A Crooked Tune

As the year drew to a close, news of a government official’s murder reached the capital, sending shock waves through the imperial court. Lu Zhuoguang accompanied the Ministry of Justice to Danyu to investigate the case. From the very beginning, the circumstances surrounding the murder were suspicious and full of strange details. However, the case itself was not the only thing troubling him. In order to assist with the investigation, the local deputy county magistrate introduced a woman named Zhou Xing. At first glance, she hardly seemed like a proper lady. Not only did she openly touch Lu Zhuoguang’s hand in front of a crowd, but she also showered him with sweet words without the slightest hint of restraint. Her flirtatious behavior made her intentions painfully obvious, as though she were constantly looking for an opportunity to do something inappropriate to him. Lu Zhuoguang was a scholar who had earned the title of xiucai through the imperial examination system. He was a man of letters who valued dignity and propriety. Yet here he was, being shamelessly flirted with in broad daylight, right in front of a crowd of people. What was even more outrageous was that not a single person stepped forward to defend his dignity or demand justice on his behalf. How could such an injustice be tolerated? To make matters worse, some people even had the nerve to offer him unsolicited advice. “It’s for the sake of important business. What’s the harm in putting up with it for a little while?” Lu Zhuoguang could hardly believe what he was hearing. Was being a scholar not enough to deserve some respect? Did helping with an official investigation mean he had to endure a woman’s outrageous advances without complaint? Unfortunately for him, Zhou Xing was not someone who would easily give up once she had set her sights on something—or someone. And so, amid a murder investigation filled with suspicious clues, political complications, and people whose motives were difficult to read, Lu Zhuoguang found himself facing an entirely different kind of trouble. One that was far more difficult to deal with than he had expected. After all, investigating a murder was one thing. Dealing with a woman who seemed determined to flirt with him at every opportunity was another matter entirely. The first time Zhou Xing met Lu Zhuoguang, he was dressed in a pristine white robe. His handsome features carried a gentle smile, and his manner of speaking was as soothing as a spring breeze and a light drizzle. He introduced himself with modesty and humility. “This humble scholar, Lu, possesses neither wealth nor ambition. I have spent my life learning to read and write, and earning the title of xiucai is already more than enough for me.” He appeared to be the very picture of a refined scholar: gentle, courteous, and content with a simple life. He seemed to have no grand ambitions, no desire for power, and no interest in the struggles of the world. To Zhou Xing, he looked like an ordinary, impoverished scholar who preferred books to worldly affairs. But appearances could be deceiving. One dark and windy night, Zhou Xing witnessed something that completely shattered her impression of him. There stood the very same Lu Xiucai, the man who had claimed to possess neither wealth nor ambition. In one hand, he held a freshly severed human head. In the other, he carried a book soaked in blood. Under the pale moonlight, he looked down at the bloodstained pages and muttered regretfully, “This is a rare edition by a renowned author. The writing is so stained that I can barely make out the words anymore. What a terrible waste. What am I supposed to do now?” He sounded genuinely distressed. Not because he was holding a severed head. Not because his hands were stained with blood. But because a precious, rare book had been ruined. At that moment, Zhou Xing finally realized that the gentle, unassuming scholar she had met was far more dangerous than he appeared. Perhaps his modesty was nothing more than a carefully constructed disguise. Perhaps beneath that mild smile and refined manner lay a mind capable of calculating every possible outcome. And perhaps the man who seemed least interested in power was precisely the kind of person no one should ever underestimate. After all, a person who could remain calm while holding a severed head, yet feel genuine sorrow over a damaged book, was certainly not as simple as he appeared. A woman skilled at navigating the complicated world of ordinary people. A refined but impoverished scholar whose true nature was far more terrifying than anyone could imagine. A deadly weapon hidden beneath an elegant appearance. And a master strategist who could calculate every move in advance. When these two people crossed paths, their encounter was bound to become much more complicated than either of them had anticipated. In a world where appearances concealed intentions, power was built on deception, and every decision could determine life or death, who would ultimately gain the upper hand? Would Zhou Xing be able to see through Lu Zhuoguang’s carefully maintained disguise? And would Lu Zhuoguang, who seemed capable of calculating everything, finally encounter someone whose actions he could not predict? Perhaps the greatest danger was not the murder that had shaken the imperial court, but the two people who were about to become entangled in each other’s lives. Because sometimes, the most dangerous person in the room is not the one holding a weapon openly. It is the one who smiles gently while concealing a blade. And sometimes, the person who appears to be the hunter may discover that they have already become someone else’s prey. — Description from novelcodex.orgFull novel: A Crooked Tune — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