Kang Cong, who was grabbed by the collar of his robe and forced to give Kang Si the antidote, did not struggle, but did not speak either. He just looked at Kang Dingshan, who could no longer stand, with a look of crying and laughing.
Kang Dingshan's sturdy body fell down, and Kang Liu could only squat down to support him, while shouting to the guards who rushed in: "Call for a doctor! Call for a doctor quickly!"
A tear rolled down Kang Cong's eye, but there was a smile on his lips.
The poison is hidden in the hollow copper hairpin. When it is inserted, it will trigger the mechanism at the tip of the hairpin. The venom kills instantly, comparable to the most poisonous snake venom. It will quickly invade and destroy the brain and internal organs of a person, and there is no medicine to cure it...
His father was about to die! His father was so arrogant and conceited, and had been planning for many years to achieve great things... In the minds of such people, even if he died, he would definitely die on the battlefield to achieve great things, so that he would die a worthy death, right? But he was about to die at the beginning of his great cause, and was about to die at the hands of the son he despised the most.
Kang Dingshan, who was lying on the ground, turned his head with difficulty and stared in the direction of Kang Cong.
Kang Cong turned a deaf ear to Kang Si's roar. He looked into those eyes, smiled with tears in his eyes and asked, "Father must be very unwilling, right?"
"Over the years, I have been unwilling to accept this... We are all father's sons, why am I the only one who is different..." Kang Cong said word by word: "Father can have doubts and strangle my right to be born, but father cannot allow me to be your son and then make it impossible for me to truly be your son forever!"
Kang Dingshan's face was rapidly turning pale. He could no longer hear Kang Cong's words clearly, and his vision began to blur. He opened his mouth with difficulty, and his dark blue lips trembled as he uttered the last words -
“Kill…kill him…!”
Hearing his words, Kang Cong, with tears on his face, raised his head and let out a mournful laugh.
Soon, Kang Liu burst into tears of pain: "...Father!"
"Your Excellency!"
The shock and panic in everyone's voices stunned Kang Si for a moment. He seemed unable to believe that his father had died like this.
After a moment, he suddenly came back to his senses, staring at Kang Cong who was so close to him with bloodshot eyes: "You traitorous beast! I will kill you! To avenge my father!"
He first punched Kang Cong hard in the face, knocking Kang Cong to the ground, then drew out a guard's sword, clenched it with both hands and was about to chop at Kang Cong.
"Stop it!"
A group of armored soldiers rushed into the study and quickly controlled the situation.
Seeing the leader stride in, Kang Si, who was filled with panic and anger, immediately said, "General Shi! Kang Cong, the traitor, took advantage of my father's unpreparedness and poisoned him to death! I will chop him into pieces!"
Shi Man didn't bother to pay attention to him. He quickly walked to Kang Dingshan's side, squatted down to check, and called out urgently: "Brother!"
He and Kang Dingshan, who was a few years older than him, rose to prominence together and were interdependent. Due to their conflicting interests, their lives and deaths were tied together, and their private interactions were no different from those of brothers with different surnames.
When Shiman found out that Kangdingshan had no breathing or pulse, his heart sank suddenly.
After a moment, he raised his hand and covered Kang Dingshan's eyes, which were still open in death.
The pair of eyes that refused to close showed Kangding Mountain's endless unwillingness.
He probably never imagined that he would die at the hands of the eighth son, who was not recognized by him and was never allowed to have the ability to kill his father.
No one could have imagined it.
Because it was unexpected, it happened smoothly.
While covering Kangdingshan's eyes, Shiman was also quickly calming his own thoughts.
When he stood up, he drew out his sword and pointed it at Kang Cong, who had been dragged up from the ground by his two subordinates and was being restrained on the left and right.
This matter could not be as simple as a father and son killing each other! Kang Dingshan was not an ordinary father. His death would cause great turmoil in the situation!
Shi Man's face was covered with frost: "Tell me, who ordered you to do this?"
"Who else could it be?" Kang Cong was somewhat numb and confused after his violent emotional fluctuations. He said without disguising, "Of course it was Chang Suining who released me back then... and that Grand Commander Cui."
Kang Si: "Sure enough! This traitor has been bribed a long time ago! Father was willing to believe him just now... Father was wrong to believe him, father should have killed him long ago!"
A silent sneer escaped from Kang Cong's lips, and he no longer had any desire to explain.
He no longer wanted, nor needed the recognition and understanding of these people. The moment he killed Kang Dingshan, he also cut off the demons and obsessions in his heart.
Kang Si pointed angrily at Kang Cong and said, "General Shi, kill him!"
Kang Cong said: "No, General Shi can't kill me..."
