The Prince of Pingyang reached out and took Duoduo's hand.
Duoduo flinched a little, but ultimately allowed the Prince of Pingyang to uncurl her fingers.
The Prince of Pingyang saw two deep, bruised marks on the palm of Duoduo's hand.
Although the Prince of Pingyang was quite thin, he was still a grown man.
Duoduo was only four years old. Even though the wheelchair had wheels, she couldn't have pulled it without exerting a tremendous amount of effort.
That was why there were two deep red indentations on her palms.
The Prince of Pingyang gently stroked the marks. Does it hurt?
Duoduo answered obediently, It doesn't hurt!
The Prince of Pingyang raised his eyes and saw the sweat on Duoduo's forehead, brought on by the pain.
He let go of her, took some ointment from his robes, and applied it to her hands.
Children should cry when they are in pain.
Remember, only the crying child gets the candy.
Duoduo didn't understand, so she shook her head.
Father, I won't cry, and I don't want candy.
The Prince of Pingyang's hand paused while applying the ointment.
So foolish. I told you to cry!
Reprimanded by the Prince of Pingyang, Duoduo felt incredibly wronged.
She blinked her big eyes, and tears began to stream down her face.
Seemingly satisfied, the Prince of Pingyang patted Duoduo's cheek.
Remember, crying is also a weapon.
You must learn how to use your weapons.
Duoduo looked up with tearful eyes. But, Father, you said that crying cannot solve problems.
The Prince of Pingyang paused for a moment and nodded.
Yes, I did say that.
However, it depends on the situation.
When facing someone stronger than you, you must learn to show weakness.
When you are alone, or facing someone weaker than yourself, you must learn to be strong. Do you understand?
Duoduo didn't quite understand.
Why did he want her to be strong one moment and show weakness the next? It was so complicated!
The Prince of Pingyang saw the confusion in Duoduo's eyes and helped wipe away her tears.
Just remember my words. Slowly, you will come to understand.
Duoduo nodded obediently.
At this moment, someone noticed people coming out of the overseer's residence.
They are coming out!
Someone shouted.
The Prince of Pingyang pulled Duoduo close to his side and looked toward the gate.
Ling Feng came running out with guards and yamen runners, carrying a large pile of weapons.
If the Prince of Pingyang had not been crippled, he surely would not have been able to stop himself from standing up.
Ling Feng ran up to the Prince of Pingyang. He was just about to speak when he saw the dead body of Wang Er on the ground.
Your Highness, this is...
He attempted to assassinate me, the Prince of Pingyang said as he took a sword from Ling Feng's hands.
Terrified, Ling Feng hurriedly inspected the Prince of Pingyang. Only when he saw that the prince was unharmed and even casually twirling the blade did he let out a sigh of relief.
It was all this subordinate's negligence. I thought there would be no danger since they were tied up. Please punish me, Your Highness!
Ling Feng dropped to his knees with a thud.
Hmm. I told you, if you make another mistake, you will switch places with Ling Yu.
A bitter expression appeared on Ling Feng's face. He lowered his head and kowtowed to the Prince of Pingyang.
Get up. Tell me, what is the situation inside? The Prince of Pingyang placed the sword across his knees.
To answer Your Highness, the room where the overseer hid the weapons is in the backyard.
Half the room is filled with weapons. I ordered them to bring everything out.
Ling Feng answered honestly.
The guards who had come out first put down the weapons they were holding and ran back to get more.
As the Prince of Pingyang watched the pile of weapons grow, his brows furrowed tightly.
Duoduo saw the Princess Consort of Pingyang walking out as well, and she waved to her.
Mother!
The Princess Consort of Pingyang walked over quickly and also noticed Wang Er's corpse on the ground.
Her immediate reaction was to pull Duoduo into her arms and cover her eyes.
Your Highness, I will take the child away to avoid this.
The Prince of Pingyang frowned and nodded.
Someone, escort the Princess Consort to the carriage.
A guard stepped forward and protected the Princess Consort of Pingyang from behind.
At this time, Lianxin also came out, supporting Hua'er.
The old man's son hurriedly ran over and took his sister from her.
After several trips back and forth, all the weapons were finally moved outside.
After having his wounds bandaged, the county magistrate walked back, trembling with fear.
To think that someone within his jurisdiction dared to secretly hoard weapons with the intent to rebel.
And this person was quite close to him.
Whenever the magistrate thought of this, he felt that the head on his neck was precariously loose.
He now wished he had never come here in the first place.
That way, he could have pretended he knew nothing.
However, this matter was now beyond his ability to handle.
But since the Prince of Pingyang hadn't spoken, he didn't dare to leave.
The Prince of Pingyang looked at the various weapons piled up like a small mountain, his brow furrowed so deeply it was almost tied in a knot.
He noticed the magistrate's terrified appearance, and his brows relaxed slightly.
I need to handle family matters and clean up my household, so I will not keep you any longer.
As for what happened today, it is best if you all let it rot in your stomachs.
If even the slightest word of this leaks out, your fate will be exactly like this man's!
As the Prince of Pingyang spoke, he swiftly picked up the sword on his knees and threw it straight at the overseer.
Thwack!
The blade pierced the overseer's chest. Before he could even cry out, he collapsed onto the ground.
Seeing the overseer lying dead on the ground with his eyes wide open, the yamen runners shivered in terror.
Having received the Prince of Pingyang's dismissal, the magistrate and his men left in a great hurry.
Your Highness, what if someone leaks the information? Do you want me to have someone...?
Ling Feng looked at the magistrate's retreating figure, which was practically running away, and felt deeply worried.
As long as he doesn't want his own head to roll, he will find a way to keep those men quiet.
After speaking, the Prince of Pingyang looked at the tenant farmers who had not yet dispersed.
Old man, please gather all the tenant farmers here around dinnertime. I wish to see them.
I hope everyone will keep today's matters rotting in their stomachs. Not a single word can be leaked to anyone else.
Otherwise, if you lose your lives, do not blame me for being ruthless!
At this moment, the tenant farmers felt both reverence and fear toward the Prince of Pingyang.
Reverence, because the Prince of Pingyang had killed the overseer.
They had been oppressed by the overseer for a long time and had long hated him to the bone.
Now that the overseer was dead, they wished they could celebrate for days and nights on end.
Fear, because the Prince of Pingyang's aura, showing he could take a life at will, was truly terrifying.
We will absolutely never speak of it! If we do, our lives are at Your Highness's disposal!
The old man led everyone in kneeling down to swear their oath.
The Prince of Pingyang raised his hand, gesturing for them to leave. Supporting each other, the tenant farmers quickly departed from the area.
The Prince of Pingyang looked toward Wang Wu and the others. Feeling the Prince of Pingyang's icy gaze, Wang Wu trembled uncontrollably in fear.
Spare our lives, Your Highness! Spare our lives, Your Highness!
The Prince of Pingyang watched the men kowtowing so hard it seemed they were trying to smash a hole in the ground, but he said nothing.
Only when Wang Wu and the others grew tired from kowtowing and their movements slowed down.
The Prince of Pingyang finally spoke.
Which of you is going to tell me where the overseer's weapons came from?
