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A Judge Dee Investigation #1
by Qiu Xiaolong
Was that a coincidence?
Lost in thought against the flickering candlelight by the
western window of the hostel room, Dee tried not to dwell
too much on politics, staring absentmindedly at the blurred
reflection of his worn-out self in the bronze mirror.
Again, it started drizzling outside. The small pool in the
back of the hostel appeared to be swelling with the memories
of those bygone days. A couple of half-forgotten lines were
coming back to his mind in the somberness of the room.
A candle trembling against the night rain, / you travel across
rivers and lakes, year after year ...
He would not be able to fall asleep any time soon. It was
perhaps just another sign of the onset of old age, he supposed.
Still, it appeared to be a quiet and peaceful night, far away
from the sordid politics at the imperial court.
Who could tell whether he might come to feel nostalgic,
months or years later, about this tranquil moment sitting alone
by the hostel window?
He turned back to the reports until a faint drowsiness began
creeping over him, suggesting he might finally be ready for
bed. Suddenly, out of the darkness, a flash shot swishing
through the paper pane of the window, sweeping over in a
curve, and striking deep into the old rough wood pillar – just
inches from the pile of books on the table he was sitting at
– before he could have said or done anything. Surprised, he
knocked the teapot from the table as he turned around in a
hurry, causing a smashing sound.
Stealthy, hurried footsteps immediately seemed to become
audible outside, and then heavy, hurried steps from another
direction brought in his long-time attendant/assistant Yang
Rong from another hostel room.
'What happened, Master?' Yang said, standing in the doorway,
still breathless, barely dressed – he slept naked, a habit formed
from his childhood in a poor village of Shandong Province.
As it turned out, the flash had come from a small but sharp
knife thrown in from outside and struck into the wooden pillar
just above the books on the table – along with a bamboo paper
note pinned underneath its pointed tip. It had come within
inches of hitting him.
Yang moved to yank out the knife forcefully and spread out
the note on the table for Judge Dee.
The note represented a single line written in bold brush
strokes.
A high-flying dragon will have something to regret!
'What the devil does that mean, Master?'
'It's the name of a particular hexagram in the Book of
Changes. When used as a sign in the practice of fortune telling,
it means that people in high positions with soaring ambitions
could suffer a turn of luck and have something to regret.'
'Something to regret. Hold on – is it meant as a warning
for you?'
Without waiting for an answer, Yang picked up the knife
again and examined it closely under the candlelight. It was
extremely sharp. He placed a hair across the knife edge, which
instantly cut the hair in two.
'This small knife is a precious one. Look at its hilt inlaid
with no less than seven gemstones. It must have cost a small
fortune,' Yang muttered. 'It could not have been thrown into
your room as a practical joke.'
'No, but I don't think the note is necessarily meant for me.
I'm far from having a high position at the present moment.
As the saying goes, I'm more like a homeless dog running
around looking for shelter.'
'You don't have to say that, Master. The new post may not
appear to be as high as before, but the empress trusts you
more than anybody else under the sun. Her Majesty may simply
want you to enjoy a much-needed break and travel around for
a short while, before some more important work is assigned
to you.'
'Come on, Yang. For a man of my age, I want nothing more
than a book with a cup of hot tea at home for a peaceful night.
But you don't have to worry about the note. Go back to your
room, Yang. It's past midnight.'
Excerpted from The Shadow of the Empire by Qiu Xiaolong. Copyright © 2022 by Qiu Xiaolong. Excerpted by permission of Severn House. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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