The Green Ghost

My new novel, "After the Demolition, My Whole Family Made the Pig-Butchering Scam List," is now open for pre-orders in my author profile. Please also add my upcoming novel, "Can Infinite Failures Only Deduct Love?" to your collection. Thank you!~ P.S. The story is told in reverse chronological order. The Crown Prince and others appear starting in the middle volume. The first volume follows a county-town murder investigation, gradually advancing the plot and bringing old events to light. The stone bridge in Fucheng was slick with ice, and the handsome young man riding a fat donkey fell into the water. When he awoke, he found himself lying on a bed, with a naked, plump woman beside him, lying perfectly still. She had been brutally murdered. Adultery and murder, heinous crimes indeed, yet this man boasted, "I have someone powerful backing me!" After the pretty young man proved his innocence and solved the case, a young constable found a county magistrate's appointment letter in his luggage. The people of Fucheng were abuzz with talk. They were convinced that although their county magistrate looked slick and pretty, with rosy lips and pearly teeth, he was actually a man of great insight and substance. Fucheng was fortunate to have him. Days later, the people of Fucheng were abuzz again: whenever there was a wedding or funeral banquet in town, that corrupt official was sure to show up, and there was always a murder. Fucheng was doomed! Later, they realized he looked like someone, a criminal who had been executed long ago. On a freezing snowy day in the bustling capital, a shackled prisoner was being escorted past a grand and splendid royal wedding procession. The Crown Prince, once his page, lowered his head on horseback and saw the prisoner's toenail-less bare feet leaving a trail of blood. In the bridal carriage, his betrothed lowered her gaze, serene as polished jade, while their lives seemed like a dream. The foremost clan in the realm, a peerless orchid of refinement, had murdered his elder brother and grandfather, seized power for personal gain, betrayed his lover, and consorted with a prostitute. He got exactly what he deserved! P.S. A woman-disguised-as-a-man story. There is a romance, but it isn't the focus. The main plot is about solving crimes. P.S. This is a short story written for fun. If it's not your thing, feel free to leave. There's no need to announce in the comments that you're dropping it. Also, please don't send unsolicited writing advice. My writing being poor is my own fault, but I won't magically learn just because someone gives me pointers. Everyone thinks differently. If anyone makes snap judgments based on extreme labels, I'll write a long explanation in the comments. If I really am in the wrong, I'll write a long apology too. I believe in addressing things on their merits, but I really don't want to be saddled with blame. I've been writing strong female leads for ten years, and I'm not coming back just to be tagged with some disgusting labels. Please forgive me if that offends you. Announcement: A new book launches on June 15. It's a short historical crime-romance called "Spring Holds Snow." It will be very short. I can't manage a long novel right now, so I'm writing short stories as a transition. Its style is similar to "Qing Ke Fu Tu" and "Qing Gui": a dignified, restrained, absolutely brilliant widow (her husband faked his death), a wealthy woman, versus a beautiful but fiery young heir to the Prince's mansion, whose martial prowess is unmatched and who is particularly good at eating his words. The plot moves quickly through investigations and a forbidden romance full of tension. Two ruthless, ambitious father-and-son warriors from the Prince's mansion, who once fought for power and wealth, become utterly captivated by a pair of irresistible mother and daughter (not biologically related), and go on a wild spree of fending off countless suitors. Here are some content notes. First: There is a male lead. Second: The power imbalance is intense, but the women turn the tables and make the best choices for power, wealth, and their own needs. This is not a traditional historical romance about delicate, helpless women. Third: The mother and daughter are both truly bewitching. The mother is pure, irresistible charm, while the daughter is a poised, intelligent, top-tier wife. Fourth: The heroine is truly a wife, and she has a daughter with her former husband. Her daughter is adorable. The male lead is stuck painfully between being her "older brother" and her "cousin," playing both Holmes and Liu Xiahui. Fifth: The former husband really does come back from the dead, setting off a dramatic reconciliation arc. The heroine will have a proper new fiance in the meantime. The male lead and former husband have no legitimate claim to her, but they fight like their lives depend on it, causing utter chaos. Sixth: This is an indulgent fantasy. Some parts aren't entirely proper, and both men and women have secret desires and weigh their options. Seventh: Power ultimately yields to personal feelings and desire. The emperor bows down to beg for love; the realm lies at his feet, and the one he loves is by his side. Theme: Investigate the truth and uphold justice.