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

Murong Xuewei gently grasped Gu Ye's hand in return, but a complex emotion swept through her heart.

Murong Xuewei recalled that in her previous life, it was because of this failed negotiation that Gu Ye was stripped of his military power and never recovered.

Now that she has been given a second chance at life, she is determined not to let the tragedy repeat itself.

Before long, the day of the palace banquet arrived. Gu Ye, dressed in magnificent court robes, led the elegantly dressed Murong Xuewei into the palace to attend the banquet. Murong Xuewei wore a long red brocade dress, her hair styled in a high bun, her pearl hairpins swaying, her beauty beyond compare.

The moment the two stepped through the palace gates, they attracted countless envious and jealous glances. Murong Xuewei smiled, elegant and composed, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents around her.

Inside the banquet hall, wine glasses clinked and songs and dances filled the air. The Emperor sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over the crowd from time to time, finally settling on Murong Xuewei, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

"Minister Gu, your wife is truly radiant today," the Emperor said with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of ambiguity.

Gu Ye remained composed and respectfully replied, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. It is my good fortune to have such a wife."

After speaking, Gu Ye took Murong Xuewei's hand with a meaningful expression.

The Emperor nodded in satisfaction, then asked with interest, "I've heard that your wife is not only beautiful but also quite talented. Would you mind inviting her to perform a dance for me, so I can broaden my horizons?"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent. Everyone knew that the emperor was notorious for his lust, and his words meant he had taken a liking to Murong Xuewei.

Gu Ye's expression changed slightly, and he was about to speak when Murong Xuewei stepped forward first.

"I would also very much like to showcase my talents, but my specialty is accounting, not singing or dancing. If Your Majesty wishes to see it, I can certainly do so. However, I did not bring my account books with me to this banquet, and I am afraid I will spoil Your Majesty's enjoyment." Murong Xuewei bowed gracefully and then walked to the center of the hall.

Murong Xuewei's words surprised everyone present. Her words seemed to be an act of agreement, but what was there to act out about settling accounts?

Besides, where in the palace are you going to find account books for her to calculate, except for the harem and the Ministry of Rites? Are you suggesting we use the Ministry of Rites' accounts for her? Wouldn't that create complete chaos?

The Emperor smiled slightly awkwardly, "Madam Murong is truly witty and humorous! The banquet is about to begin, Minister Gu, you should quickly lead your wife to her seat!"

Halfway through the banquet, the Emperor eagerly sought out Empress Ning Huaiyu. "My beloved consort, did you see her? Murong Xuewei today is simply breathtakingly beautiful! I think…"

Ning Huaiyu's heart sank. Suppressing her anger, she asked gently, "What does Your Majesty wish to do?"

The Emperor lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with greed: "I want her. Help me devise a way to make her willingly enter the palace."

Ning Huaiyu was burning with anger, but outwardly remained calm. She feigned thought for a moment before slowly saying, "Your Majesty, this matter should not be rushed. Murong Xuewei is, after all, Gu Ye's wife. If we force her, it might cause an uproar in the court and among the people. Perhaps I should first discreetly investigate and see if there is an opportunity."

The Emperor was overjoyed upon hearing this: "My beloved consort is indeed clever. Then I entrust this to you; please do so as soon as possible!"

Ning Huaiyu respectfully agreed, but after the Emperor left, her face instantly darkened. She summoned her trusted maid and whispered, "Go and secretly inform Murong Xuewei that the Emperor is going to harm her, and tell her and General Gu to be on their guard."

The maid looked at the Empress in surprise: "Your Majesty, what's wrong...?"

Ning Huaiyu sneered, "Fool! Murong Xuewei is so beautiful; if she really enters the palace, I'm afraid my position will fall to her sooner or later. Go, and remember, whatever you do, don't let anyone find out."

The maidservant obeyed and left. Ning Huaiyu returned to her seat and looked at Murong Xuewei, who was dressed in red, through the crowd. A complicated expression flashed in her eyes.

The banquet hall was brightly lit, filled with the sounds of clinking glasses and bustling conversation. Murong Xuewei sat gracefully at her table, her eyes casually sweeping over the people in the hall. She wore a polite smile, but her heart was churning like a stormy sea.

Zhao Lie approached Murong Xuewei with a wine cup in hand, a sincere smile on his face. "Madam Murong, on behalf of the Qu Kingdom, I thank you for your care of the Sixth Prince, Nangong. You have kept your word and have indeed taken excellent care of Nangong Yifeng."

Murong Xuewei gracefully returned the greeting, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Your Excellency is too kind. This is merely my duty, nothing to boast about."

As the two exchanged toasts, Murong Xuewei secretly observed the envoy's expression. She knew that beneath this seemingly harmonious banquet, undercurrents were swirling. Every word and every action could conceal a hidden agenda.

Just as Murong Xuewei was lost in thought, a palace maid accidentally spilled wine on her clothes. "Ah!" Murong Xuewei exclaimed softly, seemingly flustered, but in reality, alarm bells were ringing in her mind.

"Please forgive me, Madam!" The palace maid hurriedly knelt down to beg forgiveness. "Please follow me to the side hall to change your clothes."

Murong Xuewei comforted Zhao Lie and then left the noisy banquet with the palace maid. Her steps seemed calm, but her heart was filled with trepidation. This sudden "accident" probably had another hidden story.

Upon arriving at the side hall, Murong Xuewei was surprised to find the Empress's personal maidservant waiting. The maidservant, her expression grave, whispered, "Madam Murong, Her Majesty the Empress has important matters to discuss."

Murong Xuewei's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, "Please speak."

The maid glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before whispering, "His Majesty has ordered the Empress to find a way to bring the Lady into the palace. It seems likely that the Emperor will target the Lady next. Her Majesty the Empress specifically warned the Lady to be extremely careful."

These words struck Murong Xuewei like a heavy hammer blow. Her expression remained unchanged, but her heart was in turmoil. The Emperor's renewed attraction to her posed a significant threat to her revenge plans.

Murong Xuewei took a deep breath and nodded slightly to the maid: "Please convey my gratitude to Her Majesty the Empress. I will be extremely careful."

After changing her clothes, Murong Xuewei suppressed her inner turmoil and returned to the banquet. Her gaze subtly swept over everyone in the hall, as she considered how to handle the situation that was about to unfold.

Halfway through the banquet, the atmosphere gradually became tense. Zhao Lie put down his wine cup and said solemnly, "Regarding the exchange of the Sixth Prince of Nangong, our country is willing to proceed according to the terms previously agreed upon with Lord Jiang. We will exchange three border cities of Qu Kingdom for the safe return of our Sixth Prince."

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent. All eyes were fixed on Jiang Lingyun and Gu Ye.

Just then, the Vice Minister of War suddenly stepped forward, his face stern: "Envoy, you are mistaken. The State of Qu has unjustly violated the borders of our Taichu Kingdom, causing heavy losses to our military and supplies. Exchanging only three cities is hardly enough to compensate for our losses. In my opinion, the State of Qu should compensate us for all our losses!"

These words exploded like a bombshell in the hall. Another envoy from the Kingdom of Qu, upon hearing this, flew into a rage, slamming his fist on the table and shouting, "Absurd! Our country has also suffered heavy losses in military strength and supplies; where would we get the money for compensation?"

Seeing the tension between the two sides escalating, Murong Xuewei inwardly groaned. She looked at Gu Ye, only to find him expressionless, as if he had expected this all along.