Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Inside the Liao royal tent, Gao Ke, dressed in magnificent attire, stood respectfully before the Liao nobles. His face wore a fawning smile, but his eyes revealed eagerness and longing.

The Liao generals sat together, coldly scrutinizing the official from the Song Dynasty.

Gao Ke cleared his throat and began his persuasion: "My esteemed lords, I, Gao Ke, have come here to bring the Liao Kingdom an unprecedented opportunity."

He paused, observing the crowd's reactions. Seeing their slight unease, he continued, "The Song Dynasty today appears prosperous and flourishing, but in reality, it is riddled with internal conflicts. Emperor Huizong is obsessed with calligraphy and painting, neglecting state affairs. Meanwhile, most officials are scheming against each other for their own benefit, and the people are filled with resentment. This is the perfect opportunity for the Liao Dynasty to rise!"

One of the generals frowned and said, "Although the Song Dynasty is experiencing internal strife, its military strength should not be underestimated. Sending troops rashly would be extremely risky."

Gao Ke quickly shook his head and said urgently, "My lord, you are unaware of the truth. I have served as an official in the Song Dynasty for many years and am well aware of the weaknesses in its military deployment. The Song Dynasty's border defenses have not been engaged in battle for a long time, and the soldiers have become complacent and poorly trained. Moreover, their food and supplies often run into problems. If we send troops now, we will surely be able to break through in one fell swoop."

Another general interjected, "Even so, war requires a huge amount of manpower and resources. Why should we take the risk if we can't gain enough benefits?"

Gao Ke was secretly delighted, knowing that the crucial moment had arrived. He raised his voice and said, "My lords, as long as the Liao Kingdom sends troops, the Song Dynasty's wealth, land, and people can all be taken by the Liao Kingdom. I promise that after the matter is accomplished, I will offer up several prosperous cities, where gold and silver treasures are piled up like mountains, and food and supplies are abundant. In addition, the beauties of the Song Dynasty will also become your spoils of war."

Upon hearing this, a glint of greed flashed in the generals' eyes, but doubts remained.

Seeing this, Gao Ke spoke even more earnestly: "Moreover, I will provide the Liao army with accurate intelligence from within the Song Dynasty, ensuring that every attack you launch is a surprise, achieving the greatest victory at the lowest cost. Imagine the glory of the Liao flag flying over every inch of Song territory!"

At this moment, a high-ranking nobleman spoke up: "Gao Ke, what you say is tempting, but what if we suffer a defeat in the campaign?"

Gao Ke replied without hesitation, “My lord, if this campaign fails, I, Gao Ke, will bear all the responsibility. I am willing to offer all my family's wealth to make up for the Liao Kingdom's losses. But I firmly believe that with the Liao Kingdom's valiant warriors and my meticulous planning, victory will surely belong to us!”

Gao Ke spoke with great enthusiasm, knowing full well that only by thoroughly persuading these greedy Liao nobles could he escape his predicament.

"Furthermore, the Song Dynasty is currently extremely lax in its defenses against border threats. Their troops are scattered in various places and it is difficult for them to quickly assemble. As long as the Liao army launches a swift attack and sweeps across the border with lightning speed, the Song Dynasty will have no time to react." Gao Ke continued to state the various favorable conditions.

"Moreover, once the Liao Kingdom achieves victory, it will not only gain immediate wealth and land, but also suppress the Song Dynasty for decades or even centuries to come. The Song Dynasty will become a vassal state of the Liao Kingdom, paying tribute and submitting to the Liao Dynasty year after year. This is a golden opportunity to achieve lasting peace, my lords!" Gao Ke's voice was full of seduction.

Finally, the nobles of Liao were persuaded by Gao Ke.

"Very well, Gao Ke, we'll do as you say. But if you dare utter a single lie, I'll make sure you die a horrible death!" a general said fiercely.

