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

Inside the General's Mansion, Murong Xuewei was pacing back and forth in the corridor. More than half an hour had passed since Gu Ye entered the palace for the meeting. She felt a vague unease, sensing that something was bound to happen in court today.

“Madam,” Liuli hurried over, “it’s time for your dinner.”

Murong Xuewei waved her hand: "No rush, let's eat together when the general returns." She walked to the sycamore tree in the courtyard, looked up at the gloomy sky, and said, "The weather is strange today, and I feel uneasy."

Before the words were finished, a loud bang came from the direction of the prison.

"boom--"

The deafening explosion startled a flock of birds, and thick smoke rose from the deepest part of the prison, quickly spreading outwards.

The servants of the general's mansion came out of their rooms and pointed in the direction of the prison, discussing among themselves.

Murong Xuewei's heart tightened, and she subconsciously gripped her sleeves.

As a reborn person, she knew all too well that behind such seemingly accidental events often lay shocking conspiracies.

"Madam!" Uncle Lin rushed over. "Something's happened! At the prison..."

“I know,” Murong Xuewei said in a deep voice, “but do you have any definite news?”

Uncle Lin lowered his voice: "It's said that an explosion occurred in ***'s prison cell, and at the scene... only a charred corpse remained."

Murong Xuewei's eyes flashed: "A charred corpse? Is it really impossible to identify him?"

"Yes. They say it was completely disfigured, even the bones..."

Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. Gu Ye strode in, his expression grave: "Xue Wei."

"My husband is back." Murong Xuewei went to greet him. "Did something happen at ***?"

Gu Ye nodded, gesturing for Uncle Lin and Liuli to leave: "That's not all. This explosion was suspicious; it's said someone smuggled gunpowder into the ***."

"Smuggling gunpowder?" Murong Xuewei sneered. "The imperial prison is heavily guarded. Even imperial orders are subject to thorough checks. How could gunpowder possibly be brought in?"

“That’s precisely why…” Gu Ye lowered his voice, “I’m afraid someone is using this opportunity to eliminate dissidents.”

Just then, Uncle Lin rushed in: "General, His Majesty has summoned his ministers for a meeting and requests that you enter the palace immediately."

Inside the Golden Palace, officials stood in rows. An eerie atmosphere permeated the air.

Xiao Yi sat upright on the dragon throne, his face ashen. His usual languid and carefree demeanor was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a suppressed rage.

Ning Huaiyu sat to the side with a calm expression, as if the incident had nothing to do with her.

In the center of the hall, Xiao Sining knelt and wept bitterly. This second princess, always known for her strong will, was now completely immersed in grief over the loss of her sister: "Royal brother! My sister...she would never commit suicide! Someone must be trying to harm her! I beg you, royal brother, to investigate!"

Her cries echoed through the Golden Palace, making everyone who heard them feel a lump in their throat.

Even the ministers, who usually remained indifferent to royal affairs, were moved at this moment.

"Second Sister..." Xiao Yi rubbed his temples, his voice weary, "I will thoroughly investigate this matter myself. You may rise."

"No!" Xiao Sining became even more agitated. "Your Majesty, you can't just let this go! Even if my sister made a mistake, she doesn't deserve to die! Besides... besides, she died like this..." As she spoke, she sobbed again.

Murong Xuewei stood in the crowd, silently observing everyone's reactions.

It was common knowledge that *** and the second princess shared a deep sisterly bond, so her grief was indeed understandable. But she always felt that things weren't that simple.

"Your Majesty," Gu Ye stepped forward from the ranks of military officers, "this humble general believes that there are indeed many suspicious aspects to this matter."

Xiao Yi raised his eyes: "Speak."

"First, the imperial prison is heavily guarded; gunpowder couldn't be easily smuggled in. Second, *** was imprisoned in a high-security cell, with daily checks. To say it was suicide would be too much of a coincidence."

These words sparked a lively discussion in the hall. Some agreed with them, while others disagreed.

