Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

Tong Guan returned to the capital in a hurry and in a sorry state, heading straight for Emperor Huizong's palace.

Upon seeing Emperor Huizong, Tong Guan, without bothering to straighten his disheveled clothes, knelt down with a thud and cried out, "Your Majesty, this campaign has brought me great misfortune! Zhao Tianming and Zhang Shuye are utterly wicked!"

Emperor Huizong frowned and asked in confusion, "What exactly happened to make you so flustered?"

Tong Guan wiped the sweat from his brow and said, “Your Majesty, Zhao Tianming and Zhang Shuye have colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, colluding with the Liangshan bandits. I fought valiantly, but we were no match for their combined attack from within and without, and suffered heavy losses. We finally managed to capture Zhang Shuye, but Zhao Tianming escaped.”

Emperor Huizong's face darkened, and he said, "Do you have any evidence? I know Zhao Tianming and Zhang Shuye; they are both loyal ministers. How could they have committed such a treasonous act?"

Tong Guan wiped the sweat from his brow and said urgently, “Your Majesty, I have solid evidence! During the battle with the Liangshan bandits, Zhao Tianming and Zhang Shuye deliberately made command errors, causing our army's formation to fall into chaos, which allowed the Liangshan bandits to take advantage of the situation. Moreover, I discovered that they had been secretly communicating with the Liangshan bandits on multiple occasions, and I intercepted all those letters.”

As he spoke, Tong Guan took out several letters from his bosom and presented them to Emperor Huizong of Song. “Your Majesty, look, these are the evidence of their collusion with the enemy. The letters clearly mention their plan to coordinate from within and without, and how to assist the Liangshan bandits in breaking through our army’s defenses.”

Emperor Huizong of Song took the letter, examined it carefully, and his face grew increasingly gloomy.

At that moment, Gao Qiu and Cai Jing also stepped forward.

Gao Qiu cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, what Lord Tong Guan said is true. I have also heard about this matter. Zhao Tianming and Zhang Shuye have always behaved suspiciously, and now it seems that they have long harbored rebellious intentions."

Cai Jing immediately chimed in, "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that this matter should not be taken lightly. Lord Tong Guan is utterly loyal and returned after overcoming numerous dangers to report this matter; it is unlikely to be false. If we do not deal with it promptly, it may lead to even greater disaster."

Seeing Gao Qiu and Cai Jing chiming in, Tong Guan became even more emboldened and continued, "Your Majesty, during the battle, I personally witnessed Zhao Tianming and Zhang Shuye showing leniency towards the Liangshan bandits, even intentionally letting some bandit leaders go. Furthermore, when our army was in dire straits, they not only failed to fight with all their might, but also disrupted the morale of the troops, causing many soldiers to become fearful and dare not fight again."

Emperor Huizong of Song frowned and fell into deep thought.

Tong Guan continued, “Your Majesty, I am utterly loyal to the court and would never dare to falsely accuse a loyal and virtuous official. If I have uttered even the slightest lie, I am willing to be executed by a thousand cuts. However, the crimes of Zhao Tianming and Zhang Shuye are truly unforgivable. If they are not severely punished, how can we explain this to the people of the world? How can we ensure the peace and tranquility of our Great Song Dynasty?”

Gao Qiu advised again: "Your Majesty, in order to protect the country and the nation, Zhang Shuye should be interrogated severely immediately to find his accomplices and recover the leaked military secrets."

Cai Jing also said, "Your Majesty, this matter needs to be decided quickly to rectify the court and reassure the people."

As Emperor Huizong listened to the three men's back-and-forth conversation, his anger grew ever stronger. Finally, he slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Issue my decree! Throw Zhang Shuye into the imperial prison and interrogate him thoroughly! This matter must be investigated to the fullest extent!"

Seeing that Emperor Huizong was already angry, Tong Guan was secretly pleased and seized the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, there is one more thing. Zhang Shuye was rescued during his escort!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Huizong was even more enraged. He slammed his fist on the dragon throne and roared, "How could this happen! This is utterly lawless!"

Tong Guan immediately knelt down, feigning fear, and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It is all due to my poor performance."

