Ghost in the palace

The sun slowly descended toward the western horizon.

After an entire day of walking, the long procession of refugees finally reached the designated resting place.

It was a wide stretch of land beside a small river, surrounded by patches of grass and a few scattered trees. The officials had selected it because there was enough space for the travelers to rest without blocking the road, and the nearby water source would make it easier for them to refill their containers.

The moment the signal to stop sounded, exhausted travelers began lowering their belongings.

Some sat directly on the ground.

Others searched for a comfortable place beneath the trees.

Children immediately clung to their parents, complaining about their aching feet, while elderly people carefully settled themselves on blankets.

The first day had been harder than many had expected.

Although the weather had been pleasant in the morning, the afternoon sun had made the journey exhausting. Dust covered the hems of their clothes, and even those who had started the day enthusiastically had become quiet by evening.

Near the edge of the resting area, Prince Liang dropped his bag beside the open cart.

”I have decided something.”

General Yao Qing glanced at him while untying a water container.

”What have you decided?”

”Walking is the most unreasonable invention in human history.”

Lady Chen, who was arranging the blankets, burst out laughing.

”People have been walking since ancient times. How have they survived until now?”

”They clearly lacked better options.”

General Guo Han laughed.

”You could have volunteered to walk beside the officials at the front. They might have given you a horse.”

Prince Liang immediately straightened.

”Why didn’t you tell me this in the morning?”

”Because watching you complain was more entertaining.”

”General Guo Han!”

The twins burst into laughter.

Even Princess Zhi, who had been rubbing her tired ankles, smiled at their exchange.

The Emperor shook his head as he helped move a box away from the cart’s wheel.

”Instead of complaining, why don’t you help prepare our meal?”

Prince Liang stared at him.

”Your Majesty—”

He stopped abruptly.

For a moment, the people nearest to them turned their heads.

The Emperor’s expression remained calm, but his eyes sharpened slightly.

Prince Liang immediately corrected himself.

”Brother, you cannot keep giving me the hardest tasks. I am exhausted.”

”Then you should have walked more regularly before beginning this journey.”

”Are you suggesting that I should have spent my days walking around the palace for exercise?”

”That would have been more useful than spending your days arguing with the ministers.”

General Guo Han coughed to hide his laughter.

Prince Liang looked betrayed.

”Even you are laughing at me?”

”Of course not,” the general replied solemnly. ”I am simply remembering how you complained about walking to the palace gardens.”

The Empress finally laughed.

”Enough. If you continue teasing him, he will refuse to eat.”

Prince Liang pointed at her gratefully.

”At least someone understands me.”

The Empress smiled.

”I understand that hungry people become troublesome.”

The entire group burst into laughter again.

For a few moments, the hardships of the journey seemed distant.

They were no longer the Emperor, Empress, former imperial household, or high-ranking military officers.

They were simply a group of tired travelers sharing jokes at the end of a long day.

Unfortunately, their peaceful evening was about to reveal something far less amusing.

### The Evening Meal

As the sky darkened, the migration officials began organizing the distribution of food.

Several large cooking pots had been placed over temporary fires. The smell of meat broth drifted through the resting area, attracting the attention of hungry travelers.

People immediately began gathering in orderly lines.

Children watched the steaming pots eagerly, while exhausted adults waited with bowls and wooden containers.

An official stood on a raised patch of ground, shouting instructions.

”Everyone must collect food according to their assigned family group! Do not push! There is enough for everyone!”

A second official moved along the line, checking the travelers’ registration tokens.

The Emperor watched from a distance.

”At least they have arranged the distribution properly,” he remarked.

The Empress stood beside him.

”Let us see what they provide.”

She had noticed that the officials had brought several baskets of steamed buns and large pots of soup. From a distance, everything appeared adequate.

But appearances could be misleading.

Soon, their group received their evening meal.

Each person was given two meat buns and a bowl of meat soup.

The buns were warm, their surfaces slightly glossy from the steam. The soup contained pieces of meat floating among the broth, with a little chopped vegetable scattered throughout.

Prince Liang stared at the food in his hands.

Then he looked at the others.

”Two meat buns?”

General Guo Han raised an eyebrow.

”Would you prefer four?”

Prince Liang immediately hugged his food closer.

”Do not tempt me with questions whose answers are obvious.”

Lady Chen laughed as she sat down on a folded blanket.

”Eat before it becomes cold.”

Their group settled together beneath a large tree, choosing a spot where they could see the rest of the resting area.

The Emperor sat beside the Empress.

Princess Zhi sat across from them, while Prince Liang, Lady Chen, General Yao Qing, General Guo Han, Lin Wei, and the twins gathered nearby.

The bowls were placed carefully on the ground.

For a while, nobody spoke.

They were all too hungry.

The first bite of a warm meat bun was enough to make Prince Liang close his eyes in satisfaction.

”Delicious!”

The twins immediately followed his example.

The girl took a bite and nodded enthusiastically.

”The meat is tender.”

Her brother tasted the soup.

”And the broth is rich. They have used bones to make it instead of simply boiling meat in water.”

General Yao Qing tasted his soup thoughtfully.

”Someone in the kitchen knows how to cook.”

Lady Chen nodded.

”The seasoning is good, too. It is not overly salty.”

Princess Zhi took another sip.

