Fragrance of Jade Bones

In the spring of the third year of the Tianqi reign, a scandal erupts during the imperial examinations. The top candidate, Jin, dies suddenly in the examination hall, and Shen Qinghuan, the coroner, is killed when the poison turns against her. When she opens her eyes again, she is being held against a chastity monument and flogged, while a poison needle draws the cold toxin from her spine inch by inch. This time, she sees the truth: the supposed poisoning is merely a smokescreen, and the life-restoring Soul-Calling Incense is the key to unlocking the mystery. When she uses a silver needle to lift the collar of a newly appointed scholar, she discovers a cinnabar birthmark on his collarbone identical to her own. The true plot within a plot has only just begun to reveal the tip of the iceberg.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.