Harper Shi Among the Royals Chapter 1

In March of the 16th year of Kaden's reign, the weather in Beijing was still a bit cold. People had taken off their thick cotton-padded jackets and put on warmer spring clothes.

People setting up stalls and shopping were coming and going on the streets of the civilian area of   Xicheng. A group of people suddenly gathered in front of a small courtyard, and fierce quarrels came from the crowd.

The owner of the courtyard is a young woman named Harper Shi. She was originally an ordinary working girl in modern times and lived an ordinary life.

However, just over two months ago, when she was returning home from shopping, she saw a little boy on the road about to be hit by a large truck.

Due to the rush of time, she had no time to think, so she rushed out and knocked the little boy away. However, she was hit by a car before she could save others.

When he woke up again, he found that he had traveled back to the Kaden period hundreds of years ago.

It is said that a golden finger is necessary for time travel, and she was lucky enough to be bound to a storage space of about ten square meters. It had no other functions and could only be used to store inanimate objects. The most important thing was that there were more than thirty kinds of elixirs with various functions in the space.

The original owner was not in good health, otherwise a high fever would not have allowed Harper Shi to time travel into the original owner.

When she discovered that there was a body-building pill in the space, she took one without hesitation.

Seeing that there were various elixirs for beauty and body odor in the space, Harper Shi, who loves beauty, also took one of them all.

After she finished eating, she realized that she couldn't let anyone notice that she was changing so quickly, otherwise she would easily be mistaken for a monster and burned to death.

Fortunately, these elixirs cannot make people change immediately, but change slowly and step by step. Such results made Harper Shi breathe a sigh of relief.

She had just traveled through time and was inexperienced. She ignored that beauty was a sin in ancient times and could not express herself freely like in modern times.

Soon her beauty brought disaster upon her.

The streets here are full of villagers near the capital who bring their own vegetables here to sell, and it is also the main place for nearby residents to buy daily necessities.

That day, Harper Shi carried a basket to a nearby street to buy groceries as usual, but she was attracted by a playboy who insisted on taking her as his Concub!ne.

This person is the youngest son in the family, his surname is Luo and his given name is Landon Luo. He was quite favored at home, and his father was a fifth-rank member of the Ministry of War.

Harper Shi didn't know how such a young master could appear on the streets of a civilian area.

All she knew was that after being attracted by this man, her uncle, aunt, and her family, who had not been in contact for more than ten years, suddenly came to visit her. They claimed to be elders and forced her to be a Concub!ne for Mr. Na Luo.

"Yingzi, three days have passed and today is your wedding day."

Today, Giselle Li, Harper Shi's aunt who had not left the fifth server, came to visit with two stout women.

"Auntie, I already said that I won't marry. If I want to marry, let my cousin marry me. Besides, it's not your turn to decide my marriage."

"You kid, what are you talking about? I am your aunt who has not given birth to five blessings. You have no father, no mother, and no brothers or sisters to help you. As an aunt, how can I not bear the burden?"

Giselle Li had a smile on her face, and she wished in her heart that her daughter could follow him and become a Concub!ne for Mr. Luo, so that their family would have a backer.

In her heart, she never thought that Harper Shi really didn't want to be a Concub!ne. After all, under the emperor's feet, she could climb a person with status and status, but ordinary people like them could not climb to the top.

"You don't have to worry about entering Luo Mansion alone, without any relatives or friends. Once you have established a firm foothold in Luo Mansion, you will bring my little Tao with you, so that you two sisters can help each other."

Harper Shi rolled her eyes, but still held back her irritable mood and said: "Aunt, I really don't want to get married. I think I can live a good life on my own. There is no need to be a Concub!ne and keep a low profile."

Seeing that Harper Shi was firm in her attitude and really did not want to go to Luo's house to be a Concub!ne, Giselle Li began to get anxious.

It was not easy for their family to have a relative who was able to climb a high branch. Besides, the other party also gave so many betrothal gifts, and he accepted them all. How could he say no and not go?

