Violence for the Sake of Justice
In addition to the subject matter of his cases -- violent murders, -- Dee perpetrates more than his fair share of violence. He takes a hands on approach to his cases because of his need to serve as both prosecutor and judge. When he manages to escape his compound without his harbingers and aides, he will question witness and suspects harshly, often resorting to torture. Part of his brutality is demanded by his job description, but many of the people with whom he interacts accuse him of malpractice. This is not even to mention the gory punishments which he determines for any guilty people who find themselves unfortunately in his courtroom. He sentences the three murderers in his cases to death, each by a different and excruciatingly painful method. Mediating his actions with the severity of his position as judge, Dee feels himself excused to extract evidence and deliver sentences to whatever extent he deems sufficient.
Class Structure
China in the 1800s participated in a strict class system. As a judge, Dee falls in the highest class as a Literati. This is also the class of the prefect, Mr. Hua, and his son. Dealing with people in the upper crust, Dee is required to wade through layers of propriety which make his job challenging. He is not allowed to outright accuse a member of the elite of a crime. The middle class citizens, however, treat him with immense deference as a consequence of his social position. When he disguises himself as a merchant, an actual merchant immediately recognizes the farce. Dee simply comports himself differently than a middle-class merchant would. Finally the bottom of the social ladder is home to most of the people whom Dee encounters in his investigations. They are the working-class who take care of all the gritty details of a healthy, functioning society.
Deception
As is the case with most detective novels, there is a great deal of deception within these pages. Dee himself propagates his fair share, all for the sake of accomplishing his job. In order to leave the compound discretely and to interact with lower class citizens sincerely, he often sneaks out in disguise. He's not an incredible actor, however, and a few people see through his act immediately. Additionally, most of the suspects with whom Dee meets defend themselves with lies. They understand that the punishment for their crimes is almost certainly a gruesome, painful death, so they are willing to stop at nothing to divert suspicion, including lying about witnessing events. Doubtless this propensity of his suspects to lie is what leads Dee to take such a dramatic approach to questioning.
