Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Robert van Gulik (1910 - 67) was a Dutch diplomat and an authority on Chinese history and culture. His many works include sixteen Judge Dee mysteries, a study of the gibbon in China, and two books on the Chinese lute.

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THE CHINESE MAZE MURDERS

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS

Contents

First Chapter A strange meeting takes place on a lotus lake; Judge Dee is attacked on his way to Lan-fang......................................1Second Chapter Judge Dee opens the first session of the tribunal; He discovers in the archives an unsolved problem.............................17Third Chapter The judge witnesses a quarrel on the market; A young man forecasts his father's murder...........................................31Fourth Chapter Tao Gan reports on a mysterious old mansion; An ingenious trap is set in the dark tribunal......................................40Fifth Chapter Twenty ruffians attack in the dead of night; Judge Dee sets out on a dangerous excursion.........................................49Sixth Chapter Four guildmasters are received in the main hall; Mrs. Yoo visits the tribunal with an old picture................................60Seventh Chapter Three roguish monks receive their just punishment; A Candidate of Literature reports a cruel murder............................72Eighth Chapter An old General is murdered in his own library; Judge Dee goes to visit the scene of the crime...................................85Ninth Chapter Judge Dee ponders alone in a dead man's room; The autopsy brings to light the cause of death.....................................92Tenth Chapter Judge Dee pays a visit to an eccentric young man; He presides an artistic meeting in the tribunal................................103Eleventh Chapter Tao Gan has an adventure in an old temple; Ma Joong meets his match in a drinking bout........................................x16Twelfth Chapter Judge Dee discusses the secrets of two pictures; A young girl discovers passionate love letters................................127Thirteenth Chapter Yoo Kee entertains a distinguished guest to tea; Judge Dee decides to revisit the General's studio..........................140Fourteenth Chapter A strange clue is found in a dead man's room; Judge Dee sends his men to arrest a criminal..................................150Fifteenth Chapter Painter Woo reveals his secret in the tribunal; Judge Dee orders a search of the Eastern city................................158Sixteenth Chapter Ma Joong investigates the licensed quarter; He is made a partner in a nefarious scheme.......................................172Seventeenth Chapter Mrs. Yoo pays a second visit to the tribunal; A queer discovery is made in an old mansion..................................18Eighteenth Chapter Judge Dee decides to consult an old hermit; Ma Joong catches his man in the Drum Tower......................................196Nineteenth Chapter A recluse discourses on the purpose of life; Judge Dee learns the old Governor's secret.....................................210Twentieth Chapter A rebel chieftain confesses under torture; A mysterious stranger is at last identified.......................................222Twenty first Chapter Judge Dee closes the case of the murdered General; Chiao Tai relates the story of a military disaster.....................236Twenty second Chapter Judge Dee explains the murder of General Ding; He reveals the secret of the scroll picture...............................253Twenty third Chapter The judge leads his men to the heart of the maze; A gruesome discovery is made in a secret pavilion.......................265Twenty fourth Chapter A young girl goes to visit a famous artist; A criminal is caught in an unexpected place..................................278Twenty fifth Chapter Two depraved criminals suffer the extreme penalty; Judge Dee learns the secret of an abstruse couplet.....................294

Chapter One

Heaven created an immutable pattern for ten thousand ages, Regulating sun and stars above, mountains and rivers below; Thereafter the sages of old did model our sacred social order, Taking Heavenly ,justice as warp, and man-made Law as woof.

A wise and honest judge is Heaven's unerring instrument, The people's father and mother, both compassionate and stern; In his court the oppressed obtain redress of all their wrongs, No criminal there escapes, despite base fraud and guile.

Under the present illustrious Ming dynasty, in the Yoonglo era, our Empire is at peace, crops are plentiful, there are neither droughts nor floods, and the people are prosperous and content. This fortunate state of affairs is due entirely to the August Virtue of His Imperial Majesty. Naturally in this blessed time of peace crimes are few, so that the present provides scant material for the study of crime and detection. Rather than the present one must turn to the past for accounts of baffling crimes, and their marvellous solution by perspicacious magistrates.

