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Pang Wan instinctively looked around and caught sight of the nanmu coffin, causing him to shudder involuntarily. If it weren't for the king's summons, he would never have chosen this place; he absolutely did not want to enter the king's sleeping quarters. Everyone knew that the king had strange habits, and it was odd to have a coffin placed in his chamber, not to mention the fear of something crawling out in the middle of the night.
San Chun, hiding behind the screen, couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this. He didn't expect Qi to act so convincingly.
Qi continued, "I dreamed of the Crown Prince. It seemed like he had something to say to me. I asked him what he wanted, but he couldn't find his voice. I was anxious and kept asking, 'What grievances do you have?' 'What do you want to tell me?' Yet he remained silent. My anxiety grew, and I woke up."
He wiped away a bead of sweat, genuinely appearing somewhat anxious.
Pang Wan also began to sweat and cautiously asked, "Then, Your Majesty, what happened with the Crown Prince in the end?"
Qi sighed, "He wants me to avenge him, but I don't even know who his enemy is."
Pang Wan immediately sweated even more. Suddenly thinking of something, he stood up and said, "Your Majesty, there are urgent matters in my army that require my attention. Please allow me to take my leave."
Qi rubbed his head as if it pained him and half-pleaded, "Please don't go; I still have matters to discuss with you."
With the king not allowing him to leave, Pang Wan dared not insist and hurriedly apologized before sitting back down.
His sudden stand-up without permission was already considered disrespectful; if the king were to take offense, it could lead to trouble.
The hall suddenly fell eerily silent, making Pang Wan feel quite uneasy.
Qi reached out and rang a bronze bell for a palace servant to bring tea. Once the tea was served, he suddenly said, "General, please wait a moment; I will be right back." With that, he flicked his sleeve and left.
Since the king asked him to wait, it was an order. Even if Pang Wan didn't want to stay here, he had no choice. Sitting alone in a hall with a coffin felt uncomfortable in any case—especially since the owner of this coffin had significant ties to him.
After a while, it gradually became dark, and the king still hadn't returned.
Out of boredom, he picked up a cup of tea and took a sip. Immediately, he felt his tongue go numb, and the tea leaves in his mouth made him break out in a cold sweat.
He had tasted this tea before and would never forget it. Back in the army, Yan Dan had given each of several generals a packet of tea leaves, telling them to take it home and enjoy it.
He remembered that the taste of the tea was unlike anything he had ever experienced; after just a few sips, it became unforgettable. However, after Yan Dan's death, he had not tasted anything like it again. Back then, only Yan Dan knew how to prepare this tea, which was made using a special method.
What was going on now? Was he hallucinating due to hearing about Uncle Qi, or had the deceased prince truly manifested?
Thinking about Uncle Qi's earlier dream made him feel even more uneasy; he really wanted to run away. However, he knew that if he left, it would be disobeying the king's orders, which could lead to execution.
What to do? What to do? While he was pacing in the hall, he suddenly heard a creaking sound. Turning around, it seemed like the sound came from a coffin.
Pang Wan's body trembled slightly as he focused his gaze; the coffin was indeed moving. "Creak—creak—" With each sound, the coffin emitted slight vibrations.
Such noises at night were particularly eerie. He took a step back, feeling tightness in his lower body; even though he had been on the battlefield and was used to seeing dead bodies, he couldn't help but feel terrified.
With a few more sounds, the coffin lid was lifted, and then a figure stood up from inside. The shadow swayed unsteadily; under the dim light, it appeared as nothing but a dark mass.
Pang Wan could no longer control his legs and ran out without thinking. However, the hall's door had suddenly closed at some point; no matter how hard he knocked on it, it wouldn't budge.
In panic, he shouted, "Open the door! Open the door!"
No one answered the door, and the entire hall was enveloped in silence. Just then, the lights in the hall suddenly went out.
From behind the screen, San Chun adjusted her clothes; it was time for her to make her entrance.
The person in the coffin was not her, but a palace servant impersonating her, someone with a similar figure and demeanor. Perhaps due to having died once, she was sensitive to coffins, especially since this one belonged to her. There was no way she could lie down in it. So, she only needed to stand outside and wait for the right moment to scare someone.
At this moment, she slowly stepped out from behind the screen and quietly moved behind Pang Wan, gently blowing a breath of air on the back of his neck.
To enhance the effect, she held a piece of ice in her mouth, which now released a chilling breath upon him.
Pang Wan shivered and turned around to see a figure in white robes with disheveled hair standing behind him.
The person's loose hair covered most of their face, but it was vaguely recognizable as Yan Dan—at least 80% likely to be Yan Dan.
He had just seen someone emerge from the coffin, and now seeing this figure that resembled Yan Dan made his spine tingle with fear. He couldn't help but stammer, "Y-You... who are you?"
San Chun let out a chilling laugh that even she found hair-raising.
