Free Web NovelChapter 341: Cracks in the Story
Night settled quietly over the palace.
The earlier commotion in the servants’ courtyard had finally ended.
Lanterns glowed softly beneath the eaves.
The corridors were nearly empty.
Most servants had already retreated to their quarters.
But inside Shin Gu’s courtyard, the lights remained on.
---
Prince Liang sat beside Shin Gu in the main hall.
A warm cup of tea rested in front of her.
She still looked pale.
At least on the surface.
Her eyes appeared slightly red.
Her shoulders trembled occasionally.
The image of a frightened woman.
---
Prince Liang sighed softly.
"Are you feeling better now?"
Shin Gu nodded.
"A little."
Her voice sounded weak.
"I was truly frightened today."
Prince Liang looked at her quietly.
Normally he would have comforted her immediately.
Normally he would have believed every word she said.
But tonight—
Something felt different.
---
His mother’s questions echoed in his mind.
The Emperor’s expression.
Princess Zhi’s observations.
The Empress’s silence.
And most importantly—
The inconsistency.
---
Still, he remained calm.
"What exactly happened?"
Shin Gu lowered her eyes.
"I was resting."
Prince Liang nodded slowly.
"And then?"
---
Shin Gu took a breath.
"I heard a strange noise."
"A crying sound."
"It was terrifying."
---
Prince Liang remained silent.
Listening carefully.
---
Shin Gu continued.
"So I woke up."
"And went outside."
"When I entered the courtyard..."
Her voice lowered dramatically.
"...I saw a shadow."
---
Prince Liang’s expression froze.
Only slightly.
Barely noticeable.
---
But inside—
His heart sank.
---
Because earlier—
In front of everyone—
Shin Gu had said something different.
---
She had claimed she was already outside.
Walking in the courtyard.
Then she saw the shadow.
---
Now—
She was saying she had been asleep.
---
The stories didn’t match.
---
Shin Gu continued speaking.
Unaware.
"The shadow was dark."
"It moved across the courtyard."
"And I heard crying."
---
Prince Liang stared at her.
Quietly.
Carefully.
---
For the first time—
He wasn’t listening to her emotions.
He was listening to her words.
---
And the more he listened—
The more problems he found.
---
His thoughts became complicated.
---
When had he become so blind?
---
Why had he never noticed these details before?
---
Why had he accepted everything without question?
---
Shin Gu looked up.
Noticing his silence.
"Liang?"
---
Prince Liang immediately smiled.
A practiced smile.
Gentle.
Comforting.
---
"I believe you."
---
Shin Gu visibly relaxed.
---
But deep inside—
Prince Liang felt uneasy.
---
Because he wasn’t sure if he did.
---
Not anymore.
---
Years of trust didn’t disappear in one day.
But doubt—
Once planted—
Was difficult to remove.
---
Shin Gu leaned closer.
"I’m just happy you’re here."
---
Prince Liang nodded.
Yet his thoughts remained elsewhere.
---
The Emperor had looked suspicious.
Princess Zhi had questioned her timing.
Even Lady Chen had openly doubted her.
---
And now—
The contradiction.
---
One small contradiction.
But enough.
---
Enough to make him question.
---
Shin Gu continued speaking softly.
Describing her fear.
Describing her shock.
Describing the shadow.
---
But Prince Liang noticed something strange.
---
Every detail sounded rehearsed.
Polished.
Prepared.
---
Almost like a story.
---
Not a memory.
---
His gaze lowered.
---
Perhaps everyone else had missed it.
---
But now—
He couldn’t ignore it.
---
Across from him, Shin Gu lowered her eyes obediently.
Playing the role perfectly.
---
Inside her mind, however—
A very different conversation was happening.
---
Fools.
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The word echoed silently.
---
A small smile almost appeared on her lips.
But she quickly suppressed it.
---
Everyone believed her.
The servants.
The guards.
