Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

After obtaining the so-called evidence from Liu Fu, Tong Guan immediately went to the palace to see Consort Shu.

Consort Shu was sitting in her magnificent palace, dressed in brocade robes and surrounded by jewels. Tong Guan rushed in, bowing respectfully: "Your Majesty, this servant has brought you the evidence."

Consort Shu took the so-called evidence, glanced at it quickly, and a smug sneer appeared on her face: "This Zhao Tianming actually helped an exiled prisoner protect his ancestral property. He's incredibly audacious. This is a violation of the law. Hmph, this time he'll definitely suffer the consequences."

After saying this, Consort Shu stood up, straightened her clothes, and examined herself in the mirror again. After confirming that her makeup and demeanor were perfect, she said to Tong Guan, "Tong Guan, you will come with me to see the Emperor. I am going to give him a good report."

Tong Guan quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Along the way, Consort Shu walked hurriedly, secretly plotting how to embellish the story before the Emperor so that he would severely punish Zhao Tianming. Tong Guan followed cautiously behind, observing Consort Shu's expression from time to time.

Finally arriving outside the Emperor's study, Consort Shu sent a eunuch to announce her arrival. A short while later, the eunuch returned with the message that the Emperor had granted Consort Shu an audience.

Consort Shu stepped into the study and said in a sweet voice, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

The Emperor put down the memorial in his hand, raised his eyes and looked at Consort Shu: "My dear consort, what brings you here at this hour?"

Consort Shu said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, I have something important to report to you."

Emperor Huizong hurriedly asked what had happened. Consort Shu's delicate face instantly filled with anger and dissatisfaction. She said, "Your Majesty, Liu Fu, as an official of the court, accepted bribes and helped Zhao Tianming obtain that piece of land in the west of the city. This Liu Ren is simply audacious, using the court's land as a bargaining chip."

What's even more outrageous is that Zhao Tianming later actually returned the portion of the land that had been confiscated from Lin Chong. Your Majesty, think about it! Lin Chong committed a crime and had his property confiscated; how can it be returned? Zhao Tianming's actions are utterly disregard for the laws of the court!

Emperor Huizong frowned, his eyes revealing both doubt and authority, and said, "Such a thing has happened? My beloved concubine, do you have any solid evidence for this?"

Emperor Huizong put down his brush and said to Consort Shu with a serious expression, "My dear consort, do you have any evidence?"

Consort Shu turned her gaze to Tong Guan. Tong Guan quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, according to my investigation, Liu Ren's steward has handed over a confession that Liu Fu accepted bribes from Zhao Tianming to help him obtain the land in the west of the city. Moreover, through detailed investigation, I have confirmed that part of that land was indeed returned to Lin Chong."

Emperor Huizong frowned and said in a deep voice, "Tell me in detail."

Tong Guan cleared his throat and continued, "Your Majesty, after much inquiry and investigation, I first found Liu Fu's steward. Under my questioning, the steward finally confessed the truth. He admitted that Liu Fu accepted a huge bribe from Zhao Tianming and, through underhanded means, enabled Zhao Tianming to successfully acquire the land in the west of the city that did not belong to him. Not only that, I also sent people to check the ownership records of that land and discovered that the portion that Lin Chong had been confiscated from had inexplicably returned to his name. The shady dealings involved are self-evident."

Emperor Huizong sat on the dragon throne, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, and said, "This matter is of utmost importance. If what you say is true, Zhao Tianming and Liu Fu have committed a serious crime."

Consort Shu said sweetly from the side, "Your Majesty, the evidence is conclusive. Zhao Tianming dared to be so lawless and must be severely punished."

Tong Guan continued, "Your Majesty, during my investigation, I also discovered some letters and accounts related to this matter, which can prove the illegal transactions between Zhao Tianming and Liu Fu. Moreover, many people have heard about this matter and are now discussing it extensively. If it is not dealt with in time, it may affect the prestige of the court."

Emperor Huizong's face grew increasingly grim. He said, "In governing the country, I will never allow such corruption and injustice to occur. Tong Guan, bring the relevant individuals here immediately. I want to interrogate them personally."

Tong Guan responded, "Yes, Your Majesty. Your humble servant will go and do so immediately."

Consort Shu's lips curled into a slight smile, secretly pleased with herself. Emperor Huizong, on the other hand, fell into deep thought, pondering how to deal with this serious illegal incident in order to rectify the court and appease the people.

Emperor Huizong ordered Tong Guan to investigate the matter, but Tong Guan looked hesitant. Seeing that he did not leave, Huizong said, "What are you still doing here?"

Tong Guan hurriedly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I went to Zhao Tianming's restaurant to investigate, but Zhao Tianming not only refused to cooperate, but he and his gang of outlaws also opposed me. Especially that Li Kui, he's simply a tyrannical and unreasonable devil. As soon as I arrived at the restaurant and explained my purpose, Li Kui jumped out and shouted that I was not allowed to step into the restaurant. His fierce appearance frightened my men so much that they dared not approach."

Emperor Huizong frowned and said angrily, "How dare you be so presumptuous!"

Tong Guan continued, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. That Li Kui is incredibly strong. I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn’t listen and even brandished his axe, almost hurting people. I had no choice but to lead my men away.”

