《Koukyuu no Karasu》 Volume 1 - CH 1.1 (Warning: description of a dead body) Deep within the inner palace, there resided a consort called ¡°The Raven Consort.¡± This consort was special, as she never slept with the emperor despite having that title. She lived quietly in a jet-black palace, and rarely came out. Among those who have saw her, there were those who claimed that she was an old woman, and those who say she was a youthful girl. It was whispered that the Raven Consort was an immortal female sage or, no, a terrifying revenant. It was said that she used a mysterious power. The biggest rumor was that if asked, she would take on anything from putting a deadly curse on a hated rival, invoking the dead, exorcising, to finding lost things. She lived in the inner palace, but was not one of the consorts that the emperor visited. ¡ª¡ªOr at least, that should be the case. That night, two shadows moved towards the Raven Consort¡¯s palace. *** ¡°Yamei Palace is in-name only, huh.¡± While walking in a covered walkway lit by the light of the hanging lanterns, Ka Koushun gazed at the palace he could see on his path. The jet-black walls of Yamei Palace¡ªthe name signifying that the palace that shined brightly even at night¡ªwere blacker than the darkness that surrounded it. If the moon was out, it would have illuminated the blue-glazed roof tiles as though they were wet, but unfortunately the clouds hid it tonight. ¡°I believe it is because the hanging lanterns are not lit.¡± Eisei, holding a candlestick, said quietly. He, who was a eunuch, had a high voice, but it resonated clearly, and it was as beautiful as his appearance. There were lanterns hanging from the eaves of Yamei Palace, but none were lit. ¡°The eunuchs of the Internal Affairs Ministry are terrified of Yamei Palace and don¡¯t even try to approach it. We must take caution.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Koushun¡¯s voice was also quiet as he asked that short question. It wasn¡¯t that he was concealing his voice which lorded over his surroundings¡ªit was normally like that. His voice was deep but not cold, like sunlight filtering through trees in winter. ¡°It seems that a strange bird appears here.¡± ¡°Strange bird?¡± ¡°I have heard that it is a large bird that shines golden. It is said that it will attack you when you approach that palace.¡± ¡°Oh ho.¡± Koushun said, not seeming particularly interested. His eyes were turned towards the jet-black palace. There were not even any lights spilling from that silent building, and it looked like it was completely deserted. Eisei glanced up at Koushun¡¯s masculine profile. ¡°Dajia, are you truly going to visit the Raven Consort?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m coming here for.¡± Koushun¡¯s reply was blunt. When the eunuchs called someone Dajia¡ªYour Highness, they were referring to only one person in this country, Shou. It was the emperor. ¡°I am visiting a consort, so it¡¯s not as though there will be any problems.¡± ¡°The Raven Consort is different from the other consorts. If you meet with her, disaster may occur¡ª¡ª" Koushun laughed lowly. ¡°I never would have thought you would believe those rumors as well, huh, Sei.¡± Eisei held his tongue. ¡°There seem to be various rumors, ranging from plausible to idle gossip, but the Raven Consort is¡ª¡ª" Koushun stopped. At the end of the cobblestone stairs, there was a large pitch-black door. It was tightly shut to deny visitors. ¡°It is best to leave the details for later. When we meet her, we will know if the Raven Consort is a female sage or a revenant.¡± They put their feet on the stones. When Eisei stood in front and was about to push open the door, it soundlessly opened a crack. Surprised, Eisei stepped back, and from the opening of the dim doors, something flew out along with a piercing cry. Eisei dropped his candlestick, and then their surroundings were enveloped in darkness. They heard a strange cry and the flapping of wings, but they could not make out its form in the dark. ¡°Dajia, please step back.¡± Just as Eisei said that, a particularly intense sound of wings and cry resounded. The sounds immediately ceased, and there were only the sounds of weakly flapping wings. When his eyes became accustomed to the dark, Koushun saw that Eisei was gripping a large bird by the scruff of its neck. ¡°¡­Is that a chicken?¡± The thing that was caught by Eisei and writhing around looked like a round, fat chicken. However, as though its feathers were colored by brushing gold dust, it faintly shimmered even in the dark. "It nearly injured your person. Shall I strangle it?" When Koushun tried to stop Eisei, who said that coldly and was about to twist the chicken''s neck, with a "No, wait"¡ª¡ª "¡ª¡ªLet go of Xingxing, servant." The door opened wide, and a clear voice sounded from within. It was a sweet young girl''s voice that pleasantly remained in one''s ears, like ripples. The chicken escaped from the hand of Eisei, who was struck by the voice, and flew deep into the chamber. There were thin silk curtains hanging in layers at the back of the spacious chamber, and then suddenly, a white hand slipped out from a gap between them. In front of the curtains, there was a lantern in the shape of a lotus flower, casting a faint light. Its light illuminated the person who appeared from the curtains. For a short while, Koushun and Eisei both forgot how to speak. The gentle light illuminated a beautiful girl with a white face. A young girl with a slender figure. She looked around fifteen or sixteen. Her hair was tied up into twin hoops with jade hairpins and gold hair ornaments. Eye-catching peony flowers, which seemed to be as small as the girl''s face, adorned the spot beneath where her hair was gathered. What was startling was how the garments that dressed her body were jet black from head to toe. Even the robe and skirt that was pulled up all the way to her chest were black. The robe was black satin with a luster like it was wet, with detailed embroidery of flower and leaf designs, and her skirt had a pattern of gorgeous flower-eating birds woven into it. The shawl hanging from her shoulders was also a black thin silk, but perhaps there were obsidian stones sewn into it, for it glistened like evening dew. Just like her name of the Raven Consort, her dress resembled a raven. The escaped golden chicken was caught in the girl''s arms. She lifted her long eyelashes and turned her eyes towards Eisei. "This is a valuable magical bird. If you had slain it, you would not have been able to compensate for it by any means. See that you take care." A girl with a remarkably old-fashioned way of speaking, Koushun thought. As well as self-important. The girl turned her black agate-like eyes towards Koushun. "I see the emperor is only accompanied by an attendant. What sort of matter do you have with me? I will not come to your bed. Know that well." "I did send a messenger ahead of time.¡± "I know not. Xingxing drove them away.¡± The girl put down the golden chicken¡ªXingxing. There was a rug with woven floral designs spread out on the floor. Eisei opened his mouth with a stern face at the girl¡¯s words and behavior, but Koushun held him back with a hand. He advanced into the room and stood before the desk with a twill brocade overlay spread on top of it. All around was filled with the scent wafting from silver incense burners. ¡°I have a request for you, the Raven Consort. Hear me out on it." Telling her so, Koushun sat down on a chair. The girl''s brows gathered and she made no moves to approach the desk. Without minding that, Koushun put his hand inside the breast of his clothing and placed the item he took out on the desk. "Deadly curses, exorcisms, finding lost things¡ªyou take on anything if asked. I have heard that is your role, am I not wrong?¡± The girl''s brows gathered closer and closer, staring at the object that Koushun had placed on the table. It was a jade earring. It was not a complete pair, only a single one. It was a somewhat large teardrop-shaped jade with gold filigree. ¡°...Not anything. I do not accept requests with prices that could not be afforded." ¡°What do you mean by price?¡± ¡°If you curse someone, dig two graves¡ªa life for a deadly curse. Your assets for an exorcism. The matter of finding lost things is an agreement obtained through consultation. ¡°What if I say that I want to know who is the owner of this?¡± Koushun held the earring between his fingers. The jade, deep green as though one was peering into a plunge pool, was filled with a viscous light in the dim illumination. ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°As to things like the owner, you will know it swiftly if you ask. Is it not possible for you to do so, or is this merely a whim to kill time? Whichever one it is, I am afraid it is not satisfying enough. I have no wish to get involved in troublesome things.¡± A smart girl, Koushun thought as he stared at it. ¡°--It is said that the Raven Consort is either a female sage or a revenant. However...¡± Putting down the earring again, Koushun stood up. He approached the girl. ¡°You are human. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± He said quietly and took her hand. It was a human hand filled with warmth. The girl stiffened. ¡°I have heard that you were discovered when you were still young and taken here. ¡ª¡ªCome to think of it, I still haven''t heard your name. What is it?" The girl''s gaze wandered about, and then she whispered in a small voice. ¡°...Jusetsu.¡± ¡°So you are Ryuu Jusetsu? A fine name.¡± He said detachedly, and Jusetsu glared up at him. Her cheeks were tinged with red. For some reason thinking that she was like a cat with its fur standing on end, Koushun looked down at her hand that he was grabbing. The arm was pale and thin, but he saw a small bruise on the skin. It was a reddish-black bruise, shaped like a flower. It looked like a burn¡ª¡ª Jusetsu shook off his hand. ¡°I will not hear your request. Leave now.¡± Jusetsu said sharply, then immediately took out the peony flower from her hair. She placed it on her palm, and its shape collapsed, becoming smoke before transforming into a light pink flame. Even Koushun, who didn¡¯t stir at most things, was shocked, and he took a step back. Jusetsu blew on the flame. Thereupon a strong wind blew, and Koushun felt strangely dizzy. He closed his eyes tightly and turned his head away from the wind. When he steadied his staggering feet and looked up, he found the jet-black doors staring back at him. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡± Koushun stared at the doors, dumbfounded. ¡ª¡ªWhat was that? ¡°You forgot this.¡± Jusetsu called out, the doors opening slightly. The earring was thrown from the crack, and Koushun quickly put out his hand to catch it. The doors slammed shut with a bang. ¡°¡­It seems that we have been locked out.¡± Eisei was next to him. He had a confused expression on his face. ¡°Was that the mysterious magic that the Raven Consort uses?¡± Koushun tucked the earring in his breast and sighed. ¡°So it seems. I appear to have offended her.¡± ¡ª¡ªHer name is Jusetsu, but she is a girl like the heat haze of summer. Koushun climbed up the steps and turned back onto the path. Eisei picked up the dropped candlestick and followed him. ¡°Who is the Raven Consort?¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s something like a priestess.¡± ¡°A priestess?¡± *** After placing fragments of agarwood on the ashes of the incense burner and waiting for a while, thin smoke slowly drifted from the burner. A strong fragrance filled the room. Jusetsu stepped away from the burner and sat down in a chair. The scent was comforting, but it didn¡¯t clear her despondent feelings. The source of her troubles was the young emperor who visited her last night. ¡ª¡ªThat person will most likely come here again. How bothersome, she thought. She could deal with the modest requests of the women of the inner palace, but an emperor¡¯s request would be extremely bothersome. Jusetsu rubbed her arm through her robe. It was the arm Koushun grabbed last night. Seeing him from up close, the emperor was younger than she thought, but he seemed much more mature than his age would suggest, and he had a calm gaze that was like winter sunlight. She had expected him to be more terrifying. The emperor ascended the throne a year after Jusetsu succeeded the previous Raven Consort. Apparently, there was some sort of trouble regarding the appointment of the previous emperor¡¯s successor, but having been brought here at the age of six, enclosed within the palace and made to devote herself to training, Jusetsu didn¡¯t know the details and had no interest in them either. Xingxing, who was sprawled out on the flower rug, raised its head with a twitch. It suddenly fluttered its wings and started making a loud ruckus. It ran around the room, shrieking. ¡°Xingxing, stop that.¡± Jusetsu tried to restrain it, but Xingxing didn¡¯t seem to be listening at all, scattering its feathers and screaming. This golden bird never listened to Jusetsu. It was obedient to the previous Raven Consort, though. There were legends that spoke of the golden bird being able to determine the location of gold or find dead bodies. It was a strange bird, a rarity in this world with golden feathers. It used to be slim, but perhaps because it was fed luxurious food in the inner palace, it became round and fat. I bet it¡¯ll be tasty if it¡¯s roasted whole¡ª¡ªthat was Jusetsu¡¯s first thought when she saw the bird, and it seemed to have sensed that, for Xingxing was still wary of Jusetsu even now. Jusetsu sighed and pointed her finger at the doors. When she gestured like she was pulling on a string, they doors soundlessly swung open. At the entrance, same as last night, there stood Koushun and his eunuch attendant. Koushun had the same calm and emotionless face he had last night. He is like an imperturbable winter mountain, Jusetsu thought. A winter mountain that quietly slept until spring, silent and unmoving. ¡°No matter how many times you come, I will not hear your request.¡± Jusetsu said coldly, but Koushun stepped into the room without heeding her. ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± In front of Jusetsu, whose brows were knitted together, Koushun signalled the eunuch behind him with his eyes. The eunuch stepped forward as though this was all arranged. He was holding a tray in his hands. There was a bamboo steamer on the tray. ¡°¡­What is that?¡± The eunuch wordlessly placed the tray on the table and lifted the lid. Instantly, hot steam drifted out. ¡°¡­!¡± Inside, there were plump and round white baozi. ¡°I had the dessert kitchen made these just now. The filling is lotus seed. I heard these are your favorite.¡± He was right. Jusetsu¡¯s eyes became fixed on the baozi. However, Koushun sat across from her, put the lid on the steamer, and pulled it closer to him. ¡°Will you listen to what I have to say?¡± Jusetsu looked between Koushun and the steamer. She hesitated for a while. She expected him to bring some kind of bait to tempt her, but she underestimated him, thinking that he would bring money or hair ornaments. Jusetsu had no interest in such things, but she was fixated on food. Until she came here at age six, she lived a life where she didn¡¯t know when her next meal was going to come. Jusetsu gulped back saliva and glared at Koushun. ¡°¡­I shall listen, but nothing more than that.¡± Koushun smiled faintly. This was the first time she saw something like an expression on his face. ¡°A few days ago, this was found in the inner palace.¡± Koushun took out the single jade earring he showed her last night. ¡°Do you know who lost this earring?¡± ¡°I know not.¡± Jusetsu easily said while biting into a baozi. The baozi¡¯s skin was soft and damp, and the lotus seed filling was warm and sweet. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Is the Raven Consort not supposed to know everything?¡± ¡°Do not speak foolishness. I am not a god. ¡ª¡ªI would know if it is the opposite. If you asked me to find something you lost. If I follow your chi, I will be able to find it easily. However, I cannot do the opposite. There is not enough chi from an object to find a person, and there are too many people to find without enough chi.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± She was doubtful if he actually understood, but Koushun slowly nodded. ¡°If you understand, then leave.¡± While stuffing her cheeks with baozi, Jusetsu waved her hand like she was shooing away a dog. However, Koushun didn¡¯t stand up. He folded his arms, as though deep in thought. ¡°¡­Then, I¡¯ll change my request. Truthfully, the matter concerning this earring is turning into a bit of an issue.¡± ¡°Issue?¡± Even if he said so, it wasn¡¯t something Jusetsu knew about. ¡­Or so she thought. ¡°There seems to be a ghost possessing this earring.¡± Jusetsu raised her eyes from the baozi she was enjoying. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®seems.¡¯ Did you see a ghost?¡± ¡°Only once. I didn¡¯t see her clearly, though.¡± Koushun¡¯s gaze shifted towards the earring. ¡°It was a woman wearing a red dress. She was only wearing this earring in her left ear. ¡ª¡ªWould you know who that woman is, at least?¡± Jusetsu¡¯s brows gathered as she looked at the earring. ¡°If there are things I understand, there are also things I do not. However, what will you do even if you know? Whether the owner who dropped it or the identity of the ghost, is this a matter that requires you to attend to it?¡± ¡°I only wish to know. I am the type of person who must get to the bottom of something once it is on my mind.¡± A complete lie¡ª¡ªJusetsu thought as she stared at Koushun¡¯s face. He looked nothing like a young man brimming with curiosity. He didn¡¯t seem interested in anything. To put it nicely, he had a self-possessed attitude. To put it bluntly, he was an emotionally dull man who was like a wooden doll. ¡°If you can¡¯t find the person who dropped this earring, then it would be good enough to find the identity of the ghost. If you ask to hear unnecessary things, that would only add to the troublesome matters. You hate troublesome things, correct?¡± He was speaking the truth, but it irritated her to be told that. When she stayed silent, Koushun pointed at the steamer. It was already empty. ¡°Work for the baozi. How about that? Wouldn¡¯t you feel bad if you only ate for free?¡± She felt indignant at being told that she ¡°only ate for free.¡± ¡°Your personality is much worse than I expected.¡± ¡°Do I look like I have a good personality? That is the first time I¡¯ve been told that.¡± Koushun matter-of-factly replied. Jusetsu was silent, a wrinkle forming between her brows. ¡°You are much more adorable than I expected.¡± Jusetsu¡¯s face suddenly turned crimson. She got up in spite of herself, knocking over her chair. Xingxing, who was sleeping next to her, jumped aside in a panic. ¡°Sei, the chair.¡± Koushun said quietly, and the eunuch set the fallen chair upright. Jusetsu glared at Koushun with her still-red face and sat back down. Koushun held out the earring to Jusetsu. Still glaring at him, Jusetsu held out her hand and accepted it. The jade was cold to the touch, but she could feel a strange warmth in the mesmerizing deep green color. The stone had an aura that felt like it was enveloped in the murmuring of a stream and the silence of a forest. Jusetsu placed the earring in one hand and used her other hand to take out the peony in her hair. This wasn¡¯t a regular peony. It was Jusetsu¡¯s power in the form of a peony. When she placed the peony in her palm, it instantly transformed into pink flames. Jusetsu blew on them. The flames swayed, turned into smoke and enveloped the earring. The pink smoke gradually thinned. In turn, a human figure appeared on the other side. It was faint at first, but soon became more solid. It was a woman wearing a red dress. Her high hair bun was messy. Her head was hanging down, and next to it, a single jade earring was swinging. One of her sleeves was torn off, exposing her white arm. On the inside of her wrist, Jusetsu saw a golden mark. Three circles in a line, like a trio of stars. The woman slowly raised her head. ¡°Ugh.¡± The eunuch pressed his hand to his mouth. The woman¡¯s face was purple and swollen, and her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets at any moment. There was a shawl tightly wrapped around her thin neck. Her tongue was lolling out of her open mouth, and her fingers were clawing at her neck. ¡°¡ª¡ªNo good. She will not be able to speak in that state.¡± Jusetsu stood up and blew out a breath at the figure. The smoke scattered and the figure dissipated. She heard the eunuch breathe out a sigh of relief. He was wiping the sweat from his pale face. Jusetsu sat down and returned the earring to Koushun. *** The next day, Jusetsu slipped out of the doors of Yamei Palace. The sound of the drums had only just marked the hour of the Dragon (around 7-9 am). For her to leave her palace this early in the morning was¡­no, she rarely left her palace in the first place. Although this was considered early, it was an hour when bureaucrats were already heading to work. Walking down the walkway, Jusetsu¡¯s outfit was quite different from what she usually wore. She was wearing a plain coral dress with no embroidery or prints, and her hair was tied high on top of her head with not a single hair stick. This was the outfit of the palace ladies who belonged to the Palace Cleaning Bureau. It was the thing she told Koushun to prepare for her last night. Rather than waiting who knows how long for the name register, it would be faster to do her own investigation. Jusetsu was an impatient person. She dressed all by herself. There was only an old servant woman working at Yamei Palace, and Jusetsu didn¡¯t have an attendant. I have no need for one, she had refused. She was raised on the streets, and she could take care of herself. There were also things that she didn¡¯t want anyone to see¡ª¡ª The walkway curved, and she could see the lapis lazuli tiles of a palace. What place is that¡ª¡ªshe wondered briefly, but when she saw the tile with the swallow decoration on the roof, she knew. That was Hien Palace. The concubines who were next in rank after the empress and consorts lived there. As she got closer, the yellow waves surrounding the palace caught her eye. They were banksia roses. They crawled around trellises prettily. Is it that season already, Jusetsu thought, captivated by the little yellow flowers. Just then, she heard the sounds of people talking from nearby. This was the back of Hien Palace. The voices came from the back entrance for palace ladies and servants of a building that was old even among the several structures there. ¡°Here, I¡¯m leaving this to you. Have it ready by tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tomorrow is impossible!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a bit of mending. You can do it a minute, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t shorten a hem in a minute. I have my own work too¡ª¡ª¡± Jusetsu secretly peeked in at them from behind the banksia roses. She could see two palace ladies facing each other in the shadow of the damp building with bad drainage. One of them was a petite palace lady wearing a pale yellow dress, and the other one was wearing a blue dress. The pale yellow dress was the uniform of the Palace Table Bureau (in charge of the emperor¡¯s meals), and the blue dress was the uniform of the Palace Secretarial Bureau. The palace lady in the blue dress was trying to push some clothing onto the girl in the pale yellow dress, who was refusing it. The blue dress palace lady seemed to be pressing her to mend the clothing. ¡°Can¡¯t you just do it after you finish your work?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The girl in the pale yellow dress, having no way out, looked like she was about to cry. If she doesn¡¯t want to do it, she should just turn her down and walk away from there immediately. Jusetsu thought as she watched the events unfold. ¡°Isn¡¯t this usual? Don¡¯t grumble about it now. If you say you¡¯re not going to do it, I¡¯ll tell Father, and then your family¡¯s store will be destroyed.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Hmm. Jusetsu was crouching down near the roots of the banksia roses. Since it would be bothersome to get involved, she decided to pretend to not see them and pass them by. Jusetsu stood up and stepped out from the shade. ¡°You are not a young child. You can do your own mending.¡± The two palace ladies turned around in surprise. ¡°Ex¡ªW-Who are you?¡± The girl in the blue dress asked, flustered. ¡°Just as I look, I am a palace lady,¡± Jusetsu thrust out her chest. ¡°That girl next to you does not seem as though she wishes to do what you ask. Can you not do your own work?¡± The girl in the blue dress gave Jusetsu a suspicious once-over. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a waste of time to do something yourself when you could have someone else do it for you? You have no right to criticize me.¡± Although she said that, she surprisingly withdrew easily. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll forgive you for today.¡± Jusetsu was a bit disappointed by this anticlimax. The girl in the blue dress ignored the girl in the yellow dress like she had already lost interest and left. --- Hey I originally posted this translation on my old site kakurenomiya.blogspot.com but decided to host it here instead. I''ll still post the link to the finished pdf/epub there tho. Look forward to it since I included footnotes there and italics Volume 1 - CH 1.2 The drums signaling midday sounded, and Koushun leaned back against his chair in exhaustion. With this, his official business in the outer court was over. The bureaucrats who arrived at the palace before sunrise also returned home at this hour. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Right when Koushun was about to stand and leave the room, Secretariat Director Un whispered into his ear. This prime minister, who had a magnificent white beard, was formerly the Grand Preceptor of the Crown Prince¡¯s Office and a close aide to Koushun since he was young. ¡°Teirui Palace seems to be restless.