‘Yes, a poem about the virtuous queen indeed,’ Judge Dee exclaimed, taking a sip of the cold tea. ‘In accordance with the critics of the Five Classics, the poem embodies the so-called queenly virtue.’

‘For a woman of Xuanji’s poor family background, to be a concubine to Zi’an appeared nonetheless an acceptable choice, so she moved in with him. For a short while, things seemed to be working out for the two of them; they were said to be “writing love poems on one another’s bodies” in bed. However, happy days are always so short. His wife came to join him in the capital. There was no keeping it a secret from her anymore. Xuanji had imagined that they could manage to get along like other families, with the wife and the concubines living under the same roof – sometimes in the same bed. Xuanji was willing to play second fiddle in the family, but Zi’an’s wife turned out to be an insanely jealous tigress. She made a point of making Xuanji’s life miserable all the time, and it did not take long for her to finally drive Xuanji out.

‘A hen-pecked husband, Zi’an was in no position to fight for Xuanji. His official career could have been compromised in the event of a divorce, with his wife from such a noble family. Instead, he donated a sum to a Daoist nunnery on the outskirts of Chang’an, so that Xuanji at least had a temporary place to stay – a place not too far away, so that he might be able to pay a short visit to her in secret.’

‘Somewhat like me,’ Judge Dee said, ‘a place to stay in the Buddhist temple here. It’s fashionable in a way – and close to a celebrated poet monk.’

‘Enough, Judge Dee. For you, it’s just for a day or two’s leisure. But an indefinite time period for her.’

‘That’s true. And it’s a shrewd move on Zi’an’s part,’ Judge Dee said, adding hot tea to Han Shan’s cup. ‘Going to the nunnery could signify a break from one’s past. A new way of living, so to speak, though she did not have to behave like a nun. A nun in name, she’s still able to receive visitors such as Wen or Zi’an. With the temple door closed at night, what they could have done would not be too difficult for anyone to imagine.

‘Off the record, didn’t the Empress Wu – long before she became the empress – enter a Daoist temple for a while as a Daoist nun as well? I bet it was out of the same consideration.’