Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

It was Grand Commandant Su Yuanjing who helped Song Jiang and his men to take charge. Su Yuanjing was an upright man who had always been deeply dissatisfied with Gao Qiu's actions. The evidence presented by Song Jiang and his men gave him a golden opportunity to bring down Gao Qiu.

Su Yuanjing sat in his study, holding the evidence provided by Song Jiang and others, his expression solemn and resolute. He knew this was a perilous struggle, but for the sake of the court's integrity and the people's peace, he was determined to step forward.

He summoned his trusted confidant and carefully instructed him: "Go quickly and secretly investigate the authenticity of this evidence, making sure there are no loopholes. Gao Qiu has many cronies in the court, so we must be absolutely certain before we act."

His trusted confidant departed, while Su Yuanjing fell into deep thought. He recalled Gao Qiu's usual arrogance and his destruction of the court's discipline, and his anger grew even stronger.

Several days later, the confidant brought back a detailed investigation report, confirming the authenticity of the evidence. A resolute glint flashed in Su Yuanjing's eyes; he decided to immediately meet with the Emperor.

In the imperial court, Su Yuanjing, holding a memorial in his hand, impeached Gao Qiu in front of all the civil and military officials with righteous indignation.

"Your Majesty, Gao Qiu has embezzled military funds and oppressed the people; his crimes are unforgivable. Now that the evidence is conclusive, I implore Your Majesty to severely punish this traitor in order to rectify the court and reassure the people." Su Yuanjing's voice was loud and firm.

Gao Qiu stood to the side, his face dark with anger, inwardly cursing Su Yuanjing for meddling. But outwardly, he feigned composure and argued, "What Grand Commandant Su said is pure slander. I am utterly loyal to the court and have never committed such an evil deed."

Su Yuanjing glared at him angrily and shouted, "Gao Qiu, stop trying to deny it! The evidence is right here, how can you deny it!" With that, he presented the evidence to the Emperor one by one.

In the imperial court, Su Yuanjing righteously impeached Gao Qiu, causing Gao Qiu's expression to change drastically, filled with resentment. At this moment, Tong Guan and Cai Jing exchanged a glance, deciding to collude with Gao Qiu to deal with Su Yuanjing.

Tong Guan was the first to step forward, and said in a sarcastic tone, "Grand Commandant Su, your evidence seems to have come at a rather opportune time. Could it be that someone deliberately fabricated it to frame Lord Gao?" Cai Jing immediately chimed in, "Indeed, Grand Commandant Su, Lord Gao has devoted himself to the court. How could he have done such a treasonous thing? Don't let the villains blind you."

Taking advantage of the situation, Gao Qiu cried out, "Your Majesty, I am utterly loyal. Someone must be jealous of my achievements and wants to kill me. Grand Commandant Su's actions are truly sinister!"

Tong Guan added, "Your Majesty, Grand Commandant Su's actions may have ulterior motives. Perhaps he wants to use this opportunity to eliminate dissidents and strengthen his own power." Cai Jing also added fuel to the fire, "Your Majesty is discerning. Grand Commandant Su has always been at odds with Lord Gao. This time, he is probably settling a personal score."

Gao Qiu's eyes darted around, and he said, "Your Majesty, the evidence presented by Grand Commandant Su is full of loopholes and must be forged. I hope Your Majesty will investigate thoroughly and not wrong a loyal minister." Tong Guan immediately added, "Indeed, Your Majesty, there must be something fishy about Grand Commandant Su's eagerness to convict Lord Gao."

Cai Jing then gave a signal to the other ministers, and those who usually colluded with them stepped forward, accusing Su Yuanjing of insufficient evidence and improper impeachment. Immediately, the court was abuzz with discussion, and the situation became extremely unfavorable for Su Yuanjing.

Gao Qiu looked at Su Yuanjing with smug satisfaction, while Tong Guan and Cai Jing fanned the flames from the sidelines, trying to make the emperor suspicious of Su Yuanjing. The three of them spoke fiercely and worked together, targeting Su Yuanjing with their attacks, hoping to make Su Yuanjing's impeachment efforts fail.

