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This novel consists of three parts: Part A (what they said), Part B (what Yang Shen said), and Appendix (notes of writing). It revolves around the Ming Dynasty criminal law of "Tingzhang" and lays out the system, customs and atmosphere of the government and the public in the Ming Dynasty. It narrates the ups and downs of Yang Sheng'an's life from multiple perspectives, highlighting the character and talent of Yang Sheng'an as a scholar.

In 1644 AD, war broke out all over the land of China, and heroes stood side by side, devastated... From the fall of Chongzhen to the failure of Li Zicheng; from the painstaking efforts of Nurhachi and his descendants to the intrigues of the small court of the Southern Ming Dynasty; from the traditional Chinese literati after the fall of the Ming Dynasty. From the different reactions to the generosity and tragedy of the people at the bottom who "know that there is no way to do anything but do it", the author describes to us the historical silhouette of a tragic era from six different angles, with a fresh, delicate but slightly heavy style unique to a professional writer.

The Qin people were originally a weak tribe living in the "Xicui". After hundreds of years of twists and turns, they gradually grew and rose in the west, becoming the hegemon of the west, and then unified the six countries. The Qin people moved their capitals eight times, from Qinyi, the first true capital, to Xianyang, the last capital, and made arduous efforts to gain space, strive for hegemony eastward, and make strategic progress. The author follows the migration trajectory of the Qin people, looking for clues about the Qin people left on the ground, and discovers the remaining traces of the Qin people in folk customs and culture. Through the search, investigation, and analysis of geography, he discovers the accidental and inevitable reasons why the Qin State grew from small to large, from weak to strong, and finally unified the six countries.

This book is a collection of the latest historical essays by the well-known historical writer Nie Zuoping. It takes the late Ming Dynasty as the background and observes the deeds of the monarchs, ministers, soldiers and civilians in the last days. It either calmly explains, or laughs and curses, directly stating the historical truth and embodying the feelings of the world. Most of what is said and discussed is common sense in life, which is enough to make people think.