Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

After suffering a defeat, Tong Guan was flustered and hurriedly summoned his generals to the command tent to discuss countermeasures.

Tong Guan sat in the main seat, his face terribly gloomy, and said, "Gentlemen, our army has suffered an initial defeat, and the Liao army may launch a surprise attack at any time. Let's all think of a way to deal with this crisis."

A general named Wang Fu spoke first. He was fat and had an oily face. He usually only knew how to eat, drink and have fun. But at this moment, he said shamelessly, "Lord Tong, in my opinion, we should charge straight in and fight the Liao army to the death. Maybe we can turn the tide in one fell swoop."

Upon hearing this, Tong Guan frowned and rebuked, "Nonsense! Our army's morale is low and our forces are weakened. How can we act so rashly?"

Another general named Zhao Liu then said, "Lord Tong, why don't we send someone to sue for peace and give the Liao army some gold and silver? Perhaps they will let us go."

Tong Guan slammed his fist on the table in anger: "Sue for peace? You are trying to bring shame upon my Great Song Dynasty! I, Tong Guan, cannot bear such a disgrace!"

At this moment, a general named Sun Yong cautiously said, "Sir, why don't we retreat first, preserve our strength, and look for another opportunity to fight later?"

Tong Guan glared at him: "Retreat? This is desertion! My army, Tong Guan's army, will never be deserters!"

The generals offered a barrage of useless suggestions. Some suggested digging tunnels to ambush the Liao army, unaware that the terrain was too solid to dig; others proposed setting traps around the camp, but there was simply no time to prepare; still others suggested using fire, without even knowing the wind direction.

Tong Guan grew increasingly angry as he listened, and roared, "You bunch of good-for-nothings! You're used to living a life of luxury, but when it comes to a crucial moment, you can't come up with a single useful idea!"

All the generals lowered their heads and dared not utter a sound.

Just as Tong Guan was furious and the generals were silent, a general named Li Liang stepped forward.

Li Liang cupped his hands and said, "Lord Tong, I have a plan. The Liao army has just won a victory and is probably still basking in their joy. Why don't we launch a surprise attack on their camp at night? This is when they are most relaxed, and if we succeed, we might be able to turn the tide."

Upon hearing this, Tong Guan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is this plan feasible?"

Zhao Liu chimed in, "Sir, General Li's plan is excellent and worth a try."

Sun Yong nodded and said, "This humble general also thinks it's feasible."

At this moment, Lin Yue stepped forward again and said, "Lord Tong, you must not! The Liao army is a seasoned warrior; how could they be so easily complacent? Even if they have relaxed their guard after their initial victory, they will still be on guard. If we rashly raid their camp and fall into an ambush, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Upon hearing this, Tong Guan slammed his fist on the table in anger, his eyes wide with fury. "It's you again, Lin Yue! You advised me to set up camp and defend before, but I didn't listen, which led to our defeat. Now you're trying to stop me again. Are you deliberately trying to demoralize the army?"

Lin Yue showed no fear and said solemnly, "Lord Tong, this humble general is thinking only of the army. The Liao army is cunning. They know that our army may retaliate, so they must be on guard. Moreover, our army has just suffered a defeat and its morale is low. If we raid the camp at this time, the soldiers will be full of fear and unable to fight with all their might."

Tong Guan snorted coldly: "Stop talking! I can tell you're just a coward, and it's you who are slowing down the morale of the army."

Lin Yue said urgently, "Lord Tong, you must not act rashly! At this time, we should calmly analyze the situation and find a prudent solution."

Tong Guan ignored him completely and said, "There's no need to say anything more. My mind is made up. Li Liang, prepare quickly, we'll raid their camp tonight."

Lin Yue sighed and retreated to the side helplessly.

At night, Li Liang led a group of men and quietly made their way towards the Liao army camp. However, just as Lin Yue had predicted, the Liao army was prepared and had set up numerous traps.

When the Song army entered the Liao army camp, shouts of battle erupted and flames soared into the sky. The Song army was thrown into chaos and suffered heavy casualties.

