Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

After Wu Yong obtained the letter that Wang Zhiqiang wrote to Tong Guan, he knew that the matter was of great importance and immediately discussed countermeasures with Zhao Tianming.

"Manager Zhao, although this letter can serve as one piece of evidence, Tong Guan is powerful and has the support of Consort Shu. If we want to completely bring him down, we need to plan carefully." Wu Yong frowned and gently waved his feather fan.

Zhao Tianming asked anxiously, "What are your thoughts, sir?"

Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "I suggest that Master Chai intervene, using his connections and wealth in the capital to smooth things over with all parties. At the same time, I suggest sending Yan Qing to plead with Emperor Huizong through Li Shishi. With this two-pronged approach, we might have a chance of success."

Zhao Tianming nodded in agreement: "I will leave it to you to arrange, sir."

Wu Yong immediately sent someone to invite Chai Jin. Upon learning the details, Chai Jin's expression turned solemn: "This matter is of utmost importance; I will do everything in my power to assist you."

Wu Yong cupped his hands and said, "Master Chai, this time we need to rely on your wealth and connections to smooth things over and expose Tong Guan's crimes."

Chai Jin replied, "I will go and prepare gold and silver treasures, visit those key figures, and find out the court's attitude toward this matter."

At the same time, Yan Qing also began to prepare to plead with Emperor Huizong through Li Shishi.

Yan Qing dressed up carefully and brought precious gifts to Li Shishi's residence.

When Li Shishi saw Yan Qing arrive, she greeted him with a smile: "Brother Yan Qing, what brings you here today?"

Yan Qing bowed and said, "Sister, I have come here today because I have an important matter to ask of you."

He then told Li Shishi about Zhao Tianming's misfortune and Tong Guan's crimes, and begged her to say a few good words for him to Emperor Huizong.

Upon hearing this, Li Shishi frowned slightly: "This matter is of great importance, and I will do my best. However, the Emperor's thoughts are unpredictable, and I cannot guarantee that it will be effective."

Yan Qing hurriedly said, "I am already extremely grateful for your help, sister."

Chai Jin visited several important officials in the court, bringing lavish gifts. Some officials accepted the gifts with ambiguous attitudes, neither agreeing nor disagreeing; others hinted to Chai Jin that the matter was quite thorny and required careful consideration.

Chai Jin was not discouraged and continued to navigate the officialdom.

Yan Qing also discussed with Li Shishi several times how to speak to Emperor Huizong. Li Shishi knew Emperor Huizong's preferences well and carefully planned her words.

Finally, one day, Emperor Huizong visited Li Shishi. Li Shishi cleverly used her charm to please Emperor Huizong.

Taking advantage of Emperor Huizong's good mood, Li Shishi gently parted her lips and said, "Your Majesty, I have recently heard of a strange thing."

Emperor Huizong asked curiously, "Oh? My beloved concubine, tell me about it."

Li Shishi then subtly recounted Zhao Tianming's injustice and Tong Guan's various misdeeds.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Huizong's expression changed slightly: "Is this really true?"

Li Shishi then said, "Your Majesty is wise and discerning, and will surely investigate thoroughly and restore justice to the people."

Emperor Huizong pondered for a moment and said, "I will send someone to investigate this matter myself."

When the news reached Zhao Tianming and the others, a glimmer of hope ignited in their hearts.

Wu Yong said, "We must not be careless at this time. We need to wait for the right opportunity and see how the court will act."

Zhao Tianming nodded and said, "I will leave it to you to arrange, sir."

In the midst of anxious waiting, the imperial court finally took action, dispatching a special envoy to investigate Tong Guan's affairs.

Cai Jing and Gao Qiu secretly met at the mansion to discuss Zhao Tianming's investigation of Tong Guan.

Gao Qiu said with a gloomy face, "Grand Tutor Cai, I heard that Zhao Tianming is investigating Tong Guan in great detail. This matter may be detrimental to us."

Cai Jing sat in his armchair, stroking his beard, a sly glint in his eyes: "Hmph, that scoundrel Tong Guan almost implicated us with his collusion with Wang Zhiqiang. Now that Zhao Tianming is going to deal with him, we might as well give him a push and teach him a lesson through Zhao Tianming's hand."

