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

Murong Xuewei suddenly felt a chill. She looked down and saw that a maid's wine glass had accidentally tipped over, spilling red wine onto her skirt.

"Oh dear, madam, I'm so sorry!" the maid apologized hastily.

Murong Xuewei waved her hand, "It's nothing, just a piece of clothing."

Seeing this, Wen Ruoxin immediately stepped forward and said with concern, "Madam Murong, you should change your clothes. I'll have someone take you to a guest room."

Murong Xuewei nodded her thanks, then said to Liuli, "Go to the carriage and get some clothes."

Liuli was a little worried, but she went anyway. A maid then led Murong Xuewei to an elegant guest room.

"Madam, please wait here for a moment. Please do not hesitate to ask if you need anything." The maid finished speaking and then withdrew.

Murong Xuewei sat before her dressing table, her mind filled with a myriad of thoughts. This hadn't happened in her previous life; was it an accident or Wen Ruoxin's deliberate act?

Not long after, Liuli returned with the clothes. Murong Xuewei quickly changed her clothes and was about to return to the banquet hall when she suddenly heard a commotion outside.

"What happened?" Murong Xuewei asked, frowning.

Liuli shook her head to indicate that she did not know. Then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and a maid rushed in in a panic, her face pale and her voice trembling.

"Something terrible has happened! Miss Zhao...Miss Zhao is dead!"

Murong Xuewei was shocked upon hearing this. "What? Zhao Qingqing is dead? What happened?"

The maid, breathless, said, "Just now... just now someone found Miss Zhao lying in the garden... she's... she's already dead..."

Murong Xuewei and Liuli exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and unease in each other's eyes. They quickly walked out of the banquet hall, only to find the corridor in chaos, with guests running around in panic.

Upon arriving at the garden, Murong Xuewei saw Zhao Qingqing lying on the ground, her face pale, surrounded by a group of people.

Wen Ruoxin was squatting down beside her, checking the situation, her face grave.

"Miss Wen, how is the situation?" Murong Xuewei asked.

Wen Ruoxin stood up and shook her head. "It's too late. It looks like she died from poisoning."

These words caused even greater panic among the surrounding guests. Someone exclaimed, "Oh my god, has someone poisoned us?"

"Could the murderer still be among us?"

"Hurry, officer!"

Seeing this, Wen Ruoxin said loudly, "Please calm down, everyone! I have already sent someone to report to the authorities. Please stay here and do not leave until the officials arrive."

Murong Xuewei looked around but didn't find anything amiss, yet her unease grew stronger.

I have a feeling that this whole thing is aimed at her.

"Could it be that Miss Zhao offended someone?" a young woman whispered.

“I don’t think so,” another person interjected. “Perhaps it’s an enemy seeking revenge.”

Just as everyone was speculating, someone suddenly shouted, "Wait! I remember Madam Murong left the banquet just now!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's attention turned to Murong Xuewei.

Murong Xuewei's heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm on the surface. "Yes, I did leave. But that was because my clothes got wet, and I went to change."

"Hmph, who knows if you took advantage of the situation to do something?" Zhao Qingqing's close friend, Si Lingshan, shrieked. "You've been at odds with Qingqing ever since you came in; maybe you're the one who poisoned her!"

Murong Xuewei was about to defend herself when Wen Ruoxin spoke up, "Wait, we can't just make accusations like this. Since it involves lives, we must investigate carefully."

She turned to the guests present, "Ladies and gentlemen, please recall if you saw any suspicious people or things before or after Miss Zhao's murder."

Everyone started talking at once.

"I remember Miss Zhao went out alone."

"Yes, yes, I saw her walking towards the garden."

"Was that around 5 PM?"

Wen Ruoxin turned to Murong Xuewei, "Madam Murong, could you please tell me in detail when you left the banquet?"

Murong Xuewei calmly replied, "I left at the beginning of the western hour and returned about half an hour later. I spent the time changing clothes in the guest room; Liuli can testify to that."

Wen Ruoxin nodded. "Then, who else left the banquet during this period?"

The group looked at each other in bewilderment, when suddenly someone said, "I remember the Second Princess also went out for a while."

Xiao Sining's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. "I'm just going out for some fresh air. I'll be back soon."

And so, everyone began to recall what had happened. Some said they had seen suspicious figures, while others claimed to have heard strange noises. A tense and fearful atmosphere permeated the entire garden.

Just then, a guard ran up to report, "Miss, the government officials have arrived."

Wen Ruoxin nodded. "Please invite them in."

Soon, a group of soldiers entered the garden. Leading them was a middle-aged official who looked quite shrewd.

"I am Lord Zhang, the Prefect of the Capital," the official said. "May I ask who discovered the body?"

A maid stepped forward timidly. "It's...it's me."

Lord Zhang nodded. "Tell me the details of what happened."

The maid took a deep breath and began to recount, "I came to tidy up the garden. I had just gotten here when I saw Miss Zhao lying on the ground. I thought she was drunk, so I went to help her up. But as soon as I touched her, I realized she...she wasn't breathing..."

Lord Zhang listened carefully and then inquired about the others' situations. Finally, he turned to Wen Ruoxin, "Miss Wen, was there anything amiss at the time?"

Wen Ruoxin didn't speak, but just looked at Murong Xuewei with her eyes.

But Si Lingshan jumped in again, "My lord! We suspect it's Murong Xuewei! She has a grudge against Zhao Qingqing, and she left the banquet around the time of the incident!"

Murong Xuewei's heart sank, knowing that she was probably involved in this matter. "My lord, I did leave the banquet, but only to change clothes. I have witnesses to prove it."

Lord Zhang glanced at Murong Xuewei, then looked around. "Where are the witnesses?"

"She is my maid."

Liuli stepped forward and said, "Yes, I can vouch for my young lady."

“You’re your mistress’s maid, so you’re bound to side with her. Who knows if you’re working together as a group?” Si Lingshan said with a look of resentment.

Everyone nodded in agreement, agreeing with Si Lingshan's point.

Murong Xuewei knew she was in a dangerous situation. If she couldn't prove her innocence soon, she would likely get into even bigger trouble.

Just then, she suddenly thought of something. She turned to Liuli and whispered, "Investigate the last people and things Zhao Qingqing came into contact with. Also, look for possible sources of the poison."

Liuli nodded and quietly left.

Murong Xuewei took a deep breath. She knew she had to find the real murderer.