Chapter 30: Madness Beyond Measure

“Damn it, let's do it! If you can harm your own cousin, we certainly can.” The group exchanged glances, finally shouting out.

“Good, I knew I wasn’t wrong about you. The night is still young; soon we’ll eat and drink, and once it’s late and the wine has warmed our blood, we’ll kill them one by one, take back the money, and be done with it,” Cai Tian said venomously. He had no way out now. If he didn’t act, the men from the gambling house would surely kill him for the money.

Cai Tian’s wife was terrified. How could she have been so blind as to marry such a brute? Yet she dared not show it, suppressing her fear as she knocked on the door and carried the food inside.

“Put the food down and get back to the kitchen! Just looking at you disgusts me,” Cai Tian snapped. His wife quickly set the dishes and limped away. Back in the kitchen, anxiety and fear gnawed at her, especially as shouts echoed from the main room.

The moon hung high, casting a pale glow over the village, which was silent as if all life had retreated. Cai Tian set down his wine bowl and lowered his voice, “Brothers, drink this last bowl, and then we set out. Whether we live to enjoy riches depends on tonight.”

The door opened and closed. Five staggering men walked out into the moonlight, their shadows stretching long and thin. Cai Tian’s wife waited until they had left, then crept out and hurried toward Cai Gang’s house.

Fortunately, their homes were not far apart. She knocked furiously at Cai Gang’s door, and soon it creaked open. Cai Gang, bleary-eyed, muttered, “Lotus Sister, what brings you here at this hour?”

“Something terrible has happened! My husband lost big gambling, owes the gambling house a fortune, now he’s leading men to Cai Sister’s home to murder and steal. Hurry, gather people to save them!” Lotus pleaded, her face tense with worry. For a farmwife, the courage to seek help was nothing short of remarkable.

“What?” Cai Gang’s sleep vanished at once. “Go call Fourth, Big Willow, Wei Guo—everyone! I’ll go ahead.” He rushed back inside, grabbed a sword, woke his wife to ask her to gather help, and himself sped toward Cai Cong’s home.

Cai Tian and his men crept into Cai Cong’s house, climbed over the wall, and bound Cai Sister and her children as they slept. In their terrified eyes, the men ransacked the house for money, ready to kill once they found it and stage the scene as a robbery.

“Speak! Where did you hide the money?” They had turned the house upside down and found nothing, so they interrogated Cai Sister.

“We… we have no money. It was all spent to pull strings and save my son.”

“Don’t play games with me.” Cai Tian’s eyes were bloodshot. Seeing Cai Sister refuse, he drew his knife and stabbed a child more than ten times, stopping only when the little body went limp.

Blood spattered him, and he grinned fiercely. “Will you talk now? If not, I’ll slaughter every one of these brats!”

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk, just don’t kill anyone,” Cai Sister sobbed. She never imagined they would go so far, murdering—even children.

At that moment, Cai Gang arrived. Hearing the cries, he burst in, swinging his sword at Cai Tian. The flash of cold steel startled Cai Tian and his men; they dodged in panic. Cai Gang, not intent on killing, used the chaos to reach Cai Sister and her children, standing guard over them with his blade.

“Cai Tian, you beasts! What has Cai Cong’s family ever done to you? Without him, you would have starved long ago, and now you want to kill his mother? Has your conscience been devoured by dogs?” Cai Gang thundered.

“What’s the use of words? Brothers, kill him!” Cai Tian shouted, brandishing his knife wildly.

“If you’re not afraid to die, come at me. When I fought on the battlefield, you were still toiling in the fields! And others are on their way—let’s see how you die then,” Cai Gang roared back. He doubted he could protect Cai Sister and the others if they all rushed him.

Illiterate petty thugs, none dared risk their lives. They looked at each other, and someone finally took the lead and fled; the rest followed suit, Cai Tian among them, his courage evaporated.

Soon more villagers arrived, each furious, especially upon seeing the murdered child, their anger blazing.

