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

Chapter 301

Suddenly, flames blazed on both sides of the valley, and the sound of orderly footsteps grew louder as they approached. Zhang Jing led a troop of men to flank them from the east, while Murong Yuxuan led reinforcements from the west.

"Archers, prepare!" Murong Yuxuan gave the order.

Seeing the situation was turning against them, the masked man immediately ordered, "Retreat in different directions!"

"Trying to leave?" Zhang Jing sneered, a flash of cold light appearing in his silver needle as it struck the back of the neck of a fleeing man in black. The man collapsed to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Murong Xuewei hurriedly spoke up, "Leave them alive!"

Gu Ye understood and immediately ordered, "Capture them alive! Don't let a single one escape!"

In the chaos, Xiao Cui's poison took effect more severely, and she curled up on the ground. Murong Xuewei tried to help her up, but Gu Ye grabbed her arm.

"Let Zhang Jing come," Gu Ye said in a low voice.

Zhang Jing strode forward and took out a porcelain bottle. "Open your mouth."

Xiao Cui gritted her teeth and shook her head.

"If you don't take the antidote, how will you repay the Empress's kindness?" Zhang Jing said calmly.

Xiao Cui was taken aback upon hearing this, a complex look flashing in her eyes, before finally opening her mouth and swallowing the pill.

Inside the large tent, the candlelight flickered.

The captured masked man knelt on the ground, his mask torn off, revealing a scarred face.

"Speak, who sent you?" Gu Ye sat in the main seat, his voice icy.

The scarred man sneered, "Didn't you all already know?"

"I want to hear you say it yourself." Gu Ye's eyes darkened.

Just then, an announcement came from outside the tent, "Your Majesty, Lord Zhang has arrived with Miss Xiao Cui."

"Let them in."

Zhang Jing helped the pale-faced Xiao Cui into the main tent. As soon as Xiao Cui entered, she knelt before Murong Xuewei, "Your Majesty, I'm so sorry..."

"Tell me your true identity first," Murong Xuewei interrupted her.

Xiao Cui bit her lip. "My real name is Lan'er. I'm one of the secret agents planted by Nanzhao in the Taichu Kingdom. But..." She looked up at Murong Xuewei, "But Your Majesty saved my life, I really can't bear to..."

"Can't bear to what?" The scarred man suddenly grinned maliciously. "Can't bear to tell them that you were actually ordered to approach them in order to find out the whereabouts of the treasure map?"

"That's not how it is!" Lan'er hurriedly explained, "At first, I was indeed ordered to approach Her Highness, but later..."

"And then what?" the scarred man sneered. "Did you think that by betraying your master, he would let you off the hook?"

Murong Xuewei suddenly spoke up, "The master you're referring to, is it Xiao Wanning, or Nanzhao?"

Upon hearing this, the tent fell silent instantly.

The scarred man's expression changed. "You... what do you mean by this?"

"Stop pretending!" Lan'er suddenly shouted, "Xiao Wan Ning isn't a concubine of the Tai Chu Kingdom at all; she's a spy sent by the Nan Zhao Kingdom! Back in the Tai Chu Kingdom, she killed the real Xiao Wan Ning and took her place!"

"Shut up!" the scarred man roared.

Gu Ye's eyes turned cold. "So, Jiang Lingyun isn't just colluding with the traitors of the Taichu Kingdom, but also with the Nanzhao Kingdom?"

Lan'er nodded. "Their plan is..."

Before he could finish speaking, the scarred man suddenly broke free of his ropes and pulled a dagger from his boot. A flash of cold light, and he aimed straight for Lan'er's throat!

Okay, I'll continue writing:

"Watch out!" Murong Xuewei suddenly lunged at Lan'er.

Almost simultaneously, Gu Ye's sword was already at the scarred man's neck. Zhang Jing's silver needles were even faster, directly sealing the scarred man's acupoints.

The scarred man collapsed limply, the dagger falling to the ground with a crisp sound.

"Your Majesty!" Lan'er looked at Murong Xuewei, who was standing in front of her, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Murong Xuewei turned and helped her up. "Tell me, what exactly do they want?"

