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Ghost in the palace

Chapter 364: The Empire Stands Firm · Nov 02, 2026

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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 first rays of dawn spread across the northern frontier.

A cold wind swept through the mountain pass, carrying with it the smell of damp earth and steel.

Hidden among the rocks, thousands of Imperial soldiers remained perfectly still.

Not a single voice could be heard.

General Zhao stood at the highest ridge, his eyes fixed on the narrow valley below.

A scout hurried toward him before dropping to one knee.

”General.”

”The enemy has entered the valley.”

General Zhao nodded.

”How many?”

”Nearly five thousand soldiers.”

”And their formation?”

”They are advancing confidently. They have not discovered our positions.”

A faint smile appeared on the General’s face.

”Excellent.”

He slowly drew his sword.

”Pass the order.”

”No one attacks until my signal.”

The officers immediately rode away.

Within moments, every hidden unit received the command.

The valley became deathly silent once again.

---

The Enemy’s Confidence

Below, the invading commander laughed loudly.

”So this is the Empire’s famous northern defense?”

He looked around.

Only a handful of abandoned watchtowers stood on the cliffs.

The walls appeared old.

The gates looked poorly maintained.

Exactly as their intelligence had described.

He raised his hand confidently.

”Advance!”

Thousands of soldiers marched deeper into the valley.

None of them noticed the ropes hidden beneath loose stones.

None of them noticed the Imperial archers concealed above.

They believed victory was already within reach.

---

The Signal

When the last enemy battalion entered the narrowest part of the pass—

A war horn echoed across the mountains.

The sound shook the cliffs.

The enemy commander looked up in alarm.

”What was that?”

Before anyone could answer—

Boom!

Massive wooden barricades crashed down behind the invading army.

The only path of retreat disappeared beneath falling timber and stone.

”What!”

Another horn sounded.

Then another.

General Zhao stepped onto the cliff.

His crimson cloak fluttered in the wind.

He raised his sword high into the air.

”For the Empire!”

Thousands of Imperial soldiers answered together.

”FOR THE EMPIRE!”

The mountains trembled with their voices.

---

Rain of Arrows

The General’s sword came down.

”Loose!”

A dark cloud rose into the sky.

Thousands of arrows descended at once.

The enemy’s front ranks fell before they could even raise their shields.

Panic spread instantly.

”Shield wall!”

”Protect the commander!”

But the narrow valley left little room to maneuver.

Before they could recover—

Another volley struck.

Imperial soldiers charged down both sides of the cliffs.

The battle had begun.

---

Clash of Steel

General Zhao rode straight into the battlefield.

His spear swept through the enemy ranks with overwhelming force.

One commander after another fell before him.

Behind him, disciplined Imperial infantry advanced shoulder to shoulder.

Every movement had been practiced countless times.

The invading soldiers, trapped inside the valley, struggled to reorganize.

Their numerical advantage disappeared completely.

Within two hours—

The battle was over.

The valley belonged entirely to the Empire.

Imperial banners once again flew proudly above the cliffs.

---

Black Pine Forest

Far to the east—

Another invading army entered the dense forest.

Morning mist covered the ground.

The enemy commander smiled.

”Our scouts reported only a small patrol.”

”This will be easy.”

The soldiers advanced between towering pine trees.

Everything seemed peaceful.

Too peaceful.

Hidden among the branches, hundreds of Imperial archers silently waited.

General Wu watched from above.

”Closer...”

The enemy continued marching.

”Closer...”

When the center of the army reached the clearing—

General Wu waved a red flag.

Immediately—

Hundreds of arrows rained from every direction.

The invaders shouted in confusion.

”They’re in the trees!”

Before they could react—

Imperial cavalry emerged from concealed forest paths.

The enemy formation broke apart.

Unable to see their attackers clearly, panic spread throughout their ranks.

The battle ended before noon.

The forest became silent once more.

---

Stone River Crossing

The third enemy force reached the southern river shortly after sunrise.

The commander looked across the calm water.

”Only a few guards.”

He laughed.

”Cross immediately.”

Thousands of soldiers entered the shallow river.

Halfway across—

Signal drums thundered.

Boom!

Imperial banners rose from behind hidden earthworks.

General Han pointed his sword.

”Fire!”

Ballista bolts tore through the enemy formation.

Archers released endless volleys.

Heavy infantry advanced in perfect formation.

The river trapped the invading army.

Those in front could not advance.

Those behind could not retreat.

Within hours, resistance collapsed.

The surviving invaders threw down their weapons.

The southern frontier remained secure.

---

Three Victories

As the sun reached its highest point, victory banners were raised at all three battlefields.

Messenger horses departed immediately.

Each carried the same report.

The northern attack had failed.

The eastern attack had failed.

The southern attack had failed.

The Empire had suffered only light losses because every battlefield had been prepared well in advance.

The neighboring kingdom, expecting an easy invasion, instead lost thousands of soldiers and experienced commanders.

---

Enemy Camp

Several miles beyond the border, the surviving officers gathered before their commander.

His armor was stained with dust.

His face was pale.

One officer lowered his head.

”General...”

”We were deceived.”

”They knew exactly where we would attack.”

The commander clenched his fists.

”Our intelligence was supposed to be flawless.”

Another officer whispered,

”It was as though they had read our battle plans before we even crossed the border.”

Silence filled the command tent.

Finally, the commander slammed his fist onto the table.

”Withdraw.”

”We cannot continue this campaign.”

