Chapter 752: Leave? Leave Him a Whole Corpse

Behind Kang Family Fort, there was a small mound of earth. If you looked closely, you could still tell it was a little grave, but to say nothing of a tombstone, there was not even a wooden tablet in front of it.

This was the grave of Kang Gouzi's elder sister. Because she had taken her own life, by the Kang family's rules she had shamed the Kang ancestors and was not acknowledged as a daughter of the Kang family, so she could only be buried hastily, just like burying a dog.

In Chinese culture, suicide is in fact deeply taboo, because it violates filial piety. Your parents raised you for over a decade, and before you could repay their kindness you ended your own life — that is the height of unfilial conduct.

Unless you died in loyal service to the state. Since ancient times, when loyalty and filial piety cannot both be satisfied, dying in loyal service to the state takes precedence over serving one's parents.

But even so, many people in history who died for the state, before taking their own lives in martyrdom, still had to say, "Your child has been unfilial." That is the culture.

Kang Gouzi's elder sister naturally could not have died in loyal service to the state, so after she took her own life, she was hastily buried on the back hill.

But this became an everlasting pain in Kang Gouzi's heart, because back then the reason their family had accepted the groom's betrothal gifts yet could not produce a dowry and had the marriage called off was that Kang Gouzi had fallen gravely ill, and his sister's dowry had been used to pay for his treatment.

His sister's future in-laws had already been dissatisfied with marrying a yellow-haired little girl, and when they saw Kang Gouzi sickly and weak, they feared being dragged down, so they simply used it as an excuse to break off the engagement.

On one side, the clan was still discussing pooling together a dowry so as not to lose face for the Kang clan, when on the other side word of the broken engagement arrived. This drove the already somewhat self-conscious and sensitive Elder Sister Kang straight to taking her own life.

Over the years, the seven or eight armed clashes between Kang Family Fort and the Zhao family of neighboring Black Han Fort all arose from this. Kang Gouzi's original brother-in-law was from the Zhao family, and the reason the Kang clan would not give Kang Gouzi a proper generational ranking and only called him Gouzi was also because of this.

But today, they had finally held their heads high. Amid the gaze of a great crowd, Kang Sanlang led the young men of the Kang family, carrying Zhao Zaili — his mouth full of mud, groaning miserably the whole time — trussed up like a pig and hung upside down, and delivered him before Lord Li Wei.

Even Lord Li Wei came over personally. He patted the shoulders of Kang Sanlang, the leader of the Kang men, and Kang Gouzi, the first to grab Zhao Zaili by the thigh, and said with feeling, "You of the Kang clan have rendered great service this time!"

At that moment, Kang Gouzi, his head beaten to a pulp like a pig's head, felt as if he were floating up into the air.

He saw the intensely envious look in the eyes of the Zhao clan head of Black Han Fort, and he also saw his original brother-in-law, Zhao Jiulang.

Zhao Jiulang's head was covered in blood. He stared blankly at Kang Gouzi, and the expression in his eyes was very complicated. Breaking off the engagement back then had been his parents' choice, not his.

But Kang Gouzi felt that in Zhao Jiulang's eyes, he saw a look of regret. That was enough!

In an earthenware bowl was a full heap of lard-fried mung bean cakes. Kang Gouzi had bought these with the reward Li Cunhui had given him.

This kind of cake was made by mixing mung beans with glutinous rice, then deep-frying them in lard, with all sorts of dried fruit and white sugar added inside. It was the most luxurious indulgence a household like the Kang family could enjoy.

Years ago, his sister had eaten it once with him, and the taste had lingered in the siblings' memories for nearly ten years. It was the delicacy his sister had longed for most.

Tears streamed down Kang Gouzi's face. He hacked hard at a block of wood with his firewood knife, wanting to make a memorial tablet for his sister, while muttering on and on under his breath.

"Elder Sister, our Kang family is going to prosper, do you know? The Grand Commandant's family from the Eastern Capital has sent people, and even Consort Kang in the palace sent gold and silver. They want to acknowledge our branch of the family again.

