The Mystery Files of Song Ci

Autumn, the sixth year of Jiading in the Great Song (1213), Jian Ning Prefecture. The first light of dawn crept over the city as a cool breeze swept past the ancient walls, carrying the faint fragrance of osmanthus. A thin mist still hung over the streets of Jian Ning Prefecture, and the townspeople had yet to fully awaken from the morning quiet. Then a sudden, urgent drumbeat shattered the peace. “Report to the authorities! Report to the authorities!” In front of a wealthy household in the south of the city, a ragged farmer knelt on the ground, looking panicked. Several constables hurried over. After hearing what had happened, one of them beat the drum with his mallet and called out, “A life is at stake! Fetch Lord Song at once!” Inside the prefectural office, Song Ci was in his study, reading The Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified. He had spent years of painstaking effort compiling the book. Though it had been completed, he still consulted and revised it often. A glass lamp burned faintly beside his desk, its light falling across his furrowed brow. “Lord Song!” Rapid footsteps sounded outside. A constable clasped his hands and reported, “At the home of Wang Yuanwai in the south of the city, a dead body was discovered this morning. The circumstances are suspicious!” Song Ci set down his brush and considered this for a moment. “Prepare the sedan. I’ll go take a look.” He moved without haste, his gaze steady as a deep pool, as if no problem in the world could unsettle him.