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

Downstairs were two side rooms where the temple officials lived. The stairs leading up from the side of the side rooms were narrow and steep, allowing only one person to pass at a time.

The base is made of brick and stone, with a wooden structure on top, supported by four thick pillars. The door to the lower level is half open, revealing piles of firewood, old lamp stands, and broken drums. A bronze bell hangs on the upper level, with upturned eaves at the four corners and wind chimes hanging from the eaves.

When the bell tolls, it can be heard in several streets and alleys in the west of the city. If there is a favorable wind, the sound can reach the county government office.

The temple keeper, a man in his fifties, wore a gray Taoist robe. Upon seeing Zhang Sanlang and Huangfu Ce enter, he merely bowed slightly before retreating to the side room doorway. Wang Chao and the other three stood guard at the stairwell.

Huangfu Ce led the way, with Zhang Sanlang following behind.

The stairs are made of wood, and they creak when you step on them.

A moment later, we went up to the second floor, where a bronze bell hung from the central beam. It had an inscription on it, the characters worn smooth from being touched so many times that they were no longer legible.

Next to the bell was a small drum, its skin cracked. Several wooden signs were nailed to the wall, bearing the words "Strike the bell in case of fire," "Strike the bell in case of theft," and "Temple fair," with an iron mallet hanging below them.

The clock tower has windows on all four sides, with the east window facing the direction of the Liu residence.

Under the window stood an old, low table, on which rested an incense burner, a divination stick container, a chime, and several dusty scriptures. This was where the temple keeper usually chanted scriptures, striking the bell twice a day, morning and evening.

Jin Renxiong was leaning against the east window, a piece of flatbread in his hand, munching on it as he looked out. Two other young men, seemingly straining their eyes, were resting with their eyes closed nearby.

Hearing the sound of footsteps on the stairs, Jin Renxiong turned around and saw Zhang Sanlang. He took the flatbread away from his mouth, stuffed it into his clothes, and stood up. "Master, there is a woodshed in the side courtyard of the Liu residence. The door is locked from the outside. Someone just delivered a meal to the woodshed."

Zhang Sanlang walked over and followed his gaze downwards.

The Liu residence is located on the south side of the alley, with two courtyards in the middle, one in front and one in back, each with three sections, separated by a narrow passage. On the left and right are two long and narrow side courtyards, each with four sections, connected by a narrow passage and a side door.

The front yard is the main yard, with the main house, side rooms, and annex rooms arranged neatly. The back yard is more spacious, with storage rooms, warehouses, stables, woodsheds, outbuildings, gardens, and hay sheds. There is a row of small huts inside the east corner gate, with the doors closed.

Jin Renxiong said in a low voice, "Master, someone delivered food to the east gate this afternoon. The person who delivered the food was an old servant. He didn't go into the courtyard; he just left the food box at the door. After a while, the door opened a crack, and a servant carried the food box inside."

Zhang Sanlang casually asked, "Where's the stable?"

"There were people watching over us; one looked like a groom, and the other seemed to be a guard or servant."

"A side room in the back courtyard?"

"The window paper was tightly sealed, but there was a yellow dog tied up outside."

Zhang Sanlang leaned against the window frame, looking at the rooftops of the Liu residence, one after another, with grass growing in the cracks between the tiles.

Huangfu Ce leaned closer. "Third Master, Commander Wu and the others have arrived. Should we search them or not?"

Zhang Sanlang stared at the row of small houses near the east gate. "Wait a little longer. Lu Renhao hasn't come out yet. If he finds something, he'll be more accurate than the archers."

Just then, hurried footsteps came from downstairs.

Zhang Long came up first, followed by Lu Renhao.

As soon as Lu Renhao entered the bell tower, he squatted down in the corner and took a few breaths. "Master, in the row of small houses inside the east gate, the third one from the north, there is a food box in front of the door with food inside. There are small footprints outside the back wall of that house."

Zhang Sanlang turned to Jin Renxiong, "Can you see that row of small houses at the East Corner Gate?"

Jin Renxiong squinted and looked down for a moment. "Yes. The third room from the north has whiter window paper than the others, so it must have been recently replaced. There's a shadow moving under the door crack, but I can't tell if it's a man or a woman."

Zhang Sanlang pressed down on the window frame, turned to Huangfu Ce and said, "Alright. Sir, go downstairs and have Zhang Long find Wu Dutou. Once inside the Liu family compound, first surround the row of small houses at the east corner gate. Then, send men to guard the back courtyard, the side courtyard, and the hay shed."

"Send Zhao Hu to inform Huo Renying to immediately lead men to provide support. Wu Dutou's small force is probably not enough to handle the situation."

