出身平民的他为何能成为众日所嘱的大将军？相貌平平的他为何成为众多美女的芳心所属？一个征战沙场的大将军竞能办邮政，修铁路、兴学堂，刘铭传--这个伴随着台湾近现代历史的名字，始终深刻地烙印在世人的心中，更留给后人无数传奇，正如他亲手点亮了台湾第一盏电灯，亲手推动了台湾第一部火车。刘铭传——这个名字始终深刻地烙印在世人的心中他，是近代中国台湾的最大骄傲。
The disappearance of Sir Julius Hanbury - and the theft of several of his erotic paintings - provide a new puzzle for Morse to solve. Assisted by DS Lewis, Morse interviews everyone at Hanbury House and it is in the course of searching the grounds that he finds Sir Julius' body, appropriately enough, in the family mausoleum. The pathologist notes that he was the victim of a frenzied attack but the lack of blood at scene leaves the police to conclude that he murdered elsewhere. Sir Julius was a candidate to become the Master of an Oxford college and was known to have a have had a bitter rivalry with another candidate for the position. When Roger Meadows, a friend of the Hanbury's au pair, is killed in a car accident, Morse concludes that that he too was murdered. Jealousy, revenge and greed all play part in the deaths.
