Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Holding exquisite jewelry and jade pieces, Wang Zhiqiang walked into the room where Gao Yanei and Gao Ke were with a big smile on his face.

"Young Master Gao, Lord Gao, this is just a small token of my respect for your victory over Liangshan," Wang Zhiqiang said humbly.

Gao Yanei sat in his chair, casually fiddling with the fan in his hand. When he saw the jewelry and jade that Wang Zhiqiang had brought, a greedy glint flashed in his eyes.

Gao Ke smiled and said, "Manager Wang, this is what we should do."

Gao Yanei picked up a piece of jade, played with it in his hand, and said, "Manager Wang, you're too kind."

Wang Zhiqiang hurriedly nodded and bowed, saying, "Young Master, Brother Gao, what will you do next?"

Gao Ke stroked his beard, a sly glint in his eyes, and said, "Manager Wang, we will imprison the captured Liangshan bandits in the Gaotang Prefecture prison, waiting for Song Jiang and Zhao Tianming to come and rescue them. Then we can bring them all to justice."

Wang Zhiqiang's eyes lit up, and he gave a thumbs up: "Brother Gao, this plan is brilliant! The Liangshan bandits have committed numerous evils and should have been wiped out long ago."

Gao Ke smiled smugly: "Hmph, those bandits from Liangshan think they can stand up to the imperial court. This time, we'll make sure they don't leave alive."

Gao Yanei chimed in, "That's right! Once we catch Song Jiang and his gang, I'll teach them a lesson they won't forget!"

Wang Zhiqiang said obsequiously, "With the two of you gentlemen taking action, the Liangshan bandits will surely have no chance of escape. However, Song Jiang and his men are cunning and treacherous, so I hope you two gentlemen will be extra careful."

Gao Ke waved his hand: "Don't worry, Manager Wang. I have already laid a trap in Gaotang Prefecture, just waiting for them to walk right into it."

Wang Zhiqiang nodded repeatedly: "That's excellent, that's excellent. Then I will await your good news."

Gao Yanei said impatiently, "Alright, alright, you can leave now."

Wang Zhiqiang quickly bowed and said, "Yes, yes, I'll take my leave now."

After Wang Zhiqiang left, Gao Ke said to Gao Yanei, "Young Master, although Wang Zhiqiang offered some jewelry and jade, he is a profit-driven person and cannot be trusted completely."

Gao Yanei snorted: "I know what's going on, but he's still of some use now."

Gao Ke nodded: "Young Master, you've thought things through perfectly. Next, we need to step up our preparations to prevent the Liangshan bandits from discovering our plan in advance."

Gao Yanei stood up: "Let's go check on the situation of those Liangshan bandits."

As they talked, the two walked out of the room together, preparing for their upcoming confrontation with Liangshan.

Inside the tent, An Daoquan was busy treating the wounded. The groans of the injured rose and fell, creating a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.

Zhao Tianming frowned, walked up to Song Jiang, and said worriedly, "Brother Song, oh dear, Gao Ke is a treacherous and cunning man. He's in Wang Zhiqiang's camp, and he's bound to cause a lot of trouble."

Before Song Jiang could speak, the impatient Li Kui shouted, "When I see this bastard, I'll chop him up sooner or later!"

Song Jiang glared at Li Kui, signaling him to be quiet.

Wu Yong then said slowly from the side, "Tie Niu, don't be impulsive. This matter needs to be discussed carefully."

With a somber expression, Song Jiang slowly said, "This time we fell into the trap set by Gao Ke and Zhu Biao, and suffered heavy losses."

Zhao Tianming continued, "Brother, these people must have fled to Gaotang Prefecture. The prefect of Gaotang Prefecture, Gao Lian, is skilled in using sorcery; we suffered a great loss at his hands last time."

Song Jiang nodded slightly and fell into deep thought.

Li Kui brandished his broad axe and said angrily, "What's there to be afraid of! My broad axe is not afraid of his sorcery!"

Wu Yong gently waved his feather fan and analyzed, "Brother Tie Niu, we must not be rash. Gao Lian's sorcery is indeed troublesome. We need to come up with a countermeasure before we can take action."

