Free The Chinese Maze Murders by Robert van Gulik

desert in battle or flee because of some major offense can be re-enlisted. This afternoon I shall draw up a report to the Board of Military Affairs to have their position regularized. At the same time I shall apply for hundred soldiers to be sent out here.”
    Having thus spoken the judge ordered Sergeant Hoong to bring him a large pot of hot tea.
    It did not take Tao Gan long to round up the wardens. They did not look very happy when they were shown into Judge Dee’s private office.
    It was they who, being recruited locally to act as link between the tribunal and the population, were responsible for the reporting of births, deaths and marriages and many other affairs which had been completely neglected under Chien Mow’s rule. As members of the district administration, the wardens should have been present in the tribunal to bid welcome to the new magistrate. They expected a severe scolding.
    That was exactly what they got, and with a vengeance. They emerged from Judge Dee’s office trembling and pale and scurried away as fast as they could.
    Judge Dee then walked over to the large reception hall of the tribunal and there received the masters of the guilds of the goldsmiths, the carpenters, the rice dealers and the silk merchants. The judge politely inquired their names, and the steward served refreshments.
    The guildmasters congratulated the judge on the speedy arrest of Chien Mow and expressed their joy that now thedistrict would return to normal. They were somewhat disturbed, however, over such a large number of soldiers occupying the city.
    Judge Dee raised his eyebrows.
    “The only soldiers here,” he remarked, “are a few dozen deserters which I have re-enlisted for guard duty.”
    The master of the goldsmiths’ guild gave his colleagues a knowing look. He said with a smile:
    “We fully understand, Your Honour, that your lips are sealed. But the guards of the northern gate told that when Your Honour entered the city they were nearly trampled down by an escadron of cavalry. Last night a goldsmith saw a column of two hundred soldiers march through the main street with straw wrapped round their boots.”
    The master of the guild of silk merchants added:
    “My own cousin saw a row of ten horsecarts pass by, loaded with army supplies. However, Your Honour can fully trust us. We realize that a military inspection tour of the border districts must be kept secret lest the barbarian hordes over the river hear about it. The news shall not spread outside the city. Would it not be better, however, if the Commander did not display his flag over the tribunal? If the spies of the barbarian tribes see this flag, they will know that the army is here.”
    “That flag,” Judge Dee answered, “I put up myself. It only means that I, the magistrate, have temporarily placed this district under martial law, as I am entitled to do in a state of emergency.”
    The guildmasters smiled and bowed deeply.
    “We perfectly understand Your Honour’s discretion!” the eldest said gravely.
    Judge Dee did not comment further on this but broached quite a different subject. He requested the masters to send him that very afternoon three elderly men qualified andwilling to serve in the tribunal respectively as senior scribe, head of the archives, and warden of the jail; and a dozen dependable youngsters to serve as clerks. The judge further requested them to lend the tribunal two thousand silver pieces to pay for elementary repairs of the court hall and for the salaries of the personnel; this sum would be paid back as soon as the case against Chien Mow had been concluded and his property confiscated.
    The guildmasters readily agreed.
    Finally Judge Dee informed them that the next morning he would open the case against Chien Mow, and asked them to make this fact known throughout the district.
    When the guildmasters had taken their leave the judge went back to his private office. There he found Headman Fang waiting for him together with a