The Crown Prince is Off Duty

Xiao Jingyan spent 28 years preparing to become Emperor, then somehow died of poison in the most anticlimactic way imaginable. Now he is a ghost trapped in the imperial palace, invisible to the living and surrounded by dead relatives, forgotten courtiers, and several centuries of people who have absolutely no respect for imperial dignity. Jingyan has one sensible goal: solve his own murder. Unfortunately, the afterlife is less a realm of vengeance and more an extremely disorganized retirement home. His mother nags him. The ghosts steal offerings, gossip about the living, and interfere with his investigation whenever possible. Meanwhile, his brothers are getting on with their lives perfectly well without him. So Jingyan investigates. Slowly. Between tea, family drama, ghostly nonsense, and the uncomfortable discovery that he may have misunderstood several important people while alive. A cozy palace mystery about being dead, being loved, and finally learning how to stop working. Expect:• Cozy fantasy • Murder mystery • Ghost found family • Court slice-of-life • Slow-burn M/M romance • Low stakes after the murder • No cultivation/system/harem.