Aina’s scheme.

After the Emperor's statement about the Fu and Yue Clans' marriage, his words got transcribed into golden parchment and sealed as the Imperial Verdict. No one could say anything more about the subject. The Emperor's will was, after all, absolute.

Dining went on as the banquet hall got drowned in

Concubine Fu sat on her golden seat irritated, her beautiful eyes calculating. She couldn't let this ordeal go away like this, she wanted retribution.

Hong Yue and that girl Ling Yue, they clearly didn't fear her; after all these years sitting high in the Imperial Harem as one of the Great Concubines, never before had she felt so disgraced and ashamed.

Those other Great Concubines, she saw the laughter and mockery in their eyes. She lost all her honor today because of the Yue Clan.

Hong Yue she couldn't go against, but that Imbecile is a different story...

They said she was stupid and slow, that she didn't know any skills required of a Lady. If only there was a chance to humiliate the girl...

As everyone was enjoying the temporary peace of the moment, a voice rang out: "Today's Banquet celebrates the end of the old year, and the beginning of a new, prosperous era.

My dear grand-daughter Aina Yue coincidentally perfected her Guqin practice on the New Year's song – "Flight of the Phoenix". Emperor, I ask for your permission for Lady Aina to contribute some of her humble talents to brighten the night."

The speaker was Aina's maternal grand-father, Court Chancellor Ruan Bao. He was one of the greater court officials in the court hierarchy, but his position was not as high as Hong Yue, or even An Fu. The Bao family was on Aina's maternal side, the in-laws of Hong Yue's exiled brother.

The Bao family's lack of influence was a thorn in Ruan Bao's flesh that he always grumbled over. The old man wanted more power, and had always thought of himself as talented but disregarded, not getting what he deserved after serving so many years as the oldest standing court member of the Capital.

Aina Yue, his deceased daughter's offspring, one who had access to the mighty Yue Clan's resources and luxuries since birth, proved to be his most precious pawn.

Ruan Bao had always kept an eye on developing his relationship with this beautiful grand-daughter to use her for marriage alliances in the future. With Aina's contempt for Hong Yue, naturally she craved for relatives on her maternal side.

Aina Yue frequented the Bao Clan's estate since childhood, and as such, Ruan Bao gained much of her trust and respect.

When Aina had Ting Fu fawning over her, Ruan Bao was indeed very glad; he was the person who told her to go after Ting Fu after all.

If he could borrow the Fu Clan's power, then his position in court would shift greatly. When Hong Yue canceled Ling Yue's marriage, the most satisfied person beside Ling Yue was Ruan Bao.

His plan of a marriage alliance was getting closer to success.

This sudden song request was no coincidence. Ruan Bao has been staging Aina's performance for months, telling Aina over and over again to practice just for this New Year's Banquet. This was his grand-daughter's chance to shine at the Capital's largest annual party, in front of the Imperial Family and all their distinguished guests.

If Aina performed well, she might even have a shot with one of the Princes.

Ting Fu? Ha! The Fu Clan could never compare to the influence of the Imperial Family.

Ruan Bao believed that with Aina's talent with the Guqin, her beauty, and her good reputation, she could seize any man's attention if given the opportunity.

It was rare that all the Princes were gathered at one place like this, and Aina's chance to show off her talents in front of them was even rarer. If a Prince liked her, the least she could become was a Prince's Concubine.

If they picked the right Prince, and that Prince later became Emperor, then Aina, with her talents, would certainly attain a spot in the Emperor's Harem as a Great Concubine in the future.

Ruan Bao had everything all planned out.

Ling Yue smiled deviously, seeing through the old Court Chancellor's plans in just an instant. She sat beside Hong Yue, staring at Aina's position.

Ha, she couldn't help but applaud Ruan Bao, he certainly whipped up a perfect plan.

Unlucky for him, his grand-daughter should never have messed with the wrong person.

Ling Yue won't let Aina succeed.

She would make the woman's dream of luxury crumble before her eyes.

The Emperor smiled: "I've heard of the Lady's talent before, many say that her Guqin's melodies are unmatched in this Capital, and she herself is a stunning beauty.

You've got my curiosity, Chancellor. Proceed."

Concubine Fu's eyes brightened, like a fox having discovered its prey. The Gods were helping her; this was the perfect chance to drag the Imbecile into the mud...

A shapely figure slowly walked up the stage at the middle of the Banquet hall, hugging a precious Guqin. Her light blue hanfu drifted in the winds, made of the softest silks; her long hair was twisted into a simple yet elegant shape, held in in place with a white jade pin.

Big round eyes, soft and innocent, like that of a white rabbit's, enticing gullible men's will to protect the small and weak. Aina sat, placing her Guqin on the low table in front of her.

Someone exclaimed in recognition: "That's the renowned Guqin of Thousand Flowers!"

