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

The firelight illuminated half the sky, and shouts of battle rose and fell. The peasant woman led Murong Xuewei forward in the dark, using the weeds for cover, slowly moving towards the tunnel.

"We're almost there," the peasant woman said in a low voice. "The entrance to the tunnel is under that big rock ahead."

Murong Xuewei followed behind, one hand protecting her stomach, the other gripping a dagger tightly. Suddenly, footsteps sounded ahead, and the two quickly crouched down.

"Search carefully! Especially in these areas with lots of weeds!" a guard shouted.

The torchlight drew closer, and the peasant woman gritted her teeth, turning to Murong Xuewei and saying, "Girl, don't move here. I'll distract them."

“Auntie…” Murong Xuewei tried to stop her, but was held down by the peasant woman.

"Don't speak. You have more than one life now." The peasant woman finished speaking and immediately stood up, shouting, "Oh dear! I saw a woman running that way!"

The guards were immediately drawn to the question: "Where is it?"

"Over there! She ran towards the mountains!" the peasant woman pointed in the opposite direction. "I saw her wearing a pale yellow dress!"

"Quickly, after them!" The guards, carrying torches, ran in the direction the peasant woman had pointed.

Murong Xuewei seized the opportunity to quickly climb to the edge of the large rock and, by the moonlight, saw a narrow opening beneath it. Just as she was about to crawl in, she suddenly heard a peasant woman scream.

"Halt!" Jiang Lingyun's icy voice rang out. "You old woman, how dare you play tricks on the government!"

"My lord, spare me! I didn't know..." The peasant woman's voice trembled.

A crisp slap rang out. Jiang Lingyun sneered, "Don't know? Don't know the wrong direction you pointed? Tell me! Is the criminal in your house?"

Murong Xuewei gripped the dagger tightly, about to get up, when she heard the peasant woman shout, "No! I really haven't seen any prisoner! I was just confused and mistook him for someone else!"

“Very well.” Jiang Lingyun’s tone grew increasingly cold. “Men! Search her house thoroughly! Where is her husband?”

“Sir, we have captured him,” a guard replied.

"Bring it up!"

A moment later, the peasant woman's cries rang out: "Husband! Are you alright?"

"You wretched woman, I'll ask you one more time," Jiang Lingyun said, enunciating each word clearly, "Is the prisoner in your house?"

"He's not here! He's really not here!"

“Very well. Since you won’t tell the truth…” Before Jiang Lingyun could finish speaking, a scream pierced the night sky.

"Husband!" came the peasant woman's piercing cry, "You beasts!"

Murong Xuewei trembled all over, tears streaming silently down her face. She knew that the peasant woman's husband had probably already met with a terrible fate.

"It's not too late to say it now," Jiang Lingyun's voice remained icy. "Otherwise, you'll be next."

The peasant woman's voice suddenly became incredibly firm: "I don't know! Even if you kill me, I still won't know!"

"Then don't blame me for being impolite." After Jiang Lingyun finished speaking, another scream rang out.

Murong Xuewei bit her lip hard, trying not to make a sound. She knew that at this moment, the only thing she could do was to survive. She forced herself into the tunnel and groped her way forward in the darkness.

The screams behind her faded into the distance, replaced by deathly silence. The tunnel was pitch black, the air damp and murky. Murong Xuewei groped her way forward, silently praying for the couple.

Meanwhile, in another part of the valley.

"Reporting to the general! A fire has broken out on the east side of the camp!"

"What?!" Jiang Lingyun's expression changed. "What happened?"

"I don't know! The fire is huge, and everyone's been sent to fight it!"

Jiang Lingyun grew suspicious: "Something's not right. This fire... it's a diversionary tactic! Quickly, send down the order to intensify the search! We absolutely cannot let Murong Xuewei escape!"

Inside a dark room outside the general's mansion.

"The plan is going smoothly." Zhang Jing looked at the map in front of him. "We've already redeployed most of Jiang Lingyun's men."

Gu Ye's face was grim: "How's Uncle Lin doing?"

"He's been imprisoned by Jiang Lingyun," Zhang Jing handed over a confidential report. "But General, rest assured, I've already arranged for men to prepare a rescue."

"No, don't move yet." Gu Ye shook his head. "Let Uncle Lin stay inside a little longer."

Zhang Jing raised an eyebrow: "General, what is this...?"

“Since there’s a mole, let them think we’ve succeeded,” Gu Ye sneered. “Once we find Xue Wei, we’ll wipe them all out in one fell swoop!”

Just then, a man in black rushed in: "General, we've found traces of the Madam!"

