Charles's hand trembled slightly, his expression extremely strange. It wasn't that he was stunned by the girl's appearance, but rather because her figure and looks were almost identical to Lily from the Spirit Refining Vessel—as if cast from the same mold.

The only difference was that Lily appeared to be twelve years old, while the girl he saw through the thousand-mile mirror looked about fourteen or fifteen.

"She truly is extraordinary."

After giving a word of praise, Charles curiously asked, "Who is she? Which noble family does she belong to? She doesn't seem like someone from a common background."

Just by looking at her attire, one could tell her origins were anything but ordinary. Among commoner girls, there might be some from wealthy families who could also wear gold and silver, but their clothing would never be as elegant and appropriate as that of true nobility, nor could they possess such a refined bearing.

"She should be the fourth granddaughter of the Marquis of Wuwei, Olivia Reed."

John Carter was thoroughly familiar with the noble families of Xianyang. After pondering for a moment, he concluded, "Judging by her features, she does resemble the Prince of Wu Commandery."

The nine great ducal families of Xianyang, including the Duke of Anguo's household, were the most elite clans beneath the imperial family of Great Qin. Yet above the nine dukes, there were three great princely houses. The Marquis of Wuwei, the illustrious Shuanghe Hall Ye Clan, was one of them.

"Olivia Reed? So it's her? The one who, according to legend, was prophesied by a mysterious Daoist in her childhood to possess the Phoenix Fate, destined to become empress and the mother of the nation?"

A teasing look appeared on Robert Hill's face at this moment. "I wonder which prince will ultimately win this beauty, and where the phoenix will find its parasol tree to perch upon?"

He added with a hint of disdain, "The Shuanghe Hall Ye Clan is one of the Thirty-Six Houses of the Seven Surnames. So they, too, wish to attach themselves to the royal family."

Upon hearing this, Charles already knew who the girl was. This matter had caused quite a stir back then, so he had heard a bit about it.

She was the second daughter of the secondary wife in the Marquis of Wuwei's household. It was said that when she was young, she was encountered by an unknown old Daoist, who immediately declared her fate to be noble and that she would become the mother of the nation in twenty years.

This statement happened to be overheard and spread far and wide. Yet no matter how the Marquis of Wuwei's household searched afterward, they could not find any trace of that old Daoist.

Ordinary people might take the old Daoist's words at face value, but Charles, though young, had already seen many such tricks and schemes.

Whether that old Daoist was truly a master of the mystical arts, or whether his prophecy was accurate, Charles did not know. He only knew that afterward, this Miss Emily Reed's situation became precarious—she was sent by the Marquis of Wuwei to a rural estate for three whole years, and only after the turmoil in the capital subsided was she brought back.

He himself had encountered such "killing with praise" tactics before.

Still, among those four princes, whichever one could marry this noble lady might truly have a shot at the throne.

The Marquis of Wuwei, Benjamin Reed, commanded a powerful army and wielded immense influence. In Great Qin, aside from the sixteen garrison armies and a total of 940 Zhechong Commandant's Offices, there were also 1.2 million border troops across twenty-four routes. Among them, the Fengxiang Army and the Anger Mountain Army, totaling 120,000 men and nearly 14,000 Mo-armored soldiers, were now all under the Marquis of Wuwei's control. In addition, the princely household maintained nearly 30,000 private troops across four garrisons, making their military power truly formidable.

Moreover, Miss Emily Reed had two full-blooded elder brothers, both young heroes who had already reached the Martial Venerable realm at a young age, just one step away from the Heavenly Rank.

Not to mention, as one of the Thirty-Six Houses of the Seven Surnames, the Shuanghe Ye Clan possessed the deepest foundations of a first-class noble family, with countless sons and nephews serving in the military and holding important posts across the land.

It was easy to imagine how those in the palace vied for the favor of Miss Emily Reed.

"What are you all talking about?" Brian Clark looked utterly confused. "Why do I not understand a word?"

John Carter smiled at this. "It's fine if you don't understand. This has nothing to do with us. In any case, that Miss Emily Reed is someone we can only admire from afar."

As he spoke, he glanced at the several young women seated at the table with them. These were courtesans, and discussing imperial affairs in such a setting was clearly inappropriate and could easily be used against them.

"That's true."

Brian Clark nodded blankly, but he couldn't be bothered to think it through. He only sighed with deep regret, "What a pity. I heard that this Miss Emily Reed is the most virtuous and kind-hearted of all, and seeing her today proves it—she's also so beautiful. If I could marry such a woman, what more could a husband ask for? If she doesn't get chosen this time, I'll definitely have my mother propose a marriage for me."

Charles nearly burst out laughing at this. His brother Brian Clark had a face "unique" among men—round and fat, with all his features squeezed into a single inch, and a body as sturdy as a mountain, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted. This only made the two girls beside him look even more delicate and charming by comparison, arousing pity.

Not to mention, his reputation for carousing with them had already spread abroad, infamous and foul.

Brian Clark's martial foundation was actually quite solid; he was the best fighter among the four of them, having reached the peak of the seventh-rank Martial Marquis realm at fifteen, even stronger than his younger brother Andrew Foster.

The only reason he couldn't inherit the title was because he wasn't very bright. The family heirloom divine armor of the Marquis of Yongchang required a high level of intelligence to use, and this fellow's slowness and stupidity were just as well-known in Xianyang.

No matter how you looked at it, there was no way the Marquis of Wuwei would marry his granddaughter to him.

Chapter 9: Seeking Vengeance in the Street