Ghost in the palace

The palace had been peaceful for exactly half a day.

That was, apparently, all the peace the Empress was going to receive.

By late afternoon, her courtyard had become strangely crowded.

Not with ministers.

Not with palace ladies.

Not even with servants.

With ghosts.

Dozens of them.

Some were floating near the plum trees. Others sat on the roof tiles. A few were whispering behind the stone pavilion, while several translucent figures watched the commotion from the corridor.

The Empress stood in the middle of it all.

She stared.

Then blinked.

Then stared again.

"...Why are there so many ghosts in my courtyard?"

Nobody answered.

Because at that exact moment—

"YOU!"

A furious female ghost pointed toward another ghost.

"You shameless woman!"

The accused ghost immediately shouted back.

"Who are you calling shameless?"

"You know exactly who!"

"I don’t!"

"You were following my fiancé!"

"He was not your fiancé when I met him!"

"He was my fiancé!"

"He was already dead!"

"That doesn’t matter!"

The Empress slowly closed her eyes.

She had survived assassination attempts.

Purity rituals.

Poisoning.

Plague.

Dark magic.

A mysterious possession that had once dragged her body toward a lake.

She had even crossed the boundary between life and death and somehow returned.

Yet somehow—

Ghost relationship disputes were exhausting her more than all of those things.

She opened her eyes again.

"Fen Yu."

"Yes, Empress."

"Rong Li."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Li Shen."

The scholar ghost reluctantly raised his hand.

"Yes."

The Empress looked at the three of them.

"What happened?"

All three spoke simultaneously.

"She insulted Fen Yu!"

"She tried to attack Fen Yu!"

"She is completely unreasonable!"

The Empress stared.

"...One at a time."

The three ghosts immediately pointed at one another.

"She started it!"

"No, he started it!"

"She stole my—"

"Enough!"

The Empress rubbed her forehead.

"Tell me from the beginning."

Fen Yu floated forward.

Her beautiful ghostly face was unusually red with anger.

"She is another palace ghost. She has been following me for days."

The female ghost immediately protested.

"I was not following her!"

"You were!"

"I was merely visiting the palace!"

"You visited wherever I went!"

"That is coincidence!"

Wei Rong crossed his arms.

"Coincidence every single day?"

The ghost glared at him.

"Yes!"

Li Shen pushed his spectacles up his nose.

"You followed Fen Yu to the garden, the library, the western corridor, the kitchen, the imperial lake and even the Empress’s sleeping quarters."

The ghost became defensive.

"I was curious."

Fen Yu nearly exploded.

"Curious?"

"You tried to steal my hairpin!"

"I only wanted to see it!"

"You tried to take it off my head!"

"It was pretty!"

The Empress stared at the female ghost.

Then at Fen Yu.

Then at the hairpin.

"...You two are fighting over a hairpin?"

"No!"

They answered together.

Fen Yu pointed dramatically.

"She was following me because she wanted my former lover!"

The Empress froze.

Wei Rong sighed.

Li Shen looked toward the ceiling.

The palace ghost folded her arms.

"He wasn’t her lover anymore!"

"He was!"

"You told me you had moved on!"

"I lied!"

The Empress’s mouth twitched.

She desperately tried not to laugh.

This was absurd.

Absolutely absurd.

But the ghosts were not finished.

Fen Yu turned toward the Empress.

"Your Majesty, you must give me justice."

The Empress looked at her.

"What justice?"

"Make her stop taking people who belong to other ghosts."

The Empress raised an eyebrow.

"People?"

Fen Yu nodded seriously.

"Ghosts have feelings too."

Wei Rong immediately muttered,

"Unfortunately."

Fen Yu turned.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"You said something."

"I said the weather is pleasant."

"You’re terrible at lying."

Li Shen sighed.

"Both of you are terrible at everything."

Fen Yu and wei Rong turned toward him.

"Whose side are you on?"

Li Shen stared at them.

"Neither."

"Why?"

"Because I’m tired."

That answer somehow ended the argument for three seconds.

Then another ghost floated through the courtyard gate.

"Fen Yu!"

Fen Yu’s expression changed.

"Oh, no."

The newcomer pointed at her.

"You stole my man!"

Fen Yu’s eyes widened.

"I did not!"

"You did!"

"I didn’t even know him!"

"You spoke to him!"

