Ma Joong, who fancied himself as a connoisseur of wine and women, looked up eagerly and scanned that array of beauty. He succeeded in catching the eye of a plump girl with a pleasant round face who was leaning over the balustrade up on the balcony of the largest house. He sent her a laborious wink and was rewarded by an encouraging smile.
The bearers lowered Judge Dee's palanquin on the landing stage. A group of gentlemen clad in long robes of glittering brocade stood waiting there. A tall man in a violet robe with a golden flower pattern came forward and greeted the judge with a deep bow. This was the wealthy landowner Han Yung-han, the leading citizen of Han-yuan. His family had lived for centuries in the spacious mansion high up on the mountain slope, on the same level as the tribunal.
Han led the judge to a magnificent flower boat moored alongside the landing stage, its broad foredeck level with the pier. It was ablaze with the lights of hundreds of colored lamps hung all around the eaves of the main cabin. When Judge Dee and Han entered the dining room through the portal, the orchestra sitting near the entrance struck up a gay tune of welcome.
Han took the judge across the thick carpet to the place of honor, a high table placed in the back of the room, and bade him sit down on his right. The other guests sat down behind the two secondary tables standing opposite each other on either side, at right angles to that of the judge.
Judge Dee surveyed his surroundings with interest. He had often heard about the famous flower boats of Han-yuan, a kind of floating houses of assignation where the guests could feast with female companions and spend the night out on the water. The lavish appointments surpassed his expectations. The room was about thirty feet long. On either side it was closed by bamboo curtains. From the red-lacquered ceiling hung four large lanterns of painted silk; the slender wooden pillars were elaborately carved and gilded.
A slight rocking motion indicated that the boat had left the pier. When the music stopped one could hear the rhythmic splashes of the oars handled by the rowers in the hold below.
Han Yung-han briefly introduced the other guests. The table on their right was headed by a thin, elderly man with a slight stoop. He proved to be Kang Po, a wealthy silk merchant. As Kang rose and bowed three times to the judge, Dee noticed that his mouth twitched nervously and that his eyes darted left and right. The fat man with the complacent face seated next to him turned out to be Kang Choong, his younger brother. Judge Dee idly reflected that the two brothers were most unlike both in appearance and personality. The third guest at that table was a rotund man of pompous mien, introduced as Wang, the master of the guild of the goldsmiths'.
The table opposite was headed by a tall, broad-shouldered man wearing a gold-embroidered brown robe and a square gauze cap. His heavy, darkish face bore a commanding air. This, together with his stiff, black beard and long side whiskers, made him look like an official, but Han introduced him as Liu Fei-po, a wealthy merchant from the capital. He had built a splendid villa next to the Han mansion where he used to spend the summer. The two other guests at Liu Fei-po's table were Peng and Soo, respectively masters of the guilds of the silversmiths' and of the jadeworkers'. The judge was struck by the contrast between these two guild-masters. Peng was a very thin, elderly gentleman with narrow shoulders and a long white beard. Soo, on the contrary, was a young, hefty fellow with the heavy shoulders and the thick neck of a wrestler. His rather coarse face bore a sullen expression.
Han Yung-han clapped his hands. While the orchestra started another gay tune, four servants entered through the doorway on Judge Dee's right hand, carrying trays with cold dishes and pewter jugs of warm wine. Han proposed a toast of welcome and the banquet started.
While nibbling the cold duck and chicken, Han began a polite conversation. He was evidently a man of taste and learning, but the judge detected a certain lack of cordiality in his courteous address. He seemed very reserved, and not partial to strangers. After he had emptied a few large goblets in quick succession, however, he loosened up a little and said with a smile:
"I believe that I am drinking five cups against one of Your Honor's!"
"I am fond of a cup of good wine," Judge Dee replied, "but I only drink at such pleasant occasions as the present one. This is indeed a most lavish entertainment!"
Han bowed and said:
"We hope and trust that Your Honor will enjoy his stay in our small district. We only regret that we are but simple country folk here, not fit for Your Honor's distinguished company. And I fear that Your Honor will find life rather monotonous; so little happens here!"
"I saw indeed from the files in the tribunal," Judge Dee said, "that the people of Han-yuan are industrious and law-abiding, a most gratifying state of affairs for a magistrate! But as to a lack of eminent persons, you are much too modest. Apart from your distinguished self, didn't the famous Imperial Councilor Liang Meng-kwang choose Han-yuan as place of retirement?"
Han pledged the judge another goblet, then said:
"The Councilor's presence honors us! We deeply regret that the last six months his indifferent health has prevented us from profiting from his instruction."
He emptied his goblet in one long draught. Judge Dee thought that Han was drinking quite a lot. He said:
"Two weeks ago I applied for a courtesy visit to the old Councilor, and was then informed that he was ill. I hope it is not serious?"
Han gave the judge a searching look. Then he answered:
"He is nearly ninety, you know. But apart from attacks of rheumatism and some trouble with his eyes, he used to be in remarkable good shape. For half a year or so, however, his mind has… Well, Your Honor had better ask Liu Fei-po. Their gardens adjoin each other; he sees more of the Councilor than I."
"I was rather astonished to learn," the judge remarked, "that Liu Fei-po is a merchant. He has all the marks of an official to the manner born!"
"He nearly was one!" Han whispered. "Liu comes from an old family in the capital, and was educated to become an official. But he failed to pass the second literary examination, and that embittered him to such a degree that he gave up all his studies and became a merchant. In that he was so successful that now he is one of the richest men in this province and his commercial enterprises are spread over the entire realm. That is the reason why he travels about so much. But please never mention to him that I told you this, for his earlier failure still rankles!"
Judge Dee nodded. While Han went on drinking, the judge listened casually to the conversation that was going on at the side tables. Raising his wine beaker to Liu Fei-po, the jovial Kang Choong called out:
"Here is a toast to the young couple! May they live happily together till their heads have grown gray!"
All clapped their hands, but Liu Fei-po only bowed. Han Yung-han hastily explained to the judge that Liu's daughter, Moon Fairy, had been married the day before to the only son of Dr. Djang, a retired professor of classical literature. The wedding, celebrated in Dr. Djang's house over on the other side of the city, had been a very boisterous affair. Then Han called out: "We miss our learned professor tonight! He had promised to come, but at the last moment asked to be excused. I presume that his own wine has proved too strong for him!"
This remark provoked general laughter. But Liu Fei-po shrugged his shoulders with a bored air. Judge Dee reflected that Liu himself was probably having a hangover from the wedding dinner. He congratulated him, and added: "I regret to have missed this opportunity of meeting the professor. His conversation would doubtless have been most instructive."