Wouldn't this make your family offend the powerful?

"Yingzi, my aunt is not negotiating with you. If you don't go, I can't help you."

"Mother Lai, Mother Liu, let's catch her together! The young master who finally managed to get into Luo Yuan's wife's family can't let this girl spoil the good thing."

Seeing three people surrounding them, Harper Shi didn't hesitate to pick up the big broom from the corner and swung at them, driving the three of them out of the yard in the midst of flying dust.

Aunt Zoe, who heard the commotion next door, ran over and found that Giselle Li had come to force her to marry again, so she quickly protected Harper Shi.

"Eiko, how are you? Are you okay?"

Facing the concerned eyes, Harper Shi shook her head and said, "It's okay, it's just that my aunt came over again and forced me to be Mr. Luo's Concub!ne."

After hearing this, Aunt Zoe became angry instantly. Although she did not grow up watching Harper Shi, after being exposed to him for six or seven years, she found that this child was a good girl who was not only filial but also sensible.

How could such a lovable girl be persecuted by these people?

"Auntie Shi, get out of here! You are not welcome here."

How can I tolerate Giselle Li's bad temper?

Just face Harper Shi, after all, the hen is about to turn into a golden pheasant, so you have to give some face, but who is this woman! When he came up, he scolded her.

"This road belongs to everyone. If you say you're not welcome, you're not welcome?"

"Who are you? I am Yingzi's biological aunt. This is a family matter. Can you, an outsider, take care of it?"

"What about my aunt? Yingzi even said that she won't be a Concub!ne for anyone, so if you force someone to be a Concub!ne, you still have reason to do so."

Aunt Zoe didn't accept her trick. Her eldest son worked as a clerk in the Ministry of Household Affairs. Although he was not a serious official, he still worked for an official family, so he was not afraid of her, a country woman.

Just like that, people nearby who heard the sound gathered around her. Once there were more people, Giselle Li's arrogance dropped a bit.

She was here to see Harper Shi get married today, not to bring a bad name to Luo Yuan's family, so no matter how angry she felt, Giselle Li did not rush to arrest him regardless.

Not far from where they were quarreling, a special pair of master and servant were welcomed on another street.

The two people were Kaden and Lionel Liang, the chief eunuch.

The young Emperor Kaden experienced the loss of his wife and son except Obei, and he gradually became calm.

It was almost three years since the death of his first wife, Queen Xiaochengren, Hesheli, and Kaden finally had the heart to go out for a walk and relax.

Today, Kaden changed his name to Huang San, disguised himself and took Lionel Liang out of the palace for a walk. The emperor's safety was protected by the emperor's most trusted secret guard Cao Bingren and his subordinates.

Kaden was walking on the street, listening to the hawking sounds around him. He said to Lionel Liang beside him in a good mood: "When you listen to these sounds on the street, they sound very noisy at first, but after watching and listening for a long time, you will find that this is actually the smell of fireworks in the lives of ordinary people!"

Lionel Liang showed a standard smile, bent down and replied respectfully: "You are also a saint, Third Master. I think they must all be grateful to you in their hearts."

Kaden pointed at Lionel Liang, smiled and shook his head. He had heard these compliments many times, and when he heard them again, he still felt very comfortable.

Kaden was walking casually on the street, enjoying the feeling of moving among the crowd. He had no goal in mind and just went wherever he wanted. When he passed by an alley, he heard some unusual sounds.

He was curious and wanted to walk in to see what was going on. When Lionel Liang saw what happened, he quickly stopped him: "The third master's side is the civilian residential area. Ignorant women are the most unruly. Let's not go there."

Kaden waved his hand and said nonchalantly: "It's not a dangerous place. Look at your useless appearance. Follow me!"

As he spoke, he took the lead and walked into the narrow and dark alley. Lionel Liang followed closely behind him. They walked around a few corners in the alley and got out of the alley. The view in front of them suddenly opened up.

