We discuss chapters 8-13 of Dutch diplomat Robert van Gulik’s reinterpretation of an 18th-century Chinese magistrate-detective, Judge Dee. With a growing surety of how his predecessor was killed, speakers bring new cases before the tribunal, telling stories of missing women, abandoned marriages, and the ever-present threat of a tiger, potentially of supernatural persuasion. As religious affiliations begin to complicate district politics, how does Judge Dee keep his house in order?

Check out Part One and Part Three here!