Ghost in the palace

The Imperial Palace, usually filled with the sounds of court officials, servants, and noble ladies, felt unnaturally quiet that afternoon.

An uneasy atmosphere lingered in every corridor.

Palace maids whispered among themselves, their faces pale with fear. Even the imperial guards standing outside the inner palace looked more alert than usual.

Inside the Empress’s palace, Lian An had just finished reviewing the guest list for Lian Rou and Chen Ruyi’s upcoming betrothal ceremony when hurried footsteps echoed outside.

A young palace maid entered, knelt, and bowed deeply.

”Your Majesty...”

”There has been an incident.”

Lian An looked up from the scroll in her hands.

”What happened?”

The maid hesitated before answering.

”Princess Zhi’s personal maid... has passed away.”

The brush slipped from Lian An’s fingers.

”What?”

”The Imperial Physician has already confirmed her death.”

Lian An slowly stood.

”How?”

The maid lowered her head.

”The servants say... they don’t know. They only know she collapsed suddenly while preparing tea.”

Lian An’s brows knitted together.

”Prepare my palanquin.”

”Immediately.”

”Yes, Your Majesty.”

---

Not long afterward, Lian An walked through the winding palace corridors toward Princess Zhi’s residence.

The deeper she went into the inner palace, the heavier the atmosphere became.

Servants stood in small groups, whispering nervously before immediately lowering their heads whenever the Empress passed.

Even the breeze seemed colder than usual.

As she approached a stone bridge leading to Princess Zhi’s courtyard, another noblewoman appeared from the opposite direction.

Lady Chen.

Dressed in pale lavender robes, Lady Chen’s usually composed face carried obvious concern.

She stopped and bowed gracefully.

”Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Lian An gave a gentle nod.

”You’ve heard the news.”

Lady Chen sighed softly.

”I came as soon as I heard.”

”Princess Zhi and I have known each other since childhood.”

”I couldn’t stay away.”

For a brief moment, the two women exchanged worried glances.

Without another word, they continued walking together.

---

Princess Zhi’s courtyard was silent.

Too silent.

White mourning cloth had already been hung beneath the covered corridor.

Several maids knelt outside with swollen eyes from crying.

The faint smell of incense drifted through the courtyard.

Inside, Princess Zhi sat on the floor beside a low table.

Her eyes were red.

Her face was pale.

The moment she saw the Empress, she immediately stood and bowed.

”Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Lian An stepped forward before the princess could complete her greeting.

”There is no need for formalities.”

She gently held Princess Zhi’s hands.

”They told me what happened.”

At those words, Princess Zhi’s composure crumbled.

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

Lady Chen quietly walked over and handed her a silk handkerchief.

Princess Zhi accepted it with trembling hands.

”I...”

”I couldn’t save her...”

Her voice broke.

Lian An helped her sit down.

”What happened?”

Princess Zhi stared blankly at the floor.

For a long while, she remained silent.

Finally, she whispered,

”After my mother passed away...”

The courtyard became even quieter.

”My father immersed himself in state affairs.”

”Not long afterward...”

”My stepmother entered the palace.”

She smiled bitterly.

”Everything changed.”

”My mother’s attendants were dismissed one after another.”

”My childhood became... lonely.”

She wiped away another tear.

”There was only one person who never left me.”

”My maid.”

”She stayed beside me.”

”When I cried...”

”She comforted me.”

”When I was ill...”

”She stayed awake all night.”

”When everyone else ignored me...”

”She remained.”

Princess Zhi lowered her head.

”I never treated her as a servant.”

”She was...”

”My elder sister.”

”My family.”

Lian An gently squeezed her hand.

”I’m so sorry.”

Lady Chen’s eyes also became moist.

”I remember her.”

”She always stood quietly behind you.”

Princess Zhi nodded.

”She was the only person who knew everything about me.”

”And now...”

”She’s gone.”

Fresh tears fell onto her lap.

Neither Lian An nor Lady Chen interrupted.

Some grief could only be shared through silent companionship.

