灯花笑 (Dēng Huā Xiào) by 千山茶客 (Qiān Shān Chá Kè)
Historical [romance] novel set in Ancient China published in 2023.

Lu Tong went to the mountains to study medicine for seven years. When she returned home, she discovered that everything had changed.

Her older sister was harmed by others and murdered. Her older brother was unjustly imprisoned and executed. Her father went to the capital to voice his grievances, but encountered a suspicious flood along the way. Her mother went crazy overnight and died in a fire.

Lu Tong packed up her medicine box and went to the capital for vengeance.

“Pay back your debts with coin, pay back your murders with your life!
If there is no judge, I will be the king of hell!”

***

One after another, the noble families in the capital encountered troubles.

The commander of the Imperial Guard, Pei Yun Ying, secretly investigated the matter. A female doctor at Renxin Medical Center became his main suspect.

However… before he could find any evidence, she took action against him first. (Taken and lightly edited from NU. Original source.)

The premise/prompt for the February TBR Challenge was “Previously, In Romance… (suggestions: part of a series, author you haven’t read in a while, Old School)” and it felt like … both everything yet also nothing I’d read recently fit. So we’re going with an author I ~haven’t read in a while – who happens to be one of my favorites. (I’m also currently rewatching/background watching The Double which was adapted from one of QSCK’s novels, and it’s still such a great series and production.) Also … 😅 a book set in Ancient China is “old school” right? Anyway maybe because everything is terrible I didn’t love it as much as I expected – or more that I felt that the romance wasn’t as strong as in some of her previous books … but it’s still a really excellent story, and I have high hopes for the drama adaptation. I think all of her books have been licensed/are planned for or various stages of adaptation. I finished the book a week ago and still keep thinking about it. Continue reading →