The Chinese Lake Murders

Fifth Chapter

The following morning, just after dawn, when Sergeant Hoong reported for duty, he found Judge Dee sitting already fully dressed in his private office at the back of the court hall.

The judge had arranged the letters found in the courtesan's clothes box in neat piles on his desk. As the sergeant poured out a cup of tea for him, the judge said:

"I have read through all these letters carefully, Hoong. Her affair with that so-called Student of the Bamboo Grove must have started about half a year ago. The early letters refer to a gradually developing friendship; the latter ones speak of a passionate love. About two months ago, however, the passion seemed to wane. There is a marked change in tone; here and there I find some passages that could be construed as threats. That man must be found, Hoong!"

"The senior scribe of our tribunal is an amateur poet, Your Honor," Sergeant Hoong said eagerly. "In his spare time he acts as recording secretary of the local literary club. He could probably identify that pseudonym!"

"Excellent!" Judge Dee commented. "You'll presently go to the chancery and ask him. First, however, I want to show you this." He took from a drawer in his desk a thin sheet of paper and spread it out flat. The sergeant recognized the chess problem found in the dead girl's sleeve. Tapping it with his forefinger the judge said:

"Yesterday night after we had come back from the Willow Quarter I had a good look at this chess problem. The curious thing is that I can't make head or tail of it!

"I admit that I am no expert at this game, but I played it often in my student days. As you see, the square is divided by eighteen columns either way, producing 289 points where they cross each other. One player has 150 white men, his opponent the same number of

THE CHESS PROBLEM

black ones. These men are small round stones, all of the same value. Starting with a clear board, the two participants play alternately, placing one stone on a point. The aim is to take as many of the other player's men as possible by surrounding them completely, single or in groups. The men thus taken are immediately removed from the board. He wins who succeeds in occupying the greatest number of points on the board."

"That sounds quite simple!" Hoong observed.

Judge Dee answered with a smile.

"The rules are indeed simple, but the game itself is most complicated; they say that a man's lifetime hardly suffices for mastering all its intricacies!

"Our great chess masters often published manuals of the game, illustrated with diagrams of interesting positions, and also problems with detailed explanations. This sheet must have been torn from such a handbook. It is the last page, for you see the word finis printed in the lower left corner. Unfortunately, the title of the book is not indicated. You must try to locate a chess expert here in Han-yuan, Hoong. Such a person will doubtless be able to tell from which book this sheet was torn. The explanation of this particular problem must have been printed on the penultimate page."

Ma Joong and Chiao Tai entered and greeted the judge. When they were seated in front of his desk he said to Ma Joong:

"I suppose that last night you stayed behind in order to gather information. Tell me the result!"

Ma Joong placed his large fists on his knees. He began with a smile.

"Yesterday Your Honor mentioned the possibility of getting information on the courtesan's private life from the other inmates of her house. Now it so happened that last night when we were passing there on our way to the lake, one girl standing on the balcony rather caught my fancy. So when we visited the house later, I described her to the manager, and the obliging fellow immediately had her called away from the dinner party she was attending. Her name is Peach Blossom, a most apt appellation indeed!"

Ma Joong paused. He twirled his mustache and his grin grew broader as he continued.

"She is indeed a most charming girl and somehow or other I didn't seem to displease her either. At least she-"

"Spare me," Judge Dee interrupted peevishly, "the details of your amorous exploits! We'll take it for granted that you two got along well together. Now what did she tell you about the dead dancer?"

Ma Joong looked hurt. He heaved a sigh, then went on with resigned patience.

"Well, Your Honor, this girl Peach Blossom was a close friend of the dead courtesan. The dancer arrived in the Willow Quarter about one year ago, one of a batch of four brought by a procurer from the capital. She told Peach Blossom that she had left her home in Shansi because of an unfortunate incident, and that she could never go back there. She was rather particular; although a number of distinguished guests tried hard to win her favor she politely refused all of them. Guildmaster Soo especially was most assiduous in his attentions and gave her many costly presents, but he never had a chance."

"That," Judge Dee interrupted, "we'll note down as a point against Soo. Scorned love is often a powerful motive."

"However," Ma Joong continued, "Peach Blossom is convinced that Almond Blossom was by no means a cold woman; the fact is that she must have had a secret lover. At least once a week she would ask the manager's permission to go out shopping. Since she was a steady and obedient girl who never had shown the slightest inclination to run away, the manager always said yes. She went alone, and her friend assumed it was to a secret rendezvous. But she never found out who it was or where she met him, though not for want of trying, I am sure!"