I saw that the small courtyards here are lined up together, and there are some trees planted here and there on the narrow walkway in front of the door. Although it is a civilian area, it does not look dirty, and there is a sense of tranquility in the chaos.

Arriving here, the sounds of quarreling could be heard more clearly. Kaden took Lionel Liang around rows of courtyards and walked to the back. He found that there was also a street here. A group of people gathered in front of a small courtyard not far away. He walked into the crowd curiously.

I saw that this was a small private courtyard, and there were two parties arguing in front of the courtyard door.

There was a middle-aged woman in front of the door, supporting a woman wearing light blue cloth. The moment he saw the woman, Kaden's eyes lit up.
 
This woman's exquisite face was as delicate as peach blossoms, her skin was as white as Jade Yang, her eyebrows were picturesque, and her eyes were bright and her teeth were white. This kind of just right beauty, this incomparable beauty, this perfect beauty, every detail of it was imprinted on Kaden's heart and made him fall in love with it.

He didn't expect that he would meet a beautiful woman like a fairy Concub!ne on the streets of this civilian area, and he didn't know how such a beautiful woman could live here safely for more than ten years.

Opposite the two people stood a fat woman with big ears, and behind the woman stood two strong women.

"Young girls can't stay here. Staying here and there will make you miserable. The Luo family doesn't have to worry about food and clothing, and there are still people to take care of them. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Yingzi, you are already 17 this year and will be 18 after the Chinese New Year. You are still staying at home and not getting married. Do you still want to be an old lady?"

"Auntie, let me tell you, our Shi family doesn't want to keep old sisters-in-law. Don't let you ruin the reputation of the girls in our entire family."

The fat woman, weighing 250 pounds by visual inspection, could barely wrap herself in the coarse linen clothes. She tried to persuade Harper Shi to change her mind.

Aunt Zoe knew that Harper Shi really didn't want to be someone's Concub!ne, so before Harper Shi answered, Aunt Zoe couldn't help but speak for Harper Shi:

"Aunt Shijia, what you said is a little too much. This year has just passed a few months, right? If you are so good at talking about it, why don't you say that Yingzi is in her twenties and thirties? Besides, who stipulates that women should not marry until they are 17? Will people influence the girls in the clan? "

When Giselle Li heard this, she knew that Aunt Zoe was determined to help this girl, and this was unacceptable.

If they don't take people to Luo Mansion today, their family will not be able to bear Mr. Luo's anger.

She turned her eyes and found that Harper Shi was wearing big embroidered shoes, so she pointed at Harper Shi's big feet and said, "Marry? With her big feet, can she get married? She might as well just go to Luo Yuan's house." "

Being criticized for having big feet, and having so many ancient people looking at her feet strangely, Harper Shi opened her mouth to retort:

She took two steps forward, bowed in the direction of the palace, and then said to the so-called aunt in front of her: "Now the Manchus rule the country. The current Empress Dowager has said that women don't need to bind their feet. But you still follow the old practices and implement these dross customs, forcing women to bind their feet. You dislike my big feet, and I dislike your deformed and ugly feet!"

"As for your ugly feet, do you dare to take off your socks and let uncle take a look?"

Giselle Li was so angry at these words that her fat body trembled wildly. She wanted to go up and tear off this girl's sharp mouth.

Giselle Li is Han Chinese. When she was a child, the village practiced binding women's feet so that when they grow up, they can marry into a good family.

Her grandmother had small feet, and her mother also had small feet. Naturally, she had to have her feet bound as well.

The pain of having her feet bound when she was a child, even after so many years, is still the pain in Giselle Li's heart.

Kaden, who was watching the excitement in the crowd, heard what Harper Shi said about the Empress Dowager. He immediately found it interesting, became interested, and planned to listen to it again.

He would never admit that he wanted to see more of this beautiful woman.

