The Imperial Concubine

Chapter One

3rd Pov.
A girl with black hair and onyx eyes named Yan Luli jumped from tree to tree on her way back to her house after one of the children of the village informed her that her mother was looking for me. She was wearing a light gray shorter version of the robe, lower thigh-length, with a sash holding it in place. She also had on dark gray trousers with black boots.

Her hair was put in a high ponytail, the long side bangs pulled back as well. Overall, she looked like a feminine boy.

Arriving at her house, the biggest one in this small unknown remote village, she headed inside to see all the Yan family members sitting, looking quite grave. Her forty-two year old mother, Fan Ai, was surprisingly out of bed. It was surprising since she's sickly and weak, spending most of her time on the bed and almost never leaving the house. Her forty-four father, Yan Peng, who was as loving to her as her brother despite her being a girl, which is pretty rare since sons are much more preferred and it isn't exactly rare for girls to be abandoned or killed, was right next to her.

Opposite them was her twenty-three year old overprotective older brother, Yan Jianyu. His nineteen year old wife, Yin Niu, who's also Yan Luli's best friend, was next to him. There was a tiny, barely noticeable bump on her stomach showing she was a month pregnant with her unborn niece or nephew.

"What's wrong?" Yan Luli asked.

"Lulu, dear, please sit down."

"Of course, mother."

She sat down as Yan Peng started talking. "The rest of the family already know this, Lulu, but we're going to need to cut down on food and other supplies."

"What? Why?"

"It's been a harsh year and the crops aren't good. To make matters even worse those bandits in the woods have blocked the river and it's dangerous to go near it incase we come across them."

"But the bandits don't outnumber the males."

"Yes but half of us don't know how to fight on their level."

"Well then add the females as well."

"Lulu...You're the only girl in this village that knows how to fight."

"They can learn."

"No, Lulu, they can't!" Yan Peng sighed. "Sorry for yelling. Anyway, we're going to have to cut short on things. From now on we're going to skip one meal and shorten the others. No snacks. Also we can't buy any unnecessary things and you'll have to be careful not to rip your clothes, we won't be able to afford any more. And, I'm sorry Lulu, but we're going to have to severely cut down on things for your birthday in three weeks."

"It's that bad?"

"Yes. Yes, it is."

"...We're the most well-off family in this village so what's happening to the others if we're this bad."

"The others are also having it rough but our farm and crops are the closest to the bandits so they mostly take our things."

"Did you come across them?"

"Yes, when they took some crops."

"Did you at least try to stop them?"

"..."

"Oh, come on! You're great with a sword, you were the one who taught me." Yan Luli thought back to when Yan Peng taught her as she exclaimed.

Usually mothers do stuff with their daughters and fathers with sons but since Yan Ai is bedridden and barely goes out, Yan Luli can only do inside stuff with her. All the outside stuff Yan Luli knows was taught to her by Yan Peng and Yan Jianyu which is why she knows how to use swords and fight, tho definitely not on a professional level, as well as some other things that are considered more for boys.