Novels like The Bone Painter
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Bone Painter, best match first.
- 101 The Young Detective’s Strange Casebook 少年奇冤录 (This book is entirely fictionalized.) A future warrior known as the God of Crime Solving transmigrates to the Song Dynasty and takes over the body of a young man. Watch as he defies the powerful, fearlessly seeks the truth, and solves the mysteries that have long gone unexplained. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 102 Di Renjie's Casebook: Solving Mysteries with Corpse Speech, Judging the Fate of All Under Heaven 大唐狄刑录：尸语破诡，权断乾坤 A modern forensic examiner transmigrates to the Wu Zhou era and becomes a lowly coroner nobody respects! One bizarre case after another, all written off as “vengeful ghosts claiming lives,” drives the Tang court's justice system to the brink! “The dead cannot speak, but their bodies bear witness!” Massacres, serial murders, court conspiracies... Armed with nothing but an autopsy knife, he face-slaps the powerful, tears apart rebel factions, helps Judge Di restore order, and becomes the Tang Dyna 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 103 I'm Socially Anxious, and I Traveled Back to Ancient Times to Solve Crimes? 我一个社恐，穿到古代去破案？ The male lead, Han Shenzhi, is a highly intelligent modern man with severe social anxiety who enjoys solving mysteries in his spare time. By accident, he transmigrates into the body of an ancient official, also named Han Shenzhi, who is responsible for solving crimes. His understanding parents dote on him, and he has a mischievous younger brother, Han Jingyu. While investigating a case, he meets the clever, lively, kind, and beautiful heroine, Shen Xiaoxiao. Together, they encounter all kinds of 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 104 The Noblewoman Coroner 权门女仵作 A forensic medicine doctor accidentally transmigrates into the body of the capital's most famous daughter of an influential family, becoming its foremost female coroner. A skeleton in the lake with an unknown cause of death? A single zither string that kills with its eerie sound? Watch her boil bones to test for poison, solve cases with a keen eye, punish bullies, fight corrupt officials, and expose corrupt clerks to clear the names of the wrongfully accused! But the Duke is not pleased! “Your o 359Reads6.1Score10714d adds
- 105 The Days I Spent Solving Cases in Ancient Times 在古代探案的日子 [A devoted, super-sweet romance; no misunderstandings, just solving cases] Modern forensic pathologist Shen Xian'an transmigrated to Beiyang and was doing just fine as a low-ranking county magistrate. She spent her days solving old unsolved cases, collecting her monthly salary, and enjoying a little wine. Life was comfortable and easy. Then one day, an imperial edict suddenly summoned her back to the capital, where she was ordered to investigate the Crown Prince's murder alongside the Third Prin 230Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 106 I Transmigrated into a Female Coroner and Fell for My Ice-Cold Boss 穿越成女仵作，与冰块上司谈恋爱 [Transmigration + mystery + crime-solving + sweet romance + devoted couple] Modern forensic examiner Su Lanfu transmigrates and becomes a coroner at the Dali Temple. To find the real culprit behind her sister's murder, she must track down the mysterious Plum Blossom Society of the martial world. But the icy, hard-to-please Dali Temple Minister is no easy person to work for, and she has to tread carefully just to get by under him. Yet after they solve one baffling case after another at the Dali 118Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 107 After I Transmigrated, I Worked at the Dali Temple 穿越后我在大理寺打工 (Main story complete) [No romance for the protagonist + a touch of secret identities + amnesia + ghost hunting + case solving + a hint of an ensemble cast] (Note: The protagonist has no romance, no romance, no romance! Supporting characters do!) Yun Qing, an overworked wage slave, transmigrates one day and lands two government jobs. In the world of the living, he is a junior minister at the Court of Judicial Review. In the underworld, he is a soul reaper. Every day, he is either solving cases or 146Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 108 The Great Ming Case Files 大明奇案 Modern police detective Liang Fei is caught in an accident and transmigrates into the body of Tang Shaolin, a newly appointed second-place palace graduate, five hundred years in the past, during the Ming Dynasty. He soon becomes a seventh-rank county magistrate and enters the world of officialdom. Reborn as Tang Shaolin, he cracks strange cases, clears wrongful convictions, fears no powerful enemies, and rises steadily through the ranks... 187Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 109 Records from the Ward 坊中录 Ye Xiaoyu, a scatterbrained coroner’s daughter, and An Moli, the cool-headed yet warm-hearted Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, are two people who could hardly seem less suited to one another. One is searching for her master, while the other is investigating the death of a loved one. Their paths cross, and together they solve one strange case after another and unravel the mystery of the butterflies. 247Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 110 The County Magistrate's Wife's Casebook 县夫人探案手札 Qingyuan County is a poor, remote backwater, yet murder after murder keeps taking place. One baffling case follows another. From the distant reaches of the martial world to the highest halls of government, an even greater conspiracy lies behind the truth. Princess Huarong, fleeing an arranged marriage, accidentally becomes the county magistrate's wife. Together with her husband, whom she married by chance, she solves one strange case after another. Though her husband is only a minor official, he 4.6kReads8.6Score48814d adds
- 111 A Small Town of Clear Waters, Kind People, and Countless Murders 小镇水清人善多命案 [Mystery-focused, with a touch of romance, an everyday writing style, and a warning for readers who care about historical accuracy] One night, unnoticed by anyone, Granny Qiao, a widow who had been ill for years, died in Willow Lane in Pingxiang County. Did she die of illness, or was there more to it? What stories lie behind the cases of the corpse in the dry well, the missing girl, and the man of unknown identity? Beneath the seemingly peaceful and harmonious surface of Pingxiang County, how ma 382Reads8.3Score10214d adds
- 112 The Forensics Expert Is Too Good at Flirting, and the Coroner Is Acting Strange 仵作大佬太能撩，验尸官他不对劲 [Mystery Solving + Deduction + Redemption + Everyone Pursues Their Ambitions + Sapiosexual Romance] Shen Yan, the renowned “mute detective” of Qingzhou City. He is used to protecting people in the clumsiest ways. When she is being bullied, he quietly steps in front of her. Even when offering her a piece of osmanthus cake, he has to claim he “bought too much.” Su Wan, a fiery, forthright little pepper with a Northeastern accent. The stubbornness of an orphan lies beneath her autopsy knife. She r —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 113 The Dali Temple Mascot Has Come to Life 大理寺吉祥物成精了 [Mystery and deduction + ancient forensic investigation + two strong leads] A quirky young woman who is a stone lioness x the aloof chief of the Court of Judicial Review. With her uncanny ability to spot clues in the dust, Jixiang joins forces with the “ghost catcher” Pei Yanzhou to crack one strange case after another: the grieving blood coffin, the Yin-Yang Bodhi, the curse of the stone stele, the beauty of the haunted village, the butterfly bones of the Flower Festival, and rouge-fueled obses 79Reads—Score—14d adds
- 114 The Song Dynasty’s Strange Case Files: The Drum of the Ninth Heaven 大宋诡案录之九霄鼓 At the first drumbeat, grass and trees spring to life. At the second, memories fade to blank. At the third, old wounds reopen. At the fourth, songs and music pass away. At the fifth, one prays to the heavens. At the sixth, the heart’s secrets become clear. At the seventh, light stirs in the dark. At the eighth, the road disappears from view. At the ninth, flowers bloom on the other shore. Some say the Nine Heavens Drum is a person. Some say it is a treasure. Others say that finding it will make 102Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 115 Through Clouds and Mists: Case Files of the Dali Temple 穿云破雾之大理寺探案录 [Mystery + Crime-Solving + Historical Setting] The transmigration plot Huo Ziyu got was nothing like the ones in novels. Other people transmigrate into noble or imperial families, but she ended up in the body of a ten-year-old farm girl. After six or seven years of country life, Huo Ziyu had planned to live out her days there, only to be told that “her” father was a high-ranking official in the capital and that she should hurry there to find him. And so Huo Ziyu set off on a long journey to find 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 116 The Beauty's Cloak 美人披 Fu Qianhu, a handsome and talented member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is known for his exceptional abilities. Word has it that back in his hometown, he has an unmarried fiancée who’s beautiful and quite the handful. To force Fu Qianhu to return and marry her, she’s sent him thirty-seven letters breaking off their engagement over the past three years. In her latest letter, she says