Facing Shi Man's cold eyes, Kang Cong said, "It is well known that General Shi is a filial son."
Shi Man's expression suddenly changed, and the tip of his sword pressed against Kang Cong's throat: "What did you say?"
The next moment, a subordinate suddenly walked in quickly and said in panic: "General, the old lady has been kidnapped by Lady Kang Wu and Yue Ji!"
Shi Man suddenly became furious.
The servant continued, "Madam Kang Wu said... if she wants the old lady to be safe, she wants to see her living brother within two quarters of an hour! And she wants the general to promise to let them leave Jizhou!"
"Absolutely not!" It was Kang Si who answered. He said angrily: "I will kill Kang Cong, and then cut Yue Ji and her son into pieces!"
He may not have admired his father that much, he also had ambitions, but he also knew clearly that he was not as good as his father, he needed his father to be alive to complete his great cause, it was Kang Cong and his mother and son who destroyed everything for him! How could he not hate him!
This overwhelming hatred made Kang Si command: "General Shi, I want you to kill Kang Cong now!"
Shi Man pretended not to hear and retracted the sword that was pointing at Kang Cong.
Kang Si was shocked and angry: "General Shi, are you going to betray the Kang family?"
Shi Manwei turned his head and looked at him: "With what status are you talking to me, Kang Silangjun?"
He, Shi Manke, had never been a servant of the Kang family.
He asked again: "Or does Kang Silangjun think that my mother's life is not worth mentioning?"
Unlike the majestic Kang Dingshan, Shi Man had a thin and narrow face and light eyebrows. He rarely spoke loudly or got angry with anyone, but everyone in the army knew that Shi Man was not someone who was easy to mess with.
At this moment, under the gaze of those eyes that did not show much anger, Kang Si suddenly broke out in cold sweat on his back.
In the past, there was always a huge mountain between him and Shi Man, his father. Now that he had just lost his father, he was suddenly faced with the suppression of seniority and power. The shock brought about by this even made him not know how to react for a while.
It was Kang Liu who responded for him: "Fourth brother, we should believe that General Shi will put the overall situation first..."
"Of course I won't ignore the overall situation." Shi Man said seriously, "But I have always believed that filial piety should be the first priority in worldly affairs. Those who are unfilial and unfraternal are not worthy of being human!"
He looked at Kang Dingshan's body and said, "If my brother were still alive, he would never let me become a person who abandons my mother."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and strode out: "The two gentlemen, go ahead and collect the body for my brother. I will return later to take charge of the situation!"
Kang Si and Kang Liu could only watch as Kang Cong was taken away by Shi Man.
Shi Man led a team of trusted men on horseback and soon arrived at the place designated by Kang Zhi.
It is very convenient to leave the city from here. You only need to go straight forward on one road and you can leave the Jizhou city gate in half a quarter of an hour by fast horse.
Here Shi Man met his mother, Old Lady Shi. Old Lady Shi was being escorted by Kang Zhi to stand in front of the carriage, with her hands tied and her mouth stuffed with a cloth.
At the reminder of Kang Zhi's maid, Shi Man dismounted eight steps away from the carriage.
Kang Zhi pulled the ball of cloth out of Mrs. Shi’s mouth.
Madam Shi no longer acted like a lady from a noble family, and immediately said, "Gou'er, you have to save your mother!"
"Gou'er" was a nickname given to Shiman when he was young so that he could be raised more easily. Although it was embarrassing to be called that in public, Shiman was always infinitely tolerant of his mother - his mother was ignorant and rude by nature, but as a widow who raised her son alone, she could not survive without being rude.
"Give these crazy women whatever they want, and don't even think of doing anything stupid!"
"You have to know that I, your mother, am almost seventy years old. Unlike those of them who can withstand falls and beatings, I can't stand even the slightest bit of hardship!"
Old Madam Shi cried, "My dear dog, you must know that a dog with a mother has an owner. A dog without a mother is a stray dog!"
"..." Ishiman, who had originally intended to test the attitude of Yueji and her daughter, quickly interrupted her: "Don't worry, mother, I won't leave you alone!"
If he continued, he felt that his mother would start crying and singing!
And in the process of singing, it is very likely that his other nickname will also be revealed. Because he has a birthmark on his abdomen, his mother occasionally calls him "flower-belly dog"...
Hiding this title from others is Shi Man's last resort.
At Shi Man's signal, one of his men took two steps forward, carrying the dishevelled Kang Cong, and said in a deep voice, "Send the old lady forward for exchange!"
"Who said we had to change him?" Kang Zhi sneered, "I only asked you to send my brother here! If I let Madam Shi go, how could we get out of the city alive?"
