Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

After much deliberation, Wu Yong decided to entrust the matter to Li Gang, a highly respected and loyal minister during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song. Li Gang was upright and incorruptible, dared to speak frankly and offer advice, and was deeply loved by the people.

Song Jiang personally wrote a letter, which read:

Your Majesty's wise judgment:

Your Majesty, I, Song Jiang, along with the righteous men of Liangshan, respectfully inquire after Your Majesty's well-being. The border troubles are still unresolved, and our provisions are scarce. Though we are burning with anxiety and wish to drive out the enemy and defend our territory, we are truly powerless to do so.

The treacherous Gao Qiu, through slander and deception, falsely accused us of missing crucial opportunities, remaining inactive, and demoralizing the army. This is a grave injustice! Since returning to the court, we have been utterly loyal and devoted. We are willing to give our lives for our country, even unto death.

The current situation is critical, and our supplies are running low. It is not that we are unwilling to fight, but rather that the time is not yet ripe. If we were to hastily send out troops, we fear we would suffer heavy losses and fail His Majesty's trust. We have been planning day and night to resolve the supply shortage and boost our morale.

We implore Your Majesty to see the truth clearly and not to believe slanderous words. We your subjects are willing to die for Your Majesty, even if it means our deaths on the battlefield.

We humbly submit to Your Majesty's wise decision.

Song Jiang bowed his head and paid his respects again.

To deliver the letter to Li Gang, Liangshan dispatched its most clever and loyal man, Yan Qing. Disguised, Yan Qing endured countless hardships and finally infiltrated the capital.

However, Gao Qiu's henchmen were everywhere in the capital, so Yan Qing had to be extremely careful. After many twists and turns, Yan Qing finally found an opportunity to meet Li Gang.

Yan Qing respectfully presented the letter and said, "Lord Li, we, the righteous men of Liangshan, are now deeply wronged. We hope that you can plead our case before His Majesty on our behalf."

Li Gang took the letter, unfolded it, and began to read it, his expression gradually becoming solemn. He knew the matter was of great importance and was also moved by the loyalty and righteousness of the Liangshan heroes.

Li Gang said to Yan Qing, "Rest assured, I will do my best."

Subsequently, Li Gang found a suitable opportunity to meet with Emperor Huizong of Song.

Li Gang knelt down and reported, "Your Majesty, I have recently heard of a matter concerning the border war and the righteous men of Liangshan."

Emperor Huizong said, "My dear minister, please tell me quickly."

Li Gang then presented Song Jiang's letter, saying, "Your Majesty, the Liangshan heroes were originally commoners, but they surrendered to the court and are wholeheartedly devoted to serving the country. Now, Gao Qiu's slanderous words are truly a disastrous act for the country. I have examined his letter, and his words are earnest and his loyalty is evident. The shortage of provisions on the border is not their fault. If we force them to send troops now, it may be detrimental to the war. I hope Your Majesty will make a wise decision."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Huizong was slightly moved. After pondering for a moment, he said, "I should reconsider this matter."

Li Gang continued, “Your Majesty, the safety of the nation depends on your wise judgment. If the Liangshan bandits truly intended to rebel, why would they bother to gather provisions, or submit petitions? I hope Your Majesty will not be deceived by treacherous officials.”

Emperor Huizong nodded slightly and said, "What you say makes sense, my dear minister. I will investigate it thoroughly."

Li Gang's advice brought a glimmer of hope to the Liangshan heroes, but the final outcome remains to be seen.

When Gao Qiu and Cai Jing learned that Li Gang had spoken to Emperor Huizong in defense of the Liangshan heroes, they were furious. They drank wine in the back garden of Cai Jing's residence and plotted how to sabotage the matter.

Gao Qiu's face darkened. He slammed his wine cup down and said, "That old scoundrel Li Gang is meddling too much! He dares to interfere in this matter and ruin our plans."

While picking up some food, Cai Jing poured wine for Gao Qiu and replied, "Brother Gao, don't be anxious. Li Gang is an upright and incorruptible man with a reputation for integrity in the court. He should not be underestimated. But we are not without options."

Gao Qiu frowned and asked, "Brother Cai, what brilliant plan do you have?"

