Ghost in the palace Chapter 290: When Questions Have No Answers

Chapter 290: When Questions Have No Answers

The night deepened over the palace, but no one in the Emperor’s chamber felt its quiet.

The air inside was heavy.

Still.

Unsettling.

—

On the bed—

Lady Chen lay motionless.

Her face pale.

Her breathing faint.

So faint that one had to stand close to even notice it.

—

The healer moved around her carefully.

Checking her pulse again.

And again.

As if hoping—

Sothing would change.

—

But nothing did.

—

The Arrival

Outside—

Hurried footsteps echoed.

Voices.

Urgent.

Panicked.

—

"The Minister has arrived!"

—

The doors opened abruptly.

—

Chen Guowei entered first.

His usual composed deanor—

Gone.

—

Behind him—

Madam Zhao Lifen rushed in.

Her face already pale with fear.

—

"Ruyi—"

Her voice broke.

—

But the mont she saw the bed—

Her steps faltered.

—

"...No..."

—

She rushed forward.

Falling beside her daughter.

—

"Ruyi!"

—

Her hands trembled as she held her.

"...Wake up..."

—

No response.

—

Chen Guowei stood beside the bed.

Frozen.

—

His eyes scanned her condition.

The unnatural stillness.

The silence.

—

Then slowly—

He turned.

—

Toward the Emperor.

—

"What happened?"

—

His voice—

Controlled.

—

But beneath it—

A storm.

—

The Emperor’s Silence

The Emperor stood still.

—

For the first ti—

He had no answer.

—

He had seen her.

—

Falling.

Bleeding.

—

But the cause—

—

Nothing.

—

"...I found her like this."

—

The words felt empty.

Even to him.

—

Chen Guowei’s brows tightened.

"...Found?"

—

"She collapsed in the courtyard."

—

The Emperor’s voice was steady.

But his gaze—

Heavy.

—

Madam Zhao Lifen looked up.

Her eyes filled with tears.

"She was fine this morning..."

—

"She was healthy..."

—

"How can this happen?"

—

No one answered.

—

Because no one knew.

—

The Dowager’s Calm

The Dowager Empress stepped forward.

Her expression serious.

But controlled.

—

"Panicking will not help."

—

She looked at the healer.

"Is there any change?"

—

The healer lowered his head.

"...No."

—

A brief silence followed.

—

Then the Dowager spoke again.

"...We wait."

—

Chen Guowei looked at her.

"...Wait?"

—

"Yes."

—

Her voice was firm.

—

"When she wakes—"

"We will know."

—

The words carried quiet authority.

—

But even she—

Could not hide the tension in her eyes.

—

The Healer’s Fear

The healer stepped back slightly.

His hands trembling faintly.

—

"...This condition..."

—

He swallowed.

—

"...It is the sa as before."

—

Madam Zhao Lifen looked up sharply.

"...Before?"

—

The Dowager answered.

"...The Empress."

—

Silence.

—

A chilling silence.

—

Chen Guowei’s expression changed.

"...You an—"

—

The healer nodded slowly.

—

"...It is identical."

—

The room grew colder.

—

A Fragile Hope

The Dowager turned slightly.

Her gaze distant.

—

"...Then we can only hope."

—

Madam Zhao Lifen’s voice trembled.

"...Hope for what?"

—

The Dowager replied quietly—

"...For a miracle."

—

A pause.

—

"...Like before."

—

The mory of the Empress—

Waking from the brink of death—

Hovered in everyone’s mind.

—

If it happened once—

—

Could it happen again?

—

The Emperor’s Burden

The Emperor stood still.

—

Watching.

—

Listening.

—

But inside—

Sothing tightened.

—

First—

The Empress.

—

Then—

The nobles.

—

Now—

Lady Chen.

—

One after another.

—

Under his rule.

—

Within his palace.

—

"...I cannot protect them."

—

The thought ca uninvited.

—

Sharp.

Heavy.

—

His fists clenched.

—

"...Then what is the use of power?"

—

But he said nothing.

—

Because now—

Was not the ti.

—

Princess Zhi’s Silent Fear

In the corner of the chamber—

Almost unnoticed—

Princess Zhi stood quietly.

—

Her hands clasped tightly.

—

Her eyes fixed on Lady Chen.

—

"...Again..."

—

Her heart trembled.