"How long was she gone each time?" the judge asked.

"She would leave shortly after the noon meal," Ma Joong answered, "and come back just before the evening rice was served."

"That means that she couldn't have gone outside the town," Judge Dee observed. "Go and ask the scribe about that pen name, Sergeant!"

As Hoong went out a clerk entered and handed the judge a large sealed envelope. Judge Dee opened it and spread a long letter out on his desk. It had two copies attached to it. Caressing his side-whiskers, he slowly read it through. Just as he was leaning back in his chair Sergeant Hoong came back. Shaking his head Hoong said:

"Our senior scribe is certain, Your Honor, that no scholar or writer in this district uses the sobriquet Student of the Bamboo Grove."

"That's a pity!" Judge Dee said. Then, sitting straight and pointing to the letter in front of him, he went on in a brisk voice. "Now we have here the report of the manager of the courtesan's house. Her real name was Miss Fan Ho-i, and she was bought seven months ago from a procurer of the capital, exactly as Peach Flower or whatever she's called told Ma Joong. The price was two gold bars.

"The procurer stated that he had purchased her under unusual circumstances. She had approached him herself and agreed to sell herself for one gold bar and fifty silver pieces, on condition that she would be resold only in Han-yuan. The procurer thought it strange that this girl transacted the deal herself, instead of through her parents or through a middleman. But since she was good-looking and skilled in singing and dancing he saw a handsome profit and did not trouble to question her. He paid her the money and she disposed of it herself. However, since the house in the Willow Quarter was a good client, the procurer thought it wise to inform the manager of the unusual manner in which he had acquired the girl, so as to bear no responsibility if later complications should arise."

Here the judge paused, and angrily shook his head. Then he went on:

"The manager asked her a few pertinent questions but as she evaded a direct answer he let the matter go. He says that he assumed that her parents had expelled her because of an illicit love affair. The other details about her life in the house tally with what Ma Joong learned from the other girl. The manager notes here the names of the citizens who showed particular interest in Almond Blossom. The list includes nearly all the prominent citizens of Han-yuan, but not Liu Fei-po and Han Yung-han. On occasion he urged her to accept one of those as her lover, but she had steadfastly refused. Since she brought in good money by her dancing alone, the manager had never insisted.

"Now, at the end of his report he states that she liked literary games, wrote a good hand, and was a more than average painter of birds and flowers. But he says specifically that she didn't like chess!"

Judge Dee paused. Looking at his lieutenants he asked:

"Now how do you explain the remark she made to me about playing chess, and her carrying that chess problem in her sleeve?"

Ma Joong perplexedly scratched his head. Chiao Tai asked:

"Could I have a look at that problem, Your Honor? I used to be rather fond of the game."

The judge pushed the sheet over to him. Chiao Tai studied the problem for a while; then he said:

"That is quite a meaningless position, Your Honor! White occupies nearly the entire board. One might conceivably reconstruct some of the moves whereby it blocked black's progress, but in black's position there's neither rhyme nor reason!"

Judge Dee knitted his eyebrows. He remained in thought for some time.

He was roused by three beats on the large bronze gong suspended at the main gate. They reverberated through the tribunal, announcing that the morning session was to be opened.

The judge replaced the chess problem in his drawer and rose with a sigh. Sergeant Hoong assisted him in donning his official robe of dark-green brocade. As he was adjusting the black winged judge's cap on his head, he said to the three men:

"I shall first review the murder on the flower boat. Fortunately, there are no other cases pending, so we can concentrate our attention on this baffling murder."

Ma Joong drew aside the heavy curtain that separated the judge's private office from the court hall. Judge Dee passed through and ascended the dais. He sat down behind the high bench covered with scarlet brocade. Ma Joong and Chiao Tai stood themselves behind his chair, Sergeant Hoong took his customary place at Judge Dee's right hand.

The constables stood in two rows in front of the dais carrying whips, clubs, chains, handscrews and the other paraphernalia of their office. The senior scribe and his assistants were sitting at lower tables on either side of the dais, ready to note down the proceedings.

