Ghost in the palace Chapter 292: Whispers in the Shrine

Chapter 292: Whispers in the Shrine

The palace shrine was unusually quiet that evening.

Thin streams of incense smoke curled slowly into the air, rising toward the dark wooden ceiling before disappearing into the dim light of the hanging lanterns.

Outside—

The wind was still.

Too still.

The atmosphere felt heavy.

Stuffy.

As if the air itself was pressing down on everything around it.

—

The Empress knelt before the shrine altar in silence.

Her hands rested neatly in her lap.

But her mind—

Far from calm.

—

The flickering candlelight reflected softly in her eyes as she stared at the ancestral tablets before her.

Usually—

The shrine brought peace.

A strange comfort.

But today—

Sothing felt wrong.

Heavy.

Oppressive.

—

She exhaled slowly.

"...This feeling again."

—

The faint scent of sandalwood incense no longer felt soothing.

Instead—

It made the room feel even more suffocating.

—

She looked toward the open doorway.

Dark clouds had gathered outside.

Even the sky seed restless.

—

Her brows furrowed slightly.

Then quietly—

She whispered,

"...I hope Lady Chen wakes up soon."

—

Silence followed.

—

No matter what complicated emotions existed between them—

She still wanted answers.

Wanted to know what truly happened that night.

Wanted to know why everything in the palace felt so strange lately.

—

A cold breeze suddenly swept through the shrine.

The candle flas flickered sharply.

—

Then—

Three familiar figures appeared beside her.

—

The ghosts.

—

Fen Yu floated dramatically into the room first.

"This shrine is so depressing."

—

The scholar ghost Li Shen sighed.

"It is a shrine."

"It’s not ant to be cheerful."

—

General Wei Rong crossed his arms.

"It slls too strong."

—

The Empress glanced at them.

"...You three ca together for once."

—

Fen Yu floated beside her imdiately.

"We ca to tell you sothing important."

—

The Empress raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Oh?"

—

Li Shen adjusted his sleeves calmly.

"We overheard palace servants talking."

—

The Empress looked at him carefully.

"What about?"

—

Fen Yu grinned.

"The Emperor."

—

The Empress paused.

"...What about him?"

—

Wei Rong answered bluntly,

"He lifted your punishnt."

—

Silence.

—

The Empress blinked slowly.

"...What?"

—

Fen Yu nodded dramatically.

"Yes!"

"The punishnt from the Dowager Empress!"

"The one restricting your movents!"

"It’s gone!"

—

The Empress stared at them for several seconds.

"...Are you sure?"

—

Li Shen nodded.

"We heard it clearly."

"The Emperor personally handled it."

—

The Empress lowered her gaze slightly.

A strange emotion flickered through her chest.

"...He didn’t tell ."

—

Fen Yu imdiately crossed her arms.

"That’s exactly what we said!"

—

Wei Rong scoffed.

"He should’ve inford you directly."

—

The Empress looked away quietly.

"...He’s probably busy."

—

Fen Yu floated closer dramatically.

"Busy with Lady Chen."

—

The Empress imdiately sighed.

"Don’t start."

—

"But it’s true!"

Fen Yu complained.

"He’s been staying near her courtyard lately."

—

Li Shen spoke calmly,

"She still hasn’t regained consciousness."

—

The Empress nodded slowly.

"...I know."

—

Wei Rong looked at her carefully.

"You’re not angry?"

—

She blinked.

"Why would I be?"

—

Fen Yu gasped.

"Because your husband is taking care of another woman!"

—

The Empress looked completely unimpressed.

"She almost died."

—

Fen Yu opened her mouth—

Then closed it again.

"...Fine."

—

Li Shen coughed lightly.

"She does have a point."

—

Fen Yu pouted.

"You two are boring."

—

The Empress smiled faintly despite herself.

Then softly said,

"...Besides."

"He’s always cared about Lady Chen."

—

The words sounded calm.

Natural.

But sothing in her chest still tightened slightly.

—

Fen Yu noticed imdiately.

Her eyes narrowed.

"...You care."

—

"I don’t."

—

"You do."

—

"I don’t."

—

Wei Rong sighed deeply.

"This conversation is painful."

—

Li Shen nodded in agreent.

"Very painful."

