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

Even though he was dressed in gray clothes and was down on his luck at the moment, he still gave people the feeling that he would definitely make waves again in the future.

"Chen Qiuyue, you wouldn't happen to have taken a fancy to this cripple, would you? You were the one shouting the loudest just now. Your brother wants women, and you want men. Birds of a feather flock together!"

"If Lady Qiuyue is so eager to get married, why don't you just marry me? Hahahaha!"

People around Chen Qiuyue started teasing her, saying that the whole Chen family was no good, and that Chen Qiuyue had an older sister named Chen Qiurong, who was much better than her.

However, the two sisters didn't get along, arguing and fighting every day, which was quite an interesting story in Waguan Village.

Chen Qiuyue glared at her and said, "Get married, get married, my old mother!"

She was known throughout Waguan Village for her volatile temper; she would curse anyone she met, regardless of who they were, even her own sister.

But Chen Qiuyue quickly realized that she should be reserved now.

How could she be so rude and abusive in front of such a handsome man? So she turned her head and put on a demure and reserved look, like a girl from a modest family.

"Young master, they were in the wrong today, trespassing into your courtyard. My name is Chen Qiuyue, and I apologize on their behalf."

Chen Qiuyue imitated the mannerisms of wealthy girls in the city, bowing to Zhao Yeying, a gesture that stunned her companions.

The villagers were speechless; it was clearly she who had shouted that she wanted to come in and search...

"I don't need your apologies!"

Aman walked in, blocking Zhao Ye's path, and stared at the pretentious Chen Qiuyue: "You've searched, but you haven't found anyone. What about the damaged things?"

"The village chief just said that you have to pay for everything you damaged!"

Everything in this courtyard was bought with Ah Man's hard-earned money, from small pots and pans to large buckets, earthenware jars, tables, chairs, and benches.

"you!"

Chen Qiuyue never intended to pay compensation.

But she now has to consider her image. Judging from the village chief's expression, he seems quite wary of this man, which further suggests that the man's identity is not simple.

"You're his maid, aren't you? Your master hasn't even spoken, so how dare a lowly maid like you speak?"

Chen Qiuyue raised her chin high. She had always thought of herself as someone special, which was why she hadn't considered other people getting married when she reached a certain age. Now it seemed that she really was right.

Although the young man was disabled in both legs, he was handsome.

She, Chen Qiuyue, should be matched with Erlang, who has such a handsome appearance. These ugly and deformed men from Waguan Village are not worthy of her.

"She is not my maid."

Zhao Ye, who had been silent all along, slowly opened his mouth, his clear, dark eyes filled with an inexplicable pressure.

He then looked at the village chief, his thin lips slightly pursed, as if he were exerting pressure silently.

The village chief quickly stepped forward and pulled Chen Qiuyue away: "Stop making a scene, you'll make a fool of yourself."

"Alright, we were in the wrong today. Everyone should pay for the damaged items."

There's a reason why Gao Mancang was able to become the village chief. He's different from the other people; he has his own plans and doesn't dare to offend anyone rashly. He also has vision and perspective, though not many.

"Village chief, what about my brother?"

Chen Qiuyue was dissatisfied, since she had already decided that Aman was the murderer.

According to the rules, Aman should marry her brother, and be buried alive with him in a ghost marriage!

Gao Mancang knew what Chen Qiuyue was thinking and stared at her intently: "Perhaps they are from another village."

"If you keep causing trouble, I'll marry you off to the next village tomorrow!"

This is what Chen Qiuyue fears most. There are more men than women in the neighboring village, and her parents have told their daughter never to run away. If she is taken away by a man from the neighboring village, she will be forced into marriage.

This is an unwritten rule here: if a man and woman are in love but their parents disagree, the man will come to their door and take the woman away. Once she's taken, she's theirs; some even forcibly abduct her.

The government hasn't done anything about it for so many years; that's just how things are in this small place anyway.

Chen Qiuyue finally quieted down, and before leaving, she looked at Zhao Ye several times with lingering reluctance.

Aman silently cleaned up the mess in the yard, and Zhao Ye bent down to pick up the broken pieces on the ground: "Aman, if it's broken, just throw it away."

"Um."

Anyway, we've finally gotten through this hurdle. Zhao Ye was right; without evidence, no one can convict her.

That night, Ah Man couldn't fall asleep no matter what she did. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Chen Erniu's head blown open. In her daze, she felt as if he was standing outside the window, staring at her with half of his head covered in blood.

Aman felt a chill all over her body; despite it being the height of summer, she was shivering from the cold.

"Ah Man".

Zhao Ye had moved over at some point. He turned to face Aman, and through the moonlight streaming through the window, he saw Aman's pale lips and her head covered in sweat.

He knew that Aman had never killed anyone before, and for her, this was undoubtedly a nightmare within a nightmare, as it was her first time killing someone.

"Don't be afraid, he deserved it."

He reached out his arm and gently patted Aman's back with his large palm, as if trying to comfort her.

"I know, I just..."

This seemed to be the first time the two of them had been this close.

The moonlight in the countryside was clear and bright, like a thin, misty veil gently draped over them. She said, "I just can't believe I killed someone."

"My hands are stained with human lives."

She was in pain and conflicted; for a kind-hearted person, this was truly agonizing.

"It's alright, it will pass."

Everything will pass; it's not a big deal. In fact, Zhao Ye had a similar experience.

The Grand Tutor taught him that a ruler should be benevolent when necessary and ruthless when appropriate.

He was too kind and could never bear to take another's life. His mother scolded him for being cowardly, lacking any kingly demeanor or decisiveness.

He had a little black dog when he was young, which was one of the most precious companions in his childhood.

But his mother thought he was too kind and never harsh on his servants and slaves; he was gentle and humble to everyone.

So the Empress Dowager ordered the palace servants to kill his little black dog. In front of him, they tore off its skin, and he watched as the little black dog breathed its last in front of him.

From then on, Zhao Ye's only remaining weakness was also extinguished.

His mother told him, "They killed your dog, skinned it, and pulled out its tendons; you should kill them in the same way."

"This is called giving them a taste of their own medicine."

"And then what happened?" Ah Man asked.

This was the first time she had heard Zhao Ye talk about his childhood.

"Later, all those palace servants died at my hands."

Ah Man felt an indescribable sense of oppression, so much so that she forgot she had killed someone.

She lamented sadly, "So even being the crown prince means being forced to do these kinds of things."

If you can't bear to kill someone, why kill their beloved possession first, and then force them to take revenge by killing someone? How can there be such a cruel thing in this world?