Ghost in the palace

The morning court had ended.

The grand hall was almost empty now.

Only the Emperor and Minister Han remained.

The tall doors were closed, shutting away the sounds of the palace.

For several moments, neither spoke.

Minister Han stood several steps below the throne, his expression grave.

The Emperor already knew why he had stayed behind.

He had seen the black altar himself.

He had been present when General Feng discovered it in the Empress’s Phoenix Courtyard.

He had deliberately kept the matter quiet while he tried to understand what it meant.

But apparently, the news had reached the ministers through their own palace spies.

The Emperor looked at Minister Han.

"You wanted to speak privately."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Then speak."

Minister Han bowed.

"The ministers know about the black altar."

The Emperor’s expression did not change.

"I know."

"They are demanding that the matter not be hidden."

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Demanding?"

"Yes."

Minister Han lowered his voice.

"They believe the kingdom has suffered enough."

"They want justice."

The Emperor leaned back slowly.

"What kind of justice?"

Minister Han hesitated.

Then answered honestly.

"They believe the Empress is responsible."

The Emperor’s face became cold.

"And what do they want me to do?"

Minister Han swallowed.

"They want Her Majesty hanged if she is proven responsible."

Silence.

The Emperor stared at him.

He had expected anger.

Instead, something colder appeared in his eyes.

"They have already decided she is guilty."

"They say the altar was found in her courtyard."

"I know."

"Your Majesty saw it himself."

"I did."

Minister Han looked surprised by how calmly the Emperor answered.

The Emperor continued,

"But an altar being found in someone’s courtyard does not tell me who placed it there."

Minister Han lowered his head.

"The ministers understand that, Your Majesty."

"Do they?"

"They are frightened."

"I know."

"They believe someone is using forbidden magic."

"I know that too."

Minister Han took a breath.

"They have suffered personally."

The Emperor’s expression softened for only a moment.

"I understand their fear."

"But fear is not evidence."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor stood and walked slowly toward the window.

His thoughts returned to that night.

The strange incidents.

The talismans.

The Empress’s strange dream.

Her body moving toward the lake against her will.

Her almost dying.

And now—

A black altar in her courtyard.

Everything was connected somehow.

But he did not know how.

Minister Han spoke again.

"There is another reason the ministers are suspicious."

The Emperor turned.

"What?"

"The talismans."

The Emperor’s eyes sharpened.

"Which ones?"

"Those discovered in Lady Chen’s courtyard."

The Emperor remained silent.

"And Princess Zhi’s courtyard," Minister Han continued.

"And the Dowager Empress’s courtyard."

The Emperor slowly nodded.

"I know."

The minister looked at him.

"They believe the Empress placed those talismans there deliberately."

"To make everyone think someone else is responsible."

The Emperor’s jaw tightened.

"That is their theory?"

"Yes."

"And they have proof?"

"No."

"Then it is only a theory."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor walked back toward his throne.

He sat down.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he asked,

"Do you personally believe the Empress did it?"

Minister Han froze.

The question was unexpected.

He carefully considered his answer.

"I do not know, Your Majesty."

"Good."

The Emperor’s voice was quiet.

"Because neither do I."

Minister Han looked up.

The Emperor continued,

"But there is one thing I know."

He paused.

"I know the Empress."

Minister Han remained silent.

The Emperor’s gaze lowered.

"In the past, I did not."

"I judged her from rumors."

"I believed accusations without asking whether they were true."

"I distrusted her."

His fingers tightened slightly.

"And perhaps that is why I cannot make the same mistake again."

Minister Han listened quietly.

The Emperor looked toward the closed doors.

"I have watched her closely since she returned from the lake."

"I have seen how she treats Princess Zhi."

"I have seen how she treats her family."

"I have seen how she treats servants."

"She has had opportunities to harm people."

"But she did not."

His voice became firmer.

"She is not the woman I once believed her to be."

Minister Han lowered his eyes.

"Then Your Majesty trusts her?"

The Emperor answered without hesitation.

"Yes."

The word was quiet.

But absolute.

"I trust her."

Then his expression darkened.

"But trust does not mean ignoring evidence."

Minister Han nodded.

"Then what should I tell the ministers?"

The Emperor leaned back.

"Tell them the truth."

Minister Han waited.

"Tell them I know about the altar."

"Tell them I was present when it was discovered."

"Tell them the investigation has not been completed."

"And tell them no one will be punished until the truth is known."