—

She rembered.

—

That feeling.

—

The loss of control.

The strange pull.

The darkness.

—

"...It’s happening again..."

—

Her breath beca uneven.

—

"...What is happening in this palace..."

—

She stepped back slowly.

—

Her lips moved silently.

—

A prayer.

—

"Please..."

—

"Let her be safe..."

—

"Let her wake up..."

—

Her voice did not co out.

—

But her heart spoke.

—

The Night Watches

Ti passed.

—

No one left.

—

Madam Zhao Lifen stayed beside her daughter.

Holding her hand.

Whispering softly.

—

Chen Guowei stood silently.

Watching.

Thinking.

—

The Dowager remained seated.

Her expression unreadable.

—

The healer continued his work.

Though he knew—

It was beyond him.

—

And the Emperor—

—

Stood there.

—

Unmoving.

—

Watching.

—

Waiting.

—

As if—

By sheer will—

He could force life to return.

—

The Weight of Silence

The palace that once felt grand—

Now felt suffocating.

—

Every breath—

Heavy.

—

Every second—

Endless.

—

Because no one knew—

What would happen next.

—

And sowhere—

Beyond sight—

The darkness grew stronger.

—

Waiting.

—

Watching.

—

For the next mont—

To strike again.

Whispers Within the Shrine

The shrine stood quiet beneath the pale light of dawn.

Hidden at the far edge of the palace grounds, it had always been a place of stillness—of prayer, of reflection, of distance from the world.

But now—

It no longer felt peaceful.

—

Inside, the faint scent of incense lingered in the air.

The soft glow of oil lamps flickered against ancient stone walls.

And at the center—

The Empress knelt silently.

—

Her hands rested gently in her lap.

Her posture calm.

Her breathing steady.

—

But her thoughts—

Were not.

—

News That Broke the Silence

A maid had co earlier.

Hesitant.

Afraid.

—

"...Your Majesty..."

"...Lady Chen..."

—

The words had been incomplete.

Broken.

—

But enough.

—

"She collapsed."

"...Sa condition..."

—

The Empress had not reacted imdiately.

—

She had simply listened.

—

Then dismissed the maid quietly.

—

And now—

She sat here.

Alone.

—

Processing.

—

"...Again."

—

Her eyes lowered slightly.

—

First—

Her own incident.

—

Then—

The strange occurrences.

—

Now—

Lady Chen.

—

"...This is not coincidence."

—

Her fingers tightened slightly.

—

"...Soone is doing this."

—

The Thought She Could Not Ignore

Her mind began to connect everything.

—

The lake.

The loss of control.

The strange pull.

—

The feeling of sothing unseen—

Moving her.

—

"...That was not natural."

—

She exhaled slowly.

—

"...And now..."

—

"Lady Chen."

—

Her gaze darkened.

—

"...The pattern is clear."

—

A pause.

—

"...This person..."

—

"...is inside the palace."

—

The thought settled.

Heavy.

Cold.

—

Because only soone inside—

Could know.

Could act.

Could strike without being seen.

—

A Na That Appeared

And then—

A face surfaced in her mind.

—

Shin Gu.

—

The quiet one.

The calm one.

—

The one who rarely spoke.

—

The one who always seed... distant.

—

The Empress’s brows furrowed slightly.

—

"...Could it be her?"

—

A flicker of doubt.

—

But then—

She shook her head slightly.

—

"...No."

—

"She doesn’t speak."

"She avoids attention."

—

"She feels..."

—

"...pure."

—

The word ca softly.

—

Because that was how Shin Gu appeared.

—

Untouched.

Uninvolved.

—

"...It cannot be her."

—

And yet—

The doubt did not fully disappear.

—

The Ghosts Appear

The air shifted slightly.

—

A familiar presence.

—

Then—

They appeared.

—

The three ghosts.

—

One leaning lazily against a pillar.

One standing with arms crossed.

One hovering quietly nearby.

—

"You heard?" the female ghost asked softly.

—

The Empress nodded.

"...Yes."

—

The general ghost frowned.

"...This is not good."

—

The scholar ghost adjusted his sleeve.

"...The pattern is repeating."

—

The Empress looked at them.

—

"...You feel it too?"

—

They all nodded.

—

"There is sothing moving," the scholar ghost said.

"Sothing we cannot see clearly."

