Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Emperor Huizong sat on the dragon throne, his face so dark it seemed to drip water. He glared at Gao Qiu and Cai Jing kneeling below, his heart filled with anger and suspicion.

"Gao Qiu and Cai Jing, are your words true? If there is even a single lie, I will not let you off lightly!" Emperor Huizong's voice was as cold as ice.

Gao Qiu hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I would never dare to utter a single falsehood! Those Liangshan bandits are indeed audacious and reckless, daring to kidnap Minister Li. This is openly defying the court!"

Cai Jing echoed, "Your Majesty, the situation is critical. If we do not send troops to suppress them in time, the Liangshan bandits will become even more rampant, and it will be difficult to control them then."

Emperor Huizong pondered for a moment and said, "Issue my decree, ordering Gao Qiu to lead 50,000 imperial guards to immediately launch a campaign against Liangshan and wipe out these bandits in one fell swoop!"

Gao Qiu was overjoyed and quickly accepted the imperial decree to express his gratitude: "Your Majesty, rest assured, this humble subject will certainly live up to your mission and wipe out all the Liangshan bandits!"

Meanwhile, Song Jiang and the others brought Minister Li back to Liangshan. They gathered in the Hall of Righteousness to discuss their next move.

Minister Li said gratefully, "Thank you all for saving me. If it weren't for you, I would probably have fallen victim to Gao Qiu and Cai Jing."

Song Jiang said, "Minister Li, there's no need to be so polite. Gao Qiu will definitely send troops to attack Liangshan. We need to prepare as soon as possible."

Wu Yong waved his feather fan and said, "Gao Qiu's troops will surely come with great force this time. But our Liangshan is easy to defend and difficult to attack. As long as we are well prepared, we may not be afraid of him."

Just then, a scout reported: "Report! Gao Qiu has led 50,000 imperial guards and set up camp at the foot of Liangshan Mountain."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression tightened.

Wu Song roared, "What's there to be afraid of! I'll take my sword and go down the mountain, and kill them all without leaving a single one alive!"

Song Jiang quickly stopped him, saying, "Brother Wu Song, don't be impulsive. Gao Qiu has many men and is very powerful. We must not act rashly."

Shi Qian's eyes darted around, and he said, "Brother, why don't I sneak into Gao Qiu's camp tonight and find out what's going on?"

Song Jiang nodded and said, "This plan is feasible, but we must proceed with caution."

That night, Shi Qian secretly sneaked into Gao Qiu's camp. He carefully moved between the tents, but accidentally stepped on a dead branch.

"Who goes there?" A sharp shout rang out, startling Shi Qian, who quickly hid in the bushes nearby.

A patrol of soldiers was seen walking towards them. Shi Qian held his breath and dared not move.

After the patrolling soldiers left, Shi Qian continued on his way and finally arrived outside Gao Qiu's tent. He peeked through the crack and saw Gao Qiu talking to a mysterious person.

"This attack on Liangshan is a must-win situation. If we succeed, you'll reap the rewards," Gao Qiu said.

The mysterious man replied, "Don't worry, Lord Gao, I have made all the arrangements."

Shi Qian wondered who this mysterious person was.

Just then, Shi Qian suddenly felt someone behind him. He was about to turn around when a large hand covered his mouth.

"Don't make a sound, come with me." A deep voice came.

Shi Qian was taken out of the military camp by that man and returned to Liangshan.

When everyone saw Shi Qian return, they quickly inquired about the situation.

Shi Qian told everyone what he had seen and heard, and Song Jiang and the others all frowned.

Wu Yong said, "This mysterious person's identity is unknown. I wonder what conspiracy Gao Qiu is plotting this time."

Just as everyone was racking their brains for a solution, the sound of war drums suddenly came from the foot of Liangshan Mountain, and Gao Qiu's army began to attack.

The heroes of Liangshan picked up their weapons and prepared to fight the enemy.

However, during the battle, the Liangshan heroes discovered that Gao Qiu's army seemed to be extremely powerful, quite different from the imperial guards they had seen before.

"What's going on? How can Gao Qiu's army be so powerful?" Shi Xiu shouted as he fought the enemy.

Qin Ming led a group of Liangshan heroes, standing ready at the foot of the mountain to repel the attack from Gao Yan's inner camp. He held a spiked club, looking imposing, and the heroes behind him were also in high spirits.

"Brothers, today we'll show that old bastard Gao Qiu the might of Liangshan!" Qin Ming shouted.

Soldiers from Gao Qiu's inner camp surged forward like a tide, and Qin Ming led the charge, engaging the enemy in fierce combat. Wherever his spiked club swung, enemies fell one after another, but Gao Qiu's inner camp soldiers seemed endless, and Qin Ming gradually felt immense pressure.

On the other side, Lu Junyi led his troops to defend against Yin Tianxi's attack. Yin Tianxi's troops were skilled archers, and arrows rained down, causing considerable trouble for Lu Junyi's side.

Lu Junyi calmly directed his men: "Shield bearers in front, archers prepare to counterattack!"

The Liangshan heroes worked closely together, gradually stabilized their position, and began a protracted war with Yin Tianxi's troops.

The battlefield was filled with the sounds of battle and the splatter of blood. Just when Qin Ming's side was about to give out, reinforcements from Liangshan arrived just in time.

It turned out that Song Jiang and Wu Yong had personally led a team of elite troops to provide support.

"Brother Qin Ming, we're here!" Song Jiang shouted.

With the arrival of reinforcements, Qin Ming's situation improved, and they began to counterattack Gao Yanei's camp.

