Ghost in the palace

The laughter inside Phoenix Palace slowly faded.

Only moments ago, Fen Yu had been crying while the other two ghosts argued over who had nearly cried first.

Now—

Silence returned.

A heavy, suffocating silence.

Lian An sat quietly beside the window.

Her fingers rested lightly on the carved wooden table, but her mind was far away.

A black altar.

Forbidden symbols.

Dark spiritual energy.

The image described by the ghosts refused to leave her thoughts.

She slowly looked toward the three ghosts.

"You truly believe Shin Gu is behind everything?"

Wei Rong answered first.

"I cannot say she is behind every incident."

"But that altar..."

His expression became grave.

"...was built for evil."

Li Shen nodded.

"Everything surrounding it carried resentment."

"It wasn’t a place meant for worship."

"It was a place meant for rituals."

Fen Yu hugged herself.

"I didn’t even want to stay there for another heartbeat."

Lian An lowered her eyes.

Her thoughts raced.

The lake...

The strange force pulling her body.

Princess Zhi’s experience.

The plague.

The ambush outside the palace.

Everything seemed to point toward one person.

"...Shin Gu..."

She whispered.

Then she suddenly stood.

"I have to tell Mother."

Fen Yu blinked.

"The Dowager Empress?"

Lian An nodded.

"If Shin Gu truly possesses forbidden objects, someone must know."

Li Shen frowned.

"But you cannot tell her about us."

"I know."

Lian An sighed softly.

"If I tell her ghosts discovered the altar, she’ll think I’ve lost my mind."

Wei Rong folded his arms.

"Then what will you say?"

Lian An walked toward the dressing mirror, thinking carefully.

"...I’ll tell her I discovered it myself."

Fen Yu’s eyes widened.

"Won’t she question you?"

"She will."

"I’ll tell her I heard strange noises while walking through the palace."

Li Shen nodded slowly.

"That’s believable."

Lian An changed into a simple palace robe.

Not too formal.

Not too casual.

She wanted this to appear as an urgent visit, not a political one.

After fixing her hair, she looked at the ghosts.

"Stay here."

Fen Yu immediately objected.

"No!"

"What if something happens?"

Lian An smiled reassuringly.

"The Dowager Empress won’t harm me."

Wei Rong still looked uneasy.

"We’ll follow from a distance."

Lian An wanted to refuse.

But knowing them...

They would follow anyway.

She simply sighed.

"...Fine."

"But don’t let anyone notice."

The three ghosts nodded together.

---

The palace corridors were unusually peaceful.

Servants bowed respectfully as the Empress passed.

None of them knew that three invisible spirits floated quietly behind her.

Fen Yu whispered,

"I feel nervous."

Wei Rong glanced around.

"We’re only going to the Dowager Empress."

Fen Yu whispered back,

"I’m not afraid of her."

"I’m afraid Shin Gu might see us."

Li Shen spoke quietly.

"Remain calm."

"The less attention we draw, the better."

Ahead—

The familiar gates of the Dowager Empress’s Palace appeared.

The palace maid announced respectfully,

"Her Majesty the Empress requests an audience."

Inside, the Dowager Empress looked up from the Buddhist scripture she had been reading.

"So early?"

She looked slightly surprised.

"Let her enter."

Moments later—

Lian An entered and bowed.

"This daughter-in-law greets Mother."

The Dowager Empress smiled faintly.

"No need for formalities."

"What brings you here so early?"

Lian An remained standing.

Her expression unusually serious.

"I came because I witnessed something."

The Dowager Empress immediately noticed the change in her tone.

"What happened?"

Lian An took a slow breath.

"Earlier this morning..."

"I was walking through the palace gardens."

"I intended to enjoy the morning breeze."

The Dowager Empress nodded silently.

"As I passed Shin Gu’s courtyard..."

"I heard strange sounds."

The Dowager Empress frowned.

"Strange sounds?"

"Like chanting."

"So I became curious."

"I stepped inside."

The room became quiet.

The Dowager Empress watched her carefully.

