Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

After being rescued by the ninjas, the Deputy Privy Councilor sped all the way to a secluded valley. This place was deserted and quiet, rarely visited by people, which allowed him to temporarily avoid the limelight.

The Deputy Privy Councilor collapsed to the ground in a disheveled state, panting heavily, his face filled with the fear and exhaustion of surviving a disaster.

"Thank you all for saving me. If it weren't for you, I would have been doomed." The Vice Privy Councilor said in broken Chinese, his voice still trembling.

The leading ninja bowed slightly and said expressionlessly, "My lord, there's no need for such formalities. We are here to rescue you on the orders of General Gao Ke."

Upon hearing this, the Deputy Privy Councilor's eyes flashed with surprise: "Could it be Gao Ke?"

The ninjas nodded.

The Deputy Privy Councilor frowned, secretly wondering, "Gao Ke's move at this crucial moment must have some ulterior motive."

He composed himself and asked, "Where is General Gao Ke now?"

A ninja coldly replied, "Where General Gao is is none of your concern."

The Deputy Privy Councilor's heart skipped a beat, knowing this was not the time to pry. He quickly said, "I will forever remember your life-saving grace. What are your orders, General Gao?"

The leading ninja stared sharply at the Vice Privy Councilor and said, "You Chinese have an old saying: 'A drop of water in need is repaid with a spring of water.' How much more so a life-saving favor. How do you intend to repay it?"

The Deputy Privy Councilor wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "As long as it is within my power, I will do it even at the cost of my life."

The ninja said, "General Gao wants you to join forces with him to deal with the current predicament. Wu Yong and his men have become a major threat and must be eliminated as soon as possible."

The Deputy Privy Councilor gritted his teeth and said, "I have long been sworn enemies with Wu Yong and his ilk, and that is exactly what I intend to do. But they are currently riding high on their power, so what should we do?"

The ninja said, "General Gao has secretly prepared a great deal of strength, and is just waiting for the right time to strike. But before that, you must conceal your whereabouts and must not be discovered by Wu Yong and the others again."

The Vice Privy Councilor nodded in agreement, saying, "Of course, I will certainly act with caution."

Afterwards, the ninjas led the vice privy councilor to a hidden cave in the valley, where some food and water were stored.

"You shall remain hidden here for the time being," the ninja said.

The Deputy Privy Councilor looked at the simple cave, and although he was unwilling, he knew that he had no other choice at this time.

Inside the cave, the Deputy Privy Councilor's thoughts were in turmoil. Recalling his past power and glory, and comparing it with his current impoverished situation, his resentment towards Wu Yong and the others grew even stronger.

"Wu Yong, Zhao Tianming, don't be so smug for long. Once I join forces with General Gao Ke, I will make sure you die without a burial place!" The Deputy Privy Councilor secretly vowed.

After completing the mission, the ninja immediately sent a message back to Gao Ke, who was far away in the Liao Kingdom, via carrier pigeon.

In the Liao army's tent, Gao Ke anxiously awaited news. A white dove landed, and Gao Ke eagerly took down the letter and unfolded it to read. After finishing the letter, a smug smile appeared on his face.

"Haha, the Deputy Privy Councilor has been rescued, and the plan can proceed further," Gao Ke said.

At this moment, the Liao emperor walked in and asked, "Gao Ke, how is the situation?"

Gao Ke quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Deputy Privy Councilor has been rescued by my ninjas and is now in a safe place."

The Liao emperor nodded and said, "Very good. What are your plans next?"

A sly glint flashed in Gao Ke's eyes as he said, "Your Majesty, I have a perfect plan. We can exploit the Deputy Privy Councilor's hatred for Wu Yong and others, as well as his connections within the Song court, to incite internal strife within the Song Dynasty. At the same time, we can join forces with him to launch a coordinated attack on the Song Dynasty from within."

The Liao emperor frowned slightly and asked, "How exactly should this be implemented?"

Gao Ke stepped forward and said, "First, we will send someone to secretly contact the Deputy Privy Councilor and provide him with material and intelligence support to help him recover. Then, we will have him spread rumors in the Song Dynasty court, falsely accusing Wu Yong and others of treason and disrupting the court."

The Liao emperor stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "This plan is feasible, but we must proceed with caution."

Gao Ke continued, "When the Song Dynasty is in chaos, we can assemble a large army, divide our forces into multiple routes, and head straight for the Song border. At that time, the Deputy Privy Councilor will provide support from within and open the city gates, allowing us to advance unimpeded."

The Liao emperor laughed loudly, "If this plan succeeds, the Song Dynasty will surely become ours."

Gao Ke said, "However, before we take action, we need to understand the military deployment and defense situation of the Song Dynasty, so as to know ourselves and our enemy."

The Liao emperor nodded in agreement: "I entrust this matter to you. Make sure you are well prepared."

Gao Ke accepted the order and set off to begin arranging for spies to infiltrate the Song Dynasty and gather intelligence.

Meanwhile, in the hidden cave, the Deputy Privy Councilor received supplies and letters from Gao Ke.

The letter read: "Your Excellency, I have made all the necessary preparations for you in the Liao Kingdom. As long as you follow my plan, you will surely be able to avenge your wrongs and regain your power."

After reading the letter, the Deputy Privy Councilor felt a surge of hope. He knew this was his only chance to turn his life around.

Thus, the Deputy Privy Councilor began to act according to Gao Ke's plan. He used his old subordinates in the court to secretly spread rumors that Wu Yong and others were colluding with the Liao Kingdom.

For a time, the people of the Song Dynasty were in a state of panic, and doubts about Wu Yong and others arose everywhere.