Everyone fell silent, pondering their next move.

At this moment, An Daoquan walked over and said, "Leaders, the wounded have been temporarily stabilized, but they still need to recuperate."

Song Jiang nodded and said to An Daoquan, "Brother An, you've worked hard. We owe you a lot this time."

An Daoquan cupped his hands and said, "Serving my brothers is my duty. However, the war is urgent, and I hope you will make a decision soon."

Song Jiang looked at Wu Yong and asked, "Strategist, do you have a good plan?"

Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "Brother, in my opinion, we should first send someone to find out the situation in Gaotang Prefecture before making any plans. We must not act rashly, lest we fall into the enemy's trap again."

Song Jiang agreed, saying, "The strategist is right. Brother Tianming, take a few clever brothers, disguise yourself, and go to Gaotang Prefecture. Be sure to find out the enemy's deployment and the truth about Gao Lian's sorcery."

Zhao Tianming cupped his hands and replied, "Yes, elder brother, I will certainly not fail in my mission."

Li Kui shouted again, "I want to go too!"

Song Jiang shouted, "Tie Niu, you are too impetuous. You must not go this time. Stay in the camp and train the troops properly."

Although Li Kui was unwilling, he dared not disobey Song Jiang's orders.

The crowd dispersed to prepare for their own events. Song Jiang gazed at the sky outside his tent, secretly vowing to avenge this defeat.

After disguising themselves, Zhao Tianming and several shrewd brothers disguised themselves as a traveling pear vendor, while the others became his assistants. The group pushed a cart full of pears slowly towards Gaotang Prefecture.

At the city gate, the guards were strict, and the soldiers carefully checked the pedestrians coming in and out.

Zhao Tianming inwardly cursed, but still wore a fawning smile and said to the guards, "Sirs, we're pear sellers. These pears are very fresh. Please have a taste." As he spoke, he picked up a few pears from the cart and handed them over.

The guard looked them up and down with suspicion: "Pear sellers? Where did you come from?"

Zhao Tianming quickly replied, "We came from a neighboring county. We heard that Gaotang Prefecture is prosperous, so we thought we'd come here to do some small business."

The guard waved his hand: "Go in, but don't cause trouble in the city!"

Zhao Tianming and the others breathed a sigh of relief and pushed the cart into the city.

They found a busy street corner in the city, set up a stall, and started hawking their wares. Before long, they attracted many passersby to come and buy their goods.

While weighing the pears and collecting money, Zhao Tianming chatted with customers, trying to glean some information from them.

Just then, an ordinary-looking man walked over, casually picked up a pear, and asked, "How much is this pear?"

Zhao Tianming quoted a price, but the man lowered his voice and said, "Stop pretending, I know who you are."

Zhao Tianming was startled, but he still tried to remain calm: "Brother, what are you saying? I'm just a pear seller."

The man sneered, "Stop making excuses. Lord Gao had long anticipated that people from Liangshan would infiltrate the city and had planted spies within it. I am one of them."

Seeing this, Zhao Tianming's brothers quietly grabbed the weapons hidden under the car.

Zhao Tianming gave his brothers a look, signaling them not to act rashly, and then said to the man, "Brother, are you mistaken? We are just ordinary businessmen."

The man snorted: "Come with me. Once we see Lord Gao, we'll know whether you are the real deal or not."

Zhao Tianming thought to himself that if he resisted now, it would surely attract the attention of the city guards. It would be better to follow him first and act according to the situation. So, Zhao Tianming said with a smile, "Since you say so, brother, then we will go with you."

The man led the way, with Zhao Tianming and the others pushing the cart behind. Along the way, Zhao Tianming secretly observed the surrounding terrain and the distribution of people.

As they walked into a secluded alley, Zhao Tianming suddenly shouted, "Make your move!"

Several brothers instantly drew their weapons and attacked the man. Caught off guard by their sudden attack, the man was caught off guard and fought back hastily. After a brief struggle, the man was subdued.

