The Cases of Judge Dee (Part Two)

AnonymousJul 2024

3.5

Word count: 50K words
Chapters: 18

Summary

Dee Goong An, originally titled The Four Great Strange Cases of Empress Wu, also known as The Complete Biography of Duke Dee Liang and The Four Great Strange Cases of Duke Dee Liang, is a court-case adventure novel written in the late Qing dynasty. Set in the era of Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty, it tells how Di Renjie, as magistrate of Changping, redressed wrongful verdicts, and as chancellor, rectified the imperial court. The plots are fairly detailed and meticulous, with a political flavor. In framework, Dee Goong An remains a novel in which honest officials and knights-errant merge. But compared with the knights-errant in Cases of Lord Shi and Cases of Lord Peng, those in this book have far fewer scenes; it is almost entirely about Di Renjie's administrative achievements. The cases are no longer those of the strong oppressing the weak, but difficult and complex cases.

Di Renjie was a famous minister during Empress Wu's reign and once served as judicial officer of the Bingzhou Commandery and as assistant director of the Court of Judicature and Revision; many legends about his handling of cases circulated among the people. Unfortunately, the book does not name its author, and it is no longer possible to determine what sort of person the author was.

Editor's review

As one of the representative works of the late Qing legal-case romance, this is Volume Two of The Cases of Di Gong, continuing the story of Di Renjie clearing wrongful verdicts and rectifying court discipline during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian. Compared with The Cases of Lord Shi and The Cases of Lord Peng, the chivalric scenes in this book are noticeably fewer, with the focus falling almost entirely on Di Renjie's administrative achievements and case-solving. The cases are no longer of the bully-oppressing-the-weak type but rather difficult cases that test reasoning and judgment. The plotting is meticulous and detailed, carrying a certain political flavor; readers can enjoy the pleasure of detection while also sensing the traces of the late Qing legal-case novel transitioning toward detective narrative. As the author is unnamed, the identity of the writer can no longer be verified, which makes the text itself all the more worth reading closely. It suits reading in segments during leisure time and also serves as a sample for understanding the evolution of traditional Chinese legal-case fiction; reading it against works such as The Cases of Lord Shi makes the genre differences clearer.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy traditional Chinese legal-case fiction and detective stories
Those interested in the folk legends of Di Renjie and the Tang dynasty setting
Literature enthusiasts studying the evolution of late Qing novel genres
Readers looking for meticulously plotted classical novels suitable for reading in segments

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced modern suspense and detective fiction
Wuxia fans expecting abundant scenes of chivalric combat
Readers unaccustomed to late Qing vernacular and chapter-based narration

Reading tips

Read Volume One first to get acquainted with the characters and background, then proceed to the cases in this volume for a clearer thread.
After finishing each case, jot down the clues and inferences to appreciate the logic of traditional case-solving.
Read in comparison with The Cases of Lord Shi and The Cases of Lord Peng, noting differences in chivalric scenes and case types.
When encountering late Qing expressions or official titles, consult annotations or reference books; there is no need to understand everything in one pass.

版权信息
古代断案小说：狄公案（二）
第十八回蒲萁寨半路获凶人昌平县大堂审要犯
第十九回邵礼怀认怀认供结案华国祥投县呼冤
第二十回胡秀士戏言召祸狄县令度情审案
第二十一回善言开导免验尸骸审口供升堂讯问
第二十二回想案情猛然省悟听哑语细观行踪
第二十三回访凶人闻声报信见毒蛇开释无辜
第二十四回假消息假言请客为盗贼大意惊人
第二十五回以假弄真何恺捉贼依计行事马荣擒人
第二十六回见县官书生迂腐揭地窑邑宰精明
第二十七回少年郎借助供认不讳淫泼妇忍辱熬刑
第二十八回真县令扮作阎王假阴官审明奸妇
第二十九回狄梁公审明奸案阎立本保奏贤臣
第三十回赴杀场三犯施刑入山东二臣议事
第三十一回大巡抚访问恶棍小黄门贪索赃银
第三十二回元行冲奏参小吏武三思怀恨大臣
第三十三回狄仁杰奏参污吏洪如珍接见大员

FAQ

Can I read this Volume Two directly without having read Volume One?

Yes. Legal-case novels generally proceed case by case, and the cases in Volume Two are relatively independent, so reading it directly will not hinder understanding of the main plot. However, reading Volume One first will help you become familiar more quickly with Di Renjie's situation as magistrate of Changping and the relationships among characters, making for a smoother read.

How does this book differ from The Cases of Lord Shi and The Cases of Lord Peng?

According to the source material, this book has far fewer chivalric scenes than The Cases of Lord Shi and The Cases of Lord Peng, focusing almost entirely on Di Renjie's administrative achievements; the cases are no longer about the strong oppressing the weak but are difficult cases, with more meticulous and detailed plotting and a political flavor.

Who is the author, and why is there no attribution?

The book names no author, and who actually wrote it can no longer be verified. This is common for many popular novels of the late Qing; readers can focus on the text itself and read it as material for understanding the evolution of legal-case fiction.

Do the stories in the book have a historical basis?

Di Renjie was a renowned minister during the reign of Wu Zetian and once served as judicial officer of the Bingzhou prefectural governor's office and as an assistant minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision; many legends of his case-solving circulate among the people. This book is a legal-case romance written on the basis of these legends, with fictional elements in the plot, and should not be read as a strict historical record.

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Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.