In the evening of the next day, Zhao Yi returned to the county office alone to meet Zhao Yan.

"Childe, Yuan Zhizhou agreed. Zhao Gou and the people from the Inspection Department were behind, and it was estimated that they would have to go about three watches when they got to the outside of the city, so he asked me to come back first to report the news and see when Gongzi planned to arrest someone. Zhao Yi was covered with wind and dust, and there was a big hole in the leg of his trousers, which must have been broken by stones or branches in the mountains and forests on the road.

Zhao Yan was excited, thought about it and said: "There are too many people inside and outside the temple during the day, you eat something and drink some water first, and then go outside the city to wait for Zhao Gou and them, it is inevitable to hit the cao and startle the snake, and when they arrive, let them find a secluded place to rest first, and then surround the pagoda temple at the fifth watch, and then I will take the three classes of officials out of the city to respond." ”

It was getting late, Zhao Jiu had yawned several times standing there, Zhao Yan knew that he was young and couldn't stay up late, so he asked him to go to sleep quickly, but Zhao Jiu admitted himself to be a servant, and he didn't sleep if the son didn't sleep, so he had no choice but to let him.

The sound of bangs and the sound of watchmen and watchmen could be heard from afar on the street, but they could not be heard clearly from a distance.

Zhao Yin and Wang Shuang turned around from the front hall, and when they came to the front and back, they could see the eye droppings in the corners of Wang Shuang's eyes.

"Master, I don't know it's so late, what are your instructions for Brother Zhao Yin to summon the villain?"

Zhao Yan asked rhetorically, "What time is it?" ”

Wang Shuang was stunned, and Zhao Yin had already replied on the side: "It's the fourth watch." ”

Zhao Yan got up and stretched, then walked up to Wang Shuang, patted him on the shoulder, and asked, "Is Wang Zhutou involved with the Pagoda Temple?" ”

Wang Shuang's sleeping Zhengxiang was awakened by Zhao Yin's knock on the door, and then heard that the county had an invitation to follow Zhao Yin, at this time the clouds were not very awake, and he replied: "What can the villain have to do with the Pagoda Temple, but Gu Dianshi and the presiding monk of the Pagoda Temple Yunneng have a lot of friendship, and there are Gu Dianshi to take care of them on weekdays, and some Xiaoxiao do not dare to come to the door to find trouble, so naturally they can't use the villain." ”

It's Gu Yuanche again. Zhao Yan muttered to himself, and ordered Zhao Jiu to get his sword, and then turned to Wang Shuang and smiled: "Wang catches the head and washes his face first, and then gathers his subordinates, this official will take you to eradicate a cancer for the people of this county." ”

"This ......" Wang Shuang looked up and saw Zhao Yan's murderous face, not as if he was joking, his mind was suddenly clear, and he didn't dare to ask and turned around to gather people.

Zhao Yan suddenly said behind Wang Shuang: "Also inform Master Cao, as for Gu Dianshi, don't let him know about it yet." ”

Wang Shuang turned around and arched his hand: "The villain understands." ”

Looking at Wang Shuang's figure in a hurry, Zhao Yan said in his heart You understand a ball, there is such a scourge as the Pagoda Temple under your nose, but you don't know, how can I rely on you in the future?

Thinking of this, Zhao Yan's heart moved, and he whispered to Zhao Yin: "You go too, keep an eye on Wang Shuang on the way, and see if he will secretly let someone report to Gu Dianshi." ”

At the fifth watch, Yao Yao saw the fire shimmering at the Xinning City Gate, and the city gate was slowly opened, Zhang Liang, the inspector of the Chengbu Inspection Division, looked at Zhao Gou next to him, and saw that he nodded, Zhang Liang took the waist knife out of the sheath and shouted: "Brothers, do it, be sure not to get rid of a Yin monk." ”

When Zhao Yan rushed to the front of the pagoda temple with a group of officials, he saw that the pagoda temple had been tightly surrounded by three or four hundred soldiers of the inspection department, and the torches were blazing, and the front of the temple was illuminated in the daytime.

Zhang Liang saw that Zhao Yan was wearing a seven-grade official uniform, so he immediately came to salute: "Zhang Liang, the inspection department of the Xiaguancheng Foot Inspection Division, came to assist Zhao Zhixian in arresting criminals on the order of Yuan Zhizhou. ”

Zhao Yan saw that Zhang Liang was in his thirties, tall and healthy, and holding a steel knife with a bad spirit, he couldn't help but look at it twice, and then said: "Zhang Patrol has been in the army?" ”

The inspection department is mainly located in the rural Guanjin, and is specially designed to investigate people who have no way to go out, arrest spies, intercept escaped soldiers and prisoners, crack down on smuggling, and maintain normal business and travel exchanges.

The Chengbu Inspection Division was established in the first year of Hongxi, in order to strengthen the management of Dong Zhai in Wugang Prefecture, and directly obeyed the orders of Wugang Zhizhou, but it has nothing to do with Xinning County.

Zhang Liang saw Zhao Yan wearing a sword on his waist, just as it was an ornament, he had his own background, although his official position was lower than Zhao Yan, he was not afraid of him, and replied: "Xia Guan and Yuan Zhizhou are brothers-in-law, two years ago in the capital five military camps, and later was dismissed due to injury, Yuan Zhizhou heard about it and called Xia Guan to do this inspection department. ”

Zhang Liang spoke with a lot of confidence, presumably because Zhizhou was behind him, Zhao Yan didn't care, he saw that the pagoda temple was tightly surrounded, so he no longer worried that the monks in the temple would run away, and now he had to wait for someone, anyway, he was idle, it was better to chat with Zhang Liang.