she’s run into trouble that can only be resolved by getting married. Fu Qianhu doesn’t believe her. But later, 68Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 117 The Great Hong Dynasty's First Female Magistrate 大宏第一女刑官 The heroine, Hua Tang, admired the dean, the Grand Princess of the reigning dynasty, who was murdered. But with no status or influence, Hua Tang has no way to continue investigating the case. The hero, Ji Ming, is the son of the late Prince Ding. Falsely accused and imprisoned, he is fortunate to have the heroine clear his name. Afterward, the heroine leads six companions in founding the Netherworld Hall. Together, they solve one strange case after another. Each of the six has their own psycholo 107Reads—Score—14d adds
- 118 A Female Constable Comes to the Dali Temple 大理寺来了个女捕快 Huo Mingyue, the ambitious daughter of the Minister of Justice, forges a recommendation letter from the Ministry of Justice and joins the Dali Temple to escape being pressured into marriage. She teams up with the nation’s dream man, Shaoqing Pei Youyan, to solve a string of murders. But the cases turn out not to be isolated incidents: they are all connected and point directly to a shocking conspiracy that could bring down the kingdom. 76Reads—Score—14d adds
- 119 The Painter Transmigrates and Goes on a Killing Spree from the Start 画师穿越，开局就杀疯了 [Transmigration into a fictional world + Portrait Artist + Mystery Solving + Sweet Romance + One-on-One, Both Pure] In her previous life, portrait artist Ge Yunshuang died in the line of duty. She transmigrates into the body of Ge Yunshuang, an orphan in ancient times. After her vile relatives give her a hard time, she shows what she can do, only to be spotted by Pei Yuan, a Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review who has come to investigate a case. When they meet again, they are caught 38Reads—Score—14d adds
- 120 The Lie-Flat Female Coroner Cracks a Major Case 躺平的女仵作破大案 [Female coroner + emperor’s illegitimate son + solving cases + fiercely protective] A scream shattered the quiet of dawn. “Someone’s dead…” A woman stumbled and crawled toward the doorway. Behind her was a blood-soaked severed head, its twisted face turned toward her front door. “Time to work. Wake up!” The coroner, Fang Yuan, knocked on his daughter’s door. Fang Xiaoqi sat up in bed. “Coming!” Fang Xiaoqi was an orphan with no memory, adopted by Fang Yuan, a coroner who had no children of his o 86Reads—Score—14d adds
- 121 The Brocade-Clad Coroner 锦衣仵作 Cases within cases, plots within plots, conspiracies and traps, where good and evil are hard to tell apart... The capital's treason case, the dismembered corpse case, the Pingyin Rose case, the heart-stealing case, the poison case, the disappearance case, the antiques shop case, the painted-face case... Each link leads to the next, with clues woven subtly throughout and threads reaching far into the past. The chivalrous spirit of the martial world, the treacherous currents of the court, the rig 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 122 The Chief Secretary’s Police Detective Wife 首辅的刑警妻 [Marriage First, Love Later]+ [Strong Female Lead, Feel-Good Story]+ [Portable Space]+ [Both Leads Are Chaste]+ [Political Intrigue]+ [War]+ [Criminal Investigation] She was a special forces soldier in the 21st century. After retiring, she became a tough female detective, but died during an operation because of a moment of carelessness. When she awoke, she had become a country girl. See how she rises from the ashes, thrives in an unfamiliar world, and even earns a noble title and a high-ranking 100Reads7.6Score—14d adds
- 123 Tang Dynasty Lady Official: Strange Cases in Chang’an 大唐女官：长安诡事 The Chang’an ghost market is home to beautiful mermaids from the South Sea, fresh placenta that can help people stay forever young, and soul-returning incense worth a fortune that allows communication between the living and the dead… In a remote town, a bride in red is locked in an iron cage… A hundred-legged god is worshipped by the locals with countless treasures… Strange tales and supernatural arts. As night falls, who is whispering? Many years later. In a bamboo hut on Zhongnan Mountain Lin 76Reads—Score—14d adds
- 124 Home and Away: Reborn as a Vengeful Miracle Doctor 家里家外：重生后我成了复仇神医 Between Home and the World: After Being Reborn, I Became a Vengeful Miracle Doctor 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 125 Nan Yin Makes Another Vow 南音再许. Nanyin Makes Another Wish. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 126 Detective Situ Jun 神探司徒俊 On the very first day of his new post, top-ranked scholar and county magistrate Situ Jun is mistaken for a thief by Yan Yan, a female constable with superhuman strength, who knocks out one of his front teeth. The magistrate’s little dog, Dahuang, also gets into a fight with the constable’s tabby cat. Though they seem destined to clash, the two turn out to be a perfectly matched team, solving countless cases together. Cases pile up, from the human-skin lantern and the serial murders at Qixia Temp 120Reads8.3Score—14d adds
