《1960 狄公案-英文原版 图文-湖滨案 - [Judge Dee 04] - The Chinese Lake Murders》.docx

《1960 狄公案-英文原版 图文-湖滨案 - [Judge Dee 04] - The Chinese Lake Murders》.docx

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BOOKSBYROBERTVANGULIK

TheChineseLa\eMurdersTheChineseGoldMurdersTheChineseBellMurders

withtwelveplatesdrawnbytheauthorinChinesestyle

THREECASESSOLVEDBY

JUDGEDEE

AChinesedetectivestorysuggestedbyoriginalancientChineseplots

ROBERT VAN GULIK

HARPER&BROTHERS,PUBLISHERS

NewYork

THECHINESELAKEMURDERS

Copyright©i960byRobertvanGulik.

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericaAllrightsreserved.

Nopartofthebook,maybeusedorreproducedinanymannerwhatsoeverwithoutwrittenpermissionexceptinthecaseofbriefquotationsembodiedincriticalarticlesandreviews.Forinformationaddress

Harper&Brothers,

49East33rdStreet,NewYork,16,N.Y.

FIRSTEDITIONL-L

LibraryofCongresscatalogcardnumber:

62-7918

PREFACE

TheChineseLakeMurdersdescribeshowJudgeDeesolvedthreedifficultcasesin

A.D.666,shortlyafterhehadbeenappointedmagistrateofHan-yuan.

Han-yuanwasasmalloldtown,onlysixtymilesnorthwestoftheimperialcapital;buthiddenamonghighmountains,ithadalwaysremainedanisolatedplaceandfewpeoplefromoutsidehadsettledthere.Itlayontheshoreofamountainlake,themysteriouslakeofHan-yuan,aboutwhichsinceoldentimespeopletoldstrangestories.Thebodiesofpersonsdrownedtherewereneverfound,buttheirghostsweresaidtohavebeenseenwalkingamongtheliving.Atthesametime,however,thelakewasfamousforits"flowerboats,"floatinghousesofassignationwheretheguestscouldfeastwithbeautifulcourtesansandstayovernightonthewater.

InthisstrangeoldtownJudgeDeeisconfrontedwithacruelmurder.Justwhenhisinvestigationofthatcrimeisgettingunderway,heisfacedwithtwonewbafflingpuzzles,andsoonhefindshimselfinamazeofpoliticalintrigue,sordidgreedanddark,forbiddenpassion.

AtthebeginningofthisvolumethereaderwillfindaviewofHan-yuan,andattheendapictureoftheflowerboat.Thelatterplate,andalsotheplanofthatboatreproducedonpage35,werekindlydrawnformebymyfriendHilaryWaddington,formerSuperintendentofMonumentsoftheArchaeologicalService,NewDelhi,India.

ThePostscriptgivesabriefdescriptionoftheancientChinesejudicialsystem,afewremarksaboutspecialsubjectsoccurringinthepresentnovel,andreferencestoChinesesources.

ROBERTVANGULIK

CONTENTS

FirstChapter:

ANAILINGOFFICIALCOMPLETESAWEIRDRECORD;JUDGEDEEATTENDSABANQUETONAFLOWERBOAT

SecondChapter:

THEJUDGEWATCHESTHEDANCEOFTHECLOUDFAIRY;

HEISSUDDENLYSTARTLEDBYAGRUESOMEDISCOVERY

ThirdChapter:

THETRIBUNALISSETUPINUNUSUALSURROUNDINGS;AMAIDSERVANTDESCRIBESALOATHSOMEAPPARITION

FourthChapter:

THEJUDGEHOLDSAVIGILFORADEADWOMAN;HESTUDIESPOEMSANDPASSIONATELETTERS

FifthChapter:

MAJOONGTELLSOFTHESECRETOFADANCER;APROFESSORISACCUSEDOFAHEINOUSCRIME

SixthChapter:

JUDGEDEEEXAMINESTHELIBRARYOFASTUDENT;ANAUTOPSYISCONDUCTEDINADESERTEDTEMPLE

SeventhChapter:

