Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

On a dark and windy night, Tong Guan's residence was completely silent. Shi Qian, dressed in black, nimbly climbed onto the roof of Tong Guan's residence. He held his breath and waited quietly for his opportunity.

Inside the room, Tong Guan was talking to a trusted confidant. "This matter must not be leaked, understand?" Tong Guan said nervously.

The confidant nodded and replied, "Don't worry, sir, I understand."

Having said that, Tong Guan took out a brocade box from his pocket and carefully walked towards the secret room. Shi Qian watched Tong Guan's every move closely through the cracks in the roof.

After entering the secret room, Tong Guan gently placed the brocade box on a hidden shelf. He looked around to make sure everything was alright before turning to leave the secret room and locking the door behind him.

After Tong Guan left, Shi Qian assessed the surroundings and, once he was sure it was safe, he stealthily slipped into the secret chamber like a ghost. The chamber was filled with an old, musty atmosphere. Using his exceptional lightness skills and keen intuition, Shi Qian avoided any potential traps.

He quickly found the brocade box that Tong Guan had just placed there, and upon opening it, he found a considerable amount of silver notes inside. Shi Qian picked up a silver note and examined it; the amount on it was enormous, causing him to gasp in astonishment.

Continuing his search, Shi Qian found another letter. He unfolded it and read it in the dim light. The letter read: "Lord Tong, this matter is entirely in your hands. Zhao Tianming is a major threat; we must rely on your methods to eliminate him. A generous reward will be given upon success. Respectfully yours, Wang Zhiqiang."

After reading the letter, Shi Qian was secretly delighted: "There was definitely something fishy going on. Now we have evidence."

However, just then, footsteps suddenly came from outside the secret room. Shi Qian's heart tightened, and he quickly put the contents of the brocade box back in their original place, then found a secluded corner to hide.

The door was pushed open, and one of Tong Guan's trusted guards entered. He seemed to sense something was amiss, pacing back and forth in the secret room, his eyes searching around.

Shi Qian hid in the shadows, not daring to even breathe. Fortunately, the guard didn't notice anything, shook his head, and turned to leave the secret chamber.

Shi Qian waited a moment, and only after confirming that there was no movement outside did he reappear. He carefully left the secret room and quickly left Tong Guan's residence along the route he had come from, preparing to inform Wu Yong and the others of this important discovery.

After carefully putting the letter away, Shi Qian glanced around warily to make sure it was safe, then used his light-footed skill to leave Tong Guan's residence. He moved like a swallow, leaping through the night and quickly returning to where everyone was.

Everyone was anxiously waiting for Shi Qian's return, and when they saw him, they all crowded around him.

Shi Qian, panting heavily, took the letter out of his pocket, handed it to Wu Yong, and said, "Brothers, I have successfully obtained it."

Wu Yong took the letter and eagerly began to read it. His expression was initially grave, but gradually turned to great joy. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Great! With this letter, Manager Zhao can escape imprisonment!"

Everyone else gathered around, their faces showing excitement.

At this moment, Wu Yong looked at Dai Zong, the Divine Traveler, and said, "Dean Dai, please make a trip to Master Chai's residence."

Dai Zong stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Master Wu, what are your orders?"

Wu Yong handed the letter to Dai Zong and solemnly said, "Dean Dai, this letter is of utmost importance. Please give it to Master Chai immediately and ask him to present it to the Emperor when he meets him, so as to seek justice for Manager Zhao."

Dai Zong took the letter, nodded, and replied, "Rest assured, scholar, I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

After saying that, Dai Zong turned around and was about to leave.

"Dean Dai, wait!" Wu Yong called out to him again.

Dai Zong turned around and looked at Wu Yong with a puzzled expression.

Wu Yong stepped forward, patted Dai Zong on the shoulder, and instructed him, "Be careful on the journey, and don't let Tong Guan's men find you. If anything unexpected happens, adapt accordingly."

Dai Zong said firmly, "Don't worry, scholar, I know what's important."

After saying that, Dai Zong's figure flashed and disappeared from everyone's sight like a gust of wind.

Everyone gazed in the direction Dai Zong had left, their hearts filled with anticipation.

Wu Yong took a deep breath and said to everyone, "Brothers, we can't just sit idly by. Let's be prepared, just in case."

Everyone responded in unison: "Yes!"

At this moment, the moonlight shone on everyone, and their eyes were filled with hope as they waited for the moment when Zhao Tianming's name would be cleared.

Dai Zong carried the letter straight to Chai Jin's residence. Upon arriving at the gate, after the gatekeeper announced his arrival, Chai Jin personally came out to greet him.

Without exchanging pleasantries, Dai Zong hurriedly relayed Wu Yong's message to Chai Jin. Upon hearing this, Chai Jin's expression turned serious, and he said, "Dean Dai, I will certainly report this matter truthfully to His Majesty. However, this matter is of great importance, and we need to discuss it further. Let's go together to Manager Zhao's shop."

After saying that, Chai Jin took Dai Zong and got into the carriage, heading straight for Manager Zhao's shop.

Upon arriving at the shop, everyone was already waiting. Seeing Chai Jin and Dai Zong arrive together, they all crowded around them.

"Master Chai, your help is truly a great blessing to us," someone said excitedly.