“Where?”

“There’s a farmhouse at the foot of the mountain, but…” the man in black hesitated, “the owner of that house has already been killed by Jiang Lingyun.”

Gu Ye suddenly stood up: "What?"

"It was Jiang Lingyun who tortured and murdered the couple in order to force them to reveal the whereabouts of their wife."

Gu Ye clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white: "Jiang Lingyun... I will make you pay!"

Zhang Jing suddenly asked, "What about the lady? Has she been found?"

The man in black shook his head: "When I went down there, the farmer's house had been ransacked, but I didn't find any trace of the lady. However, I did discover a secret passage."

"A secret passage?" Gu Ye's eyes lit up. "Where does it lead?"

"It looks like... a small temple on the other side of the mountain."

Gu Ye turned to leave, but Zhang Jing stopped him: "General, wait!"

"how?"

“Jiang Lingyun might also know about the secret passage,” Zhang Jing said in a deep voice. “If the general goes there rashly, I’m afraid we’ll alert them.”

Gu Ye stopped in his tracks: "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"How about this..." Zhang Jing whispered a few words in Gu Ye's ear. Gu Ye's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "Okay! Let's do it this way!"

Murong Xuewei had been walking for an unknown amount of time in the tunnel. The damp air smelled musty, and every now and then, small, unidentified animals would rustle past. Her feet were blistered, but she dared not stop.

Suddenly, a faint light appeared ahead. Murong Xuewei was overjoyed and quickened her pace. As she drew closer, she could see that it was an oil lamp hanging on the wall.

"Who!" a cold female voice rang out.

Murong Xuewei immediately stopped and raised her dagger: "I am..."

"Murong Xuewei?" The other person seemed to recognize her. "What are you doing here?"

Upon closer inspection, Murong Xuewei recognized the speaker: "Consort Ning?"

The newcomer was none other than Consort Ning, one of the Emperor's most favored concubines. However, her attire was quite strange; she was dressed in night clothes and had a long sword at her waist.

"You..." Murong Xuewei was about to speak when she suddenly felt dizzy and staggered.

Consort Ning quickly helped her up: "Are you injured?"

"It's nothing, it's just..." Before Murong Xuewei could finish speaking, a sharp pain struck her. She clutched her stomach, cold sweat pouring down her face.

Consort Ning's expression changed: "You've disturbed the pregnancy! Quick, come with me!"

"Where to go?"

"Trust me, I won't harm you." Consort Ning helped Murong Xuewei walk forward. "This tunnel leads to the imperial mausoleum. There's a secret chamber ahead; it's safe there."

Although Murong Xuewei had her doubts, she had no other choice at the moment. The two had not gone far when they suddenly heard footsteps behind them.

Consort Ning's expression tightened: "Someone's chasing us!"

"Your Majesty, please go quickly, don't worry about me..." Murong Xuewei was in so much pain that she couldn't speak.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Consort Ning gritted her teeth. "If anything happens to you, Gu Ye will go crazy."

Murong Xuewei was taken aback: "Does Your Highness know Gu Ye?"

Consort Ning smiled wryly: "It's a long story. I'll tell you when we're safe. For now, you just need to follow me."

The footsteps grew closer, and the firelight illuminated the tunnel walls. Consort Ning suddenly stopped, took a jade pendant from her bosom, and handed it to Murong Xuewei: "Take this, turn left ahead, and you'll see a bronze bell. Ring it three times, and someone will come to rescue you."

"how about you?"

"I'll distract them," Consort Ning shoved Murong Xuewei. "Go quickly!"

Murong Xuewei nodded tearfully, supporting herself against the wall as she walked forward. Behind her came Consort Ning's clear voice:

"Who goes there? How dare they trespass into the forbidden area of ​​the imperial mausoleum!"

"Consort Ning?" came Jiang Lingyun's surprised voice. "What are you doing here?"

"That's the question I should be asking you," Consort Ning said coldly. "In the middle of the night, leading troops into the imperial mausoleum—are you trying to rebel?"

"Your Majesty misunderstands. I am ordered to apprehend a wanted criminal..."

"Enough!" Consort Ning interrupted sharply. "I don't care who you're looking for, this is the imperial mausoleum grounds, how dare you act so presumptuously! Guards! Arrest them all!"

Amidst the chaos, Murong Xuewei heard the sounds of fighting. She endured the pain and continued forward. Finally, she saw the bronze bell that Consort Ning had mentioned.

Just as she was about to ring the bronze bell, a familiar voice rang out behind her:

"Xuewei, don't move."