Spring Moon in the Capital

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Xu Qingyue was the daughter of a county magistrate, loved by her parents from childhood. But after a great fire, her parents were gone in a single night, and she became an orphan.

Before her mother died, she made Xu Qingyue promise to find her elder brother. Enduring her grief, she set out alone for the capital to search for her missing brother.

After arriving in the capital, she made inquiries.

The good news: her brother was still alive.

The bad news: her brother had been implicated in an imperial examination fraud case, and was to be executed after the autumn harvest!

Wh-what on earth had happened?

*

A little scene:

First year of Jinghe, Qinghe County

"Have you heard? There was a fire at Magistrate Xu's residence last night. More than a dozen people in the household were all murdered! Even Miss Xu, whose cases were always solved with divine insight, died in the flames..."

Everyone sighed, and they all started asking at once: "What about the eldest son, Young Master Xu? Didn't he go to the capital to take the examinations?"

The speaker sighed. After a long pause, he said, "No one knows whether Young Master Xu is alive or dead. The capital is a place that devours people without even spitting out their bones..."

"How tragic. Magistrate Xu was such an upright and incorruptible official, a good man who devoted himself to the people. Who could have been so cruel as to do this to him..."

"Indeed..." A woman nearby secretly wiped away her tears.

Xu Qingyue wore a gray robe, her face smeared with mud so that no one could make out her features. She stood among the women, her heart already numb, while she gripped the dagger in her hand so tightly that blood immediately ran from her palm.

Her parents had died in a fire, and her brother had gone to the capital to take the examinations, only to disappear without a trace.

After that, she set out alone to find her brother, walking through the darkness by herself.

"Xu Qingyue, are you afraid? You'll encounter countless demons and monsters along the way. They'll take your life!"

"Afraid?" Xu Qingyue laughed in fury. "You want me dead? It won't be that easy! Let them all come! If they dare block my way, I, Xu Qingyue, will kill any god or ghost that stands in my path!"

*

To everyone else, Ji Lin, Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, is utterly cold and ruthless. Even so, he is still the most sought-after husband among the capital's noble young ladies.

Ji Lin only sneers when he hears this. They must only be after his power and status.

Ever since his father died on the battlefield and his mother took her own life in grief, he has cut himself off from love. What is love, anyway? Nothing but an obstacle!

Until one day, the woman he casually rescued turns out to be Miss Xu, who was supposedly burned to death in the Qinghe County tragedy?

1. The heroine is searching for her brother. The plot takes precedence over the romance.

2. The heroine is clear-headed and independent, brave and resourceful, and decisive. Both leads are strong.

3. The two fall in love over time. The cool and reserved male lead restrains himself for love.

Here's a preview of my upcoming novel, Records of Huaiyang. If you're interested, visit my author page and add it to your collection~

The newly appointed top scholar, Wei Yunzhou, wants to escape the marriage his family plans to arrange for him. He has no interest in it, so he requests a post in Jiangzhou's Huaiyang County, where he can serve as a humble county magistrate. After enduring countless hardships to reach Huaiyang County in Jiangzhou, he is stunned.

This isn't a quiet place to escape to. It's a death sentence!

Wasn't Jiangzhou's Huaiyang County supposed to have simple, honest customs and happy, peaceful people?

Why are the people here so unreasonable and overbearing?

It turns out that since the previous county magistrate died, no one has taken up the post for two years. During that time, the county has seen countless cases of murder, both large and small. The townspeople have suffered terribly. Once night falls, everyone puts out their lamps and hides at home, afraid to go outside in case something happens to them and they meet their end.

Recently, the most talked-about case in town has been a strange one. For days, a woman's corpse has floated to the surface of the Fen River every day. Wei Yunzhou orders his men to retrieve no fewer than twenty-eight female corpses, throwing the entire population into panic.

Th-this... What are they supposed to do?

The townspeople are terrified, and after that, they are afraid to go out even in daylight.

Wei Yunzhou only frowns, silently swearing that he will bring the murderer to justice!

He goes out early and returns late each day. Ten days pass, and he still has nothing to show for it. Then one day, he notices a suspicious woman. The corner of her mouth is curled in a faint, unreadable smile as she looks at him. When he comes to his senses, she has vanished.

Who is she?

Could she... be the murderer?

Qin Zheng looks at the man before her with a cold smile, sizing him up for a long moment. She thinks to herself that he is fairly handsome, but unfortunately, he is far too rigid and doesn't seem very bright either. Before her elder sister died, she said that only he could help her.

What exactly has her sister been hiding from her?

She means to find out what this man is capable of.

1. A suspenseful anthology-style novel, driven by the plot.

2. The heroine's elder sister was murdered, and the case is shrouded in mystery.

3. The leads have only ever been with each other. They solve cases together and search for the real culprit.

Theme: Stay clear-headed, independent, and strong even in adversity