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?

Wang Hongjia is a celebrated scholar and cultural historian. He is vice-chairman of the Reportage Committee of the Chinese Authors’ Association and deputy chairman of the Chinese Reportage Society. He has won the Chinese Book Prize, the Best Works Award, the Lu Xun Literary Prize, and more. He is considered the founder of a new style of documentary literature in the information age James Trapp has had a long career promoting Chinese language and culture in UK schools. As well as new versions of the Art of War and Daodejing, his translations include Shadow of the Hunter, Longevity Park and Old Kiln. Much of his work revolves around integrating the study of Chinese language and culture, and breaking down barriers of cultural misunderstanding that still persist.