The following day, several more imperial edicts were issued from the palace. One of them was sent to the residence of Niu Hulu Lingzhu, a fourth-rank official, which was exactly the same as the news that had been circulating from the palace earlier.

His daughter was blessed with good fortune and was betrothed to a prince of the imperial clan.

The issuance of this imperial edict foreshadowed a turning point in the life of Niohuru, the mother of Emperor Qianlong.

Those who saw her as a thorn in their side completely ignored her.

Wanyan Mansion

After encountering an unexpected event, the cousins, a man and a woman who time-traveled, quickly changed their attitude and rallied after initially throwing a tantrum. The man, however, remained bewildered.

Wanyan Ruhai was dressed in a respectable manner, but his whole demeanor didn't match his refined and elegant appearance; his expression was blank and dazed.

His servants were terrified when they saw him like this, and they wished they could crawl and roll to find a doctor immediately.

My legs felt weak, and I couldn't walk for a while.

This allowed Wanyan Ruhai, who was somewhat dazed due to his dazed state, to stop him in time. He repeatedly told his personal attendants that he was just spacing out and there was no need to call a doctor.

Since the master has given such instructions, how could a servant dare to act on his own?

However, Wanyan Ruhai never avoided the servants in his own courtyard, nor could he avoid them, otherwise who would serve him?

So, the news that the old man had gone mad quickly spread throughout his courtyard.

If it weren't for the loyalty and strict management of the people in charge of his courtyard, the news would have spread far and wide, not just within his own courtyard, but throughout the entire Wanyan Mansion. In fact, because of his reputation as a talented scholar, he might very well have become famous throughout the capital.

It's just that the name isn't very auspicious.

However, Wanyan Ruhai wasn't really stupid; he just hadn't recovered from the blow and was unsure of what to do next, feeling lost and confused.

Outwardly, he was normal in eating, sleeping, and washing. Apart from that, he would often space out. He would space out while reading, standing, sitting, or even while taking a walk and admiring flowers. As a result, in the eyes of most people in the courtyard, he seemed to have inexplicably lost his soul and become stupid.

Today, as usual, Wanyan Ruhai sat by the window, staring blankly out the window. Suddenly, he heard a servant report that his cousin had come to see him.

After a long while, she finally reacted somewhat sluggishly, slowly turned her head to look at the servant who had spoken, and said weakly, "Then please let her in!"

The servant who answered saw that although his master spoke weakly, he could still talk and his logic was still intact. He figured that his master hadn't really lost his mind or gone mad, but rather, as his master himself said, he was just, well, spacing out. Yes, just spacing out.

The servants were pleased that he wasn't stupid.

It wasn't just because she was his servant; when the master is in trouble, the servants suffer too. More importantly, the master was easy to serve and a good person.

Although we've heard that the master dislikes the eldest son for being indecisive, in the servants' eyes, the eldest son has always been kind to them and generous with his rewards. If anyone is in trouble, just tell the eldest son, and if he can help, he will do his best.

The servant left with a smile on his face, then returned to the woman who had transmigrated from Wanyan and led her to see Wanyan Ruhai.

"Cousin!" The transmigrated woman, Wanyan, was somewhat bewildered as she entered the room. Was this fool really her dashing cousin?!

The servant, always quick to read people's expressions, hurriedly explained on behalf of his master, "Master is just thinking about something, lost in thought. If you have anything to say to him, please do so, Princess. Although he may be a little slow to react because he's thinking, he won't ignore you if you speak to him."

I just replied to him, and that's exactly what the old man answered me. Even so, I feel a little uneasy. What if the old man didn't respond? Would the princess think he'd gone mad? Would word get out? Would…

Unaware of the servant's worries, the transmigrated woman, Wanyan, composed herself and, recalling her original plan, blurted out, "No internet, nowhere to chat, so boring!"

The servant, whose mind was filled with a series of "what if" worries, was completely bewildered. Why did the eldest princess say something so strange?

No internet?!

She wants a fishing net?

What does the fishing net have to do with irrigation?

No matter how much water you flood the internet, it's bound to leak eventually!

The servants found it strange, but to Wanyan Ruhai, these words were like thunder in his ears.

This time, his reaction was quick; his lifeless eyes suddenly became focused, and he swiftly grabbed the transmigrated woman's arms, excitedly saying, "You transmigrated too!"

The transmigrated woman smiled demurely, then looked at the bewildered servants, "Should we ask them to leave for a moment?" "They" here included the maids she had brought with her.

Wanyan Ruhai nodded, looked at the servant who was staring blankly at him, and said urgently, "You go out and keep watch first. I'll talk to my cousin for a while." He paused, then remembered that the person in front of him was not only from the same hometown, but also related by blood. He continued, "I'll talk to my cousin for a while."

The time-traveling woman then gestured to the maid who had come with her to go out and keep watch.

As soon as the door creaked shut, Wanyan Ruhai opened his mouth to say something, but the transmigrated woman raised her hand to stop him. "Can you sit down first? Also, your hand is hurting me."

"Ah, I'm sorry!" Wanyan Ruhai, only then realizing what had happened, quickly let go of her hand, looking embarrassed and awkward.

Once the two were seated, the room fell silent for a moment, as if the earlier urgency had been an illusion.

The woman who had traveled through time was eager to make her own plans and broke the silence first, asking, "What year did you travel from here..."

After all, we're all fellow countrymen from different eras!

The two chatted about their past lives, and naturally, they became closer because they had traveled from the same era and place.

As for why the time-traveling woman, even though she already knew that Wanyan Ruhai was also a time traveler, never came to acknowledge him as her relative.

She made up an excuse to fool him, and Wanyan Ruhai believed her.

The transmigrated woman was also surprised that her cousin was so easy to fool, and she was a little dumbfounded. Then, she frowned slightly. If he was so easy to fool, would it be a bit unreliable for her to approach him, join forces with him, and ask him for help?

Seeing her frown, Wanyan Ruhai immediately asked warmly, "Is there something troubling you? You can tell me. If I can help, I will do my best to help, not only because we are both from the same hometown and time-travelers, but also because you are my cousin."

Since he was so easy to talk to, the transmigrated woman immediately put aside her concerns. After all, he had already offered her a way out, so why wait? She immediately took the opportunity to climb up the ladder and said, "I really do have something I need your help with."

"What is it?" Wanyan Ruhai continued to offer the ladder.

Then, the time-traveling woman told him about being betrothed to the fourteenth prince.