Snow on the Old Homestead

【Rivals-to-lovers | Fake playboy | Court intrigue | A touch of ensemble cast】 【Clever, crafty young lady with maxed-out combat skills × a seemingly shameless, unruly heir who is not what he appears】 It is said that the Records of the Eighteen Hells describe: Those who frame and sow discord are sent to the Tongue-Pulling Hell, where hooks rip out their tongues and tear their throats. Those who drive a wedge between family are trapped in the Iron Tree Hell, where sharp blades pierce their bodies. Those who embezzle and commit arson fall into the Volcano Hell, where flames consume them. Those who cut corners on construction are thrown into the Saw Hell, where their bones are shattered and their bodies dismembered. “If anyone commits the evils recorded in this book, the demons of the Eighteen Hells will follow their trail. No one will survive.” When Wen Zhixu returned home after completing her studies in Wangchen Valley and heard that her senior brother had gone missing, she remembered his words. Taking on the mission in a time of crisis, she set off to find him. Shen Zhaoxing, heir to Prince Huai, holds the sinecure of secretary in the Yunnan Office of Clear Governance, yet spends his days parading about in the guise of a carefree man about town. Throughout the court and the countryside, everyone says he is lazy by nature, knows nothing of serious affairs, and isn’t worth worrying about. Just when Shen Zhaoxing thought he had perfected his playboy act, a young woman who showed up uninvited while he was investigating a case easily saw through the facade he had spent years carefully maintaining. From then on, they clashed at every turn and neither would back down. Meanwhile, a merchant’s daughter and the adopted son of the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Academy were drawn into their pursuit of the culprits, one case after another. The four met through these events, each with their own agenda, and joined forces to solve a web of strange cases. They also discovered that an unseen hand was pulling the strings behind every case, though the cases seemed unrelated. Later, at a palace banquet, Wen Zhixu caught sight of her senior brother and tried to go investigate. In the next moment, a figure in blue blocked her way. Shen Zhaoxing gave a humorless smile. “Yuanyuan, you’ve clung to me shamelessly for so long, and all just to find this stray man?” Wen Zhixu’s eyelid twitched. She suddenly sensed a dangerous, unfamiliar air from the man she disliked most, the one who was always so flippant. As the cases progressed, the four began to glimpse the secrets of the Rouran hostage and the covert machinations surrounding Bang’an. Beneath the eerie mysteries, the punishments of hell entered the mortal world. Bound ever closer together, the four would ultimately uncover the layers of truth hidden within the empire’s great game. (Blurb screenshotted on December 5, 2025) Theme: Great love knows no bounds and can cross mountains and rivers.