Chapter 18: Detention and the Loss of Resolve

The Daxing Palace served as the imperial residence during the Sui and Tang dynasties. It was not until the first year of Emperor Ruizong’s Jingyun era that it was renamed Taiji Palace. On an August morning, the air was crisp and refreshing. A thin mist lingered over the streets, imparting a faint chill.

Meng Baolai drove the carriage at a leisurely pace toward the palace. He dared not go any faster, for the young master inside was sleeping on the soft couch; if the jolting awoke him, Meng would be in trouble.

At the palace gates, the scene was not as Cai Cong had imagined—there was no throng of ministers assembled. In reality, these officials were waiting outside the Taiji Hall for the morning audience to begin.

Guided by a eunuch, Cai Cong arrived at the western corridor of the hall, where a group of officials of the fifth rank and above had already gathered. Seeing a child in a fifth-rank court robe, taking small but composed steps as he calmly observed the palace, most guessed this must be the prodigy whom Li Ji had praised so highly.

Cai Cong approached, offered a formal bow and, with composure, said, “This humble junior greets all the elders present. I offer my respects.”

At this, smiles broke out among the gathered officials. Their greatest fear was that a child prodigy might be arrogant and insolent, heedless of decorum. But this boy seemed well-mannered and respectful.

“Haha… You must be the prodigy of the Cai family, Cai Cong! Excellent, excellent. But today, we stand outside the great hall. That you are young yet understand propriety is worthy of praise. However, once inside, you must address yourself as ‘subject’ and refer to others as ‘official’ or ‘lord.’ In court, hierarchy and seniority are paramount.”

A distinguished elder with a fine beard spoke jovially, instructing Cai Cong. This was Li Gang, the eminent Confucian scholar of the early Tang, tutor to three emperors, renowned for his learning and integrity. In the early years of the dynasty, even Li Yuan had been rebuked by him, and Li Shimin treated him with the respect due a teacher.

“I am indeed Cai Cong, and once again I thank you for your guidance, My Lord,” Cai Cong replied with a shy yet sincere smile, which pleased Li Gang all the more, prompting him to exclaim, “A teachable child!”

“Master Cai, your position does not require you to attend the morning audience. May I ask why you are here today?” A stern-looking middle-aged man, his every word and gesture precise, suddenly stepped forward and questioned him without a hint of a smile.

Cai Cong glanced at him and hesitantly asked, “And you, My Lord, are…?”

“I am Wang Gui, Imperial Censor.” Wang Gui replied with the utmost seriousness, not treating Cai Cong any differently for being a child.

Not Wei Zheng? Cai Cong was a bit surprised, but upon reflection, it made sense—Wei Zheng was likely still in prison at this time. Still, Wang Gui was a formidable figure and not to be taken lightly. Cai Cong cupped his hands and replied, “I am here by imperial command. Today, the Turkic envoy is to pay court, and so I have come.”

“I see,” Wang Gui replied with a low hum and fell silent. In truth, he was only concerned that the boy had come to satisfy childish curiosity, which would be inappropriate.

After a while, a shrill voice rang out: “The court convenes! All officials—present yourselves!”

At this, the civil and military officials arranged themselves in order and entered the Taiji Palace in an orderly procession.

“Long live Your Majesty!”

“You may rise!” Li Shimin’s voice was stern as the assembly took their places. The diminutive Cai Cong looked most out of place, his childish voice standing out amidst the chorus of deep, sonorous greetings.

Cai Cong lifted his head to look around. Unlike the other ministers, he did not rigidly adhere to protocol. As he turned, he caught sight of a pair of majestic eyes regarding him with amusement. Instinctively, he lowered his gaze.

Never mind the pride of a transmigrator; the owner of those eyes was a sovereign for the ages, a peerless figure in five millennia of Chinese history. If Cai Cong had not felt nervous, it would have been strange indeed.

Yet, as a transmigrator, an instinctive pride in his foresight made him feel somewhat ashamed of his reaction. He steeled himself, raised his head, and looked at Li Shimin again, but by then, the emperor was already deep in state affairs and paid him no further heed.

Damn, I really overestimated my own importance. No one noticed, but Cai Cong’s face burned with embarrassment. This was mortifying.

At his very first court audience, Cai Cong understood why the reign of Zhenguan was famed for its good governance. The enemy army pressed close, just across the water, yet the ministers debated state matters with fervor. Most importantly, every argument was well-founded and purposeful—nothing was said without substance.

