The Han Dynasty Embroidered-Clothed Guards (Complete in 2 Volumes)

In the fifth year of the Yuanshou era under Emperor Wu of Han, Li Gan, a famed Han general and son of Li Guang, met a mysterious death in the woods of Ganquan Palace. Rumor had it that General Huo Qubing had shot him. As a result, the undefeated Han military split into two camps, old and new, bringing them to the brink of open conflict.

Yin Pengyan, a royal investigator in embroidered robes, had once served under General Huo Qubing and fought alongside Li Gan. Despite his father’s opposition, he went alone to Ganquan Palace to investigate, hoping to mend the rift between the two armies and uncover the truth. To ensure the affair ended without scandal, the court appointed Wang Wenshu, the bandit-like governor of Hanoi Commandery, to oversee the crime scene. They even accepted the evidence Wang fabricated, hoping to close the case hastily. Wang was aggressive and unscrupulous, while Yin was kindhearted but indecisive. Yet the emperor needed only an obedient blade. From the chancellor’s residence to the mansions of the Marquis of Ruyin and the Marquis of Huaiyin, and on to Changle Palace, every step of the investigation was fraught with danger. Yin fought his way through each obstacle, while powerful figures such as the venerable minister Ji An, Shuiheng Commandant in charge of the treasury, Sang Hongyang, and generals Xu Ziwei and Li Xi were drawn into the case...

Using the framework of a suspense mystery, the book paints a sweeping picture of the Han dynasty at its height, offering a multifaceted look at foreign peoples, imperial relatives, meritorious officials, and powerful clans, as well as frontier defense and domestic affairs, politics and the military, and the imperial court and the world beyond it, all from the perspective of the emperor’s close agents, the “Embroidered Robe Envoys.” The result is a thrilling, winding story with profound depth.