Chief minister under Empress 武则天, remembered as an upright judge. The novel 狄公案 and the TV series 神探狄仁杰 made him China's great detective, known in the West as Judge Dee.
The TV series Detective Di Renjie made this historical figure a household name.
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The Dutch diplomat Robert van Gulik, 高罗佩, made him Judge Dee for Western readers. At home 《神探狄仁杰》 gave the 2012 catchphrase 元芳，你怎么看？ 'Yuanfang, what do you think?', Di asking his aide, now a joking way to ask anyone's view.
