When Olivia Reed walked out of the Shixiu Palace, her face was still flushed with embarrassment. The initial selection for court ladies—listening to voices, smelling scents, examining bodies, and so on—each was mortifying and degrading to one’s dignity. Though she was naturally filial, even she couldn’t help but feel some resentment at this moment. The Shuanghe Ye family was already extremely wealthy and powerful, one of the thirty-six great aristocratic houses, and her grandfather Benjamin Reed had already reached the pinnacle of officialdom. Why was it necessary to eagerly send her into the royal family? Did they really believe that wandering Daoist’s words, hoping that the Ye family would produce an empress?

Her father was probably blinded by greed and ambition, but could her grandfather really not see the truth? Moreover, in this dynasty, to prevent the overreach of imperial in-laws, emperors and princes had never chosen their principal wives from among the great noble families. Did they really want her, Olivia Reed, to become someone’s concubine?

A faint trace of worry crept onto her brow, and just then, Olivia Reed heard several thunderous booms. She couldn’t help but look up in astonishment toward the source of the sound.

Was someone fighting with mechanical armors? And the distance was no more than ten li away. Who would be so bold as to act so recklessly in the heart of the capital?

“I bet it’s those so-called Four Young Scoundrels of the Capital. With the selection for court ladies happening now, those little hellions are probably here to watch the commotion.”

A graceful, bright-featured young lady walked over to Olivia Reed’s side, smiling as she glanced sideways. “I heard that this time, Lingxue, you received the highest evaluation? I didn’t do as well—only got an above average.”

The highest evaluation meant that Olivia Reed, in terms of appearance, voice, manner, figure, and even those unspeakable aspects, was a rare and outstanding choice.

But as soon as Olivia Reed heard this girl’s voice, she felt a headache coming on. This was her childhood friend, named Sophie Grant, the legitimate daughter of the third generation of the Duke of Cai’s family.

This girl was talented and beautiful, but a bit too proud. Ever since they were little, she had to compete with Olivia Reed in everything.

And hearing the girl’s last remark, Olivia Reed felt an even stronger urge to facepalm. What was there to compete about? Being selected like livestock reminded her of when, at age seven, she went with her seventh uncle to the horse market to pick out horses—first checking the teeth, then the length and width of the body, and even whether they were constipated. In short, the more humiliating, the better—

Come to think of it, she had never understood why she herself was involved—because of that wandering Daoist’s fortune-telling, she had become entangled with the royal family. But why did Sophie Grant have to participate as well?

And this time, it wasn’t just the two of them—many noble daughters were taking part in the selection.

Chapter 11: The Sons of Emperor Qin

“Are you mocking me, sister? There are so many beauties in the world—countless could surpass me. This so-called highest evaluation is probably just because of my Ye family’s status.”

Olivia Reed smiled and turned around, saying, “And even if we are chosen, so what? Are we really going to marry into the royal family and become concubines?”

She, Olivia Reed, could not bear such humiliation. If it came to that, she would rather die resisting. She didn’t expect a lifelong exclusive love, but she also refused to become someone’s secondary wife, living at the mercy of others.

“It seems you really don’t know, little sister. Hasn’t the Assistant Minister or your mother told you?”

Sophie Grant looked Olivia Reed up and down in confusion, then shook her head slightly. “This selection is different from before. His Majesty said a month ago that from now on, the royal family’s brides would no longer be limited by family background. For some reason, it seems His Majesty intends to choose true daughters of noble families as wives for his princes. And I’ve heard that the princes leaving the palace this time are all of excellent character and talent—the tutors in the Imperial Study all praise them highly.”

Olivia Reed couldn’t help but frown. She truly hadn’t known about this. Some time ago, after arguing with her father, she was punished with nine months of house arrest. Only today was she allowed out, and then immediately sent into the palace.

But upon hearing this today, Olivia Reed could guess that His Majesty’s move was probably related to those palace secrets from over twenty years ago.

Twenty-seven years ago, the princes fought for succession, and the great noble families deliberately stirred up trouble, resulting in a royal catastrophe. Although the current emperor barely emerged victorious from that struggle, his own mother died tragically in the chaos, and more than half of his dozen brothers perished.

As for those old events, every family avoided talking about them, so Olivia Reed didn’t know much. She only knew that tens of thousands died, the royal family’s power was severely weakened, nearly to the point of collapse, while several great noble families benefited and their power soared.

If not for the current emperor’s wisdom, and the help of the unparalleled general Ying Shentong, who fought bravely for him and won a series of great victories—subduing the eastern states and allowing the emperor to eliminate powerful ministers, pacify the northern Rouran, and gradually recover—perhaps the Qin dynasty’s government would have already fallen entirely into the hands of the great families.

Unfortunately, with Ying Shentong’s death in battle, the emperor lost a powerful arm, and in recent years, he had mostly compromised with the noble families.

Now, it seemed, he was even compromising on the marriages of his children and grandchildren. In fact, the current empress was also from a great noble family, which had already broken the rules set by their ancestors.