The Poisoned Bride and Other Judge Dee Stories

by The Poisoned Bride(Lit)

  Koong Wan-deh having affirmed this, Judge Dee had this fact duly recorded by the clerks. He knew that if Shao proved to have this black tooth, then all possible doubt would be removed. He hastily filled in a slip for the warden of the jail, and told two constables to fetch Shao Lee-huai.

  When Shao was kneeling in front of the bench, Judge Dee shouted at him:

  “You villain, yesterday you obstinately protested your innocence. Now look up and see who this man is!”

  Shao immediately recognised the hostel keeper of Six Mile Village. He knew then that there was no hope and began cursing violently. His black front tooth was there for all to see.

  Shao continued cursing Djao Wan-chuan and Koong Wan-deh, and screamed in a blind rage:

  “You think you have caught me, but I shall rather die than confess!

  Judge Dee banged his fist on the table, and shouted in a thundering voice to the constables to apply the “great torture”.

  They brought in an iron pan with glowing coals, and thereon laid several feet of thin chain. When these chains had become red-hot, they picked them up with a pair of tongs, and threw them on the floor. Then they stripped off Shao’s trousers, and holding him by his arms, made him kneel on the chains.

  Shao emitted piercing shrieks of agony. The stench of burnt flesh filled the court hall. Then his screams changed to moans, and he fainted.

  The constables dragged him aside. He sank in a heap on the floor. Their headman brought a bowl of vinegar and sprinkled it over the glowing coals. A penetrating smell dispelled the bad odour. Gradually Shao came to his senses again. His face was ashen and his features contorted. Two constables had to support him when he was made to kneel in front of the bench. Judge Dee said:

  “If you don’t confess, I shall subject you to other tortures. It is now in your own hands.”

  Shao Lee-huai’s spirit had been broken, and at last the full truth was revealed. He said in a low voice:

  “I used to pass through this province every year, peddling my silk. I did fairly well until I met a woman who made me spend most of my money on her. After a year I was obliged to borrow, and this spring I found myself heavily in debt. Now this young merchant Liu was a man of the same village as I. His full name was Liu Guang-chi. We had agreed that we should travel together this year. When I saw that he was taking three hundred silver pieces with him, and a pushcart with bales of raw silk to a total value of about seven hundred silver pieces, I conceived the plan to kill him, and take his money and his wares. There would have been enough to pay off my debts, and even sufficient to set up a business in some lonely spot and live in comfort with that woman. Ever after we had set out together, I was on the look out for a suitable opportunity for executing my plan, but other merchants accompanied us. I had to wait till the two of us arrived alone at Six Mile Village. Seeing that Koong’s hostel was located in a lonely neighbourhood, I persuaded Liu to stay there over night. That night I purposely kept Liu talking and drinking till deep in the night. He was dead drunk when I put him to bed. It was only a few hours later when the last nightwatch sounded. I dragged him up and made him leave the hostel with me, supporting him on my arm. Outside in the morning air he sobered up a bit. I made him push the cart for a while. When we arrived at the market gate dawn was just breaking and there was nobody in sight. I walked up behind him and plunged my knife under his right shoulderblade. Liu fell down with a gasp and then tried to turn round to me. I kicked him down. When he opened his mouth to scream, I cut his throat. Then I bent over him, and started to loosen his girdle to take his money. But just as I found the silver, I heard the creaking sounds of a pushcart. Looking up I saw a yokel coming towards us, pushing an empty cart. When he came near, he saw the body of Liu lying there and started to say something. I sprang towards him and, gripping his right arm with my left, I stuck my knife between his ribs. He started to scream, so I jerked him round and threw him on his face and then finished him off with a knife thrust in his back. His cart was but a small affair, so I transferred part of Liu’s bales to this cart and hastily went away, pushing Liu’s cart and dragging the other cart behind me. When I arrived at a safe distance, I threw the small pushcart in a ditch. But although I had thus got rid of the only witness to the murder, I still felt far from safe. So when a couple of hours later I happened to meet Djao Wan-chuan on the road, I told him that Liu had died, and handed the cart with the bales to him. He gave me three hundred pieces of silver as an advance on the price he would get for the silk. Then I hurried on to Lai-chow and from there went to the passes where the woman was waiting for me. This is the whole truth. I crave Your Honour’s leniency since I still have my mother to support[Note 6].”