"General Pang, how can you not recognize your Prince? I have only been dead for a few years," she sighed softly. The sound of her sigh sent shivers down his spine.
Pang Wan nervously asked, "What... what do you want?"
San Chun smiled and replied, "I won't do anything to you. I am just lonely down there and wanted to find someone to take revenge on, and perhaps bring my enemy down to the underworld as company."
Pang Wan was sweating profusely and repeatedly said, "This has nothing to do with me. You weren't killed by me; Menglin Jun is already dead. You've seen him down there, right?"
San Chun sneered, and as she smiled, the cold air she exhaled made Pang Wan feel a chilling sensation on his face, further convincing him that she was a ghost; otherwise, how could a living person exhale such cold air?
San Chun said, "I have seen Menglin Jun. He is not the only one responsible for my death; there is another hiding within the court."
Suddenly, she pointed at his nose, "Is it you?"
Her finger touched his nose, bringing a slight chill as if it had just been dug out from the ground—cold and damp, with a hint of decay. This effect was intentional; her hand had touched ice, making it naturally cold. The foul smell was created using rotten eggs mixed with stinky pork, highlighting the difficulty she faced in applying such substances to herself.
Pang Wan was terrified to the point of nearly losing his mind and hurriedly shook his head, "It's not me, it's not me! I didn't kill you; I just didn't save you. It really wasn't me!"
San Chun felt a stir in her heart; indeed, Zhong Xue was telling the truth. He had deliberately held back his troops and never intended to rescue her.
"Menglin Jun is your doing. He wanted this prince to take you down with us as company."
"It’s not me; it’s Menglin Jun. As long as he ascends to the throne, he promises me more wealth than I could ever spend in a lifetime. I wouldn’t even need to lift a finger; all I have to do is remain inactive. Even if things are exposed in the future, it has nothing to do with me."
She sighed, "You really are shameless."
At that time, she treated him so well and valued him so highly, yet in the end, she couldn't win his heart. Zhong Xue was right; as someone in a high position, being too kind and good to subordinates only makes one appear weak and easily bullied. She must have given that impression back then, which is why she didn’t earn the respect of those military leaders.
Since he had already admitted it, she couldn't afford to soften her heart anymore. She clapped her hands and called out loudly, "You all come out now."
The lights in the main hall suddenly brightened, and then the doors swung open wide. Uncle Qi walked in from outside, followed by many guards and soldiers.
Pang Wan turned pale with fright, realizing that he had fallen into a trap. It was the king himself who had set this scheme to lure him in.
He looked at San Chun and coldly asked, "Who exactly are you?"
San Chun flipped half of her hair back, revealing a fair face. "General, you don't recognize me? I am Ju Rong's daughter, Ju Dan."
Pang Wan sighed deeply in his heart, realizing he had been deceived by this girl. He had seen Ju Dan before and knew she resembled Yan Dan quite a bit.
Thinking back to just now when he actually believed there were ghosts in the world, he felt regretful to the core. How could he not see that she was disguised?
It was her gaze that misled him; her eyes were strikingly similar to Yan Dan's. It was undoubtedly Yan Dan's gaze, her tone of voice, her expressions, and even some of her movements were exactly like Yan Dan's.
How could there be someone in this world who looked so much like her?
Uncle Qi smiled as he walked in. "General Pang, explain to me why you didn't go to rescue the Crown Prince back then."
At this point, there was no room for him to argue. The events of the past were not something he intended to harm anyone; it was just that circumstances forced him to obey Menglin Jun.
Now that the evidence was conclusive and he had admitted it himself, his guilt was already established.
Uncle Qi said, "The general has made contributions to the country. Moreover, since the events of the past are long gone, let’s go easy on the punishment. General, return home after handing over the great seal."
Pang Wan knelt down in gratitude, thinking that he was not going to survive this time. Given the King’s feelings for Yan Dan, being able to live was already a great favor.
Young Master Rong was a man of his word; he generally accomplished what he set out to do. He sought Ji Xun and found her in less than three hours.
Ji Xun had also heard from somewhere that she was in the State of Yan, so she hurried over. Coincidentally, Young Master Rong had sent someone to inquire about her, and it was quite a coincidence that they ran into each other.
San Chun had asked Uncle Qi to look for Ji Xun multiple times. He agreed on the surface but soon set it aside.
Later, when she pressed him about it, he said, “He will come here sooner or later; why are you in such a hurry?”
Thinking back now, his words were not untrue. If Ji Xun knew she was in the State of Yan, how could she not come?
She wanted to see Ji Xun, but Uncle Qi would not let her leave the palace, saying, “If you want to see someone, just call them to the palace; why do you need to go out yourself?”
During these days, fearing that she might feel bored, Uncle Qi often brought in songs and dances for the Crown Prince. He indulged her in whatever she wanted to play or do and even brought many animals into the Imperial Garden so she could entertain herself with birds and play with cats. Aside from not allowing her to leave the palace, he catered to all her other wishes.
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