The next day, when Judge Dee opened the morning session of the tribunal hundreds of people were crowding the courtroom. The news of Yoo Kee's arrest had spread all over the town and the wildest rumours were circulating with regard to the arrest of the Uigur chieftain.
Judge Dee slowly surveyed the crowd, and pondered for a while as to how he should start the questioning. He reflected that Yoo Kee excelled in dissimulation and secret planning; he was wont to direct affairs from behind a carefully constructed screen. Often such persons break down completely once they have been forced to come out into the open.
The judge wrote Yoo Kee's name on a slip and handed it to Headman Fang.
As Yoo Kee was brought in Judge Dee saw that his surmise had been correct. Yoo Kee had changed overnight into a different person. The cloak of easy joviality that he had so carefully worn had fallen off. There was left nothing but a listless, broken man.
Judge Dee said quietly:
'At yesterday's session we went through the formalities. You can now begin immediately with your confession!'
'Your Honour', Yoo Kee spoke in a toneless voice, 'when a man has been left no hope either in this world or the next there is no reason why he should not tell the whole truth.'
Yoo Kee paused for a moment. Then he suddenly said bitterly:
'I know that my father hated me. Well, I hated him too although I admit that I feared him! While he was still alive I had already made the firm resolution that I would become a greater man than he. He had been a governor, I was to be a sovereign ruler!
For years I made a careful study of the border situation. I realized that if the barbarian tribes could be united and given some guidance they could easily overrun the entire border region. With Lan-fang as capital I could found a kingdom astride the border. While keeping off the Chinese authorities by promises of submission and lengthy negotiations about vassalage, I would steadily enlarge the kingdom to the west by attracting more and more barbarian chieftains; thus while my power would be growing in the west, my attitude to the Chinese authorities in the east would gradually stiffen until I would be so strong that no one would dare to attack me.'
Yoo Kee heaved a sigh, then went on:
'I was confident that I had sufficient diplomatic skill and knowledge of Chinese internal politics to execute this scheme. But I lacked military experience. In Chien Mow I found a useful tool. He was a determined and ruthless man, but he knew he was not qualified to act as a political leader. I encouraged him to establish himself as the local ruler here and showed him how he could consolidate his position against the central authorities. He acknowledged my leadership. After our plans had materialized, I would have appointed Chien Mow as my Generalissimo. At the same time I used Chien's activities to test the reaction of the central authorities. Everything succeeded, the central government seemed to acquiesce in the irregular situation here. So I resolved to take the next step and establish contact with the Uigur tribes.
Then that interfering fool, Magistrate Pan arrived. Through an unfortunate accident a letter I had written to an Uigur chieftain fell into his hands. I had to act quickly. I ordered Orolakchee, a cousin of the Khan and my confidential agent, to lure Pan to the river and kill him. Chien Mow was angry, he feared that the government would retaliate. But I instructed him how he could cover up this crime, and nothing untoward happened.'
Judge Dee was going to interrupt Yoo Kee but on second thoughts he decided that it was better to let him tell his story in his own way. Yoo Kee went on in the same toneless voice:
'I would have come out into the open then were it not that the Khan received information of big Chinese victories over the barbarians in the north. He started to waver and finally withdrew his support. Then I engaged in complicated negotiations with minor chieftains, and finally succeeded in uniting three powerful tribes. They would attack the city if I guaranteed that the Watergate would be open and that the main points inside the town would be occupied by my men.
When the date had been fixed, Your Honour arrived with a regiment of the regular army for inspecting the border, Chien Mow was arrested and his men dispersed. I feared that my plans had leaked out and that in the near future a strong garrison would be sent to Lan-fang. I decided to take immediate action.
Tonight three Uigur tribes will gather in the plain. When at midnight they see the signal fire on the watchtower, they will ford the river and enter the city by the Watergate.
That is all!'
The crowd started to talk excitedly. They realized that they had narrowly escaped being overrun by cruel barbarian horsemen.
'Silence!', shouted Judge Dee.
Then he ordered Yoo Kee:
'State how many men these three tribes can put under arms!
Yoo Kee thought for a while, then he replied:
'About two thousand trained mounted archers, and a few hundred footmen.'
'What part were the three Chinese shopkeepers to play in this scheme?' asked the judge.
'I never met them', Yoo Kee answered, 'it was my fixed policy to remain in the background as much as possible. I ordered Orolakchee to enlist the help of about one dozen Chinese to guide the Uigur warriors to the tribunal and the gates. He located those men and guaranteed their support.'
Judge Dee gave a sign to the senior scribe. He read out his record of Yoo Kee's statement, and Yoo Kee affixed his thumbmark to it.
Then the judge spoke in a solemn voice:
'Yoo Kee, I pronounce you guilty of the crime of high treason. It is possible that the higher authorities will mitigate to some degree the severity of the extreme penalty in deference to the meritorious services of your late father, and because you confessed without pressure. But it is my duty to warn you that the Code prescribes for high treason the punishment of execution by the process called 'lingering death', that is, being cut to pieces alive.
Lead the criminal away!'
Then Judge Dee addressed the court:
'I have arrested all the leaders of this nefarious scheme. The barbarians will not dare to attack tonight when they do not see the signal fire. I have issued orders, however, to make the necessary preparations for any eventuality. In the course of today you will receive instructions from your wardens what to do. The barbarians have never been able to take a walled city so there is nothing to fear!'
The spectators broke out in cheers.
Judge Dee hit his gavel on the bench. Then he announced:
'I shall now hear the case Ding versus Woo.'
He filled out a slip with his vermilion brush. Soon Woo Feng was led before the dais by two constables.
As soon as Woo was kneeling the judge took from his sleeve a cardboard box and pushed it over the edge of the bench. It fell down with a thud in front of Woo.
He looked at it curiously. It was the box discovered in the sleeve of the murdered General. The corner the mouse had gnawed off had been neatly repaired.
The judge asked: 'Are you familiar with that box?'
Woo looked up.
'This', he replied, 'is the kind of box they sell sweet plums in. I have seen hundreds of them on sale on the market of the Drum Tower. Occasionally I have bought one myself. Thus, although I am indeed familiar with such boxes in general, I have never seen this particular one. The congratulatory inscription on top evidently means that it was offered to someone as a present.'
'You are quite right', Judge Dee said, 'it is an anniversary present. Do you mind tasting the plums inside?'
Woo gave the judge a bewildered look. Then he shrugged his shoulders and replied:
'Not in the least, Your Honour!'
He opened the box. Nine plums were neatly arranged on a layer of white tissue paper. Woo poked them with