Gao Qiu's eyes darted around, and he stepped forward to offer a plan: "Your Majesty, he may be able to escape, but he can't hide. Arrest his family and all the generals associated with him, and see if he'll be anxious!"

Upon hearing this, Li Gang and Zhong Shidao in the imperial court stood up to object.

Li Gang said righteously, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! To implicate families before clarifying the truth is unfair and will likely discourage the soldiers!"

Zhong Shidao then added, "Your Majesty, how is this any different from the actions of those wicked villains? If innocent people are arrested based on mere speculation, who will be willing to serve the court in the future?"

Seeing that some people objected, Gao Qiu snorted coldly and said, "What do you know! Zhang Shuye is guilty of treason and collusion with the enemy. His family and related generals are certainly not exempt from responsibility. If we don't take strong measures, how can we deter those with treacherous intentions?"

Cai Jing chimed in, "Your Majesty, Lord Gao is right. The situation is urgent, and if we do not act decisively, more unforeseen complications may arise."

Gao Qiu's cronies echoed his sentiments, and the court was soon filled with commotion.

Li Gang glared at Gao Qiu and Cai Jing and shouted, "Gao Qiu, stop making false accusations! We are just upholding justice and don't want to see innocent people implicated."

Zhong Shidao was so angry that his face turned red: "Gao Qiu, you are using this opportunity to eliminate dissidents and settle personal scores! General Zhang Shuye has always been loyal, there must be some injustice involved in this matter."

Gao Qiu sneered, "Hmph, you keep claiming you have been wronged, but do you have any evidence? Now that the evidence is conclusive, you're still trying to argue your way out of this mess. Could it be that you're in cahoots with Zhang Shuye?"

Cai Jing said sarcastically, "Fairness? In this court, His Majesty's decree is fairness. Your repeated opposition suggests you intend to defy His Majesty's will."

Li Gang said, "Your Majesty, please investigate carefully and do not be deceived by treacherous people."

Zhong Shidao also said, "Your Majesty, this matter requires caution. We cannot make hasty conclusions based solely on the one-sided accounts of Tong Guan and Gao Qiu."

Seeing their stubbornness, Gao Qiu turned to Emperor Huizong and said, "Your Majesty, look at these people, so protective of Zhang Shuye, their intentions are despicable!"

Cai Jing added fuel to the fire, saying, "Your Majesty, if these dissidents are not punished, it will be difficult to establish imperial authority."

Emperor Huizong was annoyed by their noise and roared, "Shut up, all of you!"

The court fell silent instantly, and everyone watched Emperor Huizong of Song with tension.

Emperor Huizong pondered for a moment and said, "Gao Qiu's plan is feasible for now. First, arrest Zhang Shuye's family and related generals, and see if we can force him to show himself."

Li Gang and Zhong Shidao wanted to persuade him further, but Emperor Huizong waved his hand to stop them, saying, "This matter is settled. Anyone who dares to say another word will be punished!"

Gao Qiu and Cai Jing exchanged a smug look, while Li Gang and Zhong Shidao looked on with grief and helplessness.

Subsequently, Gao Qiu and Cai Jing swiftly dispatched men to arrest Zhang Shuye's family and related generals. Panic gripped the capital, and the people discussed the court's actions extensively.

Zhang Shuye's family was terrified by the sudden intrusion of the soldiers, and the children cried loudly in fear.

The generals were arrested without warning and cried out that they were innocent.

"We are innocent! We are utterly loyal to the imperial court!"

But the officers and soldiers wouldn't listen and forcibly took them away.

A tense and oppressive atmosphere permeated the capital, while Gao Qiu and Cai Jing secretly rejoiced, plotting how to further consolidate their power.

As the capital descended into chaos, Li Gang and Zhong Shidao were extremely anxious, knowing they could not stand idly by and watch innocent people suffer. Therefore, the two immediately joined forces with Chai Jin to devise a solution.

Upon hearing this, Chai Jin was filled with righteous indignation and decided to step forward. He took the imperial edict and hurried to Zhang Shuye's house.

At this moment, the general who came to arrest Zhang Shuye's family members was fiercely directing his soldiers to forcibly take them away.

