"The Mist in the Capital: The Mystery of the Ghost Ball" is a suspenseful mystery novel set during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. It combines palace intrigue, officialdom infighting and various market trends.
Background of the times:
In the twenty-third year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1595), the "national dispute" was intensifying. There were endless battles in the court over whether the eldest son of the emperor, Zhu Changluo, or the third son of the emperor, Zhu Changxun, born to Concubine Zheng, should be the crown prince. There are undercurrents among Dongchang, Si Lijian, Liubu and Xungui.
Geographic space:
The story mainly takes place in the capital (today's Beijing), and the scenes cover:
· Office of the Ministry of Justice: The place where Shen Mo works, symbolizing legal principles and order.
· British Government House: The core location of the case, the deep compound, symbolizes the secrets and corruption of the noble class.
· Chengxi Craftsman District: Chen Shouyi's ivory carving workshop represents folk skills and bottom-class survival.
· Dongchang Yamen: a place shrouded in the shadow of power, a symbol of extrajudicial punishment.
·Chenghuang Temple and Huaishu Hutong: key locations where the crime occurred and where the murderer was pursued, full of conspiracy.
Social class:
· Nobility: For example, the British public servant Zhang Weixian appears to be prominent, but in fact he is involved in gray industries such as private salt and corruption.
· Bureaucrats: Such as Shen Mo and Zheng Shilang, who are in the system and face the conflict between legal principles and human feelings.
· Secret agents: such as Li San and fake Sun Zhen, who represent the pervasiveness of Dongchang and other secret agencies.
· Civilians: Such as Xu Wenyuan, Liu Ruxu, and Chen Shouyi, they are victims of being crushed by power.
Core imagery:
· Ghost Ball: A nine-layered ivory ball, symbolizing the layers of nesting in the power structure and also symbolizing the truth being wrapped up in layers.
