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

Gu Ye led his army to Jiangnan and saw wisps of black smoke rising from the city from afar.

"Your Majesty, our scouts report that the Murong residence in the city has been completely looted," a general whispered to the emperor.

Gu Ye's eyes sharpened, and he instinctively tightened his grip on the reins. He had initially thought that Jiang Lingyun merely wanted to use the wealth of Jiangnan to amass riches, but he hadn't expected her to dare to target the Murong family.

"Where are the people from the Murong family?"

"Your Majesty, apart from the eldest son Murong Qingyu and his wife who are still recovering from their injuries, everyone else has been rescued by the secret guards, but..." The general hesitated at this point.

"Just what?"

"But Her Majesty the Empress has been missing for two days. According to reports from her secret guards, in order to rescue the Murong family, Her Majesty deliberately lured away the Nanzhao troops. Later, someone saw her heading towards the Western Mountains, but there has been no further news of her since."

Gu Ye's eyes instantly turned cold. He knew Xue Wei too well; she knew the mountain had tigers, yet she still went into the tiger's den. If it weren't for saving someone, she would never have taken such a risk so easily, given her personality.

"Send the order to search the entire city for Jiang Lingyun and the remaining members of the Nanzhao clique. Also, send out all the secret guards to search Xishan." Gu Ye dismounted and strode towards the Murong residence.

As soon as I entered the mansion, I saw Murong Qingyu waiting in the hall, leaning on a cane. Although he looked pale, he was in good spirits.

"How are you feeling, brother-in-law?" Gu Ye sat down opposite Murong Qingyu.

Murong Qingyu gave a wry smile. "Compared to Xue Wei's safety, my injuries are nothing." He paused, "If Xue Wei hadn't had the guards rescue us in time that day, I'm afraid the entire Murong family would have..."

Why did Jiang Lingyun suddenly attack the Murong family?

"At first, he only came to our residence under the guise of marriage to ask for money. Later, when the people from Nanzhao arrived, they started demanding information about a treasure map." Murong Qingyu frowned as she said this. "After Xuewei found out, she immediately told us to leave first, saying she wanted to distract the people from Nanzhao."

Gu Ye's gaze darkened. "A treasure map?"

The words had barely left his mouth when hurried footsteps sounded outside. A guard rushed in, knelt on one knee, and said, "Your Majesty, bloodstains and signs of a struggle have been found in the Western Hills, along with this."

It was a jade hairpin, broken in two. Murong Qingyu recognized it at a glance; it was the coming-of-age gift he had given to Xue Wei.

"This is my coming-of-age gift for Xuewei."

"Pass down the order to expand the search area." Gu Ye gripped the jade hairpin in his hand tightly. "We need to find them alive or dead."

Murong Qingyu suddenly spoke up, "Your Majesty need not worry too much. Xuewei is always intelligent; she will surely be able to turn this danger into safety."

Gu Ye understood the comforting meaning in his words, but simply stared silently at the sky outside the window.

Yes, Xue Wei always has a way of turning danger into safety, but this time... this time something just doesn't feel right.

"Your Majesty!" Another guard rushed in, "A cliff has been discovered deep within the Western Hills. There are signs of a struggle at the foot of the cliff, and..."

"What else?" Gu Ye suddenly stood up.

The search and rescue soldiers ran over to report, "Your Majesty, we found a piece of fabric at the foot of the cliff; it's embroidered with a subtle hibiscus pattern."

Gu Ye took the piece of clothing, his fingers trembling slightly. It was a corner of the emerald green dress that Xue Wei loved to wear the most.

"Send the order to search along the lower reaches of the cliff," Gu Ye's voice was as cold as ice. "Also, find out exactly where Xiao Cui came from."

As night deepened, the chirping of insects echoed through the mountains and forests.

Murong Xuewei leaned against the tree trunk, closing her eyes to rest. Although her leg injury wasn't fatal, dragging it out like this wasn't a long-term solution. Besides, she always felt that Xiao Cui was hiding an even bigger secret.

"Your Highness," Xiao Cui tentatively began, "the mountains are damp at night, and your wound mustn't get wet. Perhaps... perhaps I should go find some dry grass to lay down on?"

Murong Xuewei slowly opened her eyes, looked at the deliberate concern on Xiao Cui's face, and said calmly, "No need, you've had a long day, get some rest."

Xiao Cui hesitated, then lowered her head.

The night grew deeper, with only the occasional crackling of the campfire remaining. By the firelight, Murong Xuewei thoughtfully examined Xiao Cui's clothes. She felt she had seen that faint, dark pattern somewhere before.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from afar.

"Someone's coming." Xiao Cui stood up nervously.

Murong Xuewei revealed a meaningful smile, "Yes, they've finally arrived."

Xiao Cui stiffened slightly upon hearing Murong Xuewei's words. "What does Your Highness mean by this?"

"What do you think?" Murong Xuewei's gaze towards Xiao Cui gradually turned cold. "From the moment you appeared, how much of it was coincidence, and how much was meticulously planned?"

Xiao Cui instinctively took a step back. "Your Highness, I don't understand..."

"Don't understand?" Murong Xuewei sneered. "Then let's calculate: when the inn was attacked, why did you happen to escape the poisoned food? Who was secretly tipping you off at Xiaoyao Tower? And what about the clothes you're wearing..."

Xiao Cui's expression suddenly changed.

Just then, the footsteps in the woods grew closer. Xiao Cui's expression became flustered, but then she heard Murong Xuewei continue, "The dark pattern on your clothes is the unique spider lily pattern of the Nanzhao royal family."

"I..." Xiao Cui was about to speak when a sharp arrow pierced the air.

Murong Xuewei reacted quickly, pulling Xiao Cui behind her. With a "bang," the arrow struck the tree trunk behind them.

"Your Majesty, you..." Xiao Cui was stunned.

"Let's go!" Murong Xuewei grabbed Xiao Cui and ran deeper into the woods. "No matter whose side you're on, the people chasing us now are clearly not your accomplices."

"Your Majesty!" A guard rushed over, "Traces of a camp have been discovered downstream from the cliff; it seems someone rested there temporarily."

Gu Ye strode after him. The embers of the campfire in the camp were still warm, and several rabbit bones were scattered on the ground. He squatted down and carefully examined the footprints on the ground.

“There were two people,” Gu Ye said, pointing to the marks on the ground. “One was Xue Wei; she was injured, and her right footprint was heavier when she walked. The other should be Xiao Cui.”

"That's not all," Liuli said, forcing herself to walk over. "Look at these arrows; they're made in Nanzhao."

Gu Ye picked up the arrow from the ground, his gaze sharpening. The feathers on this arrow were indeed the golden eagle feathers unique to the Nanzhao royal family.

"Pass down the order: divide into three teams." Gu Ye stood up, his voice cold and stern. "One team will follow the footprints, one team will block the path down the mountain, and the third team..."

Before the words were finished, a thunderous explosion suddenly came from afar.

"Over there!" Liuli pointed in the direction the voice came from.

Without a word, Gu Ye mounted his horse and said, "Come with me!"

A loud bang exploded behind us, and the flames illuminated the dark night sky.

Murong Xuewei pulled Xiao Cui along as they trekked quickly through the woods, her injured leg making each step feel like walking on knives. But she knew this wasn't the time to cry out in pain.

"Your Highness, your injuries..." Xiao Cui tried to help her up.

"Don't worry about me." Murong Xuewei gritted her teeth and ran forward. "Focus on where you're going."