#433 - Failure does not mean error
The night sky was still and quiet, a crescent moon hanging faintly on the horizon, the sky filled with twinkling stars.
Wei Changtian and Liang Qin walked side by side in the General Governor's mansion courtyard, bathed in bright moonlight.
This scene couldn't help but remind him of how, over a year ago, the two of them had strolled together in the Wei residence just like this.
At that time, he had only just "met" Liang Qin, and Wei Xianzhi and Liang Zhen had intended to bring them together, but the former didn't want to marry.
The reason was simple: Liang Qin didn't want to marry a bloodthirsty demon.
And to be honest, Wei Changtian didn't want to marry her either.
But later, the magical "fate" threw them both into Shu Prefecture.
It felt like only a blink of an eye, and now more than a year has passed since all of that.
Wei Changtian had already proven through his actions that he was not the wicked Wei family's only son he once was.
But fate played tricks, and what fate made fun of was that Liang Qin's belief in "loyalty to the sovereign and righteousness to the country" collapsed with a trip to Yuan Province.
"Changtian-ge, do you know..."
"When my father and I first arrived in Yuan Province, Wu Ding told us that even if the Da Ning army were to be completely wiped out, they would never retreat a step from Yuan Province."
"At that time, Da Feng attacked the city every day, and we defended the city every day."
"Although many people died, I felt it was worth it."
"I thought we were protecting the lives of the people of Yuan Province, I thought that the black-armored soldiers outside the city were the most hateful people in the world."
"But one day, Wu Ding suddenly took out Ning Yongnian's imperial decree, saying that the army should withdraw to Feng County and hand over Yuan Province to those black-armored soldiers."
"At that time, many people were unwilling and didn't want to withdraw."
"But the imperial decree was hard to disobey, so we had to comfort ourselves by saying that we would definitely fight back one day."
"But, but..."
". . ."
"You know what happened after that, the Shu and Liangzhou armies were trapped in the city."
"We didn't believe that the imperial court was plotting against us at the time, and my father even said that reinforcements would definitely return in a few days."
"But they left us without looking back."
"We knew then that there would be no more reinforcements, and Wen Wen persuaded my father to surrender to the enemy with him."
"My father refused, my father said that even if this was Ning Yongnian's conspiracy, he was still a general of Da Ning."
"Actually, that's what I thought too."
"And those ten thousand Shu soldiers, they thought so too."
"For the sake of the people in Yuan Province, for the sake of Da Ning, we were willing to die."
"But, but why..."
"Why, even Da Feng didn't kill innocent people indiscriminately, but, but, but they still died!"
"Why did Ning Yongnian want to kill them!"
"Is it just to bury those 500,000 Da Feng soldiers with them!"
"Wuu, wuu, wuu! Chang, Changtian-ge, why ah!!!"
In comparison, Wei Changtian was much calmer.
He just kept gently patting Liang Qin's shoulder, silently sighing in his heart.
Alas.
For a "second-generation official" who had not experienced much of the beatings of society, but who had a kind heart, it was normal for Liang Qin to have this kind of incomprehension, or even a collapse of faith.
After all, the education she received since she was a child was "loyalty to the sovereign and righteousness to the country," and everything, including life, could be sacrificed for the emperor and the country.
This was originally not a big problem.
But when the emperor she was loyal to did something that was completely contrary to her moral values, and even broke through the bottom line, the fierce contradiction that arose was of an earth-shattering level.
If Liang Qin had rich social experience and understood the sinister nature of people's hearts, it might be better.
Just like Liang Zhen, he must have experienced this kind of contradictory psychology.
However, because the latter's mind was very mature, he could quickly find a solution—
That is to re-loyalty to a new "monarch" who is in line with his moral values.
And without a doubt, this new "monarch" is Wei Changtian.
This should be the reason why Liang Zhen was so decisively supporting his rebellion this time.
But for Liang Qin, she obviously still doesn't understand these things.
She couldn't understand why Yuan Province, which was guarded by tens of thousands of Da Ning soldiers, including the Shu army, was destroyed not by the enemy, but by Ning Yongnian.
She couldn't understand why millions of innocent people were mercilessly slaughtered by their emperor.
She couldn't understand, so she could only be trapped in contradictions for a long time and unable to extricate herself.
Until a voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
"Qin'er."
"Last time when we were in the capital, you told me what you saw and heard in Shu Prefecture, I still remember a sentence you said at the time."
Gently holding down Liang Qin's constantly trembling shoulders, Wei Changtian said softly:
"You said that you finally understood that learning martial arts is for those who have never learned martial arts."
"I want to ask you, do you still think so now?"
". . ."
The choked sobbing suddenly stopped, and Liang Qin also raised her tearful eyes.
She looked at Wei Changtian, and after a long, long silence, she bit her lip and shook her head with incomparable despair.
"Chang, Changtian-ge, I don't know..."
"I don't know what learning martial arts is for..."
"I, I used to think that learning martial arts was to kill bad people and protect good people."
"But now I understand..."
"There aren't so many people with clear distinctions between good and evil in this world..."
"I, I can't save anyone..."
Mm.
Being able to see clearly that the world is not black and white, shows that Liang Qin has a deeper understanding of this world.
But...
Shaking his head, Wei Changtian interrupted softly:
"Qin'er, if that's the case, then why did you want to go to Guanghan when I asked you if you wanted to go just now?"
"I..."
Hearing this question, Liang Qin, who had just denied the meaning of learning martial arts, was suddenly stunned.
She opened her mouth and couldn't say a word, but her breathing became more and more rapid.
Then, she saw an extremely familiar wooden hairpin.
"This hairpin was given to me by you more than a year ago."
Handing the wooden hairpin, which he had specially gone home to fetch before coming, to Liang Qin's palm, Wei Changtian said with a smile: "Qin'er, do you still remember what you said at the time?"
". . ."
A blush suddenly floated on her cheeks, Liang Qin tightly grasped the hairpin, and after a long while, she timidly replied in a low voice:
"I, I said that when you return the hairpin to me, I will willingly marry you..."
"Uh..."
Wei Changtian's mouth twitched when he heard this.
Although you did say that, that's not what I wanted to say!
"That, besides that?"
After a pause, Wei Changtian reminded in a low voice: "Do you remember who gave you this hairpin?"
". . ."
As if a muffled thunder exploded in her ears, Liang Qin was suddenly stunned when scenes appeared in her mind.
The corpses all over the ground after the mountain bandits slaughtered the village.
The four bloody characters of "Suppress then Slaughter Again".
The killing that lasted all night.
The officers and soldiers who were preparing to return to the city after encircling and suppressing the mountain bandits.
The people who knelt outside the military camp for a long time, grateful for the kindness.
The girl who stuffed the hairpin into her hand...
Tears welled up in her eyes again, but compared to just now, there was no longer any despair in Liang Qin's eyes this time.
"Qin'er, many times you can't always get a good result."
Patting the back of her hand, Wei Changtian smiled and looked at the night sky, as if sighing to himself.
"Alas..."
"However, that doesn't mean what you did was wrong."
