Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Su Yuanjing's sudden departure gave Xiao Lie an opportunity. In his gloomy tent, Xiao Lie and a group of trusted confidants plotted their next scheme.

“Su Yuanjing is gone. Now is the perfect time for us to act.” Xiao Lie sat on the tiger-skin chair, his eyes revealing a sinister glint.

A trusted aide said obsequiously, "Sir, I have already arranged for men to assassinate any witnesses who might come forward to testify against us, to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Xiao Lie nodded slightly, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Make it clean, don't leave any trace. Also, send someone to destroy all the documents related to our previous transactions."

At this moment, Xiao Lie felt both the excitement of impending success and the fear of being exposed. "If this succeeds, my position in the court will be more secure; if I fail..." He dared not think further, clenching his fists and secretly vowing to succeed.

Meanwhile, Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong faced numerous difficulties on their investigation's path. They arrived at a small town and found the atmosphere there strangely eerie. The once bustling market was now deserted, and the people looked at them with fear, hurriedly avoiding them.

Zhao Tianming stopped an old man and asked, "Old man, why is everyone so afraid?"

Wu Yong gazed at the deserted market and the terrified people, lost in thought. After a moment, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and a new plan formed in his mind.

He said to Zhao Tianming, "Manager Zhao, Xiao Lie now thinks he has victory in his grasp, and he will inevitably become more and more arrogant. We need to start with what he cares about most."

Zhao Tianming asked in confusion, "Mr. Wu, what do you mean by the part you care about most?"

Wu Yong analyzed, "Xiao Lie is eager to destroy documents related to his crimes and eliminate possible witnesses in order to cover up his conspiracy. So let's start from there. We'll first secretly investigate the possible locations where Xiao Lie keeps the documents, as well as the whereabouts of those witnesses who know about his crimes."

Zhao Tianming nodded in agreement: "However, this investigation must be carried out with extreme caution to avoid alerting the enemy."

Wu Yong smiled slightly: "Don't worry, I have a plan. We can start with Xiao Lie's confidants to find a breakthrough. I discovered that Xiao Lie has a confidant who, although he serves him, harbors resentment because his family was persecuted by Xiao Lie. If we try to contact him and explain the consequences, we might be able to get key clues from him."

So, Wu Yong and Zhao Tianming, after making inquiries from various sources, found the residence of this trusted confidant. Wu Yong went there in person and met with him that night.

Wu Yong said sincerely, "Brother, working for Xiao Lie may seem glamorous, but you are actually in danger. Xiao Lie is ruthless, and once things are exposed, he will definitely use you, his trusted confidants, as scapegoats."

The confidant hesitated, saying, "What can I do? If I betray him, my family and I will be in grave danger."

Wu Yong quickly said, "As long as you help us bring down Xiao Lie, we will protect you and your family. Moreover, Xiao Lie has committed numerous crimes, which will be exposed one day, and you will not be able to escape punishment then either."

After hearing this, the confidant fell into a long silence. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'm willing to help you, but Xiao Lie is very cautious. Important documents are hidden in his secret study, and only he has the key. Moreover, the study is heavily guarded."

After a moment's thought, Wu Yong said, "That's alright. We can create some chaos to distract the guards. You can then steal the key and open the study for us."

The confidant nodded in agreement.

A few days later, Wu Yong and Zhao Tianming deliberately instigated several fights in the city and spread rumors that they were the work of Xiao Lie's political enemies, intending to harm Xiao Lie. Upon hearing this, Xiao Lie hurriedly dispatched a large number of people to deal with the situation.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the confidant stole the key as planned and opened the secret study. Wu Yong and Zhao Tianming quickly sneaked in and searched for evidence.

Finally, they found a thick stack of documents in a secret compartment of the study, which detailed Xiao Lie's various crimes, including buying and selling military rations, embezzlement and bribery, and indiscriminate killing of innocent people.

Holding these documents, Wu Yong excitedly said, "With these, Xiao Lie will have no chance of escaping."

However, just as they were about to leave, Xiao Lie suddenly returned with his men. It turned out this was a test by Xiao Lie; he had long harbored suspicions about his trusted confidant.

"You really are here!" Xiao Lie roared.

Undeterred by the danger, Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong engaged in a fierce battle with Xiao Lie and his men. At a crucial moment, their trusted confidant suddenly switched sides, helping Wu Yong and Zhao Tianming defeat Xiao Lie's forces.

Ultimately, they successfully escaped with the evidence, intending to expose Xiao Lie's crimes and seek justice for the people.

When Xiao Lie learned that Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong had obtained evidence against him, he was like a beast whose tail had been stepped on, and he was filled with extreme panic and anger.

In his private chamber, the Deputy Privy Councilor summoned his most trusted advisors: the resourceful Lin Rui, the cunning Shen Mo, and the shrewd Feng Yuan, to devise a plan for dealing with the crisis.

"These Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong are truly ignorant of their own limitations, daring to oppose me!" the Deputy Privy Councilor said through gritted teeth.

Lin Rui was the first to offer a suggestion: "Sir, why don't we take action against Xiao Lie first? He is the key figure in this matter. If we can silence him or make him turn against us, then Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong's evidence will lose its greatest power. We can use a two-pronged approach: on the one hand, we can tempt him with high-ranking positions and generous salaries, and on the other hand, we can send people to monitor his every move. Once we find that he has any disloyal intentions, we will take immediate action."