The Marquis of Qin'an sent cattle and sheep, gave our family that big manor to the left of Yanhe Fort, and even said he would petition the Sage for honors for Sanlang and Wulang, so they can at least enter the Imperial Guard.

Your little brother is going to the Eastern Capital too. The Marquis of Qin'an said he would send him to study letters, and he is sure to become an official in the future."

The Grand Commandant Kang that Kang Gouzi spoke of was the late Kang Fu. Consort Kang was Kang Fu's granddaughter who had entered the palace, Kang Xiurong. The Marquis of Qin'an was Kang Fu's eldest son, Kang Yanzhao.

The Sogdian Kang clan was not numerous to begin with, and even fewer had come to settle in the Central Plains. Although Kang Yanzhao and this branch at Kang Family Fort were as far apart as heaven and earth in status, they were indeed of the same clan — going back five generations, they even shared a single ancestor.

In ordinary times, even if the people of Kang Family Fort had rendered the service of capturing Zhao Zaili, it would have been hard to attract the attention of Kang Yanzhao and Consort Kang Xiurong in the palace. But who asked the Kang family to have slipped up recently?

Kang Yanzhao's cousin's grandson, while serving at the Eight Gates Patrol Office in the Eastern Capital prefecture, had deceived his superiors and hidden things from his subordinates, extorted bribes and embezzled, and beaten a man to death. Pei Yuan, bearing the battle-axe of authority, had personally ordered him beheaded.

When word of the upheavals in Chang'an and Luoyang arrived, Kang Yanzhao was terrified out of his wits, fearing the Emperor would think the Kang family had been drawn into it as well.

One had to know that their family had only been able to join the ranks of the new dynasty's meritorious nobles by relying on the protection of Kang Fu's legacy. If the Emperor wanted to deal with them, it would be far easier than dealing with other meritorious officials.

Now that he suddenly learned a distant branch of the family had rendered great service and were genuine, unadulterated loyal and righteous men of the countryside, Kang Yanzhao immediately seized the opportunity and prepared to raise them up.

This was in fact a way of showing the Emperor that the Kang family had not taken part in the rebellion and were true and solid loyal subjects.

Kang Gouzi had a good long cry on the mountain, made offerings to his sister, and set up the memorial tablet. When he returned home, he found his father packing for his little brother, Kang Ergouzi.

His second and third younger sisters had long been waiting at the door for Kang Gouzi. When they saw him come back, they ran up to greet him with laughter, but their eyes kept darting to the lard-fried mung bean cakes that had been offered and then brought back by Kang Gouzi.

Kang Gouzi opened the bundle and let his two younger sisters and father eat their fill. He swallowed his saliva, took only one piece from it, did not eat it himself, and instead handed it to his younger brother Kang Ergouzi.

Kang Ergouzi took the lard-fried mung bean cake and carefully split it into two halves, handing the bigger half to Kang Gouzi. Kang Gouzi grinned, but did not reach out to take it.

"You eat it, you eat it! I already ate in the county seat. The County Deputy personally invited me to a banquet."

Kang Gouzi could not help showing off, but in fact the County Deputy had merely sent a constable to take him for a meal of mutton soup cakes.

The sound of hoofbeats rang out. Wearing new silk clothes, all red from head to toe, his face nearly split from smiling, Kang Sanlang came galloping over on horseback, and his voice was unusually warm and amiable.

"Shiwulang, don't be so reluctant. Ershiqilang is going with me to the Eastern Capital this time, to the Grand Commandant's residence. With Consort Kang Xiurong's care, Ershiqilang might even be chosen as a study companion for the Seventh Young Lord, and later he can bring your whole family to the Eastern Capital to enjoy a good life."

Kang Fu's granddaughter, Consort Kang Xiurong, one of the Nine Concubines, had borne Zhang Zhao a seventh son, already over three years old. In another year or two, he would begin his studies.

