Chapter 57: The Contingency Plan

Sitting alone in the empty tent, Cai Cong rubbed his eyes and lay down to sleep. His not-yet-fully developed body was truly troublesome; just one sleepless night had left him utterly exhausted.

Zhang Liang, still in his nightgown and covered in dirt, stared long at his ruined, burned-down estate before making his way on foot to the palace gates, where he knelt outside. Before long, Li Xiaochang and Changsun Anyi joined him, kneeling as well.

Having learned during the night how their women had so shamefully insulted the wife of a distinguished family, the men’s anger nearly drove them to violence. But none of them had expected Cai Cong’s retaliation to come so quickly, so fiercely, and with such finality. The three men knelt outside the palace in the heavy snow, shivering. With such a calamity befalling them, Fang Xuanling and his peers had not slept a wink the previous night, busying themselves to report to Li Shimin at dawn. Seeing the three kneeling in the snow, he could only shake his head.

Li Shimin was furious. After a night of searching, not a single culprit had been caught. The only clue was that several grain and oil shops had reported massive thefts of oil.

He summoned the three men to appear before him, and they entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony, dusted with snow, looking utterly wretched. But that was exactly the effect they desired—wretchedness. “Look, Your Majesty,” they thought, “see what treatment your founding ministers have received? Handle this poorly, and the rest of your old retainers will lose all heart.”

“Add more charcoal to the brazier. Bestow brocade robes. Allow them to be seated. Have the imperial kitchen send up hot soup,” Li Shimin said darkly. Three ducal estates reduced to ashes—Cai Cong’s ferocity was far beyond ordinary. Yet this was also his weakness; those with weaknesses were always the easiest to deal with.

The three men refused the cushions and seats, kneeling on the floor, weeping and begging Li Shimin for justice. No matter how wrong their wives had been, Cai Cong could have brought up the issue—arson was clearly an attempt to wipe them out entirely! According to Tang law, conspiring against a duke warranted the execution of three generations. They pleaded for the emperor to act, to seize Cai Cong and bring him to justice.

Fang Xuanling stepped forward. “Your Majesty, those who committed the crime were all highly skilled. For them to leave Chang’an undetected while the city was under martial law, it would not have been difficult to burn the dukes alive had they wished. However, the fires were set in the front courtyards, their intent not to kill, but to warn.”

“I believe we should summon the Earl of Chang’an to confront him directly. We cannot rely solely on one side’s account,” Du Ruhui added.

The others remained silent, especially Li Ji, who was a close friend of Cai Cong despite their age difference. Yet his own wife had not gone to help Cai Jie’er the previous night, leaving him deeply ashamed.

Changsun Wuji kept silent as well. He had long harbored resentment at having been cast out by his elder brother in his youth; if not for his sister’s mediation, he would have struck against his brother long ago. Now, he simply felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

“Yan Dong, send someone to summon Cai Cong,” Li Shimin roared in anger. Yan Dong dashed from the hall at once.

Cai Cong was awakened by Xu Jie. The eunuch sent to deliver the imperial summons had no edict to show and could not enter the military camp. Cai Cong washed his face and received the oral command outside the camp. He was then hoisted onto horseback by a burly man and rode off at once, Meng Baolai leading men close behind.

“Your subject Cai Cong pays respects to Your Majesty.”

—

Upon entering the hall, Cai Cong offered a meticulous salute. Yet, when he lifted his head, the look he gave Zhang Liang and the others was full of mockery.

“Cai Cong, let me ask you—is this your doing?” Li Shimin’s face was dark as he enunciated each word.

“Your Majesty, an honest man does not hide his deeds. Yes, it was I who did it,” Cai Cong replied loudly, standing straight.

If Zhang Liang hadn’t been restrained, he would have lunged at Cai Cong on the spot. Li Shimin, livid, hurled the memorial in his hand to the floor, his face ashen as he ground out, “Do you think that because the Empress and I favor you, you can act recklessly? Over such a trifle, you burned three ducal estates to the ground!”

“What? What does any of this have to do with me?” Cai Cong replied innocently. Li Shimin nearly spat blood—hadn’t Cai Cong just admitted it?

“You little bastard, you just confessed! Why do you now deny it?” Changsun Anyi roared in outrage.

Cai Cong sneered. “Hmph, you worthless fool—were it not for the Empress’s sake, do you really think you’d have the right to stand here and speak to me? Let me make this clear: from now on, your three families will have nothing but your official stipends and the income from your fiefs. Don’t even think of earning another coin.”

“And let me tell you this: between your families and me, it’s a fight to the death. All the businesses you run—I’ve already bought shops next to every one of them. Whatever you sell, I’ll sell too. My prices will be lower, my goods better.”

“Let’s see if your stipends alone can support your whole clan. As for the arson, I know nothing about it. If you insist it was me, do you have any evidence?”

A collective gasp swept the hall. Such a move—undercutting their businesses—was ruthlessly effective. How else could these great families maintain their households except through business?

“You? What do you have to compare with my Changsun family’s ironworks? We produce the finest ironware in the land,” Changsun Anyi scoffed. The Changsun family’s wealth indeed came mainly from iron production, in which they were unmatched.

“Your Majesty, I present to you a hundred-fold refined steel saber, awaiting outside. May it be brought in?” Cai Cong asked with a smile, ignoring Changsun Anyi.

Li Shimin’s eyes narrowed. He calmly ordered the saber brought in, already suspecting Cai Cong had mastered a superior technique.

The scabbard was encrusted with gems, dazzlingly precious. A guard drew the blade, its edge glinting coldly. He struck it against another guard’s sword, which snapped instantly, while Cai Cong’s saber remained flawless.

—

“Your Majesty, this is the first of the hundred-fold refined sabers, crafted especially for you. My workshop can now mass-produce them, and before long, their price will be no different from ordinary blades.”

Li Shimin was overjoyed. If all his soldiers could wield such weapons, who could challenge Tang’s might on the battlefield? Changsun Wuji and Changsun Anyi both paled—this would destroy the very foundation of their family’s wealth.

“Let me ask you again: was it you who set fire to the three ducal estates?”

“I swear, it was absolutely not me. If I speak falsely, may I be struck dead by five bolts of lightning,” Cai Cong replied solemnly. In these times, oaths were taken very seriously. Most believed that the gods watched over every word. With such a vow, even his fiercest doubters could say no more—either produce evidence, or remain silent.

After all, he had openly admitted to crushing them financially, aiming not at individual lives, but at entire households. Why would he shrink from admitting to arson?

“The Court of Judicial Review will investigate this case with all its strength and must apprehend the true culprit. If not, I will hold the Court alone responsible. You are all ministers of the same court—how can you plot against one another? I command you four to cease all strife.”

“As for you three, you failed to keep your wives in check, allowing them to publicly insult a titled lady. Each of you is to receive ten strokes of the rattan. In the future, you must govern your wives strictly. Cai Cong, you as well—no more underhanded tricks. If I learn of any further private feuding, I will punish you all severely.”

Li Shimin appeared to mete out equal punishment, but anyone could see he favored Cai Cong. How could it be mere coincidence that the three families offended Cai Cong, and that very night all three were set ablaze? The only problem was, without evidence, nothing could be proven.

And so, the greatest case of the first year of Zhenguan ended in ambiguity. Dai Zhou would likely find a few petty criminals to pin the blame on—after all, why should he shoulder the blame for the feud between these families?