The Shadow of the Empire

by Qiu Xiaolong

  It was then he heard a horse neighing, as if out of the blue, from behind a bend in the road. Hastening back several steps into a narrower trail to one side, he looked up at the sight of a black-attired-and-hooded man spurring his black horse in Wei’s direction.

  Yang stood still, staring at the scene like one under a spell before it occurred to him that the black horseman had been chasing, closing in, whipping at the horse furiously, and crashing toward Wei at full speed.

  Confounded, Yang stumbled as he tried to rush out in Wei’s direction. His arms flailing in the air, he fell with a heavy thud before he got out of his hiding place. The sharp pain of a badly sprained ankle took his breath away.

  As he managed to get up with a fast-swelling ankle and limped out into the open, both the horseman and Wei seemed to have vanished into thin air. There was no trace whatsoever left visible on the road.

  It was none too surprising as far as the mysterious rider in black was concerned, but how could Wei also have disappeared so quickly?

  Yang’s glance kept sweeping around. Then it came to rest on some red spots like bloodstains which led to a tree-shaded side of the road. There he spotted a figure lying grotesquely in something like a dried ditch, partially buried under damp, dirty weeds.

  Hurrying over, he was struck with the recognition that it was Wei’s body lying there in a twisted heap, with small pools of blood congealing around his head and body.

  Yang leaned down, reaching out to touch the fallen one’s neck gingerly. There was no pulse that he could find. The body was starting to get cold.

  Wei had been killed. He had two vicious slashes at the head and shoulder – possibly the fatal ones delivered with a sword or a saber from above – and a third wound, a deep stab inflicted at the groin.

  It was evident that Wei had been ambushed there.

  Then something missing from the scene grabbed Yang’s attention. The gray cloth bundle had disappeared. The black-attired-and-hooded horseman must have ridden away with it.

  Could that have been the very reason for the fatal ambush?

  For a poor-as-a-rat, good-for-nothing man like Wei, however, it seemed to be hardly conceivable.

  Unless there was something really valuable in the gray cloth bundle. But could it be so valuable – whether out of Wei’s hut or Xuanji’s nunnery – as to make him a robbery target in broad daylight?

  For the ambush, the horseman had to have been staying somewhere nearby, and for quite a long period of time until Wei stepped out of the nunnery and moved down to the road. And it was only then that the killer could have galloped over at full speed.

  And for the ambush, it was not just a matter of long, long waiting with no certainty. The scene of a black-attired-and-hooded rider on his black horse tarrying about the small village would have been suspicious enough to attract the attention of the people there. Was it worth the risk?

  Besides, how could the perpetrator have possibly known for sure that Wei would come out of the nunnery with that gray bundle on his back, and move down to that particular section of the road?

  Frowning, Yang hastened to bend down to re-examine the body. Soon the local people would be rushing out to the crime scene. He had to do his job before their arrival.

  His re-examination alerted him to something else. The first slash aimed at Wei’s head, delivered from above, was such a forceful one that it must have finished Wei instantly. The second stroke was probably dispatched for the sake of insurance. It was impossible, however, to reconstruct the scene of the thrust at the groin from the attacker on the horseback; he had to have dismounted for that stab.

  Why should he have taken all that trouble to do so?

  Unless he wanted to make a deliberate statement with the particular locality of the wound.

  With Wei being a notorious womanizer, the message could have pointed to the price he had to pay for taking the liberty of touching an untouchable woman.

  But Wei was known to have been ‘kept’ by Xuanji. Could it have possibly been Xuanji?

  He bent over the body for a last look at the crime scene in haste.

  It was in the late afternoon that Judge Dee got back to his room in the temple, with a weariness weighing down on him like a heavy rock. Pulling his swollen feet out of his boots, he changed into a pair of straw slippers provided by the temple, and heaved a sigh of relief.

  He made himself a cup of lukewarm tea, took the jasmine bud out of the buttonhole of his gown, put it into the tea, inhaled the light fragrance spreading in the cup, and pulled the armchair closer to the open window.