"I speak to everyone!"

"That is the problem!"

The Empress slowly turned toward wei Rong

"How many ghosts are there?"

Wei Rong counted.

"One hundred and twelve."

The Empress nearly choked.

"One hundred and twelve?"

"Approximately."

"Why are they all here?"

Li Shen answered quietly.

"Because your courtyard has become known as neutral territory."

The Empress stared at him.

"Neutral territory?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you are the only person alive who can see us, hear us, and actually listen."

The Empress went silent.

That was unfortunately true.

Since awakening her spiritual abilities, she had gradually discovered that the palace contained far more spirits than she had ever imagined.

Some were peaceful.

Some were lonely.

Some were mischievous.

Some were ancient.

And some—

Apparently—

Were hopelessly dramatic.

The Empress looked around.

A ghost was arguing near the pond.

Another was crying beneath a tree.

Two male ghosts were accusing each other of stealing a jade pendant.

Three elderly spirits were discussing palace gossip.

And one young ghost was sitting on the roof eating invisible roasted chestnuts.

The Empress sighed.

"This is no longer a courtyard."

Fen Yu tilted her head.

"What is it?"

"A ghost marketplace."

Rong Li nodded.

"That is accurate."

Li Shen looked offended.

"Please don’t encourage them."

Suddenly—

The female ghost who had started everything floated directly toward Fen Yu.

"You still haven’t answered me."

Fen Yu frowned.

"About what?"

"Did you truly love him?"

Fen Yu froze.

The courtyard became quiet.

Even the other ghosts stopped arguing.

Fen Yu’s expression slowly softened.

"My former lover?"

The ghost nodded.

Fen Yu looked away.

"I did."

The other ghost’s anger disappeared slightly.

"I loved him too."

Wei Rong’s expression changed.

Li Shen became silent.

The Empress watched them carefully.

The ghost continued.

"But after I died, I couldn’t find him."

Fen Yu’s voice became softer.

"And when I finally found him..."

"He had already forgotten me."

The ghost lowered her head.

"That wasn’t his fault."

Fen Yu nodded.

"No."

"It wasn’t."

For a moment, the courtyard became peaceful.

The Empress stepped closer.

"Then why were you fighting?"

The female ghost wiped at tears that weren’t really there.

"Because I was jealous."

Fen Yu sighed.

"And I was jealous too."

Wei Rong muttered,

"Ghosts really are no better than humans."

The Empress looked at him.

"You’re one of them."

"I know."

"Then why are you complaining?"

"Because I have standards."

Li Shen snorted.

"You?"

Rong Li glared.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you once spent three days arguing with a ghost over who had the better sword."

"That was different."

"How?"

"It was important."

Fen Yu burst out laughing.

Even the Empress couldn’t hold herself back.

She laughed.

A genuine laugh.

The sound spread through the courtyard.

For a moment, all the ghosts looked toward her.

The Empress covered her mouth.

"I apologize."

Fen Yu grinned.

"You laughed at him."

"Yes."

Wei Rong looked betrayed.

"Your Majesty..."

"You deserved it."

The courtyard erupted with ghostly laughter.

But then—

Another argument began.

"Wait!"

A young female ghost suddenly pointed toward wei Rong

"You!"

Rong Li stiffened.

"What?"

"You dated me once!"

The courtyard went silent.

Fen Yu’s mouth fell open.

Li Shen slowly turned toward wei Rong .

"...You what?"

Rong Li’s face changed.

"It wasn’t dating."

The female ghost crossed her arms.

"It was absolutely dating."

"We met twice."

"You gave me flowers."

"They were offerings."

"You called me beautiful."

"I was being polite."

"You held my hand."

"You were falling."

The ghost stared at him.

"...You caught me."

"That was reflex."

Fen Yu covered her face.

Li Shen looked exhausted.

The Empress tried not to smile.

Wei rong looked at her desperately.

"Your Majesty, please explain to them."

The Empress shook her head.

"I wasn’t there."

"Exactly."

"So I cannot judge."

The female ghost shouted,

"Then he is guilty!"

Wei rong protested.

"No!"

Another ghost suddenly floated forward.

"And he promised me that too!"

Wei Rong froze.

Fen Yu stared.

Li Shen slowly removed his spectacles.

The Empress looked at wei Rong

"...How many ghosts have you dated?"

Wei Rong looked genuinely offended.

