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Authors: Robert van Gulik
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spoke Ma Joong struck him with his mailed fist full in the face. Chien fell down upsetting an elegant tea table that crashed to the floor together with a costly porcelain tea set.
Six fierce looking ruffians came rushing from behind the large screen back in the hall. They carried long swords and their leader brandished a double axe.
They suddenly halted when they saw Ma Joong andChiao Tai in their full armour. Ma Joong folded his arms. He gruffly addressed the body guards:
“Give up your arms! Our commander will decide later whether you underlings are guilty or not.”
Chien’s nose had been broken, a stream of blood stained his robe. He lifted his head and called out:
“Don’t listen to that bastard, men! Have you not eaten my rice for ten years? First kill that dog-official there!”
The leader of the body guard sprang over to the judge raising his axe.
Judge Dee did not move. He slowly caressed his side whiskers staring contemptuously at his attacker.
“Wait, brother Wang!” Corporal Ling shouted, “did I not tell you that the whole town is swarming with soldiers? We have not got a chance, the army has taken over!”
The man with the axe hesitated.
Chiao Tai stamped his foot impatiently on the floor.
“Let us get a move on!” he cried. “We have better things to do than picking up these few rascals!”
He turned round and made to step outside.
Chien Mow had lost consciousness. Ma Joong, completely ignoring the body guards, stooped down and started to bind up Chien.
Judge Dee rose from his chair. As he straightened his robes he said coldly to the man with the axe:
“Put that dangerous instrument down, my man!”
He turned his back on him and looked hard at the two counsellors. They had stood there silently throughout the proceedings. Evidently they did not want to commit themselves either way before the issue was decided.
“Who might you two be?” the judge asked haughtily.
The elder one bowed deeply.
“Your Honour,” he replied, “this person has been compelledto serve this man Chien as a counsellor. Allow me to assure Your Honour that…”
“You will tell your tale in the tribunal!” Judge Dee interrupted him. To Ma Joong he said: “Let us hurry back to the tribunal. We shall take only this man Chien Mow and his two counsellors. We shall deal later with the rest of them.” Ma Joong said promptly:
“As you order, Magistrate!”
He gave a sign to Corporal Ling. The four soldiers bound the two counsellors securely. Chiao Tai unwound a thin chain from his waist. He made a loop at either end and threw the nooses over the heads of the two prisoners. He dragged them outside. As he fastened the chain to his saddle bow Chiao Tai said curtly:
“If you don’t want to strangle yourselves you had better walk fast!”
Chiao Tai mounted his horse and Judge Dee followed his example. Ma Joong slung the unconscious Chien Mow over his saddle. He called out to Corporal Ling:
“Divide your soldiers in four groups of twelve. Each group is responsible for ten of Chien’s men. Go to the city gates and lock your prisoners in the towers. At noon an officer shall inspect the four gates!”
“I obey!” the corporal shouted.
The three rode across the courtyard, the two counsellors trotting behind Chiao Tai’s horse.
In the second courtyard an elderly man with a grey goatee was waiting for them. He fell on his knees and knocked his head on the stoneflags.
Judge Dee halted his horse. He said curtly:
“Rise and state your name!”
The other hastily scrambled up. He replied with a bow:
“This unworthy person is the steward of this mansion.”
Judge Dee ordered:
“You will be fully responsible for this mansion and everything in it, including the servants and the womenfolk, till officers from the tribunal come to take over!”
Then the judge rode on.
Ma Joong bent over in his saddle and asked the steward in a conversational tone:
“Have you ever seen how in the army they sometimes flog a
Six fierce looking ruffians came rushing from behind the large screen back in the hall. They carried long swords and their leader brandished a double axe.
They suddenly halted when they saw Ma Joong andChiao Tai in their full armour. Ma Joong folded his arms. He gruffly addressed the body guards:
“Give up your arms! Our commander will decide later whether you underlings are guilty or not.”
Chien’s nose had been broken, a stream of blood stained his robe. He lifted his head and called out:
“Don’t listen to that bastard, men! Have you not eaten my rice for ten years? First kill that dog-official there!”
The leader of the body guard sprang over to the judge raising his axe.
Judge Dee did not move. He slowly caressed his side whiskers staring contemptuously at his attacker.
“Wait, brother Wang!” Corporal Ling shouted, “did I not tell you that the whole town is swarming with soldiers? We have not got a chance, the army has taken over!”
The man with the axe hesitated.
Chiao Tai stamped his foot impatiently on the floor.
“Let us get a move on!” he cried. “We have better things to do than picking up these few rascals!”
He turned round and made to step outside.
Chien Mow had lost consciousness. Ma Joong, completely ignoring the body guards, stooped down and started to bind up Chien.
Judge Dee rose from his chair. As he straightened his robes he said coldly to the man with the axe:
“Put that dangerous instrument down, my man!”
He turned his back on him and looked hard at the two counsellors. They had stood there silently throughout the proceedings. Evidently they did not want to commit themselves either way before the issue was decided.
“Who might you two be?” the judge asked haughtily.
The elder one bowed deeply.
“Your Honour,” he replied, “this person has been compelledto serve this man Chien as a counsellor. Allow me to assure Your Honour that…”
“You will tell your tale in the tribunal!” Judge Dee interrupted him. To Ma Joong he said: “Let us hurry back to the tribunal. We shall take only this man Chien Mow and his two counsellors. We shall deal later with the rest of them.” Ma Joong said promptly:
“As you order, Magistrate!”
He gave a sign to Corporal Ling. The four soldiers bound the two counsellors securely. Chiao Tai unwound a thin chain from his waist. He made a loop at either end and threw the nooses over the heads of the two prisoners. He dragged them outside. As he fastened the chain to his saddle bow Chiao Tai said curtly:
“If you don’t want to strangle yourselves you had better walk fast!”
Chiao Tai mounted his horse and Judge Dee followed his example. Ma Joong slung the unconscious Chien Mow over his saddle. He called out to Corporal Ling:
“Divide your soldiers in four groups of twelve. Each group is responsible for ten of Chien’s men. Go to the city gates and lock your prisoners in the towers. At noon an officer shall inspect the four gates!”
“I obey!” the corporal shouted.
The three rode across the courtyard, the two counsellors trotting behind Chiao Tai’s horse.
In the second courtyard an elderly man with a grey goatee was waiting for them. He fell on his knees and knocked his head on the stoneflags.
Judge Dee halted his horse. He said curtly:
“Rise and state your name!”
The other hastily scrambled up. He replied with a bow:
“This unworthy person is the steward of this mansion.”
Judge Dee ordered:
“You will be fully responsible for this mansion and everything in it, including the servants and the womenfolk, till officers from the tribunal come to take over!”
Then the judge rode on.
Ma Joong bent over in his saddle and asked the steward in a conversational tone:
“Have you ever seen how in the army they sometimes flog a
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