Cai Jing stroked his beard, a sinister glint in his eyes, and said in a low voice, "We can whisper in His Majesty's ear that Li Gang has been colluding with the Liangshan bandits. This suggestion is to exonerate him and try to deceive His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Gao Qiu's eyes lit up, but he then worriedly said, "This plan is ingenious, but what if His Majesty doesn't believe it and instead blames us?"

Cai Jing smiled slightly and said, "Brother Gao, rest assured, we can collect some dubious evidence and arrange for some trusted confidants to spread rumors in the court. With enough manpower, the emperor will inevitably become suspicious."

Gao Qiu nodded and then said, "Li Gang also has many supporters in the court. What if they come forward to defend Li Gang?"

Cai Jing sneered: "Hmph, those who support Li Gang, we can take them down one by one. We can coerce or entice them to keep their voices quiet. Furthermore, we can slander Li Gang to the Emperor, saying that he is arrogant and doesn't respect the Emperor. The Emperor hates ministers who are too powerful. In this way, Li Gang will surely lose the Emperor's favor."

Gao Qiu clapped his hands and laughed: "Brother Cai's plan is brilliant, we should act on it quickly."

Thus, Gao Qiu and Cai Jing began to plot meticulously. They instructed their henchmen to fabricate letters between Li Gang and the Liangshan bandits, and bribed some ruffians to spread rumors in the capital that Li Gang had accepted bribes from Liangshan to exonerate him.

Meanwhile, in the imperial court, Gao Qiu and Cai Jing constantly slandered Li Gang before Emperor Huizong, claiming that he harbored treacherous intentions and attempted to disrupt the court. Emperor Huizong already harbored suspicions about the Liangshan group, and after listening to Gao Qiu and Cai Jing's slander, his trust in Li Gang gradually wavered.

Those ministers who had originally supported Li Gang, seeing the growing power of Gao Qiu and Cai Jing and fearing implication, mostly chose to remain silent. Li Gang found himself isolated and helpless.

However, Li Gang did not back down. He met with Emperor Huizong again, vehemently defending the Liangshan heroes and pointing out the conspiracy of Gao Qiu and Cai Jing. But by this time, Emperor Huizong had been misled by slander and was only half-convinced by Li Gang's words.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Gao Qiu and Cai Jing advised Emperor Huizong that Li Gang's actions were disrespectful to the emperor and should be severely punished.

Li Gang was framed by Gao Qiu and Cai Jing's conspiracy and faced the danger of being dismissed from office and exiled, but he was not afraid at all.

In the imperial court, Li Gang spoke eloquently: "Whatever punishment I may receive, even if I am torn to pieces, I have no fear. However, Song Jiang and the other Liangshan heroes are all loyal and devoted men, and they should not be falsely accused like this. Your Majesty, please be wise. The two traitors, Gao Qiu and Cai Jing, harbor treacherous intentions and are trying to deceive Your Majesty with slanderous words, disrupt the court, and are truly the cause of national disaster."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Huizong's face darkened with displeasure. He said, "Li Gang, what do you mean by that? Do you think I'm so muddle-headed that I've wronged you?"

Li Gang knelt down, cupped his hands, and said again, "Your Majesty, I would never have such intentions, even if it meant my death. Those two traitors, Gao Qiu and Cai Jing, formed cliques for personal gain, resorting to any means necessary. Their framing of the Liangshan heroes is nothing more than an attempt to eliminate loyal officials and consolidate their power. I observe that the Liangshan heroes, though of humble origins, have repeatedly rendered meritorious service since surrendering to the court; their loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon. Their temporary halt to the campaign due to the shortage of provisions is truly understandable. Yet these two traitors are using this as an excuse to make a big fuss; their intentions are despicable!"

Gao Qiu glared at him angrily and rebuked him, "Li Gang, stop talking nonsense! You are colluding with the Liangshan bandits, and now you are still trying to deceive us with your silver tongue."

Li Gang turned and glared at Gao Qiu, saying, "You wicked Gao Qiu, you have committed countless evils and framed loyal officials. This is intolerable to Heaven! I, Li Gang, have always been upright and honest. How could I possibly collude with you!"

