Ghost in the palace

Morning came quietly to the imperial palace.

The first sunlight slipped across the tiled roofs, turning the golden ridges of the palace buildings bright beneath the pale sky. Servants had already begun their morning duties. Guards changed shifts at the gates, maids carried breakfast trays through the corridors, and the distant sound of bells announced the beginning of another day.

Yet the Emperor had barely slept.

The threatening letter from the previous night remained on his mind.

He had read it again and again.

Punish the Empress.

Those words were simple.

But behind them was something far more complicated.

Someone wanted him to turn against his own wife.

Someone wanted him to believe that the Empress was responsible for the danger surrounding the palace.

And the Emperor could not understand why.

He had spent most of the night thinking about it.

By sunrise, he had made a decision.

There was only one person he wanted to speak to first.

The Dowager Empress.

---

The Dowager Empress’s courtyard was unusually peaceful that morning.

She had already finished breakfast when she heard footsteps approaching.

A servant hurried inside.

”Your Majesty has arrived.”

The Dowager Empress looked up from her tea.

”At this hour?”

”Yes, Your Highness.”

She immediately knew something was wrong.

The Emperor rarely came to her courtyard so early unless there was an important matter.

”Let him enter.”

A moment later, the Emperor stepped inside.

He was dressed for court, but his expression was noticeably heavier than usual.

The Dowager Empress studied him carefully.

”You look as though you have not slept.”

The Emperor gave a faint smile.

”I didn’t sleep much.”

”Another problem?”

”Yes.”

She gestured toward the chair opposite her.

”Sit.”

The Emperor sat.

For a moment, neither spoke.

The Dowager Empress poured him tea.

He accepted it but didn’t drink.

Instead, he reached inside his sleeve.

”I received this last night.”

He placed a folded piece of paper on the table.

The Dowager Empress’s eyes narrowed.

”What is it?”

”A letter.”

”From whom?”

”I don’t know.”

She picked it up.

The paper was ordinary.

No seal.

No family crest.

No signature.

She unfolded it.

Her eyes moved slowly across the words.

The longer she read—

The colder her expression became.

Punish the Empress.

If you refuse, the people of this kingdom will suffer.

Her life is not the only life at stake.

The Dowager Empress remained silent.

She read it once more.

Then placed it carefully on the table.

”Who delivered it?”

”No one was seen.”

Her eyes immediately returned to him.

”No one?”

”It appeared in my private study.”

The Dowager Empress frowned.

”Inside?”

”Yes.”

”How?”

”I don’t know.”

The room fell silent.

The Dowager Empress looked toward the doors.

The servants stood far away.

She lowered her voice.

”This person is not merely threatening the Empress.”

The Emperor looked at her.

”What do you mean?”

”They are trying to make you punish her.”

He nodded.

”That is what I thought.”

The Dowager Empress folded her hands.

”But why?”

That was the question neither of them could answer.

---

The Emperor leaned back.

”I have been thinking about it all night.”

”What have you concluded?”

”That whoever wrote this believes I will listen.”

The Dowager Empress raised an eyebrow.

”Or they want you to think that you should listen.”

The Emperor’s gaze sharpened.

”Yes.”

She looked at the letter again.

”Perhaps they want the Empress blamed.”

”For what?”

”That is the part we don’t know.”

The Emperor’s fingers tightened around the teacup.

”There have been too many strange incidents.”

The Dowager Empress nodded slowly.

”The lake.”

”The strange illness.”

”The black altar.”

”The attack outside the palace.”

”And now this.”

She sighed.

”Someone is deliberately surrounding her with danger.”

The Emperor looked toward the courtyard.

His expression softened for only a moment.

”She nearly died.”

The Dowager Empress watched him.

He continued quietly.

”When I thought she was gone...”

He stopped.

There were things he still couldn’t say easily.

The terror.

The helplessness.

The realization that the thought of losing her had hurt more than anything he had expected.

He lowered his eyes.

”I don’t want to experience that again.”

The Dowager Empress’s expression softened.

She understood.

Perhaps better than he realized.

”You love her.”

The Emperor became still.

He didn’t deny it.

”I know.”

The words were barely audible.

The Dowager Empress looked at him for several moments.

”And yet someone wants you to punish her.”

”Yes.”

”Then whoever wrote this has misunderstood your feelings.”

The Emperor gave a bitter smile.

”Or they know exactly how I feel.”

The Dowager Empress’s expression changed.

”What do you mean?”

”If they know I care about her, then asking me to punish her is not the true purpose.”

”What is?”

”To frighten me.”

The room became silent.

The Dowager Empress slowly nodded.

”That makes more sense.”

The Emperor looked at the letter.

”They want me afraid.”

”And an emperor who acts from fear can make mistakes.”

”Exactly.”

---

The Dowager Empress picked up the letter again.

”There is something else.”

The Emperor looked at her.

”The wording.”

”What about it?”

”They don’t accuse the Empress of anything.”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

She continued.

”They don’t say she committed a crime.”

”They don’t say she is responsible for the strange events.”

”They simply demand that you punish her.”

The Emperor slowly understood.

”Yes.”

”If they wanted you to believe she was guilty, they would have given you a reason.”

”But they didn’t.”

”Because perhaps they don’t want you to investigate the reason.”

The Emperor stared at the letter.

A chill passed through him.

The Dowager Empress whispered,

”They want the punishment itself.”

”Why?”

”I don’t know.”

She looked directly at him.

”But that is what frightens me.”

---

The Emperor finally drank his tea.