Cai Cong listened with keen interest. Though his legs grew weak from standing, he did not feel tired. At last, when the sun was high in the sky, a young eunuch entered and knelt, announcing, “Your Majesty, the Turkic envoy Zhishi Sili requests an audience.”

Li Shimin glanced at a few senior ministers before saying, “Admit him.”

Zhishi Sili was a towering man, sporting a small braid and a thick, bushy beard. Upon entering, he gazed at the assembly with open disdain. Spotting Cai Cong among the ranks, he burst into laughter.

The assembly was so enraged, their beards bristled. The civil officials managed to restrain themselves, but the military officers were ready to charge forward and kill him, only to be held back.

Zhishi Sili, sneering, cupped his fists at Li Shimin without a hint of respect and said, “Greetings, Emperor of Tang.”

“Insolence! How dare you not kneel before His Majesty?” Li Gang stepped forward, his thunderous voice so powerful that Zhishi Sili was momentarily stunned.

Yet, his mission was to test the Tang’s resolve, so he had to display arrogance; otherwise, how could he gauge their strength? He raised his head and declared, “I am the great general sent by the command of Illig Qaghan, here to persuade the Tang emperor to open the city and surrender. If you refuse, when our army breaches the city, we will slaughter the populace for three days.”

“Outrageous! Does Illig Qaghan intend to break our alliance?” Li Gang advanced, eyes blazing with fury.

“Ridiculous! It was you Tang people who broke the pact first. Why, when your new emperor ascended, did you not send tribute as my Turks did?” Zhishi Sili scoffed. He was not afraid—he knew the Tang prided themselves on their virtue and would not dare kill him.

“Open the city and surrender? I have waged war for years and never surrendered without a fight. If Illig Qaghan breaks our pact and slaughters my people, then I shall kill you and hang your head on the city wall, so you may see for yourself how I defeat Illig. Guards, drag him out and execute him!” Li Shimin’s eyes blazed red as he spoke, deathly intent filling his voice.

Zhishi Sili recoiled two steps, his face drained of color. Wasn’t it said that envoys were not killed during wartime? As two guards seized him and dragged him away, he realized Li Shimin was not bluffing and cried out in terror, “Spare me, Emperor of Tang! Isn’t it forbidden to kill envoys? Spare my life!”

“Calm yourself, Your Majesty! Though this scoundrel deserves death, he is still an envoy. If he is killed, we will become the laughingstock of the world. Please reconsider, Your Majesty.” A handsome minister with a three-foot beard knelt in supplication. This was Xiao Yu, a grand statesman who served as prime minister six times.

“Minister Xiao speaks wisely. Please reconsider, Your Majesty. Let him go for now; when we meet on the battlefield, we can kill him then,” said another official, thin and with an air of antiquity. This was Feng Deyi.

“Hmph! If I do not kill this wretch, my anger will not subside. Enough—no more words from you all,” Li Shimin seethed, intent on execution.

“Your Majesty, if you kill him now, how will our Tang Empire command respect among our vassal states in the future?” All the courtiers bowed, earnestly advising restraint.

Zhishi Sili hastily added, “Spare me, Your Majesty. Your reputation is worth more than my life. Killing me is not worth it!”

“Very well, have him driven out of Chang’an on my command,” Li Shimin finally relented, though with reluctance.

“Your Majesty is wise!”

“Wait! I have something to say.” Amid the chorus of praise, a discordant voice made everyone frown. As for Zhishi Sili, he nearly cursed aloud. Li Shimin and Xiao Yu were inwardly vexed as well—was it easy to stage such a show? Did Cai Cong have to disrupt it now?

“Cai Cong, what do you intend? Do you wish to disregard His Majesty’s reputation?” Xiao Yu, clearly anxious, stood and called him out by name.

“I would never disregard His Majesty’s reputation. However, Illig is arrogant and conceited. If his general can swagger out of our court after such insolence, he will surely believe the Tang Empire fears him and grow ever more brazen. Therefore, I propose we detain him, and only return him once we have defeated their forces. Thus, we will show the breadth of our magnanimity.”

“Well said! Guards, take Zhishi Sili away and lock him in the Ministry of Justice!” Li Shimin clapped his hands with delight. He had been searching for a pretext to detain the envoy, and Cai Cong had provided it.

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