Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

At 5:00 PM, at the Sun residence in Jinshi Lane.

Sun Jizu sat in the round-backed chair in the center of the main room, with six dishes and a pot of wine on the octagonal table in front of him.

He glanced back at the corridor; Wu Yan was squatting on a bench outside the threshold, popping a piece of braised pig's head into his mouth. When Zhang Sanlang and Lu Qiucheng came in, Wu Yan gestured towards the table with his lip.

"Brother Sun, your meals are even better now! Last time it was braised pork head with salted beans, but this time there's pickled fish, chicken giblets, and even cowpeas?"

Zhang Sanlang sat down in the armchair, his gaze sweeping across the table.

Thinly sliced ​​braised pig's head meat is arranged on a plate, while pickled fish glistens in a dark brown broth. Chicken giblets are stir-fried with green garlic, and there's also a plate of cowpeas, tossed with minced garlic and vinegar, their surfaces a deep green from being fully cooked.

Wu Yan often came to the Sun family's house to freeload, so he skillfully reached for the cowpeas, chewing them with a crunching sound. "These cowpeas are so crisp, where did you get them, Brother Sun?"

Sun Jizu watched as Zhang Sanlang picked up the wine jug and poured wine for everyone. "They were planted in the corner of the backyard. This morning, Sister Liu picked a basketful, blanched and cooled them, then mixed them with minced garlic—they were very refreshing. June is the time when cowpeas are at their tenderest; they'll be too old by the end of the month."

Wu Yan picked up another piece with his chopsticks, "Mmm, delicious! Sanlang, why aren't you eating?"

Zhang Sanlang glanced at the plate of cowpeas; the cut surfaces, after being blanched, had turned a darker color, indicating they were indeed fully cooked. However, the sight of these beans filled him with dread, and he shook his head with a smile, refusing to touch a single one.

In my past life, there were countless ways to prepare this dish, such as stir-frying, cold salad, and simple stir-frying. However, every summer, this thing becomes absolutely insane; it seems like there's no way to finish it, and every meal feels like torture.

Simply because it's also called a bean stalk!

A small gathering of a few people, no need for toasting each other. Zhang Sanlang picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and turned his chopsticks toward the pickled fish.

"Sanlang, you've been in the county office for too long, and your palate has become quite picky." Wu Yan had already devoured half a plate of bean curd. "This stuff is seasonal; once it's gone, you won't be able to eat it anymore."

Seeing him shake his head and remain silent, Wu Yan picked up another piece of pig's head meat. "Brother Sun, did you sell that sword to that guy surnamed Zhao? He bought his own sword; just thinking about it makes me laugh. By the way, how much did he get for it?"

Sun Jizu put down his wine cup, picked up a piece of bean curd, and said, "Twenty strings of cash."

Wu Yan had just picked up a piece of pig's head, but before he could even bring it to his mouth, it hung suspended in mid-air. His mouth was half-open, and after a long while, he finally managed to utter two words: "How much?"

"Twenty strings of cash." Sun Jizu picked up another cowpea and chewed it with a crunching sound.

"Twenty strings of cash!" Wu Yan slammed his chopsticks on the table, jumped up, and his knee made the wine cup on the edge of the table wobble. "Wait, brother, is that sword inlaid with gold? Twenty strings of cash!"

"The archers in our county only earn a few hundred coins a month! Twenty strings of cash could buy Sanlang's dilapidated house... Twenty strings of cash for a sword, Zhao must have too much money to burn."

Zhang Sanlang rolled his eyes at Wu Yan.

He did see Sun Jizu take the sword from Lu Qiucheng this morning, and at the time he assumed Sun Jizu liked it, so he didn't think much of it.

Judging from Wu Erlang's words, Sun Jizu sold the sword to Zhao Xie!

He glanced at Lu Qiucheng, who sat expressionlessly on the bench with his fingers on his knees, seemingly lost in thought.

Zhang Sanlang asked with some confusion, "Brother Sun, didn't we agree not to make it clear?"

Sun Jizu's face darkened, and he put the wine bowl on the table. "Second Brother, Third Brother, you don't know the origin of that sword."