¡± Teirui Palace was the villa where the empress dowager was confined. ¡°¡­Understood. Meiin.¡± Koushun summoned an intellectual-looking man in his forties to his side. ¡°How is the flow of money there?¡± ¡°As of now, there are no suspicious activities,¡± He, who was the chief imperial scholar, also served as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Finance, which oversaw government finances. ¡°However, there are most likely hidden assets. She is issuing official ranks at such a rapid pace, after all.¡± The empress dowager was using her position to continuously sell government positions. The confiscated money didn¡¯t match with the estimated sum. ¡°So as expected, eunuchs¡¯ movements are the key.¡± The director of the Palace Servants Bureau nodded when all eyes turned to him. ¡°Understood, Your Majesty.¡± The empress dowager didn¡¯t quietly resign herself to her house arrest. She was the woman who seduced or threatened the previous emperor and seized power along with her relatives, and then forced Koushun to abandon his title as the crown prince. It seemed that among the eunuchs, there were still those who had connections to her. ¡°In the end, she couldn¡¯t understand Your Majesty¡¯s kindness.¡± Volume 1 - CH 1.3 ¡ª¡ªI was heedless. I knew I had to do it before long, but¡­ Jusetsu pressed her hand to her hair as she returned to Yamei Palace and took out a rosewood box from a cabinet. She placed it on a table, then brought over a druggist¡¯s mortar1 from the kitchen. It was a tool for grinding medicinal herbs and the like. Jusetsu opened the lid of the box, took out some dried alder cones and areca nuts, and tossed them into the mortar. She began grinding the ingredients with familiar motions. She crushed the ingredients finely. The finer, the better. As she was single-mindedly grinding the ingredients, Xingxing suddenly flapped its wings violently behind her. Just as Jusetsu was about ask what was the matter, she turned around with a start. She almost let out a cry. There was someone standing there. It was Ei Sei. ¡°W-Where did you come from?¡± The front doors had not opened once. ¡°I entered from the back door so that I would not be conspicuous,¡± Ei Sei answered with a cold expression. Ei Sei glanced at the mortar, but then returned his gaze to Jusetsu, seeming uninterested. ¡°Has those clothes been helpful to you?¡± He was looking down at Jusetsu¡¯s palace lady dress. Her heart was beating wildly because of the shock, but Jusetsu nodded to not let it show on her face. ¡°Yes, it has been helpful.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± His tone was polite as he questioned her from beginning to end. Jusetsu¡¯s brows knitted together as she answered. ¡°I heard a story from a palace lady. I have ascertained that the earring ghost is possibly Han-oujo, who died during the reign of the previous emperor.¡± Han-oujo, Ei Sei muttered. ¡°Do you know of her?¡± ¡°I have been Dajia¡¯s personal attendant for a long time, so there are many things I do not know about the inner palace during the previous reign.¡± Especially during the time when he became the deposed crown prince, was what he was saying. ¡°So, can you investigate the current whereabouts of the palace ladies who served as Han-oujo¡¯s attendants or handmaids?¡± Ei Sei got a serious look on his face. ¡°In order to investigate, we must peruse the palace lady register in the Palace Servants Bureau. There has to be a reason for perusal, and it would be considered suspicious if we try to check the register without a reason. Dajia did tell you this yesterday. He does not want our movements to be known by those around us.¡± How bothersome. Jusetsu was fed up. ¡°¡ª¡ªWell then, let us do this.¡± What is it now? Ei Sei¡¯s eyes seemed to say. ¡°I wish to take on an attendant.¡± ¡°¡­An attendant?¡± "" Now? Ei Sei seemed puzzled. ¡°The girl named Jiujiu from the Palace Table Bureau will do. I do not know her family name.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°However, with the surface reason of selecting an attendant for me, you should check the palace lady register in the Palace Servants Bureau. It is true that you are preparing an attendant for me, so there is nothing unusual about this. What do you think of that?¡± Ei Sei¡¯s eyes widened slightly, but he bowed with his hands clasped in front of his chest. ¡°Very well, I accept your plan.¡± Their conversation ended, and he took his leave¡ªor so she thought. Before he turned towards the back door, Ei Sei brought his face close to Jusetsu¡¯s ear and whispered into it. ¡°Are those ingredients dried alder cones and areca nuts?¡± Jusetsu¡¯s face stiffened. Ei Sei touched Jusetsu¡¯s hair, and then removed his hand. ¡°¡ª¡ªWho exactly are you?¡± When it was late at night, Jusetsu left Yamei Palace. She was heading towards a small pond on the western side of the palace. There were no flames burning in the hanging lanterns, and only the moonlight illuminated her surroundings. All was silent except for the sounds of insects in the grass. She was holding a small bowl in her hands. It contained a substance that consisted of the powdered alder cones and areca nuts mixed with ashes and other ingredients, then kneaded with hot water. Without minding that her nightclothes were getting wet, Jusetsu stepped into the pond. She bent over and dipped her loose hair in the water. The water was still cold at this time of the year. Even more so now that it was night time. Feeling like she was about to freeze, she washed her hair many times over. The color gradually faded from Jusetsu¡¯s black hair. She ran her fingers through her hair, which shined silver in the moonlight. Striking silver-colored hair. It was Jusetsu¡¯s original hair color. From the time she was brought to Yamei Palace, she had dyed her hair black and applied makeup to her eyebrows and eyelashes. When she had been a servant girl, her hair had been grey from all the dust and sand covering it. It was thought to be grey hair, although it was no less oddly colored. ¡ª¡ªThat was how she narrowly escaped death. Silver hair was the mark of the previous imperial family. The clan was originally a group of people who wandered down from the north. It was said that they were the descendants of a family that once ruled the country or the descendants of priests, but nothing was certain. It was possible that those stories were made up in order to give themselves dignity. They were a small tribe living in the highlands who left their land after tribal warfare and consanguineous marriage nearly destroyed them. The members of the tribe had distinctive features. Small chins and narrow noses. Large eyes. Long, thin limbs. Above all, they had shining silver hair, something no other tribe had. Many of those who inherited the blood of the clan had silver hair. After the emperor before the last ascended to the throne, he relentlessly tried to exterminate the previous imperial family. He searched high and low for any escaped imperial family members and killed them all, even the young children. Jusetsu was able to bypass his blade because her mother, who was still a young child at the time, was the daughter of a lowly servant woman, so she was not acknowledged as an official imperial family member. That was why she was left out of the list of those ordered to be killed and able to blend into the city by dyeing her hair. It was quite ironic. Afterwards, Jusetsu¡¯s mother became a prostitute in the red-light district and gave birth to her. There would have been no problem if Jusetsu had black hair. However, just like her mother, Jusetsu also had silver hair. May this hair be a blessing, not a curse¡ª¡ª. With that wish, her mother named her ¡°Jusetsu.¡±2 She dyed Jusetsu¡¯s hair and raised her secretly while hiding her from the outside. Jusetsu didn¡¯t know how they got found out and who did it. One early afternoon, the Entertainment Bureau3, which was in charge of the red-light district, brought soldiers of the Southern Command to them. While everyone at the brothel helped them buy time, Jusetsu¡¯s mother escaped with her. Pursued by the soldiers, Jusetsu¡¯s mother, holding her in her arms, desperately ran away from them through the bustling alleys, but it seemed that the soldiers were only looking for her mother. They didn¡¯t know about Jusetsu, who was raised in secrecy. Everyone at the brothel knew, of course, so it must have been an outsider who reported them. Was it the work of a customer who her mother had been cold to? Even now, she still didn¡¯t know. Her mother, who realized that she was the only one the soldiers were chasing, sat Jusetsu in the shadow of a gate and instructed her. ¡°Hide here. No matter what you hear, you must not leave this spot.¡± Her mother¡¯s fingers bit into her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t move and stay here. Don¡¯t make a sound. After this, leave this spot before the gate closes at sunset and go home.¡± Okay? Her mother whispered, hugged her tightly one more time, and then ran out of the gate. The shouts of the soldiers and rough noises came immediately after. The sound of vessels breaking, the sound of a wooden fence being kicked, a scream¡ªJusetsu shrank her body. Was that her mother¡¯s voice? She desperately wanted to do something, but she couldn¡¯t move her legs. She could only tremble. If Jusetsu left her spot, she would be captured. She didn¡¯t know why they had to run away, but she could tell from how her mother was acting that it would be very bad if they were captured. She was scared. Her legs were paralyzed from the loud sounds of things breaking and the rough shouts of men. She had to help her mother¡ªbut even though she thought that, she couldn¡¯t even stand up. There was another scream. Jusetsu pressed her hands to her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. She waited for time to pass as she shook. Before she knew it, the noises had stopped. Jusetsu removed her hands from her ears, which hurt from being pressed too hard, and slowly stood up. She stepped away from the gate and went towards the site of the disturbance. However, other than the grim-faced shopkeepers who had the stools in front of their shops broken and the employees cleaning up shattered vessels, there were only people milling back and forth as though nothing had happened. She had no idea if her mother was captured, and if so, where she was taken. Jusetsu wandered around aimlessly, at a loss. Her mother told her to return to the brothel, but on top of being held, Jusetsu was only four, so she didn¡¯t even know the way home. In the streets, where various types of people lived, no one cared if there was a child wandering around by themselves. Shopkeepers would even chase them away from their stalls to prevent them from stealing food. While she was wandering around, the sun set and the gate closed. Whispering ¡°Mother¡± and crying, Jusetsu leaned against the corner of a door and fell asleep. The next day, she found her mother. She didn¡¯t know where or how she got there. It was probably the execution site. Her mother¡¯s head was being exposed. "" Her mother¡¯s hair had returned to its original silver color. It was stained with blood and clinging to her face. Her dry lips were slightly parted and it seemed as if she was just about to say something to Jusetsu. She was later told by the previous Raven Consort that her mother had been executed for the crime of treason. She was told that there was fear that she would take revenge on the emperor. Before Jusetsu knew it, she was cowering on the roadside. She hadn¡¯t eaten since she ran away, but she didn¡¯t feel hungry. Her heart was emptier than her stomach, and she couldn¡¯t move. Afterwards, Jusetsu caught the eye of a slave dealer and was sold to the You clan as a servant girl. The hair dye soon faded from her hair, but it seemed that everyone around her thought that her slightly dirty white hair was due to the harsh manual labor. ¡ª¡ªOne autumn day, about two years later, an arrow flew from somewhere and pierced the roof of the You house¡¯s gate. Master You was furious, asking what was going on, but his color changed when an envoy from the imperial palace came. The arrow shone gold. It was a strange radiance, different from ¡°beautiful.¡± The envoy brought Jusetsu to the palace. She wondered if she was going to be killed, but she didn¡¯t have any desire to resist. Ever since she abandoned her mother and saw her decapitated head, Jusetsu had become empty on the inside. Passing under the gate on the western side, the envoy took Jusetsu to a large palace. That was Yamei Palace. The envoy was a eunuch. Inside the palace, she was met with an old woman dressed in beautiful clothing. That was the previous Raven Consort, Reijou. She told her that the arrow was transformed from the feather of a golden bird, that it would fly to the next Raven Consort, and that Jusetsu was that very Raven Consort. Reijou looked at Jusetsu with sorrow-tinged eyes. ¡°You must live here from now on.¡± What a cruel fate, Reijou sighed. After that, she told Jusetsu why her mother had to run away, and why she and her mother had silver hair. Reijou knew everything. If Jusetsu¡¯s true identity was discovered, she would meet the same fate as her mother. However, since she was chosen, Jusetsu had to live here. Reijou dyed Jusetsu¡¯s hair and raised her in the palace without letting her go outside to the best of her ability. Even when she was dying, she was still concerned about Jusetsu¡¯s future. From Reijou, Jusetsu learned how to read and write, how to speak, and how to use the arts of the Raven Consort. Although Jusetsu wasn¡¯t born with any uncanny powers, she had mysteriously acquired them after her arrival at Yamei Palace, and with Reijou¡¯s guidance, she was able to use them at will. It was Reijou who once again filled the empty Jusetsu. Reijou poured all kinds of things into her. Her knowledge, wisdom, and love. ¡ª¡ªHowever, deep down in her chest, there was something missing. It would never be filled. Jusetsu rose from the pond and wrung her dripping hair. Now she was going to re-dye her hair. She placed her knee on the side of the pond and reached for the bowl with the dye. That was when it happened. ¡°!¡± She sensed the presence of people and looked up with a start. And then, she gasped. Standing there on the other side of the pond was Koushun. Ei Sei was standing behind him. She couldn¡¯t see their expressions from this distance. However, there was no doubt that they could clearly see Jusetsu¡¯s silver hair shining in the moonlight. Jusetsu stood and broke into a run like a scared rabbit. She hurried back to her palace and closed the doors. She then sank down on the spot. There was no way that he, the emperor, didn¡¯t know the significance of her silver hair. She had been careless. She should have been more cautious. This was all because she had panicked, thinking that she had to re-dye her hair immediately. When Ei Sei had pointed out the alder cones and areca nuts, Jusetsu had answered, ¡°This is medicine.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie; these ingredients were used in medicine. However, because Ei Sei had pointed them out, she was spurred on by the thought that she had to dye her hair all the more immediately before she raised any suspicion. Panic is the greatest cause of failure¡ªReijou had told her that. This was the end. Jusetsu was going to be executed. There was a quiet knock on the doors. Jusetsu stiffened. ¡°¡­You forgot your bowl by the side of the pond. I¡¯ll leave it here.¡± The voice belonged to Koushun. A momentary silence followed. Holding her breath, Jusetsu strained her ears to hear what he was about to say. ¡°Make sure to wipe your wet body properly. You¡¯ll get sick if you don¡¯t.¡± I¡¯m returning tonight, he said, and she heard footsteps leaving the doors. Jusetsu stood up and cracked open the doors slightly. Koushun turned around. ¡°¡­Do you not have anything more to say?¡± Jusetsu¡¯s voice was shaking. ¡°No,¡± Koushun answered without even moving an eyebrow. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything tonight.¡± Jusetsu held her breath. What does he mean? She turned over his words in her mind many times. As though anticipating that, Koushun added, ¡°I mean exactly that.¡± Koushun turned his back on Jusetsu and descended the steps. Ei Sei, who had been waiting below, followed him, and they went back through the walkway. Jusetsu watched them until she could no longer see their backs. After noontime the next day, Koushun came to visit again. He was accompanied by Ei Sei and a young girl today. ¡°I brought the attendant you wanted.¡± The girl was Jiujiu. Having been suddenly brought along, she was looking around anxiously. Jusetsu glanced up at Koushun. His expression didn¡¯t change. His face was blank, just as it had been on his first visit here. ¡ª¡ªWhat is he thinking? Does he honestly intend to pretend to not see what happened last night? Why? As she was pondering, unsure of his intentions, she heard a whispered ¡°¡­Jusetsu?¡± She looked up and saw Jiujiu¡¯s eyes widening. ¡°Indeed. You have my gratitude for helping me yesterday.¡± When she said that, Jiujiu¡¯s mouth dropped open as well. ¡°¡­Huh? What do you mean? Weren¡¯t you a palace lady?¡± ¡°I am the Raven Consort. My apologies for the deception.¡± Huh? Jiujiu pressed her hands to her cheeks in confusion. ¡°I want to have you as my attendant. You don¡¯t have much to do, though.¡± ¡°Attendant¡­why me?¡± ¡°You told me before. That you wished to work at Yamei Palace.¡± ¡°I did, but¡­¡± Jiujiu seemed bewildered. ¡°¡­Was I mistaken?¡± She had recommended Jiujiu to Ei Sei because she had said that, so she thought it was perfect. ¡°I was just saying things, or rather, I was just impulsive¡­¡± When Jiujiu looked around the room uncomfortably, Jusetsu looked down, thinking, So that is the way it is? After spending time together yesterday, she had thought it might be fun to be with Jiujiu. ¡°It won¡¯t be for such a long time. But, if you do not want to¡ª¡ª¡± Even Jusetsu didn¡¯t intend to keep an attendant for a long period of time. It was just an excuse to check the name register, and having an attendant by her side all the time could lead to her secret being discovered. ¡°Sei, bring that over.¡± Koushun, who was quietly watching the two¡¯s conversation, gave instructions to Ei Sei. Ei Sei was holding a tray with clothing placed on it, but he presented it to Jiujiu. ¡°This is the attendant¡¯s uniform. Please change into these.¡± At Ei Sei¡¯s words, Jiujiu¡¯s eyes became glued to the clothes. ¡°I¡­I can wear this? Such fine¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re an attendant, after all,¡± Koushun said. ¡°But if you would rather stay in the Palace Table Bureau, then we could choose another person.¡± ¡°No! That would be absurd. I shall happily work here.¡± Jiujiu hugged the clothes to her chest. When she met Koushun¡¯s eyes, she hurriedly looked down. She was turning bright crimson. Jusetsu had mixed feelings about the fact that she readily agreed with just a single garment. ¡°Now, the main topic,¡± Koushun spoke after Jiujiu went to the attendant¡¯s antechamber to change. ¡°Thanks to you, we were about to go through the register.¡± Koushun spoke as dispassionately as ever. ¡°Han-oujo had an attendant in her service, and that attendant had a maidservant of her own. The maidservant died of illness.¡± ¡°Illness¡­?¡± ¡°The details aren¡¯t known. As for the attendant, she was transferred to another consort after the death of Han-oujo, but currently she is in Sen¡¯e House.¡±4 Sen¡¯e House was the place where elderly court ladies or court ladies who had sinned were sent. ¡°Her name is So Kougyou. By the way, there are no other consorts who died by hanging themselves or strangulation.¡± Then, that ghost truly is Han-oujo¡ªJusetsu stroked her sash. The jade earring was tucked underneath it. ¡°Well then, I shall visit this So Kougyou.¡± ¡°You, go to Sen¡¯e House?¡± A hesitant color creeped into Koushun¡¯s expressionless face, and he looked at Ei Sei. ¡°It is not a place where the Raven Consort should visit,¡± Ei Sei said. Jusetsu laughed scornfully. That wasn¡¯t a line to say to Jusetsu, who was a former servant girl. ¡°It does not bother me. If I meet this person, I shall know if this earring belongs to Han-oujo or not.¡± Right at that moment, Jiujiu came into the room, having finished changing. ¡°Jiujiu, we are departing.¡± ¡°Huh? Where to¡­I mean, where shall we be heading to, Niangniang?¡±5 Without answering, Jusetsu opened the silk curtains hanging in the back of the room. The palace lady uniform she had thrown off was still there on the bed. ¡°I will be changing now. The both of you, leave.¡± She said that towards Koushun and Ei Sei. Koushun silently stood up from his chair, and Ei Sei momentarily had an irritated expression on his face. Jiujiu¡¯s eyes widened at how Jusetsu was ordering the emperor around. Without waiting for the two to leave, Jusetsu closed the curtains and untied her sash. Volume 1 - CH 1.4 ¡°A-Are we really going there, Niangniang?¡± Jiujiu said as she followed Jusetsu, on the verge of crying. ¡°I¡¯ve said so from the beginning. And refrain from calling me ¡®Niangniang.¡¯ I am currently a palace lady, so speak normally.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Jiujiu lowered her eyebrows as if troubled. She seemed to be at a loss as to how to maintain a distance from Jusetsu. The two girls were heading to the southwest of the inner palace. As they crossed a vermillion-lacquered bridge over a creek, Jiujiu suddenly cast her face down and hid behind Jusetsu. Just as Jusetsu wondered what was going on, she saw a palace lady on the other side of the willow trees planted near the creek. It was the Palace Secretarial Bureau palace lady who high-handedly ordered Jiujiu to mend her clothes. She seemed to be hurrying towards Hien Palace. She didn¡¯t notice them. ¡°¡ª¡ªShe has left.¡± Jusetsu told her. Jiujiu nervously raised her face. After checking the opposite bank, she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Was that the palace lady who was exchanging letters with a eunuch of Hien Palace? She seems to be quite eager to visit it frequently. Even though she has her own work to do.¡± ¡°Yes, however, she denies it. She said that there was no way she would ever be involved with the likes of a eunuch, and that she was only doing it as a favor for someone. She also told me to stay quiet about the correspondence.¡± ¡°As a favor for someone?¡± ¡°Apparently, another palace lady from the Palace Secretarial Bureau asked her to deliver letters on her behalf. But then, that palace lady would have done it herself, wouldn¡¯t she? I think she¡¯s hiding her embarrassment, though.¡± Oh? Jusetsu tilted her head. Certainly, it seemed unlike that that palace lady would be so kind as to assist in the exchanging of letters. They started walking again and crossed the bridge. They passed through several gardens, progressed through a walkway with earthen walls, and passed by palace buildings. The scenery around them soon became desolate. There were no beautiful gardens to be seen, and the buildings were simple and plain. These were the dormitories of the servants. Sen¡¯e House was located on the outskirts of the inner palace. Large and small canals ran through the palace, but the land was low and poorly drained in the outskirts of the inner palace. That was why it was always damp and the buildings covered in mold and moss. Because it was a place of banishment within the inner palace, the surrounding area was a cesspool of ill-natured low-ranking eunuchs and palace ladies, and the law and order there was bad. As one approached, the spots with collapsed walls became more and more noticeable. Roof tiles were falling off. The path was no longer gravel, weeds were growing out of the unplowed ground, and rocks littered the ground. There were eunuchs, red-faced and possibly drunk on cheap alcohol in the daytime, leaning against the walls and sleeping, and eunuchs scrutinizing Jusetsu and Jiujiu as though evaluating them. Jiujiu clung to Jusetsu¡¯s back in fear. ¡°No need to be afraid,¡± Jusetsu told her. They wouldn¡¯t attack them thoughtlessly, and it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal even if they did. It would be different if they came at them with killing intent¡ª¡ª However, it seemed that that ¡°different thing¡± was happening. The two eunuchs staring at them staggered towards them. Jusetsu put herself on guard, and then another pair of eunuchs appeared from behind a collapsed wall. They were all dressed in the robes of low-ranking eunuchs, but their eyes were sharp. Just when she realized that they weren¡¯t simple rogue eunuchs, they pulled out daggers from their breasts, and Jiujiu let out a hoarse scream. They quickly surrounded the two girls. ¡°What is it that you lot want? We do not have any money.¡± They didn¡¯t answer her and, without saying a word, slowly closing the distance. This might be problematic, Jusetsu tensed. Jusetsu brought her hand to the back of her head¡ªbut she recalled that since she was currently dressed as a palace lady, she didn¡¯t have her flowers. Clicking her tongue, she dropped her hand and turned her palm upwards. Heat gathered in her palm. The air wavered, and when one thought a heat haze had been produced, light pink petals appeared on her palm. The petals appeared in succession, linked together, and gradually became a peony flower. The eunuchs, upon seeing this, stopped in their tracks, shaken. They looked at each other in bewilderment, trying to see what the other would do. You should retreat if you are scared, Jusetsu had a sliver of hope, but it seemed it was all for naught. Letting out a yell, one of the eunuchs rushed forward. Jusetsu blew on the peony. Upon doing so, the peony became a gust of wind and assailed the eunuchs. They cried out at the sharp blades of wind. Taking that opportunity, Jusetsu took Jiujiu¡¯s hand and tried to slip between them. ¡°Kyaaah!¡± However, a eunuch grabbed Jiujiu¡¯s collar. ¡°Jiujiu!¡± Jusetsu tried to use her arts again at the eunuch who raised his dagger overhead, but she couldn¡¯t make it in time. Right when she kicked off the ground and was about to put herself between Jiujiu and the blade, the eunuch fell sideways. ¡°What are you all doing!