Wu Yong and the others sensed the unusual atmosphere and knew that someone was up to no good.

Wu Yong said, "This must be a conspiracy by the Deputy Privy Councilor. He wants to use this to disrupt the court and create opportunities for himself."

Zhao Tianming asked, "Then how should we deal with this?"

Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "We must find evidence as soon as possible to prove our innocence and expose the conspiracy of the Deputy Privy Councilor."

However, the Song Dynasty court was already in chaos at this time, with various forces fighting each other openly and covertly.

Some officials, bribed by the Vice Privy Councilor, submitted memorials impeaching Wu Yong and others. Meanwhile, the upright officials chose to believe Wu Yong and defend him.

Amidst this chaos, Gao Ke's spies had already thoroughly investigated the military deployments of the Song Dynasty.

Upon receiving the intelligence, Gao Ke immediately reported to the Liao emperor: "Your Majesty, the time has come; we can send troops now."

At the command of the Liao emperor, the Liao army assembled and marched in a mighty force toward the border of the Song Dynasty.

The border guards discovered the movements of the Liao army and hurriedly alerted the imperial court.

The Song Dynasty court was immediately plunged into panic.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Privy Councilor was hiding in the shadows, waiting for the opportunity to coordinate with the Liao army from within.

Wu Yong and his men knew the situation was critical. On the one hand, they organized troops to resist the Liao Kingdom's attack, and on the other hand, they continued to track down the whereabouts of the Deputy Privy Councilor in an attempt to stop his conspiracy.

A great battle concerning the life and death of the Song Dynasty is about to begin. Behind this war lies a power struggle and intrigue among various factions. The fate of the Song Dynasty remains uncertain.

The Liao emperor angrily said to Gao Ke, "Ye Lihong has been leading her elite troops to attack the Song border for more than a month, but has made no progress. Although we have won over this deputy privy councilor, he is now like a stray dog ​​and can only do things like spread rumors and disrupt the morale of the army. If we want this matter to succeed, we must also involve Tong Guan."

Gao Ke cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Tong Guan is greedy by nature. Perhaps we can use great rewards to lure him into working for us."

The Liao emperor pondered for a moment and then asked, "Do you have a specific plan?"

A sly glint flashed in Gao Ke's eyes: "Your Majesty, we can send an envoy with a large sum of money to Tong Guan in secret, promising him high-ranking positions and endless wealth. If he can open a breach for us within the Song Dynasty, he will be richly rewarded after the deed is done."

The Liao emperor nodded and said, "This plan is feasible, but we must be careful and not let the news leak out."

Gao Ke accepted the order and immediately arranged for a reliable person to go to the Song Dynasty to contact Tong Guan.

Tong Guan, who was worried about his position in the court, secretly speculated when he heard that the Liao envoy had arrived.

When the Liao envoy met Tong Guan, he explained his purpose and presented him with countless gold, silver and jewels.

Upon seeing the gold and silver treasures, Tong Guan roared, "Get out of here right now! The Song and Liao dynasties are irreconcilable enemies. I, Tong Guan, am utterly loyal and will never be misled by you!"

The Liao envoy sneered, "Lord Tong, don't be so quick to refuse. We know exactly who you are."

Tong Guan frowned and said sternly, "What do you mean by this? Stop talking nonsense here!"

The Liao envoy leisurely took out a letter from his pocket and waved it in front of Tong Guan. Tong Guan's heart tightened; he wondered what the letter contained.

The Liao envoy said, "Lord Tong, you might as well take a look at this letter first."

Tong Guan snatched the letter, opened it, and his expression instantly changed drastically. The letter detailed many of his unspeakable secrets, including embezzling military funds, falsifying war achievements, and suppressing dissidents. Once these crimes were exposed, Tong Guan would surely be disgraced and even his life would be in danger.

Tong Guan's hands began to tremble, and his voice became stammering: "How...how do you know these things?"

The Liao envoy looked at him coldly and said, "Lord Tong, this is not something you should be concerned about. You only need to know that if this letter reaches Emperor Huizong's hands, your fate is predictable."

Large beads of sweat appeared on Tong Guan's forehead; he knew he was in dire straits.

The Liao envoy continued, "Lord Tong, if you cooperate with us, not only will these secrets be hidden forever, but you will also gain countless riches, honors, and high-ranking positions. You should think carefully about what to do."

Tong Guan gritted his teeth, caught in a painful struggle. On one hand, there was his loyalty to the Song Dynasty; on the other, there was his own life, wealth, and fortune.

In the end, greed and fear prevailed, and Tong Guan said dejectedly, "Fine, fine, I agree. But you must guarantee that you will keep your promise after it is done."

The Liao envoy smiled smugly: "Lord Tong is indeed a man of principle. Rest assured, as long as you act according to our plan, everything will be fine."

Tong Guan asked, "So what exactly do you want me to do?"

The Liao envoy lowered his voice and said, “First, you must continue to create chaos in the court to prevent the court from sending reinforcements to the border. Second, try to disrupt the Song Dynasty’s military deployment to create favorable conditions for our army’s attack. Finally, at the crucial moment, open the city gates for us and welcome the Liao army into the city.”

Although Tong Guan was somewhat hesitant, he had no choice but to agree, since things had come to this point.

Afterwards, Tong Guan returned to the court and began to act according to the Liao envoy's instructions. In court, he deliberately exaggerated the strength of the Liao army and exaggerated the horrors of war, instilling fear in the court officials and making them dare not advocate for reinforcements to the border.

At the same time, he secretly colluded with some generals to tamper with military deployment maps, causing loopholes in the Song Dynasty's defense system.