Linyue didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked at Song Meiyu with a quiet seriousness that made even He Yuying stop picking crumbs off the table. Then she asked softly, "Sister Meiyu, do you hate Emperor Yun?"
Shu Mingye's head turned sharply. His eyes narrowed as he watched her, already understanding where this was going. He didn't say anything, just reached out and wrapped his hand around hers.
Linyue didn't even look at him, but her fingers closed around his like she had been waiting for that touch. Her gaze stayed locked on Song Meiyu.
Song Meiyu blinked. "I didn't really think about it back then," she said slowly. "I was too busy running and trying not to starve. But…" She paused, licking the crumbs from her fingers, the sweetness on her tongue not quite matching the bitterness in her words. "Now that I think about it… The people in Lingxu didn't run. They stayed because Emperor Yun promised to send troops to defend the wall. So they waited. Hoped. But the troops never came."
The room quieted again. Even the morning sun outside seemed to dim a little.
"That's why Lingxu fell," Song Meiyu continued. "And the people didn't have time to run until it was too late. Until the demons were already inside."
Linyue's voice was almost a whisper. "Do you think if the emperor had sent troops, the wall would've held?"
"I don't know," Song Meiyu said. "But maybe, the people would've had time to get away. Maybe not so many would've died. Maybe…" Her voice trailed off, and she reached for another pancake as if sugar could patch that wound.
Linyue sighed softly. "I dreamt about my family."
And just like that, everyone went quiet again. Because when Linyue said family, everyone knew this wasn't going to be some casual side story. This was serious.
Linyue's voice was calm and flat as always. "My father didn't have a lot of ambitions. He wasn't interested in power or politics. He liked sipping tea and playing chess. My mother liked embroidery and enjoy making moon dumplings for me. My older brother was kind and gentle. And I… I was the little girl who made their boring days less boring. They all loved me."
Shu Mingye leaned back, the corners of his mouth tugging up slightly. He already imagined it. Tiny Linyue marching around a garden, causing chaos with her adorable little face while everyone melted from the cuteness. He could practically hear her declaring, "You're playing chess wrong, Father. I win."
Honestly, he wished he had met her back then. His mother had asked him more than once if he wanted to visit the Imperial Palace with her. He always said no. Too boring, too far, too filled with stiff nobles and long ceremonies. Now, sitting beside her, holding her hand, he kind of regretted it.
Meanwhile, across the table, the other three were blinking. Slowly. Together.
Song Meiyu opened her mouth to say something. Then closed it again. Shen Zhenyu tilted his head slightly, as if trying to detect the hidden tragedy hiding in Linyue's tone. He Yuying looked under the table like maybe a ghost was about to crawl out and hand them steamed buns.
Linyue, of course, continued like none of them were visibly confused. "That was why King Shu was close with my father. They were the same. No ambition. Every time King Shu came to visit, they just drank tea under the trees and played chess like two retired old men pretending they had never ruled anything. Queen Shu came too. She liked playing with me. And she learned embroidery from my mother."
Still no emotion in her voice. But the picture she painted was so peaceful that it hurt.
Shu Mingye looked at her quietly. Her hand was cold in his. He gently tightened his fingers around hers, like he was trying to hold onto the version of her from that memory. The one with the moon dumplings and the gentle brother and the two kings laughing over a chessboard like they weren't surrounded by danger.
The room stayed quiet for a while. Even He Yuying didn't crack a joke. Because sometimes, the way someone said nothing told you everything. And sometimes, that silence was followed by the very loud, very dramatic squeak of Song Meiyu sucking in a sharp breath.
Her eyes were wide. "Sister Linyue," she whispered in horror, "what does that mean?! Who are you? Who was your father? How did he know King Shu?!"
Linyue turned to look at her. "Sister Meiyu, my father sent troops thirteen years ago."
Song Meiyu's mouth dropped open.
"I was seven at the time. I saw him stamp the seal. That night, he sat with me and my brother and told us about the situation in Lingxu. Then he asked us if he should send the troops."