Emperor Huizong slammed his fist on the table: "This is utterly lawless! Does Zhao Tianming just let Li Kui run rampant like this?"

Tong Guan hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, although Zhao Tianming was not as impulsive as Li Kui, he was still very tough and obstructed my investigation in every way. Moreover, I also discovered that Master Chai was very close to Zhao Tianming. Master Chai is quite influential in the area, and he seems to be advising Zhao Tianming behind the scenes, making my investigation even more difficult."

Emperor Huizong's face was terribly grim: "What a Zhao Tianming! Do they think they can escape the punishment of the law like this? Tong Guan, I order you to investigate this matter thoroughly, no matter who is involved, you must find out the truth!"

Tong Guan kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will do my utmost to live up to Your Majesty's expectations. However, Zhao Tianming and his gang are quite troublesome. I hope Your Majesty can give me more manpower and time."

Just then, Consort Shu said, "Your Majesty, I have heard that Chai Jin is also helping in this matter, which makes things even more complicated."

When Emperor Huizong heard that Chai Jin was there to help, he was immediately in a dilemma. Chai Jin was a descendant of the previous dynasty's royal family and had a considerable reputation in the martial arts world; his family's influence was deeply entrenched. If he were to severely punish Zhao Tianming and the others, it would likely have far-reaching consequences.

Consort Shu moved gracefully to Emperor Huizong's side and said in a sweet voice, "Your Majesty, even princes are subject to the same laws as commoners. Your Majesty must prioritize the affairs of the state. If we tolerate the illegal acts committed by Zhao Tianming and others because of Chai Jin's involvement, where is the dignity of the law? Where will the credibility of the court be? And how should we deal with similar incidents in the future?"

Emperor Huizong frowned, pacing back and forth in the hall, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts. He knew that Consort Shu's words were not without merit; the laws of the land could not be disregarded. However, if he were to truly take action against Chai Jin, the consequences would be unpredictable.

Seeing that Emperor Huizong was still hesitant, Consort Shu said, "Your Majesty, you are the ruler of the country and should prioritize the well-being of the nation. If you condone Zhao Tianming and others because of Chai Jin, how will the people view you? How will other officials follow suit? If this continues, the court will be in chaos and the country will be in danger."

Emperor Huizong stopped and sighed, saying, "I am not unaware of what my beloved consort has said. However, Chai Jin's identity is special, and if he is not handled properly, it may cause unrest."

Consort Shu hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, it is precisely because of Chai Jin’s special status that he should be dealt with more fairly. As long as Your Majesty acts in accordance with the law, the people of the world will understand Chai Jin’s impartiality and selflessness, and will respect Your Majesty even more. If we back down because we are afraid of his power, that will make people feel disheartened and cause the court to lose its prestige.”

Emperor Huizong pondered for a moment, finally making up his mind, and said, "My beloved consort is absolutely right. I cannot let personal feelings or fear of her power cloud my judgment. Issue my decree to order a thorough investigation of this case. Whoever violates the law will be severely punished without exception!"

Consort Shu smiled with satisfaction and said, "Your Majesty is wise. In this way, the court will surely be restored to order, and the world will be brought back to peace and order."

Emperor Huizong gazed into the distance, still troubled, but his eyes held a newfound determination to handle the matter properly and uphold the law of the land.

Emperor Huizong immediately wrote a memorial, handed it to Tong Guan, and bestowed upon him the imperial sword, saying solemnly, "Lord Chai has a powerful iron certificate that can exempt him from death, but anyone else who dares to obstruct him will be executed!"

Tong Guan accepted the memorial and the imperial sword with both hands, a hint of excitement and pride flashing in his eyes. He knelt down to express his gratitude, saying, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

Tong Guan, carrying the imperial edict and the imperial sword, swaggered out of the imperial study. Behind him followed a group of arrogant followers, their bearing imposing as they made their way through the palace.

Sitting in the sedan chair, Tong Guan secretly plotted: "Now that we have the Emperor's imperial sword, let's see how arrogant Zhao Tianming can be! We must make him submit obediently."

Soon, they arrived in front of Zhao Tianming's restaurant. Tong Guan alighted from his sedan chair, brandishing his imperial sword, and shouted, "Zhao Tianming, come out immediately to receive the imperial decree!"

Upon hearing Tong Guan's voice, the people in the restaurant were thrown into a panic. Zhao Tianming, hearing that Tong Guan had returned, also felt a pang of anxiety, but he still forced himself to remain calm and stepped out.

Tong Guan sneered when he saw Zhao Tianming: "Zhao Tianming, the Emperor has decreed that I thoroughly investigate this matter. Now that I have the Imperial Sword here, anyone who dares to disobey will be killed without mercy!"

Seeing Tong Guan's arrogant demeanor, Zhao Tianming felt anger, but he also knew that the situation was not good.

Tong Guan continued, "If you cooperate obediently, you might receive a lighter sentence. Otherwise, don't blame me for being merciless!"

Zhao Tianming gritted his teeth and said, "Tong Guan, don't bully others by relying on your power!"

Tong Guan glared angrily: "How dare you! Still so stubborn! Men, search me!"

His men stormed into the restaurant like wolves and began a thorough search. Chaos erupted; tables and chairs were overturned, and customers fled in terror.