Ghost in the palace

The morning court convened as it always did.

Golden pillars reflected the first rays of sunlight, while rows of ministers stood in orderly silence. Officials in crimson and dark blue robes waited with lowered heads as the Emperor ascended the Dragon Throne.

The atmosphere was solemn.

No one knew that today’s court would change the fate of one of the empire’s oldest noble families.

The chief eunuch stepped forward.

”His Majesty has arrived!”

All the ministers knelt.

”Long live Your Majesty!”

The Emperor raised a hand.

”Rise.”

As everyone stood, an urgent commotion echoed from outside the hall.

Heavy footsteps.

The clatter of armor.

The great doors opened.

Imperial Guards entered, surrounding a middle-aged man whose official hat had become crooked in the struggle.

It was...

Minister Shen.

He looked utterly bewildered.

”Your Majesty!” he exclaimed. ”What is the meaning of this?”

The hall erupted into whispers.

”Minister Shen?”

”He was arrested?”

”What happened?”

The guards forced him to his knees before the throne.

The Emperor’s expression remained unreadable.

”Minister Shen.”

”I am giving you one opportunity.”

”Explain your correspondence with the neighboring kingdom.”

Silence filled the court.

Minister Shen’s face turned pale.

”...Correspondence?”

”I don’t understand.”

The Emperor nodded toward Commander Xu.

”Present the evidence.”

The commander stepped forward carrying a lacquered wooden box.

Inside were several neatly folded letters tied with dark blue silk.

He handed them to the chief eunuch, who opened the first letter and read aloud.

> ”When the imperial army marches north, the western defenses will weaken. Strike at that time, and victory will be certain...”

A collective gasp swept through the ministers.

Another letter was opened.

> ”The palace remains divided. Continue preparing your forces. More information will follow.”

The third letter contained what appeared to be Minister Shen’s seal.

The court exploded with murmurs.

”This is treason!”

”Impossible!”

”I can’t believe it...”

Minister Shen stared blankly at the letters.

His lips trembled.

”No...”

”No...”

He suddenly looked up.

”Your Majesty!”

”I have never seen these letters!”

”I swear upon my ancestors!”

”I never betrayed the empire!”

The Emperor watched him carefully.

”These letters bear your seal.”

Minister Shen immediately replied,

”My seal can be stolen.”

The hall became quiet again.

The Emperor leaned forward slightly.

”And this handwriting?”

Minister Shen shook his head vigorously.

”It is not mine.”

”I beg Your Majesty to compare it with my official memorials.”

Several ministers exchanged uncertain glances.

One elderly minister stepped forward cautiously.

”Your Majesty... if Minister Shen truly requests verification, perhaps...”

The Emperor interrupted calmly.

”Bring writing materials.”

Within moments servants hurried into the hall carrying a table, inkstone, brush, and fresh sheets of paper.

The Emperor spoke.

”Minister Shen.”

”Write the sentence contained in this letter.”

The guard placed the intercepted letter before him.

Minister Shen took a slow breath.

Although his hands trembled, he dipped the brush into the ink and carefully copied the sentence.

When he finished, the Emperor ordered,

”Bring the Ministry archives.”

Soon several bundles of old memorials submitted by Minister Shen over many years were brought before the throne.

Court officials laid them beside the newly written page and the intercepted letters.

Everyone stepped closer.

Even the skeptical ministers frowned.

The Chief Secretary compared every stroke carefully.

After several minutes he bowed.

”Your Majesty...”

”The handwriting in the intercepted letters does not match Minister Shen’s official handwriting.”

Another senior scholar examined them independently.

”I reach the same conclusion.”

A third official nodded.

”The brush pressure, stroke order, and character structure are all different.”

Whispers spread through the hall.

”So...”

”They were forged?”

Minister Shen let out a shaky breath, tears forming in his eyes.

”I told Your Majesty.”

”I have served three emperors.”

”My loyalty has never changed.”

He lowered his forehead to the floor.

”If Your Majesty still doubts me, I am willing to assist the investigation.”

”I beg only one thing.”

”Find whoever framed me.”

The court fell silent.

The Emperor remained thoughtful.

Finally, he spoke.

”I believe one thing.”

Every eye turned toward the throne.

”The handwriting is forged.”

Minister Shen slowly looked up, hope flickering across his face.

But the Emperor continued,

”However...”

”The existence of forged evidence does not erase suspicion.”

”The enemy has obtained your official seal—or an imitation of it.”

”They deliberately chose your identity.”

”If I release you now, the mastermind may destroy the remaining evidence.”

The hope in Minister Shen’s eyes faded.

The Emperor stood.

His voice echoed through the hall.

