Mu Chen, a third-year history student, pulled an all-nighter working on his thesis. When he opened his eyes, he had become a scapegoat in an ancient prison for condemned criminals. The original owner had been implicated in an imperial examination cheating scandal and a case involving secret letters from the border. He was due to be executed in three days. Armed with half a history book, a head full of miscellaneous knowledge, and a silver tongue, Mu Chen goes from overturning his conviction through an examination of the victim's injuries to securing provisions through business maneuvering, stirring up trouble at court after starting with minor county cases. Cautious and afraid of death, he is a wisecracking softie, yet every step takes him deeper into a bigger game. Who was behind the secret letters? Why was a name missing from the examination list? Why had the urgent report from the border arrived three days early? Just when everyone thinks he's a pawn, Mu Chen flips the board.