Gao Qiu nodded slightly and agreed, "The Grand Tutor is absolutely right. But how to further fuel this situation still requires careful planning."

After a moment's thought, Cai Jing said, "We can secretly reveal some of Tong Guan's weaknesses to Zhao Tianming to make his investigation go more smoothly. At the same time, we can subtly criticize some of Tong Guan's actions in court to attract the Emperor's attention."

Gao Qiu's eyes lit up: "This plan is brilliant! Then we will arrange for people to carry it out immediately."

Therefore, Cai Jing and Gao Qiu's men began to secretly contact Zhao Tianming.

One day, while Zhao Tianming was at his residence, a mysterious person suddenly requested an audience.

Zhao Tianming met with the man with suspicion. The man lowered his voice and said, "Manager Zhao, I have been entrusted by Grand Tutor Cai and Grand Commandant Gao to reveal some important information to you. Tong Guan has a secret property in Jiangnan, which he acquired through illegal means. This matter is little known."

Zhao Tianming was startled, but remained outwardly calm: "Oh? Are you serious?"

The mysterious man said with certainty, "It's absolutely true. This is a huge weakness of Tong Guan. If Manager Zhao can use this to his advantage, he'll definitely make him regret it."

After saying that, the mysterious man hurriedly left.

Zhao Tianming knew this was no small matter, so he immediately discussed it with Wu Yong.

Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "Manager Zhao, although this matter seems to be aided by Cai Jing and Gao Qiu, there may be another conspiracy involved. We must be careful and not trust too easily."

Zhao Tianming nodded and said, "What you say makes sense, sir, but this is also a rare opportunity that we cannot let slip by."

Meanwhile, in the imperial court, Cai Jing deliberately mentioned some political chaos in Jiangnan, subtly pointing the finger at Tong Guan.

Gao Qiu seized the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, I have heard that Tong Guan has handled affairs in Jiangnan improperly, and I fear there may be something fishy going on."

Emperor Huizong frowned: "Is this really true? I will investigate this thoroughly."

Tong Guan, listening in the court, broke out in a cold sweat, his heart filled with hatred for Cai Jing and Gao Qiu.

Meanwhile, Zhao Tianming secretly gathered more evidence, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to Tong Guan. However, he remained constantly vigilant against Cai Jing and Gao Qiu's plots, fearing he might fall into their trap.

Despite his caution, Zhao Tianming ultimately failed to see through the trap meticulously set by Cai Jing and Gao Qiu.

In the Golden Palace, Cai Jing and Gao Qiu exchanged a glance, secretly pleased with themselves. Cai Jing stepped forward first, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, the matter of Tong Guan has caused a great uproar throughout the city, and the people are filled with anxiety. I believe that Manager Zhao Tianming is an upright man, and he has many capable and righteous people assisting him. If he were to investigate this matter, he would surely be impartial and selfless. If he could uncover Tong Guan's crimes, it would not only deter those lawless criminals but also restore order to the court. Furthermore, if Manager Zhao can successfully handle this case, handing over the involved assets to him would be a form of compensation for the injustice he suffered."

Gao Qiu immediately chimed in, "Grand Tutor Cai is absolutely right. Zhao Tianming has suffered greatly in this incident. Letting him investigate will not only demonstrate His Majesty's wisdom, but also give Manager Zhao a chance to seek justice for himself."

Emperor Huizong sat on the dragon throne, his eyes slightly narrowed. After pondering for a moment, he felt that the plan was feasible and nodded repeatedly, saying, "What you say makes sense, my dear minister." He then ordered, "Eunuch Chen, go to Zhao Tianming's residence immediately and convey my decree, ordering him to take charge of investigating the Tong Guan case."

After receiving the imperial decree, Eunuch Chen immediately led several junior eunuchs out of the palace to Zhao Tianming's residence.

At this moment, Zhao Tianming was discussing countermeasures with Wu Yong and others in his mansion when he suddenly heard a commotion outside.

