The Case of the Vermilion Hairpin

[The Foodie Detective Story, The Little Eatery Across from the Yamen, is now serializing! Please add it to your collection~] Blurb [Unaware of her own charms, a beautiful litigator x clingy, jealous county magistrate who is a little sweetheart] Taoyuan County lies in a remote area. It is home to Su Qiyue, a gifted litigator with an extraordinary talent for poetry. She is resourceful and can see through the truth. Her sharp tongue also helps her clear the names of the wrongfully accused. Unfortunately, a lazy county magistrate was recently transferred here. He takes his time eating, drinking, and having fun, and doesn't care about the latest cases. After much effort, he finally handled a horse theft case, and now another case has come along. Litigators have no authority, so Su Qiyue can only push the lazy magistrate to work with her to solve the case. The cases are baffling. Su Qiyue skillfully examines corpses, identifies the real culprit behind a corpse-dumping case in court, and uncovers the truth behind a supposed suicide by hanging beside a new grave. Gradually, Su Qiyue's reputation grows, until everyone knows that Taoyuan County has a litigator named Su. Spring turns to autumn. She leaves Taoyuan County to take the imperial exams, and one unsolved case after another comes her way: the disappearance of a woman, a dismemberment in a busy street... With an unwavering sense of justice, she solves wrongful cases and writes petition after petition for the people. From then on, the title of "Number One Litigator" makes her famous far and wide. She helps the top scorer in the imperial exams, submits a petition signed by thousands, and investigates unsolved cases, all while uncovering the mastermind behind the military pay scandal from her previous life. It turns out that Su the litigator is herself a victim of injustice. But there is one thing even Su herself never expected. That lazy county magistrate came after her! * Taoyuan County is nestled among mountains and rivers, a land blessed with outstanding people. Gu Qingfeng, a humble county magistrate, thinks the place is lovely and comes to admire the flowers and scenery and sample its heavenly peaches. He never expected to be dragged to a crime scene by a certain Su litigator before he had even warmed the seat in the courtroom. Others describe Su Qiyue as dazzlingly talented and peerlessly beautiful. Gu Qingfeng describes Su Qiyue as strong enough to lift a cauldron, a big eater, and a highly skilled professional. He had planned to eat, drink, and have fun, and live like a lazy fish, but this Su litigator says: "Lord Gu, there are some suspicious points in this case." "Ahem, indeed there are." Gu Qingfeng turns his gaze from the scenery and pretends to ponder. "Lord Gu, there's more to this than meets the eye." "Yes, yes, truly incredible." Gu Qingfeng stops slacking off and takes a serious look at the scene. "Lord Gu, this is about getting justice for the people." "Justice for the people!" From then on, Gu Qingfeng takes the lead and makes "getting justice for the people" his ultimate goal. After Su the litigator leaves, Gu Qingfeng opens his eyes and cannot see her, then closes them and finds his thoughts filled with her. He quickly packs his things. Time to chase after her! Time passes, and Lord Gu finally gets his wish. But then... Su the litigator presses him back by the neck. The jade pendant hanging from his neck brushes against her, making her itch. The room is filled with passion, spring in full bloom. "...If you want to discuss a case, then let's discuss a case... Just go outside first..." Reading Guide: 1. A light ensemble cast, with dedicated little biographies for the minor characters. 2. A day-to-day detective story, one-on-one romance with both leads having no prior partners. A sweet romance. The heroine is stronger in the first half, and both leads are strong in the second. 3. The cases are simple, not brain teasers. 4. The sunny male lead heals the heroine, while the heroine teaches him how to solve cases and guides him. They save each other and grow together. 5. Set in an imaginary dynasty, mostly inspired by the Song Dynasty. Women are allowed to take the imperial exams. Shen Yanhuai opens her eyes and finds herself in another body, as an orphan. With no one to rely on, she is supposed to marry a fool. Luckily, her grandmother loves her and cuts ties with the rest of the family, cherishing her like the apple of her eye. The whole family is kind, and a little rice-ball of a younger sister follows her around every day. But it won't work to keep supporting one more person like this forever. She needs to earn some money. Salted, dried meat with spicy, sour, and savory flavors. Crispy fried quail, juicy and tender. Rabbit braised in soy sauce, glossy and red. Crab with pearl-like roe, smooth, fragrant, and sweet. First she sets up a snack stall, then opens a little eatery. Business thrives, and life keeps getting better. It's just that Qingyun County isn't very peaceful. And the county magistrate comes by three times a day. Doesn't the county yamen have a cafeteria? * Xie Ying, an eighteen-year-old top scholar, is famous throughout Bianliang. The moment he enters officialdom, all he does is fight. Today he fights the conservatives, tomorrow the centrists... Everyone says, "Lord Xie is full of fighting spirit every single day!" He works diligently for the country and its people. Then an imperial decree arrives, demoting him again and again. Xie Ying: To hell with it... Let whoever wants to fight do it! He had planned to lie low in a small county forever, playing a county magistrate who seemed a little foolish. But why are there cases every day? And why is the food made by Shen, the young proprietress of the little eatery, so delicious, and her corpse examinations so impressive? After eating, he feels full of fighting spirit! Later, red candles shine bright, and the dragon and phoenix bring good fortune. Shen becomes his wife. Fine, he'll get back up and keep fighting. He'll earn his wife an official title. Theme: Even little people can make waves