The Deputy Privy Councilor pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "This plan is feasible. Shen Mo, send someone to threaten Xiao Lie's family and force him to comply."

Shen Mo accepted the order and left. Soon, Xiao Lie's family members were brought under control.

At the same time, the Deputy Privy Councilor did not let Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong off the hook either. He dispatched top assassins to ambush them on their inevitable route.

Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong proceeded cautiously, noticing the unusual atmosphere around them.

Wu Yong said warily, "Manager Zhao, I feel like there's an invisible eye watching us. I'm afraid there's danger."

Zhao Tianming gripped his weapon tightly: "Whatever the danger, we'll meet it head-on!"

As they reached a valley, the assassins suddenly launched an attack. Arrows rained down upon them; these assassins were not only highly skilled in martial arts but also worked together seamlessly, clearly having undergone meticulous training.

Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong fought back fiercely, retreating as they fought.

Fortunately, they discovered a hidden cave at the critical moment, hid inside, and temporarily escaped disaster.

The Vice Privy Councilor was furious when he learned that the assassination attempt had failed.

Feng Yuan said, “My lord, don’t be anxious. We can spread rumors in the court that Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong are plotting a rebellion, and that the so-called evidence they have is just fabricated to frame you. At the same time, we can bribe some officials to echo their sentiments in court and put pressure on the emperor.”

The Vice Privy Councilor's eyes lit up: "Good idea, get it done immediately."

Soon, rumors spread throughout the court, and some officials who were unaware of the truth began to doubt Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong.

Meanwhile, after careful consideration, Xiao Lie decided to temporarily compromise with the Deputy Privy Councilor. He approached the Deputy Privy Councilor and expressed his willingness to follow his arrangements.

The Deputy Privy Councilor said coldly, "Fine, as long as you behave, I will guarantee your safety and that of your family."

In order to gain the trust of the Deputy Privy Councilor, Xiao Lie offered to help him deal with Zhao Tianming and Wu Yong.

“My lord, I know some of their weaknesses. Wu Yong is clever, but overly cautious. We can take advantage of his caution and design a series of traps. First, we'll release a seemingly important but actually flawed clue to lure them in. Then, as they investigate, we'll gradually tighten the encirclement,” Xiao Lie said.

The Vice Privy Councilor nodded: "Go and make the arrangements."

Xiao Lie sent a fake secret letter to Wu Yong, saying that an important witness was willing to testify against the Deputy Privy Councilor, but they needed to meet at a specific time and place.

After receiving the letter, Wu Yong became suspicious.

Zhao Tianming said, "Could this be a trap?"

Wu Yong pondered for a long time: "It's possible, but this might be our chance to obtain crucial evidence. Moreover, this clue seems somewhat deliberate; perhaps it's something the enemy did on purpose, trying to make us mistake it for a trap and give up."

Ultimately, Wu Yong decided to risk going.

Xiao Lie and his men surrounded Wu Yong, and said smugly, "Wu Yong, you've been clever all your life but made a foolish mistake this time. Let's see how you escape today!"

However, Wu Yong waved his fan, looking calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.

Seeing this, Xiao Lie couldn't help but feel a little suspicious, but he still said fiercely, "You're about to die, why are you pretending to be calm!"

Wu Yong smiled slightly and said, "Xiao Lie, do you think victory is already in your grasp? You're being far too naive."

Xiao Lie frowned and shouted, "Stop playing tricks here!"

Just then, shouts of battle suddenly rang out from the surroundings. Pang Wanchun, Pang Qiuxia, Shi Xiu, Yang Xiong, Yan Qing, and others rushed out.

Pang Wanchun drew his bow and arrow, each shot hitting its mark, instantly felling several of Xiao Lie's men. Pang Qiuxia, wielding a longsword, fought bravely against the enemy with remarkable skill. Shi Xiu, as fierce as a tiger, brandished his club, felling enemies wherever he went. Yang Xiong brandished his broadsword, his imposing presence striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. Yan Qing, with his agile movements, weaved through the enemy ranks, disrupting their formation.

Xiao Lie was shocked and exclaimed, "What's going on?"

Wu Yong laughed and said, "Xiao Lie, your end has come!"

Xiao Lie's men were thrown into disarray by the sudden attack and scattered in all directions. Xiao Lie himself also tried to escape, but was blocked by Shi Xiu and Yang Xiong.

Yan Qing teased, "Xiao Lie, you think you can run away? Not so easy!"

Pang Qiuxia said, "You have committed many evils, and today is your retribution!"

Xiao Lie's face was deathly pale, but he still stubbornly said, "Don't be too happy yet, the Deputy Privy Councilor will not let you off the hook!"

Wu Yong snorted coldly: "Do you think the Deputy Privy Councilor can still protect you? He can't even protect himself."

At this moment, Zhao Tianming also arrived at the scene and joined the others.

Zhao Tianming glared at Xiao Lie and said, "Xiao Lie, your crimes have been exposed. Surrender now!"

Knowing he had no chance of turning things around, Xiao Lie collapsed to the ground.

The group tied Xiao Lie up, preparing to escort him back.

Wu Yong said, "Thanks to the help of all my brothers, we were able to capture Xiao Lie this time."

Pang Wanchun said, "Mr. Wu, you are too kind. Such a wicked person deserves to be killed by everyone."

Yan Qing also smiled and said, "It is my duty to do my part for justice."