Faced with the collusion and aggressive behavior of Gao Qiu, Tong Guan, and Cai Jing, Su Yuanjing remained unfazed, his gaze firm and sharp.

He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, everything I have said is based on solid evidence and is not fabricated out of thin air. Gao Qiu’s embezzlement of military funds and oppression of the people are undeniable. What are the intentions of Lords Tong Guan and Cai Jing in trying to exonerate Gao Qiu at this moment?”

Su Yuanjing scanned the three men, his tone serious: "Lord Tong Guan said the evidence came at a convenient time and even questioned whether it was deliberately fabricated. Then may I ask Lord Tong Guan, if it were truly fabricated, how could it be so detailed and consistent with so many facts? Could it be that you are deliberately misleading the public and protecting your accomplices?"

Then, he looked at Cai Jing and said sternly, "Lord Cai Jing, you say that Gao Qiu is loyal and devoted. But the military funds he embezzled have caused countless soldiers to go hungry and cold, and weakened many border defenses, giving the enemy an opportunity to exploit. Can this be called being devoted? This is clearly a scourge to the country and its people!"

Su Yuanjing turned to the Emperor again and spoke eloquently: "Your Majesty, Gao Qiu's crimes are crystal clear. The fact that officials Tong Guan and Cai Jing are defending him at this time is nothing more than a fear of losing their own interests. They collude with each other, forming cliques for personal gain, and have long since disregarded the laws and regulations of the court. If Gao Qiu is not severely punished, how can the law be upheld? How can the people's hearts be at ease? If their few sophistry shakes our judgment of the truth, who will dare to be loyal to the court and speak out for the people in the future?"

Su Yuanjing stood tall, unfazed by the three men's angry glares, and continued, "They accuse me of having ulterior motives and settling personal scores. My entire life as an official has been dedicated to the country and its people. If I am falsely accused for exposing the crimes of treacherous officials, I will gladly die ten thousand times over. But these three are in cahoots, attempting to distort the truth and deceive Your Majesty. This is truly a heinous crime!"

Having said that, Su Yuanjing took out more evidence from his bosom and presented it to the emperor: "Your Majesty, this is the evidence I have collected further, which is sufficient to prove that Gao Qiu's crimes are irrefutable. I hope Your Majesty will see through this carefully and not be misled by the words of treacherous officials."

The atmosphere was extremely tense. Su Yuanjing, Gao Qiu, Tong Guan, and Cai Jing were locked in a fierce battle of wits, each refusing to yield and exchanging heated words. Emperor Huizong sat on his dragon throne, his face grim, his brows furrowed, caught in a dilemma.

Emperor Huizong's gaze darted back and forth between the two men, his mind in turmoil. Gao Qiu was a minister he had once relied on, and although some rumors had reached his ears, he had always chosen to believe in Gao Qiu's loyalty. Tong Guan and Cai Jing, on the other hand, were also important officials in the court with considerable power, and their words could not help but make him wary.

On Su Yuanjing's side, his arguments were righteous and his evidence irrefutable; every word was filled with his insistence on justice and his loyalty to the court. Emperor Huizong knew Su Yuanjing was an upright man who never participated in factional struggles, so his resolute impeachment of Gao Qiu must have been based on fact. However, he feared that easily convicting Gao Qiu would wrong a high-ranking official and alienate other ministers.

Emperor Huizong coughed lightly, trying to break the tense atmosphere: "My dear ministers, please refrain from arguing. This matter requires further consideration."

But Su Yuanjing bowed again and said, "Your Majesty, the evidence is conclusive and there is no need for further discussion. Gao Qiu's embezzlement of military funds has caused instability in the army and weakened border defenses. If he is not punished, how can the law be upheld and the world be at peace?"

Gao Qiu immediately knelt down and cried out, "Your Majesty, I have always been loyal to you and have never committed such a crime. Su Yuanjing has framed me; his heart deserves to be punished!"