Judge Dee surveyed the court hall. He noticed that a large crowd of spectators had gathered. The news of the murder in the flower boat had spread like wildfire and the citizens of Han-yuan were eager to hear all the details. In the front row he saw Han Yung-han, the Kang brothers and the guildmasters Peng and Soo. He wondered why Liu Fei-po and Master Wang were not there; the headman of the constables had notified all of them that they would have to be present.

He rapped his gavel on the bench and declared the session open. He then commenced to call the roll.

Suddenly a group of people appeared at the entrance of the court hall. They were headed by Liu Fei-po, who shouted excitedly:

"I demand justice! A foul crime has been committed!"

Judge Dee gave a sign to the headman. He went to meet the newcomers and led them before the dais.

Liu Fei-po knelt on the stone flags. A tall, middle-aged gentleman clad in a plain blue robe and wearing a small black skullcap knelt by his side. Four other men remained standing beyond the row of constables. Judge Dee recognized one of them as Guildmaster Wang; the other three he didn't know.

"Your Honor!" Liu cried out, "my daughter has been cruelly murdered on her wedding night!"

Judge Dee lifted his eyebrows. He said curtly:

"The complainant Liu Fei-po shall report everything in the proper sequence. I learned last night during the banquet that your daughter's wedding was celebrated the day before yesterday. Why do you come now, two days after the event, to report her death to this tribunal?"

"It's all due to the evil scheme of that wicked man here!" Liu cried out, pointing at the gentleman kneeling by his side.

"State your name and profession!" the judge ordered the middle-aged man.

"This insignificant person," the other said calmly, "is named Djang Wen-djang, a Doctor of Literature. A fearful calamity has struck my house, robbing me at the same time of my beloved only son and his young bride. As if that were not enough, this man Liu Fei-po accuses me, their father! I respectfully beg Your Honor to right this terrible wrong!"

"The impudent rascal!" Liu Fei-po shouted.

Judge Dee rapped his gavel.

"The complainant Liu Fei-po," he said sternly, "shall refrain from using invectives in this court! State your case!"

Liu Fei-po mastered himself with difficulty. He was evidently completely beside himself from grief and anger; he seemed quite a different man from the one of the evening before. After a few moments he began in a calmer voice.

"August Heaven had so willed it that I would not be granted male issue. My only child was a daughter, called Moon Fairy. It proved that I was to be compensated for the lack of a son in this one daughter. She was a charming and sweet-tempered girl. To see

LIU FEI-PO ACCUSES DR. DJANG

her develop into a beautiful and intelligent young woman was the great joy of my life; I-"

He broke off; a sob smothered his voice. He swallowed a few times, then continued with a trembling voice.

"Last year she asked whether she might follow a private course in classical literature which this professor was giving in his house for a group of young women. I agreed, for till then she had been interested mainly in riding and hunting, and I was glad that now she also felt attracted by the arts and letters. How could I have foreseen what calamity would ensue? Moon Fairy saw in the doctor's house his son, Candidate Djang Hoo-piao, and fell in love with him. I wanted to inform myself about the Djang family before taking a decision, but Moon Fairy begged me insistently to have the betrothal announced soon, and my First Lady-the stupid woman! -supported her request, though she ought to have known better.

"When I had given my consent, a matchmaker was chosen, and the marriage contract drawn up. Then, however, my friend the business promoter Wan I-fan warned me that Dr. Djang was a libertine who some time previously had tried in vain to make Wan's daughter an instrument of his base lusts. I decided to annul the betrothal at once. But then Moon Fairy fell ill, and my First Lady maintained that the girl was lovesick and would certainly die if I didn't reconsider my decision. Moreover, Dr. Djang, loath to see his prey escape, refused to cancel the marriage contract."

Liu shot a venomous look at the professor, then went on.

"So, although with the greatest reluctance, I allowed the wedding to take place. The day before yesterday the red candles were lighted in the Djang mansion and the marriage solemnized before the soul tablets of the ancestors. The wedding feast was attended by more than thirty prominent citizens, including the guests who were present at the banquet on the flower boat.

"Now early this morning the professor came rushing to my house in great agitation, reporting that yesterday Moon Fairy had been found dead on the bridal couch. I asked at once why he hadn't immediately informed me. He replied that since his son, the bridegroom, had disappeared without trace, he had wanted to try to locate him first. I asked what had caused her death, but he just mumbled some unintelligible words. I wanted to go back with him to view my daughter's body. The man calmly told me that she had been already encoffined and deposited in the Buddhist Temple!"