- 127 A Rookie Constable’s Case-by-Case Journal 小捕快的案情流水账 Modern lawyer Zhang Wei transmigrates to ancient times and becomes a low-ranking constable. Through his experiences investigating cases and hearing trials, as well as the small cases he handles, the story also reveals how ordinary people lived in ancient times. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 128 Seeking the Killer: Yingyan's Case Files 萤衍寻凶【探案】 [Mystery + standalone murder cases + transmigrated forensic examiner + formidable partners solving cases + political intrigue] Modern top forensic examiner Jiang Nianying unexpectedly transmigrates into the body of an orphan. Using her superb autopsy skills, she clears Xiao Yan of the false accusations against him. She joins his service and accompanies him to the capital, where they solve one serial murder case and twisted human schemes after another. He wields power to protect her, and together 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 129 Rivalry: The Famous Detectives Face Off, Part Two 宿敌外传二之名捕大对决 A collection of short wuxia stories featuring eight tales: “The Skeleton Painting,” “Cold River,” “The Meeting at Tan Pavilion,” “Broken Dream Blade,” “A Grand Affair,” “Flowers in Bloom and Fade,” “Beating the Tiger,” and “Catching the Rat.” Each story has a different protagonist and a different plot. 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 130 The Female Coroner Has Arrived 女仵作驾到 A female coroner disguised as a man meets the biggest thorn in her side. This rich young master is slick-tongued, frivolous, and a compulsive liar. Yet somehow, she has to travel to the capital with him? The young lady rubbed her forehead. “I'm just a lowly coroner. Please leave me alone, Young Master Gu.” Young Master Gu raised an eyebrow. “I don't think I will.” On the road to the capital, the authorities, assassins, the Six Fan Gate, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and all sorts of other playe 127Reads8.5Score—14d adds
- 131 The Cat Princess Judge: Reborn, I Make Every Villain Suffer 提刑喵妃：重生后我虐哭全员恶人 [Tags: reborn for revenge + mystery and deduction + strong heroine + sweet romance + adorable high-tech pet + political intrigue] On the execution ground, a blade pierced her heart. Su Wanqing returned, reborn with a heart full of boundless hatred! This time, she has a high-tech intelligent cat from the future named Xiaodingdang by her side. It can scan, analyze, and reconstruct crime scenes, while modern forensic knowledge arms her mind! Examining bones and solving strange cases, she advances 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 132 Wuxia Crossover: Conquering the World with the Eternal Spring Technique 综武：从不老长春功开始纵横天下 Su Xinghe transmigrates into Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. With his senior sister Li Qiushui's alluring eyes as sharp as knives, and his junior brother Ding Chunqiu hiding murderous intent, he is trapped in a desperate situation. His only path to survival is to steal the three supreme arts of the Xiaoyao Sect. The day he masters the [Everlasting Spring Skill], the entire world of martial arts begins to go off the rails: Wang Yuyan: "His techniques... actually surpass everything I know about marti 16Reads5.1Score314d adds
- 133 The Chele Youth Beneath Yin Mountain 阴山之下敕勒少年行 “The wolf pack is coming! Put away your riding crops and take up your bows!” Fifteen-year-old Tengger hears the warning at the horse-racing festival, but the Turkish cavalry has already shattered the peace of Chilechuan. To protect his tribe, he sets out on a path of revenge. During a bloody battle in the Yin Mountains, he meets Liu Wenyan, a scholar from the Central Plains, and Nalan Mingyue, a mysterious shaman. Together, they gradually uncover the dark conspiracy between the imperial court a —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 134 The Dali Temple Minister’s Botanical Witness 大理寺卿的植物证人 Botany assistant Lin Xiaoman transmigrates into the body of an orphan girl in ancient times and unexpectedly gains the ability to sense plants at crime scenes. To earn a living, she applies to become an apprentice coroner at the Dali Temple, but the aloof Assistant Minister Pei Yu keeps staring her down. “How did you know there was moss under the victim’s fingernails?” As she