He glanced at the two of them, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke, "After I gave my own sword to Fu, I have been looking for a good sword that I can handle."

"I picked it up from Brother Lu this morning and brought it to the county office to examine it. I found that the blade is extremely thin yet tough. The sword has a fish-scale pattern on its surface, which is fine, even, and cannot be forged by an ordinary blacksmith."

Seeing that his expression was off, Wu Yan quickly put down his chopsticks. "What's wrong with the fish scale pattern?"

Sun Jizu tapped the table lightly with his left hand. "This is a unique refining method used in the Imperial Workshops, not the ordinary weapon-making technique of the Ordnance Bureau. Moreover, this is the standard procedure of the Imperial Treasury. I suspect Zhao Changyan has another identity."

When Zhang Sanlang heard the words "Imperial City Guard", he stopped eating with his chopsticks.

He had heard of this name before; it was the secret service of this dynasty, which only obeyed the emperor, did not enter the Three Offices, and was not subject to the control of the Privy Council.

He occasionally saw the words "Imperial City Guard" in the documents he handled, but each time it was only mentioned briefly and never described in detail.

Wu Yan held the wine bowl to his lips, seemingly unconcerned. "The Imperial City Guard? Brother Sun, what's their background?"

"The Imperial City Guard was composed of personal guards responsible for guarding the various gates of the palace and the areas in front of the palace. It consisted of four commanders, each with about five hundred men, for a total of two thousand men. This was the Emperor's personal guard."

Sun Jizu paused, his gaze sweeping over the three men. "The Imperial City Guard also has a Clan Affairs Division, which selects officials from the sons of meritorious officials or the orphans of fallen soldiers. These officials are closer to the Emperor than his personal attendants. They are the Emperor's eyes and ears."

"Judging from Zhao Changyan's skills and the exquisite craftsmanship of that sword, I deduce that he holds a high position in the Imperial City Guard. Such people usually serve in the capital and rarely leave the city. Once they do leave, it must be for an important mission."

Wu Yan put down his wine bowl, his brows furrowing.

He was the head archer, and his usual duties were dealing with theft and brawls on the streets. But when he heard that the "Imperial City Guard" was actually the emperor's personal guard, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Zhang Sanlang's face also darkened.

Sun Jizu picked up his wine bowl and took a sip. "This sword is something Zhao Changyan can't afford to lose. I pretended not to know, intending to ridicule him and return the sword. Li Hang offered twenty strings of cash, so I took the opportunity to sell it."

"I come from the Palace Guard and have always been at odds with the Imperial City Guard. Now that I've been transferred to a civil service position in the local area, I really don't want to provoke them, so I have no choice but to back down."

Wu Yan was stunned for a moment. "According to Brother Sun, that sword is probably worth more than twenty strings of cash."

Sun Jizu rolled his eyes at him. "The material alone costs twenty strings of cash. That's just the secondary issue. The Imperial Treasury keeps a record of every sword like this. Keeping one in your possession would be a disaster."

He turned to Zhang Sanlang and said, "Sanlang, you can't mess with the people from the Imperial City Guard. From now on, stay away from Zhao Changyan in the county government."

Zhang Sanlang put down his chopsticks, recalling the conversation he overheard between Li Hang and Zhao Changyan in the second hall that day. Zhao Changyan spoke with composure and was very familiar with criminal law and finance, unlike an ordinary staff member.

At the time, he only thought this man was exceptionally knowledgeable, but now he realized he had underestimated him. "Does Magistrate Li know his background?"

Sun Jizu tapped his finger on the table again. "Magistrate Li mentioned the Imperial City Inspector to me, which was a reminder of Zhao Changyan's identity. With his shrewdness, he should understand that I already know."

"Sanlang, if that's the case, it means they have ulterior motives for coming to Juancheng to take up their posts. But people like you and me are not worth their trouble."

He then turned to Wu Yan and Lu Qiucheng, "I called you two over to remind you not to have any contact with this person in the future. As long as you don't provoke him, he shouldn't cause you any more trouble."