Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Zhao Tianming led his men back to camp safely.

Inside the restaurant, Song Jiang, Lu Junyi, Wu Yong, Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, Shi Qian, Dai Zong, Yang Xiong, and others were already sitting together, all looking anxious and their eyes full of concern for Zhao Tianming.

As soon as Zhao Tianming stepped into the restaurant, everyone stood up to greet him.

"Brother Tianming, you're finally back. How did things go?" Song Jiang asked first.

Zhao Tianming took a breath and said, "Brothers, this was truly a perilous journey. Gaotang Prefecture is heavily guarded with numerous patrolling soldiers, and my brothers and I almost didn't make it back."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions grew even more solemn.

Lu Junyi said, "Brother Tianming, please tell me in detail."

Zhao Tianming nodded and began to recount his experience: "My brothers and I were pushing our cart around the city when we first encountered a patrol of soldiers. They questioned us relentlessly and even tried to inspect the cart. Luckily, I had a quick wit and bribed them with pears and some miscellaneous goods, which allowed me to escape. But we hadn't gone far when we encountered another, even stricter patrol that insisted on inspecting the cart. I made an excuse that the pears were being delivered to a wealthy family for a wedding, and led them there to verify. Fortunately, the steward there was clever and gave the soldiers a red envelope, which allowed us to get away with it."

Everyone was terrified when they heard this.

Wu Song's eyes widened in anger: "Gao Tang Prefecture is so heavily guarded; Gao Lian must have been prepared all along."

Shi Qian's eyes lit up: "In my opinion, we need to think of a clever way to break through the city."

Dai Zong asked, "What countermeasures does the strategist have?"

All eyes turned to Wu Yong.

Wu Yong gently waved his feather fan, pondered for a moment, and then said, "According to Brother Tianming, Gao Lian is indeed on guard. But we cannot back down now. I have a plan. We can first send a few teams of brothers to disguise themselves as civilians and infiltrate the city to find out the city's defenses. Then we can send a team of elite soldiers to raid the city gates at night and create chaos. Then the main force can take advantage of the situation and attack the city."

Song Jiang nodded slightly: "Strategist's plan is excellent, but we must proceed with caution."

Yang Xiong said, "I am willing to lead a team of brothers to launch a surprise attack on the city gate."

Lu Zhishen shouted, "I'm going too!"

Wu Song immediately followed up, "Count me in!"

Everyone volunteered.

Wu Yong said, "Brothers, don't be anxious. This matter needs to be discussed and arranged properly."

Afterwards, everyone discussed the details for a long time.

Finally, Song Jiang stood up and said, "Brothers, this attack on Gaotang Prefecture will be fraught with difficulties, but for justice and for the people, we must succeed. Everyone, prepare yourselves and act according to the strategist's plan."

Everyone responded in unison: "Yes!"

The atmosphere inside the restaurant was electric; everyone was full of fighting spirit and ready for the upcoming battle.

The scout rushed into Gao Lian's residence, reporting in a panic, "Sir, the Liangshan bandits are about to attack, and they're coming on strong!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Lian immediately summoned Gao Ke, Gao Yanei, and Yin Tianxi to discuss the matter.

Everyone gathered in the hall, and Yin Tianxi spoke first: "My lord, Liang Shanbo and his men are coming with great force, we must not underestimate them!"

Gao Lian sneered, "Hmph, these Liangshan bandits, I will make sure they never return. I have set up a formation called the 'Netherworld Soul-Devouring Formation.' This formation is based on four gates, with the east gate being the main focal point, which I will personally guard. The south gate is riddled with traps and poisoned arrow mechanisms; once triggered, a volley of arrows will be unleashed, leaving the enemy nowhere to escape. The west gate is covered with oil, which will be set ablaze when the enemy approaches. The north gate is mainly constructed with rolling stones and logs, which will fall from above and crush any approaching enemies."

Gao Lian glanced at everyone and began assigning tasks: "Gao Ke, you lead 500 elite soldiers to guard the south gate. Be extremely cautious and do not let the enemy break through the defenses. Gao Yanei, you guard the west gate. Act according to the situation, ignite the oil, and deliver a fatal blow to the enemy. Yin Tianxi, you guard the north gate. Command the soldiers to push the rolling stones and logs to eliminate the enemy."

Gao Ke cupped his hands and said, "Rest assured, my lord, I will certainly not fail in my mission."

Gao Yanei puffed out his chest: "Uncle, your nephew will definitely guard the West Gate."

Yin Tianxi replied, "This humble official understands."

Gao Lian nodded in satisfaction: "Remember, each of you must hold your position and support each other. If one side falls, the entire formation will fail. Once the enemy is trapped in the formation, I will activate the main formation eye and annihilate them."

The men accepted the order and went to their respective city gates to prepare.

Gao Lian arrived at the East Gate tower, looked down at the outside of the city, and thought to himself: "The Liangshan bandits, today is your end."

He ordered his soldiers to strengthen their defenses and prepare various defensive weapons.

Meanwhile, within the Liangshan camp, Song Jiang and others were also discussing countermeasures.

Song Jiang said, "Gao Lian will surely be on guard against this attack on Gaotang Prefecture, so we must be careful."

Wu Yong gently waved his feather fan: "Brother, don't worry. I have sent people to find out the situation in the city. However, the formation set up by Gao Lian is quite strange, so we need to be careful."

Lin Chong said, "Whatever formation it is, I, Lin Chong, will definitely be at the forefront and kill them all without leaving a single one alive."

Qin Ming also shouted, "That's right, we can't let that bastard Gao Lian look down on us."

Song Jiang raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet: "Do not be rash, act according to the strategist's arrangements."

The Liangshan heroes mustered their forces and marched towards Gaotang Prefecture. A fierce battle was about to unfold.

