R. H. van Gulik's eldest son, William, says that the inclusion of his father's detective novels on student reading lists at several colleges in the United States indicates that besides affording entertainment, the books can also provide the reader with an overview of the legal background and social history of T'ang dynasty China.
高羅佩的長子威廉表示，美國芝加哥大學將高羅佩的偵探小說列入學生書單，充分說明瞭它們不只是茶餘飯後的娛樂小品，讀者可以從中得到中國唐代法律、社會史的概觀。