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

Li Hang took the note out of his pocket and placed it on the table. The note was already a little wrinkled, with the edges slightly curled up.

He unfolded the note, tapped it with his fingertip, and said, "Shouli, you said someone is plotting a rebellion and wants the four of us here for a secret meeting. Is this true?"

Zhang Sanlang nodded solemnly, "It's true. Last night, the nun Fang from Yongning Nunnery came to my humble abode to warn me. She said that yesterday afternoon, when she went to the abbess to collect next month's wages, she overheard Master Wang and Jingchen discussing something in secret outside the door."

He paused, reviewing Fang Anpo's words in his mind again: "Master Wang plans to gather defeated soldiers and bandits from Yizhou, Mizhou, and Zizhou, first taking Juancheng, then attacking Puzhou. Jingchen is hiding his money and provisions, acting as an intermediary..."

After listening to Zhang Sanlang's words, Li Hang showed no sign of panic. He shifted his gaze from Zhang Sanlang's face to Zhao Xie, his expression carrying a deeper meaning.

Zhao Xie didn't meet his gaze; his eyes were fixed on the slip of paper on the table, as if trying to find something interesting.

Li Hang finally spoke, his voice low and somber, "Changyan, is the case you came to Juancheng to investigate the disappearance of this wealthy man, Wang?"

Zhao Xie remained silent for a moment, then could only nod emphatically.

Li Hang's lips curled up slightly. "That makes things simple. The Imperial City Guard doesn't rely on concrete evidence. You just need to arrest the nun Jingchen and the wealthy Wang, interrogate them as needed, and arrest them as appropriate. Even if they have connections behind them, they might not have time to react."

Zhao Xie shook his head.

He walked to the desk and sat down, placing his hands on his knees. "Jingzhai, Shouli just said that this Master Wang is only in charge of affairs within Puzhou. Behind him is Mr. Yan, who has been planning this for a long time, with uprisings taking place in various places at the same time."

"If I arrest Master Wang and Jingchen now, it's just cutting off a branch; the tree is still there. Chief Wang sent only me to Puzhou because he wants to handle this case fairly and squarely and get to the bottom of it."

Li Hang leaned back in his chair, stared at Zhao Xie for a long while, then turned to Zhang Sanlang, "Shouli, what do you think?"

Zhang Sanlang lowered his eyelids, but raised his head upon hearing this. "Such an important matter is not something a mere clerk like myself would dare to interfere with. I humbly request Your Excellency to take charge of the overall situation."

He kicked the ball back, his tone sincere, his face expressionless.

Li Hang glanced at him. "Since we need concrete evidence, we can only wait for the rebels to make their move and capture them alive on the spot. But this is a passive approach and involves some risks."

Sun Jizu was sitting against the wall. When he heard this, his eyes lit up and his back straightened up.

Li Hang observed this and thought, "Fortunately, with County Commandant Sun stationed in Juancheng, we are not afraid of a mere few hundred bandits."

He pondered for a moment, then tapped his finger on the table. "First, keep the order. You are responsible for keeping the nun Fang Shi calm and allowing her to move around Yongning Nunnery as usual without revealing anything."

He looked at Zhao Xie, "The second matter, Changyan, you are in charge of investigating Master Wang's group of assassins scattered among the mountains, forests and lakes. How many are they, and where are they hiding? It's easier for the Imperial City Guard to do this than the county government."

Zhao Xie nodded. "I'll go today."

Li Hang then looked at Sun Jizu, "The third matter, County Lieutenant Sun, you are in charge of the public affairs. The archers continue their training as usual, and the city gate checks remain unchanged. Don't let anyone know that we already know."

"But we must maintain a relaxed exterior while keeping a tight grip on the interior, and secretly increase manpower. Also, as Shouli just mentioned, Feng Jian is a descendant of this previous group. There might be his men among the archers, so you need to choose reliable people carefully."

Sun Jizu responded, his eyes flashing with a strange light.

Li Hang pointed a finger at the table and said, "The fourth matter is also crucial. If they really make a move, Juancheng only has a little over a hundred archers available."

"That Master Wang can gather seven or eight hundred men, or at least three or four hundred if that's an exaggeration. The bandits aren't good at attacking cities, and they have Feng Jian as an inside man, so the city gate is the key. As long as the city gate isn't breached, even if they manage to sneak into the city, not many of them will get in."

Sun Jizu remained expressionless, but his eyes were resolute. "The city gate is narrow; forty men can hold off four hundred."

Li Hang nodded. "Then it's settled. Everyone go your separate ways and don't alert anyone else in the county government. From this moment on, this case concerns only the four of us."

Zhang Sanlang spoke up, "Your Excellency, we still need someone to keep Feng Jian in check. It seems he has spies in the Household Department, so Shouli dares not make any moves."

Li Hang nodded. "I'll try to stall him. You should also keep an eye on things."

Zhang Sanlang responded.

The four discussed the matter in detail. Li Hang oversaw the overall situation, Zhang Sanlang filled in the gaps, Zhao Xie occasionally chimed in, and Sun Jizu simply followed orders throughout.

A moment later, Li Hang glanced at Zhao Xie, pushed open the door, and went out first.

Sun Jizu was the second to leave. He nodded to Zhang Sanlang, went out of the east wing, and strode back to the county magistrate's office along the corridor.

Zhang Sanlang stood before the desk, looking at Zhao Xie. "Vice Envoy Zhao, Chief Magistrate Wang only sent you. If the person behind Master Wang is truly hiding his true strength, can the few of us handle this?"

Zhao Xie turned around, a smile playing on his lips. "Even if we can't cover it up, we have to. The Imperial City Guard doesn't solve cases by sheer numbers. It's about speed, accuracy, and taking down the enemy before they even have a chance to react."

He stopped in front of Zhang Sanlang. "Shouli, what you said to Jingzhai today was very appropriate. But you must know that if you succeed in this matter, your future will be bright. If you fail..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was clear.

Zhang Sanlang met his gaze and said, "I understand."

Zhao Xie nodded. "Alright. Go back to your quarters. Don't let anyone know you've been here for so long."

Zhang Sanlang turned around, pushed open the door, and walked out.

As the sunlight shone in his face, he squinted and walked along the corridor toward the house.

Li Hang came out of the magistrate's residence and walked along the corridor back to the second hall, but saw a figure leaving the office of the clerk in the distance.

He thought for a moment, casually asked the servants in the corridor a couple of questions, and then strolled into the office of officials.

Feng Jian sat behind his desk, holding a scroll of documents in his hand. When he saw him, he hurriedly got up to greet him, his round face plastered with his usual smile. "Why did Your Excellency come in person? If you have something to say, just send someone to summon me. I'll go and receive your orders."

Li Hang waved his hand, "It's nothing serious. I just saw a figure go out from afar, and the servants in the corridor said it was Steward Wang?"

Feng Jian's smile remained unchanged. "Yes. Master Wang sent someone to inquire about the donation of incense oil for this year's autumn sacrifice. I spoke to him briefly and have already sent him back."

Li Hang hummed in agreement. "Clerk Feng, during your years in the county government, how often have you been in contact with Master Wang?"

Feng Jian paused for a moment, then smiled and shook his head. "Your Excellency is joking. Master Wang is a local gentry, and I am a county clerk. We only interact during the autumn sacrifice and festivals, but we don't usually visit each other much."

Li Hang nodded. "That's good. I was just asking casually, so please don't take it to heart, Clerk Feng."

After he finished speaking, he stepped out of the threshold and walked along the corridor toward the Second Hall. His figure quickly disappeared around the corner.

Feng Jian stood at the door, his smile slowly fading.