”After walking all day, warm soup feels wonderful.”

The Empress agreed.

”The food is certainly better than I expected.”

She glanced toward the long lines of refugees.

Many people were eating eagerly.

Some parents divided their buns among their children, while others helped elderly relatives drink their soup. A few travelers were laughing as they ate, their exhaustion temporarily forgotten.

The Emperor took a bite of his bun.

Then he looked at the soup again.

His expression changed slightly.

The Empress noticed immediately.

”What is it?”

He lowered his voice.

”Something is wrong.”

Prince Liang, who had been reaching for his second bun, paused.

”Wrong? The food tastes fine.”

”I did not say the food tastes bad.”

The Emperor glanced toward the officials supervising the distribution.

”Look at the portions.”

Everyone followed his gaze.

At first, nobody understood what he meant.

Then General Guo Han looked more closely at the bowls.

”The soup is quite rich,” he admitted. ”But the meat pieces are small.”

The Emperor nodded.

”Exactly.”

He leaned slightly toward the group, lowering his voice so that nearby travelers could not hear.

”The provisions should contain a proper meat portion for each person, accompanied by vegetable side dishes. The soup and buns are not the problem. The issue is whether the quantity and quality match what the government has allocated.”

The Empress’s expression grew serious.

”You suspect the officials are withholding food?”

”I suspect the possibility.”

He picked up his spoon and examined the soup again.

”The government would have calculated the cost of feeding thousands of people for a journey lasting several months. The budget should account for sufficient meat, vegetables, grain, and other essentials.”

His gaze returned to the distribution area.

”But what we have received may not reflect the full allocation.”

Prince Liang slowly lowered his bun.

”Are you saying the officials are stealing money intended for the refugees?”

”I am saying we should investigate before reaching a conclusion.”

The Emperor’s voice remained quiet.

”However, if the allocated money is being diverted while the refugees receive less food than promised, then someone is using their suffering to enrich themselves.”

The laughter around their little gathering faded.

The Empress looked down at her bowl.

She had enjoyed the meal moments earlier.

Now, she could not help thinking about the families who had been forced to leave their homes, carrying whatever possessions they could save.

These people were beginning a difficult journey with uncertain futures.

For many, the food provided by the government was not merely convenient.

It was essential.

If the officials responsible for their welfare were stealing from them, the consequences could be severe.

”How can we confirm it?” she asked.

The Emperor met her eyes.

”By examining the records, inspecting the remaining provisions, and comparing the amount distributed with the amount purchased.”

General Guo Han nodded.

”We should also inspect the kitchens and speak with the people responsible for preparing the meals.”

”Quietly,” the Emperor reminded him. ”If the officials suspect that we are investigating them, they may destroy evidence or warn their accomplices.”

General Yao Qing looked toward the food distribution area.

”Then we should begin by observing how they treat the refugees.”

The Emperor nodded approvingly.

”That is a sensible place to start.”

### Prince Liang’s Question

Prince Liang had been unusually quiet.

He looked at the two meat buns in his hands, then toward the refugees sitting on the ground around them.

Finally, he spoke.

”Brother, I have a question.”

”Ask.”

”Have we been giving them the best food available because they are traveling on foot?”

The Emperor turned toward him.

”Explain what you mean.”

Prince Liang put his food down.

”When we discussed the migration arrangements, we agreed that the refugees needed enough energy to complete the journey. Most of them are walking. They are carrying their children, their belongings, and sometimes the possessions of elderly family members who cannot manage their own loads.”

He gestured toward the road behind them.

”If they are expected to walk for hours every day, they need sufficient food. A proper meal is not a luxury under these circumstances.”

General Guo Han nodded.

Prince Liang continued.

”We deliberately allocated good-quality provisions. We did not intend to give them the cheapest food simply because they were poor.”

His expression grew troubled.

”And yet, what if the officials have decided that nobody will question them because these people have no influence?”

Nobody answered immediately.

The question hung between them.

The Empress looked toward a young mother who was carefully breaking one bun into small pieces for her children.

The woman appeared to be making certain that each child received a fair share.

Nearby, an elderly man ate slowly, saving part of his meal for later.

A little farther away, a family of five shared their soup.

They were grateful for the food.

They had no reason to suspect that the meal in their hands might represent only a portion of what had been intended for them.

The Empress’s fingers tightened around her bowl.

”People who have lost their homes should not also have to worry about whether those responsible for helping them are stealing from them.”

Princess Zhi nodded.

”Especially when they have no easy way to complain.”

Lady Chen’s expression became solemn.

”If they complain to the same officials who control their food, they may fear retaliation.”

General Yao Qing looked toward the distribution area.

”That is why traveling with the refugees matters. From the comfort of a residence, it is easy to read a report saying that everyone has received their daily provisions.”

He picked up his spoon.

”But sitting here, eating what they eat, and watching how they live reveals things that a report may never mention.”

Lin Wei nodded.

”We should remember what we see today.”

The Emperor looked around the group.

”Yes. We must distinguish between suspicion and proof, but we must not ignore what we have observed.”

He returned to his meal.

”Finish eating. Tomorrow, we will pay closer attention.”

### A Secret Revealed

They resumed eating, although the atmosphere had changed.

Prince Liang was no longer making jokes.

General Guo Han occasionally glanced toward the officials.

The Empress continued watching the refugees.