'Exactly!', said Judge Dee. 'However, Woo lived far from Chien Mow's mansion and it seemed unlikely to me that he would be able to leave his quarters regularly in an elaborate disguise without the garrulous host of the Eternal Spring Wineshop coming to know of it. Lastly, Ma Joong's talk with The Hunter proved that the plans of the conspirators were not affected by Woo's arrest.'
Judge Dee pulled his hands from his sleeves and leaned with his elbows on the table. Looking at Chiao Tai he continued:
'You, Chiao Tai, suggested the solution to me!'
Chiao Tai looked his astonishment at this unexpected statement.
'Yes', the judge went on, 'it was you who, in connection with our imaginary army, pointed out to me that a ruse could work two ways! It suddenly dawned on me that Yoo Kee's elaborate preparations for defending himself against a barbarian attack could as well be explained as preparations for taking part in such a raid!
Once that my suspicions had been aroused I found that Yoo Kee fitted the part of Chien Mow's secret adviser very well. First, Yoo Kee is of course thoroughly conversant with political affairs, he grew up in the house of one of the greatest statesmen of our time. Second, his house is within walking distance of Chien Mow's mansion, he would soon see the black flag that Chien used to hoist on his gate when he wanted Yoo Kee to visit him that day.
Then I started to ask myself a few questions. Why should a man who is afraid of a barbarian raid purchase a mansion in the most dangerous spot, in the southwest corner of the city near the Watergate? And that while he already possessed a mansion near the East Gate, a safe location where he can flee to the mountains at the first sign of danger? And why did Chien Mow take no measures against Yoo Kee when the latter took Chien's best fencing master away?
There could be only one answer: Yoo Kee was Chien's adviser, it was he who organized the plan for establishing an independent kingdom here on the border.
Lastly, Chien Mow told me so himself!'
'When was that, Your Honour?', Sergeant Hoong and Ma Joong exclaimed at the same time. Tao Gan and Chiao Tai stared at the judge in utter amazement.
Judge Dee looked at his lieutenants with a quizzical smile.
'When Chien Mow was dying', he replied, 'we all thought that he tried to start a sentence with 'You…'. I should have known better! A dying man who can hardly speak does not try to formulate a complicated sentence. He only wanted to pronounce one name, the name of the murderer of Magistrate Pan. And that name was Yoo Kee!'
Tao Gan crashed his fist on the desk. He gave the others a meaningful look.
'I must add', Judge Dee continued, 'that it was old Master Crane Robe who suggested this to me. At the very beginning of our conversation he misheard 'Yoo 'for 'You'. At least I thought that he had misheard… Looking back on that strange conversation I suspect that every word of the old master was said with a purpose and had a very special meaning…'
Judge Dee's voice trailed off. He fell silent and for a few moments pensively stroked his beard. Then he looked at his lieutenants and continued in a brisk voice:
'Tomorrow I shall close the case against Yoo Kee. The charge of high treason is the most serious one that can be made, it disposes of his murdering Magistrate Pan.
In the same session, I shall close the murder of General Ding!'
The last announcement gave Judge Dee's lieutenants their second shock that evening. They all spoke together.
Judge Dee raised his hand.
'Yes', he said, 'I have finally found the solution of that queer and complicated case. The man who actually killed the General signed his name to the deed!'
'So it was, after all, that impudent rascal Woo!', Sergeant Hoong said excitedly.
'Tomorrow', Judge Dee said calmly, 'you will know how General Ding met his death.'
He sipped his tea. Then he went on:
'Today we have made much progress. Yet there still remain two vexing problems. The first is a practical and urgent one, namely the disappearance of White Orchid. The second is a less urgent one, but all the same it needs our full attention. I mean the riddle of Governor Yoo's picture.
Unless we can establish that Mrs. Yoo and her son Yoo Shan are the rightful owners of half of the Governor's property, they will forever be as destitute as they are now. For since Yoo Kee will be indicted on the charge of high treason, the government will confiscate all his possessions.
Unfortunately, Yoo Kee destroyed the testament he found in the Governor's scroll picture. So that proof is gone. Yoo Kee's confession does not alter the fact that the old Governor on his deathbed bequeathed the picture to Mrs. Yoo and her son, and 'all the rest' to Yoo Kee. The higher authorities, and especially the Board of Finance will base themselves on that oral will, and confiscate all Yoo Kee's property. Thus unless I solve the riddle of that picture, Mrs. Yoo and Yoo Shan will receive nothing!'
Tao Gan nodded. He slowly played with the three long hairs that sprouted from his left cheek. Then he asked:
'At the beginning we did not know that Yoo Kee was concerned with this plan for taking the city. We only knew that he was the defendant in an inheritance suit. Why did Your Honour right from the beginning take such a great interest in the case Yoo versus Yoo?'
Judge Dee answered with a smile:
'Since I am explaining, I may as well tell you the background of my special interest in that case.
I must state that I have always been deeply interested in the personality of Governor Yoo Shou-chien. Many years ago when I was preparing myself for my second examination, I copied out all the reords I could lay hands on of the criminal cases solved by Governor Yoo when he was still a district magistrate. Poring over those I made it my ambition to learn his brilliant deductive methods. Later I carefully studied his inspired memorials to the Throne and tried to absorb his burning passion for justice and his deep devotion to the state and the people. He was for me the shining example, the ideal of the perfect servant of the state.
How I longed to meet him in person! But that was of course quite impossible since he was a Governor and I but a struggling young candidate.
Then Governor Yoo suddenly resigned. This inexplicable action of my hero perturbed me greatly. I have been wondering about it ever since.
When I found in the archives here in Lan-fang the file Yoo versus Yoo, it seemed to me as if at last I would have an opportunity of coming nearer to the idol of my youth, that I would meet him, as it were, in the spirit. The riddle of his testament seemed to me a challenge from beyond the grave…'
Judge Dee paused and looked intently at the scroll picture hanging on the wall opposite.
As he pointed at it he continued:
'I am firmly resolved to find the secret of that scroll! Since Yoo Kee's confession, the old Governor's message has become more than a challenge. I feel it is my solemn duty to the Governor's memory to see to it that the widow and the son of the man I worshipped obtain what is rightfully theirs. All the more so since I sent his eldest son to the execution ground.'
The judge rose and stood himself in front of the picture. His lieutenants left their seats and also gazed once more at the mysterious landscape.
Folding his hands in his sleeves Judge Dee said slowly:
' 'Bowers of Empty Illusion'! How deeply it must have shocked the old Governor when he found that his eldest son had inherited his father's brilliant mind, but nothing of his noble character!
I know every brush stroke of this picture by heart. I had hoped that the old country mansion would have given me some clue, yet I cannot…'
Suddenly the judge stopped. Bending forward he looked over the entire picture from top to bottom. As he straightened himself he slowly tugged at his whiskers. Then he turned round. His eyes were shining.
'I have found it, my friends!' he exclaimed. 'Tomorrow, this riddle also will be solved!'
Twenty first Chapter
