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

"Keep a close watch on them," Xiao Wanning said coldly. "They are our best bargaining chip."

Jiang Lingyun bowed in agreement and added, "I have already arranged for men to be deployed throughout the city. Report any suspicious activity immediately."

"Oh?" Xiao Wanning raised an eyebrow. "What other arrangements did you make?"

"My men have investigated the residences of all the doctors in the city," Jiang Lingyun said with a ruthless smile. "Gu Ye and Liu Li are both injured; they will definitely seek medical help. As long as we hold these places, they won't be able to escape!"

Xiao Wan Ning nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, I trust you to handle things." With that, she got up and walked to the window. "Let's see how long they can hide in the city."

“There’s one more thing,” Jiang Lingyun hesitated for a moment before speaking, “that child…”

Xiao Wan Ning's eyes turned cold: "What? You have objections to my arrangements?"

"I wouldn't dare!" Jiang Lingyun immediately knelt down. "I'm just worried that if people find out the child is in our hands..."

"Don't worry," Xiao Wan Ning said with a cold smile, "I have my own plans. You just need to do what you're supposed to do."

Jiang Lingyun bowed his head in agreement, but secretly thought to himself: This woman's methods are becoming more and more ruthless.

Xiao Wan Ning waved for him to leave, then leaned against the window alone. In the moonlight, her expression was enigmatic: "Gu Ye, Murong Xue Wei, you think rescuing Liu Li will turn the tables? Ha, the show has only just begun..."

In a small courtyard on the outskirts of the city, Zhang Jing gazed at the starry sky, his brows furrowed.

"I hope Heaven will have mercy," Zhang Jing sighed softly, then turned and went back into the room.

"Dr. Zhang," Liuli suddenly spoke up, "when do you think we can save the young master?"

Zhang Jing sighed, "This matter cannot be rushed. Since Xiao Wan Ning dared to snatch the child, she must have made thorough preparations. We must first find the child's whereabouts before making further plans."

“But…” Liuli wanted to say something, but was stopped by Murong Xuewei.

“Liuli,” Murong Xuewei said softly, “I know you’re anxious, but Young Master Zhang is right. Xiao Wanning is a cunning and calculating person; we cannot act rashly.”

Gu Ye grasped Murong Xuewei's hand: "Xuewei, don't worry. I've already sent my informants to investigate the child's whereabouts. As soon as we have any news, we'll act immediately."

“I’ve heard,” Zhang Jing said thoughtfully, “that the Prince An’s residence in the south of the city has been making frequent moves lately, seemingly secretly preparing something.”

Murong Xuewei's eyes lit up: "The Prince An's Mansion? Isn't that..."

“Indeed,” Gu Ye continued, “Prince An and Xiao Wan Ning have always been on good terms. In that case, we should thoroughly investigate Prince An's residence.”

It was late at night, and after discussing the matter, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

Murong Xuewei lay on the bed, her mind filled with images of what her child might look like.

She secretly vowed in her heart: Child, your mother will find you, she will...

A cold wind howled, rattling the windowpanes. No one was destined to sleep that night, for everyone knew that an even greater storm was brewing.

Meanwhile, in a secret chamber somewhere in the imperial city, an infant in swaddling clothes was crying. The midwife standing by was at a loss: "Master, this child refuses to nurse, what should we do?"

"Force-feed him!" Xiao Wan Ning coldly ordered. "What I want is a living child. As for whether he suffers or not, that's none of my concern."

Jiang Lingyun looked up at Xiao Wanning, responded with a "yes," and then withdrew.

At dawn, the group was ready to set off.

Although Zhang Jing's estate was remote, its advantage lay in its seclusion, making it a good place to temporarily escape the limelight.

To avoid attracting attention, they split into two groups: Zhang Jing led the injured Liuli and Ningfei ahead, while Gu Ye escorted Murong Xuewei along another route.

"Xuewei, it's not dawn yet, we need to hurry," Gu Ye reminded them softly. They had already changed into ordinary people's clothes, and Murong Xuewei even wore a straw raincoat, covering most of her face.

Murong Xuewei nodded, taking one last look at the small courtyard where she was temporarily staying.

The horror of last night still seems fresh in my mind, and now I must embark on another journey of escape.

"Don't worry, I'm here." Gu Ye noticed her emotions and gently took her hand.