AGRISLYDISCOVERYCREATESNEWCOMPLICATIONS;THEJUDGEGOESTOVISITTWOEMINENTPERSONS

EighthChapter:

JUDGEDEECONVERSESWITHABIRDANDFISHES;HESUMSUPHISTHEORIESFORHISASSISTANTS

NinthChapter:

THEJUDGEENJOYSTHEMOONONTHEMARBLETERRACE;HEHEARSASTRANGESTORYDURINGANIGHTLYVISIT

TenthChapter:

ACHARMINGGUIDESHOWSSOMERELICSOFTHEPAST;ACONFIDENTIALCONVERSATIONUNDERBUDDHA'SEYES

EleventhChapter:

MAJOONGHASSOMEDISAPPOINTINGEXPERIENCES;JUDGEDEELEAVESTOWNTOINSPECTHISDISTRICT

TwelfthChapter:

MAJOONGANDCHIAOTAIDISPERSEANUNRULYCROWD;ASWINDLEREXPLAINSTHESECRETWAYSOFKIDNAPERS

ThirteenthChapter:

SERGEANTHOONGISSUSPECTEDOFIMPROPERINTENTIONS;AFALSEPRIESTISCAUGHTTOGETHERWITHHISACOLYTE

FourteenthChapter:

AYOUNGSCHOLARTELLSAMOSTAMAZINGSTORY;JUDGEDEEQUESTIONSTHEOWNEROFABROTHEL

FifteenthChapter:

THESERGEANTANDTAOGANVISITANIMPORTANTPERSON;ABUSINESSPROMOTERCONCLUDESHISVERYLASTDEAL

SixteenthChapter:

TwoVAGABONDSHARASSTHEDISTRICTCHIANG-PEI;ADASTARDLYATTACKONAPEACEFULRIVERBOAT

SeventeenthChapter:

ANEYEWITNESSREPORTSONTHEMURDERINTHETEMPLE;JUDGEDEEFINDSTHESOLUTIONOFANANCIENTRIDDLE

EighteenthChapter:

ACURIOUSACCIDENTDESTROYSPARTOFAMANSION;THEJUDGEDISCOVERSATLASTALONG-SOUGHTROOM

NineteenthChapter:

JUDGEDEEISVISITEDBYADREADEDPERSON;ADANGEROUSCRIMINALISFINALLYEXPOSED

TwentiethChapter:

THEJUDGEGOESOUTFISHINGWITHHISASSISTANTS;HEREVEALSTHEMYSTERYOFTHELAKEOFHAN-YUAN

POSTSCRIPT

DRAMATISPERSONAE

ItshouldbenotedthatinChinesethesurname—hereprintedincapitals—precedesthepersonalname.

Maincharacters

DEEJen-djieh,MagistrateofHan-yuan,asmallmountaindistrictsixtymileswestofthecapital.Referredtoas"JudgeDee,"or"thejudge."

HOONGLiang,JudgeDee'strustedadviserandsergeantofthetribunal.Referredtoas"SergeantHoong,"or"thesergeant."

MAJoong,firstlieutenantofJudgeDee.CHIAOTai,secondlieutenantofJudgeDee.

TAOGan,thirdlieutenantofJudgeDee,entersinChapterTwelve.

Personsconnectedwith"TheCaseoftheDrownedCourtesan"HANYung-han,wealthylandowner,leadingcitizenofHan-yuan.WillowDown,hisdaughter.

*AlmondBlossom

*Anemone

*PeachBlossom

（*courtesansoftheWillowQuarterinHan-yuan.）WANG,masteroftheGoldsmiths'Guild.

PENG,masteroftheSilversmiths'Guild.SOO,masteroftheJadeworkers'Guild.

KANGPo,awealthysilkmerchant.KANGChoong,hisyoungerbrother.

Personsconnectedwith"TheCaseoftheVanishedBride"

DJANGWen-djang,aDoctorofLiterature.

DJANGHoo-piao,hisson,aCandidateofLiterature.LIUFei-po,awealthymerchantfromthecapital.

MoonFairy,hisdaughter.

KOONG,ateamerchant,neighborofDr.Djang.MAOYuan,acarpenter.

MAOLoo,hiscousin.

