Who's Playing Matchmaker? (A Mystery)

Matchmaking Master Gu Xingge, who always wins at pairing people up VS cold-faced, emotionally clueless Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Wei Huaizhou

They say the capital has two great nemeses.

Gu Xingge, an official in the Matchmaking Office, kicks cheating men to the curb, brings couples together, and ties every red string in the world.

Wei Huaizhou, Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, catches criminals with one hand and solves cases with the other, vowing to round up every villain in the capital.

They should have been a case of

one handling marriage, the other handling criminal justice;

one sending people to the altar, the other sending them to prison;

two parallel lines that would never cross.

But somehow, every match Gu Xingge makes ends up as a murder case in Wei Huaizhou's files.

Gu Xingge declares firmly, "They're a match made in heaven: compatible birth charts, suitable family backgrounds, and complementary personalities."

Wei Huaizhou opens a case file and sneers. "Hah. The groom killed someone yesterday."

Gu Xingge says confidently, "This couple is a match made in heaven. So many people hope they'll get married."

Wei Huaizhou raises an eyebrow. "A match made in heaven? The Court of Judicial Review arrested them both last month. They were imprisoned for murder and robbery."

Gu Xingge bristles. "The Court of Judicial Review deals with death, the Matchmaking Office deals with life. We have nothing to do with each other!"

Wei Huaizhou presses closer. "What a joke. Everyone you tie a red string for is about to end up in my prison."

The Matchmaking Office of the Ministry of Revenue VS the Court of Judicial Review: an epic showdown between two government departments.

Gu Xingge thinks this is just a professional rivalry, until one day she finds these words on the imperial decree of marriage in her hands:

"Gu Xingge, Clerk of the Ministry of Revenue, is hereby granted in marriage to Wei Huaizhou, Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

She looks up in disbelief. "Did someone make a mistake?"

Wei Huaizhou calmly folds up the decree. His gaze is deep, his tone mild. "No mistake."

He holds the decree, his eyes on her lips, and adds with a faint smile:

"This time, I'll be the one handling your marriage."

Gu Xingge almost chokes.

Coming soon: "An Utterly Ordinary Second-Place Scholar", a bickering-detective story

Since ancient times, the top scholar usually goes to the most capable candidate, the third-place scholar to the most handsome, and the second-place scholar... probably to whoever can work hardest, endure the most, and hold out the longest.

At any rate, that's the kind of second-place scholar Zheng Wuwang is.

She's inconspicuous and quiet, smiling wherever she goes, the very picture of an ordinary background character.

But who could have guessed that this second-place scholar has two enormous secrets?

First, she died once.

Second, she's a woman.

In her previous life, she was a peerlessly beautiful young lady from a prominent family. To save her family, she painfully married Li Hengzhi, a treacherous minister full of wicked schemes. In the end, she couldn't save her family and died as a result of his plotting.

Given another life, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Using the identity of her prematurely deceased brother, she enters the civil service. She plans to rely on her memories of her previous life and get by with a simple jinshi degree, enough to secure an official post and support her family.

But on the day of the palace examination, the emperor gets an impulse. He raises his hand and points at random...

And she becomes the second-place scholar!

The second-place scholar who does the most work but is remembered by the fewest people!

She nearly spits blood on the spot. But what can she do? She has no choice but to accept her fate and be an utterly ordinary second-place scholar. At least she'll have a living.

And then, to her surprise, one day she's assigned to the Ministry of Justice, where she becomes Li Hengzhi's subordinate.

Zheng Wuwang: ...Sure enough, fate's script is just as malicious as ever.

Reader's Guide:

1. One-on-one romance, happy ending

2. Set in a fictional world, with original worldbuilding

3. This story will not be abandoned. I will definitely finish it.

Premise: Sincere feelings will eventually be seen.