Related Cases (1)
Related Novels (1)
Related Chapters (8)
The Hidden Granary
Words: 3125 · Source Novel:: Sand and Sorrow
Raiding a secret cave granary, Lu Qing frees emaciated captives. Qu Yunzhen's superior, Vice Magistrate Fan, arrives with soldiers not to help but to arrest Lu Qing for treason. In the chaos, the captives rebel and slaughter the guards, melting into the desert.
The Idealist's Defiance
Words: 2712 · Source Novel:: Sand and Sorrow
Lu Qing escapes confinement and discovers Qu Yunzhen's hidden ledger, documenting not just water extortion but also the sale of starving children to caravans as slaves. He realizes the entire county office has been taking a cut. His career in the Tang bureaucracy is now forfeit.
The Strangled Witness
Words: 2778 · Source Novel:: Sand and Sorrow
Blind Granny is found garroted, her tongue cut out. County magistrate orders Lu Qing to close the case with Qu Yunzhen as the sole culprit. Lu Qing refuses, knowing the conspiracy reaches higher. He is placed under house arrest.
Blind Granny's Ears
Words: 2417 · Source Novel:: Sand and Sorrow
A blind old woman in the slum tells Lu Qing she heard the ox's final screams and recognized the voices of three men, not just Qu Yunzhen. She agrees to testify publicly. That night, Lu Qing's quarters are ransacked, and a warning is painted in blood.
The Water Keeper
Words: 2987 · Source Novel:: Sand and Sorrow
Evidence ties Qu Yunzhen to controlling the Sand Nest well through hired thugs. The ox was used to transport sealed water jars during the night, and its death was meant to silence Qi Haiyuan, who had seen too much. Lu Qing arrests Qu, but the real horror is only beginning.