"狄公案" by Anonymous is an 18th-century Chinese detective novel loosely based on Di Renjie, a Tang dynasty magistrate who lived around 630–700. Judge Dee must simultaneously solve three criminal cases: a merchant's murder driven by greed, a passionate crime in a village, and a bride's mysterious poisoning on her wedding night. As district magistrate wielding vast judicial powers, Dee navigates a system where false judgments could cost him his life, while using methods that would shock Western sensibilities. His investigations reveal the complex fabric of traditional Chinese society.