Dayan Dynasty, the twenty-seventh year of Jingming Dynasty. A shocking and strange case occurred in Tianqi City, the imperial capital. Zhao Xuanzhi, the Taifu who was known as the "Backbone of the Imperial Master", died mysteriously in the study of his heavily guarded mansion. The doors and windows at the scene were locked, and there were no signs of a fight or poison reaction. All signs pointed to a sudden heart attack. However, Gu Shen, a young widower who was recruited from a small border county by a secret edict, smelled the bloody scent of a centuries-old conspiracy in the details that everyone ignored.
An ancient pollen embedded in the Taifu's fingernails that should not exist in the world, and a seemingly disorganized star map drawn by the Taifu before his death led Gu Shen to a forbidden place long forgotten by history - "Stargazing Hanging Coffin".
As the investigation deepens, a simple murder case gradually involves the crisis of the legitimacy of the change of imperial power, the life-and-death struggle between the crown prince and the second prince, and the "Shadow Weaver", a mysterious organization that attempts to overthrow the dynasty.
Gu Shen, a little person who just wanted to do an autopsy and investigate the case, take the money and leave, was forced to get involved in this huge whirlpool that could overturn the world. The lancet in his hand not only cuts open the cold corpse, but also the deepest desires, loyalty, betrayal and intrigue of human nature. On this road of pursuing the truth, everyone wears a mask, and every step may be a trap. The only thing he can rely on is his absolute insight into the "traces" and his original heart that yearns for the dawn despite being in darkness.
