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

"What is it?" Murong Xuewei looked up at Gu Ye.

Gu Ye's eyes flickered slightly, and his voice softened unconsciously, "Go see Xiao Yan'er. He's been asking about you constantly while you were injured."

Murong Xuewei's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't seen her child in a long time since she went to Jiangnan to investigate the case. The thought of the little one possibly anxiously searching for his mother filled her with a pang of sadness.

“Xuewei, His Majesty is right,” Murong Yuxuan said from the side. “Xiaoyan’er hasn’t seen you in a long time; you should go and see her.”

Murong Xuewei pursed her lips. "Okay, I understand." She looked up at Gu Ye. "But you have to promise me one thing."

"explain."

"You must come back alive." Murong Xuewei's voice was soft, but every word was clear.

A smile flickered in Gu Ye's eyes as he gently squeezed her fingers. "Don't worry, I'm waiting to come back and see you and the baby."

Murong Xuewei glared at him, annoyed.

"Lan'er," Gu Ye turned to Lan'er, who was waiting to the side, "tell me in detail about the defenses of Biyue Manor..."

Watching Gu Ye's departing figure, Murong Xuewei gripped the jade pendant tightly in her hand. This time, she was determined to protect him and ensure that Xiao Yan'er would always have her father by her side.

Murong Xuewei followed Murong Qingyu to Xiaoyan'er's room; it was already dark. Before they even entered, they could hear Xiaoyan'er's babbling voices coming from inside.

"Your Highness, stop fooling around. You'll get cold if you don't take your medicine soon," came Liuli's helpless voice.

Murong Xuewei pushed open the palace door and saw the little one wriggling in Liuli's arms, her chubby little hands tightly gripping a small wooden horse. Seeing her enter, Xiaoyan'er's eyes lit up, and she grinned, stretching out her hands and making a series of cheerful "ah ah" sounds.

"Your Highness, be careful!" Liuli quickly hugged him tightly.

Murong Xuewei quickly stepped forward and took Xiaoyan'er from her. As soon as she held her, she noticed the little one's forehead was hot. She frowned and looked at Liuli, "What's wrong?"

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince indulged in the coolness last night and developed a fever this morning. The doctor came and prescribed medicine, but His Highness refuses to drink it no matter what; he cries whenever he touches the medicine bowl." Liuli looked worried.

Murong Xuewei looked down at the little one in her arms. Xiao Yan'er had buried his head in the crook of her neck, his little hands tightly gripping her clothes. She gently patted his back, feeling the little guy's slightly warm body temperature, and her heart ached terribly.

"Come on, sweetie, drink your medicine, okay?" Murong Xuewei coaxed softly, gesturing for Liuli to bring over the medicine bowl.

This time, Xiao Yan was unusually quiet, probably because he felt safe in his mother's arms. He obediently opened his mouth and let Murong Xuewei feed him the medicine spoonful by spoonful.

After drinking the medicine, the little one still clung tightly to her. Murong Xuewei felt both heartache and guilt; having been away from the palace for so long, Xiao Yan'er must miss her terribly. Thinking of Gu Ye's words earlier, she became even more determined to stay and be with her child.

Holding the gradually sleeping Xiao Yan'er, she looked out the window at the darkening sky and silently prayed in her heart: Gu Ye, you must come back safely.

The room gradually quieted down, leaving only Xiao Yan'er's even breathing. Murong Xuewei looked down at the little person in her arms. The way he slept resembled Gu Ye somewhat. His long eyelashes cast a small shadow in the candlelight, and his originally flushed face had faded a bit after taking the medicine.

“Liuli,” Murong Xuewei called softly.

"Your Majesty," Liuli whispered as she approached.

"Go and invite Xueyao over; I have something to ask her."

Liuli nodded and withdrew. A moment later, Murong Xueyao tiptoed in.

"Sister." She lowered her voice, her gaze falling on the sleeping Xiao Yan'er, a hint of heartache flashing in her eyes.

Murong Xuewei gestured for her to sit down. "Regarding the situation at the border, have you and Yu Xuan discerned anything?"

Murong Xueyao pondered for a moment, "Although Qi Zheng confessed a lot, he only said superficial things. Sister, I always feel that the border incident happened too coincidentally."

"How to say?"

“Such a major incident occurred at the border, and then our family in Jiangnan suffered the same fate. This doesn’t seem like a coincidence,” Murong Xueyao said in a low voice. “Moreover, I heard from my elder brother that those people’s weapons and equipment didn’t seem to be hastily put together.”

Murong Xuewei's eyes narrowed. "You mean, they were prepared all along?"

“I’m afraid it’s more than that.” Murong Xueyao looked around, her voice even lower. “Yu Xuan said that those people’s weapons had the marks of the Nanzhao Kingdom.”

Murong Xuewei was shocked. With incidents occurring simultaneously on both the border and in Jiangnan, Xiao Wanning had indeed colluded with Nanzhao.

The little boy in her arms suddenly stirred and uttered a few indistinct murmurs. Murong Xuewei gently patted him, and only after the little guy had settled back into a peaceful sleep did she say to Murong Xueyao, "Don't tell anyone about this yet. We'll talk about it when Gu Ye returns."

Murong Xueyao nodded, stood up and took her leave.

Watching her departing figure, Murong Xuewei frowned deeply. Nanzhao, Xiao Wanning—just how vast is this game?

Gu Ye, accompanied by his elite guards, remained hidden in the woods outside the manor, his cold gaze sweeping over the surroundings. Normally, even the most secluded manor would have some chirping insects and birdsong at night, but this Biyue Manor was eerily quiet.

"Master," a guard silently knelt on one knee beside Gu Ye, "I've checked, there are no guards around the manor."

Gu Ye frowned slightly. Given Xiao Wan Ning's cautious nature, it was impossible for her to be unprepared. He turned to Lan'er, "Besides the main entrance, how many other exits are there?"

“Your Majesty,” Lan’er said in a low voice, “there is a tunnel in the backyard that leads to the river. Also, there is a secret room inside the eastern wall that leads to a house in the city.”

Gu Ye's gaze sharpened. "Splitting into three groups, one to keep an eye on the tunnel exit, another to investigate that house. The rest of you, come directly into the estate with me." He then looked at Lan'er, "Do you recognize that house?"

Lan'er nodded, "I recognize it. This servant can lead the way."

Gu Ye shook his head. "You come with me. If Xiao Wan Ning is really inside, you know her habits best."

Soon, the guards split into three groups and quietly dispersed. Gu Ye led the remaining men, silently approaching the manor gate.

"Creak—" The door wasn't locked; it opened with a gentle push.

Gu Ye's eyes darkened, and he raised his hand to make a gesture. A dozen or so guards immediately dispersed and disappeared into the darkness. He led Lan'er and a few trusted men onward toward the inner courtyard.

Passing through a rockery, a brightly lit room came into view. Through the paper window, one could vaguely see figures moving inside.

"It's Xiao Wanning," Lan'er whispered. "She usually drinks tea at this time."

Gu Ye nodded, about to order the room to be surrounded, when he suddenly frowned. He raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop.

In the quiet night, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted through the air...