The Northern Song Dynasty inherited the troubled times of the Five Dynasties, governed the country with culture, valued laws and cautious punishments. As the highest central judicial and cautious punishment institution, Dali Temple was in charge of the world's criminal prisons, detailed determination of suspicious cases, and important arrest cases. After the changes from the early Song Dynasty to Jingkang, it witnessed the improvement of the judicial system and the changes in the political situation in the Northern Song Dynasty. This book selects twenty-four major cases that were presided over, participated in, or reviewed by Dali Temple during the Northern Song Dynasty, covering many types of imperial power struggles, official corruption, folk strange cases, ethical disputes, judicial innovations, etc. It connects the judicial operation of the three judicial departments of the Northern Song Dynasty (Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and the Yushitai), and restores the court games, public sentiments, and legal changes behind the cases. Each case is a microcosm of the judicial history and social history of the Northern Song Dynasty.
