Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing continued to plot their next move in the secret room.

Ximen Qing said, "Brother Gao, I have an idea. We can spread rumors that Song Jiang and Lu Junyi are plotting a major robbery to help the poor, targeting the wealthiest families in the city. Those families will surely be terrified and put pressure on the government."

Gao Yanei nodded slightly: "That's good, this plan is excellent. However, it's not enough on its own."

Ximen Qing's eyes lit up: "Then we'll arrange for more people to disguise themselves as Song Jiang's men and create some chaos in the city, such as smashing shops and looting property, to make the government even more convinced of their crimes."

Gao Yanei smiled and said, "That's not ruthless enough. We'll find a few local ruffians and scoundrels to pretend to be victims of Song Jiang and his gang. They'll go to the government office to file a complaint, tearfully accusing Song Jiang and his gang of their evil deeds."

Ximen Qing clapped his hands and praised, "Brilliant! In this way, the government will surely do everything in its power to hunt down Song Jiang and his men."

Gao Yanei continued, "Then, I will use my father's connections to get the government to send its most elite troops to wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Ximen Qing added, "We can also bury some stolen goods, such as gold, silver, and important government documents, in their hiding places, so that they will have no way to defend themselves."

Gao Yanei chuckled sinisterly, "That's right, even if they have extraordinary abilities, they won't be able to escape this time."

The two became more and more excited as they talked, as if they could already see Song Jiang, Lu Junyi, and others being brought to justice.

They immediately began their operation, arranging for their men to spread rumors, create chaos, and bribe the aggrieved parties according to plan. Rumors quickly spread throughout the city, causing widespread panic, and the government was overwhelmed, issuing arrest warrants for Song Jiang and his associates.

However, what they didn't expect was that Song Jiang and his men had already discovered their plot and were secretly discussing countermeasures...

The conspiracy of Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing spread rapidly throughout the city, and Song Jiang and others soon realized that the situation was unfavorable.

Song Jiang gathered everyone to discuss countermeasures, saying, "Brothers, now those two villains, Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing, are using underhanded tricks, so we must be careful."

Lu Junyi frowned and said, "Their move is extremely vicious. The government has now issued an arrest warrant for us. We are in the open, and they are in the dark. The situation is critical."

Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "Don't panic. Let's first send people to investigate the source of those rumors and find evidence that they spread them. At the same time, we'll arrange for our brothers to infiltrate the people, clarify the facts, and expose their conspiracy."

Following the plan, the group quickly discovered some clues. It turned out that several of Ximen Qing's trusted men were spreading rumors in taverns, teahouses, and other places.

Song Jiang decisively dispatched Li Kui and others to arrest these confidants and bring them to the government office, proving that these rumors were malicious fabrications.

When their plan failed, Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing devised another scheme. They arranged for men to impersonate Song Jiang's men and create chaos by looting and vandalizing the city.

But Song Jiang had anticipated this and had already sent Wu Song with a group of men to patrol the city. When the imposters appeared, Wu Song and his men quickly subdued them and exposed their identities.

Enraged, Ximen Qing sent bribed thugs to the government office to file a complaint.

Wu Yong then arranged for some commoners to testify for Song Jiang and his group, proving that the so-called "victims" were acting under someone's orders.

The authorities began to have doubts about these cases and no longer blindly believed the one-sided accounts of Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing.

Unwilling to accept defeat, Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing decided to bury the stolen goods at the hiding place of Song Jiang and his men.

However, Song Jiang strengthened his defenses, and Shi Qian discovered the infiltrating enemies, captured them in one fell swoop, and found the stolen goods that they had prepared to bury.

With this evidence in hand, Song Jiang personally went to the government office to present the truth to the prefect. The prefect was already dissatisfied with the behavior of Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing, and now that he saw the evidence was conclusive, he decided not to pursue the matter further.

When Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing learned that their plan had completely failed, they were furious.

Meanwhile, Song Jiang and his men seized the opportunity to gather evidence of Gao Yanei and Ximen Qing's collusion, preparing to bring them down in one fell swoop. The confrontation between the two sides intensified, and the situation became increasingly tense. It remained to be seen who would emerge victorious.

Seeing that his conspiracy with Ximen Qing was repeatedly exposed and thwarted by Song Jiang and others, Gao Yanei was furious. He knew that if he wanted his plan to succeed, he had to use his father Gao Qiu's connections.

In a luxurious study, Gao Yanei said anxiously to Gao Qiu, "Father, all the plans I devised with Ximen Qing have been foiled by Song Jiang and his gang. Now I have lost all face in this city. I hope you can lend me a hand."

Gao Qiu sat in the armchair, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said with a gloomy face, "You good-for-nothing, you only know how to cause trouble, and now you can't even deal with a few bandits."

Gao Yanei hurriedly stepped forward and said obsequiously, "Father, Song Jiang and his gang are very cunning. I have no other choice but to ask you for help. If you are willing to take action, you will surely be able to wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Gao Qiu snorted coldly: "I am busy with affairs in the court, I have no time to deal with your trivial matters."

