Xun Cheng Yu Shi Gui Nan Chan 巡城御史鬼难缠

Description:

Gui Lan-Shan is the censor of the Southern City, charged with patrolling the capital. Witty and remarkably clever, though only a minor official, he cracks one major case after another, making enemies of the court's grandees, who are forced to take him seriously. Hence his nickname: "The Unshakeable." The story deftly blends suspense and legend, gripping and absorbing from start to finish. The characters are vivid and richly drawn, and with a deep, delicate brush the series sketches a whole gallery of faces from the Qing dynasty.
The story of "The Censor" revolves mainly around Gui Lan-Shan solving one major case after another.
The case of falsely accusing an honest man of banditry. Censor Zhao of Jiangxi, investigating the case of Hunan governor Zou Cheng-Ren, made enemies among the court's ministers. In the courtroom, the plaintiffs suddenly recant their testimony, and a courtesan appears to accuse him of taking bribes and consorting with prostitutes. Zhao Tie-Mian, wronged, is stripped of office and arrested. Gui Lan-Shan firmly believes Zhao Tie-Mian is innocent and begins to investigate. He discovers the case is connected to the receipt of money drafts, and tracing their origin, he finally establishes that the Jiangxi authorities had remitted a huge sum, now entirely spent and lining the pockets of those involved. Gui Lan-Shan resorts to cunning: under the pretext of interrogating a wolfhound, he detains the third beile, then lures the prince and the empress's uncle to the courtroom to present witnesses and evidence. The prince and Lord Ba, chilled to the bone, agree to punish Zou Cheng-Ren and the others according to law in order to keep their positions.
The case of embezzling a huge sum. En Fu, exiled to Heilongjiang, suddenly returns to the capital — and the order for his return was issued by Lord Ba. The prince and others suspect Ba of bribery and corruption but can find no evidence. On the surface Ba is spotless as a fresh breeze, but in private, through his own antique shop, he takes bribes and amasses ill-gotten wealth. Gui Lan-Shan uncovers Ba's secrets and pulls the rug out from under him: he orders the master thief Yan Wu to steal a huge amount in money drafts from Ba's mansion. Everything Ba accumulated over a lifetime is wiped out, and he is beside himself with grief. The prince, learning of this and seeing an opportunity, wants to marry Ba's daughter to the third beile, and Lord Ba, to avoid death, has no choice but to agree. The money drafts go to the treasury, Ba loses both wealth and daughter, and does not know whether to laugh or cry. The emperor sends him a plaque reading "A Family of Pure Conduct." For this, Ba also gives his beloved daughter to the prince's household.
The case of lovers finally united. Lan, a girl from a poor family, has a childhood sweetheart, Shuang Xi, and they have a marriage contract. Shuang Xi joined the army with Marshal Hu and for years sent no word. Lan's father, poor and weak-willed, signs a marriage contract with the empress's uncle. One girl promised to two families, the wedding day approaching, Lan in despair flees the capital by night. The empress's uncle sends men after her, and they seize her. By chance they meet Shuang Xi, returning to the capital with the marshal. At last he and Lan are reunited after a long separation. Marshal Hu wants to arrange the marriage of his beloved officer Shuang Xi, the empress's uncle and the marshal refuse to yield to each other, the emperor cannot decide, and orders the Ministry of Justice to try the case clearly. Everyone knows that trying this case means offending neither side, and in the end it is pushed onto Gui Lan-Shan. The Unshakeable racks his brains and devises a clever plan that accords with human feeling yet cannot be found in any law, and the lovers are finally united…
The case of murder and a scapegoat. A bandit gang from Anhui robs the family of the retired censor Zhao Tie-Mian and kills Zhao himself. The chief culprit, Hu You-An, is a local tyrant and the head of the constables. Before the imperial edict for Hu You-An's arrest is issued, the third beile has secretly sent word to warn him, and Hu You-An flees far away. Ma Shang-Xing, Commander Sa, and others take bribes and try to bury the case. But the emperor insists on getting to the bottom of it.
The fake Hu You-An is brought to the capital. Gui Lan-Shan looks at his frail appearance and cannot connect him with Hu You-An at all. Gui Lan-Shan begins his meticulous investigation. The truth gradually comes to light.
At the execution ground, everything hangs by a thread. Gui Lan-Shan suddenly arrives, and through a clever line of questioning, Wang Zhu-Zi, posing as "Hu You-An," tells the truth before the gathered crowd. The people are in an uproar. The emperor is furious and wants to try The Unshakeable himself. This suits Gui Lan-Shan perfectly: he immediately appears at court and reveals the truth…
No matter how tangled or thorny a case may be, once Gui Lan-Shan maneuvers and turns it over, danger is averted and justice prevails. And the methods by which he solves cases are one and all bizarre, leaving everyone afterward clapping in admiration. Those who put on righteous airs, the great and mighty, dare not look down on him. To achieve his aims, Gui Lan-Shan does not care about personal honor: he bows and scrapes before the powerful, no matter how the crowd curses him; he does not care about means: disguising himself, conducting open and secret investigations, luring thieves into the house, feigning friendship; still less does he care about rank or profit: once a case is solved, he hides in the shadows and lives free and easy. Yet his personal life is full of twists and turns — family matters, state matters, and the affairs of the world can hardly go as one wishes. The Unshakeable can crack major court cases, yet cannot even get a wife. His tangled relationship with Xiao Jin-Hua, a woman of the pleasure quarters, is one of the series' main attractions. Even the greatest hero is helpless before the word "love."
Although this series reverses the playwright's habitual methods of emphasis, it explores on a deeper thematic level how a small man in turbulent times can hold the bottom line of justice and dignity. In the great tide of history he may be but a drop in the ocean, yet he also reveals a legendary ultimate challenge between the individual and society and fate.