Chai Jin waved his hand and said, "Please don't stand on ceremony, everyone. Manager Zhao is an upright man. I will do my best to help him when he suffers this injustice."

Everyone was deeply grateful for Chai Jin's righteousness. Some people had tears in their eyes and said, "If we can save Manager Zhao, we will always remember Master Chai's kindness."

Chai Jin looked around at everyone and said, "Don't worry, everyone. As long as we work together, we will definitely be able to clear Manager Zhao's name."

Afterwards, everyone sat down together to discuss the next steps.

Chai Jin inquired in detail from Wu Yong and the others about the hygiene problems at Manager Zhao's restaurant. The group sat together, their faces grave.

"What on earth is going on? Why are so many flies suddenly flying into the restaurant?" Chai Jin asked, frowning.

Wu Yong sighed and slowly said, "Master Chai, a few days ago, a lot of flies inexplicably flew in, causing the restaurant's business to plummet. We also felt that this matter was very strange, and there must be some evil spirits at work."

Chai Jin's eyes sharpened, and he pressed further, "Has this ever happened before?"

Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "In the past, Gao Lian had a grudge against Manager Zhao. However, Gongsun Sheng subdued him with his Taoist magic. I thought that was the end of it, but I didn't expect this kind of trouble to arise now."

Chai Jin frowned and said, "This is too strange. I think it's most likely Gao Lian's doing. Otherwise, why would these flies suddenly flock to Manager Zhao's restaurant?"

Wu Yong nodded in agreement: "What Master Chai said is absolutely right. This matter should certainly be investigated thoroughly. However, we don't know where Gao Lian is hiding now, so it will probably be difficult to find him."

With a determined look in his eyes, Chai Jin said, "No matter what, we must find him and give Manager Zhao justice. However, the most urgent thing right now is to resolve Manager Zhao's imprisonment."

Wu Yong chimed in, "That's right. We have already collected evidence of Tong Guan's collusion with Wang Zhiqiang, and we are thinking about how to present it to His Majesty."

After a moment's thought, Chai Jin said, "It would be best to send someone to secretly sneak into the Imperial Study and place the evidence on His Majesty's desk. But we must be extremely careful and not let anyone discover it, otherwise not only will all our previous efforts be in vain, but it may also bring us death."

Wu Yong's expression was serious: "Master Chai, rest assured, I will arrange for someone to handle this matter properly. It's just that the choice of person..."

Chai Jin looked at everyone, his gaze falling on Shi Qian: "I think Brother Shi Qian has superb lightness skills and is quick-witted, so he is a suitable candidate."

Shi Qian cupped his hands and said, "I am deeply grateful for Lord Chai's trust. I will certainly not fail in my mission."

After discussing the details, the group decided to act as soon as possible to clear Manager Zhao's name.

Wu Yong wrote down the evidence he had collected in a letter and handed it to Shi Qian. He looked at Shi Qian with a serious expression and said, "This palace is not like other places; it is heavily guarded. Tell him to be careful in everything he does."

Shi Qian nodded solemnly, his eyes shining with determination: "Rest assured, everyone, Shi Qian will be cautious."

As night fell, Shi Qian donned his night clothes, seemingly blending into the darkness. Carrying a letter on his back, he vanished from everyone's sight like a ghost.

Arriving outside the inner palace walls, Shi Qian looked up to observe the towering walls and the patrolling guards. He took a deep breath, and with a swift movement, used a large tree beside the wall to lightly leap onto the top. As soon as he landed, he heard the footsteps of guards not far away. Shi Qian quickly ducked down and held his breath.

After the guards passed, Shi Qian continued forward, carefully avoiding the patrolling group. He used the shadows of the palace and the buildings to keep feeling his way forward.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared ahead; it was a group of guards carrying torches. Shi Qian quickly hid behind a pillar, his heart pounding. But he quickly calmed down, and after the guards had passed, he moved again.

Shi Qian used his exceptional lightness skill and agility to traverse palace after palace. However, the inner palace was riddled with traps, and the slightest carelessness could trigger an alarm.

As Shi Qian passed through a garden, he accidentally stepped on a loose paving stone, making a slight noise. The nearby guards immediately became alert: "Who goes there?" Shi Qian's heart tightened, and he leaped up a large tree, hiding among the dense foliage. His heart was pounding, he dared not breathe, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead.

The guards searched the area with torches, while Shi Qian kept a close eye on them, his hand secretly gripping a dagger, ready to fight to the death if discovered. Fortunately, the guards found nothing amiss and left, grumbling, "They're so paranoid, there's no one here."

Shi Qian breathed a sigh of relief and continued on his way. But after only a few steps, he almost fell into a hidden trap. It was a pit filled with sharp spikes, and if he hadn't been quick to stop, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Shi Qian carefully observed his surroundings and finally arrived near the Imperial Study. He noticed two guards standing watch at the entrance, and a faint candlelight shone through the window. He hid behind a nearby artificial hill, patiently waiting for his opportunity.

Finally, one guard left to relieve himself, and the other guard also dozed off. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Qian slipped into the imperial study like a shadow.

Upon entering the study, Shi Qian quickly located the Emperor's desk and carefully placed the letter in a prominent position. Having completed his task, he dared not linger and quietly withdrew from the palace via the same route.

When he returned to the crowd, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Shi Qian wiped the sweat from his forehead, a relieved smile on his face.