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

A thought struck Liuli, and she continued, "So this Xiangyang seems pretty good. I think I saw him and his wife at home when I entered the village just now. It's good that their son is in the army, isn't it?"

The older sister's expression suddenly turned strange: "What's so good about it? It was good before, but lately it's been odd. Since last month, Xiangyang has been coming back every few days. Sometimes he brings a stranger. And every time he comes, his uncle Chen Da arrives shortly after, and they stay for most of the day."

"His uncle? Is he here to visit relatives?" Liuli said with a laugh.

"I'm not too sure about that, but Chen Da suddenly died a few days ago. He fell into the pond and drowned. Several groups of important people came to the Xiangyang family to question them!"

"What does his uncle's drowning have to do with the Xiangyang family?" Liuli asked, feigning surprise.

"Of course there's a connection! This Chen Da, relying on our family ties, comes to Xiangyang's house every month to beg for money. Xiangyang's parents are kind-hearted, and they always help him out of respect for Chen Da's wife. But Xiangyang can't stand it, and he always yells at Chen Da."

Liuli put down her bowl. "But... surely I, Xiangyang, wouldn't go so far as to kill Chen Da!"

The peasant woman looked around, then carefully whispered in Liuli's ear, "I heard from the villagers that Chen Da found out Xiangyang's secret, and Xiangyang wants to kill him to silence him."

Liuli was startled, but remained outwardly calm. She chatted for a while longer, then made an excuse to leave.

Back at the General's Mansion, Liuli told Murong Xuewei and Gu Ye everything she had found out.

Murong Xuewei frowned after hearing this: "Xiangyang is frequently returning home, and with strangers in tow... there must be something fishy going on."

Just then, Nangong Yifeng returned. His expression was somewhat solemn as he sat down between Murong Xuewei and Liuli, clearly having important news to report.

“I’ve heard some things in the military camp,” Nangong Yifeng said. “That soldier named Xiang Yang has been behaving very strangely lately. He often makes excuses to go home, and each time he goes back, he takes a large amount of money with him.”

"Where did Xiangyang, an ordinary soldier, get so much money?" Liuli asked, somewhat puzzled.

Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Gu Ye's eyes: "So, Xiang Yang is very likely the person we're looking for."

Liuli tugged at Nangong Yifeng's sleeve, "What else did you find out?"

"Don't pull," Nangong Yifeng said softly, "I've found out even more important information."

Murong Xuewei raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

Nangong Yifeng glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then lowered his voice and said, "I've found some information about that soldier named Xiangyang."

Murong Xuewei's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked, "Oh? What kind of information is it?"

Nangong Yifeng slowly explained, "That soldier named Xiangyang has actually been in the army for seven or eight years; he's not a new recruit."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Murong Xuewei's eyes. She said softly, "I see. I thought he was a new recruit."

Seeing Murong Xuewei's reaction, Nangong Yifeng continued, "Not only that, I've discovered something even more surprising."

Nangong Yifeng glanced at Gu Ye, then at Murong Xuewei, and said mysteriously, "I also found out that the soldier named Xiang Yang doesn't belong to the Eastern Camp."

Gu Ye and Murong Xuewei both showed surprised expressions upon hearing this.

"Not part of the Eastern Camp?" Gu Ye asked, frowning. "Then why is he in the Eastern Camp?"

Murong Xuewei was also very puzzled, and she pressed, "Young Master Nangong, how did you determine that this information is true?"

Nangong Yifeng revealed a smug smile and said, "I naturally have my own methods. I've found out some inside information. Not only in Xiangyang, but there's also a group of soldiers in the Eastern Camp who don't belong to the Eastern Camp; they're directly under Xin You's command."

Upon hearing this, Murong Xuewei suddenly remembered something. She recalled, "I remember that in the manor, the soldiers following Xin You seemed to be dressed like soldiers from the Eastern Camp."

Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Gu Ye's eyes. He and Murong Xuewei exchanged a glance, seemingly both thinking of the same possibility.

"You mean..." Gu Ye asked in a low voice.

Murong Xuewei nodded and said softly, "Could these soldiers be Xiao Wanning's private army?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all three fell silent. If this guess was true, then the seriousness of the matter far exceeded their imagination.

Just then, Uncle Lin hurried over, his face showing anxiety.

"Sir," Uncle Lin said to Gu Ye, "news just came in that something has happened in Dongying!"

Gu Ye immediately became alert and asked, "What happened?"

Uncle Lin quickly said, "They say a deserter stole important blueprints from the military camp, and Xin You is currently searching for that soldier."

Upon hearing this news, Murong Xuewei suddenly had a premonition. She looked at Gu Ye and said, "I suspect that deserter is Xiang Yang."

Gu Ye nodded in agreement. Murong Xuewei continued, "We need to act quickly. Gu Ye, take some men to the village and protect Xiangyang's parents. I'm worried they might be in danger."

Without a word, Gu Ye immediately gathered his men and prepared to leave. Just as he was about to leave, Murong Xuewei grabbed his hand.

“Be careful,” she said softly, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Gu Ye looked at her, nodded slightly, and then turned and left.

Murong Xuewei watched Gu Ye leave, her heart filled with unease. She turned to Nangong Yifeng and said, "Young Master Nangong, we must find Xiang Yang. He may possess crucial information."

Nangong Yifeng pondered for a moment and said, "I can use some connections to search secretly in the city. However, we must proceed with caution and avoid alerting them."

Murong Xuewei nodded in agreement. Just then, a servant rushed in to report that a guest had arrived.

Murong Xuewei and Nangong Yifeng exchanged a glance, both showing wariness. Who could be visiting at this time?

The person who arrived was Xiao Sining. She walked over gracefully, a fake smile on her face.

“Murong Xuewei,” Xiao Sining said with a smile, “I happened to be passing by today and made a special trip to see you.”

Murong Xuewei suppressed her discomfort and forced a smile: "Thank you for your concern, Second Princess."

Xiao Sining's gaze lingered on Nangong Yifeng for a moment, a barely perceptible hint of hostility flashing in her eyes. She turned to Murong Xuewei and said, "Xuewei, I've heard some rumors circulating in the city lately, saying that you and this Young Master Nangong..."

Murong Xuewei immediately interrupted her: "Second Princess, those are all nonsense. Young Master Nangong and I are just ordinary friends."

Xiao Sining gave her a meaningful look and said, "Is that so? That's good. However, Madam Murong should still be careful; these rumors might affect General Gu's reputation."

Murong Xuewei sneered inwardly; she knew Xiao Sining's intentions all too well. However, she maintained a calm demeanor and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Second Princess. I will be careful."

Just then, a commotion arose outside. Murong Xuewei heard someone shout, "Something terrible has happened! Something's happened at Dongying!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Sining's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly took her leave, leaving Murong Xuewei and Nangong Yifeng looking at each other in bewilderment.

“It seems things are more complicated than we thought,” Nangong Yifeng said in a low voice.

Murong Xuewei nodded, a sharp glint in her eyes: "We must speed things up."

Meanwhile, Gu Ye, leading a troop of soldiers, was galloping towards the village where Xiang Yang's parents lived. In the darkness, the thunderous sound of hooves disturbed the sleeping village.

Just as they approached the village, they suddenly heard a terrified scream. Gu Ye's heart sank, and he immediately quickened his pace.

When they rushed into the village, they saw several men in black standing at the door of Xiangyang's parents' house, their knives already stained with blood.