Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

The news that Zhao Tianming's restaurant had been attacked by locusts and that farmers had come to his door demanding an explanation reached the imperial palace. Emperor Huizong of Song, upon hearing this, was shocked and furious, and immediately asked his officials, "What is the cause of this?"

At this moment, Gao Qiu stepped forward, bowed, and reported, "Your Majesty, I have heard that this is caused by Zhao Tianming colluding with the Liangshan bandits. The Liangshan bandits are actually the 108 demon stars who descended to earth and have caused great harm. The locust plague that has befallen Zhao Tianming's restaurant must be related to this."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Huizong's face darkened. He slammed his fist on the table and rose to his feet, angrily saying, "Why is my empire so plagued by disasters? The sounds of thieves are incessant, and calamities follow one after another. Now, after hearing your words, I understand the reason for this."

Gao Qiu then reported: "Your Majesty, the Liangshan bandits, who have gathered at the Liangshan Marsh, are becoming increasingly rampant. They disregard the law and plunder the villages, causing untold suffering to the people. Zhao Tianming's collusion with them is truly a heinous crime. The locust plague may be a warning from Heaven to show their guilt."

Emperor Huizong paced back and forth in the palace, deep in thought, and said, "I inherited the legacy of my ancestors and wished to bring peace to the world, but alas, bandits roam freely, and the people are suffering. If this is not quelled quickly, how can I face the people of the world?"

Gao Qiu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is wise. I am willing to share Your Majesty's worries and send elite troops to conquer Liangshan, so as to uphold the law and bring peace to the people."

Emperor Huizong nodded and said, "Since you have this ambition, you should make plans quickly. However, you must act cautiously and not let the bandits become even more arrogant."

Gao Qiu agreed, saying, "Your Majesty, I will obey your decree and fulfill my mission. I will sweep away Liangshan with thunderous force and restore a peaceful world to Your Majesty."

Emperor Huizong returned to his throne and sighed, "I hope you will not fail my expectations. Suppress the rebels as soon as possible, and ensure the eternal stability of our Song Dynasty and the well-being of our people."

How this matter will develop remains to be seen.

Gao Qiu then said to Emperor Huizong, “Your Majesty, the most urgent matter at hand is to confiscate Zhao Tianming’s property for the national treasury. His property is quite substantial, and if it were returned to the court, it might alleviate our immediate predicament. Furthermore, since Zhao Tianming has colluded with the Liangshan bandits, those closely associated with him are likely also harboring treacherous intentions. They should all be arrested and brought to justice, and thoroughly interrogated to prevent any potential trouble. Only in this way can Your Majesty’s authority be demonstrated and lawbreakers be deterred.”

Emperor Huizong nodded slightly, his expression grave, and said, "Gao Qiu's words are not without reason. However, this matter must be handled with caution, and the innocent must not be wronged."

Gao Qiu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is benevolent, but such a major matter cannot be handled with the slightest leniency. Zhao Tianming's crimes are irrefutable, and his cronies are certainly not good people either. If we do not deal with them decisively, there is a risk of unrest."

After a moment of contemplation, Emperor Huizong finally made up his mind and said, "In that case, I will issue an edict. The Three Departments shall, together with the relevant authorities, quickly investigate Zhao Tianming's properties, register them one by one, and confiscate them. Furthermore, the Imperial Guards and constables shall be dispatched to arrest all those closely associated with Zhao Tianming and hand them over to the Court of Judicial Review for interrogation. We must get to the bottom of this."

Gao Qiu accepted the decree and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I will certainly urge all parties to handle this matter as soon as possible."

The imperial decree caused an uproar in the capital. Officials from the Three Departments, along with the Imperial Guards and constables, sprang into action. Zhao Tianming's properties were seized one by one, his shops were closed, and his warehouses were sealed. His home was also ransacked.

Those who had dealings with Zhao Tianming were filled with dread. Some tried to escape but were captured by the Imperial Guards and constables who were already waiting; others stayed at home, waiting to die, lamenting in secret.

In an instant, chaos erupted throughout the capital, with cries and shouts filling the air. Although the common people did not know much about Zhao Tianming's affairs, they sensed the seriousness of the situation upon seeing the commotion.

Gao Qiu, meanwhile, was secretly pleased with himself in his mansion, thinking that he would definitely be able to use this incident to eliminate his rivals and consolidate his power.

While Emperor Huizong was in the palace, although he had issued the decree, he still had concerns in his heart, wondering whether this action could completely eliminate the hidden dangers and restore peace to the world.

Upon hearing the news, Dai Zong was extremely anxious and rushed to the restaurant. Seeing Dai Zong's panicked appearance, everyone hurriedly asked, "Dean Dai, what happened?"

Panting heavily, Dai Zong said anxiously to Song Jiang, Lu Junyi, and Zhao Tianming, "Brother Gongming, Master Lu, Manager Zhao, something terrible has happened! The Emperor has ordered the restaurant to be shut down and all of you to be imprisoned."

These words shocked everyone, and the restaurant erupted in an uproar.

Song Jiang frowned, his face grave, and said, "How could this be? We have always been law-abiding and have never committed any disobedience."

Lu Junyi's eyes widened in anger, his fists clenched, and he said bitterly, "It must be that scoundrel Gao Qiu who slandered us before the Emperor and framed us."

Zhao Tianming was both shocked and furious, gritting his teeth as he said, "That scoundrel Gao Qiu has always been against us, and now he has resorted to such insidious means."

