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

After leaving the county government office, Zhang Sanlang returned to Jinshi Lane first.

He called Zhang Siniang and Huangfu Ce into the main room, took out the two warrants from Gu Yansheng and placed them on the table, and explained the whole story in detail: "Yan Shizhong's grandson, Bange'er, and his maid, Jin'er, have gone missing, and their whereabouts point to the west of the city."

"County Magistrate Gu has given me a warrant to search all the shops and residences under the Liu family's name. But the Liu family has many shops and their residences are deep, so even if dozens of archers are sent in, they might not be able to find them. I plan to send people to investigate secretly first, and then take action once we know where the people are hiding."

After listening, Zhang Si Niang thought for a moment, then asked, "Third Brother, do you want to send someone to keep an eye on the brothel street?"

Zhang Sanlang nodded. "That's right. I plan to ask He Lantou to send his men to keep an eye on things and find out what's going on. Also, I want you to meet with Liu Geng to see if you can find out anything unusual, or at least stall him."

Zhang Si Niang slowly raised her eyebrows. "Third Brother, just sending people to the streets might not be enough to find anything. Gou Lan Street is Liu's territory. The people on the street are more wary of unfamiliar faces than a cat."

Zhang Sanlang looked at her, "Fourth Sister, do you have any ideas?"

Zhang Si Niang placed the round fan on the table. "Let Manager Pan, Manager Zhu, and Manager Song go. These people are all merchants in the city. It's perfectly normal for them to go to the brothel to drink, listen to music, and discuss business."

"They frequent reputable establishments like Suyuelou, Zuihuayin, and Tingyuxuan, and even brothels every few days. The Liu family recognizes them, so they don't suspect anything."

"Once you're inside, have two maids sit with you, and have a couple of drinks with the manager and waiters. You can get all that out of them. Also, have their attendants look around; you might just find something unexpected."

Zhang Sanlang thought for a moment, "Manager Pan is alright, but his wife has many connections. Manager Zhu manages the cloth shop, and Manager Song manages the general merchandise. Do they also have business dealings with the Liu family?"

Zhang Si Niang counted on her fingers, "Manager Pan's shop supplies dried fruit to Zui Hua Yin, Manager Zhu's cloth shop supplied curtains to Zui Hua Yin, and Manager Song's general store has dealings with those cosmetic shops on Goulan Street."

"Although they are all small businesses, they are enough for them to sit down and have a drink. Such interactions are not conspicuous, and the Liu family will not deliberately guard against them."

Zhang Sanlang nodded repeatedly, "Alright. Go and make the arrangements later. Have them go today, but don't let them all go at once, make sure they go separately. Once they're in the shop, don't rush to get information out of them. Let them drink and listen to the music first. Whoever finds out the truth, I will remember their kindness."

Zhang Si Niang responded, then reminded him, "Third Brother, we can't find out where the Liu family is hiding just by getting information from the shopkeeper. If Liu Geng is hiding someone in the house, the shopkeeper won't be able to get in."

Huangfu Ce tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table. "Third Master, Fourth Lady is right. The shopkeepers under He Lantou and Fourth Lady are all outsiders. The Liu family mansion is deep inside; they can't get in."

Zhang Sanlang looked at him. "Mr. Huangfu, have you gained anything?"

Huangfu Ce picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Does the Third Master still remember who those five people in the backyard were?"

Zhang Sanlang's eyes flashed, and he seemed to hesitate.

Huangfu Ce put down his teacup. "An army is raised for a thousand days, but used for only one. Leaving aside Mr. Lu, those four people who have been living in the backyard for so long should be put to use now."

Zhang Sanlang didn't reply, but tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

Seeing his expression, Huangfu Ce chuckled, "Third Master, do you think sending them to search the Liu family's residence isn't honorable enough?"

Zhang Sanlang looked up at him, a bitter smile playing on his lips.

Huangfu Ce's smile faded. "Third Master, to deal with unscrupulous merchants, you have to be even more ruthless. To deal with ruthless tycoons who devour people without spitting out the bones, you need the ruthlessness to break all their teeth!"

"In my opinion, Liu Geng has definitely sided with the Wang family. Given his background, he was never considered a threat by the Wang family before. Now that Wang Zheng's power in Juancheng is insufficient, he will likely set his sights on the Liu family. And the Liu family will naturally follow suit and curry favor with him."

"Leaving aside Liu Geng's work for the Wang family, his past actions have been anything but clean. Do you expect him to follow the rules? If the Three Officials were to follow the righteous path, it would only cause more people to suffer."

Zhang Si Niang, fanning herself with a round fan, also smiled and advised, "Third Brother, Mr. Huangfu is right. How can we stick to the old ways when dealing with these opportunistic people?"

Zhang Sanlang sighed softly, "Alright, go and call them here."

Huangfu Ce responded and went to the backyard.

Before long, the four of them entered the main room one after the other. Huo Renying walked in front, followed by Jin Renxiong, Lu Renhao, and Guo Renjie. The group stood in a row, making the room feel a bit crowded.

Zhang Sanlang sat behind the desk and recounted the disappearance of Yan Shizhong's grandson. Ban Ge'er and Jin'er, one four years old and the other twelve, were abducted by a well-dressed woman in her thirties with slicked-back hair.

Now, Magistrate Gu has issued a warrant, authorizing the investigation of shops and residences under the Liu family's name. However, the Liu family's residence is located deep within the compound, requiring someone to go inside and ascertain the details of the area.

Zhang Sanlang's expression was serious. "The warrant only allows us to search the visible areas. If the Liu family has hidden people in the back courtyard, side courtyard, storeroom, or even a secret room, the archers won't be able to find them, and I wouldn't dare to search them directly. That's why I've asked the four of you to come and explore before searching."

The four exchanged a glance and replied in unison, "We will obey the patriarch's orders!"

Zhang Sanlang first looked at Jin Renxiong, "Brother Jin, you have the best eyesight. Pick two people with equally good eyesight and go to the vicinity of the Liu family mansion in the west of the city to find a high place to keep watch."

"Make sure you know which courtyard has lights on at night, which side gate has people going in and out, and which room has food being delivered. If anything seems amiss, send someone to report it."

Jin Renxiong clasped his hands in a fist salute, his lips curving upwards involuntarily. "Master, please rest assured, my eyes can see far in the daytime and clearly at night as well."

Zhang Sanlang nodded, then looked at Lu Renhao and Guo Renjie, "You two are agile, so go and carefully search all the places in the back of the Liu family's residence where people can hide."

"Remember not to force your way in. Go where you can, and those you can't usually go in are key areas, and Tibetans are more likely to be there. Mark out the area on the outskirts, and once you've identified the location, report back to me when you come out."

Lu Renhao and Guo Renjie exchanged a glance and both agreed.

Lu Renhao was thin and small, walking as lightly as a cat. Guo Renjie looked scholarly, but his footwork was no less than Lu Renhao's. When Sun Jizu led his men to besiege the old prison camp site, these two were among the few who managed to escape.

If they hadn't passed through Sanguanmiao Village and, exhausted, provoked a group of even more ruthless characters, they probably would have already fled into the mountains.

Zhang Sanlang originally intended to hand them over, but Huangfu Ce believed that these three were exceptionally skilled and might be of great use in the future.

After being "persuaded" in turn by Lu Qiucheng, Wan Qing, and Sun Jizu, they, along with Huo Laoda, the bandit leader who surrendered at the abandoned dock, successively submitted to the government.

Under Zhang Sanlang's influence, the four were given a new lease on life and transformed into servants of the Zhang family.