Robert van Gulik
The Chinese Nail Murders
Judge Dee
Preface
The Chinese Nail Murders is the concluding novel of my series "Judge Dee Mysteries."
The present novel tells how the master detective of ancient China solved three crimes, a few months after he had been appointed magistrate of Pei-chow, a distant frontier district in the barren north of the Chinese Empire. A sketch map of the town is given on the endpapers, and in the Postscript will be found a list of Chinese sources, together with some general remarks on "Judge Dee Mysteries" and how and why they were written.
The novels of this series cover only the earlier half of Judge Dee's career, when he was serving as magistrate in various districts in the provinces. About this phase the Chinese historical records have little to say beyond the fact that he solved a great number of mysterious crimes. Concerning Judge Dee's career at court, however, those records go into considerable detail, for then the judge became a figure of national importance. He was one of the very few statesmen who could bring some influence to bear on Empress Wu, the cruel and dissolute but extremely capable woman who for fifty years ruled the T'ang Empire with an iron hand.* How Judge Dee tried to reform a corrupt administration and, falsely accused, was sentenced to be tortured to death; by what stratagem he succeeded in escaping from prison and how he effected his return to power; how thereafter he prevented the Empress from committing many a cruel deed and how, as crowning achievement of his career, he thwarted her scheme to place an unrightful heir on the Dragon Throne—all this proves clearly that fact is indeed stranger than fiction.
Judge Dee died in A.D. 700, seventy years old, after having occupied with distinction the highest civil and military posts in the Empire. He was survived by two sons, each of whom had a moderately successful official career. The historical records state, however, that Judge Dee's grandson, Dee Djien-mo, who died as Metropolitan Governor, again possessed the mellow wisdom and deep humanity of his famous grandfather.
During the ensuing centuries the Dee family from T'ai-yuan did not become prominent again in national affairs, although it did produce a few scholars and poets. The family still exists today. In 1936 I met in Shanghai one of Judge Dee's descendants, an amiable elderly gentleman who enjoyed some reputation as a connoisseur of antique paintings. But our conversation was limited to the exchange of the usual courtesies, for I could not then have foreseen that fourteen years later I would start to write several novels about his illustrious ancestor.
Robert van Gulik
* The second part of Judge Dee's career has been vividly described by Lin Yutang in his recent historical novel, Lady Wu, a True Story (W. Heinemann Ltd., London 1959, Chapter 37); there his name is transcribed Di Renjiay.
Dramatis Personae
It should be noted that in Chinese the surname—here printed in capitals—precedes the personal name.
The Tribunal
DEE Jen-djieh, Magistrate of Pei-chow, a town district near the northern border of the Chinese Empire, under the T'ang Dynasty. Referred to as "Judge Dee," or "the judge."
HOONG Liang, Judge Dee's trusted adviser, whom he appointed Sergeant of the tribunal. Referred to as "Sergeant Hoong," or "the Sergeant."
MA Joong *
CHIAO Tai *
TAO Gan *
(* Judge Dee's three lieutenants.)
KUO, a pharmacist, also coroner of the tribunal.
MRS. KUO, nee Wang, his wife, also matron of the women's jail.
The Case of the Headless Corpse
YEH Pin, a paper merchant.
YEH Tai, his younger brother.
PAN Feng, a curio dealer.
MRS. PAN, nee Yeh, his wife.
KAO, warden of the quarter where the crime took place.
The Case of the Paper Cat
LAN Tao-kuei, a boxing champion. MEI Cheng, his chief assistant.
The Case of the Murdered Merchant
LOO Ming, a cotton merchant, died five months previously.
MRS. LOO, nee Chen, his widow.
LOO Mei-lan, her infant daughter.
Others
LIAO, Master of the Guild of the Leatherworkers.
LIAO Lien-fang, his daughter who disappeared.
CHU Ta-yuan, wealthy landowner and leading citizen of Pei-chow.
YU Kang, his secretary, betrothed of Miss Liao Lien-fang.
First Chapter
Last night I was sitting all alone in my garden pavilion, enjoying the cool evening breeze. The hour was late, my wives had retired to their respective quarters long before.
The entire evening I had been working hard in my library, keeping my boyservant busy getting the books I wanted from the shelves, and making him copy out the passages I needed.
As you know I devote my leisure hours to writing a compendium of crime and detection in our present great Ming Dynasty, also adding an Appendix containing the biographies of the famous detectives of former days. I am now working on the biography of Dee Jen-djieh, the eminent statesman who lived seven hundred years ago. In the earlier half of his career, when he was still serving as district magistrate in the provinces, he solved an amazing number of mysterious crimes, so that now he is known chiefly as "Judge Dee," the master detective of our illustrious past.
After I had sent my yawning boyservant off to bed, I had written a long letter to my elder brother, who is serving as Chief Secretary to the Prefect of Pei-chow, far up in the north. He was appointed to that post two years ago, leaving his old house in the next street here in my care. I wrote him about my discovery that Pei-chow had been the last post where Judge Dee served as magistrate, before he was appointed to a high office in the capital. I asked my brother, therefore, to search the local records for me; perhaps he would find interesting data on crimes solved there by Judge Dee. I knew he would do his best, for we have always been very close.
When I had finished my letter, I noticed that it was very hot in my library. I strolled out into the garden, where a cool breeze was blowing over the lotus pond. I decided that before turning in I would sit for a while in the small pavilion I had built in the farthest corner, by the side of a cluster of banana trees. I was not too keen on going to bed, for to tell you the truth there had been some domestic trouble recently when I had introduced into my household a third wife. She is a lovely woman, and also quite well educated. I fail to understand why my first and second lady took an instant dislike to her, and must grudge every night I spend with her. Now I had promised to stay the night in the quarters of my First Lady, and I must confess that I did not feel in too great a hurry to proceed there.