Ghost in the palace

The sun slowly descended toward the western mountains, painting the dusty road in shades of orange and gold.

After an exhausting day of walking, the refugee procession finally reached a broad clearing beside a small stream. Several carts were parked beneath the trees, and the instructors ordered everyone to prepare for the night.

The travelers were exhausted.

Their feet hurt, their shoulders ached, and the small meat buns they had received earlier had done little to satisfy their hunger. Yet the moment they heard that they could finally rest, their spirits lifted.

Someone immediately dropped onto the grass.

”Never again,” a middle-aged man declared dramatically. ”If anyone asks me to walk this far tomorrow, I shall become a tree.”

His wife stared at him.

”A tree?”

”Yes. Trees don’t have to walk.”

A young man sitting nearby burst into laughter.

”Uncle, trees also have to stand in the sun!”

”Then I shall become a rock.”

”Rocks can be kicked!”

”Then I shall become a mountain!”

His wife slapped his arm.

”Become a mountain after you collect the firewood!”

The surrounding travelers roared with laughter.

Even the little boy who had complained about being hungry earlier began giggling.

For the first time that day, the oppressive atmosphere lifted.

The Emperor, who was sitting beside a cart with Prince Liang and General Guo Han, watched the scene quietly.

He was dressed in ordinary cotton clothes, his hair tied simply. Nobody looking at him would have guessed that he was the ruler of the empire.

At least, nobody who did not know him personally.

Prince Liang stretched his legs.

”Finally! I thought those instructors intended to make us walk until our feet fell off.”

General Guo Han glanced at him.

”You complained every half an hour.”

”Because my feet were suffering every half an hour!”

”You complained while sitting in the cart.”

”That was when my back began suffering.”

The Emperor shook his head.

”Are you planning to complain throughout the entire journey?”

Prince Liang considered the question.

”That depends on whether the instructors continue behaving like tyrants.”

”They are not going to enjoy hearing that.”

”Good. Perhaps they will finally listen to something useful.”

The Emperor gave him a warning glance.

Prince Liang immediately picked up a twig and began drawing circles in the dirt.

”I am silent.”

”You are muttering.”

”My silence has a voice.”

General Guo Han snorted.

The Emperor finally laughed.

It was a small laugh, but a genuine one.

For a moment, he forgot the troubling events of the day.

Then he looked toward the women preparing dinner near the stream.

The Empress was helping Princess Zhi wash vegetables while Lady Chen arranged the cooking pots. Her sleeves were rolled up, and a loose strand of hair had escaped her simple hairstyle.

She was smiling at something Princess Zhi had said.

The Emperor’s expression softened.

Even after the harsh treatment they had witnessed, she had found a way to make the evening feel less miserable.

He hoped the instructors would not ruin it.

Unfortunately, his hope was short-lived.

### The Two Instructors Lose Their Patience

On the other side of the clearing, the two instructors stood beside a supply cart.

Both looked thoroughly displeased.

One of them, Instructor Zhao, rubbed his forehead.

”Did you see what happened today?”

Instructor Sun gave him an irritated look.

”Which part? The traveler who collapsed? The people demanding water? Or that man who questioned our orders in front of everyone?”

”All of it!”

Instructor Zhao lowered his voice.

”These people are becoming increasingly rebellious. They refuse to accept instructions without questioning us.”

Instructor Sun glanced toward the refugees.

A group of young men had gathered around a cooking fire. One was attempting to balance a wooden spoon on his nose while the others cheered.

A few steps away, an elderly woman was scolding her grandson for trying to steal a piece of cooked sweet potato before dinner.

Near another cart, Prince Liang was arguing with General Guo Han over who had the more painful feet.

The Emperor had joined the argument only to tell them both to stop behaving like children.

Instructor Sun watched them with growing disbelief.

”Look at them. They have just walked an entire day, yet they still have the energy to make jokes.”

Instructor Zhao frowned.

”That is precisely the problem. They do not take this journey seriously.”

”They certainly do not take our authority seriously.”

”Exactly!”

Instructor Zhao folded his arms.

”We gave them clear instructions this morning. Yet they challenged us repeatedly. They demanded water, complained about food, and questioned the schedule.”

Instructor Sun sighed.

”And that man who collapsed nearly caused the entire procession to stop.”

