The events described in this story occurred while Judge Di was holding his fourth post as viceroy, this time in Lanfang, a remote county on the western border of the powerful empire of the ruling Tang dynasty. Here, taking up his duties, he encountered significant difficulties, as can be read about in the story “Murder in the Labyrinth.” This story tells of the grave crisis that threatened the empire two years later, in the winter of 672, and how Judge Dee succeeded on the same night in solving two very difficult problems, one of which concerned the fate of a nation, and the other the fate of two modest people.