Lan'er took a deep breath. "Xiao Wan'ning and Nanzhao have joined forces to overthrow the Great Qi. Nanzhao is sending troops, while Xiao Wan'ning is responsible for creating chaos internally. And Jiang Lingyun..." She gritted her teeth, "Jiang Lingyun is Xiao Wan'ning's pawn. He thought he could gain the world, but he didn't know that he himself was just a pawn."

"What about the treasure map?" Gu Ye asked.

"That treasure map not only records the treasures of the previous dynasty, but more importantly..." Lan'er looked at Murong Xuewei, "it also records a secret tunnel that leads directly to the palace."

Murong Xuewei's eyes sharpened. "So they want to..."

"They want to take advantage of the early days of the Great Qi Dynasty to launch a surprise attack," Lan'er whispered. "Xiao Wanning has been laying the groundwork in the Taichu Kingdom for many years, just waiting for this opportunity."

"Wait a minute," Murong Xuewei suddenly realized something, "You mean Xiao Wanning? Wasn't she already..."

"Dead?" Gu Ye continued, his eyes deep. "It seems she deliberately set up a trap in the Taichu Kingdom to make everyone believe she was dead."

Lan'er nodded. "Xiao Wanning has never died. The corpse in Taichu Kingdom was a decoy she specifically found; she escaped during the chaos. For years, she has been secretly contacting Nanzhao, planning all of this."

Murong Xuewei's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty. She had witnessed the collapse of the underground palace and Xiao Wanning's burial in the Taichu Kingdom, only to discover it was all a staged performance.

"She had Jiang Lingyun create chaos in Jiangnan just to lure me here?" Murong Xuewei asked coldly.

“Yes.” Lan’er lowered her head. “Xiao Wanning said… said that only you know the whereabouts of the treasure map. She’s certain you will come to save the Murong family.”

Gu Ye looked at Murong Xuewei, "Xuewei, do you really know where the treasure map is?"

Murong Xuewei was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "Of course I know. Because that treasure map is a secret passed down through generations of our Murong family."

“But Xiao Wanning didn’t expect,” Murong Xuewei slowly stood up, “that the treasure map recorded far more than just a secret passage.”

Gu Ye seemed thoughtful. "So that's why she hasn't acted rashly?"

“That’s right.” Murong Xuewei walked to the table, her fingertips lightly tapping the surface. “That treasure map also records an even bigger secret. That’s why it has been passed down through generations of the Murong family.”

Lan'er looked up in surprise, "What secret?"

"When the previous dynasty fell, the late emperor entrusted something to the Murong family for safekeeping," Murong Xuewei said, looking at Gu Ye. "It was... a token that could prove the Crown Prince's identity."

Gu Ye's eyes widened in surprise.

"So what Xiao Wan Ning has been searching for isn't just that secret passage," Murong Xue Wei sneered, "she wants to find this token so she can overthrow you, the true heir to the throne."

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside. A guard rushed into the tent:

"Your Majesty! Urgent report from the border! The Nanzhao army has begun to mobilize!"

"It seems Xiao Wanning can't wait any longer," Gu Ye said coldly.

Murong Xuewei looked at him, "So what should we do now?"

“We can’t afford to delay any longer.” Gu Ye quickly ordered, “Immediately send a carrier pigeon to order Zhang Jing, who is stationed at the border, to return and defend it. Also…” He turned to Murong Yuxuan, “You immediately lead troops to reinforce the border.”

Murong Yuxuan clasped his hands in a fist salute, "This humble general obeys."

“Wait,” Murong Xuewei suddenly spoke up, “Since Xiao Wanning can’t wait any longer, she will definitely take action herself.”

Lan'er's eyes lit up. "Your Majesty is right! I know where Xiao Wan Ning is hiding!"

Everyone's eyes were on her.

"It's at Biyue Manor outside Jiangnan City," Lan'er said eagerly. "That's her secret hideout; I've been there before."

Gu Ye and Murong Xuewei exchanged a glance, both seeing resolve in each other's eyes.

“In that case,” Gu Ye stood up, “I will personally go and meet this 'old friend'.”

“I’ll go too.” Murong Xuewei said, and was about to get up, but Gu Ye pressed her shoulder down.

“No, your injuries haven’t healed yet.” Gu Ye looked at her, his eyes gentle yet firm. “Besides, there are more important things for you to do.”