digs in the dirt, she bluffs, “My lord, I inferred it from the soil’s moisture!” Behind her, the roses shriek wildly: “Th 40Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 135 The Cold Case Princess: The Dead Never Lie to Me 冷案王妃：死人从不欺我 Forensic pathology PhD Wen Nanxu transmigrates into Jiang Nanxu, the ill-fated concubine-born daughter of the Marquis of Yongning. As a child, she was sent to the Jinxi funeral parlor, where she spent her days among corpses. The villagers’ superstitions say she brings misfortune to her family. Her heartless marquis household treats her as a pawn in an arranged marriage. Only Prince Chengyuan, Lu Shiyong, trusts her autopsy findings. “Do as she says. I’ll take full responsibility for any conseque 9.6kReads8.6Score1.2k14d adds
- 136 Yin Jiuniang, the Coroner 仵作阴九娘 A modern-day female forensic doctor transmigrates into the body of a destitute orphan and vows to expose those who framed loyal men. As soon as she returns to Chang'an, she encounters one murder case after another. Seeing that she has some skill, Magistrate Zheng Yecheng of Chang'an County asks her to help investigate. But she goes about picking up bones like they're treasures, humming a song and looking like she's having a great time. “Lift up your veil and let me see your bones. Your bones are 261Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 137 Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty: The Rebellious Son of the Cui Family 唐朝诡事录之崔家逆子 Don't be put off by the rating, it just came out! (Tang Dynasty Strange Tales fanfic + original plotline + standalone cases + making up for regrets) Among the great aristocratic clans under heaven, the Cui clan of Qinghe stands above all. For a hundred years, they have upheld the rites and passed down their traditions, earning praise for their noble character. But now there is a rebellious son of the Cui family who neglects the rites, loves nothing but banned books from the previous dynasty, and 5.5kReads6.2Score44014d adds
- 138 Setting the Record Straight: A History of Injustice in Ancient China 青史鉴冤：中国古代冤案录 [A somber, stirring lament for the loyal and upright; a record of wrongful convictions that offers profound lessons for history.] The annals shine bright, yet deeds cannot be concealed; wronged spirits linger, their tears of blood not yet dry. Drawing on historical records and clearing away a thousand years of mist, this book recounts wrongful cases through the ages: the tragic upheaval of Xia Qi’s overthrow of Boyi under the guise of abdication; the brutal deaths of Wu Qi and Shang Yang amid th 48Reads8.4Score714d adds
- 139 Nighttime Inquests: Secrets of Ancient Chinese Case Files 夜审乾坤：古代奇案秘闻 On the surface, the realm enjoys peace and prosperity. Beneath it, bizarre cases occur one after another. A single lawsuit uncovers a scandalous affair in a grand household. A coffin opened at midnight reveals a corpse with no shadow. A groom dies on the eve of his wedding. A playboy falsely accused of adultery is left to suffer injustice. A coroner who steals corpses to cheat death secretly plots misdeeds... Every case is shrouded in mystery. See how Censor Li Xing holds court at night and uses —Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 140 The Great Yong Dynasty's Female Forensic Doctor 大雍女法医 Modern forensic examiner Ye Zhenzhen transmigrates to a dynasty that never existed in history while on a mission. On the very day she arrives, her outstanding autopsy skills win her the favor of Prince Kang, The Outcast, a man who stands above everyone but the emperor. Treating it as a chance to travel in another world, Ye Zhenzhen happily joins Prince Kang on his secret tour. As they travel and solve cases, she gradually realizes that her transmigration was part of a plot all along... Just then 378Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 141 Dream Brook's Record of Strange Investigations 梦溪探异录 During the Northern Song dynasty, a boy named Shen Kuo sets out in pursuit of the truth after a strange calamity known as the Black Apparition. This learned man, hailed by later generations as “a landmark in the history of Chinese science,” led a life filled with mysteries far stranger than those recorded in Dream Pool Essays. From his years as a young scholar in Qiantang, Hangzhou, to the treacherous political currents of the court in Bianjing; from the smoke and flames of war on the northwes —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 142 Northern Song: I Solve Murder Cases with Medicine 北宋：我靠医术查命案 In the sixth year of Xining, in Mizhou City. The body of a blacksmith exposes a shocking conspiracy. Shen Yang, an eighteen-year-old medical officer, follows in his father’s