Chapter 6: Fury

How terrifying is it for a thousand people to gather in the city of Chang’an? During the turmoil of the Sui dynasty, any hero commanding a thousand men could rally tens of thousands of troops in an instant. Thus, the matter was immediately reported to Grand General Li Ji of the Imperial Guards, and a detailed account found its way onto Emperor Li Shimin’s dragon desk.

“Send men to maintain order. I will attend the hearing myself. An eight-year-old child stirring up the winds of Chang’an—who among my old acquaintances could be so restless behind the scenes?” Li Ji swiftly issued his orders, though he could not fathom who might be backing Cai Cong.

The open space before the county office had been cleared, yet a dense crowd pressed in from all sides, encircling the office with no room to spare. At that moment, Cui Hua, arm in arm with his mother and Cai Cong, emerged from the gates, laughing and chatting. Cui Hua sought to establish his upright and benevolent image, and Cai Cong was happy to oblige.

The scene left many townsfolk dumbfounded. Wasn’t it said that the malicious village head had colluded with the officials to oppress widows and orphans?

Cui Hua raised his hand, signaling the crowd to quiet, and then spoke loudly: “Fellow villagers, I now understand the cause of your anger. Rest assured, I will not abet tyranny or oppress the people.”

He paused, then sternly declared, “Yesterday, a constable brought me a hundred taels of silver, asking me to help the village head, Zhang Xiao, seize the Cai family’s secret recipe. I immediately sealed the silver, awaiting today’s complaint from the aggrieved. Who could have anticipated that the eight-year-old claimant is not only a self-taught prodigy but the sole surviving scion of a family of nine loyal martyrs? If I were to betray my conscience, oppressing the descendant of loyal servants over mere silver, I fear divine retribution would await me. Thus, today I shall publicly try Zhang Xiao, to give justice to the Cai family’s fallen heroes, and to uphold the integrity of this bright and just realm.”

His words rang out with conviction, drawing cheers from the crowd. They had assumed the county magistrate was the villain, only to find the culprit was a mere constable. Yet, the throng did not disperse; such a public trial was a rare spectacle, sure to provide ample material for gossip.

Cai Cong stepped forward, bowing deeply, and spoke: “The ancients said that injustice is always addressed by someone. I thank you all for your noble spirit! My invention of the chicken feed was merely to better my family’s lot, to spare my mother from toil. I did not expect that a child carrying gold through a bustling market would invite disaster. Please do not speak further of my family’s loyal past. The realm has just settled; who among us does not have elders who fought for the country? Now that peace reigns, my Cai family would die nine times without regret.”

His words touched everyone’s hearts. Even today, the land is still plagued by war; who has not lost family? Sympathy for the orphan and widow surged.

“Which old dog has been caught?”

Two constables dragged Zhang Xiao through the crowd. At someone’s shout, the crowd erupted. People rushed forward to spit and punch him. If not for the timely intervention of the Imperial Guards, Zhang Xiao would surely have been beaten to death.

“Li Ji, Grand General Li arrives—”

Li Ji rode in on horseback, and the crowd parted to clear a path.

“This villain’s deeds have gathered a thousand people and shaken the capital. I am here to observe the hearing. Magistrate of Chang’an, do as you see fit; pay no mind to my presence.” Li Ji sat boldly on a chair brought by his subordinates, watching Cai Cong with keen interest.

Zhang Xiao looked bleak, bearing visible footprints on his body. At the sight of Cui Hua, he immediately knelt and confessed his guilt, willing to accept punishment.

He had already planned his plea: oppressing the descendants of loyal servants was unprecedented in court history. By admitting guilt, he would simply be charged with seizing the secret recipe, and he could afford to pay compensation.

“Since you confess, by law, I sentence you to pay double the value of the recipe to the Cai family. Do you accept the penalty?” Early Tang laws were lenient; only a few dozen capital cases occurred nationwide each year. The magistrate would not impose harsh punishment.

“Honorable elders, I object.”

Cai Cong suddenly stepped forward, speaking loudly. All eyes turned to him, and Cui Hua frowned, wary of earning a reputation as a harsh official if the penalty was too severe.

“Oh? Cai Cong, what is your objection?” Cui Hua called him by name, showing his displeasure.

“Honorable elders, if it were merely the theft of my family’s recipe, I would have no objection to the punishment. But I accuse this old dog of defying imperial orders!” Cai Cong cried out, his innocent face twisted with indignation.

At these words, Zhang Xiao collapsed from his knees to the ground, his face drained of color.

Cai Cong ignored him, continuing, “His Majesty the Emperor, wise and just, decreed a year’s exemption from taxes in Guanzhong. Yet this villain, exploiting the ignorance of the people and colluding with corrupt officials, collected taxes from Cai Family Village, Six Mile Slope, Zuo Family Village, and four other villages. This year has been hard; the villagers' harvests failed. I heard yesterday that, in Zuo Family Village, a family was starved to death because their grain was seized for taxes. Only then did I realize how evil this man is.”