¡± A eunuch had tackled him from the side. He looked to be in his thirties, with drooping eyes and good-natured features. ¡°Why are you mugging two helpless palace ladies?¡± The eunuch shouted angrily. He hung over the fallen eunuch and tried to take away the knife. The fallen eunuch kicked the other eunuch in the stomach and got up with the knife in his hand. Just as he was about to point the blade at the eunuch who came to help, a stone came flying in from somewhere and hit his hand cleanly. A groan came from somewhere else. Looking in that direction, a young eunuch who came out of nowhere was twisting the arm of a eunuch who was holding a knife and pressing him against the ground. That wasn¡¯t all. The other eunuchs were also groaning, clutching his arms and legs. ¡ª¡ªIt seemed that in an instant, this young eunuch had disarmed them completely. ¡°Get out of here!¡± The eunuchs attempted to flee as though they had lost their heads. The young eunuch released the arms of the eunuch pressed against the ground. He also frantically stood up and fell over himself as he chased after his escaped associates. ¡°Are you hurt, Niangniang?¡± The eunuch turned back to Jusetsu. It was an unfamiliar face. He had a beautiful face and looked to be just before twenty years old. His long, single-lidded eyes were especially beautiful. Even the straight scar running down his cheek looked like an ornament. ¡°Attendant Ei has ordered me to guard you. I am Onkei. I have been following you in the shadows. Please forgive me for my discourtesy.¡± Onkei, with his well-proportioned and slender body, bowed gracefully with his hands clasped. ¡°I see, Ei Sei¡­¡± He was a shrewd man. ¡°You saved us. You have my gratitude. ¡ª¡ªWho were those men? They do not seem like simple muggers.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. However, they are most likely subordinates from the emperor dowager¡¯s faction.¡± ¡°The empress dowager¡­?¡± Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be confined? And why were they attacking Jusetsu now? ¡°¡­Come to think of it,¡± Jusetsu looked around. She was searching for the eunuch who helped them first, but he was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Was that eunuch not Ei Sei¡¯s subordinate?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I presumed he was just coincidentally passing by.¡± If she remembered correctly, that man was dressed like a low-ranking eunuch with dark gray robes and a black cap. He must have been a very chivalrous person, if he was only passing by and plunged into the middle of a group of ruffians with knives. If she had the chance to meet him again, she would have to thank him. ¡°Jiujiu, are you unhurt¡­¡± Jusetsu asked, turning around, but Jiujiu¡¯s legs had collapsed beneath her, and she was on the verge of tears. It was understandable. ¡°Are you alright?¡± When she held out her hand, Jiujiu clung to Jusetsu and began to cry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I involved you in danger. You should go back to Yamei Palace.¡± She raised her head to tell Onkei to escort her back, but Jiujiu shook her head and let go of Jusetsu. ¡°No, I shall accompany you, Niangniang,¡± she said and wiped her tears. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°You tried to save me, didn¡¯t you?¡± She was referring to when Jusetsu tried to step between her and the eunuch¡¯s knife. ¡°I will accompany you.¡± Saying only those words, Jiujiu sniffled. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Somehow, an itchy feeling tickled her chest. It was the first time she had ever felt this way. Flanked by Jiujiu and Onkei on both sides, Jusetsu stood in front of Sen¡¯e House. The entrance was half-collapsed and tilting, and the gateposts were on the verge of rotting away. When they passed through it, they saw palace ladies in earth-colored dresses washing clothes in washbasins with tired expressions. All had pale faces, and some of them were elderly. They didn¡¯t raise their heads even when Jusetsu and the others passed by them. Jiujiu stood close to Jusetsu¡¯s arm and looked around fearfully. ¡ª¡ªThis place was called the palace ladies¡¯ graveyard. As soon as they stepped into the building with mossy roof tiles, a musty smell assailed their noses. The walls were covered in mold. The eunuch in charge of this place led them to a room in the back. ¡°This is So Kougyou¡¯s room. ¡ª¡ªHowever, I think it would be a waste of time trying to ask her anything,¡± the eunuch said over his shoulder, not even turning his lifeless eyes towards Jusetsu and the others. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know once you see her.¡± Well then. The eunuch left. There was no door at the entrance, only a slightly dirty curtain. Onkei stood guard in front of it, and Jusetsu entered the room. A simple bed was set up by the window of the cramped room, and a woman was lying on top of it. The eunuch told them that she had been lying in bed since yesterday with a fever. Sen¡¯e House took in many of those who could no longer move from illness. The woman¡¯s hair was thin and half-greying, and both her face and body were emaciated. At first glance, she looked like an old woman because of her dull skin and deep wrinkles, but upon closer look, she didn¡¯t seem that old. ¡°¡­Sou Kougyou?¡± Jusetsu asked, bending over the bed. The woman half-opened her eyes and looked up at Jusetsu. Her gaze wandered, but she made no answer. Jusetsu was about to ask again when the woman opened her mouth. She involuntarily startled and drew her body back. There was no tongue in the woman¡¯s mouth. The woman¡¯s gaze chased Jusetsu and she uttered a few sounds that didn¡¯t sound like words. Jusetsu thought that she probably meant ¡°Yes.¡± ¡ª¡ªNow I understand what that eunuch said it would be a waste of time asking her anything. There was no way for her to answer any questions. She had heard that in the inner palace, cutting out the tongues of palace ladies was a rare punishment, but she hadn¡¯t thought it would be a real thing. It was atrocious. ¡ª¡ªI can only ask her questions where she can answer by nodding her head yes or shaking her head no. ¡°¡­I am the Raven Consort. I live in Yamei Palace. I came here to question you about some things.¡± Jusetsu took out the earring from underneath her sash. ¡°Do you know this¡ª¡ª¡± Earring? She was about to finish, but before that happened, Kougyou¡¯s expression clearly changed. Her eyes widened, and her face was a mixture of fear and shock. She was eagerly trying to say something, but only moans and drool came out of her mouth. ¡°Does this belong to Han-oujo?¡± She nodded her head many times. And then, she eagerly moved her mouth and gestured with her hands like she was writing something. ¡°¡­You wish to communicate by writing?¡± When she asked that, Kougyou nodded vigorously. Jusetsu turned to Jiujiu. ¡°Borrow a writing brush and paper from that eunuch.¡± Jiujiu went out, but returned after a few moments with a troubled face. ¡°He said that there are no such things here. He also said that she can¡¯t write, so it¡¯s no use communicating with writing¡­¡± Jusetsu turned her eyes to Kougyou, who shook her head and stared intently back at her. She was different from her lifeless self when she was lying down; her gaze was strong. ¡°¡ª¡ªThen we shall take her to Yamei Palace. Onkei, carry her.¡± After wrapping Kougyou in the thin bedding, Onkei lifted her in his arms. When they were about to take her outside, the eunuch rushed up to them. ¡°You can¡¯t just take her out of here.¡± ¡°I am the Raven Consort. I am taking this person under my authority. If anyone complains, tell them to come to Yamei Palace.¡± Hearing the words Raven Consort, the eunuch backed away in shock. The Raven Consort was rumored to specialize in curses and killing curses. Even the eunuchs in charge of lighting the lanterns didn¡¯t dare go near Yamei Palace. After leaving Sen¡¯e House with Kougyou, Jusetsu hurried back to Yamei Palace. Yamei Palace didn¡¯t employ any palace ladies, so there were plenty of empty rooms. They placed Kougyou in one of them, and Jusetsu prepared some hemp paper and a brush. Jiujiu grinded ink in an inkstone and placed it on the stand next to the bed. Kougyou sat up and took the brush. ¡°A palace lady at Sen¡¯e House taught me how to write.¡± Kougyou wrote in clumsy handwriting. ¡°But if they knew I could write, they will surely kill me. That¡¯s why I pretended I couldn¡¯t write.¡± Jusetsu furrowed her brows at the word ¡°kill.¡± ¡°The servant was killed. However, killing an attendant would have been too conspicuous, so they cut out my tongue so I couldn¡¯t speak.¡± By servant, she probably meant her own maidservant. It was written in the register that she had died from illness, but she was actually murdered? ¡°I was made the attendant of another consort, and then they deliberately made up a charge for me and cut out my tongue as punishment.¡± Kougyou¡¯s words were messy, as though her desire to write was rushing forward. She bit her lips, a frustrated look on her face. ¡°¡­Who did such an act to you? Who exactly is going to kill you?¡± Kougyou¡¯s hands were shaking. She took in a deep breath, and then continued writing. ¡°The empress dowager.¡± The empress dowager poisoned the Magpie Consort, Kougyou wrote. The Magpie Consort¡ªthe third-ranked consort. She was a young consort who was the daughter of a chief vassal. Apparently, she was pregnant at the time of her death. That incident was framed on Han-oujo. ¡°It was because the Magpie Consort was pregnant. Her father wasn¡¯t in the empress dowager¡¯s faction. Han-oujo was charged with that crime. My maidservant was talked into it with money, and they had her plant euphorbia in the chest. I saw it happen. However,¡± Kougyou stopped her brush there. The tip of the brush wandered about in the air several times, but Kougyou bit her lip and lowered the brush. ¡°I also did what the eunuch told me to do. He told me that they would kill my family. I let Han-oujo die without doing anything to help her.¡± Kougyou¡¯s shoulders shook, and she stopped her brush again. ¡°I learned to write so that I can at least let the truth be known one day. Since you have that earring, you must be Lady Han¡¯s ally.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Kougyou raised her head. ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Jusetsu didn¡¯t know why she thought she was Han-oujo¡¯s ally, but she explained that Koushun was the one who found the earring in the inner palace, and that a ghost was possessing it. Kougyou paled at the word ¡°ghost.¡± ¡°Is it Lady Han¡¯s ghost?¡± ¡°If this earring belonged to her, then that would be the case,¡± Jusetsu held out the earring in her hand. ¡°The earring did belong to Lady Han. I remember it very well. At any rate, there is only one.¡± ¡°Only one?¡± ¡°Yes. There is only one, but even so, Niangniang always wore it.¡± Niangniang probably referred to Han-oujo. Kougyou had a distant look in her eyes as she remembered. ¡°She told me about it once. She said that she gave the other earring to her betrothed back in her hometown.¡± ¡°Betrothed¡­?¡± ¡°Niangniang has been engaged to him since they were children, but her father, who was a civil official, forced her to enter the inner palace. Niangniang gave the earring to her betrothed and enter the palace. When she touched that earring, she seemed to recalling her betrothed. ¡°Niangniang was not a bright and cheerful person, but she was kind. I was the daughter of a small noodle shop, but I was chosen to be a palace lady and entered the inner palace. Almost all the other palace ladies were the daughters of respectable families, but it was a difficult place for me to live because I was unable to read and write well, and I had no refinement. Unable to just watch, Niangniang made me her attendant. And yet¡­¡± Kougyou¡¯s hand stopped. However, she seemed to have collected herself and continued to write. ¡°One day, she gave the earring away to someone else.¡± ¡°Gave it away?¡± ¡°When she returned from the courtyard, she was no longer wearing the earring, so I thought she dropped it and asked her about it in shock. She laughed and said she gave it away to a crying child. Perhaps they had a difficult time in the inner palace. I¡¯m sure that child knows Niangniang¡¯s kindness. That she would never poison anyone. ¡°That is why I thought that since you have that earring, you must have been that child or someone who knew her. If that¡¯s the case, then you must be an ally who knows that Niangniang is innocent.¡± Kougyou put down the brush and let out a breath. Jusetsu placed her hand on her forehead. It was hot. Her fever might be going up. ¡°Understood. Rest for the time being.¡± However, Kougyou took the brush again and hurriedly wrote something down. ¡°Niangniang wasn¡¯t only falsely accused. She was murdered. She was killed by eunuchs. Please punish them. I shall receive punishment as well.¡± After writing that, Kougyou lost consciousness. Jusetsu laid her down on the bed, wrote down ¡°bupleurum root,¡± ¡°goldthread,¡± and ¡°crow dipper¡± on a leftover piece of paper, and then gave it to Onkei. ¡°Tell the medical office to prepare only these herbs.¡± With the paper in hand, Onkei immediately exited the room. She had Jiujiu look after Kougyou and returned to her own room. She placed the earring on a table and stared at it. ¡ª¡ªOn top of being falsely accused, she was murdered¡­ Was that why Han-oujo became a ghost and possessed that earring? Who was the person she gave her earring to? They were probably the one who dropped it. If they dropped it in the inner palace, that meant they were still here. Perhaps a long-serving palace lady or eunuch who had been here since the reign of the previous emperor¡ª¡ª? Jusetsu pressed her hand to her temple. What should she do? In any case, she should tell Koushun immediately. Jusetsu stroked the jade of the earring. If she dispelled Han-oujo¡¯s regrets, would she be satisfied and saved? Conversely, unless she did so, even a repose ceremony wouldn¡¯t be able to save her soul. Jusetsu took the earring in her hand and shook it before her eyes. I¡¯m 90% sure that Onkei is supposed to be written as On Kei, so if yall see it suddenly change in the future, you didn¡¯t see anything Volume 1 - CH 1.5 After she boiled the herbs Onkei brought back and had Kougyou drink them, her fever went down the next morning. When she was fed gruel with carrots and licorice for nourishment, her color improved somewhat. While they were taking care of her, the sun set and Koushun arrived. Jusetsu had sent word for him to come. ¡°Do you know the name of the eunuch who ordered you to keep quiet and killed Han-oujo?¡± Koushun asked Kougyou. When the situation was explained to him, he didn¡¯t look surprised. Kougyou nodded and wrote down the name on a piece of paper. Koushun glanced at it, then passed the paper to Ei Sei. ¡°A hanger-on of the empress dowager. Someone of low status. He¡¯s currently in the Palace Servants Bureau.¡± I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t finish it all back then. Only Jusetsu and Ei Sei, who were right next to Koushun, heard him mutter that. By ¡°back then,¡± he must be referring to the empress dowager¡¯s expulsion. ¡°Do you know the name of the man who was betrothed to Han-oujo?¡± Koushun asked. Kougyou immediately wrote, ¡°Niangniang always called him Juurou-sama,¡± and then seemed to fall into deep thought. ¡°Juurou¡± was a seniority rank, and it could only be a nickname meaning that the man was the tenth son in the same generation of his clan. After a while, she seemed to recall the name and hurriedly wrote it down. The name Kougyou wrote was ¡°Kaku Kou.¡± ¡°Kaku Kou¡­?¡± Koushun muttered puzzledly. ¡°Do you know that name?¡± Ei Sei asked. Koushun put his hand on his chin, seemingly trying to recall. ¡°I remember hearing it. I believe it was from Meiin.¡± Meiin was the imperial scholar. He was an advisor to the emperor. ¡°Kaku Kou is a genius. He passed the civil service examinations in the top spot. He is currently an editor at the palace library.¡± "" How well he remembers, Jusetsu thought. Koushun crossed his arms, deep in thought. ¡°If they were a family of high enough status to enter their daughter into the inner palace as a concubine, then the betrothed must also be a man from a respectable family, so it is reasonable that he would become a civil official, but¡­¡± ¡ª¡ªWhat does that betrothed think of Han-oujo? After his betrothed was taken to the inner palace¡ªin other words, to the emperor, she died. Jusetsu pressed her hand against the place where she tucked the earring in her sash. ¡°¡­Can we not meet this person?¡± Jusetsu raised her head and asked Koushun. ¡°You?¡± Koushun asked back. Consorts of the inner palace, unless it was their family, were fundamentally not allowed to meet with people from the outside. ¡°It appears that Han-oujo pined for her betrothed even after she entered the inner palace. I wish to ask him how their relationship was like.¡± If Han-oujo was deeply in love with her betrothed, then it was possible that that was where her regrets lay. If he was in their hometown, then it would be difficult for Jusetsu, who couldn¡¯t leave the palace, to meet him, but it was possible to meet him somehow if he was a civil servant. Although, that depended on Koushun¡¯s cooperation. ¡°Very well,¡± Koushun seemed to deliberating on something, but he answered without a moment¡¯s delay. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for you to meet him.¡± Jusetsu studied Koushun¡¯s face for a moment. Although this was his request, the emperor went to the trouble of visiting to listen to a mere palace lady¡¯s appeal and granted Jusetsu¡¯s request readily. She wondered just what exactly that jade earring was to him. ¡°¡­I have asked you this at the beginning, but why are you exerting yourself so much? All things considered, it is simply an earring that you found.¡± It wasn¡¯t something the emperor did. Koushun only glanced at Jusetsu¡¯s face and stood up without answering. Indignant at having her question be ignored, Jusetsu followed Koushun as he was about to leave the room. Right as he was about to leave the palace, Koushun stopped. He opened his mouth without turning around. ¡°I believe I¡¯ve also told you this at the beginning,¡± Koushun¡¯s voice was quiet. Jusetsu stood next to him and looked up at his face. ¡°I want to know who dropped that earring.¡± ¡°I told you that I cannot¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, if I know the identity of the ghost possessing it, there might be a way of finding out who it was.¡± ¡°¡­So you had me investigate?¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I know that this earring belonged to Han-oujo. I give you my gratitude.¡± ¡°Even if you knew that, you wouldn¡¯t be able to know who dropped it.¡± The person who probably dropped it was a eunuch or palace lady from the previous emperor¡¯s reign to whom Han-oujo gave the earring. They didn¡¯t know how many people fitted that description. ¡°You never told me why you wanted to know in the first place.¡± Koushun seemed like he was answering her questions properly, but he was actually evading them. He was like this from the start. He seemed like a serious man, but she didn¡¯t think he was trustworthy. Koushun glanced down at Jusetsu from the corner of his eye, and then stooped down a little. ¡°If I tell you, I think it would add to your troubles,¡± His face was so close that Jusetsu almost backed away, but his voice was even quieter than before, so she stayed in place. This was something he didn¡¯t want anyone overhearing. ¡°You have already imposed a mountain of troubles onto me.¡± ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t the one who found that earring.¡± Jusetsu looked up at Koushun. ¡°Then, who?¡± ¡°My spy in the inner palace.¡± ¡°Spy¡­¡± ¡°The person who dropped it might be a witness to a certain plan. If that¡¯s the case, they would be a great help to me.¡± ¡°Dajia,¡± Ei Sei spoke up. ¡°You do not need to say that much.¡± Koushun glanced at him to silence him. ¡ª¡ªA plan? The person who dropped the earring would be a witness to it. Jusetsu furrowed her brow. ¡°So, you were working hard for that reason? Not for the sake of the ghost.¡± Was saying ¡°I suppose you can call it pity¡± a lie as well? ¡°I¡¯ve answered all your questions.¡± Without changing his expression, that was all Koushun said before he started walking away. Jusetsu glared at his back. ¡ª¡ªHowever. ¡ª¡ªCan¡¯t you save her? Recalling Koushun¡¯s words, the tension dissipated from between her brows. If all he wanted to do was to reach the person he dropped the earring, he didn¡¯t have to make such a request. However, Jusetsu was at a loss after realizing that. She wondered what it was. She was sure that Koushun still wasn¡¯t telling her the truth. ¡°¡­¡± Jusetsu, watching Koushun¡¯s back as he left, stepped forward. ¡°Wait.¡± She called out to Koushun just as he was about to head towards the walkway. She approached him as he turned around. ¡°I still need to talk to you.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s about the earring¡ª¡± ¡°It is not about that.¡± Jusetsu interrupted him. There was one thing she had to ask him. She couldn¡¯t leave it as it was. Koushun looked at her face for a moment and then exchanged a look with Ei Sei. Ei Sei looked at Jusetsu hesitantly, but bowed and stepped away from Koushun. Koushun walked towards the pond. It was a windless night, and the dark surface of the water reflected the moon¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Why are you letting me go? I do not understand your intentions.¡± Standing by the pond, Jusetsu looked up at Koushun. He was feigning ignorance of her true identity, and she couldn¡¯t read his true intentions at all. What exactly is this man thinking¡ªthat was something she had always been curious about. Koushun looked down at Jusetsu and opened his mouth. ¡°I have nothing to gain from exposing your true identity.¡± A quiet and detached voice, like the faint winter sun. No emotions could be read from that voice or his face. ¡°In fact, the disadvantages are greater. If I execute you, we will lose the Raven Consort, and the people will criticize me for being cruel.¡± Grandfather went too far, Koushun murmured as he stared at the water surface. ¡°As soon as he took the throne, he became frightened. His paranoia grew worse with age, and he even killed his sons, believing that everyone around him was trying to steal his throne.¡± The emperor before the last had executed two of his sons, who were kings, for treason. ¡°There¡¯s no need to kill you. It would be another story if you want to kill me, though.¡± Koushun turned his gaze towards Jusetsu. ¡°¡­I do not wish that.¡± When she answered with that, Koushun stared at her, as if trying to determine the truth or falsehood in her answer. ¡°You don¡¯t hate me? Or perhaps, my grandfather or father?¡± Jusetsu let her gaze wander. Moonlight fell onto the water, and it glittered coldly. ¡°I do not know. I have never thought about hating others. If I do hate someone, then it is myself.¡± Koushun¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I abandoned my mother. When she was arrested, I was cowering and holding my breath. So that I would not be found.¡± So that only herself was saved. ¡°I watched my mother die.¡± Muttering that, Jusetsu stared at the moon reflected in the water. Those were the thoughts that had been tormenting and tearing at her heart. She had abandoned her mother and ran away on her own. She heard her screams, but all she could do was cover her ears and tremble. She only prayed that that terrible time would pass. She foolishly thought that if she just let it pass, everything would go back to normal. The moment she saw her mother¡¯s head, what crushed Jusetsu¡¯s heart was regret. Why did she abandon her mother? Why couldn¡¯t she jump out back then? The depths of Jusetsu¡¯s heart chipped away, and there was nothing to fill them. ¡°¡­If you are not going to kill me because there is no gain, there may come a time when you will kill me if there is a gain.¡± I do not mind that, Jusetsu said carelessly and turned on her heel. ¡°Jusetsu.¡± Koushun called her name for the first time. The sound of it struck her chest in a strangely gentle and quiet way. When she turned around, Koushun removed an ornament he was wearing on his sash and held it out to her. ¡°¡­What is it?¡± When she frowned in confusion, he took her hand and placed the ornament in her hand. It was a small fish-shaped ornament made of amber. ¡°I¡¯ll give you this as a proof of my promise. Take it.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°I promise I will not kill you.¡± Jusetsu looked between his face and the amber fish. Koushun¡¯s eyes were a deep black, and as clear as a spring. For some reason, feeling like she couldn¡¯t stare at him too intently, Jusetsu looked away. ¡°¡­I do not want it. People would mistake me for a thief.¡± Jusetsu thrusted out her hand with the amber fish, but Koushun didn¡¯t take it back and turned away. ¡°Wa¡­wait!¡± Jusetsu tried to chase after him, but Koushun looked over his shoulder briefly. ¡°Jusetsu, I¡¯m the same as you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I also abandoned my mother to her death.