Little Fox vs. Pretending-to-be-Proper Type
(Plot version)
On New Year's Day, colorful decorations hung from the palace walls, and a hurried report from the northwest shattered the joyous hubbub of the morning court.
The northwestern troops had run out of salt, and a major salt-smuggling case had come to light. The emperor was enraged and immediately ordered a thorough investigation.
The court was in an uproar. No one had expected the emperor to personally appoint Lu Guanhuai, an editor at the Hanlin Academy, as imperial commissioner and send him south to investigate.
The case concerned the nation's foundations and the security of its borders, yet the commissioner sent to investigate was an editor at the Hanlin Academy. Rumors swept through court.
On his way to investigate, the much-doubted Lord Lu was stopped by a poor, helpless girl. Her mother was in prison, she had nothing to her name, and she had nowhere else to turn.
Amid the perilous intrigue, Lord Lu was ambushed. As a blade flashed toward him, the girl risked her life to take the blow.
From then on, the girl was allowed to stay by his side and accompany him on the investigation.
She handled the salt-smuggling case with ease, rooted out evil officials at court, and cleansed the region of local criminal forces.
Later, he learned that her name was Youning, Chu Youning, the same name as the daughter of Prince Ning, a traitor at court.
(Romance version)
When they first met, Youning stopped his carriage and begged for help, but Lu Guanhuai was unmoved.
During an assassination attempt, she took a sword blow for him. Lu Guanhuai was impressed by her courage and let her accompany him.
Later, beneath the moonlight, Youning stood by the riverbank, her hair dancing in the breeze. Her dark eyes were like lustrous jade, her face radiant in the light. Lu Guanhuai could only think of the fragrance of pear blossoms, and for a long time he could not calm himself.
Later still, amid the splendor atop the jade steps and high terraces, where riches beyond measure lay within reach, she said that the heights were too cold. From then on, he gazed at her as if she were a lofty mountain, and loved her with all his heart.
"The heights are too cold" comes from Su Shi's "Water Melody."
"Like lustrous jade, radiant in the light" is adapted from "She walks as if on a mountain of jade, radiant in the light" (originally from A New Account of Tales of the World).
A story about someone who plays the pig to eat the tiger, with light political intrigue.
Many original details, set in an imaginary history.
Not a mystery or case-solving story. The author is bad at writing blurbs.
Includes a transmigrate-into-a-book plotline for a character who is not the protagonist.
Theme: To establish our hearts for heaven and earth, secure life and fortune for the people, stay true to our original aspirations, and uphold justice
I hope the author will write better chapters, there are too few and not enough to read!