Feng Changshan sneered, "Why can't you bring yourself to do it? If your father, if anyone in your Liang family, had died by my hand, would you show mercy to your enemy?"
Liang Yizhi trembled, raised the sword in his hand, and with a roar, lunged towards Feng Changshan.
Suddenly, his sword was snatched away, and then the sword pierced Feng Changshan's chest, blood gushing out immediately.
Liang Yizhi turned to look at the person who had acted. It was none other than his sister, Liang Yihan.
"Yihan." Liang Yizhi looked at Liang Yihan, whose face was still splattered with Feng Changshan's blood. She turned to him and said, word by word, "Brother, I have avenged everyone in the Liang family. I have avenged Father."
Liang Yizhi nodded, "Yes, you have avenged everyone in the Liang family."
Liang Yihan's eyes glistened with tears, "Brother, I have waited for this day for so long, so long, that I've forgotten whether I should be happy or cry?"
Liang Yizhi's heart clenched. He stepped forward and embraced her, whispering, "Yihan, you have done very well."
Liang Yihan shook her head, "No, I don't think it was good enough. I made things difficult for you, so I did this for you. From now on, you will live a good life with your wife, and there will no longer be any outsiders between you."
Liang Yizhi suddenly understood why Liang Yihan had insisted on killing Feng Changshan herself. It wasn't to avenge the Liang family, but because she felt that if he had done it, he might have felt a pang of guilt when facing Chu Chu later, as he would have personally killed her father.
But it was different with Yihan acting. Liang Yizhi realized now what his sister had done for him.
Thinking of this, Liang Yizhi felt a sense of shame. His sister had thought of him and done so much for him, but what about him?
Had he done anything for his sister?
"Yihan, I will treat you well from now on," Liang Yizhi said.
Liang Yihan shook her head, "Brother, I've already made my plans. I don't want to stay by your side anymore. I want to follow His Majesty."
Liang Yizhi was stunned, "Yihan, you..."
"Brother, we have both grown up. You have your own life, your own path, and I should have my own life too."
Liang Yizhi shook his head, "No, I promised Mother that I would take good care of you. I absolutely cannot go back on my word."
"Brother, you have already taken very good care of me. I want to go out and explore. These years, I've been blinded by hatred and forgotten many things I once wanted to see and do. Brother, I've grown up now, and I should make my own decisions."
"But..." Liang Yizhi still couldn't bear to part with his sister. She was the sister he had raised since she was so small, his only hope when the Liang family was destroyed.
Or rather, he couldn't live without his sister. His sister was his home.
"Brother, from now on, all your attention will be on that girl named Feng Chu Chu. She is a good woman and will be someone you can rely on. Brother, I cannot accompany you on the rest of your journey, but I know you will do very well, because you have such a good sister-in-law by your side."
Liang Yizhi was speechless. If his sister was determined to leave, no matter how reluctant he was, he knew that he was only her brother. One day, his sister would leave him, and that was something he could not control.
"Yihan, come back when you're tired. My place will always be your home."
Liang Yizhi said reluctantly.
"Okay," Liang Yihan replied with a smile.
Feng Changshan's body was buried in the Feng family's ancestral grave. The Feng family did not allow Feng Changshan to enter the ancestral grave, but Liang Yizhi intervened. Seeing that Liang Yizhi didn't mind, the Feng family members found it difficult to say anything.
Feng Chu Chu was very grateful to him. Although her father had committed many heinous acts, he was, after all, her father. Blood ties could not be changed.
So, whether she wanted to admit it or not, he was her father.
Liang Yizhi simply felt that the past affairs were over, and his father would likely have done the same.
He now had someone he cherished, someone he cared about, and he didn't want the people he cherished and cared about to worry.
Later, when he spoke with the Empress, he felt that Feng Changshan might have had his reasons for acting that way.
Because both he and the Empress had later questioned Feng Changshan's hidden guards, who all said they had not received the order to "kill without mercy" as Feng Changshan claimed, only to imprison them. Perhaps he did that to leave a way out for other members of the Feng family. After all, his own path was at an end, and if he could use his death to secure his family's survival, he might have been willing.
Liang Yizhi felt a touch of emotion. Even a tiger wouldn't eat its cubs. Feng Chu Chu was his child, which was why he had planned for Chu Chu in this way. As for letting him be the one to end things, it was likely because he feared that Liang Yizhi would still harbor resentment.
Liang Yizhi did not mention these matters to Feng Chu Chu. Both of them tried to avoid discussing it, as it was not a pleasant topic.
With this matter concluded, Xue Zining knew she should leave. As for the new prefect, she had written a letter asking Wen Yuxi to choose someone to take up the post here.
In the carriage, Xue Zining looked at Yan Zhao, who had been missing for the past few days, "Where have you been these past few days?"
Yan Zhao embraced her and said, "I'll take you somewhere."
"Okay," she nodded.
The carriage traveled for about an hour before suddenly stopping. He took her hand and said, "Get down, A Ning."
She alighted from the carriage, stunned by the scenery before her.
On the vast, verdant grassland, flowers bloomed profusely, dotting the landscape and appearing exceptionally beautiful.
"This place is so beautiful, Yan Zhao, how did you find it?" Xue Zining couldn't help but ask.
Yan Zhao looked at her, his gaze filled with a depth of affection she had never seen before, and said, "A Ning, I traveled to many places to find this spot. Do you like it?"
"I like it," Xue Zining said sincerely.
"I was afraid you wouldn't like it," his eyes held a trace of worry.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, "Yan Zhao, I like anything that you prepare. You know that everything I like is because it's prepared by you."
Yan Zhao's gaze paused slightly, and the corners of his lips curved, "A Ning, do you know that this is the most beautiful thing you've ever said?"
"Yan Zhao, I will say many, many more things in the future. Can we not be separated anymore? Never again."
Yan Zhao pulled her into his embrace. She could feel his hug tightening, very, very tightly, making it difficult to breathe, but she didn't struggle. They had truly missed too much time. For the remaining time, she just wanted to be with him.
"Never apart," his deep, hoarse voice sounded in her ear.
It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.
"Whoever lies is a puppy."
"Okay."