“Send men immediately to investigate. Detain all personnel of the Chang’an county office and seize the Zhang family and their associates until the matter is clarified!” Li Ji, seeing Zhang Xiao’s ashen face and the constables’ sudden alarm, instantly grasped the situation and issued his orders.

This was no longer a mere dispute over property; it concerned the execution of imperial orders and the stability of the Tang realm. If such defiance occurred under the Emperor’s nose, what of the distant provinces?

“All must disperse now. Imperial Guards, obey: any who refuse, kill!” With these words, Li Ji galloped away. If the accusations proved true, a storm of blood would follow.

Li Er’s ascension had been far from honorable—he killed his brother, forced his father to abdicate. He cared deeply that his decrees be obeyed and that the world recognized him as Emperor. He would not tolerate this. It was no longer a matter of magnanimity or benevolence.

“Cai Cong, everyone’s gone—what should we do?” Cai Gang looked at the crowd, which had vanished as swiftly as it had appeared, feeling disoriented.

“It’s late; we should go home. Zhang Xiao is finished. If nothing goes wrong, the taxes collected this year will be refunded to us.” Cai Cong spoke calmly. He knew better than to leave the snake half-killed, lest it bite back. He would give the Zhang family no chance.

Seated on the ox cart, listening to the villagers’ loud laughter and chatter, Cai Cong suddenly felt this was life—peaceful and real.

“Wait, Young Master Cai—”

At that moment, an Imperial Guard ran out from the office, carrying a chest of books. “When Magistrate Cui was detained, he said these books were lent to you for reading. He hopes you won’t become arrogant because of your talent.”

“Thank him for me. When he’s released, I’ll visit to return the books and offer my thanks.” Cai Cong accepted the chest, placed it on the cart, and urged everyone to leave. Otherwise, with the city gates closed, they’d spend the night with Magistrate Cui.

Cai Cong had arrived quietly, and left just as quietly. As they returned home in the night, Chang’an was in an uproar. Chancellor Changsun, Wei Zheng, Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling, and other high ministers had barely reached their homes before being urgently summoned to the palace.

Inside the Taiji Hall, Li Shimin had already smashed a vase and thrown the inkstone. He was Emperor, supreme ruler, but he was also a man. Only months after ascending the throne, such blatant defiance had occurred under his very eyes. How could he swallow this insult?

“Your Majesty, the ministers are waiting outside. Shall I call them in?” A pale, beardless, tall eunuch stepped forward and asked softly.

When Li Shimin was enraged, only two could calm him: his devoted Empress Changsun, and the eunuch who had watched him grow up, now Chief Steward Yan Dong.

“Let them in. I want them to see how my loyal ministers manage my realm!” Li Shimin said bitterly, unable to quell his anger.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

The most powerful ministers of early Tang were all present, yet none dared raise their eyes to the imperial desk.

“Li Ji has already investigated. There truly are local bullies colluding with corrupt officials, twisting imperial orders, and forcibly collecting taxes. The people suffer terribly, especially those outside Chang’an—starved to death, selling children in desperation. Do you understand? Right now, I want to kill.”

Li Shimin’s final words were delivered with deliberate emphasis, his bloodshot eyes announcing that this dragon of the heavens was furious.

“Your Majesty, please quell your anger!”

All cried out in unison. Normally, Wei Zheng would have stepped forward to admonish the ruler against bloodthirsty acts, citing examples of tyrants past, but today he clenched his teeth and remained silent. Had Cai Cong witnessed this scene, he would have spat in Wei Zheng’s face, demanding, “Where is your legendary mirror for the ages now?”

“Quell my anger? Tell me, how should this be handled? If I launch a major investigation, the people’s hearts may be unsettled. If I am not strict, how can the realm endure?”

“In my humble opinion, all involved should be executed, their families exiled to Lingnan, their assets confiscated, and the extra taxes refunded to the villagers.” Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling exchanged glances and spoke loudly. The maxim “Fang for strategy, Du for action” echoed through history; Du Ruhui was decisive, unconcerned with how many might die from such a decree.

“So be it, as Minister Du suggests. Furthermore, all implicated shall not be pardoned, even if amnesty is granted.” Li Shimin added after a moment's thought.

“Your Majesty, if such things happen in Chang’an, they must be common elsewhere. I suggest appointing inspectors to survey the realm—not only to check for nobles and corrupt officials defying imperial orders and oppressing the people, but also to investigate the conduct of local governors, the welfare of the populace, and the state of the treasury.”

“Approved! Ministers, you may withdraw. Wuji, begin handling the matter at once—those who must die, let them die; those who must be exiled, exile them. The refunding of taxes shall be managed by Minister Wei. Tomorrow, we will discuss who shall serve as inspector.”

With Li Shimin’s words, the butterfly that was Cai Cong, newly arrived, quietly instigated a subtle shift in history. The first major tax scandal of the Zhenguan era—a case uncovered by an eight-year-old child—changed the course of the Tang dynasty.

(End of chapter)