Chapter 31: Your Majesty, Shall We Start a Business Together?

"I do not know either. Ever since he entered this state, he has not spoken to anyone for a long time," the Prefect of Chang'an replied, shaking his head. He himself had secretly observed the prisoner, but had gleaned nothing of consequence.

"Come, let us go to the prison and see for ourselves."

"Your Majesty, you must not! The prison is damp and filthy, the stench unbearable; I fear it would offend your senses."

"How absurd," Li Shimin scoffed, his face proud. "I have conquered the world, treading mountains of corpses and seas of blood. There is nothing I have not witnessed. Lead the way."

Seeing the Emperor so resolute, the Prefect dared not object further, and obediently went ahead to guide the way.

The prison, at any hour, was suffused with a foul odor. The Prefect wrinkled his nose instinctively as he entered, while Li Shimin walked as calmly as if strolling through a garden.

Cai Cong was half reclining against the wall, his eyes nearly closed, brows tightly furrowed, as if troubled by something unpleasant. A shaft of sunlight fell upon him through the window, and in that instant, he seemed a pure spring in this murky world.

The Prefect wished to rouse Cai Cong, but Li Shimin stopped him. The two stood quietly, waiting for Cai Cong to emerge from his meditation.

As if sensing the presence of the most exalted person in the realm, Cai Cong sighed and opened his eyes after a while. Li Shimin, observing the small boy’s gloomy expression, found it unusually endearing and could not help but laugh. "What are you pondering, you rascal? So young, yet already sighing!"

Only then did Cai Cong notice the two figures outside his cell, and he hurriedly bowed. "Your servant Cai Cong greets Your Majesty."

"Rise. Tell me, what were you thinking?" Li Shimin was in high spirits. Cai Cong was a few months older than his own eldest son—his son was filial, steady, and intelligent; Cai Cong too was filial, but his wit bordered on the uncanny and his conduct was mature beyond his years. Their similarities often reminded Li Shimin of Li Chengqian.

"I was wondering how I might repay Your Majesty for sparing my life despite my grave offenses," Cai Cong replied, his chubby face furrowed in worry, making him all the more lovable.

"And have you figured out how to repay me?"

"I have thought of many ways, but all seem to require much time. I cannot think of any quick method," Cai Cong answered, frustrated. In his previous life, he was—put politely—an international thief, bluntly, simply a criminal. His only advantage over the people of Tang was a mind two thousand years ahead, but these insights could not be realized instantly; they all required time to accumulate.

"Haha, I have time to wait for your service. Don’t be too impatient. Once you are released, come to the palace and study well. When you are grown, serve me then."

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"Does Your Majesty have any interest in partnering in business?" Cai Cong suddenly lifted his head and spoke languidly. Li Shimin nearly burst out laughing, his face reddening as he pointed at Cai Cong, too exasperated for words.

"If you don’t like it, I’ll do business myself. But, Your Majesty, I have ways to strengthen the army—do you want them?" Cai Cong was a bit disappointed; it was indeed no easy feat to draw the Emperor into commerce.

"Ways to strengthen the army? What ways?" Li Shimin immediately pressed.

"There are many. For example, making the entire army staunch: even if the commander falls in battle, so long as no order to retreat is given, the troops will hold the city to the last man. Another is organizing soldiers into squads, making them invincible in any peril—advancing to fight, retreating to infiltrate enemy leaders, or acting as spies to bring crucial intelligence through layers of defenses. They would be kings among soldiers. But truly, I still wish to do business with Your Majesty, I promise—"

"Silence!" Li Shimin was so eager to try these methods he nearly wished to drill the soldiers immediately. Imagining such a powerful army, how much would the might of Great Tang increase? He was savoring the thought, but Cai Cong’s final words soured it like a rat in the rice barrel.

"You wretch, always thinking about money, have you no ambition? Now, come back to the palace with me." With that, Li Shimin stormed out of the cell in a huff. The Prefect quickly opened the door to release Cai Cong.

