Chapter 431: A Change of Strategy

The Imperial Palace had never felt so peaceful on the surface.

Yet beneath that peaceful appearance, something was terribly wrong.

The rumors surrounding the Empress had not disappeared.

If anything, they had grown.

The discovery of the strange black altar inside the Empress’s chamber had given the palace servants and common people something to whisper about.

Some believed it was connected to forbidden magic.

Others believed the Empress had secretly been practicing dark arts.

And there were still ministers who openly demanded that the matter be investigated.

But the truth remained hidden.

The real person behind the black magic had not been exposed.

And Shin Gu intended to keep it that way.

For now.

---

Shin Gu’s Residence

Shin Gu sat beside the window of her chamber.

A cup of untouched tea rested on the table.

She had been staring at it for nearly half an hour.

Her fingers slowly tightened around her sleeve.

She could still remember the altar.

The dark candles.

The strange symbols.

The rituals she had performed in secret.

Everything had been carefully hidden.

Everything.

Yet somehow—

The black altar had been discovered inside the Empress’s chamber.

That should have been a victory.

It should have made everyone suspicious of Lian An.

Instead, Shin Gu found herself becoming increasingly nervous.

Because there was one problem.

The Empress had survived.

And since surviving, Lian An had become far more difficult to control.

Shin Gu looked toward the door.

"Mie Lan."

The door opened.

A young woman stepped inside.

She was one of Shin Gu’s trusted spies.

Mie Lan immediately bowed.

"My Lady."

"Close the door."

Mie Lan obeyed.

Shin Gu lowered her voice.

"Did you hear anything from the palace servants?"

Mie Lan nodded.

"People are still talking about the black altar."

"What are they saying?"

"Some believe the Empress is responsible."

A faint smile appeared on Shin Gu’s lips.

"Good."

But the smile disappeared almost immediately.

"And the Emperor?"

Mie Lan hesitated.

"He hasn’t ordered punishment."

Shin Gu’s expression hardened.

"Nothing?"

"No, My Lady."

"Has he ordered another investigation?"

"Yes."

Shin Gu’s hand trembled.

She quickly placed it beneath the table.

That was exactly what she feared.

The Emperor wasn’t convinced.

Neither was the Duke.

And now the Empress had begun surrounding herself with people she trusted.

Every day, Shin Gu felt the walls closing around her.

Suddenly—

Footsteps sounded outside.

Mie Lan looked toward the door.

Shin Gu froze.

A servant’s voice came from outside.

"Her Majesty the Dowager has arrived."

Shin Gu’s eyes widened.

"The Dowager?"

Before Mie Lan could respond, the door opened.

The Dowager entered.

Shin Gu immediately stood.

"Your Majesty."

The Dowager waved her hand.

"Rise."

Shin Gu bowed again before straightening.

The Dowager studied her carefully.

Something about Shin Gu’s appearance immediately caught her attention.

Her face was pale.

There were dark circles beneath her eyes.

And she looked as though she hadn’t slept properly in days.

The Dowager frowned.

"Why do you look like this?"

Shin Gu quickly lowered her gaze.

"I am fine."

"Fine?"

The Dowager walked closer.

"You look frightened."

"I’m only tired."

The Dowager didn’t answer.

Instead, she looked toward Mie Lan.

"You may leave."

Mie Lan bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She walked toward the door.

But before leaving, she glanced briefly at Shin Gu.

That brief glance did not escape the Dowager.

The door closed.

Now only the two women remained.

---

The Dowager’s Suspicion

The Dowager sat down.

"Come here."

Shin Gu obeyed.

The Dowager looked at her closely.

"Tell me what happened."

"Nothing happened."

"Shin Gu."

Her voice became firmer.

"You’ve been behaving strangely."

Shin Gu swallowed.

"I apologize."

"Don’t apologize. Explain."

Shin Gu’s fingers curled inside her sleeves.

She needed an excuse.

Something convincing.

Something that wouldn’t reveal the truth.

And then—

She remembered the Empress.