Chai Jin arrived and shouted, "Stop!"

The general turned to look at Chai Jin, frowned, and said, "Master Chai, even you won't let them go today. I am acting on the Emperor's orders."

With a resolute gaze, Chai Jin raised the imperial edict and said, “General, look at this! My family has been loyal officials for generations, and this imperial edict is a pardon granted by my late emperor. How can you arrest people so arbitrarily when the truth of today’s matter has not yet been ascertained?”

The general's expression changed slightly, but he still said firmly, "Lord Chai, this is His Majesty's order, and we have no choice but to obey."

Chai Jin stepped forward and said, “General, you also serve the court and should understand right from wrong. General Zhang Shuye is an upright and loyal man, and there must be an injustice in this matter. If you wrongly arrest his family today, how will you explain to the Emperor when the truth comes out? How will you face the accusations of the people?”

The general looked hesitant, unsure of what to do.

Chai Jin continued, “General, why don’t we stop for now and report the situation to the Emperor before making a decision? If you insist on going your own way, I, Chai Jin, will certainly use the imperial edict to protect these innocent people.”

After a moment of contemplation, the general finally hesitated and said, "Lord Chai, this matter is of utmost importance, and I find it difficult to make a decision."

At this moment, Li Gang and Zhong Shidao also arrived at the scene.

Li Gang said, "General, we are willing to go with you to meet the Emperor and explain the doubts surrounding this matter. We believe that the Emperor will surely see the truth."

Zhong Shidao echoed, "General, don't be misled by treacherous people and make a grave mistake."

The general's heart wavered. He knew that Chai Jin's imperial edict was of great significance, and after listening to Li Gang and Zhong Shidao's words, he felt that there might really be something else going on.

Finally, the general said, "Very well, since that's the case, I'll wait for you all to report the situation to His Majesty. But let me make this clear beforehand: if His Majesty blames you, you'll have to bear the consequences."

Chai Jin, Li Gang, and Zhong Shidao exchanged glances and nodded slightly. A crisis was temporarily averted, but they knew that there was still a long way to go to clear Zhang Shuye's name.

After learning that Chai Jin, Li Gang, and Zhong Shidao had prevented the arrest of Zhang Shuye's family, Gao Qiu and Cai Jing gathered together and began to plot against others.

Gao Qiu said with a gloomy face, "These Chai Jin, Li Gang and Zhong Shidao dared to ruin our plans. We must not let them get away with this easily."

Cai Jing stroked his beard, a glint of malice flashing in his eyes: "That Chai Jin, relying on his imperial pardon, acts recklessly. We must find a way to take away his immunity from death."

Gao Qiu nodded in agreement: "And there are Li Gang and Zhong Shidao, who are always opposing us. We need to find a reason to impeach them in front of the Emperor, so that the Emperor will lose trust in them."

Gao Qiu frowned and lowered his voice, saying, "I think we should start with Chai. Isn't he relying on his imperial edict? We'll arrange for someone to secretly place some forged letters between him and Zhang Shuye in his residence, and then send a trusted confidant to sneak into his house while he's away to find some so-called contraband, creating the illusion that he's colluding with Zhang Shuye."

Cai Jing nodded slightly and continued, "Then, I sent people to keep an eye on Li Gang and Zhong Shidao, looking for mistakes in their daily words and deeds. Even the slightest oversights were magnified and reported to the Emperor."

Gao Qiu pondered for a moment and added, "Yes, we will arrange for someone to deliberately stir up trouble in court, to provoke Li Gang and Zhong Shidao to make statements. Our pre-arranged people will then seize on the flaws in their words and use them as an opportunity to launch an attack."

Cai Jing smiled sinisterly: "Also, find a few officials who have been punished by Li Gang and Zhong Shidao, and coerce or entice them to come forward and testify against their mistakes."

Gao Qiu slapped his thigh: "Brilliant! Once we've collected all this so-called evidence, we'll go to the Emperor together and present it all at once. I don't believe the Emperor will still favor them."

A ruthless glint flashed in Cai Jing's eyes: "This time, we will make sure they never have a chance to rise again, and that they will never be able to hinder our plans."

The three exchanged a smile and began to make arrangements.