Judge Dee sat up. He wanted to interrupt Liu but on second thought decided to hear him to the end.

"A horrible suspicion arose in me," Liu went on. "I hurriedly went to consult my neighbor, Guildmaster Wang. He at once agreed with me that my daughter had been the victim of an unspeakable crime. I informed Dr. Djang that I would proceed to the tribunal to file an accusation. Master Wang went to fetch Wan I-fan to act as witness. Now I, Liu Fei-po, am kneeling in front of Your Honor's bench beseeching you to see to it that the wicked criminal gets his just punishment so that the soul of my poor daughter may rest in peace!"

Having thus spoken Liu knocked his forehead on the stone floor three times in succession.

Judge Dee slowly stroked his long beard. After a moment's thought he asked:

"Do you mean to say that Candidate Djang murdered his bride and then absconded?"

"I beg Your Honor's pardon!" Liu answered hurriedly. "I am quite upset, I don't express myself clearly. That weak-kneed youngster, Candidate Djang, is innocent. It's his father, that degenerate lecher, who is the culprit! He coveted Moon Fairy and, excited by the wine, he laid hands on her the very night she was to be his son's bride. My poor daughter killed herself, and Candidate Djang, horrified at the scandalous behavior of his own father, fled in despair. The next morning, when the wicked professor had slept off his debauch, he found my daughter's dead body. Afraid of the consequences of his dastardly deed, he had the corpse encoffined immediately, to conceal the fact that she had committed suicide. I therefore accuse Dr. Djang Wen-djang of having ravished and caused the death of my daughter, Moon Fairy."

Judge Dee told the senior scribe to read out Liu's accusation as he had noted it down. Liu agreed that it was correct and affixed his thumbmark to the document. Then the judge spoke.

"The accused Djang Wen-djang shall now give his version of what happened."

"This person," the professor began in a slightly pedantic voice, "begs Your Honor's forgiveness for his improper behavior. I wish to state that I fully realize that I have acted foolishly. The quiet life among my books has made me sadly incapable of dealing efficiently with so horrible a crisis as suddenly befell my poor house. But I emphatically deny ever having as much as thought of my son's bride in an unseemly way, let alone having assaulted her. The following is a complete account of what really happened, true in every detail."

The doctor paused a moment to collect his thoughts, then went on:

"Yesterday morning when I was having breakfast in my garden pavilion, the maidservant Peony came and reported that she had knocked on the door of the bridal room and called out that she was bringing the morning rice, but there had been no answer. I said that the couple should not be disturbed, and ordered her to try again after an hour or so.

"Later in the morning, when I was watering the flowers, Peony came again and told me there was still no answer from the room. I began to feel somewhat alarmed. I went myself to the separate courtyard assigned to the young couple and vigorously knocked on the door. When there was no response I repeatedly shouted my son's name, but without result.

"Then I knew that something untoward must have happened. I hurriedly went to fetch my neighbor and friend, the tea merchant Koong, and asked his advice. He said it was my duty to have the door opened by force. I called my house steward. He took an ax and smashed the lock."

Dr. Djang paused. He swallowed, then went on in a toneless voice:

"The naked body of Moon Fairy was lying on the couch, covered with blood. My son was nowhere to be seen. I hastily stepped forward and covered her with a quilt. Then I felt her pulse. It had stopped beating and her hand was cold as ice. She was dead.

"Koong at once went to fetch the learned physican Dr. Hwa, who lives nearby, and he conducted the post-mortem. He reported that the cause of death had been severe hemorrhage resulting from defloration. I then knew that my son, distracted with grief, had fled the scene of his tragic misfortune. I was convinced that he had gone to some lonely place to kill himself, and wanted to go out at once to try to find him and prevent him from executing that desperate deed. When Dr. Hwa remarked that in this hot weather it was better to have the dead body encoffined immediately, I gave orders to call an undertaker for washing the body and placing it in a temporary coffin. Koong suggested to have it deposited in the

Buddhist Temple, pending the decision regarding the place of interment. I asked all present to keep the matter secret until I would have found my son, dead or alive. Then I went to search for him, accompanied by Koong and my steward.