¡± Koushun said simply. His jet black and empty eyes seemed to absorb even the darkness. ¡ª¡ªThere is also something missing in this person¡¯s heart, and there is nothing to fill it, Jusetsu felt. The moonlight shone on Koushun¡¯s back as he walked further into the distance. The light was also shining on the amber fish in the palm of her hand. Koushun was ten when his mother died. He frequently visited his mother, who was prone to depression during that time. His mother was depressed because of the harassment from the empress dowager¡ªthe empress at that time. Koushun was installed as the crown prince, but his mother was made to remain as a consort. That was because she had weak backing. It was, in fact, due to the weakness of her backing that Koushun became the crown prince. The empress¡¯s son died at a young age, and in his place, there was Koushun, who was the perfect choice, as he had no powerful maternal relatives who might butt in. "" The emperor, a fainthearted man who hated quarrels and had the philosophy of not rocking the boat, was afraid of the empress and her relatives and neglected Koushun¡¯s mother, never defending her. He only thought that if he left them alone, they would eventually get bored. He was a man who didn¡¯t understand people¡¯s pain at all. In that respect, the empress understood people¡¯s pain very well. In a wicked way. She knew how to make people suffer. His mother also hated quarrels, so perhaps she and his father were a good match in that sense. He had no way of knowing that now, though. His mother tried her utmost not to complain about her suffering. Even when she was mocked in front of a full house with her own father, a low-ranking official, used as a pretext, even when she was laughed at after being forced to dance a dance she wasn¡¯t good at, she endured it. As a child, he felt ashamed of his mother, who only endured and never tried to fight back¡ªthat was because he didn¡¯t understand anything. ¡°Please stop coming here so frequently. I¡¯m sure there are plenty of things you have to do at the Eastern Palace.¡±1 When his mother told him that, he felt like he was being pushed away. Even though he worried so much about his mother, he was being treated like a nuisance. He had gained some wisdom, but his heart was still immature. Koushun stood up in a huff and said, ¡°All right, I understand. I won¡¯t come here again,¡± and returned to the Eastern Palace. ¡ª¡ªWhy did I say such a thing? That was the last time he saw his mother alive. After his mother¡¯s funeral, Koushun visited his mother¡¯s now-empty palace. His mother wasn¡¯t there in her room or on the bed. Koushun sat down on a chair in a daze and stared out the door, where he could see the garden. ¡°The reason why your exalted mother didn¡¯t resist the empress is because she feared that you would be harmed.¡± It was Tutor Un who admonished him. That was why she told him not to visit her too often. He heard about his mother¡¯s death just as he was about to visit her. Every time he thought about the last words he hurled at her, he felt a sharp pain in his chest as if he had been stabbed by a blade, it caved in, and left a gaping hole. He was empty on the inside. In front of the peonies in the garden, Koushun cried. When he thought about his mother, who couldn¡¯t rely on the emperor, had her son say cold words to her, and died alone, he no longer knew how to atone for it all. The time for atonement had passed. Because his mother was dead. ¡ª¡ªThat was the moment a shadow fell over Koushun¡¯s back. ¡°¡­Who¡¯s this? What¡¯s the matter? Are you crying?¡± Koushun remembered that woman, who called out to him in a delicate voice, very well. ¡°¡ªDajia.¡± Koushun awoke from his doze and looked at Ei Sei. He put his hand on his brow and stood up from the lounge chair. Ei Sei had made him a cup of fragrant-smelling tea, and after taking a sip, his head became clear. He was lying down in his room in the inner court after finishing the morning¡¯s government affairs. The things he had to do were increasing these days, making him stay up until late at night, and it was getting to the point where it was taking a toll on his body. ¡ª¡ªBut, this is a crucial time. He couldn¡¯t afford to make any blunders. He fell into deep thought as he stared at the rising steam. Ei Sei was quietly spooning honey-boiled dates into a bowl so as to not disturb him. After garnishing it with lychees, he presented it to Koushun. He brought the dates to his mouth as he pondered. The lychees were juicy, and the sweetness of the dates soaked into his tongue. It seemed to soothe his fatigue. ¡°Dajia, this is from Yamei Palace.¡± Ei Sei received a letter from an errand-running eunuch and passed it to Koushun. When he opened it, he saw beautiful handwriting on water ripple paper.2 It was probably Jusetsu¡¯s handwriting. After perusing it, Koushun let out a slight chuckle. "" ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡®It¡¯s nothing,¡± Koushun folded the letter and tucked it inside his breast. He immediately summoned Ei Sei to his side with a gesture. ¡°Have you summoned Kaku Kou to Koutou Academy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Koutou Academy¡¯s official name was Koutou Palace Academy, and it was a place where preeminent scholars undertook the work of collecting and collating books. They had summoned Kaku Kou, who had passed the palace exams in the top spot, there under the excuse of asking him to translate a classic manuscript. ¡°Prepare two eunuch uniforms and send them to Yamei Palace.¡± The letter contained a request to let her meet Kaku Kou as soon as possible. It sounded rather self-important. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Ei Sei complied, but he didn¡¯t look happy. It would be troublesome for Jusetsu to wear the garb of a consort at Koutou Academy, which was outside the inner palace. Even consorts can go outside if they received permission, but it would be too troublesome and conspicuous just to ask a single civil servant questions. Dressing as a man was the fashion of the day, and even in the inner palace, there were those who dressed in men¡¯s robes, but Jusetsu would only look like a woman dressed in men¡¯s clothes. He thought that they would be able to just barely pull it off if she was dressed like a boy eunuch. ¡°Dajia, you are doing things that are unlike you,¡± Ei Sei muttered. ¡°When it comes to that consort.¡± Koushun hated breaking customs. However, he overlooked Jusetsu, the last survivor of the previous imperial family, had her dress as a eunuch and took her out of the inner palace. ¡°There are times when things like these are needed.¡± Ei Sei didn¡¯t look like he was satisfied with Koushun¡¯s answer at all. Even as he was saying it himself, Koushun didn¡¯t understand why he was doing this either. He felt like he wanted to see what that girl would do. It was a movement of his heart he hadn¡¯t felt for a long time after losing his mother and his friend. Koushun stood and took out an accessory case from the cabinet. He took off the lid and tucked the contents within his breast. Ei Sei reluctantly called an errand runner and ordered him to prepare two eunuch uniforms. More information about the anime came out! Man I hope it will be a good adaptation Volume 1 - CH 1.6 ¡°It is all men here.¡± Jusetsu was looking around curiously. Ei Sei¡¯s eyes seemed to say, ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡± Koushun didn¡¯t say anything. They were walking down the hallways of Koutou Academy. Scholars were coming and going. Their guide was a scholar named Ka Jun, courtesy name Meiin. Even when he caught sight of Jusetsu and Jiujiu dressed in eunuch uniforms, he only glanced at Koushun briefly and didn¡¯t change his expression. He was a man who looked over forty with an intellectual face. ¡°This way, please.¡± Meiin led Jusetsu and the others to a room. It was a book storage room. The shelves that lined the walls were filled with bamboo slips and scrolls, and the smell of ancient ink filled the room. The center table was piled high with scrolls and papers, but there was a young man sitting at the corner. At the sight of Koushun, he hurriedly stood up and knelt. ¡°Are you Kaku Kou?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Koushun sat down in a chair. At the same time, the moment Jusetsu saw Kaku Kou¡¯s face, she stood there in blank amazement. ¡°You are¡­¡± Koushun turned at Jusetsu¡¯s shocked voice, and Kaku Kou also turned his gaze to her. He looked dubiously at Jusetsu dressed in a eunuch uniform for a moment, and then exclaimed, ¡°Ah!¡± His face paled so quickly that one could almost hear the blood draining from it. She had only saw him once, but there was no mistaking him. Drooping eyes and good-natured features. He was now wearing a bureaucrat¡¯s uniform, but he was the eunuch who saved Jusetsu from being attacked. ¡°What is the meaning of this? Are you not a eunuch? Why are you here?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s¡ª¡± Sweat broke out on Kaku Kou¡¯s face and his lips trembled. Then, he squeezed his eyes shut and prostrated himself on the floor. ¡°My deepest apologies!¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on here?¡± Koushun sought an explanation from Jusetsu. However, even she didn¡¯t know what was going on. She explained that this was the person who saved her from the eunuchs who attacked her. ¡°Oh ho,¡± Koushun raised an eyebrow. ¡°In other words, this person snuck into the inner palace?¡± Was that what happened? Jusetsu stared at Kaku Kou¡¯s pale face. When one looked at the things with no explanation, that seemed to be the case. ¡°Why did you do such a foolish thing?¡± Meiin reprimanded. ¡°You should know what will happen to you if you¡¯re discovered.¡± ¡°¡­If so, he risked discovery to save me,¡± Jusetsu walked over to the cowering Kaku Kou and kneeled down. ¡°What was your reason for sneaking into the inner palace?¡± Kaku Kou hung his head, seeming to hesitate over whether to tell her or not. ¡°Was it regarding Han-oujo?¡± Kaku Kou raised his head in shock at her words. ¡°How do you¡ª¡± ¡°We heard that you were Han-oujo¡¯s betrothed,¡± it was Koushun who said that. ¡°Y-You know that much?¡± ¡°The person who was once Han-oujo¡¯s attendant told us.¡± ¡°Attendant¡ª¡± The panic disappeared from Kaku Kou¡¯s face and he sidled up to Koushun. ¡°Where is that person!?¡± Ei Sei swiftly stood between him and Koushun and prevented him from getting closer. Kaku Kou continued to talk in spite of this. ¡°I want to ask her some things. Shousui¡¯s attendant should know that she would never poison any¡ª¡± Ei Sei pushed away the excited Kaku Kou. Jusetsu lend a hand to help him up. ¡°¡­Is Shousui Han-oujo¡¯s nickname?¡± Koushun asked quietly. Kaku Kou seemed to have regained some of his composure at the sound of his calm and collected voice. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You want to ask her attendant about the poisoning of the Magpie Consort at the time, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Shousui would never do such a thing. And on top of that, hanging herself¡ª¡± Kaku Kou choked up, and he hung his head down. "" ¡°Did you sneak into the inner palace in order to search for her attendant?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. So that I can find the truth behind Shousui¡¯s death,¡± he said, and then clenched his fists on top of his knees. ¡°When I heard that Shousui died, I didn¡¯t know that she had hung herself or that she poisoned another consort. Her father only said that she died from an illness. I thought it was strange since her body wasn¡¯t weak, but there was the possibility of her dying from a disease that was spreading around. At that time, I only mourned her death.¡± It wasn¡¯t until he became a civil official that he learned of the circumstances that led to her death. ¡°I heard many rumors surrounding the previous emperor. About the consorts and the empress as well. I was shocked when I heard her among them,¡± Kaku Kou bit down on his lip hard. ¡°Shousei would never poison anybody. She would never kill herself while being suspected.¡± ¡°¡­But that doesn¡¯t mean you can sneak into the inner palace.¡± When Koushun said that, Kaku Kou hung his head. ¡°I do not think Your Majesty would understand the feelings of one who had his betrothed stolen by the emperor.¡± ¡°How rude,¡± Ei Sei¡¯s eyes sharpened at Kaku Kou¡¯s tone. Koushun raised a hand to hold him back. ¡°We have been engaged to each other since we were young. Shousui and I never doubted that we would get married when the time came. But then suddenly, I was no longer allowed to see her because she was being sent to the inner palace. The night before she left for the capital, Shousui came to me without her parents¡¯ knowledge. She then put one of her earrings in my hand and asked me to keep it as a memento. It was the jade earring she inherited from her mother.¡± Kaku Kou¡¯s face slackened. He looked like he was about to cry. ¡°¡­And I lost even that in the inner palace¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Jusetsu¡¯s eyes widened when he said that in a small voice. ¡ª¡ªHe lost the earring in the inner palace? It can¡¯t be, Jusetsu took out the earring tucked in her sash. ¡°Was it this earring?¡± Kaku Kou¡¯s eyes widened so much that they seemed to almost pop out of his head. ¡°T¡­That¡¯s the one! The metal fitting has a scratch on the edge, but¡ªoh yes, this is the one. This is Shousui¡¯s earring!¡± He accepted the earring with trembling hands, his cheeks red with excitement. So her betrothed was the one who possessed the earring. Jusetsu was surprised. She had thought the earring was something Han-oujo had given to someone in the inner palace. Because it was lost in the inner palace. She never would have thought that it was her betrothed who had dropped it after sneaking in. ¡°Are you the one who found it?¡± ¡°No, it was that man.¡± Jusetsu looked at Koushun. To be more accurate, it was his spy. Come to think of it, Koushun was searching for the person who dropped it, because they were a witness. That would mean Kaku Kou was that witness, but Koushun showed no indication of referring to that at the moment. It wasn¡¯t something for Jusetsu to talk about as well, so she kept silent. Kaku Kou seemed startled that Jusetsu called the emperor ¡°that man,¡± but since no one around them was calling her out for it, he seemed to have presumed something. ¡°That earring is being possessed by a ghost. That man wanted me to save it, so I ended up being recruited.¡± ¡°His Highness¡ª¡± Kaku Kou looked at Koushun, and then returned his gaze to Jusetsu. ¡°Did you say ¡®ghost¡¯? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Shousui¡¯s¡ª?¡± ¡°It is.¡± His eyes became pained, and Kaku Kou stared at the earring. ¡°¡­So even after she died, she is still suffering,¡± Muttering that, Kaku Kou leaned toward Jusetsu. ¡°You said you were recruited to save the ghost. Does that mean you are the Raven Consort? They say you can use mysterious arts.¡± ¡°Precisely,¡± Jusetsu nodded proudly, but became troubled when she was asked, ¡°Can you save Shousui?¡± ¡°¡­I know not.¡± She answered honestly. Kaku Kou was obviously discouraged. ¡°When she no longer has any regrets, she will go to paradise without any help from me. If her regrets of being killed is the cause of her becoming a ghost, she will soon be able to clear her name¡ªis that not so?¡± Jusetsu looked at Koushun for confirmation. He nodded. ¡°Preparations are underway to capture the eunuch who framed and killed Han-oujo.¡± Kaku Kou let out a sound that was somewhere between a faint cry and a sigh. ¡°So then, Shousui is indeed innocent? And¡ªand she truly was killed¡­?¡± He sank down to the floor as if all strength had left him, and his face contorted in frustration. ¡°Why? Why did Shousui had to meet with such a fate?¡± ¡°The other side was targeting the Magpie Consort. Han-oujo, who lived in the same palace as her, was the most convenient person to frame as the criminal. That was probably all there was to it.¡± That was the reason? Kaku Kou buried his face in his hands. After taking a few deep breaths to hold back his anger that had nowhere to go, Kaku Kou raised his head. He straightened up and looked at Jusetsu. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, I have something to ask of you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Can you allow me to meet Shousui¡¯s ghost?¡± Kaku Kou gripped Jusetsu¡¯s sleeve, as though clinging to her. ¡°Please, I beg of you.¡± Jusetsu hesitated when the tormented eyes of Kaku Kou beseeched her. The ghost wasn¡¯t the Shousui who was most probably beautiful, but a pitiful figure who was strangled to death. She hesitated to show such a figure to Kaku Kou. ¡°That ghost is not the Shousui you know and love. It is the figure of a ghost that is congealed regret and lament.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what she looks like. As long as I get a glimpse of Shousui, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Kaku Kou said desperately. Infiltrating the inner palace was a capital crime. He knew that, and that was why he was desperately begging her. One last glance. Jusetsu felt something painful spreading in her chest. ¡°¡­Very well.¡± She gently held out her hand. The palm of her hand turned hot, and petals appeared on it. One by one, the petals increased, eventually becoming a peony. The peony was filled with a faint light. It slowly transformed into a pale flame. Jusetsu took Kaku Kou¡¯s hand and picked up the jade earring he was holding. And then, she blew on the flickering pale red flame. The flame dissolved like smoke and enveloped the jade earring. Beyond it, a figure appeared. A woman in a red dress¡ªShousui. Just as she appeared at Yamei Palace, her face was swollen purple, the shawl biting into her neck. Kaku Kou gasped at the terrible sight of her, but even so he didn¡¯t avert his eyes. ¡°Shousui¡­Shousui¡­¡± He reached out his hand to the ghost. But his hand couldn¡¯t touch her. Shousui didn¡¯t look at Kaku Kou, but simply stared upwards. Kaku Kou¡¯s voice didn¡¯t reach her. Kaku Kou¡¯s head drooped. He murmured Shousui¡¯s name many times over. Although Shousui recalled her former betrothed by touching her earring, she wondered if the ghost had any feelings left towards him. Or was it because this was the earring given to Kaku Kou, and the earring she had used as a memento wasn¡¯t here? However, they didn¡¯t have time to look for the earring she had given to someone else in the inner palace. Jusetsu was impatiently racking her mind over how she could Kaku Kou¡¯s voice to reach Shousui when Koushun called out to her. ¡°Jusetsu.¡± ¡ª¡ªI feel strange when this man calls my name. Koushun¡¯s voice was low and gentle. Although he had a face that showed no emotion, his voice was gentle and warm, like a faint ray of sunlight. It shook Jusetsu from the bottom of her heart. Stifling her discomposure that seemed to raise goosebumps on her chest, Jusetsu turned to him. ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°Here,¡± Koushun took out something from his breast. Jusetsu reflexively reached out her hand, but she widened her eyes when she saw what was put in her hand. ¡°¡ª¡ªWhat is the meaning of this?¡± Koushun had given her a jade earring. An earring with a somewhat large drop of dangling jade. ¡°This earring is¡ª¡± It was just like Shousui¡¯s earring¡ªno, it was identical. Jusetsu held the two earrings in front of her eyes and compared them. The earrings with gold filigree and dangling jade were in a set. ¡°Why do you have this?¡± Jusetsu was confused. Shousui had given one of the earrings to Kaku Kou and the other to someone in the inner palace. ¨DTo someone. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°¡­It happened when I was ten. After my mother¡¯s funeral, I met her in the garden.¡± Slowly, quietly, Koushun began to speak. ¡°I didn¡¯t know who she was, but she gave me a single jade earring. Finding that strange, I asked her about it, and she told me that she gave the other one to someone precious to her. She said that when she wore her half, she feels like she¡¯s connected to that other person. ¡­I thought that it was something quite bold for a concubine of the inner palace to say, but she most likely said that to distract me, since I was crying.¡± I was crying, he easily said. Jusetsu recalled the words Koushun told her before. ¡°I also abandoned my mother to her death.¡± She wondered what kind of feelings were in his heart as he cried. "" ¡°¡­I did something terrible to her. I asked her to give me that earring. I was jealous of her, whose important person was alive even though she couldn¡¯t see him, and I couldn¡¯t bear it.¡± Koushun spoke quietly, like water seeping into a rock. His emotions from that time seemed to steadily permeate Jusetsu¡¯s heart as well. ¡°She gave me her earring. She was smiling. She didn¡¯t give it to me because I was the crown prince. She was consoling a crying child¡­¡± Koushun stopped talking briefly. His eyes were wavering, and he blinked. He let out a soft breath and began to speak again. ¡°I immediately regretted taking the earring from her, but I lost the opportunity to return it,¡± Koushun stared at the earring. ¡°I wanted to return it one day.¡± Was that why he was so concerned about the owner of the earring? Jusetsu finally understood his heart. ¡ª¡ªCan¡¯t you save her? Those words were indeed Koushun¡¯s true feelings. Jusetsu held out the pair of earrings to Kaku Kou. He stared at them, and then accepted them with great care. He enfolded them in his hands and held them close to his chest. ¡°Shousui¡­¡± Kaku Kou suddenly raised his head. The ghost in front of him was transforming. Her face that had been swollen purple changed into a pale and slender face. The shawl that strangled her neck disappeared, and her disheveled clothing transformed into a dress the color of vividly green grass. Shousui¡¯s lips were gently curved. It was a graceful smile. "" Kaku Kou stood up. He stretched out his hand to touch her cheek, but of course, he couldn¡¯t touch it. However, Shousui¡¯s eyes narrowed as though his fingers truly did touch her. She stretched out a white finger, stroked Kaku Kou¡¯s cheek, and touched his lips. Shousui then brought the finger to her own lips and kissed it. Tears spilled from Shousui¡¯s eyes. However, she was smiling. It was a smile that couldn¡¯t have been happier. ¡ª¡ªJust for this. Shousui¡¯s figure began to waver like smoke. She faded, unraveled, and dissolved like purple smoke trailing away. When Kaku Kou reached out his hand, the smoke lingered around his fingers, as though reluctant to part, and then finally disappeared. ¡ª¡ªFor Shousui, being able to see him for only a short time is her solace. Jusetsu¡¯s heart ached as if it was being squeezed tight. Kaku Kou collapsed onto the floor. The sound of sobs came from him as he hugged the earrings to his chest. His wails were the only thing that resounded in the room. ¡°¡ª¡ªThank you very much.¡± After his sobs finally settled down, Kaku Kou wiped his face and thanked Jusetsu. And then he turned to Koushun and bowed. ¡°With this, my regrets have disappeared. I shall pay for the sin of sneaking into the inner palace with my death. ¨CBut before that, there is a matter I wish to report to Your Majesty.¡± ¡ª¡ªSomething he wants to tell Koushun? Jusetsu peeked at Koushun, but he only nodded and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Kaku Kou raised his face respectfully. ¡°When I snuck into the inner palace, I pretended to be a mallard man and blended in with the mud-sweepers in the drains of the inner palace.¡± Mallard men were low-ranking eunuchs who engaged in manual labor. There was a large number of these eunuchs, and there were frequent personnel changes. Even when they went back and forth between the inner palace and outside to dispose of the mud, the guards wouldn¡¯t ask their identities one by one. That was why it was easy to sneak in, Kaku Kou explained. They would need to know how he infiltrated the inner palace for future security purposes. However, Jusetsu was stunned by what he revealed next. ¡°The palace ladies like to gossip. I would hide myself in the bushes and listen to their chatter. I wanted to hear something about Shousui. As I was doing this, I overheard a conversation between a certain eunuch and palace lady. ¡ª¡ªIt was at night, in the shade of a tree with no one around. I couldn¡¯t understand them at first because they didn¡¯t use clear phrasing, but they seemed to be secretly working on a plan to poison His Majesty.¡± ¡°Poison¡­!?¡± A tension ran through the room. Jusetsu looked at Koushun, but he was calm and composed, his expression unchanged. Did he already know about this from his spies¡¯ reports? ¡°¡­Where did you hear this conversation?¡± Koushun quietly inquired. ¡°In a corner of Kinkou Hall¡¯s courtyard,¡± Kaku Kou answered. Kinkou Hall¡ªthat was the Library Tower. ¡°The eunuch and palace lady were in the shade of a sweet olive tree, and I was in a nearby thicket.¡± Koushun nodded at that response. ¡°A palace lady who was formerly an attendant of the empress dowager works at the Palace Secretarial Bureau in Kinkou Hall,¡± he said. ¡°The eunuch was also someone who worked for the empress dowager. Currently, he is demoted to the Internal Affairs Ministry. Most of the eunuchs and palace ladies who worked for the empress dowager have been punished, but not all have been hunted down.¡± That is why, Koushun matter-of-factly continued. ¡°In the inner palace, I set spies on the eunuch and palace lady who used to work for the empress dowager. We were aware that there were suspicious activities going on around these people. However, my spies were unable to obtain any conclusive evidence. Then one night, they found the eunuch and palace lady talking in secret.¡± Koushun glanced at Kaku Kou. ¡°From my spy¡¯s location, they couldn¡¯t hear what they were discussing secretly. The two left after they finished their talk, but afterwards, they saw someone hurriedly running away from a nearby bush. They seemed to be a eunuch, but my spy couldn¡¯t be sure. They tried to chase after him, but they lost sight of him in the darkness of the night. ¡ª¡ªHowever, he left a parting gift. Perhaps he had dropped it because he was in a panic. It was a jade earring.¡± ¡ª¡ªIn other words, it was that earring that Koushun brought to Jusetsu. Kaku Kou¡¯s mouth was hanging wide open. ¡°Then¡­then, you already know about the poisoning plot, Your Majesty?¡± No, Koushun denied. ¡°Just as I said, my spy didn¡¯t obtain any definitive information or evidence. That¡¯s why you are an important witness. What you have revealed here is of great significance. I thank you.¡± Kaku Kou stared at the floor with a complicated expression. ¡°Dajia does not need to apologize,¡± Ei Sei interrupted coldly. ¡°If this person had reported this to you immediately, we wouldn¡¯t have to act in such a roundabout way by finding the person who dropped this earring. He kept quiet until now because if he had told us, his infiltration into the inner palace would have been discovered.¡± He was more concerned for his own self-preservation than for Dajia¡¯s life, Ei Sei said in a severe tone. Kaku Kou hung his head. ¡°¡­When I heard the conversation between the eunuch and palace lady, I didn¡¯t feel compelled to tell His Majesty immediately. To be honest, I don¡¯t have good feelings towards the imperial family. My betrothed was taken from me, after all.