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

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. Xiao Yi narrowed his eyes and casually tossed the luminous pearl in his hand onto a jade plate beside him, making a crisp clinking sound.

“Alright,” Xiao Yi waved his hand, “I summoned you today not only for negotiations. I’ve heard that Lady Murong has been unwell recently?”

Gu Ye's heart tightened, but he remained outwardly calm: "Your Majesty, my wife merely caught a slight cold and is now perfectly fine."

"Oh?" Xiao Yi suddenly became interested. "I remember Xue Wei is pregnant. The Empress often says she misses her. Why don't we let her stay in the palace for a while, so the imperial physicians can take care of her?"

Gu Ye clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. However, my wife's baby is still too small, and she shouldn't move around too much. Once she's better, I will certainly bring her to pay her respects to the Empress."

Xiao Yi's face darkened: "I'm doing this for your own good. Are you perhaps questioning the Imperial Medical Academy's skills? Or..." He gave Jiang Lingyun a meaningful look, "Does the minister have some unspeakable difficulty?"

Gu Ye knew there was something fishy about what had happened today, and immediately kowtowed: "Your subject dares not. It's just that my wife is frail, and I'm truly worried about her."

"If that's the case, then let's leave it at that for now." Xiao Yi suddenly lost interest and waved his hand to signal the end of the court session.

When Gu Ye walked out of the Golden Palace, it was almost dusk. He saw Jiang Lingyun whispering with several ministers in the distance, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Upon returning to the General's residence, Uncle Lin hurriedly approached: "General, the Empress's decree has arrived, requesting that Madam enter the palace tomorrow to accompany you."

Gu Ye's face darkened, and he strode towards the inner courtyard. Murong Xuewei was admiring the flowers under the eaves. Seeing his displeasure, she asked softly, "What happened?"

"The Empress has issued an imperial edict ordering you to enter the palace tomorrow." Gu Ye grasped her hand, his fingertips still carrying the chill of the court.

Murong Xuewei understood, and gently stroked the back of his hand: "I know you're worried, but this imperial edict—even if I don't go this time, I'll have to go next time. It's better to face them head-on than to hide."

Gu Ye pulled her into his arms, his voice low and deep: "I always feel there's something unsettling about the palace. If..."

“Don’t worry,” Murong Xuewei leaned against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, “I know what I’m doing.”

Night fell, and the moonlight was like a veil. Murong Xuewei gazed at the bright moon outside the window, recalling her past life.

I've already escaped many dangers in this life, so I'm sure I'll be safe this time too.

The next morning, Murong Xuewei, dressed in a light pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), boarded the carriage with the help of Liuli.

Gu Ye personally lowered the carriage curtain for her and said in a low voice, "If anything goes wrong, have Liuli come and inform me."

Murong Xuewei nodded, watching his figure gradually disappear into the distance.

The carriage slowly entered the imperial city, but her heart grew heavier with each passing moment.

Outside the Empress's palace, a palace maid led the way into the hall, but the Empress was nowhere to be seen, nor even a single maid. Only Xiao Wan Ning sat there, a smile on her face: "Madam Murong has arrived."

Murong Xuewei curtsied and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty. May I ask what Your Majesty the Empress is like...?"

"The Empress is unwell and has asked me to keep Lady Murong company." Tao Wan Ning gestured for her to sit down and personally brewed tea. "Try it; this is fine tea from Jiangnan."

The aroma of tea filled the air. Murong Xuewei picked up the teacup, and a familiar fragrance wafted towards her.

Her heart skipped a beat; this was clearly her father's favorite Snow Mountain Flying Fox!

"Are you still familiar with the tea?" Xiao Wan Ning asked with a meaningful smile in her eyes.

Murong Xuewei forced herself to remain calm: "It is indeed good tea."

"This was brought from the Murong family in Jiangnan, specially to ease Madam Murong's homesickness." Xiao Wan Ning put down her teacup. "I heard your sister-in-law, Song Wan Yi, is also pregnant, around the same time as you."

Murong Xuewei's teacup trembled slightly. The blood, tears, and hatred of her past life surged up at this moment. She clearly remembered how Song Wanyi was humiliated by Xiao Wanning's men, how her womb was forcibly removed. In this life, she was determined to protect her sister-in-law no matter what.

"Thank you for your concern, sir." Murong Xuewei put down her teacup, her voice calm. "I just don't know why you know so much about things in Jiangnan?"

Xiao Wan Ning chuckled lightly, "As a princess, it's natural for me to care about worldly affairs. Besides..." She looked meaningfully at Murong Xue Wei, "Madam Murong is our honored guest."

The atmosphere inside the hall was heavy; even the air seemed to freeze. Murong Xuewei knew that Xiao Wanning was testing her limits.

One step back leads to an abyss; one step forward could cost your family their lives.

“You flatter me,” Murong Xuewei said calmly. “I am but a humble woman, unworthy of the title of honored guest.”

“Madam Murong is too modest.” Xiao Wanning stood up, walked to Murong Xuewei’s side, and whispered in her ear, “You and I both know that some things cannot be avoided by pretending to be ignorant.”

Murong Xuewei's alarm bells rang loudly. What was Xiao Wanning trying to do to her? Had she discovered something? Or...? Her gaze towards Xiao Wanning sharpened.

"***If you have something to say, please speak frankly."

Xiao Wan Ning smiled but did not answer, turning and pacing to the window: "Autumn in Jiangnan must be beautiful, right? Especially the plum grove at the Murong family's..." She suddenly turned around, "If Madam Murong misses her family, I can arrange it at any time."

Murong Xuewei felt a chill run down her spine. This wasn't an arrangement; it was clearly a message to her: Your family is in my hands!

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the hall. A palace maid rushed in: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress has awakened."

Xiao Wan Ning nodded: "Then I won't keep Madam Murong any longer. We'll talk another day."

Murong Xuewei rose to take her leave. As she walked out of Fengyi Palace, the autumn sun shone brightly as always, but her heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave.

The carriage slowly drove out of the imperial city. As she looked at the familiar street scenes outside the window, the tragedies of her past life flashed before her eyes.

Back at the General's Mansion, Gu Ye was already waiting at the gate. Seeing her pale face, he quickly stepped forward to support her: "Are you tired?"

Murong Xuewei shook her head, but trembled slightly in his arms. Gu Ye tenderly picked her up and strode towards the inner courtyard.

It wasn't until she was seated in her own room that Murong Xuewei gradually calmed down. Looking at Gu Ye's worried eyes, she suddenly didn't know how to speak.

If she tells him about Xiao Wanning's threat, he will be furious; but if she doesn't, how can she deal with this crisis alone?

"Something on your mind?" Gu Ye took her hand.

Murong Xuewei opened her mouth, but ultimately let out a sigh: "I'm just a little tired."

Gu Ye put his arm around her shoulder: "No matter what happens, I'm here for you."

These words, which should have brought comfort, now sound even more bitter.

Murong Xuewei leaned against Gu Ye's chest and closed her eyes. She knew that this game had only just begun, and she had to choose between the truth and the lies.

The autumn wind outside the window was bleak, swirling up a few fallen leaves that drifted away into the distance.

Just like her heart at this moment, she doesn't know where to drift or what storms the future holds.

The only certainty is that she must find a way to protect her family while preventing Gu Ye from noticing anything unusual about her.

She couldn't afford to lose this round, nor could she avoid it.