The Liangshan army arrived in a grand procession at the gates of Gaotang Prefecture, their banners obscuring the sun and their morale soaring. Song Jiang, in his central command tent, gazed solemnly at the enemy troops waiting in battle array on the city walls.

Generals such as Lin Chong and Qin Ming gathered around, all eager to charge into battle.

Song Jiang took a deep breath and said, "Brothers, today's battle concerns justice, so we must give it our all!"

The generals shouted in unison, "We are ready to obey our brother's orders!"

However, Song Jiang did not personally command the siege, but instead handed over command to Wu Yong.

Wu Yong stepped forward, his expression serious, and began to deploy his troops: "General Lin Chong, you will lead a detachment of elite soldiers to attack from the left flank, and you must disrupt the enemy's defensive formation. General Qin Ming, you will lead a detachment to charge from the right flank and draw the enemy's attention."

Lin Chong and Qin Ming bowed and accepted the order, then turned and led their respective teams to their positions quickly.

At Wu Yong's command, war drums thundered and battle cries shook the heavens. Lin Chong took the lead, leading the soldiers on the left flank like tigers charging towards the city wall. Holding shields, they bravely advanced against the rain of arrows raining down from the walls.

Seeing this, Gao Ke on the city wall shouted, "Fire arrows! Shoot these Liangshan bandits to death!"

But Lin Chong's troops did not back down. They quickly approached the city wall, set up ladders, and began to climb.

Qin Ming on the right flank was equally formidable. He brandished his spiked club, and wherever he went, the enemy troops scattered. His men surged forward like a torrent, crashing through the enemy's defenses.

Stones and logs rained down from the city wall, and Liangshan soldiers fell one after another, but their offensive momentum remained undiminished.

At this moment, Gao Ke, who was at the south gate, was anxious to see the fierce attack of the Liangshan army on the left flank, so he personally led his men to reinforce them.

Hua Rong, a member of the Liangshan army, seized the opportunity, drew his bow, and shot an arrow at Gao Ke. Gao Ke was unable to dodge in time and was struck in the shoulder, wincing in pain.

At the West Gate, Gao Yanei looked at the surging Liangshan army, his heart filled with fear. But he still pretended to be calm and directed his soldiers to light the oil.

In an instant, flames soared into the sky, and many Liangshan soldiers were engulfed in the flames. But the Liangshan army did not retreat; instead, they attacked even more fiercely.

Yin Tianxi at the North Gate desperately directed his soldiers to push rolling stones and logs in an attempt to stop the Liangshan army's attack.

The battlefield was filled with smoke and the sounds of battle.

Wu Yong closely monitored the battle situation from the rear, constantly deploying troops and generals.

Seeing that the battle was at a stalemate, Lu Zhishen and Wu Song could not hold back any longer and led a suicide squad to rush towards the city gate.

They led from the front, displaying unparalleled bravery, and finally broke through the enemy's first line of defense.

Seeing the fierce attack from the Liangshan army, Gao Lian on the city wall began to panic. However, he still tried to remain calm and activated the mechanism of the main battle formation.

Suddenly, a plume of black smoke rose from the city and spread. The Liangshan soldiers who inhaled the smoke immediately felt dizzy and their fighting ability was greatly reduced.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Wu Yong quickly ordered a retreat.

The Liangshan army retreated like a receding tide, leaving behind a devastated battlefield.

Both sides suffered heavy losses in this battle, but the morale of the Liangshan army was not dampened. After a short rest, they prepared to launch another attack.

The Liangshan army temporarily retreated thirty li and set up camp in an open area to rest and recuperate. Inside the tent, Wu Yong stared intently at the map, studying the cities of Gaotang Prefecture.

Song Jiang paced back and forth, looking worried, and said, "Strategist, this city is well-fortified, and the moat is deep. A direct assault would be unlikely to succeed. Do you have any good ideas?"

After a moment of contemplation, Wu Yong said, "Brother Gongming, a direct attack is not advisable. After much thought, I suggest sending Brother Shi Qian to complete a difficult task."

Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze focused on Wu Yong.

Wu Yong continued, "Brother Shi Qian is exceptionally skilled in lightness techniques and also adept at theft. Let him sneak into the city under the cover of night, open the city gates, and then we can lead our army in to break through. Perhaps we can conquer this city."

Lin Chong nodded and said, "Brother Shi Qian is agile; this plan may be feasible."

Qin Ming also said, "It's too dangerous for Brother Shi Qian to be on a mission alone."

Wu Yong said, "I will arrange for some brothers to meet us outside the city. Once the city gates are opened, we will send out a signal."

Song Jiang looked at everyone and asked, "Brothers, do you think this plan is feasible?"

Everyone agreed.

As night fell, Shi Qian, dressed in black and carrying a short sword, stealthily approached Gaotang City. Using his exceptional agility, he evaded the patrolling soldiers on the city walls, found a weak point in the defenses, and scaled the wall.

On the city wall, Shi Qian carefully evaded the patrolling soldiers and finally reached the city gate. Using his thieving skills, he cleverly bypassed the gate's lock.

Just as he was about to open the city gate, a patrol of soldiers suddenly approached. Shi Qian quickly hid in the shadows, not daring to breathe.

After the patrolling soldiers passed by, Shi Qian quickly opened the city gate and then sent the agreed signal to the outside of the city.

Upon seeing the signal, the Liangshan army outside the city was greatly encouraged.

Song Jiang shouted, "Brothers, follow me and charge into the city!"

The Liangshan army surged toward the city gate like a torrent, their battle cries echoing through the sky.

Shi Qian then engaged in a fierce battle with the approaching enemy troops at the city gate, buying time for the Liangshan army to enter the city.

The Liangshan army poured into the city and engaged in fierce street fighting with the enemy.