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

Deep within the prison, footsteps approached from afar, and the flickering light of torches cast long shadows on the walls.

In the firelight, the mottled walls were covered with the marks of time, countless deep and shallow engravings that seemed to tell the story of the despair of the prisoners who had once been held here.

"Sir, we've arrived." The jailer bowed, took out a heavy iron key, and opened the innermost cell.

Outside the cell hung a thick wooden plaque with the words "Imperial Criminal, Keep Out of the Way" in eight large characters.

The iron gate creaked open with a piercing sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet night.

The newcomer was dressed in a black cloak, obscuring her face; only the sound of her footsteps suggested she was a woman.

She nodded slightly, and the jailer tactfully withdrew, leaving only a dim oil lamp.

The flames flickered gently in the breeze, casting long, eerie shadows on the wall.

"***, it's been a long time." The newcomer's voice carried a hint of elegance, yet concealed a sharp edge.

Xiao Wan Ning slowly raised her head. Moonlight streamed down from the iron window high up, illuminating her slightly haggard yet still noble face.

Even while imprisoned, her innate royal majesty remained undiminished, and the sharpness in her eyes was no less.

"Visiting a wanted criminal in the dead of night, Empress Ning has quite the nerve." Xiao Wan Ning's voice, though somewhat hoarse, still carried an undeniable air of authority. She scrutinized the person before her, her gaze sharp as a knife. "Aren't you afraid the Imperial Guards will find out you were here?"

The newcomer removed her cloak, revealing a graceful and elegant face; she was none other than Empress Ning Huaiyu.

A slight, meaningful smile played on her lips: "If I were afraid, I wouldn't have come at this hour. Besides, the Imperial Guards can't afford to worry about this right now."

"Oh?" Xiao Wan Ning raised an eyebrow. "It seems the Empress has already made the arrangements."

Ning Huaiyu sat down opposite Xiao Wanning, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "*** is indeed intelligent. Indeed, there's a huge fire outside the West Gate tonight, and the Imperial Guards have all been dispatched to fight it. In this vast prison, only a few rats can hear us now."

Xiao Wan Ning sneered, "I've been in this dark and gloomy place for so long, and I really didn't expect the Empress to come to visit. If the situation hadn't changed, you probably would have preferred me to die here."

“***You’ve misunderstood.” Ning Huaiyu shook her head. “If it weren’t for Murong Xuewei’s interference, I wouldn’t have stood by and watched you be imprisoned here. She’s long been suspicious of our cooperation.”

Mentioning Murong Xuewei, a chilling killing intent flashed in Xiao Wan's eyes, her nails digging deeply into her palms: "That bitch dared to ruin my grand plan. If she hadn't revealed the whereabouts of the secret letter at the crucial moment, I wouldn't have failed so miserably." She suddenly stared intently at Ning Huaiyu, "Empress, we've cooperated for many years, why didn't you lend a hand that day?"

Ning Huaiyu sighed, a helpless expression on her face: "You should understand that if I had intervened at that time, it would have only alerted them. Moreover, Gu Ye was behind Murong Xuewei, commanding an army of 100,000. If I had acted rashly, it might have brought even greater disaster."

Xiao Wan Ning snorted coldly: "So you just stood by and watched me get thrown into the imperial prison?"

“That is precisely why I have come to see you at this time.” Ning Huaiyu took out a delicate celadon bottle from her sleeve. “This is the Heartbreak Powder from Medicine King Valley. After taking it, one will be in a state of suspended animation for three days. After three days, someone will come to collect your body.”

Xiao Wan Ning took the porcelain bottle and examined it carefully in the dim light: "Is the Empress trying to renew our old alliance? Aren't you afraid I'll retaliate against you?"

“If I were afraid, I wouldn’t have brought this porcelain bottle,” Ning Huaiyu said in a low voice, her expression grave. “Murong Xuewei is pregnant, with twins.”

"What?" Xiao Wanning looked up abruptly, clearly not expecting this news. Her hands trembled slightly. "Are you sure?"

“Absolutely true,” Ning Huaiyu continued. “More importantly, that old man from the Imperial Observatory issued a prophecy saying that the twins, Murong Xuewei and her brother, are related to the fate of the nation. It is said that one of them might even overthrow the Taichu Kingdom.”

Xiao Wan Ning gripped the porcelain vase tightly in her hand: "So the Empress is worried that these twins will threaten your position?"

"That's not all," Ning Huaiyu said grimly. "His Majesty has already requested to see Murong Xuewei three times, disregarding all decorum. If Murong Xuewei were to enter the palace carrying a bastard child, where would I put my face in this harem?"

"What about Gu Ye..." Xiao Wan Ning seemed to be deep in thought.

"He's currently overwhelmed with the border war." Ning Huaiyu's lips curled into a cold smile. "I've already arranged for spies to be planted in the army. When the time is right, I'll make sure he's too busy to care about anything else. What waves can a woman stir up without her backer?"

Xiao Wan Ning toyed with the porcelain vase in her hand, a calculating glint in her eyes: "The Empress is right. However, if I agree to your request, there must be some benefits involved."

"Don't worry about that." Ning Huaiyu took out a secret letter from her bosom. "Here is a list of people I have leverage over. They are all still officials in the court. I can help you turn them one by one into your allies."

Xiao Wanning's hands trembled noticeably: "Really?"

“I always keep my word.” Ning Huaiyu stood up, adjusting her cloak. “Three days from now, someone will come to collect your body. A trusted confidant will then escort you to safety. Once your injuries have healed, we can begin our operation.”

Just then, the sound of the night watchman's clapper sounded in the distance, signaling the change of watchmen. Ning Huaiyu put his cloak back on: "It's getting late. Remember, this matter must not be leaked."

Xiao Wan Ning nodded and watched Ning Huai Yu leave. Only after the footsteps had completely disappeared did she take out another secret letter from a hidden pocket close to her body, and quickly wrote a few lines by the dim moonlight.

"You think you can control me so easily?" Xiao Wan Ning sneered, carefully hiding the secret letter behind a loose brick in the corner of the wall. "Let you be smug for a while."

As night deepened, the prison returned to its deathly silence. Only outside the high iron bars, a crow spread its wings and flew by, letting out a long, mournful cry.

Xiao Wan Ning leaned against the cold wall, staring at the Heartbreak Powder in her hand, a sinister smile playing on her lips. Moonlight streamed through the iron bars, casting dappled shadows on her face, making her smile appear all the more chilling: "Murong Xue Wei, aren't you feeling quite smug? Just wait and see how long you can keep up your smugness after I get out."

A drop of dew fell from outside the iron window, landing precisely on the oil lamp with a soft hiss. The flame flickered violently, as if foreshadowing something.

This night during the Cold Dew season is destined to be anything but peaceful. With the seeds of power struggles sown, no one knows what fruit they will bear. The undercurrents of turbulent change in imperial power are already stirring beneath the surface.

The autumn wind blew through the iron bars, swirling a withered yellow leaf around in the cell before gently settling on the secret letter hidden in the cracks between the bricks.

This sleepless night is just the beginning.

A power struggle that could shake the imperial court is quietly unfolding on this cold dew night.

The guards outside the prison continued their routine patrols, completely unaware that a shocking conspiracy was brewing right under their noses on this seemingly peaceful night.