The Chinese Maze Murders by Robert van Gulik

impossible for our Imperial army! Did I never tell you about the crossing of the Yellow River? There was no bridge or ferry, and our General wished to cross. So two thousand of us jumped in the water holding each other’s hands so as to form two rows. One thousand soldiers stood themselves in between holding their shields over their heads. The General galloped on his horse over this iron bridge!”
    The young soldier thought to himself that this was the most incredible story he had ever heard. But knowing the Corporal’s short temper he said respectfully “Yes, Sir!” They left the court hall together with the last spectators.
    In the main courtyard the official palanquin of the judge had been put in readiness. Six constables were standing in front and six behind. Two soldiers were holding the horses of Sergeant Hoong and Tao Gan by the reins.
    Judge Dee emerged from his office, still clad in his ceremonial dress. Sergeant Hoong assisted him while ascending the palanquin.
    Then the sergeant and Tao Gan mounted their horses. The cortège moved out into the street. Two constables ran in front carrying long poles with placards bearing the inscription “The Tribunal of Lan-fang” in large letters. Two others beating copper hand-gongs headed the procession. They shouted: “Make way! Make way! His Excellency the Magistrate is approaching!”
    The crowd stood respectfully aside. When they sawJudge Dee’s palanquin they broke out in loud cheers, shouting “Long live our Magistrate!”
    Sergeant Hoong who was riding by the side of the judge’s palanquin bent over to the window and remarked happily:
    “That is quite different from three days ago, Your Honour!”
    Judge Dee smiled bleakly.
    The Ding mansion proved to be an imposing building.
    Young Ding came out into the first courtyard to welcome the judge. As Judge Dee descended from his palanquin an old man with a shaggy grey beard came forward and presented himself as the coroner. In daily life he was the proprietor of a well known medicine shop.
    Judge Dee announced that he would proceed directly to the scene of the murder. Headman Fang and six constables would go to the main hall and there set up a temporary tribunal and make the necessary preparations for the autopsy.
    Candidate Ding invited the judge and his assistants to follow him.
    He led them along a winding corridor to the back courtyard. They saw a charming landscape garden with artificial rocks and a large goldfish pond in the middle. The doors of the main hall stood wide open. The servants were busy clearing away the furniture.
    Candidate Ding opened a small door on left and led them through a dark, covered corridor to a small yard of eight feet square, enclosed on three sides by a high wall. The wall opposite showed a narrow door of solid wood. One panel had been battered in. Young Ding pushed this door open and stood aside to let the judge pass.
    A smell of stale candles hung in the air.
    Judge Dee stepped over the threshold and looked around.
    It was a fairly large room of octagonal shape. High upon the wall there were four small windows with panes of coloured glass that filled the room with a soft, diffused light. Above the windows there were two grated openings of about two feet square. This was the only ventilation; except for the door through which they had entered, there were no other openings in the wall.
    A spare figure clad in a house robe of dark green brocade was slumped over the huge writing desk of carved ebony standing in the centre of the room, facing the door. The head leaned on the crooked left arm, the right hand was stretched out on the desk still holding a writing brush of red lacquer. A small skull cap of black silk had dropped to the floor exposing the victim’s long grey hair.
    The desk showed the usual array of writing implements. A blue porcelain vase with wilted flowers stood on a corner. On either side of the dead man there stood a copper candle stick; the candles had burned down