Minister Han bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He turned to leave.

But the Emperor stopped him.

"One more thing."

Minister Han turned back.

"Do not allow anyone to touch the altar."

"Do not allow anyone to move it."

"And do not allow anyone to destroy anything found near it."

"Yes."

The Emperor’s eyes became cold.

"Because if someone planted that altar..."

He paused.

"...then they made one mistake."

Minister Han looked at him.

"What mistake?"

The Emperor’s gaze sharpened.

"They made me look closely."

The minister bowed.

"I understand."

He left the hall.

The doors closed behind him.

The Emperor remained alone.

His eyes settled on the empty space before him.

Once, he would have looked at the altar and immediately thought of the Empress.

Now—

He looked at it and wondered who wanted him to think of her.

And that difference changed everything.

The Emperor sat alone in his study, deep in thought.

His mind suddenly returned to the day when they had been investigating Shin Gu’s courtyard.

At that time, everything had seemed straightforward.

Shin Gu was suspicious.

Lady Chen was connected to her.

There had been strange incidents surrounding the Empress.

Naturally, the investigation had focused on them.

But then—

Something unexpected happened.

A talisman was discovered.

Not only in one place.

Similar talismans were found around Lady Chen, Princess Zhi, the Dowager Empress’s area, and even the Empress’s courtyard.

At first, everyone had been shocked.

The discovery had immediately made people suspicious.

But the Emperor had been thinking about it again and again.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

He slowly leaned back in his chair.

"If Lady Chen were truly behind this..."

His fingers tapped against the table.

"...would she really leave a talisman where servants could find it?"

He shook his head.

"No."

The same applied to Princess Zhi.

The same applied to the Dowager Empress.

And especially—

The Empress.

If any of them were secretly practicing forbidden black magic, they would understand the danger of leaving evidence behind.

Someone capable of using such magic would not be foolish.

They would hide every trace.

They would destroy evidence.

They would make certain no servant or guard could discover anything.

Yet these talismans had appeared in places where people were constantly coming and going.

Servants.

Guards.

Maids.

Officials.

Anyone could have discovered them.

That made the Emperor suspicious.

He slowly stood and walked toward the window.

"Someone wanted them to be found."

The realization was chilling.

The talismans might not have been evidence at all.

They might have been planted evidence.

Someone was deliberately trying to make them suspect one another.

If a talisman was found near Lady Chen, people would suspect Lady Chen.

If another appeared near Princess Zhi, suspicion would fall upon her.

If one was discovered near the Dowager Empress, even she could become a target of suspicion.

And when one appeared in the Empress’s courtyard—

People could even begin questioning the victim herself.

The Emperor’s expression became colder.

"This is too obvious."

He remembered the investigation again.

Everyone had been focused on where the talismans were found.

But perhaps they should have been asking something else.

Who placed them there?

His eyes narrowed.

A person who genuinely practiced black magic would never openly place a talisman while servants and guards were nearby.

They would avoid attention.

They would remain hidden.

They would never make their own crime so easy to discover.

Unless—

They wanted someone else to be blamed.

The Emperor’s hand slowly tightened.

"So the talismans were meant to create suspicion."

He walked back to his desk.

The more he thought about it, the clearer it became.

Someone was not merely attacking people.

Someone was manipulating everyone’s thoughts.

They wanted the palace to suspect the wrong people.

They wanted Lady Chen suspected.

They wanted Princess Zhi suspected.

They wanted the Dowager Empress suspected.

Perhaps they even wanted the Empress suspected.

The Emperor sat down again.

His expression was unusually serious.

"If the real culprit were among them, they would deny it."

But that wasn’t the important part.

The important question was—

Why were the talismans found so openly?

The answer was becoming obvious.

Because the real culprit was not the person being accused.

The Emperor stared into the flame of the candle.

Someone was hiding behind the confusion.

Someone who understood the palace.

Someone who knew how quickly rumors spread.

Someone who knew exactly where to place suspicion.

His eyes darkened.

"This investigation was wrong from the beginning."

He had been looking at the people connected to the talismans.

Now he needed to look at the person who had the opportunity to plant them.

The Emperor slowly stood.

"Find the truth."

His voice was quiet.

But there was unmistakable determination in it.

Because whoever had planted those talismans had made one mistake.

They had assumed everyone would believe the obvious answer.

But the Emperor no longer did.

The person leaving evidence so openly was probably not the person practicing black magic.

They were the person trying to make someone else look guilty.