"And?"

Lian An lowered her voice.

"There was a room at the back."

"The door wasn’t completely closed."

"I looked inside."

She paused.

Then spoke slowly.

"There was..."

"...a black altar."

The Dowager Empress’s teacup stopped halfway to her lips.

"What did you say?"

"A black altar."

"There were black candles."

"Strange symbols carved into the floor."

"I didn’t recognize them."

"There were bowls filled with ashes..."

"And objects that frightened me."

The Dowager Empress slowly set her teacup down.

Her face no longer held calmness.

Instead—

Shock.

She looked at Lian An for several long moments.

"You are certain?"

"I only looked briefly."

"But I know it wasn’t an ordinary ancestral altar."

The Dowager Empress slowly closed her eyes.

A memory surfaced.

Years ago...

Not long after Shin Gu first entered the palace...

She had once visited unexpectedly.

Shin Gu had looked unusually flustered.

A room had been locked.

When asked about it, Shin Gu claimed she was performing prayers taught by an old mountain priest.

The Dowager Empress had been suspicious.

She even ordered someone to investigate.

Nothing had been found.

Eventually...

She dismissed her doubts.

Now—

Those forgotten suspicions returned all at once.

She opened her eyes slowly.

"So..."

"I wasn’t imagining it."

Lian An looked at her carefully.

"Mother?"

The Dowager Empress spoke almost to herself.

"There was a time..."

"...I suspected Shin Gu."

Lian An remained silent.

"But I had no proof."

"I convinced myself I was overthinking."

She looked toward the window.

"I never imagined..."

"...those doubts would return."

Lian An spoke gently.

"I didn’t know whether I should tell you."

"But after everything that’s happened recently..."

"I felt I couldn’t remain silent."

The Dowager Empress nodded slowly.

"You did the right thing."

She stood.

Her dignified aura returned.

"This matter cannot become public."

"If word spreads that forbidden rituals exist within the palace..."

"...panic will follow."

Lian An nodded.

"I understand."

The Dowager Empress looked directly at her.

"Until I verify this myself..."

"Tell no one."

"Not even the Emperor."

Lian An hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"As you command."

The Dowager Empress called softly,

"Someone."

An elderly trusted maid entered.

"Your Majesty?"

The Dowager Empress’s expression became unreadable.

"Tonight..."

"I will personally visit Shin Gu’s courtyard."

The maid’s eyes widened but she asked no questions.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After the maid withdrew, silence returned.

The Dowager Empress walked slowly toward the shrine in her chamber.

She clasped her prayer beads tightly.

Her heart felt unusually heavy.

If Lian An had truly seen a forbidden altar...

Then the enemy she had been searching for all this time...

Might have been living inside the palace.

Right under her watch.

And for the first time in many years—

The Dowager Empress felt genuine fear for the imperial family.

The afternoon sun hung high above the palace roofs, but inside the Hall of Eternal Harmony, the atmosphere was solemn.

The Dowager Empress sat at the head of the chamber, her prayer beads resting silently in her hand.

She had not touched her tea.

Nor had she returned to her Buddhist scriptures.

Her thoughts remained fixed on one thing.

The black altar.

She looked toward her trusted maid.

"Have they all arrived?"

The maid bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"The Emperor, Princess Zhi, Prince Liang, and Lady Chen are waiting outside."

The Dowager Empress nodded slowly.

"Invite them in."

Moments later, the doors opened.

The Emperor entered first, followed by Princess Zhi, Prince Liang, and Lady Chen.

Each offered a respectful bow.

"This son greets Mother."

"This daughter greets Mother."

The Dowager Empress raised her hand.

"There is no need for excessive ceremony."

Her unusually serious expression immediately caught everyone’s attention.

The Emperor frowned slightly.

"Mother..."

"Has something happened?"

She looked around the room.

"Close the doors."

The heavy wooden doors shut.

The servants withdrew.

Only her most trusted attendant remained.

The room became completely silent.

The Dowager Empress finally spoke.

"This morning..."

"The Empress came to see me."