¡± Perhaps because he had no more regrets, Kaku Kou stated what was on his mind without hiding anything. Ei Sei and the others raised their eyebrows. ¡°However, His Majesty made a great effort to save Shousui. And thanks to His Majesty taking good care of her earring until now, she was saved. In order to repay that debt, I told him everything that I knew. But¡­Your Majesty, were you working so hard so that you could find me? So that you can get my testimony?¡± There was a look of disappointment in Kaku Kou¡¯s eyes. Koushun didn¡¯t answer in any way. That is not so, Jusetsu thought. The fact that Koushun had always kept the earring and the fact that he asked her to save Shousui were all true. It must have been his own wish to save her, which was different from the purpose of finding Kaku Kou. Also, if he only wanted to find the witness, he should have kept quiet about the spy and other things. If that was the case, Kaku Kou would only hold feelings of gratitude towards Koushun. Koushun wasn¡¯t so foolish as to not know that. Did he purposely told Kaku Kou everything because he felt it was only fair to do so? ¡ª¡ªThis man is not a dexterous person. Finally, Jusetsu began to understand him somewhat. Koushun was unable to express his emotions and had no way to communicate his true feelings. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of his mother¡¯s death or the period of time when he was the deposed crown prince, though. Jusetsu opened her mouth. ¡°¡­If he only wished to find you, there are many methods that are quicker. It is nothing but slow and cumbersome to ask me for help. But I had to be the one to save Shousui. ¨CThis man told me to save her.¡± That was most likely the best answer. Kaku Kou stared at Jusetsu, and then looked at the earrings in his hand. If he thought about it calmly, he should understand what Jusetsu was saying. ¡°¡­Yes,¡± After a while, Kaku Kou nodded. ¡°It is as the Lady Raven Consort says. Thanks to this, I was able to see Shousui.¡± I said something insolent, Kaku Kou bowed his head and thanked Koushun formally. ¡°Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for Shousui.¡± ¡°I was only repaying the favor I owed to Han-oujo,¡± Koushun said, and then stood. ¡°You can return now. Do not tell anyone about what happened today.¡± "" ¡°¡ª¡ªWhat?¡± Kaku Kou¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡®You can return now¡¯¡­I¡¯m not being sent to the Autumn Ministry?¡± The Autumn Ministry was the government office in charge of criminal punishment. ¡°Any man who infiltrates the inner palace without permission will receive the death penalty, but those who have the emperor¡¯s permission may go in and out. You have been ordered by me to sneak into the inner palace to investigate the eunuch¡¯s movements.¡± He was saying, I¡¯m overlooking this. Certainly, he couldn¡¯t kill Kaku Kou, who was an important witness. But, Kaku Kou raised his voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you what I heard in order to beg for my life. I am not asking you to overlook¡ª¡± Kaku Kou was growing angry. A man who shows emotions freely, Jusetsu thought somewhat inappropriately. She was slightly envious of him, and also thought that it was precisely because he was like this that he was able to go to such lengths for Shousui. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? I wanted to repay the favor Han-oujo did for me. You are one part of that,¡± Koushun¡¯s way of speaking was curt. ¡°This won¡¯t bring Han-oujo back to life, however.¡± It was curt, but there was a sense of unfathomable loneliness in that murmur. Kaku Kou was silent. Perhaps he had also picked up on it. ¡°It would be a shame to lose one of our capable officials over something as trivial as that. ¨DNow all that¡¯s left is to find the poison they¡¯re hiding.¡± Koushun looked at Ei Sei, who shook his head. ¡°According to the spies¡¯ reports, no poison was found in Kinkou Hall or the Internal Affairs Ministry.¡± It seemed that they had already done their investigation in that area. ¡°In the first place, they shouldn¡¯t have had an opportunity to obtain poison.¡± The other side knew they were being watched by spies, so they had no way of getting poisons or weapons from the outside. ¡°However, since they were talking with each other about poisoning me, they must have been able to obtain poison. I want to get the evidence before we arrest them. We can make them tell us the location of the poison after we arrest them, but if they have collaborators we don¡¯t know about, the poison will get disposed of in the meantime.¡± I don¡¯t believe they would hide important assassination tools somewhere out of sight, Koushun said with a difficult look on his face. Even if they managed to steal away from the spies¡¯ eyes, the places they could hide the poison were limited. There was no evidence they were in contact with collaborators. While Koushun and Ei Sei were discussing this, Jusetsu was deep in thought. Something tugged at her mind, ringing a bell in her head. ¡ª¡ªKinkou Hall¡­a palace lady of the Palace Secretarial Bureau¡­eunuch. What was it. Haven¡¯t I heard those words a little while ago? ¡°Palace lady of the Palace Secretarial Bureau¡­eunuch¡­¡± She muttered the words aloud, searching her memory. The mention of the palace lady caught on something in the corner of her mind¡ª. ¡°¡ªAh!¡± She let out an unexpectedly loud cry. Koushun and the others turned their gazes to her. ¡°What is it?¡± Koushun asked, but Jusetsu didn¡¯t answer him. She turned to Jiujiu, who was standing behind her. ¡°Jiujiu, you had entanglements with a troublesome palace lady from the Palace Secretarial Bureau, did you not?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yes,¡± Suddenly being asked to speak, Jiujiu nodded, flustered. ¡°Yes, that is true.¡± ¡°That palace lady is a newcomer, just like you?¡± ¡°Yes, she is.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Koushun asked. Jiujiu blushed when he turned his gaze on her. ¡°Um, well, a palace lady I¡¯m acquainted with works at the Palace Secretarial Bureau. She is exchanging letters with a eunuch at Hien Palace¡ªah, she told me to keep quiet!¡± Jiujiu hurriedly covered her mouth. Palace ladies belonged to the emperor, so love affairs with eunuchs weren¡¯t things that were openly discussed. Although, they were overlooked in reality. ¡ª¡ªHowever, that wasn¡¯t the reason why that palace lady told Jiujiu to keep quiet about it. ¡°If I remember correctly, you said that she herself wasn¡¯t the one exchanging letters with a eunuch,¡± Jusetsu confirmed, and Jiujiu nodded. ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°That palace lady was asked to deliver letters. If she was running an errand, it must have been a high-ranking palace lady who asked her to do so, and she most likely received something in return.¡± High-ranking¡ªa veteran palace lady. Koushun¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Jiujiu, that palace lady was forcing difficult tasks on you to create a distraction.¡± ¡°Distraction?¡± Jiujiu was puzzled. ¡°A distraction from the fact that she is delivering letters.¡± She thought it was strange that she would pester Jiujiu every time she went to Hien Palace. Also, the fact that a new palace lady could frequently abandon her post. If it was a high-ranking palace lady, it could have been handwaved in some way. ¡°¡ª¡ªWhat is the name of the eunuch at Hien Palace who is exchanging letters with her?¡± Koushun asked. His voice was low and heavy. Jiujiu¡¯s body stiffened at his severe tone, and she answered with a nervous look on her face. ¡°Haa, um, his name is Chou Eki.¡± ¡°He is not a eunuch who once worked for the empress dowager. What¡¯s the name of the palace lady from the Palace Secretarial Bureau who is delivering these letters?¡± ¡°Ri Juushijou¡ªher given name is Shuuyou. She is the daughter of an imperial treasury official.¡± ¡°Have you heard the name of the palace lady who asked her to deliver the letters?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Jiujiu¡¯s eyes moved around restlessly like she was desperately trying to remember. ¡°Oh, but she told me that there was a palace lady who was very considerate to her¡­and that she was going to be promoted to attendant with that palace lady¡¯s recommendation. The palace lady¡¯s name was Shin-shi.¡± Ei Sei suddenly looked at Koushun. Koushun¡¯s eyebrows twitched for only a moment, but Jusetsu could see the waves of emotion within him trembling. ¡°Shin-shi was a former attendant of the empress dowager,¡± Koushun said quietly. ¡°She is the palace lady holding secret talks with the eunuch from the Internal Affairs Ministry. I don¡¯t know if Chou Eki is her friend or lover, but they are keeping in touch with each other using that new palace lady as a cover. Letters wouldn¡¯t be the only thing she is sending to Chou Eki. ¡ª¡ªSei, the poison isn¡¯t in Kinkou Hall or the Internal Affairs Ministry, it¡¯s in Hien Palace. Search Chou Eki¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ei Sei bowed and left the room. Jiujiu, upon learning that a palace lady she knew was involved in the poisoning plot, turned pale. ¡°Ri Shuuyou most likely cooperated without knowing everything,¡± Jusetsu told her. ¡°I don¡¯t believe she has that much gall. She was used with the chance of becoming an attendant as bait.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Jiujiu weakly nodded. Jusetsu looked over at Koushun. He was looking into space, as though he was thinking about something. Jusetsu recalled the color of the emotion that flashed across his face when he heard that the palace lady¡¯s name was Shin-shi. Wasn¡¯t that the color of joy? Koushun¡¯s profile as he stared ahead of him was as still as clear water, and it was impossible to see the emotion in the depths of his eyes. The palace lady of the Palace Secretarial Bureau, Shin-shi, and the Internal Affairs Ministry eunuch Ko Gen were arrested soon after. In Chou Eki¡¯s room, a packet of heartbreak grass, a kind of poisonous plant, was discovered. Chou Eki hadn¡¯t known that it was poison or that it was for assassinating the emperor. He was asked by his lover Shin-shi to hold onto it and not let it be found, so he hid it. Shin-shi, whose parents were medicine sellers, had concealed her possession. Heartbreak grass was also the poison used to kill Consort Sha during the reign of the previous emperor. After the empress dowager was placed under house arrest, Shin-shi was transferred to the Palace Secretarial Bureau, a leisurely post, when she was approached by Ko Gen with the assassination plot and took part in it. However, even if they wanted to proceed with this plot, they were being watched by spies and couldn¡¯t make a move, so they decided to use Ri Shuuyou to leave the heartbreak grass in Chou Eki¡¯s custody. Ko Gen confessed that he had been bribed by the empress dowager to plot this assassination. The eunuch who framed and killed Han-oujo was also captured at the same time. He also admitted the empress dowager¡¯s involvement. After the above matters were solemnly tried by the Autumn Ministry, the decision was made to execute the empress dowager. Feeling a presence, Jusetsu looked up. The door opened, and at the same time, Xingxing flew out. Ei Sei easily caught the bird as it came flying towards him and held it by the neck. From behind him, Koushun entered. Jusetsu sat on the bed surrounded by thin silk curtains and watched. When Koushun came to the curtains, he ordered Ei Sei, ¡°Let it go.¡± Koushun opened the curtains slightly. Jusetsu glared at him. ¡°I did not say you may come in.¡± ¡°Then you should have barred the doors.¡± ¡°¡­What is it tonight? You no longer have any business here.¡± Without giving any regard to Jusetsu¡¯s harsh comment, Koushun looked around the room. His eyes landed on an incense burner on top of a cabinet. ¡°When I first came here, I thought that scent of incense in this room was overpowering, but was it to mask the smell of hair dye?¡± Jusetsu frowned. Had he come here just to say that? ¡°Leave.¡± Jusetsu raised her hand to the peony in her hair. ¡°Wait,¡± Koushun calmly stopped her. ¡°You were a great help to me, so I thought I had to give you a reward and brought you this.¡± ¡°Reward? I have no need for money.¡± Koushun walked behind the curtains without asking and stood in front of Jusetsu. Jusetsu recoiled slightly, leaning her body back. ¡°W-What is it?¡± Koushun put his hand in his breast pocket and tossed a silk pouch onto Jusetsu¡¯s lap. While thinking, What a crude motion, she opened the mouth of the pouch and saw that it contained dried jujubes. ¡°¡­This is quite paltry for a reward.¡± It was like a reward given to a child. ¡°I had the idea earlier and that was what I had on hand. I will prepare an official one with a certificate later.¡± ¡°I have no need for overblown gifts.¡± This will do, Jusetsu said and bit into a jujube. The more she bit into it, the more the distinctive sweetness spread in her mouth. Koushun sat down on the couch. Why is he sitting? Jusetsu thought as she shifted to the side slightly. ¡°¡­It all ended today.¡± Koushun muttered in a low voice. Just as she was about to ask what he was talking about, she realized. ¡ª¡ªToday was the day of the empress dowager¡¯s execution. Koushun¡¯s eyes were wandering in space. He seemed tired. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to kill her for a long time,¡± Koushun said, the words like dirt peeling off a wall. ¡°That woman killed my mother and my friend. Off-handedly, like plucking the wings of insects.¡± ¡°Friend¡­?¡± She had heard about his mother, but this was the first time she was hearing of this. ¡°However, I made up my mind that I wouldn¡¯t kill her out of hatred. I would judge and execute her righteously according to the law. I would not act cowardly or underhandedly. Because I am different from the empress dowager. ¡ª¡ªSo when I thought I might be able to get evidence, I was elated. Now I could finally kill that woman.¡± Koushun threw himself down on the cushions behind him and stretched out. She wanted to tell him to not sleep on someone else¡¯s bed without permission, but he closed his eyes, seeming exhausted. Jusetsu found it difficult to protest. ¡°But there is no such thing as killing someone righteously, is there,¡± he murmured faintly and opened his eyes slightly. ¡°All that remained was regret that I couldn¡¯t save anyone. I always consoled my heart by longing to kill her.¡± Koushun turned his face to Jusetsu. ¡°You have never hated anyone. How did you hold yourself together?¡± Jusetsu looked down at Koushun, and then averted her gaze. ¡°I know not. I was empty once. It was the previous Raven Consort who filled me up again.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± Koushun let out a deep sigh. ¡°Then, I am now empty.¡± His voice was hoarse. Jusetsu didn¡¯t say anything. She was painfully aware why this man came here tonight, but she couldn¡¯t think of any words of comfort. Thinking something, Koushun was about to reach out his hand to Jusetsu, but then stopped. He then languidly raised himself up and loosened his collar as he spoke. ¡°About the eunuchs who attacked you.¡± ¡°What?¡± What is he talking about? She thought, but then recalled the previous incident where she was attacked on the way to Sen¡¯e House. ¡°As expected, it was instigated by the empress dowager. When she learned that you were doing something on my orders¡ª¡± ¡°How could the empress dowager have known that? Your guard is too wea¡ª¡± She was about to say it, but closed her mouth. ¡ª¡ªHe made it weak. On purpose. He had loosened the net and was waiting for them to get caught in the trap. ¡°Thanks to that, we were able to flush out the remnants of the empress dowager¡¯s faction along that line, but I am sorry for putting you in harm¡¯s way. I apologize.¡± His matter-of-fact tone didn¡¯t sound like he was truly sorry. When she remained silent, Koushun continued to speak. ¡°I placed a guard on you, so I thought you would be fine. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He seemed to feel apologetic in his own way. His facial expression didn¡¯t indicate this, however. ¡°¡­It no longer matters.¡± When she said that, Koushun blinked a little and stared at Jusetsu¡¯s face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªHave you any interest in becoming my consort?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Jusetsu frowned. ¡°What are you talking about, there is no coherence between any of your thoughts. Are you half asleep?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy today that I haven¡¯t slept properly. But I am not talking in my sleep when I said I wanted to make you into my consort.¡± ¡°You must be talking in your sleep. I am the Raven Consort¡ª¡± ¡°There is no law against the Raven Consort cannot become the emperor¡¯s consort.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a matter of course, there is no need to make it into law.¡± It was not as though Koushun didn¡¯t know that. Jusetsu was irritated by the words that were nothing but a joke. Jusetsu couldn¡¯t become a consort, and she couldn¡¯t go anywhere. She couldn¡¯t hope for anything. ¡ªThere was nothing she could do except shout and rave about the absurdity of what he said to this man. Jusetsu only looked away. ¡°I am fed up with this drivel. Get out of here.¡± She spoke coldly, but Koushun didn¡¯t move. Just when she was about to kick him out, he reached out his hand and touched her hair. Jusetsu stiffened. ¡°¡­When I saw you by that pond, I thought, ¡®So this is what a goddess looks like.¡¯¡± Koushun cast down his eyes, as though recalling that scene. ¡°Your silver hair shining in the moonlight, I never saw anything as beautiful as that¡­¡± His quiet whispering voice fell from over her head. Jusetsu was at a loss as what to reply. As her gaze roamed about, Koushun brought his body closer, flustering her even more. ¡°Wha¡ª¡± What are you doing? She was about to raise her voice, but Koushun¡¯s body tilted to the side and fell on top of the cushions. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Looking at him, she saw that his eyes were closed and he was letting out the breaths of sleep. Koushun was sound asleep. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± Jusetsu called out to him, but Koushun¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t open. In its place, she only heard the sound of his breathing as he slept. Jusetsu shook his shoulders in a panic. ¡°Hey, wake up. This is my bed, do not sleep here.¡± Koushun showed no indication of waking up. On top of that, he was gripping her hair. Even when she tried to pull her hair away, he didn¡¯t let go. On the contrary, his grip grew stronger. ¡°E-Ei Sei! Ei Sei! I know you are here. This man has fallen asleep. Take him back.¡± She could sense Ei Sei on the other side of the curtains. ¡°I cannot do something as irreverent as waking up Dajia and taking him back. You wouldn¡¯t understand how tired he is. Please at least display the consideration of letting him sleep here soundly.¡± ¡°Wha¡ªthis is not a joke. Then where am I supposed to sleep?¡± ¡°Would you be fine with resting on the floor?¡± After saying that, Ei Sei¡¯s presence disappeared from the other side of the mirror. It had occurred to her before, but his attitude towards her was much too thorny. ¡°That¡­¡± Jusetsu glared at the curtains, then looked down at Koushun with bitter feelings. Even though this was someone else¡¯s bed, he was in a deep sleep. He showed no sign of letting go of her hair. However, whether he slept or woke up, it would be an easy thing for her to chase him out. Jusetsu put her hand to her peony and removed it from her hair. If she blew on it once, Koushun would be outside the doors. Jusetsu stared at Koushun¡¯s sleeping face. ¡ª¡ªHow is this man sleeping with such a peaceful face? The peony in her palm turned into a light red flame. Jusetsu gently cupped it with her hands and held it above Koushun¡¯s head. ¡°¡­Only for tonight,¡± Jusetsu murmured. ¡°I will grant you good dreams.¡± The flower petals disappeared when they touched Koushun¡¯s body. As to what kinds of dreams he had that night, Jusetsu didn¡¯t know. Man that took a while but here it is, the final part of chapter 1! Also I¡¯ve been seeing some things online so I want to make this clear to avoid future disappointment (and as someone who read the final volume): this series is NOT a romance. Jusetsu and Koushun do not get together as a couple by the end. There is no romantic development. I know it¡¯s weird to say this at the end of this particular chapter, but they are more like platonic life partners/lifelong BFFs. Volume 1 - CH 2.1 Volume 1.2.1 - The Flower Flute (Part 1) Past the second watch at night (9pm to 11pm), Jusetsu made her way down a passageway in the back of her room and opened the twill silk curtains. There was a small room on the other side, and there was an altar placed alongside a wall. Jusetsu blew on a candlestick, creating a flickering white flame that resembled smoke. Even she hadn¡¯t burned incense, there seemed to be a strong musky scent. Jusetsu bowed her head in front of the altar. On the wall behind the altar, there was a painting of large black uncanny bird that covered the entire wall. It had four glossy wings, its torso was like a pig¡¯s, and its feet were like that of a large monitor lizard. However, only its face was that of a beautiful woman. She had white skin, red lips, and her hair, tied up, was decorated with gold and silver jewels. It was a portrait of Wulian Niangniang, the goddess who came from the other side of the sea. She was the goddess of the night and the lives of all things. Around Wulian Niangniang, there were birds of various sizes and species. Sparrows, spotted nutcrackers, nightingales, mandarin ducks, and little birds she didn¡¯t even know the names of¡ªthey were the followers of Wulian Niangniang. Jusetsu took out a peony from her hair and placed it on a white glass bowl on the altar. There was a sound like a bell ringing from far away, and the flower disappeared in the blink of an eye. Jusetsu turned on her heel and exited the room. At the same time, the white flame was extinguished from the candlestick. When she returned to the room, Xingxing was flapping its wings and making a fuss. Jusetsu glanced at the door. There was a visitor. ¡°¡ª¡ªLady Raven Consort, are you here?¡± It was a delicate woman¡¯s voice. ¡°What is your business?¡± Jusetsu responded curtly. ¡°I have a matter I wish for you to entertain.¡± The woman spoke the Raven Consort¡¯s stock phrase. The women who came here all used it like a password. Jusetsu had heard that stock phrase too many times since the previous Raven Consort¡¯s time. ¡°¡ª¡ªEnter.¡± "" She flicked her hand and the doors opened. She saw women standing at the entrance. There was an attendant standing next to the doors¡ªshe was probably the one who spoke¡ªand at the back, there was a woman hiding her mouth with a fan. She was probably the mistress. Next to her, there was a palace lady who seemed to be her attendant, and two eunuchs holding lanterns standing by. Their mistress with the fan in her hand slowly entered. There was a beauty mark under her cool eyes. It seemed to be natural, not makeup. There was a hairpin ornately decorated with seven gemstones1 in her hair that was tied high on top of her head, but she wasn¡¯t dressed particularly resplendently. Although, judging from her bearing, she wasn¡¯t a low-ranking concubine. The strangest thing was the flower flute¡ªa round jade flute used for mourning the dead¡ªhanging from her sash. The flute, shaped like a magnolia flower, was a beautiful and exquisite item, but sashes were usually adorned with jade pendants or colored threads. She sat in the chair the eunuch pulled out for her. Jusetsu didn¡¯t sit and studied her face from the front. Her eyes weren¡¯t the only things that were cool. Her features and air were both like a refreshing wind. She was wearing a mint robe and matching verdigris skirt, and her shawl was a thin silk that resembled mist. Her cool and refreshing outfit suited her well. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a seat?¡± She indicated the chair across from her with a hand, her voice as cool and calm as her appearance. Jusetsu sat down, keeping her eyes fixed on her. The other woman signaled her attendants with her eyes, and they quietly stepped to the doors. She then turned to face Jusetsu. ¡°I am the daughter of the Un clan. My name is Kajou. I am the lady of Enou Palace.¡±2 Jusetsu was shocked by the fact that she so uprightly gave her name¡ªmost of the people who came here didn¡¯t reveal their identities¡ªbut she was also shocked at her rank. The lady of Enou Palace was the consort who ranked second after the empress. Since she was given Enou Palace, she was called the Duck Consort. Since Koushun still didn¡¯t have an empress, she was in effect the highest-ranking consort. What business does she have with me? Jusetsu was suspicious. ¡°Your business here?¡± she asked curtly. Kajou stared at Jusetsu¡¯s face closely. It was presumptuous and straightforward behavior for a consort. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that His Majesty often comes here,¡± Kajou said, sounding somewhat amused. ¡°What is his business here?¡± Jusetsu grimaced without knowing it. ¡°I know not what he wants. He only loiters around here for a little while before leaving.¡± "" Even after the matter of the jade earring, Koushun visited her. For Jusetsu, it was nothing but a nuisance. Kajou nodded like she had understood something. ¡°I see that you¡¯ve been a conversation partner to His Majesty.¡± ¡°I do not talk with him.¡± ¡°He does not ask you to do something for him like the others do, does he.¡± Jusetsu looked at Kajou. The slender Kajou was taller than Jusetsu, so she naturally looked up at her. ¡°He had made a request. I will not say what it was.¡± Kajou knit her brows together like she was thinking something. ¡°¡­He didn¡¯t ask you to perform a curse killing, did he?¡± What a strange thing to ask. Jusetsu tilted her head. ¡°The emperor could easily have someone¡¯s head cut off without asking for a curse killing.