"He asked you?" Song Meiyu echoed. "You were seven!"
Linyue nodded. "Of course my brother and I said yes. Then Father told us, even if he sent the troops, there was no guarantee the wall would hold. So wouldn't it be a waste of soldiers?"
Song Meiyu opened her mouth, possibly to say something dramatic, but Linyue raised a hand. "I said the wall might fall," she continued, "but the people still needed to be saved. My brother agreed. He said swords were not meant to kill, but to protect."
At that, Shu Mingye gave a quiet huff. Whether it was amusement or admiration, only the heavens knew.
Linyue went on, still in her usual voice. "Then my father laughed really hard. He said we would both grow up well. Right after that, he sent out the orders. Five hundred soldiers to Lingxu."
Song Meiyu finally came back to life with a strangled gasp. "Then Sister Linyue… your father… is Emperor Yun?! You're an imperial princess? And the emperor did send troops?! Then why… why did they never arrive?!"
Shen Zhenyu frowned, clearly about to say something, then decided the grapes on the table were safer.
He Yuying, of course, stayed unbothered. He popped a grape into his mouth and said, "So we've been hanging out with a prince and an imperial princess this whole time. Great. No pressure."
Linyue ignored him and went on. "A few days later, Father lost contact with the first troops. The King of Lingxu reported that they never arrived and the situation outside the third wall worsen. Father was worried, so he sent another five hundred soldiers, this time under General Fu Jingtao."
Song Meiyu's lip quivered. Her face said she was about five seconds away from sobbing into the nearest sleeve.
"After Lingxu fell," Linyue continued, "Fu Jingtao returned. He brought General Zimo and what was left of Lingxu's army to the capital. General Zimo accused my father of failing as emperor. Said Lingxu fell and many died because of him."
Shu Mingye narrowed his eyes. His gaze sharpened, dark and unreadable. He didn't interrupt. He already knew what was coming next, but he just watched Linyue closely. She still looked calm on the outside. But he knew her too well now. There was a little pause in her breath, a slight tightness in her grip on the cup.
Song Meiyu leaned forward. "But… where did the troops go? Why didn't they ever arrive?"
"It was too late when Father realized it. Fu Jingtao used to be his personal bodyguard when he was still a prince. After Father became emperor, Fu Jingtao was promoted to general. He trusted him. Let him lead his own troops."
Song Meiyu made a tiny gasp, then stuffed a grape in her mouth before she could interrupt.
"My father never noticed," Linyue continued, "that Fu Jingtao was planning treason. The first troops lost contact in the south. It's likely Shu Wenxu and Queen Shen were involved in that."
At that, Shu Mingye's jaw twitched. The name Shu Wenxu landed in his mind like a thorn. If Linyue had glanced at him, she might've seen his knuckles tighten against the table. But she didn't. She kept speaking, steady and cold.
"As for the second troops," Linyue said, sipping her tea, "Fu Jingtao led them himself. But by the time they arrived, the wall had already broken. So they fought the demons inside the city and brought back the few surviving soldiers."
"At that point," Linyue said, setting down her cup with a soft clink, "a thousand soldiers had been sent from the imperial palace. Not many soldiers and guards were left behind. And he trusted Fu Jingtao too much."
Shu Mingye knew what she would say next, but still, the words stung.
"When Fu Jingtao and General Zimo returned…" Her voice dipped just slightly.
The room fell silent again.
Shen Zhenyu looked down at the table, his brows drawn together.
He Yuying let out a low whistle. "That's not just betrayal. That's betrayal with fancy fireworks."
Song Meiyu's jaw dropped. "So Fu Jingtao sacrificed Lingxu… just so he could become emperor? People's lives were just tools to him? And Shu Wenxu, and that Queen Shen… they're evil. Rotten tofu-level evil." She stared at Linyue. "What about your family, Sister Linyue? Your father, your mother, your brother? How did you escape?"