It had gone cold.

He didn’t seem to notice.

”I thought the enemy was outside the palace.”

The Dowager Empress shook her head.

”You cannot assume that anymore.”

His eyes darkened.

”No.”

”If someone can reach your private study...”

”They could be anywhere.”

”Inside the palace.”

”Among the servants.”

”Among the officials.”

”Perhaps even among those close to the imperial family.”

The Emperor’s expression became colder.

”I have already ordered an investigation.”

”Quietly?”

”Yes.”

”Good.”

She returned the letter.

”Do not announce anything.”

”I wasn’t planning to.”

”Excellent.”

She leaned closer.

”If this person wants the palace to panic, don’t give them what they want.”

The Emperor nodded.

”But there is one thing I will not compromise on.”

”What?”

”The Empress.”

His voice was firm.

”I will not punish her.”

The Dowager Empress looked at him.

”And if the court demands it?”

”They can demand whatever they want.”

His gaze hardened.

”She has done nothing deserving punishment.”

The Dowager Empress smiled faintly.

”That is the answer I expected.”

---

A soft knock came from outside.

”Your Majesty.”

The Emperor looked toward the door.

”Enter.”

A palace guard stepped inside and bowed.

”Your Majesty, the investigation has begun.”

”What have you found?”

”Nothing yet.”

The Emperor’s expression didn’t change.

”Continue.”

”Yes.”

The guard hesitated.

”There is one matter.”

”Speak.”

”We found traces of burnt herbs near the western palace wall.”

The Dowager Empress immediately looked at the Emperor.

”Burnt herbs?”

”Yes.”

”Do you know which kind?”

”No, Your Highness.”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

”Take samples to the physicians.”

”Yes.”

”And the scholars who study forbidden rituals.”

The guard bowed.

”We already have.”

”What did they say?”

The guard swallowed.

”They haven’t reached a conclusion.”

”But?”

”They believe the residue may be connected to an old ritual.”

Silence.

The Dowager Empress looked uneasy.

”Which ritual?”

”We don’t know.”

The Emperor’s hand slowly closed into a fist.

”Find out.”

”Yes, Your Majesty.”

The guard left.

---

The Dowager Empress remained silent for a while.

Then she asked,

”Do you think this is connected to the Empress?”

The Emperor didn’t answer immediately.

He looked toward the garden.

”I don’t know.”

Then he added,

”But I think she is at the center of it.”

”Why?”

”Because every time something happens...”

His voice lowered.

”She is nearby.”

The Dowager Empress nodded.

”And yet she is always the victim.”

”Yes.”

”That means whoever is behind this is not trying to use her.”

”They are trying to destroy her.”

The Emperor’s expression became grim.

”And I intend to stop them.”

---

Meanwhile—

In another part of the palace—

The Empress was completely unaware of the conversation.

She sat beneath a flowering tree in her courtyard, eating breakfast.

Her three ghost companions were arguing nearby.

Fen Yu was complaining about something.

Wei Rong was trying to stop her.

Li Shen was attempting to explain why both of them were wrong.

The Empress listened for several moments.

Then finally placed her spoon down.

”Can you three argue quietly?”

They stopped.

Fen Yu blinked.

”But we aren’t loud.”

”You are.”

Wei Rong pointed at Li Shen.

”He started it.”

Li Shen immediately objected.

”I merely corrected her.”

Fen Yu crossed her arms.

”You always correct people.”

”Because people are frequently incorrect.”

The Empress sighed.

”See?”

She looked at all three.

”This is why I need servants.”

The ghosts stared at her.

Then Fen Yu laughed.

The Empress couldn’t help smiling.

For a moment, everything seemed peaceful.

But then—

Wei Rong’s expression changed.

He turned toward the distant palace.

The Empress noticed.

”What?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

Li Shen also looked in the same direction.

Fen Yu’s smile disappeared.

”What happened?” the Empress asked.

Wei Rong spoke quietly.

”Something is wrong.”

The Empress’s expression became serious.

”What?”

”We don’t know yet.”

Li Shen looked toward the palace roofs.

”But the spiritual energy has changed.”

The Empress stood.

”Again?”

”Yes.”

Her heart tightened.

The peaceful morning suddenly felt less peaceful.

She looked toward the palace.

Somewhere beyond those walls—

Something was happening.

And she had no idea that a letter demanding her punishment had already reached the Emperor.

---

Back in the Dowager Empress’s courtyard—

The Emperor rose.

”I should go to court.”

The Dowager Empress nodded.

”Keep the letter.”

He picked it up.

”I will.”

Then she stopped him.

”Your Majesty.”

He turned.

”Don’t let anger make you careless.”

”I won’t.”

”And don’t let love make you careless either.”

The Emperor was silent.

The Dowager Empress smiled faintly.

”You are an emperor first.”

He nodded.

”But...”

He glanced toward the Empress’s distant courtyard.

”I am also her husband.”

The Dowager Empress didn’t respond.

She simply watched him leave.

Once he was gone, she looked down at the empty cup before her.

Her expression became thoughtful.

”Whoever you are...”

”You chose the wrong woman to threaten.”

She looked toward the palace.

”And perhaps...”

”you chose the wrong Emperor to threaten with her life.”

Outside, the morning bells rang again.

The palace continued its ordinary routine.

But beneath the peaceful surface, the hidden battle was growing.

Someone wanted the Empress punished.

Someone wanted the Emperor afraid.

And somewhere within the palace walls—

Someone was watching.

Waiting.

Because the letter had been only the first move.