Where is the justice in a corrupt and crumbling empire?
Thirteenth century China, and the Song Empire is crumbling due to
endemic corruption and the incursion of barbarians from abroad.
Ambitious men do what they must to get ahead, trampling the commoners
who come in their path.
Into the decaying ranks of the civil service, a young scholar called
Song Ci is admitted. He soon gets the chance to prove his worth by
developing an unmatched skill for interpreting crime scenes. In a series
of complex murder cases that baffled his predecessors, Song is finally
able to dispense justice to the relatives of those whose lives have been
lost in the chaos.
As the world he knows wanes, Song will be pitted against increasing
dangers that will tax him to the edge of his abilities. But will his
efforts be enough to save the empire?