Just as the argument was raging, a detached voice came from outside the hall: "Make way."

The imperial physician strode into the hall. Reaching the center, he glanced at Xiao Sining, who was still kneeling, and cautiously spoke, "Your Majesty, there's something wrong with that charred corpse."

As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was shocked.

Xiao Sining suddenly looked up, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes: "What do you mean?"

“First, the skeletal structure of the charred corpse doesn’t match the ***,” the imperial physician said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Second, traces of ‘Heartbreak Powder’ were left at the scene. This poison…” The imperial physician’s gaze swept over Ning Huaiyu almost imperceptibly.

Gu Ye noticed that the usually composed Empress's fingers trembled slightly.

"You mean..." Xiao Yi stood up abruptly, "My dear sister is still alive?"

Xiao Sining swayed and almost fell. The palace maid standing behind her quickly supported her.

"Your Majesty," Gu Ye suddenly spoke, "I believe this matter may be related to unusual activity at the border."

All eyes turned to her.

"The border?" Xiao Yi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"After the *** case, some unusual things did happen at the border," Gu Ye said calmly. "In the past few days, some people have been spreading rumors in the military that *** was framed."

Prime Minister Su continued, "That's true. Moreover, there have been quite a few suspicious individuals at the border recently, seemingly conspiring in secret."

Xiao Yi slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly: "What wolfish ambition! Men, issue an imperial decree: immediately seal off the capital and thoroughly investigate all suspicious persons! Furthermore, send orders to the border to rigorously investigate any unusual activity within the army!"

After the court session ended, Gu Ye and Prime Minister Su walked side by side on their way back to their residence. The autumn sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

"General," Prime Minister Su lowered his voice, "have you noticed Empress Ning's unusual behavior today?"

Gu Ye nodded: "When the imperial physician mentioned 'Heartbreak Powder,' she clearly panicked for a moment. This poison..."

“It’s a forbidden drug in the palace,” Su Youxiang interjected. “It’s said that only the inner palace has it.”

“That’s not all.” Gu Ye looked around. “I just received news that someone saw a person in palace attire going to the imperial prison that night.”

Prime Minister Su's eyes sharpened: "It seems this charade has only just begun."

Before he could finish speaking, Uncle Lin rushed over: "General, something terrible has happened! There's been an assassination attempt on Xiangyang's side!"

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing gravity in each other's eyes. This matter was likely inextricably linked to ***'s "death."

Late at night, in the study of the general's mansion.

The candlelight flickered, casting dappled shadows in the room. Murong Xuewei was flipping through an ancient book, while Gu Ye was handling official business at his desk.

"Husband," Murong Xuewei suddenly spoke, "where do you think *** is right now?"

Gu Ye put down the official document in his hand: "In my opinion, she must still be in the capital."

"Why?"

"At this point, leaving the city or crossing the border would be too conspicuous," Gu Ye analyzed. "Besides, since she dared to escape in this way, she must have been very confident. Perhaps..."

Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps sounded outside. The lieutenant pushed open the door and entered: "General, a letter has arrived from the border. It says... someone in the army is inciting the soldiers, saying they want to avenge the ***."

Murong Xuewei stood up: "It seems some people can't wait any longer."

Just then, a servant delivered a secret letter. Murong Xuewei opened it and her expression changed drastically.

The letter contained only a few simple words:

"The pieces are all placed; it's your turn to move."

Meanwhile, in a secluded house on the outskirts of the city.

Xiao Wan stood by the window, moonlight illuminating her profile. She toyed with a chess piece in her hand, a cold smile playing on her lips: "Let them be chaotic, the more chaotic the better."

From the darkness, a voice rang out: "My lord, what about the Second Princess..."

"Ignore her," Xiao Wanning interrupted. "Some tears are just the best disguise. As for Murong Xuewei..."

"Everything is proceeding according to plan. I believe she will soon discover something interesting."

Xiao Wanning placed the chess pieces on the windowsill: "Very good. Let's see how this grand drama unfolds."