Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

“A ghost – why is there a ghost again?” Consort Li shook so hard she nearly fell apart. She wanted to run, but her legs had gone soft. “Your Ladyship!”

The maid looked like she was about to cry. “Your Ladyship, w-we… what do we do?” While they were screaming and sobbing, the palace gate was pushed open. A young eunuch tumbled in, crawling and scrambling, crying as he shouted that there was a ghost.

At once, the entire Qi Xiang Palace was thrown into chaos. Noble Lady Cao and the maids and matrons all woke with a start. Princess Wen Yi was jolted awake too and began to cry.

“A ghost!” “Someone, quickly – there’s a ghost!” Two more familiar screams rang out. Two figures in their underclothes, hair hanging loose, stumbled in, staggering as they ran.

“Ah! A ghost!” “Don’t come closer – don’t come closer!” Consort Li and her maid were close to losing their minds.

The two of them clung to each other, not daring to look at the two “female ghosts” who had rushed inside. They could only scream at the top of their lungs, trying to vent the terror in their hearts. Noble Lady Cao happened to come out just then. The moment she saw the two “ghosts” rushing in, her legs went weak as well.

She and her servants nearly collapsed to the ground. “Consort Li, Noble Lady Cao, come out – someone, hurry!” “Consort Li, Noble Lady Cao, there’s a ghost – there’s a ghost!” The Empress’s voice and Attendant Fang’s voice rang out again.

The horrified crowd froze on the spot. They stared, unable to believe it. The Empress? Attendant Fang?

Noble Lady Cao hurried closer. Consort Li lifted her head too. By the light of the lanterns, everyone finally saw who it was. “Your Majesty!”

Noble Lady Cao could not help asking, “Why… why are you and Attendant Fang here?” “I don’t know.” The Empress shook her head. “I was asleep.

I don’t know why, but I suddenly woke up outside Qi Xiang Palace.” Attendant Fang nodded along. “Yes. I was asleep too.

I don’t know why I ended up here.”

“How could that happen?” Noble Lady Cao and Consort Li looked at each other. “Your Majesty, just now you said there was a ghost…”

Consort Li’s voice trembled. “Is it real?” “It’s real.” Attendant Fang spoke at once.

“White clothes, long hair, and it could even fly.” “That’s right. I saw it too.” The Empress nodded, still shaken.

“I saw it as well.” “T-then there really is a ghost!” Consort Li started trembling again. She stared around uneasily… Just then, her eyes suddenly widened.

She pointed ahead and let out a sharp scream. “A ghost!” Everyone followed her gaze, and sure enough, they saw a white shadow flash across the eaves. Then came a sinister, cackling laugh.

Everyone’s hearts tightened, as if a cold wind had whooshed up behind them. In an instant, goosebumps rose all over their skin.

“Gi-ve~ me~ my~ life~ back~” One word at a time, blurred and drifting into their ears. It made their scalps crawl and their spines go cold. One palace maid could not take it and fainted on the spot. One matron was so scared she wet herself.

The next moment, everyone saw a white figure appear out of nowhere on the roof. Like a bird in flight, it swept toward the crowd. Along with that came the strange laughter again. “Heh-heh~ heh-heh~” “A ghost!”

“Save me!” “Someone – hurry, someone!” Qi Xiang Palace descended into complete chaos. Needless to say, the commotion here had already alarmed the entire inner palace.

Consorts from every palace rose and hurried to Qi Xiang Palace. “How is it now?” Li Si Qi asked, sitting as she spoke to Xiao Hu Zi in her mind.

“Master, Xiao Yun Zi is having the time of his life,” Xiao Hu Zi replied. “He keeps messing with Consort Li and the Empress. Noble Lady Cao and Attendant Fang didn’t get toyed with as much, but they were still badly scared. Oh, and Princess Wen Yi was terrified too. She hasn’t stopped crying.”

“Zhen Huan really commits sins,” Li Si Qi said coldly. “For revenge, she doesn’t care who she drags down with her. After this fright, Wen Yi will definitely fall seriously ill. Xiao Hu Zi, keep an eye on her. Don’t let anything happen to her.”

“Don’t worry, Master. I will.”

“Just don’t forget,” Li Si Qi said. “Keep watching Xiao Yun Zi. He should be planning to leave. Control him for me and make him keep tormenting the Empress. When everyone is just about at Qi Xiang Palace, make the rope on him snap. Then make him break his leg so he can’t get away. I don’t care how skilled he is. If he dares to help evil do evil, I’ll make him suffer the consequences.”

“No problem!” Xiao Hu Zi agreed at once. Yang Xin Hall. The emperor, who had only just fallen asleep, was woken by Su Pei Sheng.

“What is it?” His head was still foggy, and his tone carried impatience. Su Pei Sheng answered quietly, “Reporting to Your Majesty, Qi Xiang Palace is haunted.” “What?”

The emperor thought he had misheard. “Qi Xiang Palace is haunted?” “Yes,” Su Pei Sheng said, looking a bit strange. “The Empress and Attendant Fang are also at Qi Xiang Palace.”

“What do you mean?” The emperor was even more confused.

He frowned tightly at him. “The Empress? Attendant Fang?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Su Pei Sheng continued. “I’ve heard the Empress and Attendant Fang are both in their underclothes.” “In their underclothes?” The emperor’s face darkened.

If he still could not sense how strange this was, he would not have been fit to sit on the throne. “To Qi Xiang Palace!” the emperor ordered. Yang Xin Hall immediately sprang into frantic motion. By then, the consorts from every palace had all arrived at Qi Xiang Palace.

The Empress and Attendant Fang had already thrown on Consort Li’s cloaks. Everyone stood in the courtyard. Each and every gaze was fixed on the “ghost” in front of them. Zhen Huan and Shen Mei Zhuang looked a little pale.

A flicker of fear and unease flashed through both their eyes.

“I truly never expected…” The Empress’s face was full of fury. “That someone would dare ‘haunt’ the palace.” Thinking of her own humiliation just now, the Empress wanted to tear someone apart.

Her blade-sharp stare shot straight at Consort Wan. “Consort Wan, what do you have to say for yourself?” “Your Majesty!” Zhen Huan dropped to her knees at once and replied softly, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” The Empress was nearly driven mad with rage. “You think one ‘I don’t know’ lets you push the blame away?” “Zhen Huan, I never thought you were this vicious!”

Consort Li looked half-crazed as she lunged at Zhen Huan. “I’ll beat you to death, you slut. You dared to harm me like this – go die!” “Consort Li, you’ve lost your mind!”

Zhen Huan went pale with fright and tried desperately to shove her off. “Stop it! Stop it right now!”

“Slut! I’ll beat you to death, you slut!” “Get away! Get away from me – ah!”

… The two of them tangled together. One grabbed hair, the other yanked clothes. One clawed at a face, the other raked at a neck. Back and forth, just like market women fighting in the street.

They struck with no restraint at all, each looking like she wanted to kill the other. Shen Mei Zhuang wanted to help, but Noble Consort Hua kept her tightly watched. Jin Xi and Liu Zhu tried to save their mistress, but others blocked them. So everyone became a crowd of spectators.

They just watched as the two fought like their lives depended on it. No one dared to step forward and stop them.