Tong Guan then added, "Your Majesty, Su Yuanjing's actions are far too arbitrary; there may be other hidden motives. Lord Gao Qiu has served the court for many years and has made invaluable contributions. How can he be convicted based solely on this so-called evidence?"

Cai Jing then said, "Your Majesty, this matter concerns the reputation of important officials of the court, and cannot be decided hastily. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider."

As Emperor Huizong listened to the debate, his mind became increasingly conflicted. He didn't want to wrong Gao Qiu, yet he also didn't want to ignore the evidence presented by Su Yuanjing. For a moment, he felt torn and didn't know what to do.

Emperor Huizong stood up and paced back and forth in the court. His gaze would sometimes fall on Gao Qiu, and seeing his tearful appearance, he couldn't help but feel some pity; at other times, he would look at Su Yuanjing, whose firm eyes and indignant expression made him feel that this matter might not be unfounded.

“Your Majesty, a country cannot be without laws, and laws cannot be disregarded. If we condone Gao Qiu’s crimes this time, where will the court’s discipline be in the future?” Su Yuanjing advised again.

"Your Majesty, you must not blindly believe Su Yuanjing's words, lest you fall into someone else's trap," Tong Guan said urgently.

Emperor Huizong stopped, rubbed his temples, and sighed, "I need time to think about this matter. I will adjourn the court for now and make a decision after I have investigated the truth."

After saying this, Emperor Huizong turned and left, leaving the court officials with varying expressions. Su Yuanjing was worried, Gao Qiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and Tong Guan and Cai Jing exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing the smugness of a successful conspiracy.

Back in his palace, Emperor Huizong remained deeply troubled. He sat at his desk, repeatedly reviewing the evidence presented by Su Yuanjing, constantly weighing the pros and cons in his mind. He knew that if this matter was not handled properly, it would not only affect the stability of the court but could also trigger greater turmoil.

However, Gao Qiu and his associates held deep and entrenched power in the court, making a thorough investigation extremely difficult. Emperor Huizong fell into deep thought, unable to make a decision for a long time.

After the court session ended, Gao Qiu, Tong Guan, and Cai Jing gathered at Gao Qiu's residence, each with a gloomy expression and ulterior motives.

Gao Qiu broke the silence first, saying fiercely, "This Su Yuanjing dares to be so aggressive in the court; we must not let him get away with this!"

Tong Guan replied in a sinister tone, "What Lord Gao said is absolutely right. We must think of a way to prevent him from causing any more trouble."

Cai Jing stroked his beard, a sly glint in his eyes: "In my opinion, we can first send someone to secretly investigate Su Yuanjing and see if we have any dirt on him."

Gao Qiu nodded: "This plan is excellent, but we need to find some trustworthy and capable people, and we must not let the news leak out."

Tong Guan sneered: "I do have a few trusted men who are good at this. If I let them do it, they will definitely succeed."

Cai Jing added, "An investigation alone is not enough. We also need to spread some rumors about Su Yuanjing in the court to ruin his reputation and make other ministers distrust him."

Gao Qiu slammed his hand on the table: "Brilliant! Just as I said, he's just trying to gain fame and reputation by bringing down Gao Qiu to enhance his own prestige."

Tong Guan's eyes darted around: "You could also say that he colluded with certain local forces and had ulterior motives."

Cai Jing continued, "Then, we will win over some ministers who are on good terms with us and have them jointly submit a memorial to impeach Su Yuanjing, so that he will be silenced by public opinion."

Gao Qiu laughed triumphantly: "Haha, in this way, even if Su Yuanjing had three heads and six arms, he would have a hard time resisting."

Tong Guan added, "If we could bribe the emperor's close advisors to speak ill of Su Yuanjing to the emperor, it would be even more effective."

Cai Jing nodded in agreement: "That's right. As long as His Majesty becomes suspicious of him, our plan will be more than half successful."

The three exchanged a knowing smile, as if they could already foresee Su Yuanjing's disgrace and ruin. They continued to plot various schemes and plots, attempting to kill Su Yuanjing in order to preserve their own interests and power.