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

Jiang Lingyun trembled and dared not say another word.

"Get out!" Xiao Wan Ning said coldly. "Think carefully about how to make up for your mistakes!"

Jiang Lingyun bowed and withdrew, his eyes bloodshot as he turned away. He went straight to the Zuixia Tower in the west of the city.

"Isn't this Lord Jiang?" the waiter greeted him warmly. "It's been a while since you've been here."

Jiang Lingyun waved his hand: "Bring the wine."

Soon, a pot of warm Shaoxing wine was served. Jiang Lingyun drank alone under the moon, his heart heavy with unresolved sorrow. After a few rounds of drinks, a dancer in red gracefully approached.

"Is something on your mind, sir?" The dancer gently poured him wine.

Jiang Lingyun looked up at her, and for a moment, he seemed to see a young Xiao Wanning. Back then, she was just as radiant and beautiful. But now…

"Ha..." He chuckled self-deprecatingly, tilting his head back to finish his drink. "Tell me, what right does a woman have to order me around?"

The dancer, unaware of what was going on, simply kept refilling his cup, asking, "Have you been wronged, sir?"

"Feeling wronged?" Jiang Lingyun sneered, the alcohol making him speak recklessly, "If it weren't for her status as a princess..." He suddenly realized his slip of the tongue and hurriedly stopped talking.

The dancer wisely refrained from asking further questions and simply continued to pour him wine.

Jiang Lingyun drank more and more, and the resentment in his heart grew stronger. He thought of Xiao Wanning's usual behavior, and then thought of himself, a dignified man, who had been reduced to being ordered around by a woman.

"Who does she think she is?" he muttered to himself, "Just a woman..." He jolted awake. He stumbled to his feet, stammering, "I...I should go..."

Meanwhile, Gu Ye had already begun making arrangements.

"Give the order," he commanded his trusted aides, "to closely monitor the movements of the Xiao and An Prince's residences. Especially Jiang Lingyun; he's bound to make a move soon."

Zhang Jing nodded in agreement, then added, "I've already sent people to investigate the origin of that fake baby. There aren't many people in the city who can make such exquisite dolls."

Gu Ye stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze deep: "We must also pay close attention to the movements outside the city. Xiao Wan Ning dares to be so blatant; she must have something to rely on." He paused, "Have our spies keep a close eye on the Nanzhao caravans."

"Nanzhao?" Zhang Jing was taken aback. "The general suspects..."

Gu Ye didn't answer directly, only saying, "Be careful. In this situation, I saw someone from the Nanzhao Kingdom among those secret guards."

The night was deep. Murong Xuewei stood alone by the window, gazing at the bright moon. She gently stroked her still-recovering abdomen, her heart filled with guilt. Her past life felt like a dream. Reborn, she thought she could change everything, but she never imagined she would still put her closest loved ones in danger.

The door creaked open.

"Aren't you going to rest?" Gu Ye's voice came from behind.

Murong Xuewei didn't turn around, and whispered, "Husband, do you think we can really find the child?"

Gu Ye walked to her side and gently pulled her into his arms: "We definitely can."

Murong Xuewei nestled in his arms, inhaling the faint scent of medicine emanating from him. This embrace made her feel safe, yet a vague unease lingered. The lessons of her past life had taught her not to easily trust anyone, but at this moment, how she longed to believe him.

In a secret room of the Xiao residence, Xiao Wan Ning was reading a confidential letter. In the candlelight, her face appeared exceptionally cold.

“Reporting to my lord,” the trusted aide whispered, “the reinforcements from Nanzhao will arrive in at least half a month.”

Xiao Wan Ning snorted coldly, "Half a month..." Her fingertips lightly traced the letter. "Fine, it gives me time to handle some miscellaneous matters." She stood up and walked to the window. "That child will be the best bargaining chip."

As dawn broke, Yuncheng was shrouded in a hazy mist. Gu Ye, who hadn't slept all night, stood in his study, staring at the map spread out on his desk, his brow furrowed.

The map was densely marked with messages from various spies. The events of last night at the Prince An's mansion had left him unsettled; what secrets lay behind that fake baby?