"The entire day we roamed through the city and the suburbs, inquiring everywhere, but when dusk was falling we had failed to obtain the slightest clue. When we came back home we found a fisherman waiting for us in front of the gate. He gave me a silk girdle that had caught his hook when he was fishing in the lake. There was no need for me to inspect the name embroidered on the lining. I at once recognized it as that of my poor son. This second shock was too much for me; I fell down in a faint. Koong and my steward put me to bed. Completely exhausted, I slept till this morning.

"As soon as I had risen I remembered my duty to the bride's father. I hastened to the Liu mansion and reported the fearful tragedy. Instead of joining me in lamentations over the cruel fate that had robbed us of our children, that heartless man heaped the wildest accusations on my head and threatened me with action in this tribunal. I pray Your Honor to see to it that justice is done to this person, who on one and the same day lost his only son and his young son's bride, and thus is faced with the terrible prospect that his family line will be broken off!"

Then the professor knocked his forehead on the floor several times.

Judge Dee gave a sign to the scribe. He read out his recorded version of Dr. Djang's statement and the latter affixed his thumb-mark to it. Then the judge spoke.

"I shall now hear the witnesses of complainant and accused. Let the promoter Wan I-fan come forward!"

Judge Dee gave him a sharp look. He remembered that his name had also been mentioned in connection with the quarrel of the Kang brothers. Wan I-fan was a man of about forty with a smooth, beardless face, the pallor of which was set off by his short black mustache.

Wan stated that two years earlier Dr. Djang's Second Lady had died. Since his First and Third Lady had passed away previously, the professor was then all alone. He had approached Wan with the offer to take Wan's daughter as concubine. Wan had indignantly refused that proposal done without even a proper matchmaker. Thereupon Dr. Djang, thwarted in the satisfaction of his lust, had spread malicious rumors averring that Wan was an impostor whose transactions couldn't bear the light of day. Having thus come to know the professor's wicked character, Wan had thought it his duty to warn Liu Fei-po to what kind of a family he was going to entrust his only daughter. As soon as Wan I-fan had finished Dr. Djang shouted angrily: "I beseech Your Honor not to believe that preposterous mixture of truth and falsehood! It is true that I have often commented unfavorably on Wan I-fan. I don't hesitate to state here formally that the man is a crook and a swindler. After the demise of my Second Lady, it was he who approached me offering his daughter as a concubine. He said that since his wife had died he was unable to look after his daughter properly. Evidently he wanted to extort money from me, and to prevent my criticizing his questionable business methods any further. It was I who at once refused that impudent proposal!" Judge Dee crashed his fist on the table. He called out: "I, the magistrate, am being trifled with! Evidently one of these two men is telling a brazen lie! Let it be understood that I shall thoroughly investigate this matter and woe to him who has tried to fool me!" Angrily tugging at his beard, the judge ordered Guildmaster Wang to come forward.

Wang's statement supported Liu Fei-po as far as the facts were concerned. But he was very diffident in expressing an opinion on Liu's theory of the crime committed by Dr. Djang. He said he had agreed to it merely to calm down the excited Liu Fei-po, and that he wished to reserve his opinion as to what had actually happened on the wedding night.

Then Judge Dee heard the two witnesses for the defense. First the tea merchant Koong, who confirmed Dr. Djang's description of the events, and added that the professor was a man of frugal habits and the most elevated character. When Dr. Hwa was kneeling on the stone flags Judge Dee ordered the headman to call the coroner of the tribunal. Then the judge sternly addressed Dr. Hwa, saying:

"You, as a professional physician, should have known that in all cases of sudden death the body may not be encoffined before the full circumstances have been reported to this tribunal and before the coroner has examined the corpse. You have offended against the law and you shall be punished accordingly. Now you shall, in the presence of the coroner, describe in what condition you found the body, and how you arrived at your conclusion as to the cause of death!"

Dr. Hwa quickly embarked on a detailed description of the symptoms found on the dead girl. When he had finished, Judge Dee looked questioningly at the coroner, who said:

"I respectfully report to Your Honor that although the death of a virgin under the circumstances described is of rare occurrence, our medical books do indeed cite a few instances from the past. There can be no doubt that death occasionally ensues though prolonged unconsciousness is more common. The symptoms described by Dr. Hwa accord in all details with those recorded in authoritative medical treatises."

Judge Dee nodded. After he had condemned Dr. Hwa to a heavy fine, he addressed the audience, saying:

"I had planned this morning to review the case of the courtesan's murder, but this new case makes an immediate inspection of the scene of the alleged crime imperative."

He rapped his gavel and closed the session.