Traveling through time as a peasant girl to turn things around

On August 30th, the Minister of Rites and his men arrived at the Chai residence on horseback, draped in red cloth and accompanied by music and drums. They brought the betrothal gifts, including a pair of wild geese and a pair of jade ruyi (a Chinese sagebrush). They also brought a thousand taels of gold and ten thousand taels of silver, box after box, into the Chai residence.

Chai Zhen, Chai Ping'an, Jia Xing, and others led the entire palace to greet him at the gate. The Minister of Rites shouted, "Duke Dingguo is pregnant!" Chai Zhen replied, "Please come in."

After the Minister read out the gift list, Chai Zhen said, "I accept it." The Minister said, "We will return to the palace to report to the Emperor after we deliver the betrothal gifts. Now, goodbye." Chai Zhen had someone give out red envelopes and spread wedding candies at the gate of the mansion.

Guoguo: "All of these can go in the dowry." Chai Zhen: "Yes." Ten large boxes of silver, one box of gold. There were other gifts, too. Guoguo: "Put the jade ruyi in there!" Xiahua: "Yes." Guoguo tossed the wild goose into the space to be kept. The Chai family gathered around the royal betrothal gifts, dazzled by them all. They had never seen anything like it before. Later, Ye Heng explained what they were, some of them priceless treasures! The betrothal gifts were incredibly valuable! [Brothal gift details omitted] The betrothal gifts for the future heir and crown prince of a nation are, of course, unique!

At the beginning of September, the military examination was held and the emperor posted an edict recruiting navy soldiers.

At the same time, the imperial edict appeared at the gates of the Imperial College. The top two hundred were Jinshi. The top three hundred, this time, the Emperor would take them all. The first place winner was Li Mingqi, a native of the Chengzhong Prefecture Li family and a student of the First Academy. The second place winner was Zuo Tong, also from the First Academy. The third place winner was Lu Hao, the grandson of Duke Lu, also from the First Academy. The fourth place winner was Ma Yuru, a woman from Taohua Village.

Three days later, the emperor met with the top twenty.

Guoguo began arranging the loading of supplies. He informed the Ministry of Revenue that if they wanted to send them, they could all be sent together. The Minister of Revenue said, "Okay, we'll send them together." Guoguo sent a message from the secret guards, and the entire fleet returned to standby.

At the Chai Mansion, the guards returned to report that someone from Taohua Village—Ma Yuru—had made the list and was the fourth Jinshi. Guoguo called the person over to hear the news, "Ma Yuru, right? From Taohua Village." Ma Yuru bowed first and said, "Princess, I am Ma Yuru from Taohua Village, Taoyuan County, Pingjin Prefecture." Looking at Guoguo, he continued, "Princess, I know you well. I have always wanted to learn from you since I was a child. Fortunately, I have fulfilled my mission!" Guoguo: "Do you want to stay in the capital, return to your hometown, or somewhere else?" Ma Yuru: "I want to do more practical things for the people! Anywhere is fine!" Guoguo: "If I ask the emperor to ask you to work for me, would you be willing?" Ma Yuru: "As long as it's good for the people." "Yes, most of the money I earn is used for the people." Ma Yuru: "I know that the princess has done a lot of good things for the people! Yuru is willing to follow the princess." Guoguo: "Well, then you can go to the Ministry of Revenue as a small official, doing the same work that I cooperate with the Ministry of Revenue! It's for the country and for me, but it's all for the people."

Ma Yuru: "Okay. I'll follow the princess's arrangements." Guoguo: "You can stay in my house first, and then the Ministry of Revenue will arrange accommodation for you." Ma Yuru: "Okay." Guoguo: "Go, see the capital, see the people, walk around, get close to people's lives!"

Ma Yuru: "Thank you, Princess. Yuru, take your leave!" Guoguo nodded. Yangyang looked at it and said, "Oh my god, I'm so tired." Jia He had a letter, and Guoguo put it away after reading it.

Guoguo said to Chai Zhen: "Grandpa, you have a granddaughter-in-law." Chai Zhen: "Where is she?" Guoguo: "How was the girl?" Chai Zhen: "She is well-educated, well-mannered, and sensible. She is also good-looking. She is also well-educated and from Taohua Village, not bad."

Guoguo: "My uncle wrote to me and said he wanted to ask Huanhuan to marry him after seeing this girl." Chai Zhen: "Whose child is she?" Guoguo: "My uncle wrote to me and said that the girl's parents are honest farmers from the Ma family, and she has two younger brothers. They're not a big family." Chai Zhen: "They're all from our village, and the child looks pretty. Let's wait until Huanhuan comes back to see her before we decide." Guoguo: "Yeah. At least my brother has to like her."

The Ministry of Revenue sent some things over, and asked Guoguo to get some more. Clothes, quilts, and cotton-padded jackets; the Ministry would pay for them. Guoguo had no objection.