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

Murong Xuewei looked at her injured knuckles from last night, which were already turning slightly blue. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Gu Ye, why do you think Xiao Wanning would do this? Even if she wanted to deal with us, she didn't need to..."

"No need to involve the child?" Gu Ye picked up on her words, a hint of coldness in his tone. "But that child is precisely the best bargaining chip. You and I both know that Xiao Wan Ning is always ruthless and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals."

Murong Xuewei's heart skipped a beat: "You mean..."

“She’s trying to force us to submit,” Gu Ye said firmly. “But…” He looked out the window, “what exactly is her purpose? Last night at the Prince An’s residence, the way she said those words didn’t seem like she simply wanted to deal with us.”

"Do you think it's related to Nanzhao?" Murong Xuewei asked.

Gu Ye was silent for a moment: "Perhaps. Nanzhao has always coveted the Central Plains. If they could create chaos within their own borders..."

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

"General!" A spy rushed in, "A suspicious caravan has been spotted in the south of the city!"

Gu Ye and Murong Xuewei exchanged a glance: "Explain in more detail."

“It’s a Nanzhao merchant caravan, ostensibly transporting cloth and medicine, but my men discovered they secretly moved a batch of boxes to an abandoned temple outside the city last night. And…” the informant lowered his voice, “my men saw Jiang Lingyun go there.”

"Jiang Lingyun?" Murong Xuewei's heart skipped a beat. Jiang Lingyun's behavior at the Prince An's residence last night was very suspicious.

Gu Ye frowned. "It's too conspicuous." He pointed to the map. "This location in the south of the city is precisely where the city's defenses are most stringent. Xiao Wan Ning wouldn't make such a basic mistake."

"The general means..."

“A feint to the east while attacking in the west,” Gu Ye said decisively. “Have someone continue to keep an eye on things, but don’t act rashly.” He drew a mark on the map. “Jiang Lingyun’s appearance only proves that this is a trap.”

After the hidden agents withdrew, Murong Xuewei said in a deep voice, "You think the child isn't there?"

“Xiao Wanning wouldn’t expose herself so obviously,” Gu Ye said, his finger tracing the map, “unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless she specifically wants us to focus on this place,” Gu Ye’s eyes flashed, “so that we’ll overlook another area.”

Meanwhile, at the Xiao residence.

"What? Jiang Lingyun is spouting nonsense at Zuixia Tower?" Xiao Wan Ning slammed her fist on the table with a "bang," causing the teacup to jump and spill scalding tea all over the table.

"Yes." The subordinate bowed his head. "I didn't hear exactly what he said, but judging from his guilty expression this morning..."

"That good-for-nothing!" Xiao Wan Ning gritted her teeth. "He can't even control himself from drinking! This piece of trash!" She stood up and paced back and forth in the room, her eyes flashing coldly. "Pass on my order: summon him to me!"

A short while later, Jiang Lingyun walked in, looking quite drunk. He had drunk too much the night before and still had a splitting headache. Thinking about what happened last night, he felt guilty. He vaguely remembered saying something he shouldn't have, but he couldn't recall the specifics.

“***.” He bowed deeply, his voice hoarse.

"Kneel down!" Xiao Wanning shouted sternly.

Jiang Lingyun was stunned for a moment, then knelt down. He looked up at Xiao Wanning and saw that her face was gloomy and her eyes were full of murderous intent.

"You went to Zuixia Tower last night?" Xiao Wan Ning asked coldly.

Jiang Lingyun was startled, cold sweat trickling down her forehead: "Yes..."

"What did you say?"

"Your subordinate..." Cold sweat beaded on Jiang Lingyun's forehead, "I was drunk and don't quite remember..."

"Don't remember?" Xiao Wanning suddenly laughed, a laugh that sent a chill down Jiang Lingyun's spine. "Then let me help you think." She slowly walked up to Jiang Lingyun. "Don't you feel resentful that a grown man like yourself is being bossed around by a woman?"

Jiang Lingyun trembled: "This subordinate dares not..."

"Dare not?" Xiao Wan Ning squatted down, her slender fingers pinching his chin, her nails almost digging into his flesh. "Jiang Lingyun, do you know who gave you your life? If it weren't for me, you and your whole family would have gone to hell long ago!"

Jiang Lingyun's face turned deathly pale: "Please, Your Majesty, have mercy..."

Xiao Wan Ning released her grip and stood up. "Considering your loyalty over the years, I'll let you off this time." She turned around, her tone suddenly turning cold, "However, if there's a next time..."

"Understood, sir," Jiang Lingyun quickly replied. "I will definitely keep my mouth shut."

"Good to know," Xiao Wanning said calmly. "Go down. By the way..." She then called to Jiang Lingyun, who was about to get up, "How's the matter in the south of the city going?"

"Reporting to ***, everything is proceeding according to plan." Jiang Lingyun breathed a sigh of relief and finally got to the point, "Gu Ye has discovered the caravan's movements."

"Very well." Xiao Wan Ning's lips curled into a cold smile. "Let them continue investigating. The smarter a person is, the more prone they are to getting stuck on trivial details."

After Jiang Lingyun left, Xiao Wanning walked to the window. In the distance, smoke curled from chimneys in the south of the city, a scene of peace and tranquility. She murmured to herself, "Gu Ye, you certainly didn't disappoint me. However..." A glint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes, "...the real show is yet to come."

"Master," a man in black appeared silently in the room, "a letter has arrived from Nanzhao."

Xiao Wanning took the letter, quickly glanced through it, and smiled slightly: "Very good, everything is going according to plan." She burned the letter. "Tell them to wait a few more days. When Gu Ye and the others are exhausted from running around, that's when we'll make our move."

Zuixia Tower.

"Miss Xiaoju," the waiter greeted a dancer in red with a smile, "What did that Lord Jiang say last night? Judging from his appearance this morning, anyone who didn't know better would think he'd gotten himself into some terrible trouble."

The dancer, called Xiaoju, shook her head: "Who knows? Those officials are just talking nonsense when they're drunk." With that, she turned and hurried away.

But her hurried steps revealed an unusual tension.

She returned to her room, carefully checked her surroundings, and then took out a small bundle from under the bed. Inside the bundle was a handkerchief exactly the same as the one Gu Ye had found.

"It seems it's time to spread the word," she murmured to herself.

As the sun rose higher, the streets grew bustling. A caravan slowly entered the southern part of the city, carrying the flags of the Nanzhao Trading Company. After a routine check by the guards at the city gate, the caravan was allowed to pass.

No one noticed that a small cradle was hidden in the inner compartment of the last carriage.