Her predilection for the plum-blossom motif was only natural. The small white flowers, blossoming forth from an old and gnarled, seemingly dead branch, were the traditional symbol of spring, when the life force that had lain dormant during the winter came forth again in full bloom. He walked over to the pile of clothes boxes, and opened the upper one. Nearly all the neatly folded robes and dresses had an inwoven or embroidered plum-blossom pattern.
He poured himself a cup of tea and drank it eagerly. Then he took off his cap and placed it on the table, by his sword. He stepped out of his boots and stretched himself out on the bed, still dressed in his fur coat and all his other clothes. Listening to the monotonous sound of the rain, he tried to sleep, but the portrait of the dead girl was constantly before his mind's eye.
'I admit these blossoms are just a bit common, but why shouldn't a person like them, pray?'
Startled, he opened his eyes and raised himself to a sitting position. In the flickering light of the candle he saw that he was all alone in the room. The coy voice had sounded in his dream. It was exactly the question the girl seemed to be asking the observer of her portrait. He resolutely closed his eyes again and abandoned himself to the soothing sound of the rain. Soon his fatigue asserted itself and he fell into a dreamless sleep.
He was awakened by Yen shaking his shoulder. As he stepped down from the bed he noticed that the sound of the rain had ceased.
'When did it stop raining?' he asked the bailiff while he was adjusting his cap.
'About half an hour ago, sir. There's only a drizzle now. Just before I left the watchtower, I saw light in the caves of the bandits. Don't know what they are at.'
He took the judge down to the hall on the ground floor, lighting the way by a small storm lantern, covered with oil paper. The large open fire had died down to glowing embers, but it was still agreeably warm in the hall.
The pitch-dark, wet courtyard was by contrast even more cold and desolate. Passing close by the gatehouse, the bailiff held up his lantern, and let its light fall on three men, huddled against the wall. 'They have put a dragnet ready on the roof, sir,' he said in a whisper. 'Those three fellows are experienced fishermen, and they can be up on the roof in a trice.'
The judge nodded. He noticed that the wind was dying down.
Keeping close behind Yen, he climbed the narrow, slippery flight of stone steps that led up to the top of the outer wall. Then he followed the bailiff along the battlements to the watch turret built on the south-east corner. A creaking step-ladder led up to the top, where he saw a small platform surrounded by a solid balustrade of heavy logs. The low-hanging eaves of the pointed roof offered additional protection against wind and rain, and against the arrows of an eventual enemy.
'If you sit on this bench here, sir, you are well protected, and you can yet keep an eye on the surrounding country.' Yen put the lantern down on the floor-boards, but he made no move to take his leave.
'You had better have a few hours' rest before taking over the watch from me,' the judge said.
'I don't feel tired at all, sir. It's the excitement, I suppose. Mind if I keep you company a bit?'
'Not at all.' The judge pointed at the bench, and Yen sat down by his side.
'Now you can see them quite clearly, sir! Look, they have lighted a big fire, in front of the largest cave. What would they be doing?'
Judge Dee peered at the mountain slope.
'Heaven knows,' he said with a shrug. 'Probably want to warm themselves.' He looked round in a southerly direction. No light was glimmering in the darkness there, and the only sound heard was the low rumble of the river. He pulled the fur coat closer. Although the wind had abated, it was still very cold up there. Shivering, he said:
'When I was visiting the old landlord I noticed that his mind was wandering now and then. But apart from that he seems to me a shrewd old gentleman.'
'As shrewd as they make them! He is a stern man, but just and considerate, always mindful of the needs of his tenants. No wonder that he is very popular hereabouts. Until he fell ill, I had an easy job here, you know. Mainly making the rounds of the farms now and then to collect the rent and to look into complaints. Life was rather dull — till the flood came, that is! Heavens, wasn't it different, in the city! Do you know our provincial capital, sir?'
'Only passed through there, once or twice. A lively city.'
'Lively is the word! But expensive, too! You need money to go places there, lots of it. And mine is the less favoured branch of the family, you see. My father owns a small tea-shop, it brings in enough for our daily needs, but that's all. The money is here, has been here for many generations. The old man has a vast amount of gold salted away in the city. Not to speak of his investments up-country.'
'Who inherits all that if the old gentleman should die?'
'Now that Miss Kee-yu is dead, it all goes to his younger brother, Mr Min. And the fellow has already more than he can use! But he doesn't mind getting more. Not he!'
After a brief pause the judge asked casually:
'Were you present when they found her dead body?'
'Eh? Present? No, I wasn't. But it was I who discovered that something was wrong. Miss Kee-yu had been rather depressed in the afternoon, it seems, just like all of us, and the old lady said that she went upstairs earlier than usual. When she did not appear in the old lady's quarters for the evening rice, and didn't answer when I went up and knocked on her door, I went down to warn Mr Min. The old fellow went up with his servant, and they found her lying on her bed, fully dressed. Dead.'
'Was there no possibility of her having committed suicide?'
'Suicide? Heavens no! Old Mr Min knows a lot about medicine, he saw at once that she had died from a heart attack. While she was taking a nap, before dinner. I informed the old master and his wife. Not a pleasant task, I assure you! The old man had another bad attack, and his wife had the devil of a time to calm him down again. Well, in the meantime Mr Min had the body placed in the spare coffin, in the house chapel. And that was that.'
'I see,' Judge Dee said. 'When I paid my visit to the landowner, his wife said something about a maid called Aster. She suggested that Aster had known the secret hiding place of the gold, and that she had absconded with it. I didn't quite understand what it was all about.'
'Well, it does seem the most likely explanation of the disappearance of the gold, sir. It was kept in a strongbox in the master's bedroom, forty shining gold bars, equalling two hundred gold pieces. The key was hidden in a secret panel, in the master's bedstead. Only he and his wife knew the place. Now, Aster is an uneducated girl, but a pretty piece of goods, and as shrewd as some of those peasant girls are. She made up to the old man, let him fondle her a bit now and then, I suppose, hoping to be installed as a concubine, sooner or later.'
Yen made a face, and resumed: 'Anyway, he showed her where he kept the key, or talked about it when he was delirious with fever. When the bandits arrived, Aster thought that one bird in the hand is better than two in the bush, took the gold and ran off. She buried the gold bars under a tree or under a rock, then went to the bandits. Those dogs would welcome a nice strapping wench, of course. Later on she could run off, collect the gold, and marry a wealthy shopkeeper in the next province. Not a bad deal, if you come to think of it! Well, I had better turn in, after all. Do you see that bronze gong hanging from the rafters? Should the bastards come down here, you beat it with the club hanging next to it. That is our alarm signal. I'll be back on time! No, thank you, I don't need the lantern, I know my way about.'