Chapter 55: Humiliated

The trembling empress made her obeisance, and the women’s gazes grew even more disdainful. Dog meat would never grace the imperial table; no matter how exceptional the rewards, a peasant woman would always remain a peasant in their eyes.

When they saw the gifts presented by Sister Cai, they laughed openly. Who would ever send the empress rice, eggs, and vegetables from the fields? There were some gold and jewels, yes, but it all seemed so petty.

Lady Changsun, however, smiled kindly and asked, “Are these all grown and raised in your village?”

“Yes, yes indeed! All by the villagers themselves. Uncle said the palace has no lack of such things, but this is the village’s token of respect for His Majesty and Her Majesty. The eggs and vegetables were tended by Uncle himself. He’s almost eighty, and he rarely does this, but he said that if it was to be presented to the palace, he must do it himself to show sincerity.”

Sister Cai stammered, nervous beyond measure. Lady Changsun nodded, satisfied. She cared little for the gifts themselves, but could not ignore the sentiment. Gifts handpicked by an eighty-year-old family elder could not be disregarded, even by her as mother of the nation.

Sister Cai sat among the crowd, feeling utterly uncomfortable. The noblewomen around her would not even acknowledge her. Lady Changsun Anye’s wife was especially disdainful, declaring that sitting next to Sister Cai was an insult and requesting the empress change her seat. Though she looked down on the woman, Lady Changsun could not ignore the fact that Sister Cai was her sister-in-law. She endured her displeasure and changed the seats, dreading accusations of vendetta or causing trouble for her sister-in-law during the banquet.

Now Sister Cai felt even more miserable—out of place and shunned, forced to sit quietly, not daring to touch the pastries on the table, wishing the ordeal would end soon.

Li Shimin’s side was lively, filled with clever men unlike the petty women. They drank, played games, and even danced to entertain the gathering. Li Shimin himself was not offended; when Li Jing danced, he played the huqin to encourage him.

Cai Cong sat smiling on the sidelines. Li Chengqian approached and asked, “Weren’t you supposed to stay away? What made you come? Clinging to pride?”

“Nonsense! You think I wanted to come? My mother insisted I accompany her. Otherwise, I’d be enjoying myself at the barracks! You haven’t seen the likes of Xu Jie, have you? He’s trained in hard qigong, can smash a stone this thick with a single punch. And there’s vintage wine, new dishes to try—I haven’t tasted them yet! All sorts of fun, far better than watching them dance here.”

Cai Cong gestured to illustrate, and Li Chengqian’s eyes widened. Breaking such a large stone with a punch—what skill! He was, after all, still a boy, and could not help but crave excitement.

“Aunt is here too? Let’s go see her!” Li Chengqian compared the options and found watching the rough men rather dull, so he suggested visiting Sister Cai. He had been to Cai Cong’s home many times, always keeping it secret from others. Sister Cai treated him warmly; otherwise, with his pride, he would not have wanted to see her.

“Go tell your father. If I go, I’ll definitely be scolded,” Cai Cong muttered. Li Shimin was enjoying himself, and Cai Cong dared not disturb.

“No need. Let’s go! We’re supposed to offer greetings to Mother, as we do every year. Father said when the time comes, just go; don’t interrupt their festivities.” Li Chengqian replied calmly. The old ministers sat with Li Yuan, boasting and bantering; Li Shimin and his group drank and danced, and Li Yuan sometimes joined in. They would not pay them any mind.

In the rear garden, the others recited poetry and chatted, enjoying themselves. Only Sister Cai sat isolated—even the palace maids kept their distance. The palace was practical: new faces received no attention, and it was clear she was not favored. Lady Changsun, surrounded by noblewomen, saw it all and secretly sneered. These foolish women would bring disaster upon themselves.

How terrifying was someone who dared slaughter the steppes? And they dared to mock his only family? These aristocratic families needed correction; she wondered what Cai Cong would do.

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“Your son greets Mother, wishing you longevity and happiness.”

“A humble subject greets Her Majesty, wishing you everlasting youth and beauty.”

“Greetings, Crown Prince!”

Li Chengqian and Cai Cong arrived, loudly offering their congratulations from afar. Lady Changsun laughed joyfully, “Good, good! Such good children—I was waiting for you two. Let the banquet begin!”

Among the imperial children, only the Crown Prince was eligible to attend Li Shimin’s banquet; the rest played in the rear garden.

Cai Cong looked around and saw Sister Cai sitting alone in a corner. Even the soup and pastries in front of her had gone cold; no one bothered to replace them. Sister Cai twisted her fingers, looking at him with grievance.

