Judge of the Great Song: Veiled Shadows

Song Ci entered Qingshan Town, outside Kaifeng, as evening fell. The dim yellow moonlight spilled over the town, lending its silence a touch of unease. An autumn rain had just passed, leaving the ground slick. The air was fresh with the scent of earth and vegetation, yet tinged with a chill. Lanterns cast a faint glow along both sides of the streets. The teahouses by the roadside were already bustling, but Kaifeng still seemed not to have quite returned to the noise and bustle of the daytime. He had not come to visit friends or family. He had been summoned to handle a case that seemed ordinary at first glance, yet was extraordinarily complicated. The case had taken place in the home of Master Gu, a wealthy merchant in town. More than thirty members of the Gu household were as rich as a nation, and the family had always lived in peace and prosperity. But the previous night, a murder had thrown everything into turmoil. The case began when Master Gu's only daughter, Gu Wan'er, was found drowned by the pond in her own courtyard. The water was emerald green, tangled with aquatic plants. No body floated in the pond; only Wan'er's reflection lay upon the surface, still as a painting. Her clothes were neat, her hair undisturbed, and there was not the slightest sign of a struggle on her face. She looked utterly serene.