Publisher's Synopsis
In Ming Dynasty China, brilliant and determined young scholar Hong Shu-chang is on the verge of pulling his family out of poverty when his father and uncle are murdered. Facing destitution, yet committed to finding their killers, Shu-chang takes a position as teacher in a nearby town's clan school. There he meets Xiang-hua, his enigmatic cousin and local women's doctor. Before Shu-chang has a chance to complete his own mission to find the murderers, a burned-out warehouse and two more mysterious deaths demand his attention. He teams up with Xiang-hua, and together they delve into the dark side of the town and its families, endangering both their reputations and their lives.