Upon hearing this, Li Kui flew into a rage and roared, "This must be Gao Qiu's slander before the Emperor! I'll chop that bastard to pieces!" With that, he grabbed his axe and was about to rush out.

Lu Zhishen grabbed Li Kui and shouted, "Tie Niu, don't be impulsive. Acting rashly now will only ruin everything."

Li Kui broke free from Lu Zhishen's grasp and shouted, "I don't care, I can't swallow this insult, I'll make that bastard Gao Qiu pay!"

Wu Song also said, "Brother Li Kui, please calm down. The situation is critical, and we need to plan carefully."

Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "Brothers, this matter is probably not so simple. Gao Qiu has always been jealous of the prestige of Brother Gongming and the others. This time, he must have carefully planned to put us to death."

Everyone nodded in agreement, all filled with rage.

Lin Chong gripped his spear tightly, his eyes filled with rage, and said, "That treacherous Gao Qiu caused my family to be destroyed and my people to die. Now he is trying to harm my brothers. I swear I will not be a man if I do not avenge this."

Yan Qing advised, "Instructor Lin, calm down. Acting rashly now will do no good. We should come up with a foolproof plan to deal with this predicament."

Song Jiang sighed and said, “Brothers, now that the Emperor’s decree has been issued, we must not openly defy the court, lest we be branded as disloyal and unjust. But we cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom; we must find a way to prove our innocence.”

Everyone fell into deep thought. The atmosphere in the restaurant was tense and oppressive, and anger burned in everyone's heart.

Just then, everyone's eyes were focused on Wu Yong.

Song Jiang spoke first, his tone urgent and full of expectation: "Wu Xuejiu, you are known as the strategist, and at this moment, I'm afraid only you can resolve this crisis."

Wu Yong, his expression grave, stroked his chin and pondered for a moment before saying, “Brothers, don’t be hasty, let me explain in detail. That scoundrel Gao Qiu has slandered us before the Emperor, causing him to misunderstand us. To resolve this crisis, we need to approach it from multiple angles. First, we must quickly find evidence of Gao Qiu’s framing. We can send a few meticulous and agile brothers, disguised, to infiltrate Gao Qiu’s residence and other places he frequents, observing his secret conversations with his cronies and searching for clues. At the same time, we must closely monitor the upright and loyal officials in the court, seeking opportunities to plead our case before the Emperor and gain their support and assistance.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Lu Junyi said, "Scholar, this plan is brilliant, but we must be careful not to let Gao Qiu find out."

Zhao Tianming then said, "Wu Xuejiu, how do we resolve this crisis? Gao Qiu is about to deal with us with the Emperor's decree."

Wu Yong continued, “Manager Zhao, don’t panic. Secondly, we need to make full use of our connections in the martial arts world. Arrange for a few brothers who are good at socializing to contact righteous people and well-informed individuals in the capital. Have them spread the truth about us in the streets and alleys, publicize our righteous actions, and expose Gao Qiu’s various evil deeds. At the same time, create some favorable public opinion for us, guide the people’s views, and let everyone know that we are innocent.”

Li Kui shouted, "I can do this. I'll go and contact my friends in the martial arts world."

Wu Yong quickly said, "Brother Tie Niu, you are a straightforward person, but you need to handle this matter calmly and not act impulsively and make mistakes. When you talk to them, you must make sure to explain the pros and cons clearly."

"Thirdly, make full preparations for a response. On the one hand, gather our resources, select precious items, and prepare lavish gifts. Find reliable and eloquent individuals to present these gifts to the Emperor's close advisors, earnestly requesting them to speak well of us at this crucial moment. On the other hand, secretly reorganize our forces. Brother Wu Song, you are responsible for training the soldiers, improving their martial arts and combat skills. Brother Lin Chong, you will direct the soldiers to familiarize themselves with various battle formations, ensuring they remain calm in battle. But remember, all actions must be carried out in secrecy, and we must never arouse the court's suspicion. In addition, Brother Zhu Gui, you must strengthen intelligence gathering, closely monitor Gao Qiu and his henchmen's every move, as well as the court's possible intentions." Wu Yong looked at everyone with a firm gaze.

Wu Song asked, "Scholar, what should we do if Gao Qiu suddenly attacks?"

Wu Yong replied, "If Gao Qiu sends someone, treat them with courtesy and try to delay them as much as possible. At the same time, send someone to secretly inform all the brothers to prepare for the response. If they take forceful action, we cannot sit idly by and wait to die, but we must be careful not to kill anyone easily, so as not to give them any leverage."

"Fourth, select a wise, brave, and eloquent person to go to the capital and meet the Emperor. Brother Yan Qing, you are meticulous and perceptive. Your journey to the capital carries a heavy responsibility. You must truthfully present our grievances to the Emperor, speaking earnestly and clearly. At the same time, carry relevant evidence to prove our innocence. However, the situation in the capital is complex, so you must be careful and adaptable." Wu Yong looked at Yan Qing with a serious expression.

Yan Qing cupped his hands and said, "Rest assured, scholar, Yan Qing will certainly not fail in his mission."

Song Jiang said, "Although the scholar's plan is very detailed, it will be difficult to implement. We will need all of you brothers to work together to succeed."

Everyone responded in unison, "We are willing to follow the instructions of our elder brother and the scholar and overcome this difficult situation together."

Wu Yong concluded, "There's no time to lose, brothers. Let's act immediately. We must resolve this crisis and clear our names."

The crowd dispersed, and following Wu Yong's plan, they began to act separately in a tense but orderly manner, thus beginning a life-or-death struggle against Gao Qiu.