Ghost in the palace

Ananyaneverexpecteddeathtobringherintoanotherlife.Onemoment,shewasrunningherparents’restaurantinthemodernworld.Thenext,sheopenedhereyesinsilkrobes,surroundedbyhostilestares—theQueenConsortoftheempire.Butthisbodywascursedineveryone’seyes.TheEmperorloathedher.Themistresslaughedather.Andthecourtwhisperedbehindherback.Onlyshewasn’ttrulyalone.>“Finally,someonecanseeus!”“WhatkindofQueenConsortareyou,socalmevenwithghostsinyourchamber?”“Shutup,WeiRong,letherbreathe.Shelookslikeshe’sabouttofaint.”Threeghosts—astoicscholar,abrashgeneral,andamischievousnoblegirl—lingeredatherside.Theywereinvisibletoallbuther.Andwiththem,shelearnedtosurvivethepoisonouspalace.Whenrumorsspreadthatshewascursed,Ananyastoodbeforetheempire’scourt.Insteadoftears,sheofferedproof.Insteadoffear,sheoffereddignity.>“IfHeavenbelievesIamcursed,letthefireandsmokebetrayme.Iwillnothide.”AndHeavensidedwithher.Outsidethepalace,crisesstruck—starvingsoldiers,missingsupplies,merchantsgrowingfatfromstolengrain.Inside,LadyZhen,theEmperor’sfavoredmistress,grewbolderbytheday,flauntingherbeautyandmockingAnanya’squietgrace.>“Sister,doyoustilldreamofwinningHisMajesty’sheart?Lookatyou—plain,dull,unworthy.”“Ifsimplicityisacrime,thenletitbemine,”Ananyaanswered,unshaken.TheEmperorindulgedLadyZhenopenly…butinthesilenceofnight,hetastedAnanya’sfood,lingeredathertable,andfoundhimselfunsettledbyhercalm.>“Thisisnotpalacefare,”hemuttered.“Itislighter,”Ananyarepliedsoftly.“Easiertosleepafter.”Stepbystep,conspiracythickened.Atagrandbanquet,apoisonedcupwasplacedinAnanya’shand.Butaghost’slaughechoedinherear—andthecupwasswapped.Adancercollapsedinstead.Fromthatnighton,theEmperor’sgazechanged.Hebegantonoticethewomanwhoneverbeggedforfavor,neverfoughtforattention,yetalwaysendured.Still,warbrewedattheborders.Betrayalsreachedeventhethrone.Assassinscreptthroughthepalacehalls.Andtheonepersonwhoseemedweakestbecamethecalmatthecenterofthestorm.Throughwhisperedsecrets,mischievoushauntings,andquietresilience,Ananyacarvedherplaceintheempire.Shewouldnotsimplysurvive.Shewouldrise.AndtheEmperorwhooncedespisedherwouldonedaywhisperonlyhername.