Huangfu Ce responded and went downstairs.

Zhang Sanlang then looked at Lu Renhao and said, "Brother Lu, lead the way for them. If the door is locked, climb over the wall."

Lu Renhao clasped his hands in a fist salute, "Yes."

Zhang Sanlang then looked at Jin Renxiong, "Brother Jin, keep an eye on them. If they move people out, report back immediately."

Jin Renxiong nodded, his eyes never leaving the window.

After giving his instructions, Zhang Sanlang also descended the bell tower, with Wang Chao and Ma Han following closely behind.

The temple keeper stood with his head bowed at the door of the side room. As Zhang Sanlang passed by, he cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

The temple keeper bowed and responded.

By the time we left the City God Temple, it was already getting dark.

On the streets and alleys of the west of the city, a snack vendor pushed his cart home, with several children chasing after him.

Some shops had lanterns hanging outside their doors.

Huangfu Ce followed, "Third Master, should we send people to search Zuihuayin area at the same time?"

Zhang Sanlang shook his head. "There are too many people and too many eyes there; there might be some other shady business going on. Newly kidnapped people won't be sent there during the day; they should be hidden at the Liu residence first and then sent over at night."

Huangfu Ce looked at him. "What if we can't find it?"

Zhang Sanlang tightened his cuffs. "If we can't find Yan Shizhong's grandson, we can find someone else. Liu Geng, yours is here..."

When the two arrived near Liu's residence, Wu Yan was blocking the gate.

The main gate of the Liu residence spans three bays, with black lacquered doors and worn copper nails. Three stone steps lead up to the gate, with a stone drum-shaped base on each side.

Wu Yan led archers, who stood in two rows, surrounding half of the Liu family's gate. The archers did not carry torches, but had swords at their waists. Several clever ones had already circled around to the side alleys and kept watch on the two side gates as well.

Liu Geng was standing on the stone steps, with eight guards behind him, all holding staffs upside down. There were also four or five servants inside the gate, carrying door bolts and other such items.

Liu Geng glanced at Wu Yan, his face grim. "Captain Wu, what do you mean by bringing men to block my door?"

Wu Yan took half a step forward, his boots landing on the stone steps. "Master Liu, the grandson of Yan Shizhong, Ban Ge'er, and the maid Jin'er, who live in front of the workshop, have been abducted. Someone saw them enter the Liu family compound. Magistrate Gu has issued a warrant here, authorizing the investigation of the Liu family residence."

He raised his head and flashed the command token, and Liu Geng's tough demeanor immediately dissipated.

He stepped forward to greet them, glancing at the butler behind him, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "Captain Wu, Captain Wu, what are you saying? What does the disappearance of Yan Qianxing's grandson have to do with my Liu family?"

Liu Geng moved closer to Wu Yan and lowered his voice, "Besides, Commander Wu probably doesn't know that my Liu family has now submitted to the princes."

"Although you have retired and are at home, the local officials still give you some face. If you bring men to search my house today and find something, that's fine, but if you don't find anything, it will not look good for you."

The steward followed at this moment, carrying a blue cloth bag.

Liu Geng took the bag and stuffed it into Wu Yan's hands. "Captain Wu, you've worked hard. This is just a small token for the brothers to have some wine. Zhang Si Niangzi was a guest at my Liu family's house just two hours ago. I'm an old acquaintance of Zhang San Gongren."

Wu Yan grinned as he took the cloth bag and weighed it in his hand. A rustling sound came from inside as the silver beans clinked together.

He untied the bag, peeked inside, weighed it in his hand, and suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter. "Master Liu, are you trying to send a beggar away?"

Liu Geng's expression changed.

Wu Yan shoved the bag into Liu Geng's arms with considerable force, causing Liu Geng to stumble back two steps before regaining his balance. "Five silver beans, how many jars of wine can that buy? Do you think I've never raided a house before?"

His face tightened, and he waved his hand, "Brothers, listen up! Search the courtyard thoroughly! First, surround the row of small huts by the east gate, then leave two men to guard each of the back courtyard's side rooms, storerooms, and stables."

Liu Geng's smile completely vanished. "Wu Yan! You really dare to search me?"

Wu Yan grinned coldly, "Master Liu, Magistrate Gu's order is right here. What do I have to be afraid of?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the archers prepared to enter the courtyard.

The butler waved his hand, and the Liu family guards all took two steps forward, as if to stop him.

Liu Geng calmly retreated to the stone steps, his gaze towards Wu Yan turning cold. "So what if he's Magistrate Gu? Daring to search my Liu family, humph! Men, please fetch Young Master Wang..."

However, before he could finish speaking, a cold, hard voice interrupted, "So what if he's Young Master Wang?"