next Chapter

Chapter List (462)

Page number / 10

351 Chapter 351: The Message in the Night 2026-11-02
352 Chapter 352: The Dowager’s Warning 2026-11-02
353 Chapter 353: the kingdom uneasy 2026-11-02
354 Chapter 354: the kingdom in the brink 2026-11-02
355 Chapter 355: The Forgotten Shadow 2026-11-02
356 Chapter 356: whisper in the garden 2026-11-02
357 Chapter 357: the women who returned from the forest 2026-11-02
358 Chapter 358: the trails lead to north 2026-11-02
359 Chapter 359: Whispers Across the Kingdom 2026-11-02
360 Chapter 360: hunt for the hidden cult 2026-11-02
361 Chapter 361: The Suggestion No One Had Considered 2026-11-02
362 Chapter 362: midnight inspection 2026-11-02
363 Chapter 363: The Traitor’s Letter 2026-11-02
364 Chapter 364: The Empire Stands Firm 2026-11-02
365 Chapter 365: The Fallen Minister 2026-11-02
366 Chapter 366: The Shadow on the Terrace 2026-11-02
367 Chapter 367: The Man Beneath the Hood 2026-11-02
368 Chapter 368: Unnamed A New Shadow 2026-11-02
369 Chapter 369: The Mysterious Letter 2026-11-02
370 Chapter 370: The Hand Behind the Shadows 2026-11-02
371 Chapter 371: The Man Who Walked Among Ghosts 2026-11-02
372 Chapter 372: doomed 2026-11-02
373 Chapter 373: The Letter of Doom 2026-11-02
374 Chapter 374: – The Price of Dark Magic 2026-11-02
375 Chapter 375: The Second Phase 2026-11-02
376 Chapter 376: The Shadow Over the Kingdom 2026-11-02
377 Chapter 377: The Shadow in Princess Zhi’s Courtyard 2026-11-02
378 Chapter 378: A Shadow of Death 2026-11-02
379 Chapter 379: The Black Magic Plague 2026-11-02
380 Chapter 380: The Courtyard Without Life 2026-11-02
381 Chapter 381: ghost staring 2026-11-02
382 Chapter 382: A Dangerous Truth 2026-11-02
383 Chapter 383: the empty cotyard 2026-11-02
384 Chapter 384: doubt 2026-11-02
385 Chapter 385: the trap 2026-11-02
386 Chapter 386: The Trap Behind the Trap 2026-11-02
387 Chapter 387: The Rumor That Set the Capital Ablaze 2026-11-02
388 Chapter 388: The Ministers Who Demanded Judgment 2026-11-02
389 Chapter 389: The Ministers’ Demand 2026-11-02
390 Chapter 390: The Missing Talisman 2026-11-02
391 Chapter 391: — A Midnight Visit 2026-11-02
392 Chapter 392: Fen Yu’s Terrible Date 2026-11-02
393 Chapter 393: The Silent Courtyard 2026-11-02
394 Chapter 394: The Ghosts Who Would Not Stop Fighting 2026-11-02
395 Chapter 395: The Court Demands Blood 2026-11-02
396 Chapter 396: The Whisper That Turned Into a Storm 2026-11-02
397 Chapter 397: The Mystery Beneath the Palace 2026-11-02
398 Chapter 398: The Maid Who Wasn’t What She Seemed 2026-11-02
399 Chapter 399: Whispers Beneath the Moon 2026-11-02
400 Chapter 400: The Black Altar 2026-11-02

The Imperial Palace was unusually peaceful that afternoon.

A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of blooming plum blossoms through the winding stone paths. Sunlight filtered through the ancient trees, casting dancing shadows across the imperial garden.

After several days of recovering at the Duke Residence, the Empress had finally returned to the palace.

The palace no longer felt as cold as it once had.

Servants greeted her respectfully.

Maids smiled warmly.

Even the guards bowed with genuine admiration after hearing she had survived both the mysterious illness and the recent ambush.

The Empress slowly wandered through the garden, enjoying the quiet.

The lotus pond shimmered beneath the afternoon sun.

Birds sang from the flowering branches.

For the first time in many days...

She felt at peace.

Then—

A faint sound drifted through the air.

”...Om...”

She stopped walking.

Her brows furrowed.

It sounded like someone was chanting.

Not loudly.

Almost like a whisper carried by the wind.

She slowly turned toward the sound.

”Who’s there?”

No answer.

Only leaves rustling gently.

The chanting continued.

Low.

Rhythmic.

Ancient.

The Empress walked toward the bamboo grove.

The sound became clearer...

Then suddenly—

It shifted.

As though it had moved somewhere else.

She looked behind the flowering bushes.

