"The Chu family," Chiao Tai observed, "has been living there for who knows how many generations. And those large, old houses often have a kind of weird atmosphere."
"It's hardly large enough for Chu to accommodate all his wives and concubines!" Ma Joong said with a grin.
"Chu is a good fellow," Chiao Tai said hastily. "A first-class hunter, and a good administrator, stern but just. His tenant farmers are devoted to him, and that proves a lot. They are all sorry for him because he hasn't yet gotten a son."
"He can't have such a bad time trying to!" Ma Joong said with a broad wink.
"I forgot to say," Tao Gan interrupted, "that Chu's secretary, that young fellow, Yu Kang, seems really very nervous. When you address him he looks as startled as if he had seen a ghost. I have a feeling that he is thinking exactly as we are, namely, that his betrothed has run away with another man."
Judge Dee nodded. He said:
"We shall have to hear that youngster before he breaks down completely. As to Miss Liao Lien-fang, her father tries so hard to convince us of her irreproachable behavior that I suspect he is trying to convince himself, too. You had better go this afternoon to the Liao mansion, Tao Gan, and try to gather some more information about that household. At the same time you can go to make inquiries about the Yeh brothers, and check on what Master Lan said about them. But don't approach them directly; it is no use getting their wind up. Just ask the people in the neighborhood."
Three beats of the bronze gong sounded. Judge Dee rose to put on his official robe and cap.
Evidently the news of Pan Feng's arrest had spread already, for the court hall was crowded.
As soon as Judge Dee had opened the session and called the roll, he took up his vermilion brush and filled in a form for the warden of the jail.
An angry murmur rose from the audience as Pan Feng was led before the bench. The Yeh brothers, who were standing in the front row together with Chu Ta-yuan and Lan Tao-kuei, pressed forward, but the constables pushed the pair back.
Judge Dee rapped his gavel on the bench.
"Silence!" he shouted. To the man kneeling on the stone floor below he said curtly:
"State your name and profession."
"This insignificant person," Pan Feng said in a calm voice, "is called Pan Feng, an antique dealer by profession."
"Why did you leave town the day before yesterday?" the judge asked.
"A farmer from Five Rams Village, outside the northern city gate," Pan replied, "had come to see me a few days before and told me that while digging a hole in his field for burying horse dung, he had found an old bronze tripod. I know that eight hundred years ago, under the Han Dynasty, Five Rams Village was the site of a large feudal mansion. I said to my wife that it would be worthwhile to go there and have a look at the bronze. Since the sky was clear the day before yesterday, I decided to go, and come back to town the following day. Thus ..."
Judge Dee interrupted him:
"How did you and your wife spend the morning before you left?"
"I worked the whole morning on a small antique lacquer table that had to be repaired," Pan said. "My wife went to the market, then prepared our noon meal."
The judge nodded. "Proceed!" he ordered.
"After we had eaten our noon rice together," Pan continued, "I rolled up my heavy fur coat and put it in my leather bag, for I feared that the village inn would not be heated. In our street I met the grocer, who told me that horses were scarce at the post station, and that if I wanted one I had better hurry. So I rushed along to the north gate, and was lucky enough to rent the last horse left. Then . . ."
"Didn't you meet anyone else besides the grocer?" Judge Dee interrupted him again.
Pan Feng thought for a while. Then he replied:
"Yes, I passed Warden Kao on my way to the post station, and exchanged a quick greeting with him."
At a sign from the judge he went on:
"I made Five Rams Village before dusk. I located the farm, and saw that the tripod was indeed a very good piece. I bargained a long time with the farmer without reaching an agreement with the stubborn fellow. Since it had grown late, I rode to the village inn, had a simple meal there and went to bed.
"The next morning I first made the round of the other farms inquiring about antiques, but found nothing. I had my noon meal in the inn, then went back to the farmer. After another long session with him I finally bought the tripod. I quickly put on my fur coat, placed the bronze in my leather bag, and left.
"After I had ridden about three miles, however, two robbers emerged from the snow hills and came running toward me. In great fright I whipped up my horse and galloped away. Then I found that in my hurry to escape from those ruffians, I had taken the wrong road, and was lost. And to make matters worse, I noticed that the leather bag with the tripod must have dropped down, it wasn't hanging in the saddle any more. I rode around and around among the deserted snow hills, my panic growing with every minute.
"Suddenly I saw a patrol of the military police, five men on horseback. I was overjoyed at meeting them. But who shall describe my consternation when they dragged me from my horse, bound me hands and feet, and slung me over the saddle of my own horse! I asked them what it was all about, but the corporal just hit me in the face with the handle of his whip, and told me to shut up. They rode back to the city without one word of explanation, and threw me in the jail. This is the complete truth!"
Yeh Pin shouted:
"The bastard is telling a string of lies, Your Honor!"
"His statement shall be verified," Judge Dee said curtly. "The plaintiff Yeh Pin shall hold his peace until he is asked to speak!" To Pan Feng he said: "Describe those two robbers."
After some hesitation Pan Feng replied:
"I was so frightened, Your Honor, that I really did not give them a good look. I remember only that one of them wore a patch over his eye."
Judge Dee ordered the scribe to read out Pan's statement, and the headman made him affix his thumb mark to it. Then the judge said gravely:
"Pan Feng, your wife has been murdered, and her brother Yeh Pin accuses you of having committed that crime."
Pan's face turned ashen.
"I didn't do it!" he shouted frantically. "I don't know anything about it! When I left she was alive and well! I beseech Your Honor . . ."
The judge gave a sign to the headman, and Pan Feng was led away, still crying that he was innocent.
To Yeh Pin the judge said:
"When the statement of Pan Feng has been checked, you will be summoned to appear here again."
Then Judge Dee dealt with a few routine matters of the district administration, and closed the session.
When they were back in the private office, Sergeant Hoong asked eagerly:
"What does Your Honor think of Pan Feng's story?"
Judge Dee pensively caressed his side whiskers. Then he said:
"I think that he told the truth, and that a third person murdered Mrs. Pan after he had left."
"That," Tao Gan said, "does explain why the money and the gold were left untouched. The murderer simply didn't know it was there. But it does not explain the disappearance of Mrs. Pan's clothes."
"A very weak point in his story," Ma Joong observed, "is his tale about losing the bag while running away from those two robbers. Everybody knows that the military police regularly patrol that entire area for deserters and Tartar spies, and all robbers give it a wide berth."
Chiao Tai nodded.
"And all Pan could tell about their appearance," he added, "was that one had a patch over his eye. That's how our professional storytellers in the market always describe a robber."
"Anyway," the judge said, "we'll check his story. Sergeant, you'll send the headman with two constables to Five Rams Village, to question that farmer and the keeper of the village inn. I shall now write to the commander of the military-police post, inquiring about those two robbers."