"Inspector Zhang was injured in the Civil Engineering Battle?"

Zhang Liang's face changed, hundreds of thousands of Ming troops were defeated by 50,000 people, as one of them, his face was naturally gloomy, and the young magistrate in front of him didn't open which pot to mention, Zhang Liang suddenly felt disgusted about it.

"Exactly." Zhang Liang didn't deny it, but his face became a little ugly.

Zhao Yan smiled and said: "At that time, the official was also in the middle of it, and he almost lost his life, but fortunately, with the help of nobles, he barely saved his life." ”

Zhang Liang asked with some surprise: "Zhao Zhixian didn't blame me, right?" ”

Zhao Jiu's life was saved by Zhao Yan, and he usually saw no one questioning his son-in-law, and said loudly when he heard the words: "Who rarely lied to you, my son-in-law also hacked a Tartar to death." ”

Zhao Yan really took advantage of Wang Lin to kill a Warat soldier when he was fighting, and after returning to his hometown, Zhao Jiu was by his side when he talked to friends such as Liu Jing and Qian Liangcai.

Zhang Liang hesitated for a moment before saying, "I don't know what Zhao Zhixian is called?" ”

Zhao Yan reported his name, and Zhang Liang suddenly realized: "It turns out that Zhao Zhixian was the official in the prisoner car with the army at that time, and the lower official was not far from the prisoner car at that time. ”

With this relationship, Zhang Liang was no longer reserved, he was just a small soldier at the time, and he knew little about what happened in the future, so he couldn't help but ask Zhao Yan about the follow-up development of the civil war, and heard Zhao Yan say that he was captured with the emperor, and then returned to the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Liang was quite amazed by Zhao Yan's experience.

The two chatted for a while, and the chief bookkeeper, Cao Fangcai, came in a hurry accompanied by his family, and as soon as he saw Zhao Yan, he asked, "Why did the county envoy make people surround the pagoda temple?" Fortunately, at this time, if the people were to see it during the day, I am afraid it would arouse the anger of the people. ”

In the entire Xinning County, the only serious officials sent by the imperial court were Zhao Yan and Cao Fang, so Zhao Yan wanted to wait for Cao Fang to be a witness.

At this time, since Cao Fang had already come, and a touch of fish belly white was also revealed in the sky, Zhao Yan smiled, and did not talk to Cao Fang, but turned his head to Wang Shuang beside him and said, "Wang Zhutou, you go and call the door." ”

Wang Shuang and Cao Fang glanced at each other, and they both wanted to know what kind of medicine was sold in the gourd of this new magistrate? But people just don't say, what can they do.

"Master, we have to have a saying about the pagoda temple around us, what should the villain say when he goes to call the door?"

Zhao Yan saw that Wang Shuang was a little embarrassed, his eyes rolled, and he said: "Let's just say that a Jiangyang thief who killed people and oversold goods came from other counties, and someone saw him enter the pagoda temple. In order to protect the territory and the people, this official was specially ordered by Yuan Zhizhou to lead the sergeants of the Chengbu Inspection Division to arrest the thief. ”

This was obviously a lie, but Wang Shuang didn't dare not do it, he just saw Zhao Yan secretly glance at him, that look was cold, it was obvious that his response had caused Zhao Yan's dissatisfaction.

Wang Shuang stepped forward and tapped the door a few times, and after a while, there was movement behind the door, and a voice asked, "Who knocked on the door?" What's the matter? ”

Wang Shuangzhao Xuanke said the 'meaning of coming', and the voice was silent for a while, and then sounded again: "Wang Zhutou, please go back, there are people on duty at night in this temple, and I didn't see any thieves coming in. ”

Zhang Liang was hiding on the side of the temple gate with a knife at this time, he pursed his lips after hearing the temple's response, and then shook his fist at Wang Shuang, making a vicious expression on his face.

Wang Shuang understood, and then he knocked on the door a few more times, and his voice became louder: "Open the door quickly, Zhao Zhixian of this county personally led the crowd to arrest the thief, if you don't open the door, you will be guilty of the same crime as the thief, and then the law will be ruthless, don't blame me for not caring for face." ”

The voice behind the door said with a crying voice: "If you don't catch your head and wait first, the little monk will go and ask for instructions." ”

Wang Shuang turned his head to look at Zhang Liang, and when he saw him nodding, he said, "Go and come back quickly, we will hit the door after a long time." ”

A footstep behind the door faded away, and then there was no movement.

Zhang Liang walked to Zhao Yan's side and said in a low voice: "Zhao Zhixian, Xia Guan is sure that there are still people behind the door, but I'm not sure if it's two or three, listening to their long breathing, I think they will know some kung fu." ”

Zhao Yan glanced at Wang Shuang, who was still waiting outside the door, turned his head and asked, "I'm afraid there will be variables after a long time, since they don't open the door, then we'll open it ourselves." ”

After speaking, Zhao Yan drew his sword out of its sheath, and was about to beckon his servants to bang on the door, when the door suddenly opened.

An old monk in his fifties and sixties, with white eyebrows and gray beards, walked out of the temple gate accompanied by several monks, and then folded his hands and said: "The old monk Yunneng, who is the presiding officer of the pagoda temple, has seen the lord of the county. ”

Monk Yunneng had a solemn face, and there was a monk's demeanor in his speech and demeanor, Zhao Yan smiled slightly, held a sword in one hand, and made a single palm salute with the other, and said: "I have long heard that Master Yunneng of the Pagoda Temple has exquisite Buddhism and compassion, and this official has always wanted to come to ask for advice, but he has never found time when he first came to the chaos of things, and he has never found leisure, and he does not want to meet the master in such a situation today." ”