"I did not date them!"

The ghosts began shouting.

"Yes, you did!"

"You promised me!"

"You gave me flowers!"

"You said you would wait!"

"You wrote me poetry!"

Wei Rong turned pale.

"I was young!"

Li Shen burst out laughing.

It was the first time the scholar ghost had laughed so loudly in months.

Fen Yu joined him.

Even the Empress had tears in her eyes.

Wei rong looked around helplessly.

"I was lonely!"

"That is not a defense," Li Shen said.

"It is absolutely a defense!"

"No."

"Scholar!"

"You have disgraced yourself."

Wei rong pointed at him.

"You should talk!"

Li Shen immediately stopped laughing.

Fen Yu slowly turned toward him.

The Empress noticed.

"Oh?"

Li Shen cleared his throat.

"There is nothing to discuss."

Fen Yu’s eyes narrowed.

"Why are you suddenly quiet?"

"Because the subject has changed."

"No."

Fen Yu floated closer.

"Tell us."

Li Shen shook his head.

"No."

The Empress folded her arms.

"Now I’m curious."

Li Shen looked horrified.

"Your Majesty, please."

The female ghosts began whispering.

Then one of them said,

"He had someone too."

Li Shen’s face became completely expressionless.

Fen Yu gasped.

Wei rong grinned.

"Oh?"

Li Shen turned toward him.

"Don’t."

"You had someone?"

"Don’t."

"A woman?"

"Rong Li."

"A ghost woman?"

"Stop."

Fen Yu began laughing.

The Empress smiled.

For the first time that evening, Li Shen looked genuinely embarrassed.

"I was young."

Wei rong burst out laughing.

"That’s what I said!"

The Empress shook her head.

"You three are impossible."

The three ghosts looked at one another.

Then, strangely—

They smiled.

Because beneath all their arguments, jealousy and teasing—

They were still together.

They had become a strange little family.

And perhaps that was why their fights never truly lasted.

But the Empress soon realized something else.

The other ghosts were beginning to gather around them.

One by one.

Some had come because they were lonely.

Some because they wanted justice.

Some because they wanted advice.

Some because they simply wanted entertainment.

And apparently—

Some wanted help with their romantic disasters.

The Empress looked at the crowd.

"...I have a question."

Everyone became quiet.

"Why do you all come to me?"

A tiny ghost raised her hand.

"Because you are fair."

Another said,

"Because you don’t judge us."

Another added,

"Because you can see us."

An old ghost smiled.

"Because you gave us food."

The Empress blinked.

"Food?"

"You left offerings near the shrine."

"Oh."

She understood.

The ghosts had mistaken her kindness for an invitation.

The Empress sighed.

Then smiled.

"Well..."

"If you’re going to stay here..."

"No fighting."

Every ghost immediately nodded.

Fen Yu raised her hand.

"What about arguments?"

"No."

"What about revenge?"

"No."

"What about jealousy?"

"No."

"What about—"

"No."

Fen Yu lowered her hand.

"...Understood."

Wei rong whispered,

"This won’t last."

Li Shen nodded.

"Absolutely not."

The Empress pointed at them.

"I heard that."

The three ghosts immediately became silent.

The courtyard returned to peace.

For approximately—

Ten breaths.

Then a ghost screamed from the other side of the garden.

"He stole my comb!"

Another screamed back.

"I found it!"

Fen Yu covered her face.

Wei rong groaned.

Li Shen closed his book.

The Empress looked toward the sky.

"...Why?"

Then she laughed.

Because despite everything—

The palace no longer felt completely lonely.

The ghosts were troublesome.

They were noisy.

They argued.

They interfered in one another’s relationships.

They created chaos.

But they also reminded her that even spirits who had lost their lives still carried memories, affection, regret and longing.

And perhaps—

That was why she could never truly turn them away.

She looked toward Fen Yu, wei rong and Li Shen.

Her first three ghosts.

Her friends.

Her impossible companions.

"Come here."

They floated toward her.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

The Empress smiled.

"No more fighting tonight."

Fen Yu nodded.

Wei rong nodded.

Li Shen nodded.

Then the Empress added,

"And tomorrow..."

She glanced at the crowd.

"...we are going to make rules."

Every ghost groaned.

The Empress laughed.

The courtyard filled with complaints.

And under the moonlit palace sky—