"You little girl, you have no father or mother, and you are the only relative of mine who has no five blessings. As your aunt, I can still decide your marriage."

Seeing that the money in his pocket was about to fly away, Giselle Li didn't care whether he was offended or not, so he took the person into Luo Mansion first.

"If you don't want to get married today, you have to get married!"

"You'd better go to Yuan Luo's house with me and don't force me to do anything!"

Harper Shi was very angry. Looking at the neighbors around her, they looked helpless and helpless. She was also a little helpless.

It is said that even a judge cannot judge family disputes. If it was a robbery or something, these neighbors could still help, but when the elders of the clan came to arrange a marriage, they were unwilling to interfere.

The neighbor next door, Aunt Zoe, is warm-hearted and willing to stand up for herself.

Looking at the aunt in front of her who had not received any blessings, Harper Shi wanted to scold her in a modern way, but this was the ancient time when filial piety was important!

She couldn't ruin the original owner's image, and she couldn't let people think that she was not the same person as the original owner.

She didn't know if she could return to modern times. Considering her image, she could only endure it in frustration!

Fortunately, Aunt Zoe was helpful beside me. With her blocking in front, I could still fight back a little.

"Aunt Shi, you are so eager to force Yingzi to be someone's Concub!ne. How much benefit did you receive from her? Is it because Yingzi becomes someone's Concub!ne that you can occupy Yingzi's house?"

Giselle Li was hit on the heart, her eyes dodged a little, and then she immediately said confidently: "What nonsense are you talking about? I am Yingzi's aunt, how can I harm her?"

"I'm doing this for her own good! Luo Yuanwai is a fifth-rank official, and she married into their family as a Concub!ne. However, she is popular and drinks hot food. This is a blessing that you can't even ask for. Why did she harm her?"

"This courtyard originally belonged to our Shi family. Letting her live as a girl for so long has already given her an advantage. When she gets married, this courtyard will naturally belong to our family."

"What does this have to do with you? Do you need an outsider to meddle in your own business?"

"Bah!" Aunt Zoe spat in Giselle Li's direction and cursed, "Shameless, it's a beautiful idea."

"This house was bought by the Shi family. When did it become your family's? Are your names printed on the official deed?"

Giselle Li was not afraid of this. Before she came, she had made it clear that the dowry was only what was given by her mother's family. If she did not give it, the bride would not be able to take anything away, so this house should belong to her family.

"Whether the deed is written or not, it has nothing to do with a girl who wants to be a Concub!ne."

"You are so kind to help Yingzi, are you also thinking about their yard? Let me tell you, don't even think about it. Even without us, this house won't be your turn."

Aunt Zoe's youngest son worked as a bookkeeper in a large restaurant. She did think about letting her youngest son marry Yingzi, but she was afraid that people would say that her family bullied orphans and widowed mothers, so she never showed it.
 
Aunt Zoe was a little afraid to face Harper Shi after being told about the central issue, but fortunately, she sincerely wanted Harper Shi to be her daughter-in-law, so she didn't feel guilty.

"Forget it, I won't talk to you so much. Mr. Luo said that he is going to meet someone today. Yingzi's marriage is a major matter, and she cannot refuse it."

Giselle Li didn't care what others thought. Anyway, they were going to book Harper Shi's house and would not let go of the dowry. Thinking of this, she asked the two maids behind her to go and catch the man.

Harper Shi was nervously protected by Aunt Zoe and kept retreating. She herself kept thinking about ways to escape.

Looking at the big broom in my hand, I wonder if I should go up and swing it a few more times?

But seeing so many people around, Harper Shi hesitated for a while.

There are too many people and it’s impossible to escape by running. If you can’t, just run back to the yard and close the door.

Kaden, who was in the crowd, saw the girl he loved was about to be taken away, and he wanted to rush forward to rescue her.

Then I heard Aunt Zoe suddenly shout loudly: "Wait a minute! Yingzi is engaged!"

