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JUDGE DEE AT WORK

The University of Chicago Press

Contents

1. Five Auspicious Clouds...........................12. The Red Tape Murder..............................203. He Came with the Rain............................444. The Murder on the Lotus Pond.....................735. The Two Beggars..................................946. The Wrong Sword..................................1157. The Coffins of the Emperor.......................1408. Murder on New Year's Eve.........................163Colophon............................................174Judge Dee Chronology................................175

Chapter One

This case occurred in A.D. 663 when judge Dee had been serving only a week in his first independent official post-Magistrate of Peng-lai, a remote district on the north-east coast o f the Chinese Empire. Directly upon his arrival there he had been confronted with three mysterious crimes, described in my novel The Chinese Gold Murders. In that story mention was made of the flourishing shipbuilding industry of Peng-lai, and of Mr Yee pen, the wealthy shipowner. The present story opens in judge Dec 's private office in the tribunal, where he is in conference with Yee Pen and two other gentlemen; they have just finished discussing at length judge Dee's proposal for bringing the shipbuilding industry under government control.

'Well, gentlemen,' Judge Dee said with a satisfied smile to his three guests, 'that settles it then, I think.'

The conference in his private office had begun at about two o'clock, and now it was already past five. But he thought that the time had been well spent.

'The rules we drafted seem to cover all possible contingencies,' Mr Ho remarked in his precise voice. He was a soberly dressed, middle-aged man, a retired secretary of the Minister of Justice. Looking at Hwa Min, the wealthy shipowner on his right, he added, 'You'll agree, Mr Hwa, that our draft provides for an equitable settlement of your differences with your colleague Mr Yee Pen here.'

Hwa Min made a face. '"Equitable" is a nice word,' he said dryly, 'but as a merchant I like the word "profitable" even better! If I had been given a free hand in competing with my friend Mr Yee, the result might not have been exactly equitable, no.... But it would have been eminently profitable-for me!'

'Shipbuilding affects our coastal defence,' Judge Dee observed stiffly. 'The Imperial Government does not allow a private monopoly. We have spent the entire afternoon on this matter and, thanks also to the excellent technical advice of Mr Ho, we have now drafted this document setting forth clearly the rules all ship-owners are to follow. I shall expect both of you to keep to those rules.'

Mr Yee Pen nodded ponderously. The judge liked this shrewd, but honest businessman. He thought less of Mr Hwa Min, who he knew was not averse to shady deals, and who often had woman-trouble. Judge Dee gave a sign to the clerk to refill the teacups, then he leaned back in his chair. It had been a hot day, but now a cool breeze had risen, wafting into the small office the scent of the magnolia tree outside the window.

Mr Yee set his cup down and gave Ho and Hwa Min a questioning look. It was time for them to take their leave.

Suddenly the door opened and Sergeant Hoong, judge Dee's trusted old adviser, came in. He stepped up to the desk and said: 'There's someone outside with an urgent message, Your Honour.'

Judge Dee had caught his look. 'Excuse me for one moment,' he said to his three guests. He rose and followed the sergeant outside.

When they were standing in the corridor, the sergeant told him in a low voice, 'It's Mr Ho's house steward, sir. He came to report to his master that Mrs Ho has committed suicide.'

'Almighty heaven!' the judge exclaimed. 'Tell him to wait. I'd better break this bad news to Ho myself. How did she do it?'

'She hanged herself, Your Honour. In their garden pavilion, during the siesta. The steward came rushing out here at once.'

'Too bad for Mr Ho. I like the fellow. A bit on the dry side, but very conscientious. And a clever jurist.'

He sadly shook his head, then re-entered his office. After he had sat down again behind his desk, he addressed Ho gravely: 'It was your house steward, Mr Ho. He came with shocking news. About Mrs Ho.'

Ho grasped the armrests of his chair. 'About my wife?'

'It seems that she committed suicide, Mr Ho.'

Mr Ho half-rose, then let himself sink back again into his chair. He said in a toneless voice, 'So it happened, just as I feared. She ... she was very depressed, these last weeks.' He passed his hand over his eyes, then asked: 'How ... how did she do it, Sir?'

'Your steward reported that she hanged herself. He is waiting now to take you home, Mr Ho. I'll send the coroner along at once, to draw up the death certificate. You will want to have the formalities over and done with as quickly as possible, of course.'

Mr Ho did not seem to have heard him. 'Dead!' he muttered. 'Only a few hours after I had left her! What shall I do?'

'We'll help you with everything of course, Mr Ho,' Hwa Min said consolingly. He added a few words of condolence, in which Yee Pen joined. But Ho did not seem to have heard them. He was staring into space, his face drawn. Suddenly he looked up at the judge and spoke after some hesitation:

'I need time, sir, a little time to ... I don't like to presume upon your kindness, sir, but ... would it perhaps be possible for Your Honour to get someone to attend to the formalities on my behalf? Then I can go home after ... after the autopsy, and when the dead body has been ...' He let his voice trail off, giving the judge a pleading look.

'Of course, Mr Ho!' judge Dee replied briskly. 'You remain here and have another cup of tea. I'll go personally to your house with the coroner, and a temporary coffin will be prepared. It's the least I can do. You have never grudged me your valuable advice, and today again you have devoted your entire afternoon to the business of this tribunal. No, I insist, Mr Ho! You two look after our friend, gentlemen. I'll be back here in half an hour or so.'

Sergeant Hoong was waiting in the courtyard, together with a small rotund man with a black goatee. Hoong presented him as Ho's house steward. Judge Dee told him, 'I have informed Mr Ho already; you can return now, steward. I'll be along presently.' He added to Sergeant Hoong, 'You'd better go back to the chancery, Hoong, and sort out the official papers that have come in. We'll have a look at them together after I get back. Where are my two lieutenants?'

'Ma Joong and Chiao Tai are in the main courtyard, sir, putting the guards through their drill.'

'Good. I need only the headman and two of his men to go to Mr Ho's house. They'll place the dead body in the coffin. When Ma joong and Chiao Tai are through with the drill, they can retire. I shan't need them tonight. Get the coroner and have my official palankeen brought out!'

In the small front courtyard of Mr Ho's modest residence the small, obese steward stood waiting for the judge. Two red-eyed maids were hovering near the gatehouse. The headman helped judge Dee to alight from his palankeen. The judge ordered him to wait with the two constables in the courtyard, then told the...