Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

After learning that Zhao Tianming had been rescued from prison by Chai Jin and others, Gao Qiu did not panic as one might expect. Instead, a sinister glint flashed in his eyes, and he began to devise a series of even more profound and unpredictable conspiracies.

He first secretly dispatched his most trusted confidant to infiltrate the areas where Zhao Tianming had been active, carefully selecting and altering some of the documents and letters left behind by Zhao Tianming. These altered contents, seemingly unintentional, cleverly pieced together "evidence" that Zhao Tianming had secret dealings with the enemy state.

Next, Gao Qiu used his connections in officialdom to secretly bribe a master forger of handwriting. This man imitated Zhao Tianming's handwriting and wrote several "secret letters" plotting with the enemy state. To make these letters look authentic, Gao Qiu also ordered the paper and ink to be specially treated to give them a strong sense of age and realism.

Meanwhile, Gao Qiu imprisoned Zhao Tianming's father-in-law, Zhang Bangchang, and his wife, He Xiang, in an extremely secluded place. This place, seemingly an ordinary residence, was actually heavily guarded and riddled with traps. Gao Qiu personally intervened, using both soft and hard tactics to persuade Zhang Bangchang.

“Zhang Bangchang, your son-in-law has committed a crime punishable by the extermination of your entire family. If you don’t want your whole family to suffer, do as I say,” Gao Qiu threatened.

Zhang Bangchang was so frightened that his face turned ashen and his whole body trembled.

Seeing that he was wavering, Gao Qiu put on a hypocritical face again: "As long as you cooperate, I will guarantee your Zhang family wealth and prosperity."

Under Gao Qiu's coercion and enticement, Zhang Bangchang fell into extreme fear and inner turmoil.

As for He Xiang, Gao Qiu employed even more insidious methods. He deliberately created various terrifying scenes in front of her, driving her to a mental breakdown. He also arranged for a fake "informant" to claim that Zhao Tianming had abandoned them and was preparing to escape alone. He Xiang was already physically and mentally exhausted, and under this series of blows, she was on the verge of insanity.

Gao Qiu knew that this "evidence" alone was not enough. He planted his own spies in the court; these people seemed insignificant on ordinary days, but could play a huge role at crucial moments.

During a court assembly, Gao Qiu's confidant suddenly stepped forward, presented the meticulously fabricated "evidence," and tearfully described Zhao Tianming's "treasonous act."

Other ministers who had been bribed by Gao Qiu echoed his sentiments, and for a time, the atmosphere in the court became tense, with everyone's suspicion of Zhao Tianming reaching its peak.

Upon learning all this, Zhao Tianming was furious: "That treacherous Gao Qiu has framed me like this!"

Chai Jin calmly analyzed, "Brother Zhao, there must be something fishy about this. We need to think this over carefully."

However, before they could take any action, Gao Qiu unleashed another trump card.

He orchestrated a "mysterious assassination." On a dark and stormy night, Zhao Tianming's residence was suddenly attacked by a group of men in black. These men in black moved swiftly and were agile. Zhao Tianming, Chai Jin, and others fought back, only to discover that the men in black had deliberately left behind some "tokens" related to Zhao Tianming.

The news spread throughout the capital the next day. Everyone thought it was Zhao Tianming's desperate act.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor was furious: "Zhao Tianming, I have treated you well, yet you dare to be so rebellious!"

Zhao Tianming was unable to defend himself and was plunged into an unprecedented crisis.

All of this was merely the tip of the iceberg of Gao Qiu's conspiracy. He meticulously planned and relentlessly pursued Zhao Tianming, determined to bring him to his death.

Zhao Tianming was speechless and plunged into an unprecedented crisis. Chai Jin knew that if he couldn't find a flaw in Gao Qiu's conspiracy soon, Zhao Tianming's life would be in danger.

Therefore, Chai Jin decided to risk sneaking into Gao Qiu's mansion in an attempt to find some crucial clues. Under the cover of night, he changed into a set of night clothes and, relying on his excellent light-footed skills, evaded the heavy guards in Gao Qiu's mansion.