¡± Kajou narrowed her eyes, and a smile appeared on her face. She nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Precisely. There are many in the inner palace who don¡¯t understand even that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°His Majesty has executed the empress dowager. There are those who say that he has asked the Raven Consort to perform a curse killing.¡± Jusetsu tilted her head to the opposite side. ¡°If she was executed, then there was no curse killing. That is illogical.¡± Kajou¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Exactly. She was only punished for her own sins.¡± ¡°Then why is there talk of curse killings?¡± ¡°Some people are illogical. There are also those who are jealous of you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°His Majesty rarely visits the concubines, but he visits you frequently.¡± Jusetsu frowned, feeling deeply displeased. ¡°He is not visiting me in that sense.¡± ¡°Because you are the Raven Consort,¡± Kajou was nodding magnanimously. ¡°I¡¯m sure His Majesty has his own ideas.¡± Whether he did or didn¡¯t, she didn¡¯t know. Koushun sometimes brought sweets as presents, and sometimes he simply dozed off in Jusetsu¡¯s bed. He did as he pleased. ¡°So, you came to sound out the situation?¡± When she asked that, Kajou smiled faintly with her eyes downcast. ¡°I came to check on things. I am entrusted with the inner palace, after all.¡± The mistress of the inner palace was the highest-ranking consort. In other words, Kajou was the one who managed anything that went on within the inner palace. ¡°I¡¯m glad I was able to meet you. My heart is put at ease.¡± Kajou stood up. ¡°So, do you have any favor to ask of me?¡± Or was that just a cover-up? Kajou glanced at Jusetsu and moved her mouth. No sound came out. ¡ª¡ª¡°See you tomorrow.¡± It seemed that it was something she didn¡¯t want her attendants to hear. I hope it is not a troublesome request, she thought. When Kajou turned her back to Jusetsu, the flower flute hanging from her sash swayed along with the tassel that hung underneath it. For some strange reason, Jusetsu¡¯s eyes lingered on it. The eunuch lit the candlestick in his hand again, and similar to when they arrived, the party quietly left. ¡°¡ª¡ªHua Niangniang is such a beautiful person.¡± Jiujiu, who had been making herself small in the corner of the room, sighed and came to her side. Jusetsu still kept her as her attendant. ¡°Hua Niangniang?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what most people in the inner palace call her.¡± ¡°Because her name is ¡®Kajou¡¯?¡±3 ¡°That¡¯s one reason, but you see, she wears a flower flute hanging from her sash. She always does. Even though it would be bad luck to wear it¡­¡± Flower flutes were originally objects that were hung from the eaves at the end of winter. They were hung in mourning for those who had died that year. It was said that the dead would return with the wind that heralded the coming of spring and sound the flute. They were made of precious stones, porcelain, or wood and carved in the shape of flowers, and had holes in them to allow air to pass through, making a high, thin, chirping sound whenever the wind blew. ¡°Why is she wearing a flower flute?¡± ¡°No one knows the reason. Hua Niangniang never speaks of it.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± What a strange consort. She wore a flower flute on her person for some inexplicable reason, but Jusetsu didn¡¯t sense from her any of the obsessed sentimentality that was characteristic of the women who came here. She only felt a cool and refreshing wind. She was¡ª¡ª. ¡°As expected, Hua Niangniang didn¡¯t get angry about His Majesty frequenting this place,¡± Jiujiu said, impressed. ¡°Most likely because she understood he only comes here to kill time.¡± ¡°Oh no, you misunderstand. Hua Niangniang doesn¡¯t get jealous over things like that. She and His Highness are bosom friends.¡± ¡°She is the second-ranking consort, so they must know each other well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. The two of them are childhood friends. I believe Hua Niangniang is three years older.¡± ¡°Childhood friends?¡± ¡°She is Prime Minister Un¡¯s granddaughter. The Un clan is one of the distinguished families known as the Five Surnames and Seven Clans. Prime Minister Un has been a close aide to His Majesty since he was the crown prince, so through that connection, they have been playmates since they were young. Since she has known him for a long time, so she is very magnanimous.¡± I see, Jusetsu responded half-heartedly. ¡°You should take a little more interest in the affairs of the inner palace!¡± Jiujiu was miffed. It isn¡¯t worth talking to you about it, she was saying. She had no interest in the relationships of the inner palace. However, Kajou¡¯s flower flute weighed slightly on her mind. After having Jiujiu retire, Jusetsu went to bed. Kajou had said, ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± She wondered what she was going to request from her. The next morning, Jusetsu woke up and got out of bed, then walked to the kitchen in her nightwear. The old servant woman was crouching down to start a fire in the stove. Next to her, So Kougyou was chopping parsley. When she noticed Jusetsu, she neatly bowed. Jusetsu had decided to employ her here after she recovered. She rationalized it by saying that she was getting a little uneasy leaving the old servant woman to do all the kitchen work by herself. She approached the water jug in the corner of the kitchen, scooped some water with the ladle, and moved it to a silver washbasin. When she was about to carry it, a voice came from behind her. ¡°Gracious, Niangniang! Didn¡¯t I say I would bring you water?¡± It was Jiujiu. Jusetsu, whose face was hidden by her unbound hair, turned her head a little. ¡°I¡¯m here now, so I will help you get ready in the morning. Otherwise, there¡¯s no meaning in me being here.¡± Jiujiu wanted to be helpful to Jusetsu. She was here under the pretext of being her attendant. ¡°I have been doing this by myself for a long time. I do not need help.¡± ¡°But, then¡­¡± Jiujiu¡¯s shoulders drooped in disappointment. Bewildered, Jusetsu ordered, ¡°Then, you will help prepare for the morning meal as well. It will allow you to familiarize yourself with it.¡± Jiujiu agreed happily like a fish that had found water. When she returned to her room, Jusetsu sighed. ¡ª¡ªI have done something troublesome. Just as she had thought, she shouldn¡¯t have kept unneeded people here. In fact, she had intended to have both Kougyou and Jiujiu return to their original places once the whole matter was over. If they were always here, they might one day discover Jusetsu¡¯s true identity. Even Koushun turned a blind eye, if it was made public, even he wouldn¡¯t be able to defend her. Because the massacre of the previous imperial family was coded into law. However, she had already grown accustomed to the chatter of the skylark-like Jiujiu and Kougyou¡¯s attentive gaze like she was watching over them all. They ate into Jusetsu¡¯s body. When she imagined her room without them, her heart became as stiff as when the piercing cold rose up from one¡¯s feet to numb one¡¯s flesh and bones in winter. ¡ª¡ªI am going to tell you something cruel. Do not think about establishing bonds with other people. It will create a tear. The words of Reijou¡ªthe previous Raven Consort¡ªcame back in her mind. Do not keep an attendant, you only need one servant woman, she had told her. The more people she trusted, the more the danger would increase. She washed her face with the water in the washbasin and wiped it with a hand towel. She put on her black garments, tied her hair up, and peered into the octagonal mirror adorned with mother-of-pearl. On her pale face, her silver lashes were swaying with worry. She couldn¡¯t show this face to Jiujiu. She applied makeup, checked her hair carefully to make sure the color wasn¡¯t fading, and left the mirror. When she parted the curtain, the morning meal was being laid out. On the table, there was thin rice porridge with parsley and pine nuts and mantou. As she was eating them, Jiujiu brought her some hot soy milk. ¡°Shall I bring seconds?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Jusetsu shook her head with a mantou in her mouth. Found out by Koushun, living with Jiujiu and the others¡ªlittle by little, she could feel tears being created. Jusetsu didn¡¯t know where this would all lead to. But as she moved forward, a darkness seemed to be waiting for her, casting a shadow over her heart. Would Wulian Niangniang give her an answer? Koushun was the main culprit. Ever since his visit here, troublesome things began to happen. That main culprit came to Yamei Palace at sunset. ¡°I heard that Kajou came here.¡± That was the first thing that came out of Koushun¡¯s mouth. As always, Ei Sei was behind him. Jusetsu frowned at Koushun, who calmly sat down in a chair like this was his own room. ¡°¡¯Tis because you come here so often. Better to go to your consorts¡¯ palaces promptly.¡± ¡°I do visit the consorts properly. Enough that I won¡¯t get lectured.¡± ¡°You should not come to me. Leave at once.¡± ¡°Did Kajou ask you to do something for her?¡± Koushun, ignoring Jusetsu¡¯s complaints, asked. ¡°¡­She did not. She said she would come here again today.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That was all he said. He seemed as though he knew what Kajou was going to request. ¡°Do you know what her request is?¡± After a short pause, Koushun answered, ¡°Perhaps.¡± She couldn¡¯t surmise what he was thinking from his expression that didn¡¯t seem like an emotion. There is a feeling of winter from this man, Jusetsu thought. Quiet and motionless, with a warm sun, but something was crouching in the shadows. ¡°That consort is¡ª¡ª¡± She was about to say, but then she turned her eyes to the doors. Xingxing was flapping its wings. ¡°¡ª¡ªPardon me.¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice. It belonged to¡ªKajou. ¡°It¡¯s me. Could you please open the doors?¡± Jusetsu moved her hand in a beckoning gesture. The doors opened. Kajou was standing there with two attendants. Kajou gave the attendants a look, and then walked in alone. The doors closed with the attendants still standing there. Kajou stepped up to Jusetsu and the others, and then bowed to Koushun. Koushun rose. ¡°If you have a request for the Raven Consort, then it would be better for me to excuse myself.¡± ¡°No, you are welcome to stay.¡± Kajou smiled. There were only two chairs, so Jiujiu and Kougyou hurriedly brought in a chair from another room. Kajou sat down on it. ¡°Please listen as well, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­If you insist.¡± Koushun sat down again. The atmosphere was somewhat like Kajou was the one in control, and the two of them seemed more like an older sister and younger brother than man and woman or husband and wife. It wasn¡¯t only because of their ages. The two of them were¡ª. ¡°I would like you to have a look at this.¡± Kajou removed the flower flute hanging from her hip and placed it on the table. It was a magnolia flower flute made of jade with a faint celadon green color. There were several holes bored into the petals to make sounds. ¡°This flute has never once made a sound. It was made for a certain person, but it has never made a sound. ¡ª¡ªWhat do you think is the reason for that?¡± Jusetsu took the flower flute in her hand. It was of fine make. It wasn¡¯t a defective item. ¡°Does it not make a sound because that person has not returned to me?¡± The sounds of a flower flute are a signal that the person being mourned had returned. If the flower flute remained silent, it meant that they hadn¡¯t returned. ¡°¡­Who is this person?¡± Jusetsu asked. ¡°He was once my lover,¡± Kajou answered without her expression changing. Jusetsu glanced at Koushun¡¯s face. He was as expressionless as always. He probably knew. ¡°Three years ago, he¡ªOu Genyuu¡ªpassed away. In the spring of that year, I hung this flower flute for the first time and waited for his spirit to return, but¡­¡± The flower flute didn¡¯t make any sounds. ¡°Why is that? Why did he not return?¡± Kajou¡¯s tone was quiet, but Jusetsu felt like she could see a hint of emotion from her for the first time. Her emotions were there¡ªwith her deceased lover. Jusetsu looked at Koushun again, and then directed her gaze at the flower flute. ¡°Can you make this flower flute work? Can you call him?¡± ¡°Is that your request?¡± Kajou nodded. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Jusetsu placed the flower flute on the table. ¡°Very well. I shall try summoning that person¡¯s soul.¡± Kajou¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you able to do that?¡± ¡°I can only summon a soul from paradise once. Know that.¡± Jusetsu took an inkstone and brush from the cabinet. While grinding the inkstone, Jusetsu asked Kajou, ¡°Is Genyuu his courtesy name?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What is his given name?¡± ¡°Shou.¡± She took out a small lotus petal-shaped paper from her breast and wrote ¡°Ou Shou¡± on it. She placed it on the table, and then put the flower flute on top of it. Jusetsu took out a peony from her hair and blew on it. The flower turned into smoke and surrounded the flute. The flower flute was gradually absorbed into the smoke, and its shape became hazy. Kajou made to get up, but she looked at Jusetsu and returned to her position. Jusetsu thrust her right hand into the smoke. The smoke was cool and soft, coiling around her fingers like smooth mud. Jusetsu was about to summon the spirit as though reeling in a thread in the midst of the smoke, but her brow furrowed at the sense of wrongness. ¡ª¡ªThis is¡­ Jusetsu pulled out her hand and blew out a breath to clear away the smoke. The smoke dispersed and the flower flute began to take form again. When the smoke completely disappeared, the flute returned to its original shape. ¡°I cannot summon him.¡± She told Kajou bitterly. ¡°Eh?¡± Kajou asked back. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°The soul you are seeking cannot be found in paradise. That is why he did not answer the soul invocation call.¡± ¡°That means¡ª¡± ¡°This Genyuu is either still alive, or in a state where his soul cannot be involved because of some kind of circumstance.¡± Kajou¡¯s eyes shook in bewilderment. ¡°He cannot be alive. I have seen his body with my own eyes, and his funeral has already taken place. What do you mean by some kind of circumstance¡­?¡± ¡°I know not. This is also the first time I have not been able to summon a spirit.¡± She had heard from Reijou that there were times when she couldn¡¯t summon a spirit, but Jusetsu never experienced that until now. ¡°Under what circumstances did this person die?¡± She asked. It was Koushun, not Kajou, who answered. ¡°Three years ago, Ou Genyuu was sent to the province of Reki to serve as a military consultant under the regional inspector. He lost his life in a riot that broke out there. A thrown stone had unfortunately hit him in the head.¡± Ou Genyuu was also an acquaintance of Koushun¡¯s, so he had seen his body. It happened before he ascended to the throne. ¡°He was an excellent civil servant. That was why he was dispatched to Reki Province. At that time, a strange faith called the ¡®Moon Truth Sect¡¯ became popular in that area. There were rumors of collusion with the government, and we had replaced the regional inspector in order to investigate that. The riot was caused by their believers.¡± In the end, the riot was suppressed, and the faith died out. ¡°¡®Moon Truth Sect¡¯¡­I have never heard of it.¡± On the streets, it was not uncommon to suddenly see temples being built with people claiming to be divine oracles, or people worshipping driftwood that had washed ashore as a deity. In some cases, these new temples might outnumber those of Wulian Niangniang. There were those who said that the worship of Wulian Niangniang was old-fashioned. ¡°Apparently, they don¡¯t actually worship the moon. They only worship a person called Father Moonlight as a living god. It is said that he had a reputation for predicting the future or guessing one¡¯s past, but I heard guesses that he might be some sort of shaman. It is all very suspicious-sounding, but he was arrested after the riot, sentenced to caning for misleading the public, and then banished.¡± ¡°A shaman, huh¡­¡± They were folk spellcasters. Some were highly skilled magic users, but there were others who were frauds. She wondered which of these types Father Moonlight belonged to. After thinking for a while, Jusetsu turned her eyes to Koushun. ¡°I would like to know a little bit more about this Father Moonlight.¡± ¡°Father Moonlight? ¨CVery well.¡± He most likely isn¡¯t alive, he said. Even if his punishment was caning, the criminal was beaten a hundred times with a hard cane, so it was no different than the death penalty. Even if he didn¡¯t die on the spot, most of them were released half-dead and died afterward. Kajou gently took the flower flute in her hand and stared at it. ¡°Can you make this flower flute work?¡± Jusetsu hesitated for a moment, and in the end answered honestly. ¡°I know not.¡± Kajou smiled slightly and stroked the flower flute. ¡°Please, I entrust this to you.¡± Kajou stood up gracefully, flipped the sleeves of her robe, and headed for the doors. Even the rustling of her clothing was refreshingly beautiful. After Kajou left with her attendants, Jusetsu gave a side glance to Koushun. ¡°Why is she in the inner palace?¡± ¡°What?¡± Koushun¡¯s eyebrow twitched at Jusetsu¡¯s question. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She does not even attempt to hide the fact that she still pines for her deceased lover in front of you. You also allow that. She won¡¯t be your wife.¡± That was the reason why she didn¡¯t feel any passion for Koushun from Kajou. In Koushun¡¯s expressionless face, a shade of something like awkwardness appeared. ¡°¡­Kajou is like an older sister to me.¡± ¡°You put someone like that in the inner palace?¡± ¡°Kajou¡¯s grandfather is my advisor and tutor. This is the best way to solidify our connection. Besides¡­¡± Koushun looked a little towards the doors through which Kajou had left. ¡°After Genyuu died, Kajou had no place to go. Once her partner died, she had to marry someone else. She wouldn¡¯t agree to that, so I gave her this place.¡± If she was forced to marry someone else, she might have chosen death. ¡°I thought that she would be able to live here quietly while cherishing Genyuu¡¯s memory, but¡­¡± It didn¡¯t turn out the way I expected it, Koushun let out a small sigh. ¡°I never would have thought that the flower flute would not sound. ¡ª¡ªThere are no defects in that flute, are there?¡± He asked as if he was concerned, and Jusetsu nodded in puzzlement. ¡°I see. That¡¯s good. That was something I made.¡± ¡°You made it?¡± The unexpected words caused her to let out a sound that was unlike her, and she cleared her throat. ¡°Are you sure you do not mean you had it made instead?¡± ¡°I make those sorts of things as a diversion. In the past, there was someone who taught me.¡± It was said that every human being had one special skill, and it seemed that Koushun was quite dexterous with his hands. ¡°Shall I make something for you as well?¡± He said that with no emotion on his face, so she couldn¡¯t tell if he was saying that seriously or if he was joking around. ¡°I have no need for it.¡± She answered immediately. Ei Sei, standing behind Koushun, shot her a murderous look. ¡°Unless you have business here, leave. And do not come here again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come again,¡± Koushun didn¡¯t listen to Jusetsu¡¯s words at all. ¡°This is not a place the emperor should visit. The Raven Consort and the emperor are incompatible with each other.¡± When she said that, Koushun furrowed his brow slightly. ¡°What do you¡ª¡± Jusetsu flicked her hand and opened the doors. She wordlessly prompted him to get out. Koushun obediently stood up. If he opposed her, he would be tossed out by Jusetsu¡¯s magic. After Koushun and Ei Sei left, Jusetsu, still sitting in her chair, pondered for a while. Why did that flower flute not make any sound? Sometimes I wonder if I should translate the palace names to English as well since it feels a bit inconsistent to keep them in Japanese¡­oh well Volume 1 - CH 2.2 The next day, after finishing the morning meal, Jusetsu put on the palace lady¡¯s dress Koushun had given her before and left Yamei Palace. If she was going to prowl around the inner palace, then this getup was more convenient. ¡°Niangniang, please wait!¡± Jiujiu followed Jusetsu, who was walking quickly. ¡°Are you really going to Hua Niangniang¡¯s palace?¡± ¡°I am.¡± As they walked along the white sand path, a magnificent palace came into view. The roof tiles were decorated with mandarin ducks, and there were also mandarin ducks depicted on the hanging lanterns. The pillars were a vivid vermillion, and they were set off nicely by the blue sky. The palace was surrounded by hedges of roses1 in full bloom, and the air was filled with a sweet, clear scent. Jusetsu treaded on the pebbles spread out in front of the palace and headed towards the entrance. ¡°It would be nice if Yamei Palace had flowers planted around it as well¡­¡± Jiujiu seemed envious as she stared at the roses planted next to the pebbles. ¡°Flowers do not grow in that place.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that so? Why?¡± Before Jusetsu could say anything, a voice came from behind them. ¡°If you would like, you may take some.¡± It was Kajou. She was accompanied by a large host of attendants. She was the very picture of an imperial consort. Kajou ordered an attendant next to her to cut a rose branch and presented it to Jusetsu. The thorns were properly removed. Jusetsu put the red flower in Jiujiu¡¯s hair. The small flower, which was still nearly a bud, suited her well. A shy smile appeared on Jiujiu¡¯s face. Kajou gave another branch to Jiujiu, and she placed it in Jusetsu¡¯s hair. ¡°It really suits you, Niangniang.¡± She couldn¡¯t see the flower in her hair, but she gently touched the petals with her fingertips and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Her fingers touching the petals felt a bit warm. ¡°Please, come inside.¡± Kajou indicated the front of the palace. Jusetsu and Jiujiu walked on top of the paving stones accompanied by Kajou. The attendants followed close behind. Jusetsu turned her head towards the walkway that connected to the neighboring palace. Palace ladies were coming and going through there. Each of them held boxes in their hands. ¡°Those are goods sent to us by sea merchants.¡±2 Kajou said, following Jusetsu¡¯s gaze. ¡°Lapis lazuli bowls, silver dishes, jeweled belts3¡­and other unusual items from countries across the sea.¡± To sum it up, they were tributes from the purveyors for the inner palace. When Kajou asked if she would like to take a look at them, Jusetsu shook her head. Jiujiu looked disappointed. When they entered Kajou¡¯s room, she told her attendants to manage the tributes and had them withdraw. ¡°Are you here regarding the flower flute?¡± Kajou asked as she brewed the tea herself in a kettle. A soft carpet was laid out at her feet, and a beautifully woven brocade partition was used as a room divider. The covering for the table was embroidered with mandarin ducks. ¡°I wish to ask about Ou Genyuu.¡± When Jusetsu said that, Kajou¡¯s hand stopped stirring the hot water with a spoon. ¡°About Genyuu¡­? What do you want to ask about?¡± ¡°Anything will do. I wish to hear what you know.¡± She had asked Koushun to find out more about Father Moonlight, so she decided to investigate Ou Genyuu. ¡°Genyuu¡­oh, yes, he was like boiled water that had been cooled.¡± As she stared into the water in the kettle, a smile appeared on Kajou¡¯s face. ¡°Warm and gentle¡­There was passion in him, but he never used his heat to hurt others. ¡ª¡ªBut cooled water is only at just the right temperature for a short while. He, too, passed away before I knew it.¡± Kajou ladled out the tea, poured it into a cup, and gave it to Jusetsu. ¡°Cooled water is good for the body,¡± That was all Jusetsu said before blowing on the cup. After letting the tea cool, she slowly drank it down, enveloped by the fragrance, and felt the warmth spreading in her stomach. ¡°He was a civil servant who worked his way up after passing the examinations, not someone from a noted family. My grandfather favored him and sent him to Reki Province because he could get a promotion if he made accomplishments there. He told me that he had to get an impressive position so that he would be able to marry me, before departing in high spirits. I should have kept him here. Promotions and things like that¡­¡± Kajou¡¯s voice trembled and broke off. Her face twisted for a moment beyond the steam, and then she brought her cup to her lips and emptied it in one gulp. ¡°¡­Tea is not something that is meant to be consumed in this way.¡± Kajou poured another cup for herself and blew out a thin breath before holding it in her mouth. ¡°I wonder if his soul had gotten lost in Reki Province. He was clever and sensible, but he could also be rash¡­¡± ¡°Souls get lost from time to time,¡± Jusetsu said, and Kajou raised her eyes from her cup. ¡°Is that so? Then, can you guide him correctly?¡± ¡°I can. I can summon him and send him to paradise.¡± Kajou¡¯s eyes lit up with hope. Jusetsu felt slightly guilty, wondering if she had overstated it too easily. Genyuu¡¯s soul hadn¡¯t gotten lost, it couldn¡¯t be found. But, sitting in front of Kajou, she felt compelled to offer words of encouragement. Even though Reijou had told her, You must not show too much sentiment for those who come to the Raven Consort for help. It wasn¡¯t like this before. This was because she had never associated with other people. It wasn¡¯t good to have one¡¯s emotions shaken. It clouded one¡¯s judgement. You didn¡¯t know what to do¡ª¡ª. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, how does His Majesty look to you?¡± Jusetsu, who was somewhat agitated, was slow to react to Kajou¡¯s words. ¡°¡­Eh? What do you mean by ¡®how¡¯?