If the people in the story believe in the afterlife and the existence of ghosts, why do they still commit murder?

What role do dreams or dreamlike states play in the novel? Why do you think the clues to the first and second case are given to Judge Dee in his dream? Could he have solved the crimes without divine intervention?

Of the various criminals Judge Dee deals with, Mrs. Djou is the one whose character is most developed and who serves as an antagonist, almost costing the magistrate his position. Why is the de facto villain a woman? Is there a female analogue in Western detective fiction that corresponds to her character?