Chapters 28-30Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 28 Summary: “A Weird Interrogation Is Conducted in the Jail; A Confession Is Obtained, and the Mystery Solved”
The judge is afraid Mrs. Djou’s body is too weak to undergo more torture and orders her taken back to jail. He is at a loss, as all his methods have failed to produce a confession. He consults with Sergeant Hoong and later also calls for the other three constables.
During the night, Mrs. Djou is in pain and cannot sleep. She is slightly delirious and believes that she is seeing the Judge of the Inferno and his helpers, the Ox-headed and Horse-headed demons. She also sees what she believes is the ghost of her husband and finally confesses how she killed him with a long, thin needle through the top of his head. She further admits to giving her daughter a draught to make her lose her speech because the child had witnessed one of Hsu’s visits.
After her confession, the jail grows dark again. Back in the judge’s office, the five men take off their disguises.
Chapter 29 Summary: “Judge Dee Closes the Case of the Strange Corpse; An Imperial Censor Drinks Tea in the Water Pavilion”
The following day the judge sends for Mrs. Bee and her granddaughter. He gives the girl a special draught that makes her throw up and pass out but ultimately restores her ability to speak. The girl confirms that Hsu often visits her mother.
Once again in the tribunal hall, Judge Dee gathers all involved with the Strange Corpse case. When Mrs. Djou is brought in, she is at first reluctant to confess. However, the judge demonstrates that her daughter can speak and has testified against her. Finally, she realizes that what she saw the previous night was a ruse and confesses. The judge promises that he will recommend leniency as she has two dependents, but since her crime is considered one of the worst possible, it is unlikely that her execution will be remitted.
The judge will also recommend leniency toward Hsu because of his high social status, but the Metropolitan Court will ultimately make the decision.
Finally, the judge addresses Doctor Tang and punishes him by denying him the right to oversee the education of any other young men. He decides not to punish Mrs. Bee, as he believes her to be simply stupid, not malicious, and she has a small child to support.
A few week later the local governor is entertaining an imperial censor. While having tea in the afternoon, they discuss the case of the poisoned bride, which has reached the imperial court. The governor tells the censor that while Judge Dee showed great acumen in solving it in three days, even more commendable are his efforts in the Bee Hsun murder, as that one had not been reported and concerned a poor shopkeeper.
The censor recalls that he knew the judge’s father, who had been a prefect, and that his grandfather had been a very honorable and wise minister.
Chapter 30 Summary: “Three Criminals Suffer the Extreme Penalty; A Court Messenger Arrives with Urgent Orders”
Two weeks later, confirmation of all three criminals’ capital punishment sentences arrives to Chang-ping.
On the day of the executions, the judge rises early, dons a scarlet pelerine, and enters the tribunal to read out the sentences. The first to be called forward is Shao. He is to be decapitated and his head left at the city gates for three days.
Hsu is the next to be sentenced, but upon seeing the judge’s red pelerine, he panics and falls to his knees. He is to be strangled, but he is granted leniency and instead of the three attempts, made habitually, he is to be killed on the first try, due to his father’s exemplary service.
Finally, Mrs. Djou is brought before the judge. She will be subjected to the so-called lingering death, but in such a way that she will die after the first cut.
All three criminals are taken to a cart, and together with the judge, all the constables, and 10 soldiers, they slowly make their way to the execution ground outside the city.
When they reach the appointed place, the judge gives his approval, and the executioner beheads Shao with one stroke. Next is Hsu Deh-tai, who is tied to a short cross with his neck secured with rope. The executioner places a stick between the rope and the cross, and on the judge’s signal twists the stick, which tightens the rope and suffocates the student. Finally, Mrs. Djou is brought up and also secured to the wooden cross. After the judge gives the signal, the executioner slits her throat. He then proceeds to dismember her body.
After the executions are finished, the judge goes to the temple to burn incense and pray. He returns to the tribunal for the afternoon session. Since Shao and Hsu’s possessions were confiscated by the state, the judge announces the net worth of the criminals’ wealth and then distributes the money among the victims’ families: Liu’s uncle, the carter’s widow, and Mrs. Bee.
After the session, the judge is preparing to write up his report when a messenger arrives from the capital with an imperial edict. Judge Dee’s exemplary character and work have caught the attention of the emperor, and the judge is ordered to go to the capital to become the president of the Imperial Metropolitan Court of Justice. His replacement as magistrate will arrive the following night. Everyone in the judge’s employment rejoices. They are all excited about life in the capital.
The story ends with the judge returning to his office after the celebration and preparing for another long night spent wrapping up his outstanding tasks.
Chapters 28-30 Analysis
These last chapters demonstrate how good behavior leads to rewards. Because of the judge’s hard work and competence, his reputation reaches far beyond his province all the way to court, which leads to his unusual promotion. However, it is not the case involving the affluent Hua family that is the true catalyst for his success but the one involving the poor shopkeeper. In other words, completing one’s work competently is essential, but being proactive and going beyond what is required is the true mark of a successful person.
Chapter 28 includes the last “supernatural” occurrence in the book. While the reader is made aware that the scene at the jail is staged, in the moment Mrs. Djou truly believes she is seeing her husband’s ghost and the Judge of the Inferno. Because of the judge’s previous prophetic dream in Chapter 12, the reader is also initially willing to accept the scene as a manifestation of the supernatural. The scene at the jail might not be a literal vision, but metaphorically divine forces still help the judge solve the case.
The detailed and matter-of-fact descriptions of the criminals’ torture and execution brings verisimilitude to the narrative. It also adds a gory and sensationalist element to an otherwise proper story in which potentially scandalous details, such as Candidate Hoo’s words during the wedding celebration, are alluded to obliquely.
The end of the story demonstrates that Judge Dee is a genuinely conscientious and hardworking man who pursues his investigations for the sake of justice, not material benefit. Despite his promotion, he still intends to wrap up his outstanding work. This suggests that his work in the future will be just as meticulous, even though he will be living in the capital and socializing with the highest levels of Chinese society. The conclusion conveys that hard work and honesty are rewarded, so those who desire success must emulate the judge’s moral character and work ethic.
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