The General's Beloved Coroner

Su Yihan is the only daughter of Su Jin, commander of the Northern Zhenfu Division. Born with a severe congenital illness that leaves her frail and sensitive to wind and cold, she spends most of her life secluded in her residence. To balance her excessive yin energy, she was given a masculine name at birth. Despite her delicate health, she possesses a sharp intellect and a hidden talent for criminal investigation, frequently assisting her father in solving complex cases from the shadows. Her mother died protecting the Crown Prince, who is now Emperor Yun Li, leaving Su Yihan with a complicated relationship with the imperial court.

The story begins when Su Yihan is selected for the imperial consort examination. Due to her poor health, she is granted special permission to attend only briefly without entering the palace as a consort. On her way to the banquet, her sedan chair is nearly struck by Shen Yu, a celebrated general returning from seven years of guarding the northwest border. Shen Yu is wild and unrestrained, contrasting sharply with Su Yihan’s refined and cautious demeanor. Their initial encounter is marked by sharp words and mutual suspicion, though Shen Yu later apologizes and brings her medicinal powder after learning of her condition.

At the banquet, Su Yihan deliberately faints after dancing only a few steps, proving her frailty to the Empress Dowager and ending any speculation that she is feigning illness to avoid her duties. This act also shields her father from court criticism regarding his excessive favoritism. Shortly after, a murder case arises involving Han Ruichu, the daughter of Minister Han, who is found dead after falling from a carriage. The initial evidence points to Kong Wenlang, a scholar who had a unrequited love for Han Ruichu, but Su Yihan and Shen Yu suspect a deeper conspiracy.

As the investigation proceeds, Su Yihan and Shen Yu work closely together. Shen Yu is assigned to assist Su Jin, and the two form a partnership that blends Shen Yu’s military authority with Su Yihan’s deductive brilliance. They discover that the evidence against Kong Wenlang was planted by his maid, Xiaoluo, who is secretly the half-sister of the victim. The true culprit is revealed to be Cheng Guan, a man with physical deformities who disguises himself as a woman named Lianqiao. Cheng Guan infiltrated Han Ruichu’s household as her maid, harboring resentment from years of abuse, and sought revenge by framing Kong Wenlang while also targeting the Kong family for abandoning his former wife.

The climax occurs on the day of Kong Wenlang’s scheduled execution. Su Yihan and Shen Yu race against time to present the true evidence, revealing Cheng Guan’s disguise and motive just moments before the sentence is carried out. Cheng Guan is captured, and Kong Wenlang is cleared of all charges. The case exposes the corruption and manipulation within the capital’s noble circles, highlighting the power struggles between the Empress Dowager, Emperor Yun Li, and influential ministers like Han Mao.

Following the resolution of the case, the relationship between Su Yihan and Shen Yu evolves from adversarial to cooperative. Shen Yu’s respect for Su Yihan’s intellect grows, and he begins to see beyond her fragile exterior to the sharp mind beneath. Su Yihan, in turn, recognizes Shen Yu’s loyalty and capability, noting his potential to challenge the Empress Dowager’s grip on power. The story concludes with the two acknowledging their mutual debts and the beginning of a complex alliance, set against the backdrop of a court rife with political intrigue and hidden dangers.