Shu Mingye waited in his study. The reports in front of him were neat and orderly, unlike his mood. At least the situation outside was improving. Since he had banned the use of that haunted well, fewer people had fallen sick. Water was being delivered to the outer villages too. For now, things were under control.
Then came a knock at the door.
He didn't bother looking up. "Come in."
Boyi stepped in, bowing low. "Lord."
Shu Mingye gestured lazily toward the chair across from him. "Sit."
Boyi froze. Sit? On the chair? Not the cold floor? Not the hallway? Not hanging upside down from a rooftop for "training"? This had to be serious.
Shu Mingye's sharp gaze stayed fixed on him. "Do you know Linyue?"
Boyi's spine stiffened. His left eye twitched. Uh oh. Bad sign. Think. Say yes? Say no? Say something safe?
"Uh… of course, Lord," Boyi said with a polite smile that felt slightly crooked. "She's been here for a while now. We fought demons together. She's very… brave?"
Shu Mingye's eyes narrowed. "You know that's not what I meant. Do you know her… from long ago?"
Boyi's polite smile strained. His brain screamed. His mouth lagged behind, struggling to form words. This was not going to end well.
He knows.
Of course he knew. Shanjun had shown up at the border earlier, looking like someone had threatened to roast him alive over an open fire. Boyi had hoped they could all just keep pretending not to know anything. Forever. Quietly. Peacefully.
But no. The Lord was asking questions. The dangerous kind.
Boyi felt sweat bead on his forehead. He did know her. Her real face. Her eyes. Her smile. Her little dimples. He remembered her from long ago, before everything went to ruin. He had absolutely no idea what to say. Because judging from Shu Mingye's sharp, calm expression, saying "I don't know anything" might result in a quick death, and saying "Yes, I knew her when she was five and caught her stealing dumplings" might result in a much slower, more creative death. There were no good options. None.
Shu Mingye's gaze didn't waver. "Shanjun said you had a lot of stories to tell. Apparently not."
Boyi's shoulders twitched. He tried very hard not to flinch. "I… I can tell you stories about Queen Shu, Lord," he said quickly, grasping for a lifeline.
Shu Mingye leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the armrest. "Alright. I'm listening."
Boyi started nervously. "Well, back when Emperor Yun was still ruling, Queen Shu often visited the imperial palace. Sometimes with King Shu. Sometimes alone."
Shu Mingye nodded. "Yes. I learned later it was to avoid Shu Wenxu."
"Indeed," Boyi said quickly, with a grimace like he too preferred avoiding Shu Wenxu. "At first, Queen Shu used it as an excuse to leave Shulin whenever Shu Wenxu came sniffing around. But one day, outside the palace gates, Queen Shu met someone. A very small, very cute little girl."
"She was adorable," Boyi continued, his voice softening with nostalgia. "Tiny, cheerful, ran like the wind, and then bam—fell flat on her face."
Shu Mingye raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt.
"Queen Shu rushed toward her in a panic. But her personal guard and Crown Prince Yun got there first." Boyi's grin widened at the memory. "And that little girl just looked up at them with the biggest smile, like gravity didn't exist and she hadn't just face-planted into the dirt."
Shu Mingye's eyes narrowed. "…Crown Prince Yun?"
Boyi nodded earnestly. "Yes. He picked her up himself. The girl was wearing a bright lavender robe, two messy buns on her head, and her face completely covered in dirt. But she smiled like she owned the empire."
Shu Mingye's expression didn't change, but deep down, he already had a sinking suspicion exactly who that little girl was.
Boyi chuckled, eyes far away. "Crown Prince Yun introduced her as his little sister. Princess Yun. She was five years old back then. Smiled so sweetly at Queen Shu, little dimples and all. Queen Shu was done for the moment she saw her."
Shu Mingye didn't say anything, but the slight raise of his brow said plenty. He was absolutely picturing it.
"Queen Shu asked where they were going," Boyi went on, still grinning. "And the little princess said, completely serious—We snuck out for snacks."
Boyi snorted, shaking his head. "Queen Shu laughed so hard she nearly fell over. She offered to take them in her carriage. They rode around together for half a day and only came back to the palace when it was nearly dark. By then, the Emperor and Empress were having a lot of headaches."
Shu Mingye exhaled slowly. "I see."
"Oh, it gets better," Boyi said brightly. "Queen Shu went to the Empress and asked if she could visit and play with her. Since the Empress and Queen Shu got along well, she agreed."
Shu Mingye gave him a sharp look. "She got along with someone?"
"Rare, I know," Boyi said, grinning like this was the most fun he'd had all month. "But true. From then on, Queen Shu always visited the palace to see the princess. The little one especially loved lotus seed pie that Queen Shu made. So every visit, she'd bake it for her. Without fail."
There was a long pause.
Shu Mingye leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his face perfectly still. "…Lotus seed pie," he repeated.
Boyi nodded. "Delicious stuff." Then his expression softened, eyes growing distant with fondness. "The princess was very… mischievous. Too smart for a girl that small. The Emperor and Empress always wondered how a five-year-old managed to wrap the entire palace around her tiny fingers."
He chuckled, warming to the story. "She loved kidnapping the Crown Prince during his boring lessons. He never resisted. They'd sneak into the imperial kitchen together and steal snacks. Nobody could stop them."
Shu Mingye's brow twitched, but he said nothing.
Boyi went on, clearly enjoying himself. "She also snuck into the imperial library even after the emperor told the librarian not to let her in. Of course, she just climbed in through a window. Crown Prince was supposed to read her storybooks. But somehow, she convinced him to read military strategy texts instead."
There was a short silence.
"…Of course she did," Shu Mingye muttered.
"Queen Shu always said she wished she had a daughter," Boyi went on, his voice softer now. "And the princess seemed to fill that space in her heart. Every time Queen Shu visited, the little princess would run straight to her at full speed and bounce right into her arms."
"She did what?" Shu Mingye raised a brow.
"Full bounce. No warning. It was dangerous, honestly. Queen Shu joked all the time about kidnapping her and taking her back to Shulin."
Shu Mingye let out a small, reluctant laugh.
"Oh, and once, Queen Shu started learning embroidery from the Empress," Boyi added, his grin widening. "Naturally, the princess joined too. She was very proud of her work. She embroidered something on a black handkerchief that looked like… a worm. Maybe. It wiggled."
Shu Mingye's lips curved faintly. He knew that black handkerchief. Indeed, it looked like a wiggling worm.
"Queen Shu laughed so hard, she cried. But her own embroidery wasn't much better. She tried to make a majestic golden dragon on black robes." Boyi paused dramatically. "It looked like a suffocating snake."
Shu Mingye choked on air.
"The princess looked at it and said—It needs legs. So Queen Shu added legs. And it looked like a confused lizard. They named it Commander Wiggle."
Shu Mingye leaned forward, both hands covering his mouth, trying not to laugh. His shoulders shook slightly.
Commander Wiggle. Of course.
He was still recovering when Boyi added far too casually, "Queen Shu said she embroidered it for you, Lord."
Shu Mingye nearly fell off his chair. "She what?"