Seeing this, Cai Cong’s eyes reddened with anger. He swept his gaze coldly over the contemptuous noblewomen. At that moment, all he wanted was blood; he strode towards Sister Cai. Li Chengqian followed, cheerfully saying, “Aunt, I wish you a happy New Year.”

Sister Cai now knew Li Chengqian was the Crown Prince and dared not accept his courtesy. She hurried to avoid it, nearly tripping over her own feet.

“I see nothing happy about this. When you visited my home, my mother cooked for you herself; yet here, you can’t even get a sip of hot soup. You, palace maid, come here!” Cai Cong said coldly, pointing at the maid nearest Sister Cai, giving no heed to Li Chengqian’s presence.

Li Chengqian looked at the nearly frozen pastries and congealed soup on Sister Cai’s table, his expression darkening. Sister Cai did not know his identity, but treated him warmly as kin. Now, her first visit to his home was met with such treatment—how could he face it?

“May I ask what the young noble desires?” The palace maid, seeing Cai Cong disregarding even the Crown Prince, timidly approached.

“Kneel and speak; you’re too tall.” Cai Cong said calmly. The maid obeyed, kneeling. Cai Cong picked up a glass lamp, ready to smash it over her head, but Li Chengqian was quicker—a lamp was already shattered atop the maid’s head, blood streaming down.

“Insolent wretch! Lady Xiaojia is someone I deeply respect. Lord Chang’an is both teacher and friend to me. How dare you neglect them so?” Li Chengqian intervened, fearing Cai Cong would cause a scene at the banquet. If that happened, even if his mother disliked it, royal dignity would demand Cai Cong’s punishment. By acting himself, he avoided such consequences.

The sudden violence sent the gathering into screams. Blood splattered onto Cai Cong’s face, but he did not wipe it, only stared coldly at the maid.

“Thanks. Let you profit as a reward. But next time, let me do it—it’s bad for your reputation.”

“No matter. A real man cannot stand to see those close to him insulted. I’ll go wash and change. Comfort Aunt for me.” Li Chengqian replied nonchalantly, then left to change—the bloodstains would mar his image.

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Lady Changsun acted as though nothing had happened, as if the scene was a mere illusion. She kept smiling sweetly, merely ordering the maid to be carried away. As for her fate—who knew? Tang law decrees a servant who insults their master is beaten to death.

“Chief Eunuch, may I have a word?” After comforting Sister Cai, Cai Cong invited the chief eunuch over. The people here were truly unfriendly; Sister Cai even told him she wanted to leave, feeling despised by the noblewomen, who thought sitting with her was beneath them.

“As you wish,” the chief eunuch replied elegantly and walked with Cai Cong to a corner.

“We’re both clever men, so I’ll be blunt. Who were those people? One hundred taels of gold, tell me everything.”

Eunuchs had always been greedy; the chief’s eyes lit up at Cai Cong’s words, and he confessed, “They’re not easy to deal with! The worst was Lady Changsun Anye’s wife, and then the wives of Li Xiaochang and Zhang Liang. As for motives, Li Xiaochang’s wife is a noblewoman, so it’s not surprising she’s temperamental. The other two aren’t usually like this—their behavior tonight is unusual. The rest didn’t say much.”

“That’s plenty. I’ll have someone bring you the money later.” Cai Cong smiled coldly. Whether they were seeking attention before the empress or stirring trouble, he would make them pay.

“Better not. Give the money directly to Her Majesty! If I take so much, I’ll be executed.” The eunuch hesitated, then refused. Both Lady Changsun and the empress were astute; taking such a sum would be his downfall.

“No matter. If you don’t dare take it, bring ten taels here, and I’ll help you earn a hundred. Is that agreeable?” Cai Cong said cheerfully, no longer stern.

He returned to Sister Cai’s side, and the two ate together. Now, no one dared slight her—if even the Crown Prince showed such respect, who would dare criticize?

With Cai Cong’s encouragement, Sister Cai gradually relaxed, eating with relish. Cai Cong kept stirring trouble—complaining that one dish was so bad the chef should be executed, that another was so poor the cook ought to leave the culinary world forever.

Lady Changsun and the noblewomen had been enjoying their meal, but after Cai Cong’s remarks, they felt embarrassed to eat more. He was regarded as the God of Cuisine incarnate; if he said the food was bad and they enjoyed it, what did that say about their taste?

Seeing this, Cai Cong rose to take his leave, casting a contemptuous glance at the Zhang, Li, and Anye families before slowly walking out of the imperial garden with Sister Cai.

(End of chapter)