Judge Dee(2 The Lacquer Screen Revised Version with Annotations)

The setting feels so authentic and layered—I'm curious whether the author did specific research or drew from personal knowledge to craft this world.

The build-up to the climax was detailed, but I wonder if the slower sections were intentional to build atmosphere or if they could have been tightened.

The cultural details added so much depth; I'm interested in how these elements influenced the story's development or the characters' choices.