If Kang Ergouzi could display his literary talent before the famous teacher Kang Fu had found, then in the future he might indeed go to be a study companion for the Emperor's seventh son, Zhang Xianxian.

When Kang Gouzi heard this, he hurriedly urged Kang Ergouzi to set off, his eyes full of expectation for Kang Ergouzi. This was their family's best chance — bar none — of producing an official, and very possibly the only one.

Kang Ergouzi looked at Kang Gouzi, whose head was wrapped in white cloth but still seeping blood, and tears welled up in the eyes of this thirteen-year-old boy.

"Elder Brother, I am going. Brother, Second Sister and Third Sister will be left for you to care for. I will surely study hard, and once I become an official, I will get Elder Brother a black-haired young bride from an Eastern Capital family."

Kang Gouzi opened his mouth and laughed a silly, happy laugh. He seemed to see a glowing future waiting for him.

"Lord Zhao! Hahahaha." Zhang Lieming laughed a sly, wicked laugh. The "Lord Zhao" was drawn out very long, and his laughter was filled with endless mockery.

The moment Zhao Zaili saw Zhang Lieming, he let out a miserable groan. The taste of dirt in his mouth had still not faded, and he shoved his head back down to the ground.

"I am willing to pay twenty thousand strings of cash, only begging Commander Zhang to spare my worthless life. The rest of my family property I am also willing to donate entirely to the Sage."

"You really won't turn back until you've smashed into the Great Wall, and won't give up until you reach the Wu River!" Zhang Lieming's expression turned serious, and he shook his head.

"Too late, Zhao Zaili. You rose in rebellion against your lord — and you still want to live? But if you can hand over all your family property, that grandson of yours might be allowed to keep his life."

Zhao Zaili's cheek twitched, and he prepared to say no more. It was not that he still wanted to bargain at this point, but his grandson was only eleven. If he died, the grandson would surely be tormented to death by others as well. Only if he lived could he protect the boy.

Since Zhang Lieming could speak so plainly, he naturally was not without a backup plan. Zhao Zaili's family property was something he absolutely had to get his hands on.

He gently opened the great gate of Weinan County's prison, and in walked a white-robed man who was utterly unremarkable, yet made one feel a sudden chill.

"Shibalang, didn't you say you wanted to see how the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys of a treacherous villain differ from an ordinary man's? Here is one fresh out of the oven — the most treacherous, most wicked yabing officer of Weibo. He's yours."

Zhao Zaili's eyes suddenly went wide. He remembered a terrifying legend: that in the Imperial Pharmacy Service within the palace, there was a group of horrifying alchemists who delighted in flaying people alive, able to lay out a man's five viscera and six bowels in vessels without him dying.

As for skinning and tendon-pulling, dismembering and carving flesh — those were all everyday fare to them.

The leader was said to be the Zhang family's Shibalang. As it happened, Buddhism had the saying of the Eighteen Layers of Hell, so people spread the tale that this man was the reincarnation of the Netherworld Administrative Assistant of the Eighteen Layers of Hell.

"Zhao Zaili, do you think I can't find the gold and silver you buried? You underestimate the ability of the Brocade Guard!

And originally you still had the law protecting you, so we couldn't very well dig three feet into the ground. But now that you're a traitorous rebel, do you think my house can't go to Weizhou and search the mountains and comb the seas?"

Zhang Lieming looked at Zhao Zaili with a sneer. If this old fellow could be sensible about it, it would save some trouble after all.

Zhao Zaili's face was deathly pale. After struggling for a long while, he finally collapsed limp on the ground, his mental defenses clearly shattered.

Outside the door, a brocade-clad colonel looked at Zhang Lieming. "Commander, are we really going to spare Zhao Zaili's grandson?"

"Hmph!" Zhang Lieming sneered. "Spare? Spare what? The Sage has already given the order — Zhao Zaili and Liu Jixun are to be torn apart by chariots.

As for his grandson, I'm being extra merciful. Leaving him a whole corpse will do. When the time comes, you go personally and gift him a hemp rope."

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