The Fake County Magistrate Covets My Puppet Magic

【Highly skilled puppeteer × scheming, sinister fake county magistrate】 Cui Yinyin was the heir to a family of puppeteers, and she once had a wonderful partner in solving cases. Whenever she mentioned her partner, she would shake her head with a click of her tongue. “What a shame about Brother Cheng Jin. With talent like his, he’s stuck serving as a minor county magistrate in remote Chaozhou.” One day, she was suddenly summoned to the palace under the pretext of investigating a case. She could only go home once it was solved. Missing home terribly, she decided to sneak away one night. She had laid out red strings attached to her puppets, so she would know if anyone entered her chambers. Just as she was about to climb out the window, the strings wrapped around her waist, and she fell into a broad embrace. The man whispered in her ear, “Didn’t Miss Cui say in Chaozhou that one day she wanted to be my little constable? I asked Father Emperor to bring you here to investigate a case. Are you unhappy?” Cui Yinyin: ? You mean my county magistrate partner turned out to be the Grand Prince? Wait, why are you standing so close? . For the sake of an obsession, Cheng Jin posed as a county magistrate and went to Chaozhou. Bandits were everywhere along the way. A woman came to his aid, leaving the bandits in a river of blood. They traveled together solving cases. She was coolheaded and decisive in a crisis, and when she operated her puppets, it was impossible to look away. She called him her partner in crime-solving. But he never told her that from the moment they met, he had coveted her puppetry. If he could become her, perhaps he could finally put that obsession to rest. The day she said goodbye to him, he suddenly saw things clearly. If he couldn’t become her, then he could clip her wings and keep her by his side. That might not be so bad, either. . After Cheng Jin ascended the throne, people said he was a tyrant, a merciless killer with no humanity. They pitied the woman in his harem, reduced to a plaything. One day, the tyrant suddenly began searching everywhere for doctors and medicine, but to no avail. That day, the Western Market was packed shoulder to shoulder, with everyone there to watch the emperor’s enemy be executed. Just as the blade was about to fall, someone came galloping from afar. His dragon robe was in disarray as he stumbled up to the prisoner, drew his sword, and held it to his enemy’s throat. “Save her.” The prisoner laughed smugly. “What will you give me in exchange?” “The empire, wealth and glory. Anything you want.” “I want you dead.” The long sword pierced the emperor’s heart. Blood spread across the ground, yet a smile curled his lips. Cui Yinyin, you’ll never forget me for as long as you live. *Reader’s guide: 1. Both leads are each other’s only romantic partners; happy ending. 2. A mystery-focused story with a strong female lead and standalone case arcs. The early chapters focus on investigations, while the later ones focus more on romance. 3. The male lead pretends to be a gentleman at first, but later becomes completely dark and twisted. He is quite ruthless before falling for the female lead, so please take note if that’s not for you. 4. A fictional historical setting with a chaotic mix of influences. Please don’t overanalyze the history. Theme: People are bound to meet again.