Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Gao Yanei, relying on the power of his father Gao Qiu, did whatever he pleased in the capital. Ximen Qing, on the other hand, was a wealthy and ruthless local tyrant with connections to the highest levels. The two were birds of a feather and hit it off immediately.

They first set their sights on a bustling street in the city. This street was originally thriving, run by numerous small vendors and ordinary people. Gao Yanei, abusing his power, forcibly issued a so-called "rectification order," claiming that the street would be re-planned. In reality, he wanted to drive out the original merchants and seize the land for himself.

Ximen Qing, meanwhile, devised a plan, hiring thugs to harass the merchants and threaten them into moving out. Some merchants, unwilling to leave, tried to resist, but were brutally beaten by Gao Yanei's henchmen. Under their tyranny, the merchants were forced to leave, losing their livelihoods.

Next, Ximen Qing bought the land at an extremely low price and then embarked on a massive construction project, building luxurious shops and residences. Gao Yanei received huge bribes from this, while Ximen Qing made a fortune from these new properties.

They also set their sights on a mine outside the city. The mine was originally operated legally by local villagers, and although small, it provided them with a livelihood. Gao Yanei falsely accused the villagers of illegal mining and sent troops to seal off the mine.

Taking advantage of the situation, Ximen Qing proposed a partnership with Gao Yanei, with Ximen Qing funding the establishment of a mining team and promising Gao Yanei a share of the profits. Under their manipulation, the villagers lost their livelihood from the mines, while Ximen Qing and Gao Yanei made a fortune by selling the ore.

Furthermore, they also ventured into the salt trade. The salt industry was strictly controlled by the government at the time, but Gao Yanei, through his father's connections, facilitated Ximen Qing's scheme. Ximen Qing was able to illegally sell salt and reap huge profits. They not only inflated salt prices, causing immense suffering to the people, but also suppressed other legitimate salt merchants, monopolizing the local salt market.

Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong rushed back to the shop with the news they had received from Zhang San.

Wu Yong was anxiously waiting for them, and as soon as he saw the two return, he immediately went to greet them.

"Instructor Lin, Commander Lu, how are things?" Wu Yong asked anxiously.

Lin Chong's expression was solemn as he said, "Scholar, what Zhang San said is truly shocking."

Lu Zhishen also said angrily, "The deeds that Ximen Qing and Gao Yanei have done are simply outrageous!"

Wu Yong frowned and gestured for them to explain in detail.

Lin Chong took a deep breath and said, "According to Zhang San, Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing not only seized private property and monopolized business, but also colluded with the government to oppress the people. Their many properties in the city were obtained through illegal means, and it seems that there is an even more powerful force supporting them behind the scenes."

As Wu Yong listened, his face grew increasingly gloomy, and he thought to himself: This matter of Gao Yanei is even more troublesome than I expected.

Lu Zhishen continued, "Zhang San also said that Gao Yanei, relying on Gao Qiu's power, runs rampant in the capital, and no one dares to interfere. Ximen Qing is also infamous in the local area. They collude and do whatever they want."

Wu paced back and forth, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I didn't expect the waters behind this to be so deep. If we want to deal with them, we need to plan carefully."

Lin Chong said, "Scholar, these two have committed so many evils. If they are not punished, the people will never have a peaceful day."

Wu Yong nodded and said, "Instructor Lin is absolutely right, but we must not act rashly in this matter. Gao Yanei has Gao Qiu backing him up, and if we act rashly, we may end up getting burned."

Lu Zhishen waved his hand and said, "Are we just going to let them go like this? I can't swallow this insult!"

Wu Yong quickly advised, "Commander Lu, don't be hasty. We need to find out their strengths and weaknesses first, and then act when the opportunity arises."

Lin Chong also said, "The scholar is right, but the process will probably not be easy."

Wu Yong sighed, “It is indeed difficult, but for the sake of justice and the people, we must come up with a foolproof plan.”

Wu Yong paced back and forth in his tent, pondering for a long time, and finally came up with a brilliant plan to collect evidence of Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing's crimes.

He summoned Lu Zhishen, Lin Chong, Zhao Tianming, and others to discuss the matter. Everyone sat together, their eyes fixed on Wu Yong, waiting for him to speak.

Wu Yong cleared his throat and said, “Brothers, Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing are in cahoots, wielding considerable power, and are backed by influential figures like Gao Qiu. Directly confronting them would be unlikely to be successful. Therefore, we must act with cunning.”

Zhao Tianming asked eagerly, "Scholar, quickly tell me your plan."

Wu Yong smiled slightly and began to explain his plan: "First, we need to send people to infiltrate Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing's men. We can find some clever brothers who are good at disguising themselves and have them pretend to join us to gain their trust. After infiltrating, they can secretly observe their every move and collect evidence of their illegal activities."

Lin Chong nodded and said, "This plan is excellent, but how can we ensure that our brothers are not discovered?"

Wu Yong continued, "This requires careful disguise and training for these brothers. They need to be familiar with the style and rules of Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing's gang, and at the same time, we need to fabricate reasonable identities and backgrounds for them. In addition, we also need to arrange manpower on the periphery to provide support at any time, just in case."

Lu Zhishen said, "Okay, I think that's feasible. So what's next?"