—

Fen Yu floated directly in front of the Empress.

"If you don’t care, then why did your face change?"

—

"My face didn’t change."

—

"It did."

—

"It didn’t."

—

Wei Rong rubbed his forehead.

"She’s lying."

—

The Empress glared at him.

"You too?"

—

Wei Rong shrugged.

"You looked disappointed."

—

"I was not disappointed."

—

Fen Yu pointed dramatically.

"See?! She got defensive!"

—

The Empress stood up imdiately.

"I’m leaving."

—

Fen Yu burst into laughter.

"She’s running away!"

—

"I am not running away!"

—

Li Shen chuckled softly.

"You definitely are."

—

The Empress turned around sharply.

"...You three are impossible."

—

Fen Yu floated around her happily.

"But admit it."

—

"Admit what?"

—

"That you wanted him to tell you personally."

—

The Empress stopped walking.

Just slightly.

—

Then quietly—

"...Maybe."

—

The ghosts froze.

—

Fen Yu gasped dramatically.

"She admitted it!"

—

Wei Rong looked genuinely shocked.

"That was easier than expected."

—

Li Shen nodded thoughtfully.

"Interesting developnt."

—

The Empress imdiately regretted speaking.

"...Forget I said anything."

—

"Too late," Fen Yu replied proudly.

—

The Empress sighed heavily.

Then looked back toward the shrine altar.

The flickering candles.

The heavy air.

The strange unease lingering around the palace.

—

Her expression slowly softened again.

—

"...Things feel strange lately."

—

The ghosts quieted imdiately.

—

Wei Rong’s expression darkened slightly.

"...We know."

—

Li Shen looked toward the doorway.

"The spiritual energy around the palace is unstable."

—

Fen Yu nodded slowly.

"And growing darker."

—

The playful atmosphere faded.

—

The Empress looked down quietly.

"...Do you think it’s connected?"

—

Silence.

—

Then Li Shen answered carefully,

"Yes."

—

A cold breeze passed through the shrine again.

This ti—

Even the ghosts beca uneasy.

—

The candle flas trembled violently for a brief second.

Then steadied.

—

Fen Yu floated closer to the Empress instinctively.

"...I don’t like this place tonight."

—

Neither did she.

—

The Empress looked once more at the dark sky outside.

A strange feeling settled in her chest.

As if sothing unseen—

Was slowly approaching.

—

And sowhere in the palace—

Soone was waiting.

Watching.

Preparing.

Prayers Beneath a Darkened Sky

The palace atmosphere changed overnight.

What had once been uneasy whispers hidden behind sleeves and lowered gazes had now beco open tension spreading through every corridor.

Servants walked faster.

Voices softened.

Even laughter had disappeared completely.

Because one piece of news had spread across the entire palace—

Lady Chen’s condition was worsening.

—

Inside her courtyard, the air slled strongly of dicine.

Bowls of dark herbal mixtures covered the tables.

Wet cloths stained with dicine water were replaced constantly.

Healers entered and exited repeatedly, their expressions becoming heavier each ti.

—

On the bed—

Lady Chen lay unconscious.

Her once elegant face had beco pale.

Too pale.

Her breathing weak and uneven.

Even her lips had lost color.

—

Beside the bed, the Emperor stood silently.

His expression looked calm from the outside.

But the exhaustion beneath his eyes could no longer be hidden.

For the past few days—

He had barely rested.

Barely slept.

Court officials had noticed.

Servants had noticed.

Even the palace guards whispered quietly among themselves.

—

"His Majesty hasn’t left Lady Chen’s courtyard much lately..."

—

"He personally asked for the best healers..."

—

"I heard her pulse almost stopped last night..."

—

Fear spread easily inside a palace.

Especially when death lingered nearby.

—

The chief healer slowly withdrew his hand from Lady Chen’s wrist.

His face darkened.

The Emperor noticed imdiately.

"...Speak."

—

The healer lowered his head.

"Your Majesty..."

"...Her condition continues to decline."

—

Silence filled the room.

Heavy.

Suffocating.

—

The Emperor’s gaze sharpened.

"What do you an decline?"

—

The healer swallowed nervously.

"The dicine is no longer stabilizing her pulse."

"Her body is rejecting treatnt."