Nothing.

She searched beside the lotus pavilion.

Nothing.

There wasn’t a single monk.

No servant.

No palace guard.

Only silence.

Her heartbeat quickened.

”...Am I imagining it?”

Just then another familiar voice called from behind.

”Your Majesty?”

The Empress turned.

It was Lady Chen.

Lady Chen smiled politely.

”I didn’t expect to find you here.”

The Empress returned the smile.

”I was taking a walk.”

Since the recent events, the hostility between them had eased considerably. Lady Chen had become respectful, and the Empress no longer treated her as an enemy.

They weren’t close friends.

But they could speak without resentment.

The Empress hesitated before asking,

”Do you hear anything strange?”

Lady Chen tilted her head.

”Strange?”

”The chanting.”

Lady Chen listened carefully.

For several seconds...

Nothing.

Then—

Her expression changed.

”...I hear it.”

The Empress looked relieved.

”So I’m not imagining it.”

Lady Chen slowly nodded.

”It sounds... distant.”

Together they followed the mysterious chanting.

Neither woman noticed that several hidden eyes were quietly watching from the shadows.

The sound drifted deeper into the palace.

It seemed to guide them.

Left.

Right.

Across a stone bridge.

Through a quiet bamboo path.

Every time they thought they were close—

It moved again.

”This is strange,” Lady Chen whispered.

The Empress nodded.

”It feels like someone wants us to follow.”

Eventually, they reached a quieter part of the palace.

The air suddenly felt colder.

Ahead stood a secluded courtyard.

The residence of Shin Gu.

Surprisingly...

There were no guards.

No servants.

No maids sweeping the courtyard.

The entire place felt abandoned.

Lady Chen frowned.

”Where is everyone?”

The chanting had stopped.

Instead—

A muffled voice came from inside the closed room.

Both women instinctively moved closer.

The wooden doors were firmly shut.

From within, they could hear Shin Gu speaking.

Her voice was calm.

Respectful.

Almost as if she were having a conversation.

The Empress held her breath.

”...Who is she talking to?”

Lady Chen pressed closer to the door.

”I only hear Shin Gu.”

”So do I.”

”But...”

The Empress frowned.

”...She’s clearly answering someone.”

A pause.

Then Shin Gu spoke again.

”...I understand...”

”...I will wait...”

”...The time has not yet come...”

The Empress and Lady Chen exchanged uneasy glances.

They listened carefully, hoping to hear another voice.

Nothing.

Only Shin Gu.

As though the other speaker made no sound at all.

Or perhaps—

Could only be heard by her.

Lady Chen whispered,

”Should we open the door?”

The Empress immediately caught her wrist.

”No.”

Lady Chen looked confused.

”Why?”

The Empress glanced toward the closed doors.

”If Prince Liang asked her to do something confidential...”

”We would be intruding.”

Lady Chen thought for a moment.

Then nodded.

”That’s possible.”

”Prince Liang often discusses unusual matters.”

The Empress gently pulled her away from the doorway.

”Let’s not disturb her.”

The two women quietly left the courtyard.

Neither noticed that behind the closed doors...

The conversation had already fallen silent.

As they returned to the imperial garden—

The mysterious chanting had vanished completely.

Not a single whisper remained.

The garden was peaceful once again.

The Empress looked around slowly.

”...It’s gone.”

Lady Chen frowned.

”It stopped as soon as we left.”

The Empress nodded, though unease lingered in her heart.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone...

Or something...

Had deliberately led them to Shin Gu’s courtyard.

Whether it was a coincidence—

Or the beginning of another mystery—

She did not yet know.

A strange silence covered the Imperial Palace.

It was not the peaceful silence of midnight.

It was heavy.

Oppressive.

Even the wind seemed unwilling to move through the ancient halls.

Throughout the palace, servants, guards, maids, and nobles tossed uneasily in their sleep.

Many later said they had dreamed the same dream—

A dark garden.

A woman chanting.

And someone crying without pause.

---

Before dawn, a palace maid suddenly jolted awake.

She frowned.

”...Who’s crying?”

At first she thought it was another maid.

But the crying continued.

Soft.

Heartbreaking.

It echoed from somewhere outside.

The maid lit a lantern and stepped into the corridor.

The palace seemed unusually cold.

She followed the sound toward the imperial garden.

The closer she walked—

The stronger the smell became.

Not flowers.

Not incense.

Something metallic.

Something that made her stomach twist.

She reached the garden entrance.

Her lantern shook.

Then...

She screamed.

Her terrified cry shattered the silence of the palace.

---

Within moments, guards rushed toward the garden.

More servants followed.

Then palace officials.

No one spoke.