The subordinate's face darkened, and he was about to break Kang Cong's neck: "Hand over the old lady immediately, or I—"
"Then it's up to you!" Kang Zhi interrupted him directly: "Let's see, in General Shi's eyes, is Madam Shi's life more valuable, or is my brother's life more valuable!"
Stop joking. When it comes to life being cheap, who has her brother ever lost to?
In this regard, Kang Zhi has full confidence in her brother.
Shi Man looked at Kang Zhi calmly and patiently: "Why don't you just tell me what it takes for you to let him go?"
"I can't answer General Shi's question." Kang Zhi said bluntly: "At this moment, I just want to leave Jizhou safely. As for what happens next, after we get out safely, someone will send a message to discuss with General Shi."
Shi Man keenly sensed the key point. His tone turned cold. He took two steps forward and lowered his voice and asked, "You want to take my mother to Youzhou and hand her over to Cui Jing?"
Kang Zhi did not comment: "General Shi, just rest assured. The old lady is so precious that she will be treated with great care wherever she goes!"
Shi Man's eyes changed, as if he was thinking about a decision.
The frightened old lady Shi cried, "I'll go, I'm willing to go with them! Gou'er, quickly agree to them! We can't fight with these crazy and desperate people!"
After a while, Shi Man finally raised his hand and asked his subordinates to let Kang Cong go.
Kang Cong stumbled towards his sister.
Shi Man said word by word: "Then please keep your promise and treat my mother with respect. If my mother makes the slightest mistake, I, Shi Man, will repay her a million times over!"
After Kang Cong was helped onto the carriage by Tongjian, Kang Zhi followed closely with Old Madam Shi, and urged the maid driving the carriage: "Yingou, hurry up!"
Seeing the carriage moving, Shi Man's subordinates beside him looked anxious: "General, are we just going to let them take the old lady away like this?"
Shi Man asked back, "Do you have a plan to stop them that is safe enough not to hurt my mother at all?"
The subordinates bowed their heads: "I am incompetent..."
"Remember, not a single word of the conversation here today can be leaked."
"Yes, I understand!"
Only after watching the carriage completely disappear from sight did Shi Man mount his horse and leave.
Kang Dingshan is dead, and Jizhou is about to change. He has too many things to take care of, and too many pros and cons to reconsider.
Kang Zhi didn't dare to breathe a sigh of relief until the carriage safely left Jizhou City. She seemed calm and fearless, but she was already sweating profusely.
It was at this moment that she finally had time to ask her brother, "Did you kill him?"
"Killed..." Kang Cong, who was sitting next to Yue Ji, lowered his head and said in a trembling voice: "Dead."
"Who?" Madam Shi, whose hands were tied, immediately opened her eyes wide and asked, "Who died? Who did you kill?!"
Kang Cong curled his lips and answered her honestly: "My father...Kang Dingshan."
“What?!” Old Madam Shi screamed sharply, and then bowed her head and said, “…What a sin, what a sin!”
Although her hands were not freed, she already gave people the feeling of patting her thighs and pointing fingers: "Yue Ji, you finally raised a pair of good children!"
Yue Ji was at a loss as to how to react.
Kang Zhi became annoyed by Madam Shi's constant muttering, so she had the bronze mace stuffed back into her mouth.
Old Madam Shi was so angry that she cursed with her eyes - damn Yueji and her daughter, she had pretended to be a lady from a noble family for so long, but today she was all fed to the dogs!
Kang Zhi did not ask Kang Cong more about the murder of his father. Both the brother and sister chose to remain silent for the time being.
It was not until the carriage had traveled more than ten miles out of Jizhou that someone stopped them.
Kang Zhi jumped off the carriage and looked at the dozen or so people and horses that appeared in front of her.
The leader said succinctly: "Please hand Madam Shi over to us. You can leave on your own. We won't make things difficult for you."
They obviously knew everything that happened in Jizhou City, and the Kang brothers and sisters were unable to refuse their "demands".
Kang Zhi asked, "May I ask if Governor Chang is also in Youzhou?"
The leader didn't answer, but just looked at her.
Kang Zhi thought he had agreed, and immediately said, "I was the one who brought Madam Shi out of the city. I want to go to Youzhou in person and present her to Governor Chang!"
The leader was Tang Xing. He looked at Kang Zhi for a moment and nodded.
"Thank you!" After Kang Zhi thanked him, she got on the carriage without delay.
"...You're going to Youzhou to see Chang Suining?!" In the car, Kang Cong was finally no longer confused. He said as if he had seen a ghost: "Ani, are you crazy? She has already used me. If we go there now, she will definitely kill me!"
Kang Zhi frowned and looked at his brother: "What good would it do for Governor Chang to kill a piece of trash?" (End of this chapter)
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