The whole family was brutally murdered? The ruthless heiress's eldest daughter went berserk aft

The next morning, Gu Ye changed into his court robes, and Murong Xuewei helped him put on his hat.

Murong Xuewei looked deeply into Gu Ye's eyes, "General, you must be very careful on your journey and return safely."

Gu Ye hugged Murong Xuewei tightly, "Even for your sake, I will definitely come back safely."

Inside the palace, in the magnificent imperial study, the air seemed to freeze, as if even time itself had stopped flowing.

Gu Ye knelt before the imperial desk, his brows furrowed, pondering the Emperor's intention in summoning him.

"Minister Gu," the Emperor spoke languidly, a glint of cunning in his eyes, "I have heard that the Kingdom of Qu is about to send an envoy to visit. This matter concerns the relations between our two countries, and after much consideration, I still believe that it is most appropriate for you to be in charge of receiving them."

Gu Ye's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, this humble general has been fighting on the frontier for most of the time and is not very knowledgeable about diplomatic affairs. I'm afraid I am not up to the task of such an important mission."

Xiao Yi chuckled lightly, a barely perceptible glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "Minister Gu is too modest. You have repeatedly distinguished yourself on the border, even capturing the prince of Qu Kingdom alive. I believe that with your abilities, you will certainly handle this matter properly."

Gu Ye felt a sense of foreboding; he knew that the emperor's actions must have a deeper meaning.

However, faced with the emperor's decree, he could only respectfully kowtow and say, "Your subject obeys."

After leaving the Imperial Study, Gu Ye walked quickly toward the General's Mansion with a gloomy expression.

Gu Ye kept replaying the conversation in his mind, trying to figure out the emperor's true intentions.

At the same time, inside Xiao Wan Ning's palace, a dark figure quietly arrived.

Xiao Wan Ning sat gracefully before the mirror, looking at the man in black behind her through the bronze mirror, a cold smile curving her red lips: "Is the information reliable?"

The man in black bowed respectfully: "Absolutely true. His Majesty has ordered Gu Ye to be in charge of receiving the envoy from Qu Kingdom."

A sly glint flashed in Xiao Wan's eyes: "Very good, this is the opportunity we've been waiting for. Gu Ye, you'd better accept this great gift from this princess." She gently stroked the mirror, as if she could already see Gu Ye's downfall.

Inside the General's Mansion, as soon as Gu Ye stepped into the courtyard, he saw Murong Xuewei pruning flowers in the garden.

Murong Xuewei's focused expression warmed Gu Ye's heart, but then he frowned as he thought of the conversation in the Imperial Study.

"The general is back?" Murong Xuewei sensed Gu Ye's presence and turned around with a smile. However, when she saw Gu Ye's gloomy expression, her smile froze instantly.

Gu Ye took a deep breath and slowly recited the Emperor's decree. Murong Xuewei frowned upon hearing it: "There must be something fishy about this. Why did the Emperor specifically choose you to receive the envoy from Qu Kingdom?"

Gu Ye sneered, "He's probably trying to use this opportunity to set a trap for me. I just don't know how he intends to use the Qu Kingdom envoy to deal with me."

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Murong Xuewei's eyes: "No matter what, we must be extra careful. Receiving the envoy this time will likely be a tough battle."

Just as the two were discussing countermeasures, the envoys from the Kingdom of Qu finally arrived at the post station.

The leading envoy had a resolute face and piercing eyes, clearly a seasoned general.

"I am Zhao Lie, the Grand General of the Qu Kingdom, and I have come to the Tai Chu Kingdom on the orders of our Emperor to discuss important matters," Zhao Lie announced loudly, head held high.

Upon hearing this, Gu Ye calmly observed the envoy before him.

Gu Ye bowed slightly and said politely, "My name is Gu Ye. I have come to welcome you all on the orders of our Emperor. May I ask what brings you here, General?"

A flicker of hesitation crossed Zhao Lie's eyes, but he quickly replied firmly, "Our journey here is for our Fourth Prince—Nangong Yifeng."

Gu Ye remained outwardly calm: "I know the envoy's purpose, but my Taichu Kingdom also has its own rules. Please, envoy, follow the host's lead."