”He was weak.”

”He was exhausted.”

”That is what I mean!”

Instructor Zhao raised his voice before remembering that several travelers were sitting nearby.

He lowered it again.

”These people are becoming difficult to control. We must do something before their behaviour spreads.”

Instructor Sun considered the matter.

”Perhaps tomorrow we should make the instructions stricter.”

”Stricter?”

”An earlier departure. Fewer unnecessary conversations. Everyone must remain in formation, and nobody should leave the designated area without permission.”

Instructor Zhao nodded slowly.

”And if they refuse?”

”Then we punish the ringleaders.”

Both men looked toward the commoners.

Unfortunately for them, the commoners were not discussing how to overthrow the instructors.

They were discussing dinner.

And dinner, as it turned out, was a much more urgent matter.

### The Commoners’ Rebellion Begins

”Who took my sweet potato?”

A furious shout suddenly rang across the clearing.

Everyone turned.

A stout middle-aged man stood beside the cooking fire, staring at an empty wooden plate.

”My sweet potato was here!”

A skinny young man sitting nearby immediately pointed at his companion.

”He ate it!”

The accused man nearly choked.

”Why are you blaming me?”

”Because your mouth is full!”

The entire group burst into laughter.

The stout man placed his hands on his hips.

”You stole my food!”

”I thought it was an offering to the cooking gods!”

”Since when do the cooking gods have teeth?”

”Since I became their representative!”

The young man’s friends collapsed with laughter.

The stout man chased him around the fire, waving a wooden ladle.

”Come back here, you little thief!”

”Help! Someone save me!”

”Not even the Emperor can save you from my ladle!”

The words caused the Emperor to pause.

Prince Liang slowly turned his head toward him.

General Guo Han lowered his face, desperately trying not to laugh.

The Emperor stared at the fleeing young man.

Then he looked at the stout man.

”That sounds like a serious threat.”

Prince Liang pressed a hand over his mouth.

”Your Majesty—”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

Prince Liang immediately corrected himself.

”Brother! Brother, I meant to say brother!”

The Emperor kicked a small pebble toward him.

”Keep talking and you will be eating dirt for dinner.”

Prince Liang laughed so hard that he nearly fell off his seat.

Meanwhile, the stout man finally caught the young thief and dragged him back toward the fire.

”Apologize!”

”I’m sorry!”

”To me!”

”I’m sorry, Uncle!”

”To the sweet potato!”

The young man stared at him.

”Uncle, I think the sweet potato is already dead.”

The stout man raised his ladle.

The young man immediately bowed toward the empty plate.

”Dear sweet potato, please forgive my unforgivable crime. May your spirit rest peacefully in the stomach of your humble servant.”

The clearing erupted.

Even the Empress, who had been carrying a bowl of vegetables, stopped to laugh.

Princess Zhi leaned against her shoulder.

”I have never seen anyone apologize to a vegetable before.”

The Empress wiped the corner of her eye.

”Perhaps we should invite him to the palace kitchen. He might be able to settle disputes between the cooks and the vegetables.”

Lady Chen shook her head.

”Please do not encourage him. He will start charging the vegetables for legal representation.”

The three women laughed again.

Across the clearing, the Emperor watched the Empress’s smiling face.

His eyes softened.

Then he noticed Instructor Zhao approaching the cooking area with a thunderous expression.

His smile disappeared.

It seemed the peaceful evening was about to become considerably more interesting.

### The Instructors Try to Restore Order

”Enough!”

Instructor Zhao’s voice cut through the laughter.

The commoners gradually fell silent.

The stout man lowered his ladle.

The young thief quickly hid behind his friends.

Instructor Sun stepped forward.

”Is this a gathering of refugees or a travelling circus?”

Nobody answered.

?? Thank You, Everyone! ??

I’m truly grateful to have such wonderful readers on this journey with me. Thank you for being part of this story and supporting my work. Your love means more than words can express! ???

Author’s Note ????

The palace has become a battlefield for ghosts! Fen Yu, Wei Rong, and Li Shen are tired of watching other ghosts date, manipulate, and hurt their partners. This time, they’ve dragged another ghost straight to Empress Lian An to demand justice. The poor Empress has no idea whether to laugh at their drama or throw them all out of her courtyard. ??????