Wu Yong continued, "Secondly, we will utilize the power of public opinion. We will arrange for some of our brothers to spread rumors about Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing's misdeeds in the streets, arousing public anger and attention. However, we must be careful not to be too obvious, lest we alert them."

Zhao Tianming said, "Scholar, won't this attract the attention of the authorities?"

Wu Yong replied, "This is exactly one of the effects we want. Once the government takes notice of this public opinion, Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing will inevitably take action to try to cover up the truth. We can then take the opportunity to observe their reactions and look for flaws in their statements."

"Furthermore, we must send people to closely monitor the interactions between Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing and the government. We need to see if they bribe officials or conspire with them. If we can find evidence of their collusion with officials, it will be extremely powerful leverage." Wu Yong's eyes gleamed with wisdom.

Lin Chong said, "The scholar's considerations are thorough, but this will require a lot of manpower and time."

Wu Yong said, "For justice and for the people, this sacrifice is worthwhile. At the same time, we must also try to stir up conflict between Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing. Although they are colluding together, there must be problems such as unequal distribution of benefits. We can send people to secretly sow discord between them, making them distrust each other and even turn against each other. Once chaos breaks out among them, it will be easier for us to collect evidence."

Lu Zhishen laughed loudly, "Haha, the scholar's trick is truly brilliant! It has thrown them into disarray."

Wu Yong concluded, "In carrying out these plans, everyone must be extremely careful and never reveal our intentions. As long as we can successfully gather enough evidence, we can expose their crimes and bring them to justice."

Everyone nodded in agreement, full of confidence in Wu Yong's plan.

Zhao Tianming said, "Don't worry, scholar, we will do our best to act according to the plan."

So, following Wu Yong's instructions, everyone split up and began their own operations. A battle of wits against the evil forces quietly unfolded.

Zhao Tianming said to Song Jiang, Lu Junyi, Wu Song, Lu Zhishen, Lin Chong, Yan Qing, Shi Xiu, and Shi Qian'er, "Brothers, I'm entrusting this matter to you."

Song Jiang cupped his hands and said, "Brother Zhao, rest assured, we will certainly not fail in our mission."

After everyone dispersed, Yan Qing, relying on his handsome appearance and quick wit, disguised himself and infiltrated Ximen Qing's mansion, becoming a servant. Every day, he carefully observed Ximen Qing's whereabouts and secret conversations with others, and at the slightest sign of trouble, he would relay the information to his brothers waiting outside using coded signals.

Shi Xiu, disguised as a down-on-his-luck江湖人士 (jianghu shishi, a term referring to people from the martial arts world), encountered Gao Yanei's henchmen on the street. He deliberately displayed some martial arts skills, successfully attracting their attention and being recruited into Gao Yanei's mansion. Shi Xiu secretly observed Gao Yanei's correspondence and financial transactions with other powerful figures.

Lu Zhishen and Wu Song wandered through the streets together, seemingly drinking and chatting, but actually spreading rumors about the evil deeds of Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing. They cleverly recounted the tragic experiences of the oppressed people, sparking heated discussions among the crowd, and the public opinion gradually gained momentum.

Lin Chong, along with several of his men, lay in ambush near the tavern frequented by Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing, monitoring their meetings with officials. They secretly recorded any suspicious activity they observed.

Using his connections and wealth, Lu Junyi secretly bribed some minor figures around Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing to extract important information from them.

Shi Qian'er used his ability to scale walls and rooftops to sneak into the mansions of Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing under the cover of night, searching for any potentially important documents and evidence.

Song Jiang oversaw the overall situation from the rear, coordinating everyone's actions and ensuring the timely transmission of information and the smooth progress of the plan.

Each brother performed his duties diligently, knowing full well the importance of the operation and the need to go all out to expose the crimes of Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing and bring justice to the people.

After everyone left, Zhao Tianming frowned and said to Wu Yong with great concern, "Brother Wu Yong, I have been worried for a long time. If we can collect evidence of Gao Yanei and his gang's crimes this time, can we really take this opportunity to rescue An Daoquan? I am really afraid that something might go wrong."

Wu Yong patted Zhao Tianming on the shoulder and comforted him, "Brother Zhao, don't be so anxious. Our plan this time is very thorough, and all the brothers have done their best. As long as we can successfully obtain the evidence, we will definitely be able to expose Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing. Then we will have hope of rescuing Brother An Daoquan."

Zhao Tianming sighed and said, "But Gao Yanei is backed by Gao Qiu and has a huge influence. Even if we have evidence, they will probably deny it in every way, and may even retaliate against us in a crazy way."

Wu Yong's gaze was firm, and he said in a deep voice, "Brother Zhao, now that we have decided to fight against this evil force, we cannot hesitate. Justice is on our side. As long as we unite and make the evidence public, we will surely arouse public outrage and make it impossible for the government to protect them. Even if the process is difficult, we will never give up."

Zhao Tianming clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying, "I hope everything goes smoothly. If we succeed, it will be a relief to the people. However, we must proceed with caution and not let our brothers get into danger."

Wu Yong nodded and said, "Brother Zhao, rest assured, I will consider everything carefully. Let's wait for good news from our brothers."