Chapter 1104 — The Kang Family Grows Anxious, Too

Liu Tianyi and Liu Tianli both sank into deep thought. It had to be said that Liu Jinghan's words had set their minds racing. For the Liu family this was an opportunity — handled well, the family's standing might one day rise even above that of the aristocratic families altogether, and how far it could go would depend on just how high Wei Zhao himself could ultimately climb.

But if Wei Zhao was cut down by his enemies before ever reaching that height, the Liu family would be swept away along with him, and everything they had built would be destroyed in a single day. Opportunity and peril, it must be said, always walked hand in hand.

Had the Liu family already been driven to the end of its road, neither Liu Tianyi nor Liu Tianli would have minded staking everything on one last throw. But as things stood, neither of them could yet bring himself to make up his mind.

"Father, you mean..." Liu Tianyi raised his head to look at the old master of the family, Liu Zhenhu.

"What Jingjing says makes sense. But then again, until it comes to that pass, I cannot make the final decision either!" Wise an old man as Liu Zhenhu was, the matter was far too grave for him to choose on the spot: "Keep a close watch on the proceedings of the aristocratic families' assembly, and on Wei Zhao's movements of late. As for any concrete plan, we can only play it by ear, one step at a time."

"Yes, Father!" Liu Tianyi nodded. For the time being, this was also the safest course.

Liu Jinghan said nothing more. In her heart she leaned toward an alliance with Wei Zhao, but that was nothing more than wishful thinking — Wei Zhao might have no desire to work with the Liu family at all. Eager as the Liu family was to play the little brother, did Wei Zhao want such a follower?

If Wei Zhao already had sufficient backing and formidable enough power, then a little brother like the Liu family was of no use to him; and if he lacked that power, then accepting him as their leader would be of no use to the Liu family either. For the first time, Liu Jinghan found herself at such a loss. With the Xiao family as the floor beneath them, she had not worried greatly about the Liu family's future — but now she had no choice but to worry.

The Kang family, for its part, learned of the Xiao family's news at the very first moment.

That the hidden Pi family had actually become the Xiao family's backer — in the space of a moment the Xiao family had gone from the family at the very bottom to a top-tier house that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Yu family. Their strength still fell short of the Yu family's for the time being, but with the hidden Pi family propping them up from behind, their growth in power was easy to foresee.

"Kang Guifeng, you useless fool! Didn't you tell us the Xiao family had become a stray dog, not worth a single scrap of trouble? You had the Kang family keep its distance — and now look at the fine mess you've made! Satisfied now? The Xiao family has become a top-tier house second only to the Yu family, with a hidden family standing behind them, and you threw the marriage alliance away!" The moment Divine Doctor Kang heard that the Xiao family now enjoyed the Pi family's support, he flew into a towering rage, summoned Kang Guifeng, Kang Cuipu, Kang Zhaolong and Kang Zhaoming together, and berated them in fury.

"Father, I... In that situation the Xiao family was plainly beyond saving. But who could have guessed that the hidden Pi family would not hold them to account for injuring Elder Pi, and would lend them a hand instead..." Kang Guifeng was wretched enough himself. Who could have known things would turn out this way? Had he known, why on earth would he have broken off the engagement — he would have had his son betrothed to Wang Xinyan on the spot! But now? Anything he said came too late. There was no medicine in this world that could undo a regret, and his came too late to swallow.

"Hmph! You useless fool — a thorough, bottomless fool!" Divine Doctor Kang slammed his palm down on the tea table, gnashing his teeth in fury.

Kang Guifeng did not dare open his mouth. He lowered his head in silence; whatever he said now would do no good. A wrong was a wrong — one false step, and every step that followed went further astray.

"Second son, you speak!" Divine Doctor Kang turned his gaze to his second boy; he did not even call him by his name, addressing him simply as second son.

"Father, I said it before: a starved camel is bigger than a horse. The Xiao family was not entirely without value, which is why I did not support falling out with them. But now things have come to this — what can I do about it? They are beyond saving." Kang Cuipu spread his hands in helpless resignation. He had never imagined that the nonsense he had spouted last time would prove so right.

"Hmm..." Come to think of it, Kang Cuipu had indeed said as much back then; he simply had not taken it seriously, taking it for ravings. But thinking on it now, those words were not without reason — the truth does hurt the ears. For all that this second son was a spendthrift idler, he had a remarkably clear eye for how matters stood. Divine Doctor Kang could only turn to Kang Zhaolong and ask: "Zhaolong, do you have any idea what to do? You were all for beating a drowning dog and breaking the betrothal with the Xiao family. Have you a way to make amends now?"

"I... Grandfather, I was wrong..." Kang Zhaolong was wretched inside, too. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that the Xiao family would stage such a comeback — and what a comeback it was! What could he do now? All he could do was pray in his heart that Divine Doctor Kang would not blame him.

"Hmph! What good does it do to admit you were wrong?" Watching Kang Zhaolong stand there mute, Divine Doctor Kang could not help snorting coldly. He thought to himself that he had truly misjudged them — one Kang Guifeng, one Kang Zhaolong, and both dropped the ball the moment it mattered. What good were they? Who had asked him to rush and admit his fault? The pressing business was to work out a countermeasure! Now that the Xiao family could not be struck from the ranks of the aristocratic families, did that not mean the Kang family had lost its chance? And the feud between the Xiao family and the Kang family was already settled — even if the Kang family had the chance to rise to aristocratic rank, the Xiao family would hardly put in a good word for them; it would be a blessing if they did not work against them! A wave of helplessness came over Divine Doctor Kang, and he turned to Kang Zhaoming: "Zhaoming, say your piece..."

"Grandfather, I said it last time: even a salted fish gets its day to turn over. The Xiao family may be down on its luck, but they are still an aristocratic family after all — whether they might rise again one day is anyone's guess. But not one of you would listen to me back then; you even said I was trying to dally with my own sister-in-law..." At this, Kang Zhaoming shot an irritated glance at his elder brother Kang Zhaolong. Had his brother not put a spanner in the works back then, he might well already have carried the beauty home as his bride — and the Kang family would not be in such dire straits today!

"Yes, who would have thought it — Cuipu, Zhaoming, it is you father and son who spoke the plain truth! The truth is hard on the ears; that saying is no lie. Had I listened to you then, matters would never have come to this pass!" Divine Doctor Kang, too, was flooded with regret. Even if he had not listened to Kang Cuipu, he should at least have listened to Kang Zhaoming! The Kang Zhaoming of today was no longer that idler Kang Zhaoming — he had won one great merit after another for the family and had become a man of true talent! At the thought, Divine Doctor Kang hurriedly asked: "Zhaoming, then tell me — what should we do now?"

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