Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

When Gao Qiu heard that Zhang Bangchang brought news that Zhao Tianming intended to surrender, he was half-believing and half-doubting, but he still decided to take this opportunity to plot against Zhao Tianming.

Gao Qiu secretly plotted: "Hmph, whether Zhao Tianming is sincere or not, I will make him fall into my trap."

He summoned his trusted subordinates and gave them instructions.

Meanwhile, Zhang Bangchang returned to Zhao Tianming and informed everyone of Gao Qiu's temporary response.

Zhao Tianming said, "Father-in-law, you have worked hard this time. But Gao Qiu is treacherous, and we must be careful."

Soon after, Gao Qiu led Zhang Bangchang to Tong Guan's stronghold. Inside the stronghold, banners fluttered, soldiers stood in neat rows, the sounds of drills filled the air, and grain and fodder were piled up like mountains—a scene of order, strength, and discipline.

Gao Qiu said to Zhang Bangchang, "Old Prime Minister, what do you think of the military appearance here?"

Zhang Bangchang repeatedly praised, "Grand Commandant Gao and Lord Tong are truly skilled in military command. With such a mighty army, how can we not accomplish great things!"

Just then, a soldier rushed in to report. Gao Qiu gave a wink, pretending that Zhang Bangchang would overhear.

The soldier said, "Grand Commandant, we just received a secret report that Zhao Tianming's side seems to be making unusual moves. They are secretly gathering troops, and we don't know what they are planning."

Gao Qiu's expression changed, and he feigned anger, saying, "Could it be that Zhao Tianming is only pretending to submit, but actually harboring some other conspiracy?"

Zhang Bangchang was startled and his face showed fear.

Gao Qiu turned to Zhang Bangchang and said, "Old Prime Minister, what should we do? I still had a sliver of hope that Zhao Tianming would submit, but now it seems he is determined to oppose us to the very end."

Zhang Bangchang quickly said, "Grand Commandant, perhaps there is a misunderstanding."

Gao Qiu sneered: "Misunderstanding? The evidence is right in front of us now. He's secretly amassing troops. Isn't that an attempt to harm our army? Old Prime Minister, could it be that you're colluding with Zhao Tianming?"

Zhang Bangchang was so frightened that he immediately knelt down: "Grand Commandant, you are wise! I am loyal to the court and have never had any intention of colluding with them."

Gao Qiu narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Very well, I'll trust you for now. But the situation is tense, so you need to go back to Zhao Tianming and find out the truth for me. Report back immediately if there's any disturbance."

Zhang Bangchang had no choice but to agree.

After leaving Dazhai, Zhang Bangchang felt uneasy. He knew he was in a dilemma: on one hand, he was being coerced by Gao Qiu, and on the other hand, he did not want to betray his son-in-law Zhao Tianming.

Back at Zhao Tianming's place, Zhao Tianming saw that Zhang Bangchang looked flustered and hurriedly asked, "Father-in-law, what happened?"

After much hesitation, Zhang Bangchang finally told Zhao Tianming what he had seen and heard in Tongguan Village.

After listening, Zhao Tianming pondered for a moment and said, "Father-in-law, this must be Gao Qiu's trick to make us lose our composure."

Zhang Bangchang said worriedly, "Tianming, Gao Qiu's power is now great, what should we do?"

Zhao Tianming comforted him, "Father-in-law, don't be afraid. Although Gao Qiu is cunning, we are not without a plan. I have already discussed it with my brothers, and we will definitely not let Gao Qiu succeed."

Meanwhile, Gao Qiu was also plotting his next move in Dazhai.

He told his subordinates, "Send men to closely monitor Zhang Bangchang and Zhao Tianming's every move. If they do anything unusual, immediately send troops to encircle and annihilate them."

The men took the order and left.

Meanwhile, Zhao Tianming decided to turn the tables. He sent Zhang Bangchang back to Gao Qiu and deliberately leaked some false information, making Gao Qiu mistakenly believe that there was a disagreement among them.

Following Zhao Tianming's instructions, Zhang Bangchang returned to Gao Qiu and said, "Grand Commandant, it seems that there is a dispute within Zhao Tianming's inner circle regarding whether or not to submit. Some advocate fighting against the court to the end, while others want to compromise."

Upon hearing this, Gao Qiu was secretly delighted: "It seems that Zhao Tianming's internal situation is unstable, which is the perfect opportunity for me to eliminate them in one fell swoop."

Therefore, Gao Qiu immediately gathered his troops and prepared to attack Zhao Tianming.

Gao Qiu sat in the grand chair, looking at Zhang Bangchang with a gloomy gaze.

“Zhang Bangchang, your son-in-law Zhao Tianming is a troublesome character,” Gao Qiu said slowly.

Zhang Bangchang trembled and hurriedly replied, "Grand Commandant Gao, my son-in-law is young and impetuous. If he has offended anyone, I hope you will be magnanimous."

Gao Qiu sneered: "Hmph, he's not someone you've offended easily. This man has quite a reputation in the martial arts world and has connections with the bandits of Liangshan. If he's not dealt with, he'll be a menace sooner or later."

Zhang Bangchang broke out in a cold sweat: "Grand Commandant, what... what should we do?"

Gao Qiu stood up and walked up to Zhang Bangchang: "Let me ask you, has Zhao Tianming ever done anything unusual? Whom does he associate with closely?"

Zhang Bangchang stammered, "I...I don't know much about his whereabouts either. I only know that he often meets with some people from the martial arts world, but I really don't know who they are."