Even Prince Liang.
---
Or so she thought.
---
Everything had gone according to plan.
---
Fear spread.
Rumors spread.
Confusion spread.
---
Exactly as intended.
---
The palace was looking toward shadows.
Toward ghosts.
Toward mysterious cries.
---
And while everyone searched in the wrong direction—
Nobody was searching for the truth.
---
Her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup.
---
The Dowager suspected nothing.
The Emperor had no proof.
The Empress remained unaware.
---
At least that was what she believed.
---
A feeling of satisfaction filled her.
---
Once again—
She had controlled the situation.
---
Once again—
She had manipulated the narrative.
---
Once again—
Everyone danced exactly where she wanted them to.
---
She lowered her gaze to hide the amusement in her eyes.
---
"Thank you for staying with me," she said softly.
---
Prince Liang looked at her.
Studied her.
---
For a moment—
He felt like he was looking at a stranger.
---
The realization unsettled him.
---
He smiled anyway.
---
"Get some rest."
---
Shin Gu nodded obediently.
---
Prince Liang stood.
Preparing to leave.
---
At the doorway he paused.
---
Then glanced back one final time.
---
Shin Gu was lowering her head.
Appearing vulnerable.
Fragile.
Innocent.
---
The same image she had always shown him.
---
But tonight—
For the first time—
Prince Liang wondered.
---
Was that image real?
---
Or had he simply wanted to believe it?
---
Without another word—
He left the courtyard.
---
The door closed behind him.
---
The moment his footsteps disappeared—
Shin Gu slowly lifted her head.
---
The frightened expression vanished.
---
Completely.
---
Her eyes became cold.
Sharp.
Calculating.
---
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
---
"Fools."
---
She whispered the word into the empty room.
---
Outside—
The palace slept beneath the moonlight.
---
But unseen by most—
The web of lies was beginning to unravel.
---
And the first thread had already been pulled
Night covered the Imperial Palace in silence.
The moon hung high above the tiled roofs.
Cold silver light spilled across the empty pathways.
Most of the palace had already fallen asleep.
Servants rested in their quarters.
Guards quietly patrolled the corridors.
Even the wind seemed gentler tonight.
Yet inside the Empress’s courtyard, three ghosts remained awake.
They floated beneath the old plum tree.
None of them looked relaxed.
For the first time in many days—
They looked worried.
Very worried.
---
Fen Yu sat on a tree branch, hugging her knees.
Her usually cheerful face was unusually serious.
The scholar ghost, Li Shen, stood beside the courtyard pond.
Thinking.
Observing.
Analyzing.
And General Wei Rong paced back and forth with his arms crossed.
His expression was dark.
Annoyed.
Frustrated.
---
Finally Fen Yu spoke.
"Do you think it’s her?"
Silence.
Nobody needed to ask who "her" meant.
They all knew.
---
Shin Gu.
---
Li Shen sighed.
"I don’t know."
Fen Yu frowned.
"But every strange thing points toward her."
"The lake incident."
"The dark energy."
"The attack."
"The strange sleeping spell."
"Everything started after she appeared."
---
Wei Rong stopped walking.
His eyes narrowed.
"I don’t trust that woman."
---
"Neither do I."
Fen Yu immediately agreed.
"She’s creepy."
---
Li Shen rubbed his forehead.
"Being creepy isn’t proof."
---
Fen Yu floated down from the tree.
"But think about it."
"We’ve investigated everyone."
"Servants."
"Concubines."
"Officials."
"Nothing."
---
She pointed toward the distant palace buildings.
"But Shin Gu..."
Her voice lowered.
"She’s different."
---
The courtyard became quiet.
---
Because all three ghosts remembered.
Very clearly.
---
The first time they tried approaching Shin Gu’s residence.
---
It had happened shortly after the Empress nearly died.
The ghosts had wanted answers.
So they followed Shin Gu.