—

The Emperor’s jaw tightened.

"...Then change the treatnt."

—

"We already have, Your Majesty."

The healer’s voice trembled slightly.

"But..."

He hesitated.

"...it is as if sothing is draining her vitality."

—

Those words made the room colder.

—

The Emperor looked toward Lady Chen again.

Her face looked almost lifeless now.

Fragile.

Weak.

Nothing like the proud, graceful woman she usually was.

—

For a mont—

Sothing dark flickered across his expression.

Not grief.

Not anger.

Sothing more dangerous.

—

"...Save her."

—

The healer imdiately bowed lower.

"This humble servant will do everything possible."

—

Outside the courtyard—

The news spread quickly.

Faster than wind.

—

"Lady Chen is dying..."

—

"The healers cannot cure her..."

—

"So say she’s cursed..."

—

Fear grew with every rumor.

—

By evening—

The Emperor issued an imperial order.

—

Every palace servant.

Every official.

Every concubine.

Every noble within the palace walls—

Was ordered to pray for Lady Chen’s recovery.

—

The announcent echoed through every courtyard.

Every hall.

Every chamber.

—

And so—

The palace began praying.

—

The Palace Shrines

The palace shrines filled quickly.

Candles burned endlessly.

Incense smoke curled into the air.

Servants knelt on cold floors, whispering desperate prayers beneath their breath.

—

So prayed sincerely.

So prayed from fear.

So prayed because they had no choice.

—

A maid clasped her hands tightly.

"Please let Lady Chen survive..."

—

Another whispered softly to the heavens,

"Protect the palace from disaster..."

—

Even the older servants looked uneasy.

Because lately—

Too many strange things had happened.

—

The Empress’s near death.

The unnatural attack outside the palace.

Now Lady Chen collapsing mysteriously.

—

The palace no longer felt safe.

—

The Dowager Empress

Inside her chamber, the Dowager Empress sat before a small altar.

Prayer beads moved slowly between her fingers.

Her face looked colder than usual.

But her eyes—

Restless.

—

"...How did this happen..."

—

She had favored Lady Chen for years.

Trusted her.

Protected her.

Even hoped she would one day stand beside the Emperor fully.

—

And now—

She looked as if she might die at any mont.

—

The Dowager closed her eyes tightly.

"...Buddha protect her."

—

But deep down—

Fear had already entered her heart.

Because she rembered the Empress’s incident too clearly.

The sa strange decline.

The sa helplessness.

—

And that frightened her more than anything.

—

The Empress’s Courtyard

anwhile—

Inside her own courtyard, the Empress stood quietly beneath the night sky.

The palace announcent had already reached her.

Even the servants around her looked uneasy.

—

One maid whispered softly,

"Your Majesty... should we prepare the shrine?"

—

The Empress nodded slowly.

"Yes."

—

Soon—

Candles were lit.

Incense burned.

—

The Empress stood silently before the shrine.

Her expression unreadable.

—

Behind her, the ghosts appeared quietly.

Even Fen Yu wasn’t smiling tonight.

—

"This feels wrong," she whispered.

—

Li Shen nodded grimly.

"The spiritual energy around the palace is becoming unstable again."

—

Wei Rong crossed his arms.

"...Sothing is feeding."

—

The Empress’s fingers tightened slightly.

"...You think this is connected?"

—

Silence.

—

Then Li Shen answered quietly,

"Yes."

—

The Empress looked toward the distant palace skyline.

Toward Lady Chen’s courtyard far away.

—

Her heart felt heavy.

Complicated.

—

She and Lady Chen had never truly been close.

There had always been distance.

Competition.

Pain.

—

But still—

She did not want her to die.

—

Not like this.

—

The Palace at Night

As the night deepened—

The entire palace changed.

—

Shrines glowed beneath candlelight.

Whispers of prayer filled the halls.

Monks were summoned to chant scriptures.

Bells rang softly through the night air.

—

Even guards standing watch looked unsettled.

Because the palace no longer felt normal.

—

It felt—

Watched.

—

Above the palace rooftops—

Dark clouds slowly gathered.

Blocking the moonlight little by little.

—

And sowhere—

Hidden behind layers of fear and devotion—

Soone smiled quietly.

Because chaos was spreading exactly as planned.