Chapter 86: The Imperial Edict in Duplicate

“Absolutely not, absolutely not. The urgent task is disaster relief. Earl of Chang'an must not let a moment's fury make him forget what matters most.”

Wei Zheng's weathered face was lined with worry. Cai Cong was now the chief officer, and he was only his deputy. If Cai Cong insisted on doing things his own way, there was nothing he could do.

“If it were not so, do you think those seven old fossils would have walked out of this governor's residence alive?” Cai Cong said coolly, glancing at Wei Zheng. He clapped his hands three times, and countless soldiers emerged from every corner.

He had hidden two hundred axemen and swordsmen, along with a hundred archers, inside the residence. If those old men came here today to provoke him, Cai Cong would not hesitate to defy the world itself and leave all seven of them here.

Seeing Cai Cong's expressionless face, Wei Zheng felt a chill of fear rise in his heart. If the soldiers inside and outside the courtyard were to strike, and the seven old clan patriarchs died here, then even if Li Shimin later sent Cai Cong's head to appease them, the powerful families would still rise in revolt. When that time came, the terror of the old rebellion would surely return.

“How can Earl of Chang'an do such a thing? Are you not afraid that the whole realm will rise against you and the common people will be driven from their homes again?” Wei Zheng's lips trembled, his fingers shaking uncontrollably. The way he looked at Cai Cong was as though he were staring at a demon.

“Hmph. If the whole world rises up, all the better. Use this chance to cleanse the realm. Once the world is united in purpose, how would the Turks, the Tubo, and the like dare even dream of threatening Chang'an? The fortune of the Great Tang would endure without end.”

Cai Cong's eyes burned with fanatic light. The glory of the Great Tang was not merely preserved in the histories; it flowed in the blood of every son and daughter of the empire. Only blood and fire could make a nation strong; only then could our civilization be handed down through the classics and the scriptures.

“This is no different from the brutal Qin! Truly—truly—” Wei Zheng, though sharp of tongue and iron of will, could not even finish a sentence. In the end, he could only sweep his sleeves and leave.

“Tell Lord Wei that I am unwell. He is to take charge of Zhengzhou's civil administration. The waterways must be repaired, and the bureaucracy must be purged. If he cannot do it, I will not settle accounts with him; I will settle them with those great families.”

Cai Cong spoke softly, so softly that one might have thought he was muttering to himself. From a corner behind him came a barely audible response, and only then did Cai Cong close his eyes to rest.

People talked of the prosperous age of Zhenguan, but without true governance, where would prosperity come from? The realm had only just been pacified, and who now was not uneasy in his heart? To line one's own pockets and guard oneself was the first instinct of officials. As for the common people? So long as the superiors were properly served and a favorable appraisal secured, who would care whether the people lived or died?

When he awoke, night had already fallen, and three imperial physicians were arguing around him.

Only then could one see how strong Cai Cong's backing truly was. The physicians sent by the emperor, by the empress, and by the crown prince, as well as by the emperor's favored Prince Jidu, were all fighting bitterly over who had the right to treat him. As for the academy doctor? He could go stand aside. The old men from the Imperial Medical Bureau all had such exalted seniority that they did not even place the academy physician in their eyes.

The two maids looked at Cai Cong, his body wrapped in white bandages, and cried until they were drenched in tears. They kept pleading with him to go home. If this happened again, he would not be so lucky.

Cai Cong had been driven nearly mad by the noise. Pointing to the door, he ordered everyone out and left only the physician sent by Li Shimin. In truth, his wounds had already begun to scab over. He was young, and his recovery was strong; in a few more days he would be well. He simply could not understand what all these people were fighting about.

At last, the room fell quiet.

“Finally some peace. Should Doctor Qiu take my pulse first, or examine the wound?” Cai Cong let out a long breath. Those people had been far too noisy; listening to them had left him dizzy and dazed.

“Heh. Earl of Chang'an's wound has already healed. You only need to rest quietly. I will write you a few prescriptions to nourish the blood and replenish the qi, and before long you will be as vigorous as ever.”

Old Doctor Qiu packed his things with nimble hands, speaking in a calm voice. Facing this newly favored minister, he showed not the slightest trace of nervousness.

Cai Cong almost choked. He had already prepared himself mentally to be taken apart and wrapped up again, yet the man did not even spare him a proper glance. All that fierce struggle just now, and now he was being treated like filth.