“Gather all the women and children in one place, leave some to protect them, and the rest follow me to search the area. Those beasts can’t have gone far,” Cai Gang ordered. Once the guards were set, he led the men, torches in hand, searching the hills and fields.

But the five had vanished. They searched all night without finding a trace. Before dawn, Cai Gang drove an ox-cart toward Chang’an; with death involved, reporting to the authorities was necessary.

At the yamen gate, the constables recognized him. “Cai Gang, you again? The magistrate said you can’t see Cai Cong.”

“I’m not here for him, but to report a crime. Last night, men broke into Cai Cong’s house, attacked his family, robbed them, a child was killed, my cousin was terrified, the culprits escaped,” Cai Gang said wearily, then took up the drum and sounded it.

The Chang’an magistrate was still in bed; the cold deepened, and he usually rose late in the morning. Awakened by the drum, he shouted angrily, “Who is beating the grievance drum so early?”

Just then Xunxian hurriedly knocked, “Master, something terrible has happened! Robbers broke into Cai Cong’s home last night, killed someone, even Cai Cong’s mother was frightened, the culprit escaped. Her cousin is here to appeal for justice.”

“What? Robbers? Quickly, someone help me dress and bring me to court!” The magistrate sat up at once. He knew well that Cai Cong was favored by the emperor, who spoke of him as if considering a title. The magistrate even wondered if Cai Cong was an imperial son.

“To court!”

“Greetings, Your Excellency.” Cai Gang entered the hall, kowtowing respectfully.

“Rise and speak. How is Madam Cai? Is she unharmed?” the magistrate asked anxiously. The death of a foster child mattered little; Madam Cai’s safety was paramount.

“My cousin is unharmed, only shocked. Excellency, please uphold justice! Cai Tian and those beasts, for greed, disregarded kinship, tried to murder their benefactor—such evil cannot be tolerated…” Cai Gang rose and spoke in grief and anger. If he’d caught those five last night, he would not have held back.

Listening to Cai Gang’s account, the magistrate broke out in cold sweat. Had Cai Gang arrived a moment later, he’d only be collecting corpses.

“Captain Chang, Captain Zhao, each take a squad of constables. One to search the hills, one to protect Madam Cai. The secretary will issue warrants, and you must catch them. County Deputy Cao, you’re in charge. Captain Chang, if you don’t find the criminals in ten days, prepare for punishment.”

At these words, the constables’ faces changed. Major crimes required swift resolution; failure meant the paddle, then another deadline, and another beating. Eventually, if they couldn’t endure, they resigned.

Usually, they would find some local thugs as scapegoats, but not this time; everyone knew the real culprits.

On the streets, passersby were questioned three times, and even a slight resemblance to the wanted posters meant detention. The villages were worse, chaos everywhere.

One might call it unethical, but to the constables, being beaten for failing to catch the criminals was even less ethical. If they suffered, others would suffer more.

Li Shimin’s secret agents were like his tentacles, monitoring every official in Chang’an. Cai Cong was under his watch; such an incident would be reported to Li Shimin.

“Tell the Shadow Guards, bring them back—alive or dead,” Li Shimin said calmly. Luckily, nothing had happened, or he would have had to kill Cai Cong.

“Prepare the carriage for Chang’an yamen.” He thought for a moment before saying this.

Li Shimin, in disguise, arrived at the yamen, where the magistrate and his staff awaited him. As Li Shimin alighted, they knelt, ready to shout long live the emperor, but he waved them off.

“How is Cai Cong?” Li Shimin strode into the yamen, the magistrate following closely. The others respectfully withdrew; not everyone could guide the emperor.

“Your Majesty, since the day I handed him the letter, he has kept his eyes closed, meditating daily. Even the jailer waits for him to awaken before delivering food; no one is allowed to disturb him. I haven’t told Cai Cong about Madam Cai, fearing it would worry him,” the magistrate replied, bowing slightly. However he might lose composure in private, before the emperor one must maintain dignity.

“Well done. What is he meditating on?” Li Shimin asked curiously. Cai Cong’s last enlightenment had made him roam through history; what would he attempt this time?