Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

As Gao Ke's conspiracy unfolds more intensively, the entire situation becomes increasingly tense and critical.

Outside the dilapidated hut where Li Yi was hiding, shadowy figures would occasionally flash by; these were assassins sent by Gao Ke, keeping watch day and night. Inside, Li Yi's body grew increasingly weak, yet he dared not venture out to find food and water. He tried to draw water from the small well behind the hut, only to discover that the water had been poisoned and emitted a pungent odor.

Meanwhile, Zhu Gui's attempt to contact Lord Wang suffered a major setback. When he arrived at Lord Wang's residence full of hope, he was unaware that Lord Wang's trusted confidants had already been bribed by Gao Ke. The moment Zhu Gui stepped through the gates, Lord Wang gave the order to arrest him.

"Zhu Gui, how dare you collude with rebels! Arrest him!" Lord Wang roared.

Zhu Gui loudly protested, "Lord Wang, you've misunderstood! I'm here to present crucial evidence and expose Gao Ke's conspiracy!"

But Lord Wang wouldn't listen, and Zhu Gui was bound hand and foot and thrown into prison.

On Liangshan's side, Song Jiang's forces were also in trouble. A traitor within the ranks revealed his true colors at a crucial moment; he was Gao Ke's long-term spy.

"Haha, Song Jiang, your plan has long been known to Lord Gao Ke. Today is your doom!" The traitor laughed triumphantly.

Song Jiang glared at him angrily: "You shameless scoundrel, you actually betrayed your brothers!"

Due to betrayal, Gao Ke had advance knowledge of every move the Liangshan heroes made. Taking advantage of this, Gao Ke dispatched a large force to encircle and annihilate the Liangshan heroes.

On the other hand, in order to force Li Yi to show himself, Gao Ke resorted to any means necessary to capture Li Yi's family. He imprisoned Li Yi's wife and children in a secret dungeon and subjected them to torture.

"Li Yi, if you don't hand over the evidence, your family's lives will be in danger!" Gao Ke threatened viciously.

Li Yi was extremely anxious when he learned that his family had been arrested, but he knew that acting impulsively at this moment would only make the situation worse.

Zhao Tianming's restaurant was not spared either. Gao Ke used the power of the government to shut down the restaurant on trumped-up charges.

"Your restaurant is suspected of operating illegally. Starting today, it is to cease operations for rectification!" the government official said arrogantly.

Zhao Tianming argued forcefully: "Sir, we have always operated in accordance with the law. There must be some misunderstanding here!"

"Enough with the nonsense! This is an order from above. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy!" The constables showed no mercy.

The restaurant's business was forced to stop, plunging Zhao Tianming into a huge predicament.

The Liangshan heroes decided to risk everything to rescue Zhu Gui and Li Yi's families. They meticulously planned their operation, preparing to act at night.

However, Gao Ke had already set numerous traps. When they reached a narrow mountain path, the road was suddenly blocked by a rolling boulder.

"Oh no, an ambush!" Lu Junyi shouted.

On both sides of the mountain, countless archers suddenly appeared, and arrows rained down.

"Ah!" Many brothers fell to the ground, their blood staining the ground red.

Song Jiang gritted his teeth: "Brothers, charge out!"

The group fought back fiercely, but the enemy's attack was exceptionally fierce, resulting in heavy casualties among the Liangshan heroes.

Amidst the chaos, Wu Yong uncovered an even more astonishing secret. It turned out that Gao Ke was not only undermining their power from within, but also secretly colluding with external enemies.

"Brother, I've discovered that Gao Ke has been exchanging letters with the barbarians. They're planning to coordinate an inside-outside attack to overthrow the court!" Wu Yong said anxiously.

Upon hearing this, Song Jiang was shocked: "This Gao Ke is so utterly depraved!"

Under the influence of Gao Ke's slander, Emperor Huizong of Song became increasingly suspicious of the Liangshan heroes.

"Your Majesty, the Liangshan bandits are plotting something sinister and must be wiped out." Gao Ke made this false claim in court.

Emperor Huizong of Song believed him and sent the Imperial Guards to besiege and suppress the Liangshan bandits.

"By imperial decree, all those who rebelled in Liangshan shall be executed without exception!" the Imperial Guard commander shouted.

The Liangshan heroes were attacked from both sides and were in dire straits.

In this extremely critical moment, Li Yi decided to stop hiding. He knew he couldn't let Gao Ke's plot succeed, even if it cost him his life.

Carrying evidence and disguised, Li Yi attempted to overcome numerous obstacles to meet Emperor Huizong of Song. Outside the palace, security was tight, and Gao Ke's men were already on high alert.

"Who goes there? Halt!" the guard shouted.

Li Yi rushed forward without regard for his own safety, shouting, "I have important evidence that I must present to His Majesty!"

The guards drew their swords and engaged in fierce combat with Li Yi.

With his indomitable will and superb martial arts skills, Li Yi broke through layer after layer of defenses.

Just as he was about to approach the palace, Gao Ke arrived with his men.

"Li Yi, you can't escape!" Gao Ke sneered.

Li Yi glared at Gao Ke: "You treacherous minister, today I will make His Majesty see your true colors!"

The two sides were locked in a final life-or-death struggle...

Looking at Gao Ke's smug and arrogant face, Li Yi felt a surge of anger, like a volcano about to erupt, fiery and violent. His eyes were bloodshot, and his teeth were clenched, as if he wanted to devour Gao Ke alive.

"Gao Ke, you shameless traitor, today is your end!" Li Yi roared, his voice filled with endless resentment and determination.