Zhao Lie sneered, "Don't play dumb. We already know that our Fourth Prince has been detained by your Taichu Kingdom. We've come today to confirm his safety."

Gu Ye frowned slightly, secretly calculating in his mind. He knew that if he easily agreed to let the Qu Kingdom's envoy meet Nangong Yifeng, it would definitely arouse a lot of suspicion in the court.

However, if they refused outright, they might anger the Qu Kingdom.

Just as Gu Ye was pondering a solution, Murong Xuewei arrived quietly.

She gracefully bowed to Zhao Lie, then said, "General, please do not be hasty. Young Master Nangong is indeed a guest in my Taichu Kingdom. However, the time is not yet ripe, so please be patient. On the day of the banquet, I will certainly arrange for you to meet Young Master Nangong."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Zhao Lie's eyes: "And who are you, sir?"

Murong Xuewei smiled slightly: "General Zhao, you really have a bad memory. I am Murong Xuewei, the head of the Murong family. I did business with the Fourth Prince in Qu Kingdom for a period of time. Did you meet General Zhao then?"

Zhao Lie squinted and carefully examined Murong Xuewei before finally remembering her.

Zhao Lie clapped his hands. "You are Miss Xue Wei."

Murong Xuewei smiled slightly, "Exactly."

Zhao Lie snorted coldly and glared at Gu Ye. "Since Miss Xue Wei is vouching for you, I will temporarily trust you. However, if I see my Fourth Prince missing even a single hair at the banquet, I will make every person from your Taichu Kingdom pay with their lives."

Although Zhao Lie was unwilling, out of trust in Murong Xuewei, he reluctantly agreed to temporarily settle the matter.

Murong Xuewei smiled and assured Zhao Lie that she would definitely see a complete Nangong Yifeng on the day of the banquet.

After seeing off the envoy from Qu Kingdom, Murong Xuewei immediately went to Nangong Yifeng's residence.

Murong Xuewei recounted everything that had happened at the post station. After listening, Nangong Yifeng frowned deeply: "It seems someone is trying to use my identity to cause trouble."

Murong Xuewei sighed softly, "The situation is complicated right now; you must not act rashly. If you were to meet with the envoy from the Qu Kingdom prematurely, it would likely arouse even more suspicion."

Nangong Yifeng nodded, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes: "I understand. However, I wonder why Father Emperor suddenly sent an envoy to find me. Could there be some conspiracy involved?"

Murong Xuewei pondered for a moment, then said, "In any case, we must be extra careful. The arrival of the Qu Kingdom's envoy will likely stir up the political situation in the Taichu Kingdom."

As night fell, Xiao Wan Ning quietly left the palace and came to a secluded alley. She gently knocked on a wooden door, and soon a man in black appeared behind it.

"How is the situation progressing?" Xiao Wan Ning asked in a low voice.

The man in black respectfully replied, "Your Highness, the anticipated conflict did not occur at the post station today. The woman named Murong Xuewei seems to know the envoy from Qu Kingdom and mediated the dispute."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Wanning's eyes: "Murong Xuewei? How does she know the envoy from Qu Kingdom?"

The man in black shook his head: "I don't know either. I've only heard that she had business dealings with Nangong Yifeng."

A glint flashed in Xiao Wan Ning's eyes, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips: "Interesting. It seems this Murong Xue Wei is no simple character. In that case, let's make her our pawn."

The man in black bowed respectfully: "What are your orders, Princess?"

Xiao Wan Ning gently stroked her jade hairpin, a ruthless glint in her eyes: "Go and investigate Murong Xue Wei's background for me. Especially her relationship with Nangong Yi Feng, and why she knows the envoy from Qu Kingdom. Also, keep a close eye on Gu Ye's movements. I want to see how he handles this situation."

The man in black obeyed and left, while Xiao Wan Ning stood in the dimly lit alley, her eyes gleaming with ambition.

Xiao Wan Ning muttered to herself, "Gu Ye, weren't you feeling quite smug? This time, let's see how you get away with it. Murong Xue Wei, don't think you can stay out of this either. This game has only just begun."