Finding myself with ample leisure for the pursuit of my favourite study, I diligently search old records and dusty archives for famous ancient criminal cases, and I have made it a habit always to listen carefully to my friends and acquaintances when, gathered in the tea house, they start discoursing on the astounding crimes solved by famous judges of past centuries.

The other day, late in the afternoon, I strolled through the Western Park to admire the lotus flowers that were in full bloom. I crossed the carved marble bridge that leads to the island in the center of the lotus pond, and found myself an empty corner table on the open terrace of the restaurant there.

Sipping my tea and nibbling dried melon seeds I enjoyed the beautiful view over the lake all covered with lotus flowers. I observed the motley crowd and, as I often do, amused myself by trying to deduce from the appearance of some passers-by their personality and background.

My eye fell on two remarkably beautiful girls who passed by walking hand in hand. Their strong resemblance suggested at once that they were sisters. But evidently their characters were entirely different. The younger one was gay and vivacious who talked all the time. The elder, on the contrary, was reserved and shy who hardly answered the other. Here face bore an expression of deep sadness. I felt sure that somewhere there was a deep tragedy in her life.

As the two girls disappeared among the crowd I noticed that they were followed by an elderly woman; she had a slight limp, walked with a cane and seemed intent on overtaking the girls. I took her to be their duenna. But as she passed in front of the terrace I saw such an evil leer on her face that I hastily transferred my attention to a handsome young couple that came walking along.

The young man wore the cap of a Candidate of Literature, the girl was dressed demurely as a housewife. They walked apart but from the fond looks they gave each other it was clear that they belonged together. I concluded from their furtive air that theirs must be an illicit love affair. Just when they were passing in front of me the girl made to take the young man's hand, but he hastily withdrew his and shook his head with a frown.

Letting my eyes rove over the guests assembled on the terrace I noticed a plump, neatly-clad man who was sitting alone just like myself. He had a round, pleasant face, I placed him as a member of the landed gentry. Since he seemed the talkative type I hastily averted my eyes fearing that he would mistake my intent gaze as an invitation to strike up an acquaintance. I preferred to be left alone with my own thoughts, all the more so since I had seen a glint in his eyes that made me wary. I reflected that a man with that cold, calculating look that so belied his friendly face might well be capable of committing a dark, premeditated deed of evil.

After a while I saw an old gentleman with a flowing white beard slowly come up the steps of the terrace. He was clad in a brown robe with wide sleeves seamed with black velvet, and a high cap of black gauze on his head. Although he wore no insignia of rank, he had a most distinguished appearance. He stood for a moment leaning on his crooked staff, surveying the crowded terrace with piercing eyes from under bushy white eyebrows.

Since a person of such venerable age cannot be left standing, I hastily rose and offered the newcomer a place at my table. He accepted with a courteous bow. While drinking our tea we exchanged the usual polite inquiries and it transpired that his family name was Dee and that he was a retired prefect.

Soon we were engaged in an agreeable conversation. My guest proved to be a man of wide learning and elegant taste, time passed unnoticed while we discoursed on prose and poetry, in between looking at the gay crowd that milled along the water front.

I had noticed that my guest spoke with the accent of Shansi Province. So during a lull in the conversation I asked whether by any chance his family was related to the old Dee clan of Tai-yuan, the capital of that province, which centuries ago, during the Tang dynasty, had produced the great statesman Dee jen-djieh.

Suddenly the old gentleman's eyes blazed. He angrily tugged at his long beard.

"Ha!", he exclaimed, "my family is indeed a branch of the Dee clan from which issued the great judge Dee, and very proud I am to count him among my ancestors. Yet at the same time this fact is a source of continuous vexation. Whenever I am eating my bowl of rice in a restaurant or sipping the fragrant brew in a tea house, as often as not I will hear the other guests tell each other stories about my illustrious ancestor. It is true that what they say about Dee Jen-djieh's brilliant career at the Imperial Court is usually substantially correct; moreover such facts can be verified by referring to the official annals of the Tang dynasty. Mostly, however, those ignorant persons will bandy about bizarre tales about the earlier part of Dee Jen-djieh's career when he was serving as district magistrate in the provinces, and as 'Judge Dee' became famous for having solved many a mysterious criminal case. In our family the truthful account of most of those cases has been faithfully transmitted during untold generations. It greatly annoys me to have to listen to all those spurious stories told in the tea house, and I usually leave without finishing my meal."