The Emperor immediately looked up.

"An’er?"

The Dowager Empress nodded.

"She told me something that cannot leave this room."

Princess Zhi unconsciously straightened in her seat.

Prince Liang’s smile disappeared.

Lady Chen remained quiet, listening carefully.

The Dowager Empress slowly repeated everything Lian An had told her.

How she had supposedly heard strange sounds.

How she had entered Shin Gu’s courtyard.

How she had discovered a hidden room.

How she had seen...

A black altar.

By the time she finished—

Silence filled the chamber.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

Princess Zhi was the first to break the silence.

"A... black altar?"

Prince Liang frowned deeply.

"Are you certain she wasn’t mistaken?"

The Dowager Empress answered calmly.

"The Empress admitted she only saw it briefly."

"But..."

She paused.

"I believe she truly saw something."

The Emperor lowered his eyes.

His mind immediately connected the strange incidents of recent weeks.

The lake.

Princess Zhi’s sleepwalking.

The ambush.

Everything.

Princess Zhi whispered,

"If that’s true..."

"Then someone inside the palace..."

Her voice trailed away.

Lady Chen slowly placed her teacup down.

She appeared thoughtful before speaking.

"Your Majesty..."

Everyone turned toward her.

She lowered her eyes respectfully.

"I once said..."

"I believed Shin Gu might be connected to the strange incidents."

The Dowager Empress nodded slowly.

"You did."

Lady Chen continued,

"I don’t know whether she’s truly guilty."

"But if the Empress really found such an altar..."

"...then perhaps my suspicions weren’t completely unfounded."

Prince Liang rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Shin Gu has always kept to herself."

"Very few people enter her courtyard."

The Emperor remained silent.

His expression had grown colder.

The Dowager Empress watched him carefully.

"What are you thinking?"

He slowly lifted his gaze.

"If we confront her now..."

"...she’ll destroy the evidence."

Princess Zhi nodded immediately.

"That’s true."

"If she’s innocent, we’ll offend her."

"If she’s guilty..."

"...we’ll warn her."

The Emperor stood and walked toward the window.

Outside, palace servants continued their daily routines, unaware of the conversation taking place inside.

He spoke without turning around.

"We do nothing."

Prince Liang looked surprised.

"...Nothing?"

The Emperor nodded once.

"Not openly."

He turned back toward everyone.

"We conduct a sudden inspection."

The Dowager Empress’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"A surprise search."

"Exactly."

"No advance notice."

"No time to prepare."

Princess Zhi slowly nodded.

"That would prevent anyone from hiding evidence."

Lady Chen also agreed.

"If there truly is something hidden..."

"...it will still be there."

The Dowager Empress looked toward the Emperor with approval.

"Very well."

"When?"

The Emperor answered without hesitation.

"Tonight."

The room became quiet again.

Prince Liang folded his arms.

"I’ll accompany you."

The Emperor nodded.

"So will I," Princess Zhi added.

The Dowager Empress gently shook her head.

"No."

Everyone looked at her.

"Too many people will attract attention."

She thought for a moment.

"Only the Emperor, Prince Liang, and I."

"The fewer who know..."

"...the better."

Princess Zhi looked disappointed but understood.

"I’ll remain silent."

The Dowager Empress turned to Lady Chen.

"This conversation must never leave this room."

Lady Chen bowed respectfully.

"I understand, Your Majesty."

The Emperor looked around the chamber one final time.

"Until we confirm the truth..."

"No accusations."

"No rumors."

"No one approaches Shin Gu."

Everyone nodded.

The decision had been made.

A quiet inspection.

Without warning.

Without witnesses.

Without giving anyone the opportunity to erase the truth.

Outside, the afternoon breeze stirred the palace gardens.

Everything looked peaceful.

Everything looked ordinary.

Yet beneath that calm surface—

A dangerous secret waited to be uncovered.

And before another sunrise—

The imperial family hoped they would finally learn whether the shadows haunting the palace were real... or whether they were about to uncover something far more terrifying than any of them imagined.