Old Doctor Qiu glanced at Cai Cong, who lay on the bed like a dead dog, and could not help laughing. Setting down his medicine chest, he said with a smile, “I am not some quack. You are nearly healed. Stop lying around all the time; get up and walk about more. It will help you recover.”

Cai Cong sat up at once, threw back the blanket, and said irritably, “If you know I am fine, then why were you all fighting over me?”

“If we were not fighting, then I would merely be an imperial physician. What right would I have to speak with the Grand Commander of Shandong?”

Old Doctor Qiu sat beside Cai Cong and spoke with perfect composure.

Then he drew a scroll from his sleeve and said solemnly, “Earl of Chang'an, receive the imperial decree!”

Cai Cong turned as if to get out of bed, but a hand pressed him back at once.

“The Emperor said that since Earl of Chang'an is injured, formalities may be dispensed with. This is a secret decree; please read it yourself.”

Cai Cong took it, opened the secret edict, and removed half of a talisman seal from his wrist to compare the markings on the document. After confirming that everything matched, he finally read it. When he finished, his face had darkened to the point that it could have been used as ink.

“The Emperor said that Earl of Chang'an has been wronged this time, and that upon your return you will be granted a promotion in rank as compensation. But this matter ends here.”

Old Doctor Qiu did not understand what was wrong and merely repeated Li Shimin's words.

“Old Meng! Where the hell are you? Get in here.”

Cai Cong did not even look at him, only shouted toward the door.

“What orders does my lord have?”

Old Meng came in at once and asked respectfully, his eyes slanting toward Old Doctor Qiu. In his mind, the old man must have been clumsy and worsened his master's injury.

“Pack everything. We're going back to Chang'an. Let whoever wants to do this miserable business do it.”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean, 'huh'? Hurry up and go.”

Cai Cong glared, and Old Meng shrank his neck and fled without another word. This lord was already in a rage; if he walked too slowly, he would be taken for a punching bag.

“Laugh? What are you laughing at, you old fossil? The Emperor gave you two decrees, did he not?” Cai Cong, looking for trouble with the entire world, even dragged Old Doctor Qiu out to be scolded.

“Heh. You really do have the face of a dog. You were courteous to me a moment ago, and now you turn on me without warning. Yes, the Emperor said that if your injuries were serious, he would send the other decree. If they were not too bad, he would send the one in your hands. Well? Do you have a complaint?”

Old Doctor Qiu was not the least bit afraid of Cai Cong. He patted Cai Cong on the head, stared at him, and asked fiercely. He was not merely an imperial physician; he was also one of Li Shimin's secret agents and confidants. Dealing with a little brat like Cai Cong was no trouble at all.

“Heh heh, no, of course not. I am just bitter. To be cut by a knife and have it dismissed so easily... I cannot accept that.”

Cai Cong chuckled awkwardly. His eyes were sharp enough to tell at a glance that this man had formidable backing and did not regard him seriously at all.

“Hmph! What is one knife wound? In my day, I was cut seven times and stabbed once with a sword. I was lucky to survive, and when I saw that enemy of mine, I still had to bow and kneel to him. What is your little injury compared to that?”

Old Doctor Qiu muttered gloomily. Clearly, even now he still harbored resentment toward that old enemy from years ago. Cai Cong's curiosity got the better of him, and he leaned closer to ask, “Who on earth had that much face? It is rare enough for a man to swallow an insult, yet you still had to kneel?”

Old Doctor Qiu's expression changed drastically. He slapped Cai Cong hard across the left cheek.

The sound was crisp and sharp.

“Get out! Get out of here at once! Is that something you should be asking? That is the shame of my entire life. Even the Emperor would never inquire about it. What are you?”

He had clearly fallen into old memories, his face ashen, his fingernails digging into his flesh, already on the verge of losing control.

“I'll go, I'll go.” Cai Cong hurriedly agreed inwardly cursing all the while. So what if the old man had more seniority? Give me a few years, and we'll see who dares treat me like this.

There were too many big names in the early Tang dynasty. Any one of them who came out could strike his forehead or kick his backside. It was fine when they stood opposed to him; then they could not do much to him.

But when they were not opposed to him, anyone could take him apart. There was no helping it. As soon as they opened their mouths, it was always “this old man” or “dear nephew.” What else could he do except stand there obediently and let them have their way?

Cai Cong was driven out of his own room by the crazed old physician. Spring Rain and Summer Cloud immediately gathered around him. They said nothing, only stood there looking at him and silently wiping away their tears.