After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

Upon hearing that the Ninth Princess intended to present the peaches as a gift, the scene erupted in uproar, with many people already eager to try their luck.

Seeing their high spirits, the Ninth Princess gracefully sat down with a flick of her long sleeves, revealing an expression of watching a good show.

Which young lady or gentleman isn't proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? If anyone here today can't even play the zither, they'd be a laughingstock.

Upon closer reflection, it seems there really was such a person among all the guests: Fang Xiaoran from her previous life. Unlike these pampered young ladies from noble families, she was not skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, or even needlework.

Back then, she and her mother left the Fang family and returned to Lingnan. The hardships along the way were indescribable. She was only seven years old when she parted from her mother. As a young girl, she escaped famine, encountered bandits, and even had to beg to survive. She was almost sold by human traffickers. If she hadn't met her master, she might not be alive today.

Her master said that in this day and age, it would be better to learn some martial arts to protect oneself than to learn those arts that cultivate one's character. So he passed on all his skills to her.

At the age of thirteen, she was determined to return to Yancheng to seek justice for her mother, so her master drove her down the mountain. She suffered greatly before finally returning to the Fang family.

Therefore, everyone in the Fang family knew that she was good for nothing but sheer strength. In her previous life, it was here that she lost face and became the laughing stock of the entire Yancheng. After returning home, she was punished by her father and grandmother, and she truly tasted the bitter fruit of her actions.

This time, however, she wouldn't let them have their way.

Fang Xiaoran squinted as she watched the person who stepped forward to play the zither. The first to go was Zhao Xun, the heir of Prince Duan. Although everyone coveted Tao Zhuo, she was, after all, the Ninth Princess's treasure. Those without family background naturally dared not go first. Thus, in the silence, Zhao Xun leisurely sat down in front of the zither.

His slender fingers gently brushed across the strings, and just as he began to play, the music stopped abruptly. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Zhao Xun had pressed down on the strings himself to stop playing. Then, he slowly rose, gave the Ninth Princess a slight nod, and casually walked back to his seat.

Fang Meng's jaw nearly dropped to the floor at this sight. What was going on? Rumor had it that this young master was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Why couldn't he even play the zither now? The others exchanged bewildered glances and began to whisper among themselves.

Then another young lady from a prominent family, Zhang Yueyan, stepped forward. She raised her chin with exceptional confidence, sat down in front of the zither, glanced at the sheet music given to her by the Ninth Princess, frowned first, and then her hands quickly swept across the strings, producing a melodious tune.

The music was beautiful, but it stopped abruptly after only half a note had been played.

Zhang Yueyan looked at the zither with a flustered expression, her face full of confusion. Finally, she stood up, gave a slight bow to the Ninth Princess, and returned to her seat.

Soon, several more people, not believing in the superstition, stepped forward to play. Strangely, none of them were able to finish playing the piece. Everyone was puzzled, as these musicians were all first-rate, yet they couldn't finish playing it. What kind of magic did this piece of music possess?

One after another, people were eager to try, but all of them failed. However, although they did not finish playing the piece, they could tell from the intermittent notes that the score was of the highest quality.

"What kind of sheet music is this, all mysterious?" Fang Meng muttered under her breath. She really wanted to show off her skills, but she had just been embarrassed in public by Fang Xiaoran, so she had to minimize her presence as much as possible.

Hearing this, Fang Xiaoran glanced at her and replied with a smile, "Since Third Sister is curious, why don't you give it a try?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Menghe suppressed her anger and stood up, bowing slightly in the direction of the Ninth Princess. "Your Highness, my sixth sister wishes to try, but she is too shy to step forward, so she asked me to speak on her behalf."

After saying that, she deliberately glared at Fang Xiaoran, saying, "You can't even play the piano, I want to see how you make a fool of yourself!"

At this moment, Shen Ran chimed in, "The Fang family's daughter's zither skills were passed down from the old lady, so they are naturally quite remarkable. It's also a good opportunity for us to see what mysteries are hidden in the princess's score."

"Is the old lady of the Fang family a disciple of that Mr. Jiangxi? That certainly makes us look forward to it."

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, and with Fang Menghe's friends egging her on, they were trying to exaggerate Fang Xiaoran's piano skills. Once they discovered that she couldn't even play the piano, they would naturally drag her down with them.

The Ninth Princess's gaze fell on Fang Xiaoran, and a faint smile appeared on her red lips. "Is that so? Then please. This princess is also very curious about just how good Fang's daughter's zither skills are."

Having come this far, Fang Xiaoran could no longer refuse. She stood up, bowed slightly to the Ninth Princess, and walked toward the guqin in the center.

Looking at her composed and unperturbed figure, Fang Menghe's eyes turned cold, and her words were full of incomprehension, "How come she's not afraid at all?"

Chunxia whispered, "She's probably just putting on a show of calm. Don't you know her own limitations?"

“That’s true.” Fang Menghe sat up straight and looked at Shen Ran. The two smiled at each other, completely in a laughing-smiling manner.

After sitting down, Fang Xiaoran didn't even glance at the others, her gaze completely fixed on the sheet music. In her previous life, she didn't understand the zither and naturally couldn't read the sheet music, but now, upon closer inspection, she saw the clues.

This sheet music is problematic. If played in its entirety, it will have a mind-altering effect, potentially harming both the listener and the player. The harm to the player is even greater, and a slight mishap could lead to instant death.

Clearly, the Ninth Princess wasn't looking for a master for Tao Zhuo at all; she wanted to kill someone.

Who exactly does she want to kill? Or who is she targeting? This person must be capable of playing the entire score, so why would such a person become a thorn in the Ninth Princess's side?

Thinking about it this way, it's no wonder that in her past life, she broke a string on the zither because she used too much strength, which ruined the princess's plan.

As she was lost in thought, a gaze shot toward her. Fang Xiaoran raised her head slightly and met Zhao Jin's cold eyes. He seemed very curious as to why she sat there calmly without showing the slightest fear.

Fang Xiaoran didn't care what he thought. She wasn't interested in the people the Ninth Princess wanted to kill. But since she had been pushed into this situation, how could she let some people have their way?

Fang Xiaoran's fingers caressed the strings, like a graceful butterfly dancing on the strings. As the strings vibrated, the sound of the zither flowed out slowly like water, or like clouds rolling and flowers blooming and withered trees coming back to life. The ethereal tranquility that struck the depths of the soul made people's minds constantly conjure up images of carefree clouds, wild cranes, and lush greenery.

As the melody shifted, the desolate autumn wind swept across the land, leaving behind withered leaves, corpses strewn everywhere, and rivers of blood. The air was filled with the cawing of crows, mournful howls, and heart-wrenching cries, bringing tears to everyone's eyes.

Everyone's emotions were stirred by Fang Xiaoran's piano music, following the rhythm of her fingertips, some crying, some laughing, some grieving, some joyful...

While everyone was engrossed in the music, Fang Xiaoran suddenly raised her eyes, hooked her index finger on the strings of the zither, and fixed her cold gaze on Zhao Jin, her killing intent growing stronger.