After suffering two defeats, Tong Guan's army was demoralized, with generals lacking the will to fight and soldiers devoid of fighting spirit. Looking at the listless army, Tong Guan was extremely anxious. He summoned his generals again and asked, "Gentlemen, what do you suggest we do now that we are in this predicament?"

The generals looked at each other in silence. After a moment, someone whispered, "Sir, why don't we abandon the camp and run away?" The others chimed in, "Yes, sir, as long as we're alive, we can always rebuild."

Upon hearing this, Tong Guan's face grew even more gloomy. At this moment, Lin Yue stepped forward again and said, "My lord, you must not! The Liao army has already anticipated that we might try to escape and has already guarded all the passes. If we rashly flee, we will only be surrounded by the Liao army, and then we will have no chance of escape."

Tong Guan glared at Lin Yue and said irritably, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Lin Yue took a deep breath and calmly said, "Lord Tong, I believe that although we are in a difficult situation, we are not without hope. First, we need to stabilize morale. We can summon all the soldiers and show them that we still have the strength to fight. As long as everyone works together, there is hope of breaking through the encirclement. At the same time, those who spread panic and advocate desertion should be severely punished to uphold military law."

Secondly, we need to send men to scout the surrounding terrain and find possible breakout routes. According to my observation, there is a mountain forest to the east of the camp with complex terrain, where the Liao army's defenses may be relatively weak. We can dispatch an elite squad to quietly infiltrate the forest, clear the Liao army's sentries, and open a passage for the main force.

Furthermore, we can feign continued confrontation with the Liao army to lull them into a false sense of security. Simultaneously, we can secretly prepare provisions and weapons, making full preparations for a breakout. At night, taking advantage of the Liao army's unpreparedness, we can launch a sudden breakout.

Alternatively, we could send envoys to nearby friendly camps to request assistance. Although we may have some disagreements with our allies, in this life-or-death situation, if we can reason with them and appeal to their emotions, we might be able to gain their support.

Finally, we must reorganize the army's structure and command system. We must select brave, skilled, and resourceful generals for key positions to enhance the army's combat effectiveness and command efficiency. At the same time, we must properly care for wounded soldiers, making them feel the army's concern and boosting their morale.

"Lord Tong, if we follow these strategies and make careful plans, we may be able to break through the Liao army's encirclement and reverse the current unfavorable situation."

Tong Guan listened to Lin Yue's words and fell into deep thought. After a while, he slowly said, "Lin Yue, your plan sounds reasonable, but it will be difficult to implement. However, we have no other choice now, so we will proceed according to your plan. If you can successfully break through the encirclement, I will reward you handsomely. If you fail, hmph, you can expect to be punished by military law!"

Lin Yue firmly stated, "This humble general is willing to sign a military pledge and will do everything in his power to help the army break through the encirclement."

Therefore, Tong Guan began to make arrangements according to Lin Yue's plan, and the Song army was busy preparing for this life-or-death breakout battle.

Although Wu Yong and Zhao Tianming were unable to see Emperor Huizong of Song again, they remained deeply worried about the war at the front and secretly sent people to gather information.

That day, Dai Zong rushed back and, upon seeing Wu Yong and Zhao Tianming, said breathlessly, "Master Wu, Brother Zhao, I've found out everything. That Tong Guan is stubborn and self-willed, refusing to listen to Lin Yue's good advice, which led to two defeats and heavy casualties!"

Wu Yong frowned and asked anxiously, "Brother Dai Zong, please tell me in detail what exactly happened?"

Dai Zong took a sip of water, caught his breath, and said, "Initially, Lin Yue advised Tong Guan to set up camp and defend the area, waiting for an opportunity. But Tong Guan didn't listen and insisted on advancing rashly, resulting in him falling into the Liao army's ambush and suffering an initial defeat."

Zhao Tianming slammed his fist on the table in anger and cursed, "That Tong Guan is utterly incompetent!"

Dai Zong continued, "That's not all. Later, after the Liao army won a new victory, some of Tong Guan's troops suggested sneaking into the camp at night. Lin Yue strongly advised against it, saying that the Liao army would definitely be on guard, but Tong Guan still wouldn't listen, and as a result, he suffered another heavy defeat."