The old gentleman shook his head and angrily stamped his staff on the stone flags.

I was delighted to learn that my guest was indeed a descendant of the famous judge Dee. I rose and bowed deeply in front of him to show my deference for his distinguished family. Then I spoke thus:

"Venerable Sir, know that I am a keen student of true accounts describing the feats of detection performed by the eminent judges of our glorious national past. Far from being an idle gossip, however, I delight in a careful analysis of those ancient records. For do they not serve as a mirror for us who live in this late age, warning us by showing our own foibles and defects? Those accounts not only improve the morals and ameliorate the customs, they also act as a powerful deterrent for all wicked people. Nowhere can be found more eloquent proof of how closely the net of Heavenly-justice is woven, and of how no evil-doer in the long run ever succeeds in slipping through its mazes.

Now in my opinion antiquity has no detective that can compare with judge Dee. For many years I have been sedulously collecting notes about the cases solved by his brilliant mind. Now that a propitious fate has granted me this meeting with you, Sir, who are a fount of information on this subject, I wonder whether it would be presuming on your kindness if I humbly requested you to give me the benefit of hearing a few lesser known cases from your own lips."

The old gentleman readily agreed, and I invited him to join me in a simple supper.

Twilight was falling and the guests had left the terrace for the restaurant inside where the servants had lighted candles and coloured paper lanterns.

I avoided the main hall with the chattering dining crowd and led my guest to a small side room overlooking the lake, now bathed in the red glow of sunset.

I ordered two dinners of four courses and a pot of warm wine.

When we had tasted from the dishes and drunk a few rounds, the old gentleman stroked his long whiskers and said:

"I shall relate to you three astonishing criminal cases which my revered ancestor judge Dee solved under most unusual circumstances. At that time he was serving as magistrate of Lan-fang, a far-away district on the Northwestern border of our Empire."

He then set out on a long and complicated narrative.

Although what he told was not without interest, he proved much given to lengthy digressions and his voice was as indistinct and monotonous as the humming of a bumble bee. After a while I found my attention flagging. I emptied three cups in succession to clear my mind but the amber liquid only made me still more drowsy. While the voice of my guest droned on and on I seemed to hear the spirit of sleep rustle in the close air.

When I woke up I found myself alone in the chilly room, bent over the table with my head resting on my folded arms.

A surly waiter was standing over me and told me that the first nightwatch had been sounded; did I perchance mistake this restaurant for a hostel where people stay overnight at will?

My head was heavy and I did not immediately find the right phrase to put that boorish yokel in his place. Instead I inquired after my guest, describing his appearance in some detail.

The waiter answered that earlier in the evening he had been serving another section of the restaurant, and anyway did I think that he had time to look up and down every single guest? Presently he produced a bill for two six course dinners and eight pots of wine. I could do nothing but pay, although by then I greatly doubted whether my encounter with the old gentleman had not been a dream, and whether that rascal of a waiter was not taking advantage of my confusion to overcharge me grossly.

I left feeling I had been ill-used and walked home through the deserted streets. My page was fast asleep huddled in a corner of my library. I did not wake him but tiptoed to the bookshelves. I took down the annals of the Tang dynasty, the Imperial Gazetteer and my own notes on judge Dec. Poring over these volumes I found that although the general features of the old gentleman's story accorded well enough with historical fact, there existed no such place as Lan-fang on the Northwestern border. I thought that possibly I had misheard the name and resolved to visit the old gentleman next day to ask him for further elucidation. Then I found to my dismay that although I clearly remembered every word of the story he told me, try as I might I could not recollect one single personal detail concerning him; I had forgotten both his full name, and his present place of residence.

I shook my head, moistened my brush, and that very night committed to writing the entire story he told me, laying down my brush only when the cock started crowing.

The next day I made exhaustive enquiries among my friends but no one had ever heard about a retired prefect by the name of Dee living in our town; neither did subsequent investigations as to his whereabouts bring to light more information. Still this fact did not dissolve my doubts. The old gentleman might well have been only passing through, or he might be living somewhere in the countryside.