Chai Jin carefully searched Gao Qiu's mansion and finally found some important documents in a secret room. However, just as he was about to leave, he accidentally triggered a mechanism, and the alarm bells blared.

"There's an assassin!" The guards in Gao Qiu's mansion rushed over.

Chai Jin fought back fiercely, but was ultimately outnumbered and seriously wounded. Just as he was about to be captured, he mustered his last strength, broke through the roof, and escaped from Gao Qiu's mansion.

Chai Jin dragged his injured body back to Zhao Tianming's hiding place and handed over the clues he had discovered to Zhao Tianming.

“Brother Zhao, these may prove your innocence, but we still need time to organize and analyze them,” Chai Jin said weakly.

Looking at the injured Chai Jin, Zhao Tianming was filled with gratitude and anger.

Meanwhile, Gao Qiu, believing Chai Jin to be dead, became even more reckless. He once again petitioned the emperor in court, demanding that Zhao Tianming be executed immediately.

“Your Majesty, Zhao Tianming’s crimes are irrefutable. If he is not dealt with, it may lead to disaster,” Gao Qiu said.

Some ministers who were originally neutral began to echo Gao Qiu's sentiments under pressure.

The emperor hesitated, partly because he remembered Zhao Tianming's past loyalty, and partly because he was troubled by the "evidence" presented by Gao Qiu.

At this moment, Zhao Tianming decided not to sit idly by and wait for his fate. He decided to risk entering the palace to meet the emperor and personally explain everything to him.

In the palace, Zhao Tianming overcame numerous obstacles and finally met the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, I was framed by Gao Qiu. All those so-called pieces of evidence were fabricated by him," Zhao Tianming said, kneeling on the ground.

The Emperor looked at Zhao Tianming, his eyes filled with doubt and hesitation.

Just then, Gao Qiu arrived.

"Your Majesty, Zhao Tianming dared to trespass into the palace! He deserves to be executed!" Gao Qiu shouted.

Zhao Tianming glared at Gao Qiu: "Gao Qiu, you traitor, one day your crimes will be exposed!"

Gao Qiu sneered, "Still being stubborn even when death is imminent."

Zhao Tianming falls into Gao Qiu's conspiracy and is in deep crisis. With nowhere else to turn, he decides to discuss countermeasures with Song Jiang, Lu Junyi, Wu Yong, Wu Song, Li Kui, and others.

The group gathered in a secluded room, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

Wu Yong gently waved his feather fan and slowly said, "Brothers, the most troublesome thing about Brother Zhao Tianming's matter is that the old scoundrel Gao Qiu is using Brother Zhao's father-in-law and wife to blackmail us, making us hesitant to act. Moreover, I have recently heard that this old scoundrel Gao Qiu seems to have some connection with high-ranking officials in the Liao Kingdom. This matter is complicated and indeed difficult to handle."

Li Kui, being impatient, jumped up and down in frustration upon hearing Wu Yong's words: "Scholar Wu, stop beating around the bush! Is there any way? I, Tie Niu, can't stand this dawdling!"

Song Jiang's face darkened, and he scolded, "Tie Niu, don't be ridiculous! Let the strategist finish speaking."

Li Kui muttered something and stopped talking.

Wu Yong continued, "In my opinion, the most urgent task is to find a way to rescue the hostages. However, Gao Qiu's mansion is heavily guarded, and we cannot act rashly."

Lu Junyi nodded slightly: "The strategist is absolutely right, but how can we find the place where the hostages are being held and rescue them under Gao Qiu's nose? This is a difficult problem."

Wu Song clenched his fists and said, "Even if it's a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, I'm willing to brave it, as long as I can rescue the hostages and give Brother Zhao an explanation."

Zhao Tianming looked at everyone gratefully: "I will remember the friendship of all my brothers. However, Gao Qiu's plan is very meticulous. We must not let my matter put our brothers in danger."

Song Jiang said, “Brother Zhao, don’t say that. We brothers should share joys and sorrows. How can we ignore our brothers when they are suffering?”

Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "I have a plan that might work. We can send someone to infiltrate Gao Qiu's mansion to find out the exact location of the hostages. But this person must be clever and cautious, and must not give us any clues."

Li Kui couldn't help but shout again, "Then I'll go, I promise I won't be discovered."

Everyone shook their heads. Song Jiang said, "Brother Tie Niu, you are too reckless. You might ruin things if you go."

Wu Song said, "I have a little brother under my command named Xiao Liu. He is clever and good at disguise. Perhaps he can take on this task."

Wu Yong nodded and said, "That's very good. But it's not enough to just have people scout; we also need to make preparations to provide backup outside."

Lu Junyi said, "I can mobilize some people to lie in ambush outside the mansion. Once we know the location of the hostages, we will act quickly."

Zhao Tianming said, "But that old scoundrel Gao Qiu is very cunning. If he finds out, it might be detrimental to the hostages."

Wu Yong said, "Therefore, our actions must be swift and secretive, leaving him no time to react."

After much discussion, the group finally finalized a general plan.

After disguising himself, Xiao Liu successfully infiltrated Gao Qiu's mansion. He cautiously explored the mansion, only to find that it was complexly laid out and heavily guarded, making it no easy task to locate the hostages' whereabouts.

Outside the mansion, everyone anxiously awaited news of Xiao Liu.

Li Kui paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "Why is there still no news about Xiao Liu? I'm so worried."

Song Jiang comforted him, saying, "Tie Niu, don't be anxious. Xiao Liu will definitely live up to everyone's expectations."

Finally, Xiao Liu brought news that the hostages seemed to be being held in a secluded courtyard in the backyard of Gao Qiu's mansion, but the place was heavily guarded and difficult to approach.

Upon learning this, Wu Yong said, "In that case, we have no choice but to force our way through. But we need to create some chaos first to disperse the guards in Gao Qiu's mansion."

Wu Song said, "I can lead men to launch a feigned attack in front of the mansion to attract their attention."

Lu Junyi said, "I will lead my men to break through from the side and head straight for the backyard."

With the plan set, everyone began to act.

Wu Song led a group of men and shouted insults in front of Gao Qiu's mansion, which attracted the guards in the mansion to come and deal with him.

Gao Qiu heard about the commotion in front of the mansion and became suspicious, so he personally led his men to investigate.

Just then, Lu Junyi's team seized the opportunity to attack the mansion from the side and headed straight for the backyard.

Seeing that things were not going well, the guards in the backyard hurriedly put up a fight.

At this moment, Song Jiang and Zhao Tianming also led their men to join the battle, engaging in fierce fighting with the guards.

After a fierce struggle, the group finally found the courtyard where the hostages were being held.

However, several skilled guards stood watch at the entrance of the courtyard, making it difficult for the group to break through.

Upon seeing this, Li Kui roared and charged forward, brandishing his double axes.

Seeing this, the experts rushed towards Li Kui. Li Kui engaged them in a fierce battle, sustaining multiple injuries, but he did not back down.

Wu Song and the others joined the battle and finally defeated the masters.

The crowd rushed into the courtyard and found Zhang Bangchang and He Xiang, who were being held captive.

Zhao Tianming excitedly shouted, "Father-in-law, He Xiang, I've come to save you!"

When Zhang Bangchang and He Xiang saw Zhao Tianming and the others, their eyes were filled with surprise and tears.

The group quickly evacuated Gao Qiu's mansion with the hostages.

Upon learning that the hostages had been rescued, Gao Qiu flew into a rage: "Damn it, they actually succeeded!"

However, Zhao Tianming and his group had already successfully escaped by then.

Back at their lodgings, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Tianming thanked everyone again: "If it weren't for the help of you brothers, I don't know what I would have done."

Song Jiang said, "There's no need for thanks between brothers. Next, we still need to deal with Gao Qiu's revenge."

Wu Yong said, "Gao Qiu's conspiracy has been exposed this time, and he will certainly not let it go. We need to be fully prepared to expose his crimes and make him receive the punishment he deserves."

Everyone nodded in agreement; an even bigger storm was about to break.