The guildmasters congratulated the judge on the speedy arrest of Chien Mow and expressed their joy that now the district would return to normal. They were somewhat disturbed, however, over such a large number of soldiers occupying the city.
Judge Dee raised his eyebrows.
'The only soldiers here', he remarked, 'are a few dozen deserters which I have re-enlisted for guard duty.'
The master of the goldsmiths' guild gave his colleagues a knowing look. He said with a smile:
'We fully understand, Your Honour, that your lips are sealed. But the guards of the northern gate told that when Your Honour entered the city they were nearly trampled down by an escadron of cavalry. Last night a goldsmith saw a column of two hundred soldiers march through the main street with straw wrapped round their boots.'
The master of the guild of silk merchants added:
'My own cousin saw a row of ten horsecarts pass by, loaded with army supplies. However, Your Honour can fully trust us. We realize that a military inspection tour of the border districts must be kept secret lest the barbarian hordes over the river hear about it. The news shall not spread outside the city. Would it not be better, however, if the Commander did pot display his flag over the tribunal? If the spies of the barbarian tribes see this flag, they will know that the army is here.'
'That flag', Judge Dee answered, 'I put up myself. It only means that I, the magistrate, have temporarily placed this district under martial law, as I am entitled to do in a state of emergency.'
The guildmasters smiled and bowed deeply.
'We perfectly understand Your Honour's discretion!', the eldest said gravely.
Judge Dee did not comment further on this but broached quite a different subject. He requested the masters to send him that very afternoon three elderly men qualified and willing to serve in the tribunal respectively as senior scribe, head of the archives, and warden of the jail; and a dozen dependable youngsters to serve as clerks. The judge further requested them to lend the tribunal two thousand silver pieces to pay for elementary repairs of the court hall and for the salaries of the personnel; this sum would be paid back as soon as the case against Chien Mow had been concluded and his property confiscated.
The guildmasters readily agreed.
Finally Judge Dee informed them that the next morning he would open the case against Chien Mow, and asked them to make this fact known throughout the district.
When the guildmasters had taken their leave the judge went back to his private office. There he found Headman Fang waiting for him together with a good-looking young man.
Both knelt before the judge. The young man knocked his head on the floor three times in succession.
'Your Honour', Fang said, 'allow me to present my son. He was kidnapped by Chien's henchmen and compelled to work as a servant in his mansion.'
'He shall serve under you as a constable', Judge Dee said. 'Did you find your eldest daughter?'
'Alas', Fang replied with a sigh, 'my son has never seen her and the most diligent search did not produce any trace of her. I closely questioned the steward of Chien's mansion. He remembers that at one time Chien Mow expressed the desire to acquire White Orchid for his harem but maintains that his master dropped the matter when I refused to sell my daughter. I do not know what to think.'
Judge Dee said pensively:
'It is your assumption that Chien Mow kidnapped her, and you may yet be proved right. It is not unusual for a man like Chien to keep a secret love nest outside his mansion. On the other hand we must also reckon with the possibility that he had really nothing to do with her disappearance. I shall question Chien on this subject and institute a thorough investigation. Do not give up hope too soon!'
As the judge was speaking, Ma Joong and Chiao Tai came in.
They reported that Corporal Ling had executed his orders to the letter. Ten soldiers were stationed at each of the four city gates and a dozen of Chien's men were locked in each gate tower. The number of prisoners had been increased by five ex-soldiers who had deserted to escape punishment for real crimes. Corporal Ling had demoted to water carriers the loafers who had been guarding the gates before.
Ma Joong added that Ling had all the qualities of a good military man; he had deserted because of a quarrel with a dishonest captain and was overjoyed at being once more in the regular army.
Judge Dee nodded and said:
'I shall propose that Ling is made a sergeant. For the time being we shall leave the forty men stationed at the gates. If their morale remains good I propose to quarter them all together in Chien's mansion. In course of time I shall designate that as garrison headquarters. You, Chiao Tai, will remain commanding officer of those forty men and the twenty we trained here in the tribunal, till the soldiers I shall send for have arrived.'
Having thus spoken the judge dismissed his lieutenants. He took up his brush and drafted an urgent letter to the far-away prefect describing the events of the past two days. The judge added a list of the men he wanted re- enlisted and a proposal that Corporal Ling be promoted to sergeant. Finally he requested that one hundred soldiers be send to Lan-fang as permanent garrison.
As he was sealing this letter the headman came in. He reported that a Mrs. Yoo had come to see the judge. She was waiting at the gate of the tribunal.
Judge Dee looked pleased.
'Bring her in!', he ordered.
As the headman was showing the lady into Judge Dee's office he gave her an appraising look. She was about thirty years old and still a remarkably beautiful woman. She was not made up and very simply dressed.
Kneeling before the desk she said timidly:
'Mrs. Yoo
'We are not in the tribunal, Madam', Judge Dee said kindly, 'so there is no need for formality. Please rise and be seated!'
Mrs. Yoo rose slowly and sat down on one of the footstools in front of the desk. She hesitated to speak.
'I have always', Judge Dee said, 'greatly admired your late husband Governor Yoo. I consider him as one of the greatest statesmen of our age.'
Mrs. Yoo bowed. She said in a low voice:
'He was a great and a good man, Your Honour. I would not have dared to intrude upon Your Honour's valuable time were it not that it is my duty to execute my late husband's instructions.'
Judge Dee leaned forward.
'Pray proceed, Madam!', he said intently.
Mrs. Yoo put her hand in her sleeve and took out an oblong package. She rose and placed it on the desk.
'On his deathbed', she began, 'the Governor handed me this scroll picture which he had painted himself. He said that this was the inheritance he bequeathed to me and my son. The rest was to go to my stepson Yoo Kee.
Upon that the Governor started coughing and Yoo Kee left the room to order a new bowl with medicine. As soon as he had gone the Governor suddenly said to me: 'Should you ever be in difficulties you will take this picture to the tribunal and show it to the magistrate. If he does not understand its meaning you will show it to his successor, until in due time a wise judge shall uncover its secret.' Then Yoo Kee came in. The Governor looked at the three of us. He laid his emaciated hand on the head of my small son, smiled and passed away without saying another word.'
Mrs. Yoo broke down sobbing.
Judge Dee waited until she was calmer. Then he said:
'Every detail of that last day is important, Madam. Tell me what happened thereafter.'
'My stepson Yoo Kee', Mrs. Yoo continued, 'took the picture from my hands saying that he would keep it for me. He was not unkind then. It was only after the funeral that he changed. He told me harshly to leave the house immediately with my son. He accused me of having deceived his father and forbade me and my son ever to set a foot in his house again. Then he threw this scroll picture on the table and said with a sneer that I was welcome to my inheritance.'
Judge Dee stroked his beard.
'Since the Governor was a man of great wisdom, Madam, there must be some deep meaning in this picture. I
