54 pages • 1 hour read
AnonymousThe Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1949A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 16-19Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 16 Summary: “A Deaf Constable Reveals the Key to the Problem; Judge Dee Sends Out His Men for Apprehending Shao”
After the librarian does not find any information on Turn up Pass, the judge calls in the oldest of the constables. One of them, who is semi-deaf, tells the judge about his turnips and mentions that they are from Szuchuan Pass. Since Szuchuan had been given as a clue in his dream, Judge Dee decides to further question the constable and realizes that Shao is hiding in Szuchuan or Turnip Pass and that Djao had mistaken Turnip for Turn up.
Judge Dee sends out Ma Joong, Chiao Tai, Djao, and the half-deaf constable to apprehend Shao.
Chapter 17 Summary: “Djao Learns the Ways of the People of the Passes; Having Found Shao, He Is Enticed by a Clever Lie”
When Djao and the constables reach the village, the judge’s men go to the local hostel while Djao continues on to the local silk merchant’s shop. When he gets there, he calls for Shao and tells him a fictitious story about how Djao was cheated by the Divine Village distributor and how he wants to take revenge on him with the help of his friends (the constables) and Shao. Shao believes him but refuses to leave until the following day, as he needs to settle some debts. The murderer invites Djao and his friends to come back the next day for a celebration, after which they will all depart for Divine Village.
When Djao returns to the hostel and shares this with the constables, they feel uneasy about the delay, as it is only a matter of time until Shao learns that they are actually there to arrest him. The old man instructs them how best to achieve the arrest. While Djao, Chiao Tai, and the old men will go to Shao’s celebration the next day, Ma Joong will backtrack to the district capital and request that the local magistrate send a group of local militia men to help in arresting a dangerous criminal. That way, even if Shao discovers their ruse prematurely, he will not dare kill them outright out of fear of incurring the wrath of local authorities.
Chapter 18 Summary: “Halfway from the Passes a Criminal Is Arrested; In the Tribunal of Chang-ping the Trial Is Opened”
The next day the men do as planned. However, Ma Joong returns earlier than anticipated, pretending that he had searched in vain for a relative in the vicinity. He tells Shao that he met a traveling silk merchant who told him that the Divine Village silk distributor decided to lodge a case against Djao and Shao. The murderer becomes fearful of the legal ramifications if Judge Dee were to begin investigating him. He agrees to leave immediately for Divine Village.
A few hours into the trip, Djao confronts Shao about the murder of Liu. Shao attempts to escape, but it becomes clear at that moment that they are surrounded by the local constables, and Shao is detained.
Shao is brought back to Chang-ping and faces Judge Dee. The criminal keeps denying his guilt despite Djao’s testimony. Judge Dee orders him tortured with screws and later beaten. However, Shao refuses to confess. Finally, Judge Dee orders him put in prison and sends for the hostel owner to testify against Shao the following day.
Chapter 19 Summary: “Judge Dee Closes the Case of the Six Mile Village; Mr. Hua Rushes to the Court and Reports a Murder”
The hostel owner describes Shao in detail before the criminal is brought forward. His description matches Shao’s appearance down to a black front tooth, and the judge orders further torture. A bucket filled with hot coals is brought in. A metal chain is placed inside until it heats up, after which it is placed on the ground. Shao is forced to kneel on the chain, which causes him to scream and eventually pass out. The torture breaks his spirit, and he confesses to the murder. He had accumulated a lot of debt because of his lover and decided that killing Liu would allow him to pay off his obligations and start a small shop in some isolated place where he could live in peace together with his woman. Thus, Shao made Liu drink a lot of alcohol, and very early in the morning he dragged the half-drunk merchant to the market, where Shao killed Liu with a knife. That is when the local carter happened to pass by and witness the crime, so Shao quickly jumped on him and also killed him.
Judge Dee is pleased with the results his men have achieved with Djao’s help. He rewards the latter for volunteering with 100 silver pieces.
The following day a crowd of people approaches the tribunal and rings the gong. The bride of a retired official’s son has died of poison, and the father-in-law is accusing a friend of his son’s, Candidate Hoo.
Chapters 16-19 Analysis
These chapters provide the resolution to the first case. They demonstrate that Judge Dee can solve crimes and achieve results even beyond the borders of his own district. Shao’s arrest also indicates that the magistrate is a good judge of character, as he sends exactly the right people to accomplish this difficult task. Even though he does not know Djao for long, he can discern the silk merchant’s valor and honesty. He is also the one who has the patience and wisdom to listen to the old, semi-deaf constable, who has invaluable knowledge and practical know-how despite his weak physical condition.
The stratagem for arresting Shao allows the old constable to reveal the inner workings of Chinese bureaucracy. As someone with experience, he understands that all people, from headmen to magistrates, are most often motivated to act by their own self-interest. To achieve the best results, it is necessary to show how a case would positively affect the person in power. The local judge would be willing to help arrest Shao if he gets the credit. Similarly, the local headman is willing to help in return for a tip.
Finally, these chapters prove that Judge Dee’s dream was indeed prophetic. Not only do they learn essential information in Divine Village, but the murderer is hiding in Szuchuan Pass, which is the exact name given in the poem. However, the question remains if the dream clues were essential to solving the crime. The constables had already learned about the lone silk merchant pushing a cart and were willing to investigate further in Divine Village before reporting back to Judge Dee. Nevertheless, the help from higher powers grants the magistrate a sense of security and confidence that his mission is just and pleasing to Heaven.
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