No one dared breathe loudly.

Because spread across the moonlit grass...

Were bodies.

Dozens of them.

Men.

Women.

Old.

Young.

Merchants.

Commoners.

None wore palace uniforms.

Some still clutched cloth bundles.

Others had merchant tokens hanging from their belts.

A few looked as though they had been traveling.

They lay silently beneath the white morning mist.

One...

Two...

Ten...

Twenty...

Fifty.

Exactly fifty bodies.

The captain of the guards felt cold sweat run down his back.

”...Seal the garden.”

”No one enters.”

”No one leaves.”

---

News spread through the palace like wildfire.

The Emperor was immediately awakened.

The Dowager Empress hurried from her residence.

Prince Liang arrived with several guards.

Princess Zhi wrapped a cloak around herself as she rushed across the courtyard.

Even Lady Chen came, her face pale.

Word was immediately sent to the Duke residence.

The Empress arrived shortly afterward under heavy escort.

The moment she entered the garden...

She stopped walking.

Her face lost all color.

The entire imperial garden had become a sea of silence.

The Emperor stood in the center, his expression darker than anyone had ever seen.

The Dowager Empress covered her mouth.

”...How...”

”...How did these people enter the palace?”

Prince Liang looked around carefully.

”There are no signs of forced entry.”

Princess Zhi whispered,

”They’re not palace servants...”

One guard knelt beside a body.

”Your Majesty... judging from the clothing...”

”Some appear to be merchants.”

”Others ordinary townspeople.”

The Emperor frowned.

”Then why are they inside the Imperial Palace?”

No one answered.

No explanation made sense.

The palace gates were heavily guarded.

No group this large could simply walk inside unnoticed.

---

The Empress slowly looked around.

Her eyes narrowed.

Then...

Something surfaced in her memory.

She stepped forward.

”Your Majesty...”

Everyone turned toward her.

”I remembered something.”

The Emperor immediately looked at her.

”What is it?”

She spoke carefully.

”Yesterday...”

”...Lady Chen and I both heard someone chanting.”

Lady Chen’s eyes widened.

She slowly nodded.

”Yes.”

”I heard it too.”

The Dowager Empress looked between them.

”You never reported this.”

Lady Chen lowered her head.

”We searched.”

”We thought perhaps we imagined it.”

The Empress continued,

”The chanting disappeared before we could find its source.”

Princess Zhi frowned.

”Where did you hear it?”

The Empress answered,

”Near the eastern gardens.”

Lady Chen took a slow breath.

”It... eventually stopped near Shin Gu’s courtyard.”

Silence.

Every face changed.

The Emperor looked sharply toward Lady Chen.

”You went there?”

She nodded.

”Yes.”

”The Empress and I entered the courtyard.”

”There was no one outside.”

The Emperor asked,

”Then?”

Lady Chen hesitated.

”We heard Shin Gu speaking.”

The Dowager Empress frowned.

”Speaking to whom?”

Lady Chen slowly shook her head.

”I don’t know.”

”I couldn’t see anyone.”

”I assumed...”

Her eyes moved toward Prince Liang.

”...perhaps it was Prince Liang.”

Prince Liang’s brows knitted together immediately.

”I was never there.”

Everyone looked at him.

He repeated firmly,

”I never visited Shin Gu’s courtyard yesterday.”

The words landed like a stone in still water.

Lady Chen blinked.

”...Then...”

”...Who was she talking to?”

No one answered.

---

The Emperor’s expression became colder.

”Where is Shin Gu now?”

A maid hurriedly knelt.

”Your Majesty...”

”Her room is empty.”

”She has not been seen since last night.”

The garden fell completely silent.

The Dowager Empress slowly tightened her grip on her cane.

Princess Zhi whispered,

”She disappeared...”

The Empress felt a chill crawl down her spine.

Her three ghost companions, invisible to everyone else, hovered close behind her.

For the first time in many days...

None of them joked.

The scholar ghost stared toward Shin Gu’s distant courtyard.

”...Something is wrong.”

The general ghost nodded grimly.

”Very wrong.”

The female ghost whispered,

”I can feel... lingering spiritual energy.”

The Empress kept her face calm, revealing nothing.

But inside...

Her heartbeat quickened.

The Emperor looked once more across the fifty silent bodies.

His voice echoed through the garden.

”Seal Shin Gu’s residence.”

”Search every room.”

”No one leaves the palace.”

”And until we know the truth...”

”Trust no one.”

The cold morning wind swept through the imperial garden.

The fifty bodies remained motionless beneath the pale dawn.

Somewhere inside the palace...

The real mastermind was still hidden.

Watching.

Waiting.

For the next move.

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