  Judge Dee shook his head, and said:

  “Also Liu Guang-chi and the carter Wang had parents to support. I rule that in this particular case this circumstance shall not be considered”.

  When the clerk had written out the confession, the senior scribe read it out in a loud voice. Shao Lee-huai confirmed that it expressed accurately what he had said, and affixed his thumbmark to the document. He was led back to the jail to wait for the confirmation of his sentence by the central authorities.

  Then Judge Dee had Warden Pang brought before him, and sternly admonished him never again to try to squeeze money out of innocent people by falsely accusing them. The judge ruled that the two severe bamboo beatings he had received previously were sufficient punishment for his offense, and told him that he could go.

  Warden Pang knocked his head on the floor several times to show his gratitude for this leniency, for he knew very well that Judge Dee could have meted out to him a much heavier penalty[Note 7].

  Finally Judge Dee had the widow Wang brought in. To her he said:

  “The other day you reported to me that your husband, the carter Wang, had been done to death violently, and asked me to avenge him. I have now found the murderer. He has confessed his crime. As soon as the higher authorities have confirmed his sentence, I shall have him executed, so that your husband’s soul can rest in peace.”

  He added a few kind words to comfort her and told her that, after the execution, a suitable sum of smart money would be paid out to her.

  Then Judge Dee left the court hall. In his private office he changed into an informal robe. He had Ma Joong, Chiao Tai, Djao Wan-chuan and the old constable called in, and commended them for their good work on the case. He handed to Djao Wan-chuan one hundred silver pieces as a reward for his voluntary help.

  Djao Wan-chuan prostrated himself, knocking his head on the floor several times as his expression of gratitude. He said he would like to return as soon as possible to Divine Village, to look after his various affairs there. Judge Dee gave him an extra sum for travel funds and Djao Wan-chuan took his leave.

  When Ma Joong had come back from seeing Djao to the front gate, he asked the judge whether there were any new developments in the case of Bee Hsun. Judge Dee told him that as yet Mrs. Djou had made not one single suspicious move, but that Sergeant Hoong and Tao Gan were still keeping a very close watch on that neighbourhood. He was just going to add something more, when they suddenly heard the sounds of the gong at the main gate. With a sigh Judge Dee again donned his official robes and ascended the dais, followed by his lieutenants.

  In the meantime a large crowd had gathered outside the tribunal. The news that the murderer of Six Mile Village had been caught, and had confessed his crime, had spread like wildfire through the town. All people loudly praised Judge Dee for having brought this complicated case to a conclusion, thus giving peace to the souls of the two victims.

  A small group of men and women had wedged their way through the crowd, and were now standing by the door of the court hall. Some were crying, others were shouting that a heinous crime had been committed, and still others were loudly protesting that someone was being falsely accused.

  Judge Dee ordered Ma Joong to tell them to stop all the noise immediately, and bring only the complainant before the bench. The others wou
ld have to wait at the door.

  It appeared that there were two complainants, a middle-aged lady, and a distinguished old gentleman with grey hairs. When these two were kneeling in front of the bench, Judge Dee said:

  “Let each of you state his name, and clearly formulate his complaint”. The lady spoke up first, saying:

  “This insignificant person’s name is Lee. I am the widow of the late Bachelor of Arts Lee Dsai-goong, who used to teach in the School of the Classics, in the Temple of Confucius of this town. After his demise, he left me an only daughter, called Lee-goo. Last year she became eighteen. Through the intermediary of one of our local gentry, she was betrothed to Hua Wen-djun, the son of His Excellency the Senior Graduate Hua Guo-hsiang, the retired prefect. Yesterday had been fixed as the day for the wedding. The bridal procession set out from my house to the mansion of Mr. Hua. Who would have thought that my poor daughter would suddenly die during the very first night that she stayed in the bridegroom’s house? As soon as this terrible news reached me this morning, I hurried to the Hua mansion and there found the corpse of my daughter lying on the bridal couch, all covered with blue spots, while blood had been trickling from the ‘seven apertures’. These facts showing beyond doubt that someone had done her to death by administering poison to her, I hurried here to report, begging Your Honour to avenge the wrong done to this innocent girl, and to her mother, now left alone in the world, robbed of her last hope and support”.