"It is against the law for you to rob a married woman and make her your Concub!ne. How can he, a son of a fifth-rank official, bear the crime of robbing a commoner's daughter?"

These words frightened Giselle Li and the others. It was their first time to do this, and they felt guilty when they heard that they would be punished. They were afraid that they would be thrown into prison when they were old.

When Kaden heard that the woman already had a fiancé, his eyes looked a little sad, and he felt very regretful and lost.

Although he liked this girl very much and wanted to include her in his harem, as an emperor, Kaden would not forcefully marry someone else's fiancée.

And the Queen Mother in the palace would not allow it.

Giselle Li thought about the banknotes at home and felt a little reluctant, "What kind of engagement is there? There is an engagement, how can it be possible that you are not married yet? Is it a lie?"

Aunt Zoe didn't want to mention this matter at first. After all, her youngest son also liked Yingzi. She originally wanted to wait, but now, she had to mention the person she had not heard from for many years.

Watching the girl grow up, she will be forced to be a Concub!ne. If she doesn't speak out, her son's sweetheart will be gone.

"It doesn't matter whether I lie to people or not." Aunt Zoe said loudly and asked the people around her: "Dear neighbors, do you still remember that when Yingzi's family moved here, there was a mother and son with them? "

Someone thought of echoing and said, "Isn't that Yingzi's child adopter, Huang San?"

When she heard someone thinking about Huang San, Aunt Zoe nodded happily: "Yes, yes, that's that boy."

But it didn't make her happy for long, and she heard people talking among the crowd: "I remember that boy went out to do business. At first he came back every now and then, but then he didn't come back. It's been four or five years, and he hasn't even heard from him. No, I don’t know what happened to him? "

Giselle Li also heard the crowd's discussion and laughed, "A child-raising husband? Even if there is a child-raising husband, so what? I haven't seen him for four or five years. I guess he died outside a long time ago."

"You'd better not stand in the way of my Yingzi's good deeds. Let her enter the house quickly so as not to miss the opportunity."

With that said, he once again directed the two women to go up and arrest people.

The two of them quickly caught Harper Shi, and Aunt Zoe couldn't stop them. Harper Shi fought hard, but even if she had taken body-strengthening pills, she was no match for the two old women who had been doing farm work for most of their lives.

Kaden couldn't bear to watch it anymore, so he took two steps forward and was about to rush out to save people.

Lionel Liang had noticed Kaden's unusual movement just now. Fortunately, Kaden did not rush out. Now that Kaden was about to rush out again, Lionel Liang quickly stopped him.

"Third Master, you can't go! If this matter gets serious, you can't hide your identity."

Kaden was so angry that before he could save anyone, he was stopped by the expressionless Lionel Liang. How could he bear this?

"open!"

Aunt Zoe, who was pulling, inadvertently glanced at the crowd, and suddenly saw a familiar face standing at the front of the crowd. She took a second look, and she quickly pointed to one of the people in the crowd and spoke out in surprise.

"Huang San!"

"Huang San is back."

Hearing the sound, everyone looked in the direction that Aunt Zoe was pointing, and saw a man wearing rich clothes, with a Jade Yang pendant on his belt, and an angry look on his face. He wanted to rush out, but was held tightly by the people beside him.

Those who had seen Huang San quickly recognized that the person being pulled was Huang San, and they all kept a distance from Kaden, completely exposing Kaden.

Kaden, who was still angry at first, was suddenly pointed at, and then the people around him moved aside to reveal him and Lionel Liang.

The angry expression on his face quickly turned into confusion, and Lionel Liang stopped pulling. He looked at the people around him nervously to prevent anyone from suddenly rushing out and doing harm to his master.

Aunt Zoe looked very surprised, but she felt a little regretful in her heart. She felt sorry for her little son, as his wish would be dashed.

That's good, Yingzi has someone to protect her, so she doesn't have to be forced to be a Concub!ne.