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

"What should we say?" Gu Ye frowned slightly. "Have you thought of something?"

Murong Xuewei was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Gu Ye, is Xiao Wanning really dead?"

"Where did this come from?" Gu Ye turned around and looked at her.

“I always feel…” Murong Xuewei pursed her lips, “the way she did these things is very similar to her.”

Gu Ye's expression was firm: "No, that's impossible. After the underground palace collapsed, I personally sent people to investigate. Not only did they find her body, but they also had the coroner from the Dali Temple examine it carefully."

"But......"

“Xuewei,” Gu Ye grasped her shoulders, “I know you’re worried. But Xiao Wanning is indeed dead.”

Murong Xuewei nodded, but her brows remained furrowed.

......

For eight consecutive days, Murong Xuewei was unable to eat or sleep properly.

"Your Majesty," Liuli said, bringing in a bowl of ginseng soup, "you haven't had a proper meal for three days."

Murong Xuewei looked out the window: "Still no news?"

"The secret guards..." Before Liuli could finish speaking, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

"Your Majesty!" A young eunuch stumbled in, "There's...there's a seriously injured person outside, they say..."

Murong Xuewei suddenly stood up: "Where?"

"In...in the side hall..."

Murong Xuewei practically rushed out of Fengyi Palace, and Liuli quickly followed.

Inside the side hall, a man in black, covered in blood, lay on the ground, breathing weakly.

“Lu Ying!” Liu Li recognized the person.

"Quickly," Murong Xuewei knelt on the ground to examine his injuries, "go and fetch the imperial physician!"

“Mother…Your Majesty…” Lu Ying began with difficulty.

"Don't speak," Murong Xuewei said in a trembling voice, "wait for the imperial physician to arrive before we talk."

"It's too late..." Lu Ying grabbed Murong Xuewei's hand, "Jiangnan... Jiangnan is already..."

What happened in Jiangnan?

"We were...were controlled by an unknown force..." Lu Ying coughed up blood. "Of the twelve of us, only I escaped..."

Murong Xuewei's face turned deathly pale: "Then what about my older brother and the others..."

"Lord Murong..." Lu Ying gasped for breath, "He should still be on his way... We... we risked our lives to send me out to deliver this message..."

"Who exactly is this person?"

"I don't know..." Lu Ying's voice grew weaker and weaker, "but...but they seem...to have been prepared..."

"Lu Ying!" Murong Xuewei watched him slowly close his eyes. "Lu Ying!"

"Your Majesty..." Liuli supported the swaying Murong Xuewei.

"My elder brother and the others..." Murong Xuewei suddenly stood up, "They should be arriving in Jiangnan soon!"

"Xuewei!" Gu Ye's voice came from outside the hall.

"Gu Ye!" Murong Xuewei turned around, "Big Brother and the others are in danger!"

Gu Ye strode over, glanced at Lu Ying on the ground, and said with a grim expression, "I've already sent men to intercept Qingyu's carriage."

"Is there enough time?" Murong Xuewei's voice trembled.

“We’ll definitely make it in time.” Gu Ye pulled her into his arms. “I’ll have the shadow guards take the shortcut; they should be able to stop them before Qing Yu.”

Murong Xuewei suddenly remembered something and broke free from Gu Ye: "No... we can't let my brother go back..."

"Why?"

"Think about it," Murong Xuewei forced herself to calm down, "why did they want to control Jiangnan? And why did they only make their move after my elder brother had already set off?"

Gu Ye's eyes darkened: "You mean..."

“They’re waiting for Big Brother,” Murong Xuewei said, biting her lip. “If Big Brother goes back now, wouldn’t that be playing right into their hands?”

"Then, in your opinion..."

"Have the shadow guards take our elder brother and the others on a different route," Murong Xuewei said quickly, "to Zhang Jing's place first."

Gu Ye nodded: "I'll go arrange it right away." Turning around, he added, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Watching Gu Ye's departing figure, Murong Xuewei murmured, "Gu Ye, I think I know what 'a long-awaited rain after a drought' means now..."

"Like rain after a long drought..." Murong Xuewei murmured, repeating the phrase, then suddenly her pupils contracted. "No! Gu Ye!"

Gu Ye turned around immediately upon hearing the sound: "What's wrong?"

“I understand,” Murong Xuewei said, her voice trembling. “It’s not that Jiangnan is short of water, but rather…”

Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" A man in black knelt and bowed, his voice trembling with panic, "Your subordinate... Your subordinate is late..."

Gu Ye's face darkened: "Speak!"

“We were ambushed on the way,” the man in black said, head bowed. “The enemy was numerous and came on aggressively. We…”

"Where is my elder brother?" Murong Xuewei stepped forward.

The man in black's voice trembled: "Lord Murong... has been captured by them..."

"What?" Murong Xuewei staggered a step, but was supported by Gu Ye.

"We risked our lives to rescue Madam Song and the young princess, but..." the man in black gritted his teeth, "Madam Song is severely injured and is currently unconscious..."

"Where's Linlin?" Murong Xuewei gripped Gu Ye's arm tightly.

“The young princess is alright,” the man in black said. “I have already arranged for them to be taken to a villa on the outskirts of the city.”

Gu Ye asked in a deep voice, "What about the casualties?"

"We..." the man in black choked up, "...only three of us are left..."

There was dead silence in the hall.

"Investigate," Murong Xuewei suddenly spoke, her voice icy, "Find out who set up this scheme in Jiangnan."

"Xue Wei..."

“Gu Ye,” Murong Xuewei turned to look at him, her eyes filled with pain, “I finally understand what ‘a long-awaited rain after a drought’ means.”

“You mean…?”

"Remnants of the previous dynasty," Murong Xuewei said, enunciating each word clearly, "are waiting for someone of suitable status. Someone who can inspire the people of Jiangnan to willingly follow them."

Gu Ye's eyes darkened: "Murong Qingyu..."

“Yes,” Murong Xuewei smiled wryly, “My elder brother has been a merchant in Jiangnan for many years and is widely loved by the people. Now that Jiangnan is suffering from a prolonged drought, they can conveniently use my brother’s name…”

“Rebellion,” Gu Ye continued.

Murong Xuewei closed her eyes: "So they've been waiting, waiting for our eldest brother to return to Jiangnan in person."

"Xuewei," Gu Ye pulled her into his arms, "I'll mobilize the troops right away..."

"No," Murong Xuewei broke free from him, "we can't move troops now."

"Why?"

"Have you forgotten?" Murong Xuewei looked at him. "The plague on the border has only just subsided. If we were to send troops south at this time..."

Gu Ye frowned: "You mean...?"

“This is all a setup,” Murong Xuewei said. “It was all part of their plan from the very beginning, starting with the plague at the border.”

"Then, in your opinion..."

“Let me go.” Murong Xuewei looked up, her gaze resolute.

"No way!" Gu Ye refused decisively.

“Gu Ye,” Murong Xuewei looked at him, “do you believe me?”

Gu Ye was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "I'll give you three days to prepare."

"That's enough," Murong Xuewei turned to leave, but Gu Ye stopped her.

"Promise me," Gu Ye said, holding her hand tightly, "you must come back safely."

Murong Xuewei turned to look at him, a bitter smile playing on her lips: "Don't worry, I still owe you an explanation."

Watching Murong Xuewei's departing figure, Gu Ye murmured, "Xuewei, how many things are you still hiding from me...?"