The Young Female Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review

[My new novel, The Arrogant Beauty, is open for advance reservations. The blurb is at the bottom~]

[Strong female lead, episodic mystery-solving]

[Focused on everyday life and ordinary people]

Three years ago, the Minister of War's corruption case rocked the entire court. Countless officials were implicated, exiled or imprisoned, with none escaping punishment.

Lin Qingru's father was the judge of the Dali Temple at the time and presided over the case.

Just as the truth was about to come to light, her father inexplicably bit through his tongue and died.

A missing tongue and a piece of malt candy that appeared from nowhere: Lin Qingru knew her father's death was not as simple as suicide.

The steadfast young woman followed in her father's footsteps, striving to join the Dali Temple and become the first female deputy minister of justice in the dynasty.

Mysterious cases kept arising in the capital. Lin Qingru saw the helplessness in the eyes of the common people.

A girl vanishes without a trace. A corpse is found floating by the river. A killer leaves behind a charred body with its eyes missing...

Just when there were no clues to follow, she noticed that Rong Shuo, a handsome man in white with an elegant bearing, kept appearing before her.

She watched Rong Shuo's flirtatious, tender gaze coldly. "This man is definitely a suspect!"

When the clues converged, the killer was unmasked. But Lin Qingru discovered that behind the lifting of the veil lay layer upon layer of deeper mysteries.

The familiar suicide by biting through the tongue. The familiar missing tongue. And the familiar malt candy...

Everything was connected to the corruption case from years ago.

The court was corrupt, with offices bought and sold. Some people were more frightening than swollen corpses and charred bodies with missing eyes.

Like demons, they gnawed at the people, sucking the flesh and blood from their bones.

Someone told her, "Lord Lin, one day you'll end up just like your father."

Lin Qingru's eyes held the same unwavering resolve as always. "I don't care."

"Then what do you care about?"

"A clear sky above, a clean world below."

The Arrogant Beauty

Nie Xiangyi, the eldest daughter of the Marquis Yongyi's household, was willful, bold, and spoiled.

Despite being nothing but a pretty face with no real skills, she loudly insisted she would marry the renowned Third Prince, Xie Zhi.

By then, the whole capital knew about it, and everyone laughed at Nie Xiangyi for indulging in a delusional crush.

Everyone knew Xie Zhi was as graceful and refined as a jade tree, aloof and noble. Like a cold moon in the heavens, he was naturally beyond anyone's reach.

But by a twist of fate, Nie Xiangyi was drugged and had no choice but to ask Xie Zhi for help.

The usually ill-tempered, spoiled young lady softened her voice. With no strength left, she could only cling to his neck, eyes brimming with tears and voice breaking as she spoke.

"Xie Zhi, please help me..."

Later, the emperor granted them a marriage, sealing their match.

After their wedding, even though he remained distant and indifferent, Nie Xiangyi was still full of passion for him.

It was all because, as a girl, she had fallen for him at first sight during the Lantern Festival.

By chance, Nie Xiangyi overheard him talking about her to someone else.

Xie Zhi's voice was cold and impatient. "I've hated her for a long time."

It was like having a bucket of cold water dumped over her head.

She had thought he was simply aloof by nature, but it turned out that he just hated her.

Furious and teary-eyed, Nie Xiangyi sent Xie Zhi a letter of separation.

*

Ever since childhood, Xie Zhi had been taught how to be a good prince.

To follow the rules and keep his emotions in check.

Until Nie Xiangyi barged into his life, making herself impossible to ignore.

He hated her spoiled, willful ways, hated her brazen recklessness.

He hated her fickleness.

He hated that she liked the young master of the Wang family today and set her sights on a young man from the Pei family tomorrow.

He hated her even more for...

Making him lose his composure on the day she was drugged.

Tearing away the mask of indifference he had worn so carefully.

When a letter breaking off the engagement was placed before him, everyone breathed a sigh of relief for him, glad he was finally free of the spoiled girl's clingy pursuit.

But who would have guessed that the usually aloof and self-possessed Xie Zhi would block Nie Xiangyi's way out of the capital, his eyes dark and unreadable, his voice cold as ice?

"Where do you think you're going?"

You were the one who started this. How can I let you get away so easily?

Theme: Women should be strong and self-reliant.