Chapter 168: monkey accusations The night was deep and quiet, the kind of silence that wrapped itself around the palace like a heavy curtain. The Empress slept soundly, one arm resting on the blanket, breath steady.
Then—
She felt it.
A gaze.
Sharp. Focused. Unmoving.
Her brows knitted even in sleep, a strange unease crawling up her spine. Slowly, she opened her eyes—
And screamed.
"AAAAH—!!"
Three shadows stood right beside her bed.
Three faces hovered in the dim light.
Three pairs of eyes stared at her as if they had just seen the most terrifying thing in existence.
Her three ghosts.
"AAAAH—!!"
They screamed back at the exact same time.
The room exploded with noise.
The Empress clutched the blanket. Fen Yu shrieked and nearly fell backward. Wei Rong instinctively reached for a sword that didn’t exist. Li Shen floated straight up in panic.
It was complete chaos.
"What is WRONG with you?!" the Empress yelled.
"You screamed first!" Fen Yu cried.
"YOU were staring!" Wei Rong snapped.
"Silence—this is undignified!" Li Shen shouted, though his voice cracked.
Before any of them could recover—
The door burst open.
The maid rushed in, pale with fear.
"Your Majesty! What happened? Were you attacked?!"
The Empress froze.
The ghosts froze.
A tense second passed.
Then the Empress cleared her throat, sat up straight, and said calmly,
"No. I just had a bad dream."
The maid looked relieved but confused.
"A... bad dream?"
"Yes," the Empress replied seriously. "In my dream, I saw three monkeys eating my food and staring at me."
There was a beat of silence.
Then—
"HEY!!" Fen Yu shouted. "Who are you calling a MONKEY?!"
Wei Rong immediately pointed at her.
"She means you. Only you."
Li Shen nodded solemnly.
"Correct. The monkey is female."
Fen Yu gasped dramatically.
"You two traitors!"
The maid stared at the Empress, eyes twitching.
The Empress waved her hand.
"It was a very strange dream. Go back to rest."
The maid bowed, clearly deciding not to ask further questions, and hurried out.
The moment the door closed—
The Empress’s expression darkened.
"Now," she said quietly, "shut up and explain. Why were you three staring at me in the middle of the night like funeral lanterns?"
The ghosts immediately straightened.