  In the distance, a solitary wild goose appeared to be flying over a discolored pavilion on the distant hillside, its wings flapping against the oppressive sky. Resting his elbow on the arm of his chair, and his chin on his fist, he stared at the desolate scene in the approaching gloom, trying to sort through what he had learned earlier in the day.

  With his and Yang’s information put together, however, he failed to produce anything close to a scenario plausible even to himself.

  As he had discussed with Han Shan the previous day, he was unable to put his finger on Xuanji’s motive for killing the maidservant.

  Nor for such a deadly plot against Xuanji.

  But he could only afford to stay on the outskirts of Chang’an for a couple more days.

  The way the investigation was going, it would probably take much longer for him to achieve a breakthrough. In the meantime, there was a disturbing premonition that loomed in the darksome background of the case, involving a much higher, more sinister political stake way beyond his grasp.

  It was necessary, consequently, for him to find another way to carry out the investigation. In other words, Judge Dee had no choice but to step out into the open.

  He started grinding the mountain-pine-smoke inkstick slowly on a Duan ink stone, circle by circle, before he picked up a new brush pen. Moistening the starched brush tip on his tongue, he dipped it into the ink, and put down a list of puzzling questions on a piece of paper.

  After gazing at the list of questions for a long while, he twirled the pen and drew a line in a tentative connection between two of them.

  For whom had she done the extraordinary shopping, sparing no expense, in preparation for the special dinner that evening?

  For whom had she planned to produce the limited poetry edition – with a print of only two copies in all?

  Studying them intently, he commented in bold strokes in the margin between the two lines in a response to himself:

  For someone special.

  It had to be someone far more special than either Wen or Zi’an – at least at the present moment of her life.

  Even in the event of ‘someone special’ being identified, however, Judge Dee still failed to grasp a convincing connection with the bizarre murder case.

  Again, his reverie was interrupted by a knock on the door, which was pushed open before Judge Dee turned around.

  It was Yang striding into the room in heavy steps and closing the door behind him in a hurry.

  ‘Where have you been, Yang? Nameless told me that you also left the temple in the morning.’

  ‘I’m not a man for the leisure of the temple – you know me, Master. So I, too, took a walk – around the village, the hut, and the nunnery.’

  Yang’s response came as no surprise to Judge Dee, who had anticipated such a move on the part of his ever-energetic, self-styled ‘assistant in investigation.’

  ‘Wei’s hut, you mean?’

  Instead of responding to Judge Dee’s question, Yang put on the table something that more than astonished his master. In spite of himself, Judge Dee took in a deep, sharp breath at the object lying on the table.

  A blood-stained yellow silk underrobe.

  ‘Where did you get it, Yang?’

  ‘It was wrapped around Wei’s waist like a sort of money belt with the two sleeves tied in a knot at the front, except that it was wrapped inside his long gown.’

  ‘What! From
Wei’s waist?’

  ‘Wei was attacked by a horseman on the road in front of the nunnery – shortly after he sneaked out of it in the afternoon, carrying a large gray cloth bundle on his back. I rushed over to the scene, but Wei was already dead and the bundle gone.’

  Leaning over for a closer look at the rumpled yellow underrobe, Judge Dee was shocked by the color as well as the details of the embossed dragon pattern on the extraordinary clothing.

  It was a man’s underrobe. So its presence in Xuanji’s nunnery suggested that it had been either given to her as a token of intimacy, or left there as the man had to wear it from time to time in her company at night. In other words, it had belonged to a regular, intimate visitor to her bedroom. Neither possibility turned out to be, however, a scenario shockingly unbelievable to the experienced Judge Dee.

  For the moment, he did not think it was wise for him to discuss with Yang the staggering new scenario that was forming in his mind.

  ‘Tell me more about it, Yang. Tell me from the very beginning of the research you have done today. It may be of paramount importance to the murder investigation.’

