His gang consists of his patient old family retainer Hong Liang, himbo man of action Qiao Tai who provides the muscle and comic relief, and streetwise offsider Ma Rong, who finds herself in a drinking challenge with local henchman in a scene that recalls Raiders of the Lost Ark.
“Drink with Ma Rong? You are courting death,” Qiao Tai declares.
Watching this show was a relief because this Chinese storytelling is a break from standard Western drama. Detective Di doesn’t say “f---” all the time, doesn’t partake in trauma porn and is not in a daytime soapie dressed up as an expensive Regency costume drama. And it was a joy because the show, which China Daily called a “modern take on ancient detective tales”, was so good.
As the series opens, the imperial seal of the empress is stolen, plunging the royal court into turmoil. The seal is then used to order the governor of Yangzhou to take his own life for “going against the rules of heaven”. Then an ancient tree is hit by lightning and bursts into flames, stunning locals into believing it is a sign from the gods. And that, literally, is all in the first two minutes.
We are in China during the first century Tang Dynasty and reformist Empress Wu Zetain is vulnerable to power plays from palace officials.
“Like you, she loves to fight against fate,” an ally of Di Renjie tells him.
The spirited action sequences give way to hints about the young Di Renjie and the mysterious fate that befell his father. And then there’s the delicious political intrigue at the palace as forces range against the vulnerable empress who is keen to modernise. Or, at least that was how it seemed to this ignorant Laowai. Things are never quite as they seem in this series.
Di Renjie fights off an opponent in one of many spectacular action sequences. Credit: Netflix
There’s something rather wonderful to know that a real-life detective who lived from 630 AD to 700 AD and became an official in the Tang dynasty lives on in contemporary culture and is providing much-needed entertainment during these chilly winter nights of 2024.
This is thanks to ancient Chinese storytelling and author Dutch author Robert van Gulik who adapted the stories in the 1950s. His novels were regarded as a cultural bridge between East and West and now this series is too, thanks to Chinese networks CCTV-8 and Youku as well as Netflix.
It’s the distraction you need. The series is 32 episodes of about 50 minutes each, so that’s your winter sorted.
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