Gao Ke immediately knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you all for your trust, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Thus, under Gao Ke's persuasive words and the lure of benefits, the Liao Dynasty decided to send troops to invade the Song Dynasty.

Emperor Huizong of Song was furious over the assassination attempt during a football match and unleashed a tirade in the palace. Gao Qiu knelt on the ground, trembling, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Gao Qiu, you idiot! I entrusted the event to you, and you let villains break in, almost endangering my life!" Emperor Huizong was furious and slammed the memorial in his hand at Gao Qiu.

Gao Qiu's face turned ashen, and he kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Your Majesty, please calm your anger! I deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

Emperor Huizong snorted coldly: "I will spare your life for now, but you will not escape punishment. I will deduct half a year's salary and send you home to reflect on your mistakes!"

Gao Qiu felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and after expressing his gratitude, he hurriedly withdrew.

Meanwhile, the task of searching for Gao Ke and the Japanese ninjas also fell to Song Jiang, Lu Junyi, and others. The group sat around Zhao Tianming's restaurant, their faces grave, engaged in lively discussion.

"Who is this Gao Ke? How could he collude with Japanese ninjas and plot such a conspiracy? He's utterly despicable!" Li Kui shouted, brandishing his battle axe.

Wu Song frowned and said, "This matter is definitely not simple; there is probably more to it than meets the eye."

Song Jiang sat at the head of the table, stroked his chin, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "Brothers, this mission is arduous, and we need to plan it carefully."

Wu Yong gently waved his feather fan and slowly said, "Brother is absolutely right. Gao Ke is able to stir up trouble in the court, so he must have powerful forces supporting him. We must be careful during the search to avoid alerting him."

Lu Junyi nodded: "Mr. Wu is right. But we know nothing about Gao Ke's whereabouts. Where should we begin?"

At this moment, Lu Zhishen said, "I think we can start by investigating Gao Ke's interpersonal relationships; perhaps we can find some clues."

Song Jiang agreed, saying, "Brother Lu Zhishen is absolutely right. But this matter must be carried out in secret, and we must not alert Gao Ke's accomplices."

"Then could we send someone to infiltrate the imperial court and gather information?" Yan Qing suggested.

Wu Yong shook his head and said, "This plan is not advisable. The people in the court are a complex bunch, and if our people infiltrate rashly, their identities will be easily exposed."

Everyone fell into deep thought, and the restaurant fell silent for a moment.

After a while, Song Jiang said, "Why don't we split into several groups? One group can secretly investigate and keep an eye out for suspicious people in the city; another group can go to places where Gao Ke might appear and keep watch; and the third group can be responsible for collecting intelligence and analyzing clues."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Brother, I’ll take a team of brothers to search Gao Ke’s residence and see if we can find anything useful,” Dai Zong said.

Song Jiang nodded and said, "Alright, Brother Dai Zong, go and come back quickly."

"Wu Song and I went to the inns and taverns in the city to inquire about information," Lu Zhishen said.

"Then I will lead a team of men with Brother Lu Junyi to patrol outside the city," Lin Chong said.

Song Jiang instructed, "Brothers, you must be careful in this operation and must not act impulsively."

Everyone responded in unison, "Yes, Big Brother!"

Just as everyone was preparing to get up and move out, Wu Yong suddenly said, "Brother, there is one more thing to be aware of. Since Gao Ke can collude with Japanese ninjas, he may have other external support. We must be wary of enemy ambushes during our operation."

Song Jiang nodded solemnly: "Brother Wu Yong is right. Everyone must be careful and ensure their own safety."

The crowd dispersed, and a tense search operation began.

Meanwhile, Gao Ke was also very uneasy when he learned that his whereabouts had attracted the attention of the Liangshan heroes.

"Hmph, these Liangshan bandits are really meddling in other people's business!" Gao Ke said angrily.

Jiaogen Jingchun said, "Lord Gao, there's no need to worry. We've already made arrangements. If they dare to come, we'll make sure they don't leave alive."