Slowly, the defeated army retreated toward their kingdom, leaving behind abandoned weapons and broken siege equipment.

---

As evening fell, the Imperial soldiers lit victory fires along the frontier.

The men who had defended the Empire looked toward the distant capital with pride.

They had protected their homeland.

They had protected their families.

And though the war’s first battle had ended in overwhelming victory, the experienced generals knew one truth remained.

A defeated enemy often returned with an even more dangerous plan.

The Imperial Palace was unusually quiet.

Morning sunlight streamed through the carved windows of the Imperial Study, falling across stacks of memorials and military reports.

The Emperor sat behind his desk, dressed in a simple black dragon robe, his expression calm as he opened a sealed dispatch marked with the Imperial Army’s insignia.

Standing nearby were only Prince Liang and the commander of the Imperial Guards.

The Emperor carefully unfolded the letter.

His eyes moved steadily across the report.

As he continued reading, the tension that had weighed on him for days slowly eased.

A quiet sigh escaped his lips.

”...They won.”

Prince Liang looked up immediately.

”The border army?”

The Emperor nodded.

”Our soldiers have completely defeated the invading army. The enemy has retreated beyond the border.”

A smile appeared on Prince Liang’s face.

”That’s wonderful news.”

The commander also breathed a sigh of relief.

”The people can finally rest peacefully.”

The Emperor closed the report and leaned back in his chair.

For several moments, no one spoke.

Then he said quietly,

”We were fortunate.”

Prince Liang looked at him curiously.

The Emperor’s eyes became thoughtful.

”If we hadn’t ordered the inspection of the noble residences...”

”...we would never have discovered that something unusual was happening.”

Prince Liang nodded slowly.

At first, those inspections had nothing to do with war.

They had begun because of the strange, unexplained incidents surrounding the Empress—sleepwalking, mysterious attacks, and other events no one could logically explain.

Only a handful of people knew the full truth.

The Emperor.

Prince Liang.

Princess Zhi.

The Dowager Empress.

Lady Chen.

And the Empress herself.

To everyone else, the inspections had seemed like routine security measures.

No one suspected the real reason.

The Emperor looked toward the large map hanging on the wall.

”Those inspections uncovered suspicious letters, hidden couriers, and unusual movements between several noble households.”

Prince Liang folded his arms.

”What began as an investigation into strange incidents ended up exposing preparations for an invasion.”

The Emperor nodded.

”Sometimes fate reveals the truth in unexpected ways.”

His expression soon turned cold again.

”But one question remains.”

He picked up another report lying on the table.

It contained the findings of the Imperial Intelligence Office.

Across the top was written a single name.

Minister Shen.

The Emperor stared at it for a long moment.

”Why?”

Prince Liang understood immediately.

”Why would Minister Shen secretly pass messages to the neighboring kingdom?”

The Emperor nodded.

”He served this court for years.”

”He enjoyed wealth, status, and the Emperor’s trust.”

”What could make him betray his own country?”

Neither man had an answer.

The commander stepped forward.

”Your Majesty, our investigators confirmed that several coded messages reached the neighboring kingdom before the invasion.”

”They believe Minister Shen’s household was involved.”

The Emperor’s fingers tapped lightly against the desk.

”Believe...”

”I don’t want belief.”

”I want proof.”

The commander lowered his head.

”Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor stood and walked toward the window.

Outside, palace officials crossed the courtyards, unaware that the empire had narrowly escaped disaster.

”If those messages truly came from Minister Shen...”

”...then he didn’t merely betray the throne.”

”He betrayed every soldier who died protecting this empire.”

Prince Liang’s expression darkened.

”The penalty for treason is death.”

”It is.”

The Emperor replied calmly.

”But before judgment comes the truth.”

”I refuse to condemn a man without uncovering the entire conspiracy.”

He turned back toward the commander.

”Has Minister Shen noticed our investigation?”

”No, Your Majesty.”

”He continues attending court as usual.”

”Good.”

The Emperor’s eyes sharpened.

”Do not arrest him yet.”

Prince Liang looked surprised.

”Brother?”

The Emperor explained,

”If we seize him today, whoever stands behind him may disappear.”

”I want every name.”

”Every messenger.”

”Every servant.”

”Every official who communicated with him.”

”I want to know whether he acted alone...”

”...or whether someone else is pulling the strings.”

Prince Liang slowly nodded.

”That is wiser.”

The commander bowed deeply.

”I will double the surveillance.”

The Emperor continued,

”No one is to alert him.”

”No searches.”

”No questioning.”

”No sudden movements.”

”Let him believe he remains beyond suspicion.”

”As you command.”

Silence settled over the study once again.

The Emperor looked at the military report one last time.

Victory.

The border had been saved.

Thousands of lives had been protected.

Yet instead of celebration, he felt only caution.

”The war outside our borders has ended,” he said quietly.

”But the battle within the capital has only begun.”

Prince Liang followed his gaze.

”You believe there are more traitors.”

”I know there are.”

The Emperor picked up Minister Shen’s file and closed it firmly.

”Find out why he contacted the neighboring kingdom.”

”I want every intercepted letter deciphered.”

”I want every meeting recorded.”

”And when the evidence is complete...”

His voice became cold enough to chill the room.

”...Minister Shen will answer for his crimes before the entire Imperial Court.”

The commander knelt.

”It will be done, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor looked once more toward the distant horizon beyond the palace walls.

The empire had won its first battle.

Now it was time to uncover the truth hidden within its own capital.

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