The Tang Dynasty (618-907)'s famous detective and judge Di Renjie started his political career as a detective and was later promoted to a high-ranking judge and finally the prime minister of the country during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian (624-705).

Di is a household name in China due to the TV series Celebrated Judge Di. In the TV drama, Di is portraited as a detective capable of dealing with all kinds of difficult cases.

According to historical documents, in the first year of his position as an imperial judge, Di presided over thousands of cases involving some 17,000 people. His judgment was so righteous and accurate that there was not a single complaint from those involved, it is said.

Di's talent was not limited to judicial affairs. As prime minister he helped to build a prosperous period in ancient China.