Lu Jiaxue simply said, "Take me to the Protectorate to have a look."

After entering the Protectorate, Lu Jiaxue quickly entered the inner chamber where Luo Yining had lived. He looked around and saw that the furnishings of the room had been arranged by him. The figure wrapped in the quilt was the remains of a woman who had hidden them from the guards. The bed she had slept on still carried a faint sweet fragrance from her body, indicating that she had lived here before.

Lu Jiaxue walked to the only window in the inner room and saw the half-closed window sash and the wedge that had been pried off. He understood what was going on and said calmly, "Everyone else, get out. Cheng Lang, come here."

The maids and servants all retreated. Cheng Lang walked up to him and called him uncle.

Lu Jiaxue turned around and asked with a sneer, "You let her go?"

"Uncle, I really didn't know she passed away so suddenly..." Cheng Lang said with his head lowered, "I didn't expect it. It was my mistake."

"You're a Censor of the Censorate and a top-ranked official in the imperial examinations, and you can't even defend yourself against her? Do you think I'm stupid?" Lu Jiaxue walked up to him. "Cheng Lang, I'm really impressed by you. You're actually willing to sacrifice your own life for her? I was really wrong." His expression became extremely cold, and his tone was stern. "If I didn't go and capture someone right now and kill you immediately, would you believe it?"

Cheng Lang knelt in front of him, his expression calm: "Uncle, I really didn't mean to let her go."

Lu Jiaxue had already ignored him. He briefly checked Luo Yining's escape route and determined which way she had taken. He then mounted his horses with his officers and soldiers, looking down at Cheng Lang one last time. They followed the official road out of Datong City. Yellow sand rolled in. He was an expert horseman. A horse could travel five times faster than a carriage. Luo Yining couldn't ride a horse, so she definitely wouldn't get far!

Cheng Lang watched him disappear and whispered to the people below, "Pack your things and return to the capital."