Cai Jing also said, "Li Gang, don't make false accusations. We are all doing this for the sake of the court and the country, yet you are distorting the truth."

Li Gang sneered and said, "Cai Jing, you treacherous villain, you usually embezzle and pervert the law, and prey on the people. Now you're colluding with Gao Qiu to frame a loyal minister. Your crimes are unforgivable!"

Emperor Huizong, seeing the three arguing incessantly in the hall, flew into a rage: "Silence! Li Gang, since you keep claiming that the Liangshan heroes are loyal, do you have any evidence?"

Li Gang said, “Your Majesty, although I have no conclusive evidence, the Liangshan people’s determination to resist the enemy is as clear as day. If Your Majesty easily believes slanderous words and chills the hearts of loyal ministers, who will be willing to serve the court in the future?”

Gao Qiu said, "Your Majesty, do not listen to Li Gang's nonsense. He should be punished immediately."

Li Gang, head held high and chest puffed out, declared loudly, “Your Majesty, I swear on my life that the people of Liangshan are not traitors. If anything goes wrong, I am willing to accept my fate. But the two traitors, Gao Qiu and Cai Jing, have brought disaster to the country and its people; they must be investigated!”

After a moment of contemplation, Emperor Huizong was ultimately swayed by the words of Gao Qiu and Cai Jing, and ordered Li Gang to be imprisoned to await his fate.

As Li Gang was led away from the palace, he still shouted, "Your Majesty is wise and will one day uncover the truth and clear my name and the innocence of the Liangshan people!" His voice was tragic and resounding throughout the court.

The news of Li Gang's imprisonment spread like wildfire, and the people of the capital were indignant and discussed it among themselves.

"How could such a loyal and virtuous official as Grand Tutor Li be framed? What kind of world is this?" People whispered among themselves in the streets and alleys, and anger and discontent spread among the crowd.

The news quickly reached Song Jiang, Lu Junyi, and the others. They gathered in their tent, their faces grave.

Zhao Tianming said to Lu Junyi and Song Jiang, "Brother Lu, Brother Gongming, Grand Tutor Li is in deep trouble because of us. We must save him."

Song Jiang frowned, pacing back and forth, pondering a solution: "This matter requires careful consideration; we must not act rashly."

Lu Junyi nodded in agreement: "Brother Song is absolutely right. Taking rash action would only complicate the situation further and endanger Grand Tutor Li's life."

At this moment, Li Kui shouted loudly, "I don't care! I'll storm the Golden Palace right now, kill those two treacherous dogs Gao Qiu and Cai Jing, and rescue Grand Tutor Li!"

Song Jiang shouted, "Brother Li Kui, don't be impulsive! Such recklessness will not only fail to save Grand Tutor Li, but will also implicate more brothers."

Li Kui's eyes widened, his face full of indignation: "Brother, are we just going to stand by and watch Grand Tutor Li suffer in prison?"

Wu Yong, standing to the side, gently waved his feather fan and said, "Brother Li Kui, don't worry, we will definitely come up with a foolproof plan."

Silence fell over everyone, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.

After a moment, Song Jiang said, "We can first send someone to sneak into the capital to find out about Grand Tutor Li's situation in prison, and then make a plan."

Lu Junyi continued, "We still need to find a way to collect evidence of Gao Qiu and Cai Jing framing Grand Tutor Li and expose their conspiracy in order to clear Grand Tutor Li's name."

Zhao Tianming said, "This matter is not easy. Gao Qiu and Cai Jing have many eyes and ears in the capital, so we must proceed with caution."

After much discussion, the group decided that Yan Qing would lead several shrewd and capable brothers to infiltrate the capital in disguise. On the one hand, they would contact Li Gang's former subordinates in the court to seek support; on the other hand, they would secretly investigate the crimes of Gao Qiu and Cai Jing.

Meanwhile, in their camp, Song Jiang and his men were making preparations to act swiftly should a military rescue be needed. However, they knew this was a last resort and they should not act rashly unless absolutely necessary.

The Liangshan heroes were anxious, hoping that Yan Qing and his men could bring back good news, rescue Li Gang as soon as possible, and restore justice to the world.