---
Everything seemed normal at first.
The woman walked calmly through the palace.
No strange movements.
No suspicious behavior.
Nothing.
---
Until she entered her courtyard.
---
The moment they approached the gate—
Something happened.
---
A violent force exploded outward.
Invisible.
But powerful.
---
Fen Yu had been thrown backward.
Wei Rong had nearly crashed into a palace wall.
Li Shen had lost control of his spiritual form for several moments.
---
It was unlike anything they had experienced before.
---
Wei Rong clenched his fists.
"I’ve fought cultivators."
"I’ve fought demons."
"I’ve fought evil spirits."
---
His expression darkened.
---
"But that thing..." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
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"It wasn’t normal."
---
Fen Yu nodded quickly.
"Exactly!"
"I’ve never felt anything like it."
---
Li Shen’s gaze became thoughtful.
"It wasn’t simply a barrier."
---
"It felt..."
---
He struggled to find the right word.
---
"Ancient."
---
Silence.
---
Even Wei Rong nodded.
---
Ancient.
Dangerously ancient.
---
Not the kind of power ordinary palace women should possess.
---
Fen Yu shivered.
"I still remember it."
"It felt like something was staring at me."
---
Wei Rong looked toward the distant palace.
"Something inside that courtyard."
---
"Something powerful."
---
Li Shen spoke quietly.
"Or someone."
---
Another silence followed.
---
The three ghosts exchanged looks.
---
For weeks they had searched.
Investigated.
Watched.
Followed clues.
---
Yet every path eventually led back to one person.
---
Shin Gu.
---
Fen Yu bit her lip.
"Then why can’t we prove it?"
---
Nobody answered immediately.
---
Because that was the problem.
---
Suspicion wasn’t proof.
---
And if they accused someone without evidence—
Nobody would believe them.
---
Especially not in a palace full of politics.
---
Li Shen stared at the moon.
Then spoke.
"I think Shin Gu knows."
---
Fen Yu blinked.
"Knows what?"
---
"That we’re watching."
---
Wei Rong frowned.
---
Li Shen continued.
"Every time we get close."
"Every time we investigate."
"Something changes."
---
His eyes narrowed.
---
"As if she already knows."
---
The words sent a chill through the courtyard.
---
Fen Yu whispered.
"You think she can see ghosts?"
---
Wei Rong immediately shook his head.
"No."
---
But his confidence wasn’t absolute.
---
Li Shen looked troubled.
---
Because the truth was—
He wasn’t sure.
---
And that uncertainty frightened him.
---
For the first time in centuries.
---
The scholar ghost felt afraid.
---
Meanwhile—
Inside her chamber—
The Empress slept peacefully.
Unaware of the discussion happening outside.
---
Moonlight illuminated her sleeping face.
---
Peaceful.
Calm.
Alive.
---
Fen Yu looked toward the room.
Her expression softened.
---
"We almost lost her."
---
Wei Rong looked away.
---
Li Shen closed his eyes briefly.
---
None of them wanted to remember that day.
---
The day her soul nearly left forever.
---
The day they failed to find her.
---
The day they nearly became alone again.
---
Fen Yu’s eyes grew red.
"We can’t let it happen again."
---
"No."
Wei Rong’s answer came immediately.
---
"Never again."
---
Li Shen nodded slowly.
---
"No matter who is behind this."
"No matter how powerful they are."
---
"We protect her."
---
The three ghosts looked toward the Empress’s chamber.
---
A silent promise forming between them.
---
Because she had given them something none of them expected.
---
A family.
A home.
A reason to remain.
---
And they would not lose that.
---
Not to dark magic.
Not to palace schemes.
Not even to Shin Gu.
---
Far away—
Beyond several palace walls—
A lantern flickered inside Shin Gu’s courtyard.
---
For a brief moment—
The flame burned green.
Then returned to normal.
---
And somewhere in the darkness—
Something smiled.