  Yang started narrating about what he had seen, heard, and done during the day before he shifted to focus on the fatal ambush in the neighborhood of the nunnery. Pausing to take a sip of the cold tea, he raised a question with a deep-knitted frown cut across his forehead.

  ‘I examined Wei’s body closely. There’s something I don’t understand, Master. The two slashes at the head and shoulder were inflicted with a sword-like weapon from above. That made sense from the attacker on horseback.’

  ‘What, then, did not make sense?’

  ‘The vicious thrust at the groin. Why? The attacker had to dismount to do so.’

  ‘You have a good point. It was done, I would guess, for the sake of leaving a specific message.’

  ‘That’s what I thought, too. A message saying that the killing was a punishment for his relationship with a woman he should not have touched. In other words, it indicates the reason why Wei has been killed.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘But in relation to a woman like Xuanji – a notorious, promiscuous courtesan – it does not make any sense. After all, what she did after those poetry parties with those guests in the nunnery was no secret.’

  ‘So there must be something else beyond our knowledge about the case. Now, you’ve just mentioned that the attacker got away with the gray cloth bundle Wei had carried on his back – was there anything suspicious about the bundle?’

  ‘Yes, but could whatever was in the bundle have been enough for the ambushing and killing in broad daylight?’

  ‘Probably not in terms of its material value, but for something else it was definitely worth it. At least, so it must have seemed to the attacker. Or to the one who gave the order to the attacker from above. And that’s what we have to find out.’

  ‘So Wei became aware of the approaching danger that was known only to him, tried to flee with the bundle, but he did not make it in the end?’

  ‘There’re a lot of things inscrutable to us,’ Judge Dee said, adding hot water to Yang’s cup. ‘In fact, I’ve been to her neighborhood, too, but I’ve learned far less. So I think I need to do some more thinking about the case in the light of your latest discovery. For one thing, I’m wondering whether the two murders could be related. The murder in the backyard of the nunnery, and the murder on the road in the neighborhood of the nunnery.’

  ‘The two murders related?’

  ‘I’m just wondering about the possibility.’ Then Judge Dee changed the subject abruptly, tapping at the table with his fingertip. ‘Do you think Wei came out of Xuanji’s place with that yellow silk underrobe?’

  ‘I’m not sure whether he had it from his own hut or from the nunnery. It was wrapped inside his gown, but I do not think it likely that he had the yellow underrobe with him when he stepped out of the hut.’

  ‘Tell me why?’

  ‘If it’s in the hut, he would have put it in the bundle. On the other hand, he could have ferreted it out at the last minute in the nunnery with the bundle already packed and knotted. Too much trouble for him to undo it. That’s why he wrapped the underrobe around his waist. Perhaps something of potential value in his mind – high-quality silk with exquisite embroidery – so he wrapped it around his waist as quickly as possible.’

  ‘I think you’re right, Yang.’

  ‘Then, after he fell, and I lifted his gown to check the wound in his groin, I caught sight of the yellow underrobe for the first time. Its color was quite eye-catching out there in the sunlight.’

  ‘Now, here’s a curious question for you. What prompted you to bring the underrobe to me, Yang?’

  ‘I don’t know exactly, Master. It just seemed so odd to me. People may occasionally wear their clothing that way when it’s getting too warm outside. It’s for convenience’s sake. But in Wei’s case, it was wrapped inside his gown.’

  ‘Wrapped around the waist inside the gown?’

  ‘Yes, like a sort of belt bag. For silver or gold or something extraordinarily valuable, some people may choose to wear a belt bag concealed like that. Against the possibility of pick-pocketing, you know. But I double-checked there, and there’s nothing very valuable within the underrobe. Not even a single pocket. So I took it from Wei’s body.’

  ‘So it could be something of potential value. Or something of sentimental value – the underrobe he wore in her bedroom, in her company,’ Judge Dee said reflectively, caressing the fabric again. ‘It’s made of real silk. Premium quality. I don’t think Wei could have afforded it.’

  ‘Yes, it’s made of high-quality silk, and embroidered with dragons in gold threads, too. I don’t think I have ever seen such an exquisite one.’