Wu Yong sighed deeply: "Alas, how can Tong Guan not be defeated when he is so stubborn?"

Zhao Tianming said worriedly, "In this way, the morale of the Song army will inevitably drop, and the situation will become even more critical."

Dai Zong nodded and said, "That's right. The Song army is in a state of panic, with generals lacking the will to fight and soldiers lacking the fighting spirit. Tong Guan has suffered two defeats and lost many soldiers and generals, yet he still doesn't know how to repent."

Wu paced back and forth, pondered for a moment, and then said, "This Lin Yue is indeed a wise general, it's just a pity that Tong Guan doesn't listen to his strategies."

Dai Zong said, "I heard that Lin Yue later gave Tong Guan a whole set of breakout strategies. Although Tong Guan was skeptical, he had no other choice but to follow Lin Yue's plan."

Zhao Tianming said, "I hope they can break through successfully this time, otherwise the Song Dynasty will be in grave danger."

Wu Yong said with great concern, "The outcome of this matter is uncertain. The Liao army is powerful and has all the advantages. It will be difficult for the Song army to break through."

Dai Zong said, "On my way back, I heard that the Liao army has strengthened its defenses and surrounded the Song army like an iron barrel. It would be extremely difficult for the Song army to break through the encirclement."

Zhao Tianming said anxiously, "Then are we just supposed to stay here and wait, unable to do anything?"

Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "We will continue to send people to gather information, and at the same time try to raise food and supplies for any eventuality. If the Song army really manages to break through and return, we will have someone to help them."

Dai Zong and Zhao Tianming nodded in agreement.

After listening to Lin Yue's plan, Tong Guan led the Song army to make careful arrangements and ultimately won a brilliant victory, defeating the Liao army.

Generals like Wang Fu and Sun Yong, who usually accomplished nothing, now crowded around Tong Guan. Wang Fu, his face full of flattery, squinted his small eyes and said, "Lord Tong, this great victory is entirely due to your skillful command! We must quickly report this military achievement to the court so that His Majesty may know of your illustrious exploits."

Sun Yong quickly chimed in, bowing and scraping, "Yes, Lord Tong. However, Lin Yue has contradicted you many times before. Although his plan succeeded this time, it might be difficult to control him if he becomes arrogant in the future. Why don't we find a way to shift the blame for this defeat onto him? That way, your merit will be even more unparalleled, sir."

Tong Guan hesitated upon hearing this, after all, Lin Yue's strategy had indeed enabled the Song army to turn defeat into victory.

Seeing Tong Guan hesitate, Wang Fu quickly added fuel to the fire: "Lord Tong, think about it. You suffered a defeat before because you didn't listen to Lin Yue's advice. If the court finds out, it will greatly affect your reputation. Now is the perfect opportunity to shift all the blame to him and cover up your previous mistakes."

Sun Yong added, "My lord, Lin Yue is just a minor general with no background. Even if we shift the blame to him, he won't cause any real trouble. But you are a high-ranking official of the court; you can't let such a small matter jeopardize your future."

Tong Guan was persuaded by them and nodded, saying, "Well, what you said makes sense. Then I'll leave this matter to you. Make sure it's done cleanly and efficiently, and that the court doesn't find out."

Wang Fu and Sun Yong exchanged a knowing smile, their eyes gleaming with cunning, and said in unison, "Rest assured, sir, we will handle this matter well and guarantee your satisfaction."

These two selfish and unscrupulous generals, who would stop at nothing for personal gain, began plotting to frame Lin Yue. They spread rumors in the army, claiming that Lin Yue had deliberately misled Tong Guan, leading to the initial defeat, and that this victory was merely a fluke. They also fabricated some so-called evidence in an attempt to put Lin Yue to death.

Their actions aroused dissatisfaction among some upright soldiers, but due to Tong Guan's authority and the power of Wang Fu and Sun Yong, most dared not speak out.

They turned the entire military camp into a chaotic mess, causing widespread panic.