—

The general ghost added,

"...But it is close."

—

"Too close."

—

The Truth They All Felt

The Empress’s voice lowered.

"...Inside the palace."

—

The ghosts exchanged glances.

—

Then nodded again.

—

"Yes."

—

The female ghost stepped closer.

"...We’ve felt it before."

—

"A strange sensation."

—

"Like..."

She hesitated.

—

"...sothing watching."

—

The Empress’s gaze sharpened.

"...Watching?"

—

The scholar ghost nodded.

—

"...But never visible."

—

"We searched."

—

"Followed the feeling."

—

"But found nothing."

—

The general ghost clenched his fist.

"...That’s what makes it dangerous."

—

"If we could see it—"

—

"We could fight it."

—

"But this..."

—

"...hides."

—

A Growing Unease

The shrine suddenly felt colder.

—

Even the lamps flickered slightly.

—

The Empress’s voice softened.

"...Lady Chen..."

—

A pause.

—

"...I hope she wakes up."

—

Not because of affection.

—

But because—

She was a victim.

—

Just like her.

—

The female ghost nodded.

"...She didn’t deserve this."

—

The scholar ghost added quietly,

"...None of you do."

—

Silence fell.

—

Heavy.

—

Because all of them understood—

—

This was only the beginning.

—

The Invisible Enemy

The Empress slowly stood.

—

Her eyes lifted.

—

Steady.

Determined.

—

"...We need to find out who it is."

—

The general ghost nodded imdiately.

"Yes."

—

The scholar ghost frowned.

"...But without clues..."

—

"...it will be difficult."

—

The female ghost whispered,

"...It could be anyone."

—

"A servant."

—

"A guard."

—

"Soone no one notices."

—

The Empress’s expression hardened.

—

"...Or soone we trust."

—

The words lingered.

—

Dangerous.

—

Because sotis—

The greatest threats—

Were the ones closest.

—

A Silent Resolve

The Empress turned toward the shrine altar.

—

Her hands clasped together.

—

Not in helpless prayer.

—

But in quiet resolve.

—

"...I survived once."

—

"...I will not fall again."

—

Behind her—

The ghosts stood silently.

—

Watching.

—

Protecting.

—

Waiting.

—

Because now—

They all knew.

—

The enemy was not far.

—

The enemy—

Was already here.

—

And sowhere—

Hidden within the palace—

—

Soone smiled in the dark.

?? A Heartfelt ssage to My Readers ??

I want to take a mont—not just to say thank you—but to truly express what your support ans to

??

When I started writing this story, it was just an idea... a small world in my mind. But today, that world feels alive—and that’s because of you. Every single reader who spends ti here, reads each Chapter, reacts, and stays connected... you are the reason this story keeps growing ??

Writing is not always easy. So Chapters take hours, so take days. Sotis I rewrite scenes again and again just to make sure you feel every emotion—the love, the pain, the tension, the happiness. And when I see your support, I feel like all that effort is worth it ??

Your comnts ?? an so much.

When you share your thoughts, your reactions, your guesses about what will happen next—it makes this journey interactive. It feels like we are building this story together. I read your comnts, I notice your excitent, and it pushes

to write better and bring even more powerful scenes for you ??

Your Power Stones ?? and Golden Tickets ???? are more than just support—they help this story reach more readers. They help it grow, climb rankings, and stand stronger among many others. Every single vote you give adds strength to this story ??

And your gifts ??—they are truly special. They show your love in a way that motivates

deeply. When I receive gifts, I feel encouraged to push harder, to write faster, and to deliver Chapters that you’ll enjoy even more ????

If you truly love this story, I kindly ask you to continue supporting in every way you can:

?? Like the Chapters you enjoy

?? Leave comnts and share your thoughts

?? Share this story with others

?? Send Power Stones

???? Send Golden Tickets

?? Send gifts

Every small action matters. Even a single comnt or vote can make a big difference ??

Let’s grow this story together. Let’s make it reach the TOP and let more people discover this journey of emotions, drama, romance, and unexpected twists ??

I promise you—there is so much more coming.

More intense monts.

More emotional depth.

More shocking revelations.

And a love story that will keep evolving in ways you might not expect... ??

Stay with

till the end of this journey.

Your support is my biggest strength, and I’m truly grateful to have you here ??

Thank you for reading, supporting, and believing in this story ????