footsteps, using his medical expertise to examine corpses, investigate cases, and hunt down criminals. Bai Ji, a fifteen-year-old girl disguised as a boy, meets him in Xinghua Village while seeking revenge for her father. The exemption levy was meant to benefit the people, but corrupt officials turned it into a cash cow. Thr —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 143 There Are Fish in the Northern Sea: A Mystery 北冥有鱼【探案】 Women had low status in ancient times, and female coroners were treated as the lowest of the low. After enduring years of torment from her family, Lin Feiyu ran away and spent eight years studying under an old coroner. Yet the authorities and the public still refused to accept or recognize her. After investigating a series of strange and uncanny cases with Cheng Yu, a fallen scion of a once-prominent family, including a prince’s death, a ghost groom, a mermaid’s tearful pearls, and a mysterious 785Reads8.9Score15014d adds
- 144 First-Rank Coroner: From the Start, I’m Dissecting the Crown Princess 一品仵作：开局解剖太子妃 Modern forensic pathologist Huang Xiaochuan dies suddenly after working overtime for days in a row. When he wakes, he has transmigrated into the Great Sheng Dynasty, becoming an obscure coroner's apprentice. From the start, he is hauled into the imperial court to examine the body of the Crown Princess, who died under mysterious circumstances. If he cannot uncover the truth within three days, he will be buried alongside her. Relying on modern forensic science and criminal psychology, he publicly 131Reads—Score—14d adds
- 145 Household Schemes: Not a Decent Soul in the Prince's Manor 宅斗，王府里没有一个好东西 Domestic power struggles: there isn’t a single decent person in the prince’s manor. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 146 I Hear the Dead's Thoughts, and the Six Fan Gate Can't Do Without Me 偷听尸体心声，六扇门离了我不行 Legend has it that the souls of those who died unjustly linger around their bodies for seven days. If they meet someone born with a celestial eye, that person can hear the dead speak and discern right from wrong! Bai Zhi thought it was just a legend, until one day she accidentally heard the thoughts of a corpse... a corpse? You've got to be kidding! She's just a coroner's apprentice, disguising herself as a man to work in her father's place. How did this supernatural ability end up with her? She 1.4kReads7.5Score16614d adds
- 147 The Great Ming Judge 大明刑王 The soul of a modern police officer transmigrates into the body of a condemned prisoner named Song Wuya, who is awaiting execution at the execution grounds. He does not, however, inherit the man's memories. Through a strange twist of fate, he ends up becoming a “police officer” in the Ming Dynasty, using modern knowledge and criminal investigation techniques to solve one bizarre case after another! 100Reads6.9Score—14d adds
- 148 Defying the Clan's Rules: A Record of Life and Death 逆改族训生死录 [Courtroom Power Plays] [Intellectual Romance] [Rule of Law and Rule of Ritual] [A Woman Disguised as a Man] [Mystery and Detective Cases] A female prosecutor transmigrates into another world. Armed with evidence and facts, legal principles and human compassion, she takes on a feudal dynasty and wins herself a host of devoted young admirers... and the hearts of nine hundred million women! [Synopsis] What? Every daughter of the Xiao family must be drowned? Even newborn girls? Because of... a cla —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 149 Solving Strange Cases in the Southern Song Dynasty 我在南宋探破诡案 Lin'an, during the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song. A bizarre fire consumes the entire household of Zhou Xianzong, an official in the Revenue Department, killing all twenty-seven members. The case is on the verge of being closed. Yue Lin, a vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review, examines the scene and unearths a twenty-eighth, unidentified skeleton deep beneath the rubble. A unique imperial gold-threaded glass bead is tied around its wrist, and the victim died long before the fire. As —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 150 The Strange Cases of Bianjing: Shen Mo 汴京诡案录沈墨 In the third year of the Xuanhe era, Bianjing. Rain fell in a fine, steady curtain in late spring, washing the bluestone slabs of Imperial Avenue outside the Vermilion Bird Gate until they gleamed faintly. The hour of the dog had just passed. Shops along the street were closing one by one, leaving only a few wind lanterns swaying beneath the eaves, turning the raindrops into golden threads. Shen Mo, a magistrate of the Kaifeng Prefecture, stood beside the third stone pillar west of Rainbow Bri —Reads—Score—14d adds