"I've heard about it before, to think it would be in her hands!"

"They say this precious Guqin was bought by Ruan Bao with one thousand gold coins, the Chancellor surely dotes his grand-daughter! Such a luxurious gift!"

"Precious Guqin used by a talented performer, perfect match! No one's worthier of this Guqin than the beauty Aina!"

"..."

Aina's eyes hid a hint of arrogance as all the attention was directed to her.

Her soft, melodious voice rang out: "My Emperor, Aina's skill is still inferior. Performing in front of everyone is Aina's honor, Aina will try her best!"

Instantly everyone was charmed by the young Lady; in their eyes, she was a skilled yet humble beauty.

Ruan Bao smiled smugly as he stared at his beautiful grand-daughter, nodding his head inwardly. The gold he spent on the Guqin wasn't for naught; all was worthy for this moment!

Aina washed her hands and lighted an incense stick before starting, performing elegant rituals eliciting delight from the noblemen. Soft scents drifted in the hall as the Guqin's melodies suddenly rang out.

Ling Yue had to say, Aina's posture while playing was indeed something to behold.

She looked like a spirit shrouded in a mysterious veil of mist, her thin delicate hands flowing on the Guqin strings fluidly.

The song flowed around the hall, melodic, almost angelic.

Guests of the Banquet Hall sunk into the music as they closed their eyes to listen more carefully, sometimes letting out small sighs of delight and applause.

Even so, Ling Yue glanced around, uninterested.

"The Flight of the Phoenix "was undeniably well-practiced by Aina, but something was still missing from its melody.

There was a level of Guqin playing where the listener's every emotion is controlled under the melodies. They call it entering the realm of "the Song of Souls ". A listener would be hypnotized, unable to stop listening, and with the rise and fall of the Guqin's notes, the listener's emotional stability will also change.

This was the level Aina was aiming for, Ling Yue was sure, but the girl had many years ahead of her to even become a novice.

"Song of Souls "... Ling Yue sighed softly under her breath. Thick lashes covered her sharp eyes as she seemingly got lost into a memory of her own.

"The Song of Souls ", it took her fifteen years to master this technique.

She was forced to play the Guqin until her fingers were out of shape. She broke countless Guqins, snapping their strings, cutting her fingers, even bending her finger bones. Her blood soaked the low table where she practiced, staining it red.

Those days, she'd rather she forgot. But they were a part of her, as were the skills that she had attained.

Before she took Ling Yue's body, she lived her previous life in darkness. She was the tenth "disciple" of the "Thousand-faced Old Man ", an uncanny, decrepit man who earned his reputation in the underworld torturing people with unimaginable poisons.

She was a nameless infant that he had taken out of an orphanage. She never earned her name in her previous life. In her later years, people of the underworld knew her as the Devil's Hand, but none knew her identity.

She didn't even know her own name.

The old man called her Tenth, because she was his tenth "disciple," his tenth test subject, his tenth war machine.

The old man taught her many things, from the art of disguise to assassination, even his most precious possession, his secrets of the medicines and poisons. They all got passed on to her, the knowledge ingrained into her soul with unbearable learning techniques and inhuman hours of training.

The Thousand-Faced Old Man wasn't a good teacher, not at all. He was a cruel monster at heart.

He used to feed her his newly-created poisons, then throw her into a pit full of venomous snakes. If his poison was stronger enough, the snakes' bites would help cure off bits of his poison and keep her alive.

Fighting poison with poison in such a way ruined Tenth's body; she could've died any time. He didn't care. She wasn't actually his "disciple," she was but a tool, a living puppet who refused to die, no matter how hard he tortured her.

It was because of her will to live, the tenacity she showed that eventually persuaded him into teaching her more. The more she learned, the more he liked her because of her intelligence. That small amount of affection was but an owner's pride over his creation's capabilities.

He died when she was sixteen, poisoned by his own prized "tool." It was then that she had learnt all that he could teach her, and he was of no use to her any longer.

She created her standing place in the underworld, first starting off as a professional hit man, then as a poison dealer. By the time she had died in her previous life, Tenth had reached the peak of her reputation as the Devil's Hand.

People feared her, associating her title with poison and snakes. She was the absolute sovereign in her field of medicines and poisons; she killed and tortured people, yet she could also save.

At that time, after she had attained money, power, and fame, she realized how empty she was. She continued making poisons and locked herself in her lab. Poisonous snakes, scorpions, and spiders were her only friends.

She craved for friendship, for love, for family, but nothing coming her way was out of real intentions, all fake and planned, all aiming to manipulate. She killed them all, she wasn't stupid, but that only made the void in her chest wider.

Now, the things she had craved the most in her previous life were handed to her through her death. Although she had lost everything, she also gained what she could never have.