Gao Ke, however, remained unperturbed, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips, his eyes gleaming with cunning and ruthlessness. "Li Yi, you're nothing but a dying struggle. Surrender obediently, and perhaps I'll spare your life."

Enraged, Li Yi brandished his longsword and pounced on Gao Ke like an angry lion. The sword whistled through the air as it danced in his hand.

Gao Ke dodged Li Yi's attack with a quick sidestep. "Hmph, you think you can hurt me?" he sneered.

Li Yi was not affected by Gao Ke's taunts; instead, he became even more courageous and his moves became increasingly ferocious. He poured all his strength into each sword strike, determined to kill Gao Ke.

Gao Ke, however, remained completely at ease, constantly dodging Li Yi's attacks and occasionally launching counterattacks. His moves were insidious and cunning, specifically targeting Li Yi's weaknesses.

"Li Yi, do you think you can beat me? I, Gao Ke, have been in the officialdom for so many years, what haven't I seen? You're just an overconfident fool!" Gao Ke retorted while sarcastically saying.

Li Yi's anger burned even more fiercely, and he roared, "Gao Ke, your crimes of embezzlement, bribery, framing loyal officials, and colluding with foreign enemies are intolerable! I will risk my life to bring you to justice!"

Gao Ke's face darkened. "Hmph, still being stubborn even when death is imminent!" With that, he suddenly unleashed a vicious move, aiming straight for Li Yi's vitals.

Li Yi narrowly dodged, but was still cut on the arm. Blood flowed down his sleeve, but he seemed oblivious to the pain and continued his frenzied attack.

Seeing this, Gao Ke couldn't help but feel a little flustered. He hadn't expected Li Yi to be so tenacious, risking his life to fight him to the death.

"Li Yi, don't be so stubborn! If you hand over the evidence, I might spare your life!" Gao Ke tried to bribe Li Yi.

Li Yi burst into laughter, "You think I'd believe your nonsense? Gao Ke, today it's either you or me who dies!"

After saying that, Li Yi launched another attack, his swordsmanship becoming increasingly fierce, with no reservations in his moves.

Gao Ke gradually felt powerless, and he began to regret that he had not eliminated Li Yi earlier, which led to his current dangerous situation.

"Men! Charge! Kill him!" Gao Ke shouted to his men.

A group of assassins swarmed forward, surrounding Li Yi. Despite being surrounded, Li Yi showed no fear, charging left and right, engaging in a desperate struggle with the assassins.

In an instant, swords clashed and shouts of battle filled the air. Li Yi sustained many more wounds, but his eyes remained resolute, and his fighting spirit showed no sign of waning.

Gao Ke watched the battle from the sidelines, his heart filled with unease. He kept urging his men to finish off Li Yi as soon as possible.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Yi stabbed an assassin in the throat with his sword, broke through the encirclement, and charged towards Gao Ke again.

Gao Ke was so frightened that he backed away repeatedly, shouting, "Stop him! Stop him quickly!"

Just then, a stray arrow flew from afar, heading straight for Li Yi's back. Li Yi couldn't dodge in time and was struck by the arrow.

He stumbled and nearly fell. But he endured the excruciating pain, turned around, and killed the archer with a single sword stroke.

Seeing that Li Yi had been shot by an arrow, Gao Ke thought victory was assured and became arrogant again, saying, "Li Yi, you will never escape my grasp!"

Li Yi glared at Gao Ke, "Gao Ke, I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"

Having said that, he used his last bit of strength to lunge at Gao Ke once more...

Li Yi's movements gradually slowed due to his severe injuries. Gao Ke's assassins seized the opportunity to swarm him and knock his longsword away. Li Yi fought back fiercely, but was ultimately outnumbered and pinned to the ground by several assassins.

"Haha, Li Yi, you have finally been defeated by me!" Gao Ke laughed triumphantly, stepped forward, and stomped on Li Yi's back.

Li Yi glared angrily at Gao Ke, cursing, "Gao Ke, you despicable scoundrel, you won't get away with this!"

Gao Ke's face darkened. "Even now, you're still being stubborn!" He waved his hand, signaling the assassins to tie Li Yi up.

The assassins took out thick ropes and tied Li Yi's hands behind his back, then wrapped the ropes around his body again and again, binding him tightly. Li Yi couldn't help but cry out in pain from his wounds and the tightness of the ropes, but his eyes remained filled with defiance and anger.

"Take him away and keep him under strict guard. No one is allowed to approach him!" Gao Ke ordered viciously.

The assassins roughly dragged Li Yi to his feet and headed towards the prison cell. Li Yi's feet could barely touch the ground; he could only be dragged along, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground.

"Let me go! Gao Ke, you'll die a horrible death!" Li Yi shouted hoarsely.

Gao Ke sneered, "I'll deal with your accomplices first, then I'll slowly take care of you."

Upon reaching the cell, the assassins threw Li Yi in violently. Li Yi fell heavily to the ground, the impact causing his wounds to throb again, the pain almost making him faint.

"Keep a close eye on him. If anything goes wrong, you'll all be beheaded!" a leader of the assassins said to the soldiers guarding the prison.

The soldiers nodded quickly, "Yes, sir!"

Li Yi lay on the cold, damp ground, panting heavily. He was filled with despair, but he still firmly believed that justice would eventually prevail and that Gao Ke's crimes would be exposed sooner or later.

Outside the prison cell, Gao Ke left triumphantly, plotting how to further consolidate his power and cover up his crimes. Meanwhile, Li Yi, imprisoned, silently awaited a turning point in the darkness.