The warm touch warmed Murong Xuewei's heart, but then she thought of her child, and her eyes involuntarily welled up with tears.

Seeing this, Gu Ye said gently, "Xuewei, I've already sent reliable people to inquire about the child. If there are any clues, we'll immediately find a way to rescue him."

“I know.” Murong Xuewei forced a smile. “I just… I just thought about how much suffering he endured all alone there…”

Gu Ye pulled her into his arms: "We will make Xiao Wan Ning pay back double for the suffering the child has endured."

The two cuddled for a moment before setting off. The city streets were still asleep, with only a few early-rising vendors setting up their stalls.

Gu Ye and Murong Xuewei pretended to be an ordinary couple and walked slowly toward the city gate.

"Halt!" the guard at the city gate suddenly shouted. "Who goes there?"

"My husband and I are heading to the outskirts of the city to pay respects to our ancestors," Gu Ye said, feigning an honest and simple demeanor.

The guard looked at the two suspiciously: "So early?"

“Yes,” Gu Ye said with a forced smile, “My mother said before she passed away that we should pay our respects as soon as possible, so we’re rushing off.”

Murong Xuewei, who was standing to the side, kept her head down but took in every move the guard made.

She noticed the token hanging from the guard's waist, a mark belonging to Jiang Lingyun. It seemed Jiang Lingyun had already planted spies at the city gate.

Just then, a commotion arose in the distance. It turned out that a porter had accidentally overturned his load, scattering fruit all over the ground.

The guard, drawn by the commotion, impatiently waved his hand and said, "Go on, go on!"

Once outside the city gates, the two finally breathed a sigh of relief. Gu Ye looked around to make sure no one was following them before leading Murong Xuewei along a side path towards the manor.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jing and Liuli had arrived at the manor. It was a small courtyard built against the mountain, surrounded by tall bamboo groves that completely concealed the courtyard.

"Liuli, go lie down in the inner room first." Zhang Jing took out his medicine box. "I'll apply some medicine for you."

Liuli shook her head and said, "Thank you, Doctor Zhang, I'm fine. But you, you didn't sleep a wink last night, you should rest."

Zhang Jing couldn't help but smile: "As a doctor, I'm used to taking care of patients day and night. But you, your injuries are quite serious; you can't push yourself."

Just then, they heard light footsteps outside. The two of them immediately became alert.

Zhang Jing gestured for Liuli to hide, then picked up a medicine hoe and slowly walked towards the door.

"It's me," came Gu Ye's voice from outside the door.

Zhang Jing then lowered his guard and opened the door to let the two in. As soon as Murong Xuewei entered, she asked, "How is Liuli?"

“Madam, I’m fine,” Liuli quickly replied.

After everyone settled in, Zhang Jing took out a letter and handed it to Gu Ye: "Someone just delivered this."

Gu Ye took the letter and quickly read it, his brows furrowing slightly: "There's indeed something unusual going on at the Prince An's residence. People have been frequently coming and going lately, it seems they're preparing for something big."

"Could it be..." Murong Xuewei's heart skipped a beat.

Gu Ye nodded: "Very likely. Prince An has always been on good terms with Xiao Wan Ning. If Xiao Wan Ning really wanted to rebel, Prince An would probably have already been won over by her."

"Then we..."

“No rush,” Gu Ye said in a deep voice. “We can’t act rashly now. The Prince An’s residence is heavily guarded; we need to find out what’s going on inside first.”

Liuli then spoke up, "I do know a young eunuch who works at Prince An's residence. Perhaps...?"

“Leave this to me,” Gu Ye stopped him. “You are all criminals now; it’s not appropriate for you to show yourselves.”

Murong Xuewei looked at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She knew that Gu Ye was right, but the thought that her child might be in the Prince An's mansion made her restless.

"Don't worry, Madam," Gu Ye reassured her, "I've already sent people to investigate. They'll report back immediately as soon as they have any news."

Murong Xuewei nodded reluctantly, but then remembered something: "The situation in the city is so tense right now, your people..."

“I have my own plans,” Gu Ye said with a smile. “Besides, Jiang Lingyun isn’t omnipotent. He can’t possibly search every single corner.”

Just then, a bird chirping came from outside. Zhang Jing's expression changed: "Someone's coming!"