”Until this investigation is complete...”

”Minister Shen is suspended from all official duties.”

”His residence shall be sealed.”

”His family members will remain under imperial guard.”

”They are not to be harmed.”

”They are not to be publicly humiliated.”

”But none may leave the residence without imperial permission.”

Several ministers looked relieved by the fairness of the order.

This was not an execution.

Nor was it complete freedom.

Commander Xu bowed.

”Your Majesty’s command will be carried out.”

Minister Shen closed his eyes.

”...I understand.”

The Emperor looked directly at him.

”If you are innocent...”

”I will clear your name before the entire empire.”

”But if evidence proves otherwise...”

”There will be no mercy.”

Minister Shen bowed deeply.

”I accept Your Majesty’s judgment.”

Outside the palace, hundreds of Imperial Guards marched toward the Shen residence.

The grand gates were sealed with imperial notices.

Servants were gathered in the central courtyard.

No one was permitted to leave.

Lady Shen clutched her frightened daughter.

”What has happened?”

An officer answered respectfully,

”By His Majesty’s decree, the Shen family will remain under imperial protection and supervision until the investigation concludes.”

”We have not come to harm you.”

”We have come to ensure no evidence is destroyed and no suspect escapes.”

Inside the palace, after the court was dismissed, the Emperor remained alone with Commander Xu.

He picked up one of the forged letters once more.

His eyes narrowed.

”The handwriting was meant to be discovered.”

Commander Xu frowned.

”You believe someone wanted Minister Shen arrested?”

The Emperor nodded slowly.

”Someone powerful.”

”They knew we would compare the handwriting.”

”They expected us to realize it was forged.”

Commander Xu’s expression changed.

”Then the arrest itself...”

”...is only the first move.”

The Emperor folded the letter.

”Exactly.”

”The real enemy is still hiding.”

”And today...”

”They’re watching to see how I respond.”

Chapter 68: Shadows Behind the Curtain

The lively sounds of the Duke Residence felt like a distant dream.

Inside the Imperial Palace, the atmosphere was entirely different.

Silence.

Heavy.

Oppressive.

The only sound in the Imperial Study was the occasional crackle of the incense burner.

Emperor Xiao Jun stood before a large map of the empire, his hands clasped behind his back.

His dark eyes were fixed on nothing in particular.

He wasn’t looking at the borders.

He was thinking.

Thinking about everything that had happened over the past few weeks.

None of it made sense.

None of it fit together.

A knock interrupted his thoughts.

”Your Majesty.”

”Come in.”

The chief eunuch entered and bowed.

”The ministers have departed. The Imperial Study has been prepared.”

The Emperor nodded.

”Leave me.”

”Yes, Your Majesty.”

The doors closed once more.

The study returned to silence.

The Emperor walked slowly toward his desk.

Stacks of reports lay neatly arranged before him.

One pile concerned the attacks on the Empress.

Another detailed Princess Zhi’s strange sleepwalking before her miscarriage.

A third contained reports about Shin Gu.

And the newest file...

The Shen family.

He picked it up.

The accusations were serious.

Anonymous evidence claimed that Minister Shen had secretly communicated with a neighboring kingdom.

Letters had supposedly been intercepted.

Witnesses had appeared.

Even a hidden meeting had been described in remarkable detail.

On the surface...

Everything looked convincing.

Yet...

Something continued to bother him.

He unfolded one of the letters again.

His gaze lingered on the handwriting.

”No...”

he murmured quietly.

”This isn’t right.”

Minister Shen had served three reigns.

He was cautious.

Disciplined.

Almost painfully meticulous.

The Emperor had seen countless memorials written by the minister over the years.

Every brushstroke reflected his personality.

Steady.

Balanced.

Deliberate.

The writing before him...

looked similar.

But only at first glance.

Someone had copied his style.

Very well.

Too well.

Yet imitation always left tiny flaws.

The pressure of the brush changed near the end of each character.

The spacing between words lacked Shen’s natural rhythm.

The hooks at the end of several strokes were slightly sharper than usual.

Almost invisible.

But enough.

Someone had practiced copying his handwriting.

For a very long time.

The Emperor closed his eyes.

”So...”

”The evidence itself is false.”

He leaned back in his chair.

”But then...”

”If the letters are forged...”

”Who created them?”

”And why?”

His fingers tapped lightly against the desk.

If someone truly wanted Minister Shen executed...

they had chosen a strange method.

The forged letters were impressive.

Yet not perfect.

A master forger could have produced something nearly impossible to question.

Instead...

There were flaws.

Deliberate?

Or careless?

The Emperor doubted they were careless.

The person behind recent events was anything but careless.

First...

