respected and straightforward official, who is tasked with adjudicating various complex cases during a tumultuous time in the Tang dynasty. It begins with a case where an innkeeper, Kong Wande, is accused of murdering two traveling guests. Kong desperately pleads his innocence, while the local constable, Hu De, attempts to manipulate the situation for personal gain. As Di Renjie arrives and begins to investigate, questions arise concerning the true nature of the incident, and other characters are introduced to help unravel the mystery. The narrative sets up a compelling story of moral dilemmas and the pursuit of truth, engaging the reader in a quest for justice. (This is an automatically generated summary.)