Personsconnectedwith"TheCaseoftheSpendthriftCouncilor"LIANGMeng-kwang,ImperialCouncilor,livingretiredinHan-yuan.LIANGFen,hisnephewwhoactsashissecretary.

WANI-fan,apromoter.

Others

MENGKee,GrandInquisitor.

THECHINESELAKEMURDERS

FirstChapter

ANAILINGOFFICIALCOMPLETESAWEIRDRECORD;JUDGEDEEATTENDSABANQUETONAFLOWERBOAT

OnlyHeaventhatwrotethescrollofhumanlifeKnowswhereitsbeginningis,andwhereitsend—Ifendtherebe.Wemortalscannotreaditswrit,

Weeven\nownotwhetherthetextrunsdownorup.

YetwhenajudgeisseatedbehindhisscarletbenchHisisthepowerofHeaven,overlifeanddeath—

ButnotHeaven'sknowledge.Lethim—andus!

—bewareLestpassingjudgmentonothers,weourselvesbejudged.

NoONE,ITRUST,WILLCALLTWENTYYEARSOFSERVINGOUR

ILLUSTRIOUSMingEmperorapoorrecord.Mylatefather,itistrue,servedfiftyyears,andwhenhediedaCouncilorofState,hehadjustcelebratedhisseventiethbirthday.Ishallbeforty,threedayshence—butmayHeavengrantthatIshan'tbethenstillalive.

Intheeverrarermomentsthatmytorturedbrainisclear,Iletmythoughtsgobacktotheyearsthathavepassed,theonlyescapenowleft.FouryearsagoIwaspromotedtoInvestigatoroftheMetropolitanCourt,asignalhonorforanofficialofonlythirty-five.Peoplepredictedagreatfutureforme.HowproudIwasofthislargemansionassignedtome,andhowIlovedtowalkinthebeautifulgarden,handinhandwithmydaughter!

Howsmallshewasthen,onlyachild,butsheknewalreadytheliterarynamesofeveryflowerIpointedat.Fouryears—buthowlongagothatseemsnow.Likememoriesfromapreviousexistence.

Nowyou,threateningshadow,againpressclosetome;shrinkinginterror,Imustobeyyou.Doyougrudgemeeventhisbriefrespite?

Didn'tIdoallyouorderedmetodo?

Didn'tIlastmonth,aftermyreturnfromthatfeyoldcityofHan-yuanbyitssinisterlake,chooseatonceanauspiciousdateformydaughter'swedding;andwasn'tshemarriedlastweek?

Whatdoyousaynow?

Mysensesarenumbedbytheunbearablepain;Ican'thearyouwell.Yousaythat...thatmydaughtermustlearnthetruth?

AlmightyHeaven,haveyounopity?

Thatknowledgeshallbreakherheart,destroyher.No,don'thurtme,

please.Ishalldoasyousay,onlydon'thurtme. Yes,Ishallwrite.

Write,aseverysleeplessnightIwrite,withyou,inexorableexecutioner,standingoverme.Theotherscan'tseeyou,yousay.Butisn'tittruethatwhenamanhasbeentouchedbydeath,otherscanseeitsmarkonhim?

EverytimeIcomeupononeofmywivesorconcubinesinthenowdesertedcorridors,shequicklyavertsherface.WhenIlookupfrommypapersintheoffice,Ioftencatchmyclerksstaringatme.Astheyhurriedlybendagainovertheirdocuments,Iknowthattheycovertlyclasptheamuletstheyhavetakentowearingoflate.TheymustfeelthatafterIhadcomebackfrommyvisittoHan-yuanIwasnotmerelyveryill.Asickmanispitied;amanpossessedisshunned.

Theydonotunderstand.Theyneedonlypityme.Asonepitiesamancondemnedtotheinhumanpunishmentofinflictingonhimselfwithhisownhandthelingeringdeath:

beingforcedbytheexecutionertocutawayhisownflesh,piecebypiece.EveryletterIwrote,everycodedmessageIsentouttheselastdayscutawayasliceofmylivingflesh.ThusthethreadsoftheingeniouswebIhadbeenweavingpatientlyove