Detective Dee: The Mystery of the Kyoto Case

This film (drama)Also known as护国良相狄仁杰之京都疑云，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2000Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating7.2(For reference only)。

During the Shengli years, Empress Wu Zetian governed the country brilliantly with her outstanding strategies and wisdom, bringing peace and prosperity to the nation. Although the struggle for imperial power between the Li and Wu families continued to brew in the court, Wu Zetian remained calm and composed. However, a sudden murder event drew her out of the capital, leading to a thrilling and bizarre experience, forcing the already retired Detective Dee to once again face the fierce competition of officialdom... One night, A Xiang, a personal palace maid who had served Wu Zetian for many years, suddenly attempted to assassinate the Empress but failed and was killed. Yet, shaken, Wu Zetian did not believe A Xiang was the true murderer, so she issued an order for the Yuliang Department to swiftly investigate the real culprit behind the assassination attempt. To their surprise, as the investigation had just begun, Doctor Xu was found hanged in his room, and A Xiang's body mysteriously vanished. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Wu Zetian immediately wrote two imperial edicts, urgently summoning Detective Dee back to the palace for assistance. Having retired to his hometown, Dee was busy organizing a wedding for his longtime follower Tao Gan with his subordinates Qiao Tai and Ma Rong, when the governor of Taiyuan came to Dee Village to prove that Tao Gan and Ma Rong were the culprits who killed the messenger sent from the capital. Wu Zetian, worried about not hearing from Detective Dee, feigned illness requiring rest and temporarily handed over imperial power to her son Li Zhe and her nephew Wu Sansi, before heading out of the capital with Shangguan Wan'er and her favorite Zhang Changzong to find Dee. After escaping several assassination attempts, Wu Zetian finally reached Dee Village, only to be told that the one who wanted to harm her was none other than Detective Dee, now living a leisurely life... Knowing Dee well, Wu Zetian recognized this was a setup. In the Dee residence, the Empress and Dee had an all-night conversation, both sensing that a sinister figure lurked behind the case. Facing the danger, Dee accepted Wu Zetian's appointment to investigate the murderer. The following day, at a welcome feast for Wu Zetian, the honest Qiao Tai suddenly went mad, and Wu Zetian nearly lost her life in the chaos. Through the bloodshed, Dee ultimately discovered that Tao Gan's bride, Dongfang Yu, was actually a killer sent by their opponents. Confronting a complex chain of cases, Dee cleverly devised a plan to draw out the mastermind behind the murder—Governor Ji Zhong of Taiyuan. While questioning Ji Zhong, Dee uncovered new suspicions; however, the self-assertive Wu Zetian insisted on executing Ji Zhong immediately and returning to the capital without delay. Unable to alert the officials, Dee had no choice but to organize the villagers to protect the Empress as they returned to the capital, but unexpectedly, Wu Zetian and Wan'er were ambushed on the way, leading to Dee getting injured while protecting them. When the news of Wu Zetian’s attack reached the capital, chaos ensued. Zhang Changzong returned to the capital with an imperial decree, urging the crown prince to yield power to Wu Sansi; meanwhile, Shangguan Wan'er appeared in the prince's residence, personally accusing Zhang Changzong of fabricating imperial edicts in collusion with Wu Sansi, harboring treasonous intentions. General Zhang Jian had amassed troops in the capital to protect the people’s interests under the Li family's rule. Princess Taiping repeatedly pressed her weak brother to yield power to her. Just as all factions prepared for battle, a messenger arrived with an imperial edict from Wu Zetian, revealing that she had been rescued by Dee and returned to the capital. Despite her hardships, Wu Zetian's imperial authority remained intact. She calmly reasserted her power and ordered all factions to return to the palace for instructions, as Detective Dee had already uncovered the true instigator behind the assassination plot.