Zhao Tianming said, "Tie him up, gag him, and hide him under the car."

After dealing with the man, Zhao Tianming and the others continued pushing the cart, pretending to be nonchalant as they strolled around the city.

They arrived at a restaurant, and Zhao Tianming said to one of his brothers, "Go inside and see if you can find out anything."

The brother nodded and went into the restaurant.

After a while, the brother came out and said, "Brother, I found out that Gao Lian has imprisoned the captured Liangshan brothers in the dungeon of the government office and has strengthened the guards."

Zhao Tianming pondered for a moment: "It seems the situation is not good. We need to find a way to get the message out quickly."

Just then, a patrol of soldiers walked towards them. Zhao Tianming and the others' hearts jumped again...

Zhao Tianming and his brothers pushed a cart full of pears around the city, constantly on guard. Just as they passed an intersection, a patrol of soldiers came towards them.

Zhao Tianming's heart tightened, and he quickly whispered to his brothers, "Don't panic, everyone, stay calm." He quickly scanned his surroundings and noticed a small stall selling sundries by the roadside.

Zhao Tianming had an idea. He winked at his men and then shouted, "Fresh pears, cheap sale! Buy pears and get a free trinket!"

The brothers understood immediately and joined in, loudly hawking their wares.

The patrolling soldiers were attracted by their shouts and walked over. Zhao Tianming greeted them with a big smile and said, "Sir, would you like some pears to quench your thirst? We're having a promotion today, so we're giving away these little trinkets with every pear purchase."

The leading soldier frowned and said, "Enough talk, where did you come from?"

Zhao Tianming quickly replied, "Sir, we are poor people from a neighboring county, and we make a living by selling these pears. Look, these pears are big and sweet." As he spoke, he picked out the largest pear and handed it over.

The soldier took the pear, took a bite, and said, "Hmm, it tastes pretty good. But you guys seem suspicious, so we'll have to check you out carefully."

Zhao Tianming's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface and said with a smile, "Sir, what are you saying? We are all honest businessmen. In this cart, besides pears, there are only some weights and baskets for pears. There's nothing to check."

The soldier didn't believe him and waved for his men to come forward and check.

Just then, Zhao Tianming suddenly said, "Sir, how about this, I'll give each of you a basket of pears as a token of my respect. Please be kind and don't delay our business."

Several soldiers were tempted upon hearing this and looked at the leader.

The leading soldier hesitated for a moment, then said, "Hmph, you're smart to know what's good for you. But next time, don't wander around this city, understand?"

Zhao Tianming nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, thank you, sir!"

The soldiers took the pears and turned to leave.

Zhao Tianming watched their departing figures and breathed a sigh of relief. He said to his brothers, "We can't stay here any longer, let's leave quickly."

The brothers pushed the carts, quickened their pace, and headed toward the agreed meeting point.

However, they hadn't gone far when they encountered another patrol of soldiers. This group seemed even more strict, blocking their path directly.

Zhao Tianming composed himself and said, "Sir, I just delivered some pears to the brothers at the front, and I've prepared some for you as well."

The soldier remained unmoved and said, "Don't give me that. Open the car; we need to inspect it."

Zhao Tianming inwardly groaned. Just then, he saw a wealthy family holding a wedding celebration nearby, with people coming and going at the entrance, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Zhao Tianming had a sudden inspiration and said, "Sir, you see that family is having a wedding. We need to deliver these pears to them. If we delay, we can't afford the consequences."

The soldier glanced at the house, then hesitated.

Zhao Tianming pressed his advantage: "Sir, why don't you come with me to that house and ask if this is true? If I'm lying to you, you can do whatever you want with me."

The soldier thought for a moment and said, "Let's go take a look."

Zhao Tianming led his soldiers to the door of the house and spoke a few words to the manager at the gate. The manager nodded repeatedly and even gave the soldiers some red envelopes.

Seeing this, the soldier's expression softened considerably, and he said, "Consider yourselves lucky, hurry up and leave."

Zhao Tianming expressed his gratitude profusely and, with his men, finally escaped the inspection and continued to complete their mission.