Upon seeing this, Gao Yanei hurriedly knelt on the ground and pleaded, "Father, I know I was wrong. But Ximen Qing and I have a deep friendship. He suffered heavy losses this time. If I cannot get justice for him, how can I stand in this city in the future? Furthermore, if we can eliminate Song Jiang and his men, it will also add merit to your reputation in the court."

Upon hearing this, Gao Qiu wavered slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Fine, I'll help you this time. But remember, if you fail, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Gao Yanei was overjoyed and quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Father. I will certainly not disappoint you."

Subsequently, Gao Qiu, leveraging his power in the court, secretly colluded with some officials. He first pressured the prefect, accusing him of incompetence in failing to apprehend Song Jiang and his associates, and threatening to impeach him if the matter was not resolved quickly. Under Gao Qiu's coercion, the prefect was terrified and had no choice but to agree to do everything in his power to capture Song Jiang and his men.

Gao Qiu then used his connections to bribe some assassins from the martial arts world to assist the government in suppressing Song Jiang and his gang. At the same time, he instructed his men to spread rumors in the army, claiming that Song Jiang and his associates intended to rebel, thus inciting hatred among the soldiers towards Song Jiang and his group.

Under Gao Qiu's manipulation, the government dispatched a large number of troops to conduct a thorough search of any places where Song Jiang and his men might be hiding. For a time, the city was filled with unease and fear, and the people were gripped by dread.

Song Jiang and his men realized that the situation was becoming increasingly dire, and that they were now facing immense pressure from Gao Qiu.

Song Jiang said with great concern, "Brothers, this time Gao Yanei has used Gao Qiu's connections, and we are facing an unprecedented crisis."

Wu Yong calmly analyzed, "Brother, don't be anxious. Although Gao Qiu is extremely powerful, we are not without power. We need to find a way to expose Gao Qiu's crimes and let the court know his true colors."

Lu Junyi also said, "That's right, we can also unite with some upright officials in the court to fight against Gao Qiu."

Everyone nodded in agreement and decided to split up. On one hand, they would strengthen their own defenses to evade capture by the authorities; on the other hand, they would send out men to collect evidence of Gao Qiu's crimes.

However, Gao Qiu's influence was widespread, and their actions were frequently thwarted. Just when everyone was feeling hopeless, Shi Qian unexpectedly learned an important secret from a trusted confidant in Gao Qiu's household. It turned out that Gao Qiu had embezzled a large amount of military funds during a military operation.

Song Jiang and his men seized this opportunity to present the evidence to the imperial court. They knew the journey to the capital was long and fraught with danger. Undeterred, they resolutely embarked on this arduous path.

Gao Yanei thought victory was assured, but little did he know that Song Jiang and his men were plotting a desperate counterattack.

In Zhao Tianming's restaurant, Wu stroked his chin, his gaze deep, already having devised a plan to deal with Gao Qiu.

Under the cover of night, Shi Qian, dressed in black, stealthily infiltrated Gao Qiu's mansion like a ghost. Agile and nimble, he skillfully evaded the patrolling guards, hiding under the eaves. Through a crack in the window, he saw Gao Qiu in his study, conversing privately with his confidants, his ears perked up, carefully listening to every word.

Meanwhile, in a bustling restaurant in the capital, Yan Qing, dressed in fine clothes and holding a folding fan, was drinking and chatting with a group of officials and scholars. He was witty and engaging in lively conversation, casually mentioning various rumors about Gao Qiu, drawing the attention of everyone present. "Gentlemen," Yan Qing said, taking a sip of his wine, his eyes revealing a deeper meaning. "I've heard that Gao Qiu acts quite unfairly in the army; there must be some shady dealings involved."

Meanwhile, Dai Zong used his supernatural speed to travel back and forth between the capital and various regions. He was drenched in sweat but dared not rest for a moment, all to contact those righteous individuals who harbored resentment towards Gao Qiu. In a secluded courtyard, Dai Zong sat opposite a demoted official. "My lord," Dai Zong said earnestly, "this is the perfect opportunity to bring down Gao Qiu. We hope you can lend us a hand."

In the darkest hour before dawn, several shadowy figures swiftly posted anonymous notices throughout the streets and alleys of the capital. The notices detailed Gao Qiu's crimes of embezzling military funds and oppressing the people, written in sharp, incisive strokes. At dawn, the people gathered around the notices, pointing and whispering, their angry discussions rising and falling.

In Gao Qiu's residence, a trusted aide rushed in to report: "My lord, rumors are circulating that someone intends to harm you." Gao Qiu frowned, suspicious in his heart. At this moment, another person came to report: "My lord, we have just received news that a certain lord is secretly gathering evidence against you." Gao Qiu panicked immediately and began to give incoherent orders, issuing a series of erroneous commands.

Carrying meticulously prepared evidence, Song Jiang, dressed simply and with a resolute expression, entered the residence of the upright minister. The minister sat in the hall, his face grave as he looked at the evidence presented by Song Jiang. "Brave warrior Song Jiang," the minister said, "this matter is of great importance. If true, Gao Qiu will not escape justice." Song Jiang bowed and replied, "My lord, everything I have said is true. I beg you to uphold justice for the people."