Meanwhile, Lu Junyi, after a hard-fought battle, finally found a weakness in Yin Tianxi's troops and successfully broke through their defenses.

Just as the Liangshan forces were gaining the upper hand, Gao Qiu resorted to a treacherous tactic. He sent a surprise force to circle around to the rear of Liangshan, attempting a sneak attack.

Fortunately, the spies from Liangshan discovered the situation in time and relayed the message back.

Song Jiang made a quick decision: "Brother Wu Yong, you lead some men back to defend the stronghold, while Qin Ming, Lu Junyi, and I will continue the fight."

Wu Yong accepted the order and hurriedly led a group of men back to Liangshan.

After successfully drawing away the Liangshan forces, Gao Qiu was secretly pleased with himself, thinking his scheme had succeeded. He then revealed to the Liao emperor that the Liangshan troops were tied down. Upon hearing this, the Liao emperor immediately dispatched his general Yelü Hong to attack the Song dynasty's prefectures and counties.

Yelü Hong led the Liao army in a menacing advance, and for a time, tensions rose along the Song Dynasty's borders. Beacon towers along the frontier were set ablaze one after another, billowing smoke rising straight into the sky.

The border guards stood watch day and night on the city walls, their eyes filled with vigilance and exhaustion. In the distance, the Liao army's camps stretched endlessly, their banners fluttering in the wind.

"General, the Liao army has already assembled outside the city and looks like they could launch an attack at any moment!" A soldier rushed up to report to the defending general.

The general, his expression grave, gripped his sword tightly and said, "Pass on my orders: strengthen defenses and prepare to meet the enemy!"

On the city wall, soldiers were busy carrying arrows and stones.

"Brothers, behind us are our homes and our people. Even if we fight to the last man, we must not let the Liao army set foot on our territory!" the general shouted.

The soldiers responded in unison: "We swear to live and die with the city!"

However, the Liao army was numerous and imposing. Yelü Hong, mounted on his horse, looked at the city before him and revealed a ferocious smile.

"Attack the city!" Yelü Hong commanded, and the Liao army surged toward the city like a tidal wave.

The border guards fought back fiercely, raining arrows down on the Liao army, but the Liao army continued to advance.

Meanwhile, Emperor Huizong was handling state affairs in his study. Suddenly, a eunuch rushed in, his face pale.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Liao army has invaded our borders, and the frontier is in dire need of help!" The eunuch's voice trembled.

Emperor Huizong was startled, and the pen in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".

"What? Why would the Liao army suddenly attack?" Emperor Huizong's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

The eunuch said, "Your Majesty, the specific situation is still unknown, but with the continuous reports of war and smoke signals, the situation must be extremely critical."

Emperor Huizong stood up and paced back and forth in his study, his heart filled with anxiety and unease.

"Summon the ministers immediately to discuss countermeasures!" Emperor Huizong said.

Soon, the ministers rushed to the Imperial Study.

"Your Majesty, the Liao army is now invading. We should send reinforcements immediately," a minister said.

“However, Gao Qiu is currently attacking Liangshan. Deploying troops at this time might affect the course of the battle,” another minister expressed his concern.

Emperor Huizong frowned and said, "Are we just going to stand by and watch the Liao army ravage the border and ignore the lives of the people?"

The ministers remained silent, and the atmosphere in the imperial study was extremely heavy.

Just then, another eunuch ran in to report: "Your Majesty, the latest news from the border is that the Liao army's offensive is fierce and the city is in imminent danger."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Huizong's expression turned even more unpleasant.

"Issue my decree to immediately dispatch nearby garrisons to reinforce the border, and at the same time order Gao Qiu to return to the rescue." Emperor Huizong finally made his decision.

However, when the imperial edict reached Gao Qiu, he hesitated.

"If we turn back now, wouldn't all the efforts of Liangshan be in vain?" Gao Qiu thought to himself.

However, the imperial edict was difficult to disobey, and Gao Qiu had no choice but to reluctantly begin withdrawing his troops.

Meanwhile, on Liangshan's side, Song Jiang and his men also learned of the Liao army's invasion and Gao Qiu's withdrawal.

"That treacherous Gao Qiu disregards the safety of the nation for his own selfish gain," Song Jiang said angrily.

Wu Yong said, "Brother, the situation is critical now, we should prioritize the overall situation."

Lu Junyi also said, "That's right, we should assist the court in resisting the Liao army."

Song Jiang nodded and said, "Alright, let's make preparations and fight the enemy together with the imperial army."

So the Liangshan heroes reorganized their troops and prepared to head to the border.

On their way to the border, the Liangshan army encountered some civilians who had fled from the border. The civilians lamented the brutality of the Liao army, which strengthened the Liangshan people's resolve to resist the enemy.

Finally, the Liangshan army joined forces with the imperial reinforcements.

"Gao Qiu, now that the country is in peril, we should put aside our differences and fight the enemy together," Song Jiang said to Gao Qiu.

Although Gao Qiu was unwilling, he knew that this was not the time for internal strife, so he said, "Alright, the priority is to resist the enemy."

The group began to discuss battle plans and prepare for the upcoming fierce battle.

On the battlefield, when Yelü Hong saw the arrival of Song reinforcements, he did not retreat but instead launched an even more frenzied attack.

In an instant, the sounds of battle shook the heavens, and smoke filled the air. With the combined efforts of the Liangshan heroes and the imperial army, the Song army tenaciously resisted the Liao army's attack.

However, the Liao army still held the upper hand due to its superior military strength.

"This can't go on. We must find a way to break through the Liao army's defenses," Song Jiang said.

Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "I have a plan..."

Under Wu Yong's strategy, the Song army launched a counterattack.