Gao Qiu glared at him angrily: "You old man, you know nothing! What is Zhao Tianming's attitude towards the court?"

Zhang Bangchang quickly replied, "Grand Commandant, I am absolutely loyal to the court; perhaps I have simply been misled by some treacherous individuals."

Gao Qiu kicked over a chair next to him: "Loyal? If he were truly loyal, how could he have gotten involved with those lawless scoundrels? Don't try to exonerate him!"

Zhang Bangchang was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground: "Grand Commandant, please calm down! I will certainly advise my son-in-law to cut off all ties with those people and devote himself to serving the court."

Gao Qiu paced back and forth with his hands behind his back: "Zhang Bangchang, you had better make Zhao Tianming obediently submit to me, otherwise, your entire Zhang family will never have a good life!"

Zhang Bangchang kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "I understand, I understand."

After Zhang Bangchang left, Gao Qiu, Tong Guan, and Cai Jing continued their discussions in a secret room.

Cai Jing sat in his chair, took a sip of tea, and said to Gao Qiu, "Grand Commandant, what is Zhang Bangchang's attitude?"

Gao Qiu snorted coldly: "This old man knows nothing when asked! I think he must be holding back something, trying to play both sides. I've always known this old fox; he's cunning and definitely not someone who can be easily manipulated."

Tong Guan chimed in, "Grand Commandant Gao is absolutely right. Zhang Bangchang doesn't seem honest at all; he might be plotting something."

Cai Jing nodded slightly, put down his teacup, and said, "Grand Commandant Gao is right. But this is good too. We'll use him as a go-between to get rid of Zhao Tianming."

Gao Qiu frowned and said, "Grand Tutor, although we can use Zhang Bangchang, he is a cunning man. If he gets out of control, he may ruin our important plans."

Cai Jing smiled, a shrewd glint in his eyes: "Grand Commandant Gao, there's no need to worry. Zhang Bangchang is a coward who values ​​his family's interests above all else. As long as we firmly grasp his weaknesses and threaten the safety of his entire Zhang family, I doubt he'll dare to act rashly."

Tong Guan said, "Grand Tutor, what you say makes sense. So, how should we proceed with the specific steps?"

Cai Jing stroked his beard and said slowly, "First, send someone to keep an eye on Zhang Bangchang's every move and see what messages he will convey when he contacts Zhao Tianming. At the same time, we can also give him some false information to pass on to Zhao Tianming, so as to confuse their judgment."

Gao Qiu pondered for a moment and said, "What if Zhang Bangchang sees through our false intelligence and doesn't do as we say?"

Cai Jing said confidently, "Even if he sees through our plan, he won't dare to disobey easily. We can offer him more incentives, such as promising him high-ranking positions and generous salaries after the deed is done, and ensuring the Zhang family's wealth and prosperity. Under coercion and enticement, it will be difficult for him not to yield."

Tong Guan nodded and said, "Grand Tutor's plan is brilliant, but Zhao Tianming is no ordinary person and I'm afraid he won't fall for it easily."

Cai Jing sneered, "Zhao Tianming is indeed clever, but he is still young. Faced with news from his father-in-law, he will inevitably waver. Moreover, we can take multiple approaches. On one hand, we can use Zhang Bangchang to spread false information, and on the other hand, we can create public pressure outside, leaving Zhao Tianming isolated and helpless."

A ruthless glint flashed in Gao Qiu's eyes: "Grand Tutor, why not just send troops to besiege Zhao Tianming directly? Why go through all this trouble?"

Cai Jing shook his head: "Grand Commandant Gao, we must not be rash. Zhao Tianming has a great reputation in the martial arts world. If we rashly send troops, not only will it arouse public anger, but if we fail to annihilate him in one fell swoop, it will make him more vigilant, and it will be even more difficult to deal with him in the future."

Tong Guan said, "Grand Tutor, your considerations are thorough. We will proceed according to your plan."

Cai Jing stood up and said, "Alright, Grand Commandant Gao, you are in charge of arranging manpower to monitor Zhang Bangchang. Lord Tong, you gather some elite troops and be prepared to strike at any time. I will maneuver in the court to garner more support for our operation."

Gao Qiu and Tong Guan replied in unison, "We will obey the Grand Tutor's orders."

After discussing some more details, the three of them went their separate ways.

Upon returning to his residence, Gao Qiu immediately summoned his trusted confidants and instructed them: "You must keep a close eye on Zhang Bangchang. His every move must be reported to me without the slightest negligence."

The trusted men accepted the order and left.

Tong Guan also returned to the army, selected a group of elite soldiers, secretly trained them, and prepared them to be dispatched at any time.

Meanwhile, Cai Jing was cultivating relationships with some officials in the court and spreading rumors unfavorable to Zhao Tianming, creating an atmosphere for the upcoming operation.

After leaving Gao Qiu and his men, Zhang Bangchang was filled with fear and inner turmoil. He knew he was in an extremely dangerous situation; siding with either side could bring annihilation to his family.

"What should we do? Gao Qiu and Cai Jing are ruthless, and Tianming is a stubborn boy. This is a real dilemma," Zhang Bangchang muttered to himself as he paced back and forth in the room.

His wife came over and asked, "Sir, what happened? You look so worried."

Zhang Bangchang sighed and told his wife what had happened.

The lady turned pale with fright: "Master, what should we do? Our Zhang family can't be ruined like this."

Zhang Bangchang said helplessly, "Madam, we can only take it one step at a time now. I hope Tianming can understand my predicament."

Just as Zhang Bangchang was filled with anxiety, Gao Qiu's men were already secretly monitoring his every move.