  ‘The color, the design, the material – all really unusual—’ Judge Dee said, making a hasty decision not to go any further for the moment. ‘Well, we may have to do something different tomorrow, I think.’

  ‘What do you mean, Master?’

  ‘Let’s go to visit Mayor Pei.’

  ‘Yes, Mayor Pei must have been so worried about the murder case. The local folk are becoming increasingly paranoid of the evil cast by the black fox spirit – already two deaths, and another one soon with the execution of Xuanji, all of them seemingly interconnected in one way or another. Several nervous folk are said to be ready to flee the village, which appears to be haunted in their mind.’

  ‘Yes, that may serve as a very convenient pretext for the discussion of the murder case with Mayor Pei. I have met him a few times before. A very capable official. We’ll have a lot to discuss about the complicated case. Any possible aspect or angle is worth exploring.’

  ‘But you’re leaving for that new post of yours, Master. At the end of the day, it’s not your case. Whether you may be able to do anything by stepping out into the open, no one could tell. With only one or two days more for your stay here, what difference can you possibly make?’

  ‘Knowing it’s something impossible for you to do, you still have to try your best at it, as long as it is right and proper for you to do so,’ Judge Dee said. ‘That’s a Confucian maxim my late father used to quote for me. At least I should have a try.’

  There was no point alarming Yang with these new scenarios flashing through his mind. And Judge Dee was still wondering what could prove to be the ‘right and proper’ thing for him to do when a light knock came at the door.

  It was the young monk Nameless standing in the doorway, scratching his shaved head, and holding an envelope in his hand with a mysterious air.

  ‘A flower girl in the neighborhood has just delivered the letter here, saying it’s something Your Honor may be interested in reading.’

  ‘Oh, the flower girl Zhang,’ Judge Dee said, taking the envelope from Nameless. ‘I bought some flowers from her earlier in the day. Let her come in.’

  ‘No, she has left. Conventionally, a female visitor like the flower girl would be barred from entering he
re unless for some religious service arranged beforehand. So she gave the letter to me without coming in.’

  ‘I see. Coincidentally, I had intended to have a special service arranged here for my late parents. Your temple is well known, but I may not have the time for it right now, I’m afraid. I’m going to leave for the new post in a day or two,’ Judge Dee said, taking a piece of paper from the envelope.

  ‘Yes, Master has discussed with me his plan for a religious service in the temple,’ Yang said, chipping in, ‘but Her Majesty insists on his leaving for the important new position without delay.’

  ‘Oh, this is one of Xuanji’s recent poems I have not read before,’ Judge Dee said, glancing through the lines on the paper. ‘She left it at the flower girl’s. So intriguing. It may be very important for the compilation of her poetry collection.’

  Alternatively, important for something more than the compilation of the poetry collection?

  The question, however elusive, seemed to remain as he began to read the poem more closely.

  ‘No wonder people choose to describe you as “infallible Judge Dee as clear as the cloudless sky,”’ Nameless said with an ingratiating chuckle, ‘even though your official rank is much higher, as Han Shan has told me. Just in one single day, you’ve interviewed so many people connected with Xuanji through your investigation.’

  ‘Not so many, Nameless. And “judge” is but a convenient title for others, as I’ve served in so many different positions that I myself can hardly remember all the titles. What’s more important, I’m not here for the investigation of the murder case.’

  ‘But it’s such an intriguing case as you have discussed with Han Shan.’

  ‘As I have told you, I’m here for the project of compiling a new poetry collection of Xuanji. I’m taking a look into the case simply because it makes up a part of the much-needed backdrop for her poetry. On the other hand, it is Yang who has done a good job inquiring about those poems of Xuanji’s so far unknown and uncollected. If that’s the investigation you’re talking about, it’s really to Yang’s credit. Because of his good work, I was able to approach the flower girl, for whom Xuanji wrote a couple of poems. And you see, here’s one of the poems Xuanji dashed out in the flower garden.’