"Imperial decree has arrived! Zhao Tianming, receive the decree!" Chen Gonggong's shrill voice rang out.

Zhao Tianming and the others hurriedly knelt down to receive the imperial decree.

Eunuch Chen unfolded the imperial edict and loudly proclaimed: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Zhao Tianming is hereby ordered to investigate the case of Tong Guan and to ascertain the truth. If successful, the property involved in the case shall be his property as compensation. So be it!"

Zhao Tianming was startled. He hadn't expected Emperor Huizong to suddenly issue such an edict, and for a moment he didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse.

After Eunuch Chen finished reading the imperial edict, Zhao Tianming respectfully accepted it and said, "You've worked hard, Eunuch. Please come in and have a cup of tea."

Eunuch Chen waved his hand and said, "Manager Zhao, I have important matters to attend to, so I won't stay any longer. You must do your job well and not disappoint the Emperor's expectations."

After seeing Eunuch Chen off, Zhao Tianming, Wu Yong, and the others returned to the hall.

Zhao Tianming frowned and said, "Sir, this matter is probably not so simple. Why would Cai Jing and Gao Qiu be so kind as to recommend me to investigate this matter?"

Wu Yong lightly waved his feather fan and analyzed, "Manager Zhao, this is a treacherous scheme by Cai Jing and Gao Qiu. On the surface, they are recommending Manager Zhao, but in reality, they want to put him in a dilemma. If Manager Zhao cannot find out the truth, he will offend the Emperor; if Manager Zhao finds out the truth, he will probably be secretly framed by them."

Zhao Tianming said worriedly, "What should we do now? The imperial edict has been issued, and disobeying it is a capital offense."

Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "Manager Zhao, don't be anxious. Since we can't disobey the imperial decree, let's turn the tables on them. On the one hand, we will do our best to investigate this case and try to obtain solid evidence; on the other hand, we must always be on guard against the conspiracies and schemes of Cai Jing and Gao Qiu."

Zhao Tianming nodded and said, "That's the only way. Sir, where should we begin?"

Wu Yong said, "Manager Zhao, let's start by investigating Tong Guan's secret business in Jiangnan. Although Cai Jing and Gao Qiu's men have revealed some information, it may not be reliable. We need to send people to Jiangnan to investigate ourselves."

Zhao Tianming followed the plan and sent his trusted men to Jiangnan.

However, their actions had already been secretly monitored by Cai Jing and Gao Qiu.

In Jiangnan, Zhao Tianming's men encountered numerous obstacles. Local officials made things difficult for them in every way, and Tong Guan's men also sabotaged the investigation at every turn.

When the news reached Zhao Tianming's residence, he was extremely anxious.

Wu Yong reassured him, "Manager Zhao, don't panic. We need to stay calm and plan our next move."

Just as Zhao Tianming and his team were racking their brains, Cai Jing and Gao Qiu again advised Emperor Huizong in court, urging Zhao Tianming to solve the case as soon as possible.

Emperor Huizong also expressed his dissatisfaction with Zhao Tianming's slow progress.

Zhao Tianming felt unprecedented pressure, but he knew he couldn't back down now. He could only grit his teeth and persevere, continuing to search for the truth and a way out in this complex situation.

Zhao Tianming knew he couldn't just sit and wait to die, so he discussed countermeasures with Wu Yong again.

Wu Yong said, "Manager Zhao, we are currently in the open while the enemy is in the shadows. We need to change our strategy. We can start with Tong Guan's trusted confidants, offering them great rewards, which may open a gap in our defenses."

Zhao Tianming followed his advice and secretly sent someone to contact one of Tong Guan's confidants. This man, who had long suffered oppression from Tong Guan and harbored resentment, finally revealed some crucial information under Zhao Tianming's enticement.

Meanwhile, Cai Jing and Gao Qiu grew increasingly anxious as Zhao Tianming seemed to be making progress. They decided to take action again, bribing a servant in Zhao Tianming's household to deliberately transmit false information during the investigation and mislead Zhao Tianming.

Unaware that his servant had been bribed, Zhao Tianming followed the wrong clues and ended up in a predicament.