¡± ¡°His Majesty seems to have changed a little. Ever since he met you.¡± Jusetsu tilted her head. Kajou continued. ¡°For some reason, he is not someone who expresses his emotions openly. But it seems that it is different when it comes to you.¡± ¡°He is as expressionless in front of me as he is in front of everyone else.¡± Kajou smiled. ¡°He may be so in front of you, But when he talks about you to me, I think he is more expressive than usual.¡± That is most likely because he relaxes his guard around you. It has nothing to do with me, Jusetsu thought, but didn¡¯t say anything because it would be too troublesome. "" ¡°I cannot imagine him being expressive.¡± When she said that, a despondent smile appeared on Kajou¡¯s face. ¡°I understand why you think that way¡­you might not be able to imagine it now, but when His Majesty was a child, he laughed and got angry freely. He stopped showing emotions openly after Tei Ran¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Tei Ran?¡± ¡°Do you not know about him?¡± When Jusetsu answered no, Kajou hesitated before speaking. ¡°He was a eunuch who served His Majesty when he was young. He was a eunuch, but His Majesty adored him. ¡­He died a horrific death.¡± By the order of the empress dowager, Kajou murmured. She hung her head with a somber look on her face, perhaps recalling that time. Jusetsu suddenly remembered what Koushun had mentioned before. ¡°That woman killed my mother and my friend.¡± He was referring to the empress dowager. He said that on the night of her execution day. ¡°¡ª¡ªWas he Koushun¡¯s ¡®friend¡¯?¡± Kajou raised her head and blinked her eyes. ¡°Yes¡ªhe was. His Majesty called him his friend,¡± Kajou nodded, her voice somewhat hushed. ¡°Do not say that name in front of him. It will open old wounds.¡± That was how deep the wound was. Jusetsu almost recalled Koushun on that night before shaking her head. It was best not to think about it too much. Koushun¡¯s emotions were not something for her to imagine. She would get pulled away by her sentiments. ¡°To begin with, I do not have the type of relationship with that man where we would chat over tea.¡± Saying that curtly, Jusetsu stood up. ¡°Are you returning already?¡± Kajou also stood up. Jusetsu briskly walked towards the door, so Jiujiu, who was standing to the side, hurriedly followed her. Jusetsu descended the steps and was about to leave the palace when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She looked towards the neighboring palace. The palace ladies were busily continuing to organize the tributes. Jusetsu tilted her head. Was it just her imagination? ¡ª¡ªShe thought she sensed the presence of a ghost. However, it was only for an instant, and she was unsure if it was actually there or not, and now she could no longer feel it. There were many ghosts who appeared and disappeared in the inner palace. Was this one of them? She couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to every single one of them. Jusetsu started walking again, her shoes crunching the pebbles at her feet. She didn¡¯t notice that she was being watched from behind from far away. From a distance, she could hear the sound of the night patrol eunuchs announcing the time and the sound of drums. When she could no longer hear them, she opened her closed eyes. She got out of her bed and pulled open the silk curtains. Xingxing was raising a fuss. ¡°So he has arrived.¡± Muttering that, she flicked one of her fingers to open the door. Koushun was the one who came. And of course, Ei Sei was following behind him like a shadow. ¡°As expected, Father Moonlight died.¡± Koushun spoke as soon as he sat down in a chair. ¡°Are you certain?¡± ¡°His sentence was to be caned and then be banished to outside of the province, but he died before he was caned a hundred times. Apparently, he was extremely emaciated, so he most likely couldn¡¯t endure it.¡± ¡°Since he is elderly, it would be so.¡± ¡°No, he was called ¡®Father,¡¯ but he wasn¡¯t an elderly man.¡± ¡°Why is he called ¡®Father¡¯ if he is not old?¡± ¡°No one knows for sure. His real name is unknown as well. He came from somewhere and became famous for his divination and fortune-telling. It is also said that he could use sorcery. Also¡ª¡ª¡± Koushun briefly stopped talking and quickly looked around the room. Jiujiu had already retired for the night, so there was no one else in the room. ¡°¡ª¡ªThere¡¯s a rumor. They say that Father Moonlight was a member of the previous imperial family.¡± Jusetsu felt her cheeks stiffen. ¡°Preposterous.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no evidence. There¡¯s only this secret rumor. It might be words spoken without much thought, used to gather believers.¡± That was probably the case. It was a common method of deception to make people believe the plausible lie that the person in question was actually the illegitimate child of the emperor or the son of a high class noble. ¡°¡­What kind of divination, fortune-telling, and sorcery was that person said to have performed?¡± ¡°From trifling things like searching for lost items, to accusing people of murders that no one knew about and revealing adultery. He was also good at predicting the weather. For sorcery, Father Moonlight was said to have used a phantom tiger to attack those who mocked him, and to have turned a rod into a snake.¡± I don¡¯t know how much of that is true, he said. ¡°Illusions and transformation arts¡­¡± Those were the arts that shamans were skilled at. Jusetsu couldn¡¯t grasp the extent to which Father Moonlight was a powerful shaman. Finding lost things or predicting the weather were things that could easily be faked. However, if the illusion-type magic was true, then he was a shaman in his own right. Watching Jusetsu, who was deep in thought, Koushun continued to speak. ¡°There is also this story. Some say that Father Moonlight isn¡¯t one person. Apparently, there were times when he seemed like a different person. It almost seems like divine possession.¡± ¡°Does he have a twin?¡± ¡°Some officials suspected this and questioned him severely¡ªbut then, one of them would have made their escape¡ªbut apparently, that wasn¡¯t the case.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The more she heard, the less she understood. Who exactly was Father Moonlight? ¡°That¡¯s about all we learned. I¡¯ll let you know if we learn anything else.¡± After saying that, Koushun quickly stood up. That was rare. He always lingered even when she tried to chase him out. ¡°I¡¯m visiting Kajou tonight.¡± ¡°I did not ask.¡± Koushun put his hand in his pocket and took out a twill brocade pouch. He tossed it to Jusetsu. Since it was thrown at her, she had no choice but to hold out her hand. It landed in Jusetsu¡¯s hand. ¡°Do not throw things.¡± ¡°They¡¯re dried apricots.¡± Eat them, he said. Whenever he came here, Koushun would often give Jusetsu things like these. She disliked this behavior, as though he was accustoming a monkey by feeding it, but the things he gave her were delicious. ¡°¡­Kajou told me that you have changed recently,¡± Jusetsu said while peering into the pouch. ¡°Changed? In what way?¡± ¡°She said you became more expressive.¡± When you talk about me. But she kept that part secret. Koushun expressionlessly tilted his head to the side. ¡°She must be mistaken.¡± With those few words, Koushun left the palace. While eating the apricots, Jusetsu watched his back for a while, wondering how someone like him could seem expressive. The scent of roses was thick in the silence. Koushun walked between the roses in the darkness and approached Enou Palace. Kajou was waiting in front of the steps along with her attendants. Ei Sei, who was holding the lantern, moved behind him. Kajou sank to her knees and bowed in front of Koushun. Koushun was impressed at how the girl who was once a bit of a tomboy and always beat him in tag had become so graceful. But he did not say so, because he would get twice as much sarcasm from her. ¡°Did you go see the Raven Consort?¡± Kajou said as she sipped her tea, after having her attendants retire. ¡°I did.¡± Kajou stared at Koushun silently. There was a smile on her face, but he knew very well that she was reproaching him. She had always silently taken him to task. ¡°I only went to there to report information.¡± His voice naturally took on a tone of making excuses. Like a younger brother being scolded by his older sister. Kajou let out a sigh. ¡°You should not visit the Raven Consort so often. It is a source of bad rumors.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t go there that often.¡± ¡°The Raven Consort is different from the other consorts. She is not someone Your Majesty can fall in love with. It would cause trouble for her as well. Why are you so attached to her, like a child?¡± ¡°Attached?¡± ¡°You are attached to her, are you not?¡± ¡°¡­I only want to see her and talk with her.¡± He was interested in Jusetsu¡¯s reactions. He wanted to see what she would say and what kind of face would she make, so that was why he couldn¡¯t help but go to her. ¡°If you wish to converse with someone, do it with another consort. That is not the Raven Consort¡¯s responsibility. Your Majesty, you are spoiled by her kindness.¡± ¡°She is kind?¡± She was the girl who chased him out with brute force if she was displeased with him. ¡°She has a kind heart. She is someone who cannot abandon anyone. That is why she listened to my request.¡± Koushun stared at his teacup. Warm steam was rising from it. ¡ª¡ªCertainly, during the jade earring incident, Jusetsu had been working that hard because she felt pity for that ghost. ¡°You must not cause her any trouble or hurt her unnecessarily. You will regret it, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Koushun answered honestly. He had never been able to go against Kajou. It was now the third watch of the night (eleven p.m. to one a.m.), and Koushun left Enou Palace. The night had darkened still more, and the fragrance of the flowers was strong. Koushun, who was walking between the roses, quickly came to a stop. ¡°Have I changed in any way?¡± He asked Ei Sei, who was behind him like a shadow. After a short pause, Ei Sei answered, ¡°I shall humbly say, I do think that there are some aspects that have changed.¡± After another short pause, he added, ¡°When it involves the Raven Consort.¡± ¡°Oho,¡± Koushun responded, as if they were talking about someone else. He did have some self-awareness. He had an interest in Jusetsu. To the point where he asked her if she would become his consort¡ªit was, just as Jusetsu had said, half sleep talking. For example, what was Jusetsu thinking on this night, alone in that jet black palace? He was thinking that. Koushun looked up at the sky. The moon shone through the clouds that were like thin silk. The bottomless black sky was like the feathers of a raven. ¡ª¡ªYes, that girl is alone. She had a palace lady and attendant now, but until then, she only lived with a servant woman who took care of the barest minimum of needs. She lived quietly, as though hiding away from the eyes of others. ¡°The Raven Consort is¡­¡± Ei Sei caught his mutter. ¡°Have you said something?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Koushun said, and started walking among the roses again. This was a quiet night. "" An incident occurred the next day. Volume 1 - CH 2.3 The days during this season were long. Past the first watch of the night (7 pm to 9pm), when the sky was gradually becoming a deeper blue, a messenger from Enou Palace arrived. The attendant seemed to be in quite a hurry, as she was running. It was rare for a consort¡¯s attendant to run. Jusetsu judged that since an attendant was sent and not a low-ranking palace lady or eunuch, there was some urgent news that needed to be kept confidential. ¡°Could we please request your presence at Enou Palace?¡± The attendant pleaded after a hurried bow. ¡°Did something occur?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The attendant coughed and drank the water provided to her by Jiujiu. Deciding that it would be quicker to go to Enou Palace rather than hearing the explanation, Jusetsu headed there. Today she was still dressed in black. Under the evening sky, her clothes looked all the darker. Turning over her silk shawl with a pattern of scattered stars, Jusetsu hastened towards her destination. ¡°Finding a lost item?¡± Jusetsu asked the attendant, who was talking to her as they ran on the path to Enou Palace. ¡°Yes. It was an item a merchant presented the other day¡­¡± Jusetsu lost interest. ¡°That is all? I assumed that it would be something more valuable.¡± But the attendant¡¯s face remained pale. ¡°It is valuable. Those items are in the custody of Enou Palace, but as they are gifts, they belong to His Majesty.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t belong to Kajou?¡± ¡°They were granted by His Majesty to Niangniang. If they were lost, the palace ladies and attendants who moved them must take responsibility.¡± ¡°By responsibility¡ª¡ª¡± Did that mean the death penalty? That was why the attendant was so pale. Also, the attendant added. ¡°One of the palace ladies disappeared.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªDoes that mean that palace lady took the item and ran away?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know. The other palace ladies say that she wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would do such a thing. But¡­¡± The attendant shook her head in bafflement. ¡°They say that recently, there are times when she would be acting strange.¡± ¡°What do you mean by strange?¡± ¡°They say that there are times when she was like a different person¡­¡± ¡ª¡ªI heard this somewhere before, she thought. ¡°¡­Like she became someone else?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡ª¡ªWhat could this mean? When they reached Enou Palace, they were met with a flurried atmosphere. Palace ladies were going this way and that. Were they searching for the missing item, or were they searching for the palace lady? Kajou came out of the palace and greeted Jusetsu. ¡°What is the missing item?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pot. A copper pot with a seal.¡± ¡°A seal¡­?¡± ¡°A paper seal. According to the catalog, it is a pitch-pot¡ª¡± It was a pot used for a game where one threw arrows into the pot. ¡°And it seems that there is nothing inside, but I thought that I would open it after confirming it with His Majesty.¡± ¡°And the missing palace lady?¡± ¡°She is from the Palace Sewing Bureau. While we were in the middle of searching for the pot after we realized it was missing, we discovered that she had gone missing as well.¡± Jusetsu looked around. ¡°Lead me to that palace lady¡¯s room.¡± The building where the palace ladies lived was on the outskirts of Enou Palace, and several people lived in one room. When they entered the room of the missing palace lady, Jusetsu stood in front of her bed. There was a box next to her pillow, and when she opened it, she found that it contained combs, scissors, and handkerchiefs. It seemed to be a box of personal belongings. There were clothes hanging from the partition screen next to it. There was no difference from the other palace ladies. Jusetsu stared at the bed, and then narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡ª¡ªThere is a faint hint of a ghost. It was vague, coiling about the bed like thin smoke. The ghost was here not too long ago. Jusetsu pondered for a moment. And then, she pinched several strands of hair that had fallen onto the pillow and turned around to the palace ladies who were peeking into the room. ¡°What is the name of the missing palace lady?¡± They looked at each other, but then looked behind them and immediately moved aside. Kajou entered the room. ¡°Her name is You Senjou.¡± Jusetsu nodded lightly and had an inkstick and inkstone prepared for her. She took out a small wooden doll from her pocket and wrote ¡°You Senjou¡± on it with a brush. She then wound the strands of hair around the doll and placed it on top of the pillow. She pulled out the peony in her hair and blew on it. The flower petals scattered like glass breaking, and they fell onto the doll as they glittered. Upon that, the doll began to shake faintly. It swelled out and twisted in shape. The coiled hair became buried inside, and the doll turned soft and black like candy. Gradually, it began to take the shape of a bird, sprouting wings and a beak. When its candy-like body was covered in feathers, it trembled wildly. Its dark eyes lit up and its wings moved up and down. A raven was now standing there. The raven flicked its wings a few times as if to check the feel of them, and then took off. It moved fast, flying out of the room and causing the palace ladies to let out little cries. Jusetsu slipped between them and told Kajou and the others, ¡°Stay here,¡± and followed the bird. Jusetsu chased the bird, running next to the roses and leaving Enou Palace. She couldn¡¯t chase after it if it left the palace, but it probably hadn¡¯t reached that far yet. Running on gravel, she passed through a grove of aspen trees and by a pond. The raven was heading towards the western side of the inner palace. After a while, it circled one spot and then descended. It was an area of dense old pine trees. Jusetsu went towards that spot. Jusetsu stepped into the pine grove and came to a stop when she spotted the raven. It was perched on a girl¡¯s hand. She was wearing the uniform of the Palace Sewing Bureau. ¡ª¡ªShe was most likely the missing palace lady. Her arm was wrapped around a copper pot. ¡°You Senjou?¡± When Jusetsu asked who she was, the girl, expression unchanging, opened her mouth. ¡°Well, who knows? I don¡¯t even know her name.¡± There was a strange quality to her voice, like it was one voice split into two or two voices overlapping with each other. Jusetsu happened to know what this was. Double voice¡ªwhen a single voice sounded like it was split in two. That occurred when a person¡¯s soul became unstable. Because they were being possessed by a ghost. When Reijou was alive, she had encountered someone like that. As expected, with a voice like that, she was possessed by an ill-natured ghost. This person seemed to have become completely different. It was just as she had been told. And she had heard about a case like this recently. The case of Father Moonlight. ¡°Who are you?¡± Jusetsu braced herself, and the other person laughed a little. Jusetsu glanced at the pot. A paper was stretched over the pot¡¯s opening, and there were strange characters written on it. ¡°Do you have any connection to Father Moonlight?¡± The other person raised their eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Why do you think so?¡± ¡°You tamed my raven. That is something no ordinary person can do. And the characters on that pot. That reads ¡®ferrule,¡¯1 most likely written in the script used by shamans. You are a shaman. ¡ª¡ªThey say that Father Moonlight sometimes seemed like a different person. He must have been possessed by a ghost. But I heard that he was skilled at illusion and transformation arts. If he was that skilled, then he would not have been possessed. In that case, it was the ghost possessing him who was the excellent shaman. Just like you.¡± ¡°I see,¡± they laughed again. The next moment, they quickly struck the raven with their hand. There was a dry sound like cracking wood, and the bird disappeared in a black haze. Jusetsu bit her lip. Although it was a simply made familiar bird, it was no ordinary shaman who could easily defeat Jusetsu¡¯s arts. ¡°Who are you?¡± There were not so many ghosts who were excellent shamans and were willing to possess and manipulate people. This ghost had possessed Father Moonlight, and it was now possessing the palace lady. ¡°I am Hyougetsu.¡± Surprisingly, the other party readily gave out their name. However¡ª¡ª ¡°It¡¯s Ran Hyougetsu, Raven Consort.¡± ¡°Ran¡ª¡ª¡± Jusetsu gasped. ¡ª¡ªDid he say Ran? That was the family name of the previous imperial family. ¡°I am the same as you. Isn¡¯t that right, Raven Consort?¡± Jusetsu peered cautiously into the palace lady¡¯s face, but she had become only a vessel for the ghost, so she couldn¡¯t read the ghost¡¯s true meaning in her expression at all. ¡°¡­I am called Ryuu. I am not of the Ran clan.¡± That was the false family name Reijou had given her. ¡°I have no interest in false names. Your blood calls to me, telling me that you are my kin. ¡ª¡ªYou survived well. And in a place like this.¡± There was a longing in the ghost¡¯s voice. ¡°When I discovered you, I was shocked. I never would have expected a member of the Ran clan to become the Raven Consort. I thought we were all hunted down and destroyed a long time ago.¡± Their voice was sad, as though sinking into a dark abyss. ¡°I was also caught and lost my head. When I returned to the capital, I still feel a chill in my blood. Even though I no longer have a body.¡± Then why did you come here? Just when she thought that, the other party stared at her face intently, and then a small smile appeared on their face. ¡°But, it is a quirk of fate that I found a member of the Ran clan here. I invited you here because I wanted to talk to you.¡± Oh, Jusetsu thought. Was that why he stole the pot, left hints of his presence in the palace lady¡¯s room, and made me chase him. ¡°I was a man of the imperial family, but I was also a shaman. I don¡¯t know if you know this, but in the time of the previous dynasty, there were many shamans in the palace. But the current dynasty despises shamans and chased them out of the palace entirely. That is why there are many shamans in the rural regions. The man called Father Moonlight was also one of that number. Well, his skill in the art was entirely in the domain of fraud, though.¡± Jusetsu had heard from Reijou that there used to be many shamans in the palace a long time ago. They didn¡¯t hold official ranks, but they were personally favored by the emperor, the imperial family, and high-ranking officials, and they could even freely enter and exit the inner palace. However, this Hyougetsu person, who claimed to be a member of the imperial family as well as a shaman, was probably an unusual case. ¡°Even so, that shaman wannabe was amusing. When I possessed him, he spread it around as him having a god descend upon him. Even now, I still don¡¯t know if that was also a deception or if he really believed that. That man made quite a lot of money with that. He ripped off all he could from the rich to the poor, and stored the money in a pot which he buried in the ground. It is still buried there. Shall I tell you the location?¡± Jusetsu answered with a scowl. Hyougetsu snorted, as if he wasn¡¯t amused, and continued. ¡°If you can read these characters, then you know what this pot is, correct?¡± Hyougetsu raised the pot up high. Jusetsu stared at it intently. ¡°Ferrule¡± meant seal¡ª¡ªfor souls. ¡°¡­Whose soul is sealed within?¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly not Father Moonlight,¡± Hyougetsu stroked the pot. ¡°I heard that your lot wants to summon the soul of a man who died in the Reki Province riot.¡± Jusetsu¡¯s brows knitted together further. ¡°Are you saying¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Souls that have died far away from their hometowns get lost on their way to their destination. At that time, there were a number of souls drifting about in the air. I gathered them and sealed them into this pot. I was going to use them as servants.¡±2 Hyougetsu looked at Jusetsu¡¯s face. ¡°But now I have an unexpected and different way to use them.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you Ou Genyuu¡¯s soul. In return¡ªI have a request for you,¡± Hyougetsu said, retracting the faint smile he had on until now. ¡°Request¡­?¡± ¡°That is why I came here. To this inner palace¡ª¡ª¡± He was in the form of the palace lady and had her voice, but Hyougetsu¡¯s air took on an earnest heat. Jusetsu was bewildered by his straightforward fervor. ¡°What is your request? What exactly was your goal in coming here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you listen to me. And if you say you can¡¯t do it¡­¡± Hyougetsu removed the knife from the ornament on his sash and pushed it against his neck¡ªor rather, the palace lady¡¯s neck. ¡°I will kill this person.¡± Jusetsu reflexively tried to run forward, but had to stop because Hyougetsu pressed the blade more forcefully against the palace lady¡¯s neck. ¡°After I kill this person, I will escape. Ou Genyuu¡¯s soul won¡¯t return either. What will you do? There¡¯s no time to hesitate. I will escape if others arrive.¡± Jusetsu looked around. Kajou and the others must have obeyed her order of ¡°Stay here,¡± as she could sense no one else around them or hear running footsteps right now. ¡°Most likely, there is no one coming here. Therefore, there is no need to rush. Put away that blade.¡± Hyougetsu wordlessly kept the blade at the palace lady¡¯s neck. ¡°There is no need to threaten. I will listen to you. What is your request?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡ª¡± The palace lady¡¯s expression suddenly slackened. Jusetsu felt like she could see Hyougetsu¡¯s wavering heart beyond that. The knife left the palace lady¡¯s neck for just a second. Jusetsu was about to move forward when she heard a sharp sound of something cutting through the wind. The knife dropped from the palace lady¡¯s hand with a dull sound. A stone fell next to the knife. That stone had hit her hand. Jusetsu swiftly pulled out a peony from her hair, crushed it, and threw it at the palace lady. The pale pink petals scattered for an instant before hanging in the air like thin smoke and coiling around the pot the palace lady was holding. When Jusetsu turned over her hand, the paper seal tore soundlessly, and the pot split down the middle into two halves. The branches of the pine trees shook and rustled. Lights resembling fireworks flickered between the pot shards and burst forth in the next instant. There was a sound like lightning splitting the air, and then the palace lady¡¯s body collapsed to the ground. Jusetsu covered her face with her sleeve and approached the broken pot. The pot and paper were cleanly split open as if done with a knife. Jusetsu looked up at the sky. Faint beads of light were flittering about like fireflies between the trees. There were about four of them. ¡°Ou Shou.