Those days when I exiled the paralyzed, deposed crown prince to farm

She carried a basket on her back and dug for medicinal herbs in the mountains. If she found any wild vegetables that she recognized, Ah Man would not let them go.

It was early July in Ningzhou, and there were plenty of wild vegetables in the mountains, especially tender, curled ferns. Aman bent down in the weed-filled ground and found a patch of lamb's quarters.

Her eyes lit up, and she hurriedly picked the leaves, not caring whether they were tender or old, as long as they were edible.

Vast stretches of wasteland connect to the mountains, seemingly endless. Although Ningzhou is remote, the mountains are rich in resources, and the locals often venture into the mountains to collect usable supplies.

They either hunt, gather herbs, or dig for wild vegetables.

The hunter's trap was so ingenious that it successfully deceived Ah Man's eyes, and with a loud thud, Ah Man and his basket fell heavily to the ground.

A violent feeling of weightlessness washed over him, and Ah Man's vision went black as he lost consciousness completely.

It was already evening, and the sun was about to disappear below the horizon. Ningzhou in early July was incredibly hot, as if it were going to bake off a layer of skin.

Zhao Ye twisted his neck to look at the sky outside, a cold sneer curling at the corner of his cracked and bleeding lips.

He was mocking himself.

I was actually fantasizing that Ah Man would come back.

Of all the servants in the Crown Prince's residence, he only took Aman with him, thinking that once they reached Ningzhou, she could leave at any time if she wanted to, find a good family to marry into, or find a job to make a living.

It's still better than taking care of his mess for the rest of your life.

Looking back now, that's certainly true.

He was no longer the noble crown prince, and he couldn't even take care of himself in the most basic way. No one would like to serve someone like him.

As the sunlight was gradually swallowed by darkness, Zhao Ye silently withdrew his gaze from the doorway and slowly closed his eyes.

He lay there quietly, seemingly waiting for the darkness to swallow him up as well.

"Clang—"

The sound of a wooden door being pushed open came from outside the courtyard. Due to years of disrepair, the wooden door here was no longer flexible.

Both pushing and closing the door produce a loud noise.

"Your Highness!"

Just as the last glimmer of light was about to be swallowed by darkness, Ah Man came running in, panting, carrying a basket on her back.

The first thing I did was light the candles.

"You..." Zhao Ye's eyes flashed with surprise, confusion, and doubt.

Didn't she leave?

Her basket was full of wild vegetables and herbs she had gathered.

"What's wrong with you?"

Zhao Ye's voice was still hoarse, as if his throat was also injured.

He saw that Aman's face was bruised and swollen, as if she had been beaten up. She was also dirty, her shoes were torn, and one toe was sticking out.

His pants were torn, the abrasions on his knees were obvious, and his fingernails were black, I don’t know if it was mud or something.

Actually, Ah Man used her fingers to pry open the wall that was stuck inside, and she managed to climb up. She tried for a long time, and her fingernails were almost torn off.

She was desperate and scared, afraid that wild animals would come out of the mountains and eat her.

If she dies, Zhao Ye will also die, which would be quite tragic for her. Not only would she die far from home, but she would also be left without a complete corpse.

"I just tripped and fell."

Ah Man wiped the mud off his face, not caring at all.

"..."

Will my face swell up if I fall?

"Your Highness, I went up the mountain and picked some herbs. I'll brew them for you to use to wipe your body later. You'll feel better."

"I also dug up a lot of wild vegetables, all of which are edible."

Ah Man traded two copper coins with a family for a handful of coarse salt. It wasn't much, but it would at least give the dishes a salty taste.

How can a person live without salt?

You need to eat salt to have energy.

"Your Highness, please wait a moment. This servant will go and start a fire to prepare food!"

He listened to Aman's rambling, her chattering voice filling his ears.

It seemed that much of the darkness here had been dispelled, and even the heat had subsided.

Ah Man first came over and fed him water, and a strange smell wafted from the tip of his nose.

He seemed to sense it, and a hint of embarrassment flashed in his dark eyes.

"It's alright, Your Highness. Let me help you change your clothes first."

Her hand slowly reached towards Zhao Ye's waistband, and she could feel Zhao Ye's body trembling slightly.

Even if it were her, she wouldn't be able to bear such an embarrassing situation.

But Aman had no choice.

She wanted to return to the modern world, not stay in this chaotic ancient world where women were treated like half a pancake.

In this world, a woman's greatest value lies in her reproductive capacity.

Ah Man never imagined that she would be the chosen one in ancient times, with the protagonist's halo. That's pure bullshit.

Even in ancient times, they were still miserable beasts of burden, still forced to work like cattle and horses for others.

Zhao Ye is now paralyzed and unable to move, so he is naturally unable to take care of his own bodily functions.

Ah Man turned him over and carefully washed him. Finally, she moved the wooden planks that she had washed and dried in the yard the day before into the room, pieced them together, and tried to make them as flat as possible.

Only then did they move Zhao Ye to another location and continue cleaning up the filth on the ground.

She should be grateful that there was a well in the courtyard, otherwise she would have to run a long way to fetch water. She was a little scared to walk alone at night, and she always felt like someone was secretly following her. The air was chilly, and she didn't dare to turn her head.

Once all the filth was cleaned up, the small iron pot outside the yard started bubbling and boiling, filling the yard with the aroma of rice.

Ah Man found another iron pot in the yard today. Although it was chipped and rusted, it could still be used after washing and scrubbing. It was just right to boil the herbs she had picked today.

Ah Man could only use the most primitive method to prepare the wild vegetables she picked: cold salad!

It's boiled, cooled, and mixed with a little coarse salt. There's no oil or water in it, but given the current conditions, this is already the best it can be.

"Your Highness, dinner is ready."

As usual, she fed Zhao Ye first before eating herself.

"Ah Man".

Ah Man was listening attentively.

Zhao Ye opened his mouth with difficulty: "I am no longer the Crown Prince. You... you don't need to call me Your Highness the Crown Prince anymore. Just call me Zhao Ye."

Having been a servant for so long, Ah Man's master-servant mentality was practically ingrained in her bones.

Since transmigrating to this dynasty, she has truly witnessed the cruelty and cold-bloodedness of ancient society.

During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the Five Barbarian Tribes invaded China, and cannibalism was rampant.

The same was true of this dynasty.

Ah Man was very fortunate that she was not eaten like a lamb, but was instead sold to the Crown Prince's mansion as a servant because of her strength.

This can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"Your Highness, this is absolutely unacceptable, this servant..."

"His name is Zhao Ye."

Aman hesitated for a moment: "Zhao... Zhao Ye."

"You are no longer a servant of the Crown Prince's residence, so you no longer need to refer to yourself as a servant."

Seeing Zhao Ye like this, A Man suddenly felt a sudden, inexplicable panic.

"Tai... Zhao, Zhao Ye, these are some wild vegetables I dug up from the mountain. They're all edible. I... I mixed in a little coarse salt."

"Try it..."