Gao Ke frowned and said, "It's best to be careful. We must speed up the progress of the plan and not let things be exposed."

"Don't worry, Lord Gao, everything is under control," Jiaogen Jingchun said confidently.

However, what they didn't know was that the Liangshan heroes were getting closer and closer to the truth, and a battle between justice and evil was about to unfold.

Just as everyone was discussing how to deal with Gao Ke in Zhao Tianming's restaurant, a merchant named Sun Fu walked in. Sun Fu had been doing business with Zhao Tianming's restaurant for many years, mainly dealing in leather goods on the border between Song and Liao.

As soon as Sun Fu entered, he greeted Zhao Tianming with a beaming smile, "Manager Zhao, it's been a long time!"

Zhao Tianming quickly stood up to greet him: "Mr. Sun, what brings you to my restaurant today?"

Sun Fu found an empty seat, took a sip of tea, and said, "Manager Zhao, I'm here to talk business with you. Liao may not have much else, but their leather is of the highest quality. If you import more, our business will surely prosper."

Zhao Tianming frowned slightly and said, "Boss Sun, with the current turbulent situation, business is not easy."

Sun Fu lowered his voice and said, "Manager Zhao, you may not know this, but I've recently heard some rumors on the border."

Upon hearing this, everyone pricked up their ears.

Sun Fu continued, "I heard that the Liao Kingdom seems to be secretly gathering troops, as if they are about to make a big move."

Song Jiang's eyes sharpened, and he asked, "Boss Sun, is this news accurate?"

Sun Fu patted his chest and said, "Chief Song, I, Sun Fu, have been on the border for many years and I still have some information channels. Although I don't know the specifics, this commotion is indeed quite significant."

Wu Yong gently waved his feather fan, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Could this be related to Gao Ke's conspiracy?"

Sun Fu shook his head: "I don't know about that, but something just doesn't feel right. The Liao Kingdom usually makes some small moves, but this time it feels different."

Lu Junyi said, "Mr. Sun, please think about it carefully again. Are there any other unusual circumstances?"

Sun Fu frowned, trying hard to recall: "Right, I also saw quite a few unfamiliar faces moving around the border. They didn't seem to be Liao people; they were behaving suspiciously."

Wu Song said, "Could it be a spy sent by Gao Ke?"

Sun Fu said, "That's possible. Moreover, border trade has been affected recently, and controls are much stricter than before."

Song Jiang said, "Boss Sun, the information you provided is very important. If it is true, then we must act quickly to stop Gao Ke's conspiracy."

Sun Fu nodded and said, "Chief Song, although I am a businessman, I also understand the greater good of the nation. If there is anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."

Wu Yong said, "Boss Sun, could you go to the border again to gather more detailed intelligence?"

Sun Fu agreed without hesitation: "No problem, Mr. Wu, I'll go right away."

Everyone thanked Sun Fu, and Sun Fu left in a hurry.

After Sun Fu left, the restaurant was once again filled with discussion.

Li Kui shouted, "Whatever their conspiracy, I, Tie Niu, will charge straight in and chop down Gao Ke and all those Liao people!"

Song Jiang shouted, "Li Kui, don't be rash! We must figure out their plan before we can deal with it."

Lu Zhishen said, "Brother is right, we cannot act blindly."

Lin Chong said, "Should we then strengthen our surveillance of the border?"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "Brother Lin Chong is right. We will send some brothers in disguise to the border to keep a close eye on the Liao Kingdom's movements."

Everyone nodded and began to discuss the specific plans.

Just then, Dai Zong rushed in: "Brother, something bad has happened! I found some suspicious people near Gao Ke's residence, who seem to be passing on messages."

Song Jiang stood up: "Let's go take a look!"

The group followed Song Jiang and quickly left the restaurant, heading towards Gao Ke's residence.