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

Inside the Murong residence, Prince An had already sensed something was wrong. He grinned maliciously and pulled out a tinderbox: "Since that's the case, then let's all die together!"

"stop!"

A cold voice suddenly rang out. Everyone looked up and saw that Murong Xuewei had appeared on the roof at some point, the moonlight casting a frosty glow on her handsome face.

"Madam!" Liuli exclaimed, both surprised and delighted.

Prince An laughed even more arrogantly: "Murong Xuewei, you've finally shown yourself? Very well, today I will make you watch your entire clan pay the price for your betrayal!"

Murong Xuewei looked at him coldly: "Prince An, do you think I would let you touch my family?"

Before she finished speaking, a cold light suddenly flashed in her hand. With a "whoosh," a silver needle pierced the wrist of Prince An, who was holding the tinderbox.

"Ah!" Prince An cried out in pain, and the tinderbox fell to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Long's army had stormed into the mansion. Instantly, the sounds of battle shook the heavens, and amidst the flashing swords, Prince An's personal guards suffered a crushing defeat.

"Protect the prince and evacuate!" someone shouted.

Prince An fled in a disheveled state, only to be blocked by a troop of elite soldiers. Leading them was Zhang Long, who stood with his sword drawn and coldly said, "Prince An, you cannot escape."

"Is that so?" Prince An suddenly revealed a sinister smile, then pulled a tinderbox from his robes. "Then let us die together!"

It turns out he had a tinderbox hidden on him!

At the critical moment, an arrow pierced the air and struck Prince An's wrist. The tinderbox fell to the ground again and was stomped out by a quick-thinking soldier.

The crowd looked in the direction of the arrow and saw a figure in black standing on the city wall.

"Gu Ye!" Murong Xuewei cried out in disbelief.

It was Gu Ye. He was still worried and rushed to Yuncheng overnight.

"Prince An, your death is near." Gu Ye's voice was icy cold.

Knowing that all was lost, Prince An suddenly laughed loudly, "Gu Ye, you ultimately acted on impulse. As an emperor, you disregarded the fate of your country for a woman. You are unworthy to be emperor!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he suddenly pulled a short sword from his sleeve and thrust it toward his own throat.

"Stop him!" Zhang Long shouted, but it was too late.

With that eerie smile, Prince An slowly collapsed. In his dying moments, he murmured, "Gu Ye...you'll regret this..."

The battle was over, but the smell of gunpowder lingered in the air. Gu Ye strode to Murong Xuewei's side: "Why are you here?"

Murong Xuewei turned her head away: "I'm worried about my family."

Gu Ye gave a wry smile: "I'm worried about you too."

Looking at the scene before her, Old Madam Murong sighed softly, "Xuewei, come here."

Murong Xuewei walked up to her mother and knelt down: "Mother..."

"Silly child," Old Madam Murong patted her hand, "why are you doing this?"

Gu Ye stepped forward and bowed deeply to Old Madam Murong: "Old Madam, it is I who have implicated the Murong family."

Old Madam Murong looked at him: "Your Majesty, there's no need for this. It's just...the matter between the two of you..."

“Mother,” Murong Xuewei interrupted, “you don’t need to say anymore. He and I…we can’t be together after all.”

Gu Ye felt a pang of pain in his heart: "Xue Wei..."

"Enough!" Murong Xuewei suddenly stood up. "Gu Ye, you're about to ascend the throne. Go back. The fate of the nation is paramount. Don't... don't let the world laugh at you anymore."

Gu Ye watched her stubborn back, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew she was right, but his heart felt like it was being stabbed away with a knife.

“The coronation ceremony is in three days,” he said softly, “I hope you can come.”

Murong Xuewei did not answer, but slowly walked into the mansion.

Gu Ye watched her retreating figure, remaining silent for a long time. Finally, he turned and left, leaving only the words, "Zhang Long, you stay in Yun City and protect the Murong family."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The moonlight gradually dimmed, and a sliver of dawn appeared in the east. The bloody storm of the night had finally ended, but for some, the knot in their hearts would never be untied.

The capital's bells rang once more, heralding the start of a new day. Gu Ye stood before the Taiji Hall, gazing at the rising sun, his heart unable to find peace.

"Your Majesty," Prime Minister Su stepped forward, "preparations for the enthronement ceremony are complete."

Gu Ye nodded: "Mm."

After reporting his findings, Prime Minister Su did not leave but remained standing in the same spot.

"When else?"

"It's about the Empress..." Before Prime Minister Su could finish speaking, Gu Ye interrupted him.

"I will convene the ministers tomorrow to discuss this matter."

The main hall was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

"Your Majesty, the matter of choosing an empress is of paramount importance to the nation; please reconsider!" Minister of Personnel Li Mingde held the memorial, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. The assembled officials in the hall echoed his sentiments, kneeling in a sea of ​​submission.

Gu Ye sat upright on the dragon throne, his expression calm, his gaze piercing. His fingers lightly tapped the armrests of the throne, producing a rhythmic sound. This dragon throne, which he had waited for for so many years, now filled him with a sense of irony.

"Do you, my esteemed ministers, mean to tell me who is worthy of being the Empress and who is not?" Gu Ye's voice was calm and unhurried, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

Minister of War Zhang Wei stepped forward, "Your Majesty, although Lady Murong is of upright character, she is ultimately of merchant origin. During the late Emperor's reign, the Murong family was even more..."

"Enough!" Gu Ye abruptly stood up, his dragon robes fluttering. "I know the Murong family better than any of you. Without the Murong family, where would today's prosperous era come from?"

The hall was silent. The ministers bowed their heads, but whispers of resentment could still be heard.

"Your Majesty, the establishment of an empress is a matter of great importance to the nation. Please reconsider..." the Minister of Rites said tremblingly.

Gu Ye sneered, "Think twice? When I was fighting a bloody battle on the border, she risked her life to deliver provisions; when I was in dire straits in the mountains, she stayed by my side; when I raised an army to defend the emperor, she gave away her entire fortune. Did any of you see that?"

His gaze swept across the assembled officials in the hall. "In terms of merit, who among all the civil and military officials can compare to her? In terms of loyalty, who dares to say they understand my heart better than she does?"

“But Your Majesty, there are already rumors circulating among the people that Lady Murong…” a minister began cautiously.

"What are the people saying?" Gu Ye's voice suddenly rose. "Are they saying she helped me restore the country, or that she shed blood for me?"

Silence fell upon the hall once more.

Gu Ye slowly sat back on the dragon throne, his eyes resolute. "My mind is made up. Murong Xuewei will be the Empress of Great Qi. Anyone who objects again..." He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "is going against me."

Outside the palace, dusk deepened. Murong Xuewei stood in the corridor, listening to the argument inside, tears welling in her eyes. She could have refused, giving Gu Ye a way out, but she knew that the stubborn man would never want to wrong her in the slightest.

“Madam,” Liuli said softly, “His Majesty…”

Murong Xuewei wiped away her tears and smiled. "I know. He's always been like this; once he's made up his mind, nothing can change it."

In the darkness, she gazed towards the main hall. Once, she thought her rebirth was merely for revenge. But fate played a cruel trick; she met Gu Ye, the man willing to give up everything for her.

In the hall, Gu Ye's voice rang out again, "Issue a decree: choose an auspicious day to establish Murong Xuewei as Empress. So be it."

The officials kowtowed, "Your Majesty, we obey your decree."

Gu Ye stood on the throne, his gaze piercing through the layers of palace walls, as if searching for that figure. He knew she must be nearby, silently by his side as always.