A Remarkable Detective

Set in the fictional ancient town of Yunyang County at the end of the Tang dynasty, the story follows Lu Chaoyang, who joins the county office through a twist of fate. Together with the female doctor Su Manqing, veteran constable Wang Sandao, and odd-job man Hu Tieniu, he gradually solves a series of strange cases, from ordinary small-time crimes to a vast mystery involving court politics. The cases build on one another, each with its own character: wrongful deaths in the countryside, a corpse hanging in an ancient well, a missing wealthy merchant, and a muddled case involving officials. The lives of those caught up in each case intertwine with the main plot. One case within another, along with Xie Qinghe's secret, gradually reveals a shocking conspiracy. As Lu Chaoyang grows through his investigations, he comes to understand the warmth and coldness of human nature and rebuilds his faith and his life. The novel is briskly paced, full of twists and turns, with humor hidden in the details. In the end, every mystery is revealed at once, and the entire cast emerges utterly transformed.