After several moments, Lady Chen spoke gently.

”Princess...”

”May I ask something?”

Princess Zhi looked toward her.

Lady Chen hesitated.

”I’ve heard many frightening rumors.”

”They say...”

”...a shadow passed through your maid.”

She paused.

”And she died instantly.”

”Is that true?”

Princess Zhi’s expression changed immediately.

Fear filled her eyes.

She nodded slowly.

”Yes.”

Lady Chen frowned.

”You actually saw it?”

Princess Zhi closed her eyes as though forcing herself to relive the terrible memory.

”It happened so quickly.”

”This afternoon...”

”We had finished reading together.”

”I asked if she could prepare afternoon tea.”

”She smiled and said she’d return in a moment.”

”There was nothing unusual.”

”She reached the tea table.”

”Then...”

Princess Zhi hugged herself.

”The room suddenly became cold.”

”So cold...”

”It was like winter had entered the room.”

”The candles flickered.”

”The curtains moved.”

”I thought someone had opened the window.”

”But...”

”All the windows were closed.”

Lady Chen unconsciously gripped her sleeve tighter.

”What happened next?”

Princess Zhi’s breathing became uneven.

”I saw...”

”A shadow.”

”It wasn’t human.”

”It moved so fast.”

”It passed directly through her body.”

Princess Zhi’s voice trembled.

”And...”

”She collapsed immediately.”

”I ran toward her.”

”I called her name.”

”I tried to wake her.”

”But...”

”She wasn’t breathing.”

”I screamed for help.”

”The guards came.”

”So did the physician.”

”But...”

”It was already too late.”

Silence engulfed the room.

The maids outside quietly sobbed.

Even Lady Chen had gone pale.

She whispered,

”There were no wounds?”

Princess Zhi slowly shook her head.

”None.”

”No blood.”

”No poison.”

”Nothing.”

”It was as though her life had simply...”

”...disappeared.”

Just then—

A palace attendant’s voice rang out from outside.

”His Majesty has arrived!”

”Prince Liang has arrived!”

”The Dowager Empress has arrived!”

Everyone immediately stood.

The Emperor entered first, his expression grave.

Prince Liang followed close behind, while the Dowager Empress walked directly toward Princess Zhi.

”My poor child.”

The elderly woman embraced Princess Zhi gently.

Princess Zhi buried her face against the Dowager’s shoulder and began crying once more.

The Emperor looked at his younger sister with concern.

”We came as soon as we heard.”

Prince Liang added quietly,

”Are you hurt?”

Princess Zhi shook her head.

”I’m fine.”

The Emperor’s gaze swept across the mourning hall before returning to her.

”Tell us everything from the beginning.”

Taking a shaky breath, Princess Zhi repeated the entire incident once again.

How her maid had gone to prepare afternoon tea.

How the room suddenly turned icy cold.

How every candle flickered.

How an unnatural shadow appeared.

How it passed through her maid.

How she collapsed lifeless to the ground within moments.

When she finished, no one spoke.

Prince Liang frowned deeply.

”A shadow...”

The Dowager Empress silently clutched the prayer beads in her hand.

Lady Chen looked toward the Emperor.

”Your Majesty...”

”Do you think this has something to do with the strange incidents that have been happening recently?”

The Emperor remained silent for several moments.

His expression was unreadable.

Finally, he turned toward the captain of the imperial guards.

”Seal Princess Zhi’s courtyard.”

”No one enters or leaves without my permission.”

”Question every servant.”

”I want every detail.”

The captain bowed.

”Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor then looked toward the Imperial Physician.

”Conduct another examination.”

”I refuse to believe a healthy person simply dies without reason.”

The physician bowed deeply.

”I obey.”

As everyone dispersed to carry out the Emperor’s orders, Lian An quietly looked toward the doorway where Princess Zhi’s maid had taken her final breath.

A faint chill brushed across her skin.

It lasted only a heartbeat.

But it was enough to make her uneasy.

Whatever had entered this palace...

It had returned.

And this time...

It had already claimed another innocent life.

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