The Empress had nearly drowned while sleepwalking.

No poison.

No visible assassin.

No witness.

Only impossible circumstances.

Then the attacks outside the capital.

Enough evidence to convince everyone the danger came from beyond the palace walls.

Yet every time his investigation moved in that direction...

it reached a dead end.

Now...

Minister Shen.

Again...

Evidence existed.

But something felt intentionally incomplete.

The Emperor stood and walked toward the window.

Rain clouds gathered in the distance.

A cool breeze entered the study.

He whispered almost to himself,

”What are you trying to achieve?”

His mind replayed every incident.

The Empress.

Princess Zhi.

The strange rituals.

The attacks.

The forged letters.

They looked unrelated.

Yet somehow...

they all carried the same feeling.

Every trail stopped just before revealing the truth.

As though someone wanted him to keep searching...

without ever arriving.

His eyes narrowed.

”No...”

”They don’t want me to solve it.”

”They want me occupied.”

The realization made his heart sink.

Occupied.

Distracted.

Always chasing the next mystery.

But if he kept looking one way...

What was happening somewhere else?

A sharp knock sounded.

”Enter.”

Captain Zhao stepped inside and knelt.

”Your Majesty.”

”What news?”

”The investigation into Minister Shen has continued.”

”And?”

”The witnesses remain consistent.”

”The servants insist the meetings occurred.”

”The border scouts report unusual activity near the neighboring kingdom.”

The Emperor remained silent.

”Anything else?”

Captain Zhao hesitated.

”There is one strange matter.”

”Speak.”

”The neighboring kingdom denies receiving any envoy from Minister Shen.”

The Emperor looked up immediately.

”They denied it?”

”Yes.”

”And according to our spies, they appeared genuinely confused.”

Silence filled the room again.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

If Minister Shen truly conspired...

the neighboring kingdom would likely deny it.

But...

If someone forged everything...

their confusion made perfect sense.

The Emperor asked quietly,

”The witnesses.”

”Investigate every one of them again.”

”From birth.”

”I want their families.”

”Their debts.”

”Their recent purchases.”

”Their friendships.”

”The smallest detail.”

Captain Zhao bowed.

”It shall be done.”

He paused before asking,

”Does Your Majesty still suspect Minister Shen?”

The Emperor answered without hesitation.

”I suspect everyone.”

”But I trust evidence.”

”And right now...”

”The evidence is lying.”

Captain Zhao lowered his head respectfully.

”As you command.”

After he left, the Emperor sat once more.

He spread every case file across the table.

Strings of red silk connected locations on a large map.

The lake where the Empress nearly died.

The abandoned road where she was ambushed.

Princess Zhi’s residence.

Minister Shen’s manor.

Nothing connected geographically.

Yet somehow...

His instincts refused to let go.

He stared at the map for a long time.

Then his eyes slowly widened.

”What if...”

He walked closer.

”Not the places...”

”The people.”

Every victim...

Every suspect...

Every event...

All shared one thing.

They were close to the imperial family.

Or connected to those who protected it.

His pulse quickened.

Someone wasn’t attacking randomly.

Someone was slowly weakening the pillars around the throne.

Not by open rebellion.

But through doubt.

Fear.

False accusations.

Hidden enemies.

If Minister Shen were arrested...

A loyal minister would fall.

If the Empress died...

The Duke family would be devastated.

If Princess Zhi continued suffering...

The imperial clan would lose stability.

Every move created mistrust.

Every incident isolated the Emperor further.

He slowly exhaled.

”So that’s your game.”

”You don’t need to defeat the empire.”

”You only need the empire to distrust itself.”

His gaze turned cold.

”Unfortunately for you...”

”You’ve underestimated one thing.”

”I’ve begun to see the pattern.”

He reached for a blank sheet of paper.

Then wrote several orders personally.

Increase surveillance inside the palace.

Do not arrest Minister Shen.

Secretly protect him instead.

Monitor anyone attempting to contact the anonymous witnesses.

Investigate skilled calligraphers who could imitate handwriting.

Expand the search for practitioners of forbidden rituals.

Each order carried only the Imperial Seal.

No explanations.

No discussions.

The fewer people who knew...

the better.

Outside, thunder rolled across the darkening sky.

The Emperor stood by the window once more.

Somewhere...

A hidden enemy was watching.

Waiting.

Believing every move remained unseen.

A faint smile appeared on the Emperor’s face.

”Keep hiding.”

”The moment you grow confident...”

”You’ll make your first real mistake.”

”And when you do...”

”I’ll be waiting.”

Far away, beyond the palace walls, a hooded figure quietly extinguished a candle.

A raven took flight into the night.

The game had entered its next stage.