When Cheng Lang arrived at the screen wall, Yining's carriage had just left.

He walked out of the gate with a grim face, his carriage still parked outside.

The doorman saluted him. Yujing Hutong, freshly arrived in summer, was filled with tender green buds from the banyan trees, which fell on his shoulders. He paid no attention to them, but climbed into the carriage and told the driver to hurry up, the faster the better. The driver whipped the horses, and the carriage sped out of Yujing Hutong.

Maybe it's because I'm too obsessed with it that I start to worry about gains and losses.

Cheng Lang leaned against the car wall, thinking of that person's fingers, scented with the scent of wintersweet. He remembered her holding him and teaching him, her voice drifting down from overhead. He remembered how, upon learning of her death, he wept bitterly and knelt before her coffin. From then on, he was no longer the child who hid behind her; he had become another Cheng Lang.

Cheng Lang closed his eyes. His fingernails turned white because he pinched his fingers so hard!

The carriage creaked to a sudden halt. The guard parted the curtain and said, "Sir, someone is looking for you."

Cheng Lang raised his head and said coldly, "I'm busy, get out of here!"

The guard said with some embarrassment: "...Sir, the people coming are the governor's men. I'm afraid you have to go."

He had already offended Lu Jiaxue last time, and if he treated him with contempt again this time, nothing good would happen. Cheng Lang knew this clearly, because he had been waiting for this opportunity.

He asked the driver, "How long does it take to get to Xinqiao Hutong from here?"

The driver replied respectfully, "Sir, it will take at least two or three hours, and it will probably be dark by the time we get there."

Cheng Lang took a deep breath before saying, "... Let's go to Ningyuan Marquis Mansion." What if he caught up with her? No one would believe him if he told her about it. He was just too obsessed. And if it was really her, why had she never said anything after being together for so long? Was it really because she didn't want to see him? If she really didn't want to see him, even if he caught up with her and asked her, it would be fruitless. Besides, as for Shen Yu... If Yi Ning was really her, he would probably even want to kill himself!

Besides, there is Luo Shenyuan here, and he is not a pushover.

He would always have the opportunity to test her, so he should think carefully about how to do it.

The carriage finally turned around and headed towards Ningyuan Marquis Mansion.

Lu Jiaxue had just met with the Cabinet's Chief Minister, Wang Yuan, and his subordinates escorted Wang Yuan out of the Ningyuan Marquis's residence. He returned to his study to drink tea. He had barely lifted the lid of his teacup when Cheng Lang entered.

"Uncle." Cheng Lang lowered his head slightly and called him.

Lu Jiatang looked up at him. He had always admired his nephew, not to mention his sister's only son. Cheng Lang was cautious and intelligent, so he was willing to use him. He had dismissed the previous incident as a wolf cub that had just grown sharp claws and couldn't wait to test them. After all, he was still his nephew, so he didn't intend to make a fuss about it.

"I heard that you have been close to Luo Shenyuan, the new Shaoqing of the Dali Temple recently?" Lu Jiaxue asked him.

Cheng Lang said, "It's not that close. This person is too scheming. I can only maneuver around him."

Lu Jiaxue smiled upon hearing this. "It just so happens that there's a thorny issue right now. Do you know Liu Pu, the Zhejiang Provincial Governor who was arrested for corruption a few days ago?"

Cheng Lang certainly knew this man. During his reign, Liu Pu was a figurehead, corrupt and bribe-taking abounded. His subordinates also colluded with each other to protect him, leading to numerous unjust cases. He had only recently been investigated and personally escorted to the capital by the Imperial Guards. However, for some unknown reason, he had escaped on the way, and his whereabouts were now unknown.

Without waiting for him to speak, Lu Jiaxue continued, "It was Xu Wei who instructed the Jinyiwei to arrest him."

Cheng Lang then looked up, feeling somewhat puzzled. "Why would Lord Xu care about corruption?" He pondered for a moment, "Liu Pu was able to escape from the Jinyiwei. I'm afraid someone must have helped him... Could it be..."

Lu Jiaxue nodded, smiled, and said, "Of course someone helped him. It was me. I sent Song Cheng with 300 elite soldiers to rescue him, and two of them were killed by the Jinyiwei. But on the way, his confidant was kidnapped, and now we are looking for him." Lu Jiaxue stood up and walked in front of him. "Now I have a clue. This person is in the hands of Luo Shenyuan, the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple. But we have already checked, and he is neither in the Ministry of Justice prison nor in the Dali Temple cell. He must be hidden. I need you to find this person. We can't let him stay in the hands of Luo Shenyuan and others."

After hearing this, Cheng Lang roughly understood it.

No wonder... He had been wondering who could have rescued Liu Pu from the Jinyiwei. It turned out to be Lu Jiaxue!

It now appears that Liu Pu might be Lu Jiaxue's associate, or even more likely Wang Yuan's. Wang Yuan and Lu Jiaxue have always collaborated, their interests inherently intertwined. Furthermore, Lu Jiaxue rarely interacts with local officials, while Wang Yuan maintains close ties with them. Liu Pu must be holding some crucial secret, a secret so important that Xu Wei wants to personally handle it.

But Lu Jiaxue, or Wang Yuan, didn't want Xu Wei to know.

He bowed and said, "Nephew, I understand. I will go find this person now."

Luo Shenyuan, that's just right for him.

Lu Jiaxue hummed, called his subordinates in, and sent dozens of personal soldiers to him. Cheng Lang led his men out of the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion. When he looked up, he saw a crescent moon hanging in the sky, the moonlight was bright.

His thoughts gradually calmed down, and he couldn't let external things disturb his composure.

As soon as Yi Ning arrived at Luo Shenyuan's yard in Xinqiao Hutong and leaned out of the carriage, she saw a hand reaching out to her.

She looked up and saw that it was her third brother, so she took his hand and got off the carriage.

Many newly wealthy people lived in Xinqiao Hutong. Third Brother's courtyard must have been recently purchased, as he was quite wealthy. The courtyard was grand and spacious, with winding corridors and rockery made of Taihu stones, giving it a touch of the gentle charm of the Jiangnan water towns. The mansion was staffed by numerous maids, and he led her in front, saying as they walked, "...Your courtyard has just been cleared, so you can stay here first. Mother will probably be here in a few days and will live in the courtyard next to yours. You two should be able to get along."

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