The ghosts.

The strange things happening around the palace.

Her eyes suddenly filled with fear.

"The Empress."

The Dowager’s expression changed.

"What about her?"

Shin Gu stepped closer.

Then, without warning, she grabbed the Dowager’s hand.

The Dowager looked down at their joined hands.

"Shin Gu?"

Shin Gu whispered,

"She is sending ghosts after me."

Silence.

The Dowager stared at her.

"What?"

"Ghosts."

Shin Gu’s voice trembled.

"They come into my courtyard at night."

The Dowager frowned.

"Ghosts?"

"Yes."

"You believe the Empress is sending ghosts?"

Shin Gu nodded rapidly.

"Ever since the Empress’s chamber was searched, strange things have happened."

She tightened her grip on the Dowager’s hand.

"She knows I encouraged people to investigate her chamber."

The Dowager’s eyes narrowed.

"You believe she is taking revenge?"

"Yes."

Shin Gu looked toward the window nervously.

"I know it sounds impossible."

"It does."

"I know."

She lowered her voice.

"But I’ve seen them."

The Dowager remained silent.

Shin Gu continued.

"They stand in the courtyard."

"They whisper."

"Sometimes I hear footsteps when nobody is there."

Her voice became increasingly frightened.

"I can’t sleep."

The Dowager watched her carefully.

"Did anyone else see these ghosts?"

Shin Gu hesitated.

"I don’t know."

"Then how can you be certain?"

Shin Gu quickly replied,

"Because they only appear when I’m alone."

The Dowager sighed.

She slowly withdrew her hand.

"Shin Gu, you’re frightened."

"I am."

"But fear can make ordinary things appear extraordinary."

Shin Gu shook her head.

"No."

She whispered,

"I know what I saw."

---

A Convenient Fear

The Dowager stood.

"You should rest."

Shin Gu looked at her anxiously.

"You’re not angry?"

"Why would I be angry?"

"Because I told people to investigate the Empress."

The Dowager’s expression became thoughtful.

"I was aware of that."

Shin Gu lowered her eyes.

"I thought I was doing the right thing."

"The black altar was found in the Empress’s chamber."

"Exactly."

"But that doesn’t prove the Empress created it."

Shin Gu’s heart tightened.

She forced herself to remain calm.

"But Your Majesty, everyone believes—"

"Everyone believing something does not make it true."

The Dowager’s words were calm.

Shin Gu said nothing.

The Dowager continued.

"We need evidence."

Shin Gu looked at her.

"And if there is evidence?"

"Then the Emperor will decide what to do."

Shin Gu nodded slowly.

She knew better than to argue.

But inside—

She was relieved.

The Dowager still wasn’t certain.

That meant the Empress remained vulnerable.

And that was exactly what Shin Gu needed.

---

Mie Lan Waits

Outside the chamber—

Mie Lan stood beneath the covered corridor.

She could hear only faint voices from inside.

Her expression remained emotionless.

But her thoughts were racing.

She knew Shin Gu had been behaving strangely.

She also knew something else.

Shin Gu was hiding something.

Mie Lan had served her long enough to recognize the difference between genuine fear and carefully constructed fear.

And today—

Shin Gu’s fear seemed too deliberate.

Too convenient.

The door opened.

The Dowager stepped out.

Mie Lan immediately bowed.

"Your Majesty."

The Dowager looked at her.

"You’ve been serving Shin Gu for some time."

"Yes."

"Has she been sleeping?"

Mie Lan hesitated.

"Not much."

"Has she been eating?"

"Very little."

The Dowager sighed.

"Watch her."

Mie Lan lowered her head.

"Yes."

The Dowager walked away.

Mie Lan remained where she was.

Her eyes slowly shifted toward Shin Gu’s closed door.

Something wasn’t right.

---

Inside

Shin Gu returned to her seat.

Her breathing slowly became calmer.

She had done it.

The Dowager hadn’t discovered anything.

At least—

Not yet.

She looked toward the candle.

