Judge Dee at Work: Eight Chinese Detective Stories (Judge Dee Mysteries)

Judge Dee at Work: Eight Chinese Detective Stories (Judge Dee Mysteries)

A delectable collection of cozy puzzle mysteries starring the wonderful Chinese sleuth Judge Dee, whom the  Los Angeles Times  ranked with Sherlock Holmes The eight short stories in Judge Dee at Work cover a decade during which the judge served in four different provinces of the T’ang Empire. From the suspected treason of a general in the Chinese army to the murder of a lonely poet in his garden pavilion, the cases here are among the most memorable in the Judge Dee series. “Judge Dee belongs in that select group of fictional detectives headed by the renowned Sherlock Holmes. I assure you it is a compliment not given frivolously.” -- Robert Kirsch ― Los Angeles Times “The China of old, in Mr. van Gulik’s skilled hands, comes vividly alive again.” -- Allen J. Hubin ― New York Times Book Review “Entertaining, instructive and oddly impressive. Judge Dee, the officers of his tribunal and the people with whom he and they are concerned are interesting folk, and the world of crime, mystery, violence, lust, corruption and ceremony in which they move is formidably picturesque.” ― Times Literary Supplement 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. JUDGE DEE AT WORK Eight Chinese Detective Stories By ROBERT VAN GULIK The University of Chicago Press Copyright © 1967 Robert van Gulik All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-226-84866-2 Contents 1. Five Auspicious Clouds...........................12. The Red Tape Murder..............................203. He Came with the Rain............................444. The Murder on the Lotus Pond.....................735. The Two Beggars..................................946. The Wrong Sword..................................1157. The Coffins of the Emperor.......................1408. Murder on New Year's Eve.........................163Colophon............................................174Judge Dee Chronology................................175 Chapter One FIVE AUSPICIOUS CLOUDS This case occurred in A.D. 663 when judge Dee had been serving only a week in his first independent official post-Magistrate of Peng-lai, a remote district on the north-east coast o f the Chinese Empire. Directly upon his arrival there he had been confronted with three mysterious crimes, described in my novel The Chinese Gold Murders. In that story mention was made of the flourishing shipbuilding industry of Peng-lai, and of Mr Yee pen, the wealthy shipowner. The present story opens in judge Dec 's private office in the tribunal, where he is in conference with Yee Pen and two other gentlemen; they have just finished discussing at length judge Dee's proposal for bringing the shipbuilding industry under government control. 'Well, gentlemen,' Judge Dee said with a satisfied smile to his three guests, 'that settles it then, I think.' The conference in his private office had begun at about two o'clock, and now it was already past five. But he thought that the time had been well spent. 'The rules we drafted seem to cover all possible contingencies,' Mr Ho remarked in his precise voice. He was a soberly dressed, middle-aged man, a retired secretary of the Minister of Justice. Looking at Hwa Min, the wealthy shipowner on his right, he added, 'You'll agree, Mr Hwa, that our draft provides for an equitable settlement of your differences with your colleague Mr Yee Pen here.' Hwa Min made a face. '"Equitable" is a nice word,' he said dryly, 'but as a merchant I like the word "profitable" even better! If I had been given a free hand in competing with my friend Mr Yee, the result might not have been exactly equitable, no.... But it would have been eminently profitable-for me!' 'Shipbuilding affects our coastal defence,' Judge Dee observed stiffly. 'The Imperial Government does not allow a private monopoly. We have spent the entire afternoon on this matter and, thanks also to the excellent technical advice of Mr Ho, we have now drafted this document setting forth clearly the rules all ship-owners are to follow. I shall expect both of you to keep to those rules.' Mr Yee Pen nodded ponderously. The judge liked this shrewd, but honest businessman. He thought less of Mr Hwa Min, who he knew was not averse to shady deals, and who often had woman-trouble. Judge Dee gave a sign to the clerk to refill the teacups, then he leaned back in his chair. It had been a hot day, but now a cool breeze had risen, wafting into the small office the scent of the magnolia tree outside the window. Mr Yee set his cup down and gave Ho and Hwa Min a questioning look. It was time for them to take their leave. Suddenly the door opened and Sergeant Hoong, judge Dee's trusted old adviser, came in. He stepped up to the desk and said: 'There's someone outside with an urgent message, Your Honour.' Judge Dee had caught his loo