  Having thus spoken, she started to cry bitterly. Judge Dee said a few kind words to comfort her, and then thus addressed the old gentleman: “I presume that you are Mr. Hua Guo-hsiang?”

  “I am indeed the Senior Graduate Hua Guo-hsiang”, the old gentleman answered.

  “How is it possible”, Judge Dee said, “that such a terrible thing happened in your house? A man of your experience and learning should know how to keep his house in order. Do you rule your household with such laxity that a criminal can dwell there unmolested?”

  “My household”, old Mr. Hua said with dignity, “is one where the ancient virtues are honoured. My son Wen-djun, although still young, is already preparing himself for the first literary examination. I have had him brought up in respect for the sacred rites and the rules of propriety.

  “Yesterday evening, a large number of guests had gathered for the wedding ceremony in the reception hall of my humble abode. When this ceremony had been duly performed, a group of young men accompanied the pair to the bridal chamber, set on ’teasing the newly-weds[Note 8]. I joined in the general merriment, and an auspicious atmosphere of joy and happiness prevailed. Among the young men, however, there was one Candidate Hoo Dso-bin, a fellow-student of my son, and one of his best friends. When this Candidate Hoo saw the beauty of my son’s bride, he must have become jealous, for he behaved in a most unseemly manner. He teased my son and his bride in an offensive way, making improper remarks, and would not leave them alone for one moment. Since it had become quite late by then, I thought it was time to leave the bridal room, so I invited all the young men to come to my library, and have some rounds of wine there. The young men behaved nicely and accepted my invitation, on condition that the bridegroom empty first three cups of wine in their honour. Only Candidate Hoo obstinately refused to leave the young pair alone, saying that the fun was just beginning. I became angry and scolded him, saying that this was improper behavior. He then flew into a violent rage, he called me an old fogey, and said threateningly that before the night was over, I would be sorry for this. The others thought that this was a joke, and after some final horseplay they all went with me to my library, dragging Candidate Hoo along with them. Who could have thought that this Hoo was in dead earnest, and before leaving the bridal room, motivated by Heaven knows what old grudge, dropped poison in the teapot that was standing by the side of the bridal bed? My son fortunately did not drink that tea, but his bride had one cup before going to bed. When the third nightwatch had been sounded, she complained of a violent ache inside. We all rushed to the room, and seeing that she was in terrible pain, a doctor was called. Alas, when he arrived, this young girl, beautiful as carved jade and tender as a budding flower, had passed away. This morning, therefore, I, the Senior Graduate Hua Guo-hsiang, kneel before Your Honour’s dais, and report that my daughter-in-law has been foully murdered by the Candidate of Literature Hoo Dso-bin, begging Your Honour to see that justice is done”.

  He then handed Judge Dee his written accusation with both hands. Judge Dee glanced it through, and said:

  “Thus both of you accuse Candidate Hoo of having poisoned your daughter. Where is this man Hoo?” Mr. Hua said:

  “Candidate Hoo has also come to Your Honour’s tribunal, to file a complaint that he is being falsely accused”.

  Judge Dee ordered the constables to bring him in. He saw a young man of not unprepossessing mien, clad in the blue robe of a Candidate of Literature. Judge Dee asked him: “Is your name Hoo Dso-bin?” The young man said: “This student is indeed the Candidate Hoo Dso-bin”.

  Judge Dee then addressed him angrily:

  “Are you still bold enough to call yourself a candidate? You have received instruction in the School of the Classics. How is it that you don’t know the teachings of our venerable ancient Sages? Don’t you know that attaining manhood, marriage, mourning and sacrificing to the ancestors, these four ceremonies are the most important in a man’s life? How did you dare to misconduct yourself during a wedding ceremony? And furthermore, since the bridegroom was your fellow-student, you should have treated his bride with special respect. How is it that you, seeing her beauty, became jealous and let this jealousy move you to utter threatening words? You are disgracing that blue robe that you wear. Speak up now, and tell me exactly what happened!”