The flame flickered.

For one terrifying moment, she thought she saw a shadow behind it.

Shin Gu immediately turned.

Nothing.

She pressed her hands against her chest.

"Calm down."

She whispered to herself.

"You have control."

But another thought entered her mind.

The hooded man.

The people who had helped her.

The secrets she had kept.

What would happen if they discovered that she was beginning to panic?

What would happen if they thought she might reveal everything?

Her face became pale again.

"No."

She shook her head.

"I won’t say anything."

She repeated it.

"I won’t."

---

The Dowager’s Doubt

The Dowager continued walking through the corridor.

She wasn’t convinced.

Shin Gu had always been intelligent.

But recently—

She had become erratic.

And there was something strange about her explanation.

The Dowager stopped.

She looked back toward Shin Gu’s residence.

"The Empress is sending ghosts?"

She frowned.

It sounded absurd.

Yet—

The palace had experienced enough strange events recently that she couldn’t simply dismiss everything.

The Dowager continued walking.

Her expression became serious.

Perhaps the problem was not only Shin Gu.

Perhaps they had been looking in the wrong direction.

---

A Meeting in the Corridor

Mie Lan eventually left Shin Gu’s residence.

She was carrying an empty tea tray.

As she walked through a quieter corridor, she encountered another palace servant.

The servant bowed.

"Lady Mie Lan."

Mie Lan nodded.

"Have you heard anything?"

The servant looked around before lowering her voice.

"People are still discussing the Empress."

"What are they saying?"

"They believe the Empress may have used forbidden magic."

Mie Lan’s eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

"Because of the altar."

Mie Lan said nothing.

The servant continued.

"But some people are beginning to question it."

"Who?"

"Several palace officials."

Mie Lan’s expression changed slightly.

That was important.

If suspicion began moving away from the Empress, Shin Gu’s plan could collapse.

Mie Lan walked away without another word.

---

The Dowager Returns

The Dowager stopped at the entrance of the palace courtyard.

She looked toward the distant imperial chambers.

The Empress had been accused.

The black altar had been discovered.

Yet the Emperor still hadn’t punished her.

Now Shin Gu claimed the Empress was sending ghosts.

The Dowager found herself wondering—

Was Shin Gu frightened because she truly believed that?

Or because she knew something else?

She didn’t have an answer.

But one thing had become clear.

Their current strategy was failing.

They had expected the black altar to create enough suspicion that the Empress would lose everyone’s trust.

Instead—

The Emperor had become more protective of her.

The Duke family had become more united.

And investigations were continuing.

If they continued pushing the same accusation—

Someone might eventually discover the truth.

The Dowager slowly clenched her hand.

"We need another approach."

---

Back in Shin Gu’s Chamber

Shin Gu stood before the mirror.

She looked exhausted.

But she forced herself to smile.

The Dowager believed she was frightened.

Good.

Let her believe it.

Let everyone believe the Empress was somehow haunting her.

As long as nobody looked closely at Shin Gu herself—

She would remain safe.

She turned toward the door.

"Mie Lan."

The spy entered.

"Yes, My Lady?"

"From now on, watch the Empress carefully."

Mie Lan bowed.

"Yes."

"Don’t approach her."

"Understood."

"Don’t let her know you’re watching."

"Yes."

Shin Gu paused.

Then added,

"And find out who is investigating the black altar."

Mie Lan’s expression became serious.

"I will."

After Mie Lan left, Shin Gu sat down.

She looked at the candle.

For the first time in days, she felt a tiny sense of relief.

She had survived another conversation.

But she didn’t know—

That the Dowager had reached the same conclusion from the opposite direction.

The old strategy could no longer continue unchanged.

The black altar had failed to destroy the Empress’s position.

The accusation alone wasn’t enough.

They needed something stronger.

Something that could turn the palace against the Empress completely.

And somewhere beyond the palace walls—

someone else was already deciding what that new strategy would be.

The game had entered a new stage.

And neither side yet knew—

Who would make the first move.