"Gu Ye," Zhang Jing strode in, his face showing the exhaustion of a sleepless night, "there's news."

Gu Ye looked up at him: "Speak."

“We’ve found the craftsman who made the dolls,” Zhang Jing said in a low voice. “It’s Old Qin from Yangjia Lane in the south of the city. He’s been in the city for over twenty years and is renowned for his exquisite dolls. However…”

"Something happened?" Gu Ye's heart sank. It was clear that what happened last night wouldn't end so easily.

Zhang Jingdian nodded: "He disappeared last night. When we arrived, we only found this in his shop." As he spoke, he took out an embroidered handkerchief from his sleeve.

Gu Ye took the handkerchief and examined it closely. Embroidered on it was a blue lotus, the stitches delicate and exquisite. His eyes darkened: "This is the craftsmanship of Nanzhao. Only the Nanzhao court possessed this kind of embroidery."

"You mean..." Zhang Jing's expression turned serious.

“It’s not a coincidence.” Gu Ye examined the handkerchief closely by the candlelight. “The craftsman’s sudden disappearance, the Nanzhao artifacts, and Xiao Wan Ning’s words last night…”

"I remember Xiao Wanning saying last night that the child was a bargaining chip," Zhang Jing said thoughtfully. "Could it be that she really has the backing of Nanzhao?"

Gu Ye gently shook his head: "It's not just that. Last night she mentioned that I was 'feigning innocence,' as if she knows something." A hint of worry flashed in his eyes, "If she really finds out my identity..."

Zhang Jing's expression hardened: "What should we do then?"

Gu Ye pondered for a moment: "Don't worry about that for now. The most important thing is to find the child." He pointed to several marks on the map, "These areas must be closely monitored, and any suspicious activity must be reported immediately."

“Yes,” Zhang Jing replied, then added, “There’s one more thing. Jiang Lingyun got extremely drunk at Zuixia Tower last night and seemed to have said some things he shouldn’t have. I’ve already sent people to investigate.”

"Oh?" Gu Ye became interested. "Tell me more about it."

"According to our scouts, after getting drunk, Jiang Lingyun kept complaining about being bossed around and saying things like 'she's just a woman.'"

A glint flashed in Gu Ye's eyes: "Interesting. It seems Jiang Lingyun knows some inside information." He turned and paced a few steps. "Keep an eye on him; perhaps we can find a breakthrough from him."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside. Murong Xuewei walked in, looking slightly tired, with faint dark circles under her eyes. Clearly, the events of last night had kept her awake.

“Madam.” Zhang Jing bowed and took his leave.

"Any news about the child?" Murong Xuewei asked bluntly, her voice tinged with anxiety. The anger and humiliation of being toyed with by Xiao Wanning last night were still festering in her heart.

Gu Ye handed her the handkerchief: "This is all we found so far. This handkerchief was found in the craftsman's shop that makes fake babies."

Murong Xuewei took the handkerchief, her expression momentarily stunned. "This..." She recognized the embroidery, and alarm bells rang in her mind. "Is this embroidery from Nanzhao?"

"Hmm." Gu Ye observed her expression. "You're very familiar with Nanzhao?"

Murong Xuewei's heart skipped a beat. In her past life, she had indeed visited Nanzhao and even lived there for a considerable period. But in this life, she had never set foot in Nanzhao. After a moment's thought, she replied, "Merchants from Jiangnan frequently traveled there and saw some Nanzhao artifacts. This blue lotus embroidery is quite distinctive."

Gu Ye nodded thoughtfully and didn't ask any further questions. However, he already had doubts in his heart; Murong Xuewei's understanding of Nanzhao seemed to exceed what he had seen and heard.

“I’m going to find Consort Ning,” Murong Xuewei changed the subject. “She has connections with the Taiqing Palace; perhaps the people there can help. After all, they have extensive networks of informants among the common people.”

“Taiqing Palace…” Gu Ye’s eyes flickered slightly. Taiqing Palace had always been aloof and self-sufficient; if Consort Ning could persuade them to help, it would indeed be an opportunity. “Very well, having more options is always better than waiting to die.”