  Twentieth Chapter

  CANDIDATE HOO’S JEST BRINGS CALAMITY OVER HIS HEAD; JUDGE DEE STARTS AN INQUIRY IN THE HUA MANSION·

  Candidate Hoo, prostrating himself in front of the bench, said: “Your Honour, stay for a while the thunder of your wrath, and allow this person respectfully to explain what happened. My teasing of the newly-weds was nothing but a joke, intended as a contribution to the general jollification. At that time there were at least forty people in the bridal room, all laughing and shouting and engaging in various kinds of horseplay. Hua Guo-hsiang, however, singled me out for a severe scolding. I pretended to be very angry and shouted that he would repent his words before the night was over, just to make fun of him. Why I chose those particular words, I really cannot say. Now as to me having poisoned that poor young lady, Your Honour knows that I am a student of literature. How would I ever dare to commit such a heinous crime? Moreover I still have an old mother, and a wife and children. Would I risk the existence of my entire family by such a rash deed? As to Your Honour reprimanding me for going too far in my jesting, and, while teasing the newly-weds, going beyond the limits of propriety, I humbly accept this just censure. But as to people accusing me of having committed a foul murder, this I cannot but qualify as a grievous wrong. I beg Your Honour’s favourable consideration”.

  While he was speaking, an elderly lady had knelt by his side, and repeatedly knocked her head on the floor, crying all the time. Judge Dee said to her: “I presume that you are Hoo Dso-bin’s mother?” The old lady affirmed this, adding:

  “Your Honour, this boy’s father died when he was still a child. I have devoted all my days to educating this only son, and deeply regret that I, being too indulgent, failed to repress this unfortunate habit of his always wanting to be the jester of a company. I implore Your Honour’s clemency”.

  Judge Dee’s first hearing of the case Lee-Hua vs. Hoo.

  Judge Dee is reading Mr. Hua’s written accusation. On the left Ma Joong; on the right Sergeant Hoong. Kneeling in front of the bench on the left, Candidate Hoo. Mr. Hua is on the right.

  Judge Dee, having heard these various depositions, remained in thought for a while. He reflected that Mrs. Lee and Mr. Hua, seeing their daughter lying there dead on th
e bridal couch, naturally were beside themselves with anger and grief, and immediately pounced on the first likely suspect. But the young man Hoo had all the marks of an elegant literary student. His explanation sounded plausible and entirely in character. He greatly doubted that young Hoo had committed this crime. The judge said to Mrs. Lee and Mr. Hua:

  “You accuse Hoo Dso-bin, but I am not satisfied with the evidence you adduce. Tomorrow I shall make a personal investigation on the scene of the crime. Both of you may go now, but Hoo Dso-bin is to be kept under detention in the School of the Classics”.

  Judge Dee then allowed them to take their leave. Hoo’s mother was in tears because her son was kept under detention. Judge Dee did not think it necessary to instruct Mr. Hua not to touch anything on the scene of the crime.

  Mr. Hua, through his long official career, was indeed thoroughly conversant with the requirements of the law. Before leaving for the tribunal, he had already had the bridal room sealed. Upon returning to his mansion, he gave orders to arrange the large reception room as a temporary tribunal, and had reed mats brought out into the courtyard in front of the hall, for the autopsy. He gave these instructions with tears in his eyes, bemoaning the fate that had brought this calamity to his house in his old age. He only hoped that the constables would not bother the members of his household too much and have some regard for his high official rank.He tried to comfort his son, but Wen-djun, having seen his lovely bride die before his eyes after he had held her in his arms for only a few hours, was nearly distracted with grief.

  Early the next morning, the warden of that quarter of the city, and a number of constables from the tribunal, arrived at Mr. Hua’s mansion. Two constables were posted on guard in front of the bridal couch while others guarded the entrance to that courtyard. They removed the sliding doors of the reception hall, and arranged everything inside for the conduct of the case.