"If he won’t do business, so be it, but why the insults? Too much, don’t you agree?" Cai Cong muttered. The Prefect forced a smile; even if you gave him the courage of a leopard, he would not dare respond to that—wouldn’t that be criticizing the Emperor?

Cai Cong’s luck was poor. The October wind howled as he sat outside the carriage, sand smearing his face. By the time he reached the palace, he was covered in dust.

"Look at you—what a mess! Is that how a court official should present himself? Someone, take him to be bathed and dressed in clean clothes before he comes to see me," Li Shimin grumbled. Somehow, Cai Cong seemed to have lost his sharpness.

By the time they reached Qingning Palace, Li Shimin was still frowning. Empress Zhangsun, dressed in a simple gown with only a golden hairpin on her head, saw the Emperor’s gloomy face and approached with a smile. "Didn’t Your Majesty say you were going to see young Cai Cong? Why return in such a mood? Did the child upset you?"

"Upset me? He nearly infuriated me to death," Li Shimin replied, drinking a cup of water in agitation.

"And why is that? From what I’ve seen, the child is not disrespectful; he’s quite courteous," Zhangsun wondered. She had only met him once, but Lady Li Ji had often praised the boy’s manners.

"When I met him, he was pondering how to repay my mercy for not executing him," Li Shimin said, still annoyed. Zhangsun was surprised—surely that was a good thing!

"To repay me, he invited me to partner in business," Li Shimin said, lowering his eyelids to watch the Empress’s reaction. As expected, her eyes twitched, and though she wanted to advise him to be broad-minded, she could not say a word.

Scholar, farmer, artisan, merchant—the merchant’s status was the lowest. If a farmer and a merchant quarreled, the authorities favored the farmer. Cai Cong inviting the Emperor to do business—Li Shimin’s leniency was already remarkable.

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"And has Your Majesty released the child?"

"To discipline him, I let him endure the wind and dust all the way here; now he’s being bathed," Li Shimin said, unable to help laughing. Zhangsun gave him a look—at his age, still petty with children.

They chatted idly as Cai Cong, freshly washed, was brought to Qingning Palace. His own clothes were beyond repair, so he wore something found by the eunuchs, kneeling on the floor.

"Come, Cai Cong, sit closer. Why sit so far?" At his age, there was no need for strict separation; as for any fear of assassination, it was nonsense.

Cai Cong immediately knelt closer to the Empress, eyes fixed on the osmanthus cake on the table. The prison fare was scarcely better than pig swill, even with his special treatment.

"Look at you—haven’t eaten in eight generations?" Li Shimin said, but he knew how poorly Cai Cong had eaten all month. He placed the cakes before him.

Cai Cong did not hesitate, grabbing one in each hand and eating voraciously, nearly choking. Once he managed to swallow, he said, "You can’t imagine—the prison food is inhuman. I’ve decided: when I return home, I’ll invent some new dishes and invite you and the Empress to try them."

"Eat, eat, eat—that’s all you know! Now quickly explain your methods to strengthen the army," Li Shimin felt his patience ebbing; they were meant to discuss military matters.

"Before I share the methods, may I ask Your Majesty a question? What is the most important factor in a battle?" Cai Cong suddenly sat upright and asked seriously.

"Naturally, it is provisions," Li Shimin replied gravely. The army moves only after the supplies are ready. Don’t talk about generals’ prowess—without food, everyone is weak.

"Your Majesty truly understands the art of war. In essence, it’s a contest of wealth. Why could Emperor Wu of Han march against the Xiongnu, driving them from the Central Plains? Aside from his brilliant strategists and valiant commanders, the main reason is that several generations of Han emperors accumulated great wealth before him. Yet even so, Emperor Wu’s campaigns nearly depleted the foundation of the Han dynasty."

He spoke solemnly, and Li Shimin and Zhangsun listened attentively. Zhangsun excused herself, as she did not involve herself in state affairs, leaving only the Emperor and his scribe.

"Please continue," Li Shimin said, now addressing Cai Cong as an equal, using the word "please."

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