Thus I now make bold to offer this story as it is, leaving it to the better judgement of the discerning reader to decide whether my encounter on the lotus lake was dream or reality. If this tale of three mysterious crimes should distract the reader for a few moments from the cares and anxieties of daily life, I shall not grudge the coppers extorted from me. For no matter what actually happened, that waiter evidently was a mean rascal; it is quite inconceivable that one, or even two gentlemen of refined taste ever should consume eight pots of wine at one single sitting.

Four horse carts were slowly wending their way through the mountains east of the city of Lan-fang.

In the first cart judge Dee, the new magistrate of Lanfang, had made himself as comfortable as was possible on such an arduous journey. He was sitting on a bed roll, and leaned his back against a large package with books. His faithful assistant, the old Sergeant Hoong, was sitting opposite him on a bale of cloth. The road was rough and these precautions provided scant protection from the continual bumps.

The judge and the sergeant both felt tired, for they had been on the road for several days on end.

After them followed a large tilt cart with silk curtains. Here Judge Dee's three wives, his children and the maids were trying to snatch some sleep, curled up among pillows and padded quilts.

The two other carts were loaded with luggage. Some of the servants were sitting precariously perched on top of the bales and boxes, others preferred to walk by the side of the horses which were covered with sweat.

Before dawn they had left the last village. Thereafter the road had led through a desolate mountain region. The only people they had met were a few wood gatherers. In the afternoon their progress had been retarded for two hours by a broken wheel and now dusk was falling, making the mountains seem even more forbidding.

Two tall fellows rode at the head of the procession. Broad swords hung down their backs, each had a bow fastened to the pommel of his saddle, and arrows rattled in their quivers. These two were Ma Joong and Chiao Tai, two of judge Dee's loyal lieutenants. They acted as the armed escort of the group. Another of Judge Dee's lieutenants, a lean man with a slight stoop, called Tao Gan, brought up the rear together with the old house steward.

Arrived on top of the mountain ridge Ma Joong reined in his horse. The road ahead descended into a wooded valley. Another steep mountain rose up on the opposite side.

Ma Joong turned round in his saddle, and called out to the coachman:

"An hour ago you said that we were approaching Lanfang, you dogshead! And here is another mountain to cross!"

The coachman grumbled something about fellows from the city always being in a hurry, then said sullenly:

"Don't worry, from the next ridge you will see Lan-fang lying at the foot of the slope."

"I have heard that bastard speak about a 'next ridge' before", Ma Joong observed to Chiao Tai. "How awkward that we arrive in Lan-fang at so late an hour! The departing magistrate must have been waiting for us since noon. And what about the other dignitaries of the district administration and their welcome banquet? By now their bellies must be as empty as mine!"

"Not to speak of a dry throat!", Chiao Tai added. He turned round his horse and rode up to the judge's cart.

"There still is one valley to be crossed, Your Honour", he reported, "but then we shall at last reach Lan-fang."

Sergeant Hoong suppressed a sigh.

"It is a great pity", he remarked, "that Your Honour was ordered to leave Poo-yang so soon. Although two major criminal cases came up directly after our arrival there, all in all it was a pleasant district."

Judge Dee smiled wryly and tried to settle his back more comfortably against the book package.

"It would seem", he said, "that in the capital the remnants of the Buddhist clique joined forces with friends of the Cantonese merchants, and effected my transfer long before my term of office in Poo-yang had expired. Yet it will be most instructive to serve as magistrate in such an outlying district as Lan-fang. Doubtless we shall find there interesting special problems that one will never meet with in the larger cities of the interior."

The sergeant agreed that that was so, but he remained gloomy. He was over sixty years old, and the discomforts of the long journey had worn him out. Since his early childhood he had been a retainer of judge Dee's family. When Judge Dee had entered official life, he had made him his confidential adviser, and at every post where the judge had served he had appointed him sergeant over the constables of the tribunal.

The coachmen cracked their whips. The cortge passed over the top of the ridge and descended into the valley along a narrow winding road.

Soon they found themselves down in the valley, where the road was darkened by high cedar trees that rose from the thick undergrowth on both sides.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from THE CHINESE MAZE MURDERSby ROBERT VAN GULIK Copyright © 1957 by N. V. Uitgeverij W. van Hoeve. Excerpted by permission.
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