¡± Jusetsu called towards the lights and stretched out her hand. Upon that, one of the wandering lights glided down to her. It settled down onto her palm, and she gently cupped it with both hands. In her hands, the light transformed into the form of a light amber comb. Jusetsu tucked it into her hair. ¡°Lady Raven Consort.¡± Jusetsu turned around at the voice. Nearby, there was a young eunuch with beautiful almond eyes on his knee. ¡°Was that you, Onkei?¡± He was her personal guard eunuch. He was the one who hit the palace lady¡¯s hand with a stone. How long had he been there? She hadn¡¯t sensed him at all. Jusetsu turned back. The palace lady was lying at the roots of the pine trees. She seemed to be unconscious. ¡°What is her condition?¡± ¡°She has only lost consciousness. Her hand might become swollen, though.¡± Jusetsu nodded and looked around. In the shade of a tree a little further away, there was a young man standing there. There was a sensual allure to his fair face and almond eyes, but his face was clouded with melancholy. He was dressed in silk robes embroidered with a luan3, and his long hair, which was tied, was swept over his shoulder. His hair was a magnificent silver that looked like collected moonlight. ¡°¡­I made a blunder. Raven Consort, I admit my defeat this time. I shall call again.¡± His voice was also somber. It reminded her of the autumn night air, cold and perfectly clear. ¡°Wait. Your request¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Raven Consort, why are you contented with being enclosed within the inner palace? You could have everything if you but wish for it.¡± Hyougetsu said, and then he turned around. His silver hair swayed and he was gone in the next moment, as though erased. Jusetsu was about to step towards Hyougetsu, but she quickly turned around and looked down at Onkei. He had the same posture and expression as before, and his eyes were downcast. ¡°Did you hear those words just now?¡± ¡°What are they?¡± Jusetsu stared at Onkei¡¯s face for a while, but eventually shifted her gaze. ¡°I am returning to Enou Palace.¡± She ordered Onkei to carry the palace lady¡¯s body before turning on her heel. At Enou Palace, Kajou had been anxiously waiting, but she ran over when she saw Jusetsu and Onkei carrying the palace lady. ¡°She is¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°She has only lost consciousness. She had been possessed by a ghost. Look after her.¡± An attendant led Onkei to the palace ladies¡¯ dorm. Jusetsu prompted Kajou and entered the palace. Jusetsu took out the comb from her hair. ¡°This is Ou Genyuu¡¯s soul.¡± Kajou¡¯s eyes widened, and Jusetsu held out the comb to her on her palm. The comb¡¯s form melted away and it became a faint light that resembled the glow of a firefly. Kajou gingerly stretched out her hand. The firefly glow gently flew up and landed in her hand. Kajou held her breath. She stared at the light intently. ¡°¡­It¡¯s warm,¡± Kajou cupped the light in her palms. ¡°Like cooled boiled water, never hot¡­¡± Her murmurs turned quiet and disappeared. Kajou hugged the light to her chest. Not all souls became ghosts. Some souls, no matter what kind of death they suffered, went to paradise without any trouble, while others became ghosts, eternally unable to leave this place. The souls sealed in the pot didn¡¯t become ghosts and went to paradise. Genyuu would have been one of them too, but Jusetsu kept him here for a while. ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡± The light left Kajou¡¯s hands and floated up into the air. ¡°Wait, just a little longer¡ª¡ª¡± The light flew around Kajou, who called out. A wind was whipping up, and the dangling hair ornaments in her hair made faint sounds as they brushed against each other. The light became like smoke and stroked her hair and cheek along with the wind. The flower flute hanging at her hip swayed. It made a high, chirping sound. The sound trailed in the air for a long time, and the flower flute sounded twice, and then three times. It was a warm, bright, and cheerful tone, as though it was singing. At long last, the wind tinged with a faint light parted from Kajou and danced up high. The door of the palace opened by itself and the wind flew out. Kajou chased after it. The wind flew into the sky and drifted west¡ªdrifting towards the sea. ¡°Genyuu¡­!¡± Kajou¡¯s voice, which spilled out of her mouth, seemed to also be blown up towards the wind. Even when she could no longer see the faint glimmer of brilliance left by the wind, she didn¡¯t move from where she stood. ¡°He will return to you again. When spring arrives.¡± When Jusetsu told her that, Kajou nodded silently. And then, she covered her face and sank down on the spot. Later, Kajou came to Yamei Palace, bringing along a set of silk garments. ¡°Here is my gratitude for the soul invocation.¡± The attendant placed a tray on the table. Jusetsu took the silk garments on the tray in her hand. A purple outer robe with a pattern of waves and birds wax-dyed into the fabric, and a silk under-dress in goose yellow and woven pearl-circle patterns.4 A pink shawl made of silk so fine that it seemed like it would dissipate if you touched it¡ª¡ª ¡°Wow, how beautiful¡­!¡± Jiujiu, who was standing at the side, seemed to have let out a cry without thinking, and immediately covered her mouth. ¡°Everything was made at my palace. The under-dress was sewn by the Palace Sewing Bureau girl who you saved.¡± Jusetsu pushed the tray back. ¡°I have no need for such things.¡± ¡°I think it would be more convenient to have clothing other than black. For traveling incognito, I believe these suit the Raven Consort more than dressing like a palace lady.¡± Kajou said, albeit gently, and pushed the tray back to Jusetsu. Bewildered, Jusetsu looked between Kajou and the clothing. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, if you have no need for them, then all you have to do is to dispose of them. Though, the palace ladies had taken great care to dye and sew everything¡­¡± Jusetsu had to give in after she was told that. It wasn¡¯t something she should be that obstinate about. ¡°Very well. I shall accept it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so pleased to hear that. The palace ladies will be glad as well. Please come and visit us as Enou Palace in these clothes.¡± ¡°I¨D¡± ¡°I shall prepare cakes when you come visit. Steamed buns with white sugar kneaded into them, fuliubing,5 and, aah, baozi with lotus seed paste. I have heard that you like them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Raven Consort was not someone who enjoyed tea and chatted with other consorts during the daytime. The Raven Consort lived in solitude at night. However¡ª¡ª ¡°We will always be waiting for you.¡± Kajou smiled refreshingly. Jusetsu suddenly thought that if she had an older sister, she might be someone like this. Gentle steam rose from the tea Jiujiu poured, and a bowl of honeyed apricots prepared by Kougyou was placed beside it. Just as the snow that remained stubbornly into spring slowly succumbed to the sunlight, a warmth crept into Jusetsu¡¯s chest. It was a sweet, melting warmth, terribly difficult to reject¡ªand it was poison. That night, Koushun visited. Jusetsu was the one who called him, saying that she had a request. ¡°What is your request?¡± She thought he might say something sarcastic, but that was the only thing he said. ¡°I wish to learn about Ran Hyougetsu,¡± Jusetsu straightforwardly answered. ¡°Aah¡­¡± Koushun spoke after taking a sip of tea. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about him myself.¡± ¡°I believe he was the son of the emperor¡¯s youngest son. In other words, the emperor¡¯s grandson. The youngest son wasn¡¯t a member of the central government, and his son Hyougetsu was also a nonconformist who was apprenticed to a shaman. But it was said that he had uncommon talent as a shaman. He had his head cut off the same day the emperor and his father were executed. That is all I know.¡± ¡°Do you know any more details?¡± In the end, Jusetsu didn¡¯t know why Hyougetsu was so fixated on the inner palace, or what his request was. Those things weighed on her mind. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but if we check the records, perhaps¡­¡± Koushun looked at Ei Sei. He bowed his head, even as he looked somewhat displeased with the fact that Koushun was following Jusetsu¡¯s request. ¡°I believe that man will visit me again.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That was all Koushun said in response. Jusetsu peered cautiously into his face. She couldn¡¯t read any emotion from his inexpressive face. ¡ª¡ªDid he not receive a report from Onkei? Did Onkei not tell him because he did not understand, or did he truly not hear Hyougetsu¡¯s words at that time? Koushun opened his mouth. ¡°Why did Ran Hyougetsu possess Father Moonlight?¡± Jusetsu looked away from Koushun and reached for her teacup. ¡°I know not as well. However, he seemed to have had some reason to come to the inner palace. ¡®Tis most likely that he possessed someone in Reki Province and had them bring the pot of souls here¡­¡± ¡°The person he possessed was most likely a sea merchant who offered goods to the inner palace. It was the merchant who brought the goods that I recently bequeathed to Enou Palace. He is based in Reki Province. His consciousness has been vague and indistinct for these past few months, and it seems that he thought he was just tired.¡± He was most likely being possessed during that time. After the pot was brought to the inner palace, Hyougetsu switched to the palace lady. ¡°¡­What exactly does he wish to do, coming all this way here¡­?¡± Jusetsu murmured. Koushun stared at her as she did so. Noticing his gaze, she looked up. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Koushun said and stood up. It seemed that he was already intending to leave. ¡°Are you going to visit Kajou?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Koushun said vaguely and fumbled around in his pocket. He took out something wrapped in a silk handkerchief and placed it on the table. He unfolded the bundle himself. The object that was wrapped was an ivory comb. It was in the shape of the surging sea and a bird, perhaps a nightingale. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I heard that you received clothing from Kajou. I think this would go well with it.¡± ¡°I have no need for it.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, you can just throw it away,¡± Koushun said, and then turned to leave. ¡°Did you learn those words from Kajou?¡± Koushun left the palace without answering. Jusetsu gritted her teeth. ¡ª¡ªOnce you show weakness, you can no longer escape. I knew I should have pushed those clothes back at her. If physical objects remained, the connections remained as well. Jusetsu would surely go to Enou Palace if she was invited by Kajou. Even if Koushun visited, she could no longer drive him out as she had done the first time. Jusetsu bit her lip. She approached the cupboard and took out a black accessory box. Opening the lid, she looked at the amber fish placed inside. She had received it from Koushun. Jusetsu furrowed her brow and stared at it, then closed the lid again and put it back inside the cabinet along with the wrapped comb. Should she give it to Jiujiu before long? Would that also create another connection? She didn¡¯t know. How could she go back to being alone again? ¡ª¡ªI wish to live alone in the night, without sentiment, without self. ¡°Sei.¡± As they walked down the walkway, Koushun quietly called out to Ei Sei. ¡°Tomorrow afternoon will do. Summon the Winter Minister to Koutou Academy.¡± ¡°The Winter Minister¡­Your Majesty?¡± Ei Sei¡¯s voice had a tone of bewilderment. The Winter Minister was the head of the Department of Divinities. He resided in an old, abandoned-looking palace south of the imperial palace¡ªat least, that was supposed to be the case. ¡°The current Winter Minister is Setsu Gyoei, huh.¡± ¡°It has been Lord Setsu for a long time now. Since the position of Winter Minister is a sinecure, there are no applicants for it, and though the same person has served in the office for many years, we have not heard any complaints.¡± ¡°I see. ¨DTell him that I want to ask him about the Raven Consort.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Ei Sei respectfully obeyed, but couldn¡¯t hide the puzzlement in his eyes. Yeah baby Hyougetsu¡¯s heeeeeere Volume 1 - CH 3.1 There was the sound of a bird. It wasn¡¯t Xingxing¡¯s cry. There were several skylarks perched at the latticed window of the palace. They were pecking at the millet that Jusetsu had scattered. It was one of those birds that was chirping. ¡°A newcomer, huh.¡± As she murmured that, Xingxing approached that new skylark and let out a single chirp. Upon that, the skylark chirped something shrilly. After that, Xingxing flapped its wings to threaten the skylark, causing it to set off from the window and fly around inside the palace. ¡°Xingxing, do not bully small birds,¡± she said, but Xingxing didn¡¯t listen. While Xingxing flapped about, scattering its feathers, Jusetsu held out her hand in the direction of the skylark. It landed on her fingers. A somewhat cool feeling ran through her fingers. ¡°What troubles would a bird have? ¡®Tis better for you to go to paradise at once,¡± Jusetsu said to the skylark. This skylark was different from the others. That was why Xingxing was acting so wildly. ¡ª¡ªA bird whose body has already died. How rare, a skylark¡¯s ghost. Birds were the messengers and familiars of Wulian Niangniang, and once their lives had ended, they could enter the paradise on the other side of the sea. They didn¡¯t get lost and become ghosts¡ªrather, they even served as guides for the souls of humans. ¡°Do you not know that you have died?¡± The skylark left Jusetsu¡¯s hand and flew in circles near the ceiling. ¡°Oh, a skylark,¡± Jiujiu, who was bringing tea, said happily when she heard its chirping. ¡°This is a quiet palace, so even the singing of a little bird makes things lively.¡± ¡°That is not a living skylark.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± When she said that, Jiujiu visibly paled. She was as timid as ever. ¡°It seems that it failed to cross over to paradise.¡± ¡°My¡­so something like that can happen as well. Ah, then¡ª¡± Jiujiu, seeming to have realized something, looked up at the skylark. ¡°I wonder if that skylark was Princess Skylark¡¯s.¡± ¡°Princess Skylark?¡± ¡°There was a princess who was called by that name, during the reign of the previous emperor.¡± That meant she was the current emperor¡¯s half-sister. ¡°Why was she called Princess Skylark?¡± ¡°There was a skylark who was very attached to the princess. It seemed¡ª¡± Jiujiu¡¯s smile became clouded here. ¡°¡ªthat she was a lonely person. Her mother died when she was young, and she grew up without anyone in the inner palace caring about her.¡± ¡°But she was a princess?¡± ¡°Yes. However, well¡­her mother was only a palace lady.¡± A palace lady of little status as a mother would have no supporters. No supporters meant that she was isolated and helpless in the inner palace. ¡°Duck Consort, Magpie Consort, Crane Consort, Sparrow Lady, Nightingale Woman¡­these titles are given to the concubines of the inner palace, but not palace ladies. But, some concubines call palace ladies by this name¡ª¡®Sparrows.¡¯¡± ¡°Sparrow?¡± How adorable, Jusetsu said, but Jiujiu¡¯s face didn¡¯t brighten. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t a very pleasant name. ¡°They say that it¡¯s a restless and ugly bird that delightedly picks at the grains fallen on the floor¡­¡± ¡°There is nothing ugly about them. Words are the mirror of the heart. ¡®Tis the hearts of those who can only think that way that are uglier.¡± Jiujiu finally grinned. ¡°Niangniang, you¡¯re so kind.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Jusetsu thought that she said something that didn¡¯t suit her, but held her tongue. Jiujiu had looked sad, so it had slipped out of her mouth. ¡°I wish this inner palace only had people like Niangniang and Hua Niangniang, but¡­as I mentioned, the princess¡¯s mother was a palace lady, so calling her Princess Skylark 1was also meant to ridicule her for that.¡± The figure of a girl who was made fun of, neglected by everyone, and only had a skylark as a friend came to Jusetsu¡¯s mind. Her brows naturally knitted together. ¡°¡­You have been talking in the past tense since earlier. What happened to that princess?¡± ¡°She died when she was thirteen. Apparently, her foot slipped and she fell into a pond, and she had already stopped breathing when she was discovered. The strange thing is, around the time the princess fell into the pond, her skylark was crying out loudly and flying around all over the inner palace. It was desperate, like it was trying to tell people about the princess¡¯s dilemma. But no one thought anything of it and pretended to be unaware of it¡­finally, the skylark ran out of strength and fell to the ground towards its death. Since then, it¡¯s said that sometimes in the inner palace, one can hear the mournful cries of a skylark.¡± Jusetsu and Jiujiu looked up over their heads. The skylark was still chirping shrilly, flying around in a restless manner. Just when it seemed to finally flew into a wall, it disappeared. ¡°¡­It seems that it went somewhere else.¡± ¡°Niangniang, can you send even a little bird like that to paradise?¡± ¡°Because it is a bird¡ªI suppose I can do something for it.¡± After all, it was a retainer of a goddess, so as long as she could put it on a path, Wulian Niangniang would help with the rest. When she said that, Jiujiu¡¯s eyes filled with supplication. ¡°If so, then please save it. It¡¯s too pitiful to leave it as it is.¡± Jiujiu herself was a palace lady, so she probably sympathized strongly with Princess Skylark and her skylark friend. ¡°¡­Well, I do not mind.¡± ¡°Oh, I have to give something in payment if I request something from you. What I should I do, I don¡¯t have much¡ª¡± ¡°I have no need for payment. ¡®Tis only a bird.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± There was an obvious look of relief on Jiujiu¡¯s face. This girl was quite easy to read. ¡°There is no rumor that Princess Skylark herself became a ghost?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard any. But it¡¯s strange that the skylark is the one who is still lost in this world, even though the princess could pass over. There might be rumors about her that I don¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°¡¯Tis not strange. Even if one becomes a ghost, the more people that wishes to see them, the less chance they have of becoming a ghost.¡± ¡°Haa, so it¡¯s something like that¡­¡± Jiujiu nodded, looking like she didn¡¯t understand it at all. Past noon, Jusetsu left Yamei Palace, dressed in her palace lady clothes. She didn¡¯t take Jiujiu with her. She might be angry to learn that Jusetsu had left the palace alone around this time. She thought that it would be a problem if they got into the habit of doing everything together. As expected, I am lighter on my feet when I am alone, Jusetsu thought as she walked along the white gravel path. Princess Skylark lived in a small palace called Sourou Hall,2 located on the north-eastern outskirts of the inner palace. It was a palace built on the edge of a grove with a pond, and rugosa roses, honeysuckles, and chrysanthemums were growing freely and lushly around it. She heard that there was no one living here now, and it had become a favorite haunt of tanukis and weasels. The doors had fallen off their hinges due to rust, and none of the furnishings remained, perhaps because they hadn¡¯t been any from the beginning, or they were taken away after the princess¡¯s death. As Jusetsu walked around the rooms, startled animals fled through holes in the stripped mud walls and ceiling. ¡ª¡ªThere was not even a hint of Princess Skylark¡¯s ghost. She went to the pond where she was said to have drowned, but didn¡¯t sense anything there either. As expected, she hadn¡¯t become a ghost and went to paradise without trouble. The pond, surrounded by laurel and juniper trees, was dim and damp. Arrowheads, sweet flags, and fritillaries were growing on the banks. This pond wasn¡¯t created by drawing water from a canal, but rather water gushing out of the ground. Even though there was no wind, there were ripples and the water was so clear that it made her pale. It looked cool even in summer. If someone fell into the water here, they would lose their body heat and weaken. Jusetsu was walking along the bank when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. There were picked flowers placed on the bank. White chrysanthemums, which she had spotted in Sourou Hall¡¯s garden earlier. They were still in bud, but some branches had been cut and tied together with grass stalks. Since they were in that state, they must have been placed here intentionally rather than being carelessly plucked off and discarded here¡ªthey were an offering. Jusetsu stared at the flowers for a while, then let out a ¡°Hmm¡± and turned on her heel. She was searching for the palace closest to Sourou Hall. There was a palace close by with crane decorations at the corners of the blue-glazed roof tiles. It was Hakkaku Palace. She walked around the wall of junipers3 that surrounded the palace and looked inside through the small back gate. Nearby, palace ladies were drying the clothes they had washed. They probably belonged to the Palace Dyeing Bureau. Jusetsu approached them quietly. ¡°There is something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°Wah, you scared me!¡± When she approached a palace lady and called out to her, she jumped up with the clothes in her hands. ¡°Wait, who are you? You don¡¯t work here.¡± ¡°I am from Yamei Palace. I wish to ask you about Princess Skylark.¡± At the words Yamei Palace and Princes Skylark, the palace lady looked around in bewilderment. The other palace ladies were shuffling closer. ¡°Did you say Yamei Palace? The Raven Consort¡¯s?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your business here?¡± ¡°Princess Skylark is the previous emperor¡¯s, you see¡ª¡± They were all talking to each other, so Jusetsu cleared her throat. The palace ladies closed their mouths. ¡°Sourou Hall is near here. Is there anyone here who was close to Princess Skylark?¡± The palace ladies looked at each other while cocking their heads in puzzlement. ¡°It is near here, but¡­¡± ¡°That all happened during the previous emperor¡¯s reign.¡± ¡°We only know the rumors.¡± ¡°Ah, but if I remember correctly,¡± In the midst of all that, someone raised their voice. ¡°The previous Crane Consort would sometimes have food sent to Sourou Hall.¡± The previous Crane Consort¡ªin other words, Consort Sha, Koushun¡¯s mother. ¡°Apparently, Princess Skylark lived in poverty and was scraping by each day. I heard that the Crane Consort helped her secretly because the empress would take notice of her if she was too kind to the princess. The palace lady who was the errand girl still works in this palace. She is now the current Crane Consort¡¯s attendant.¡± ¡°What is the name of that attendant?¡± ¡°It¡¯s You-shi.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jusetsu thanked her and was about to head towards the palace, but the palace ladies stopped her. ¡°You can¡¯t meet her right now. The Crane Consort is selecting the fabrics for her new dress. She has her room filled with fabrics, and she¡¯s fussing over things like how this fabric matches this hairpin, but if matching it with this pair of shoes¡­she¡¯s having her attendants working feverishly, bringing in all sorts of things. I wonder if she will finish it today.¡± ¡°All that for selecting fabrics?¡± The palace lady raised her eyebrows at Jusetsu¡¯s manner of speaking, but then she only shrugged and didn¡¯t censure her. She probably shared her sentiments. ¡°The fabrics that the Crane Consort doesn¡¯t choose will be bestowed upon her attendants, so it is a pleasant occasion for them as well. That¡¯s why they won¡¯t come out even if you call them. Perhaps they might even receive a hairpin or dress that the Crane Consort doesn¡¯t need anymore.¡± ¡°The Crane Consort is very generous, after all.¡± ¡°Her attendants are very pleased with themselves, since they get to work in a palace that has more benefits than the others.¡± Benefits, Jusetsu repeated to herself. ¡°I heard that some palaces don¡¯t do hand-me-downs. I guess it¡¯s the consort¡¯s backing that makes all the difference. The Crane Consort comes from a wealthy family,¡± a palace lady said knowingly. ¡°¡­Is it a custom for consorts to give gifts to attendants in all the palaces?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no place that doesn¡¯t do it. It all depends on the consort¡¯s generosity. It would be a failure on their part if they don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Failure¡­¡± Jusetsu had never given her attendant Jiujiu anything. That went for Kougyou as well, of course. Reijou didn¡¯t keep any attendants as well, so she had no way of knowing. ¡ª¡ªSo that is how it is. Judging that she most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to see the attendant today, Jusetsu left Hakkaku Palace. She returned to Yamei Palace while deep in thought. Yamei Palace was located deep in the inner palace¡ªin other words, in the center. It was situated past a dense thicket of laurel trees and rhododendrons, but the poisonous rhododendrons seemed to prevent people from visiting, which seemed quite typical of the Raven Consort¡¯s residence. Even though there were such trees in the surrounding area, there was no garden to admire seasonal flowers in Yamei Palace. Even the abandoned Sourou Hall was lush with flowers and grasses. When Jusetsu returned to Yamei Palace, Jiujiu was furious, as expected. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to ask me to accompany you if you are going out?¡± Why are you going out alone? She was offended. She had lost face as an attendant. ¡°You do not always need to accompany me.¡± ¡°Then what is an attendant to do if she doesn¡¯t accompany her lady? Are you saying that I¡¯m not needed?¡± ¡°That is not¡­¡± Jusetsu trailed off. That is the case. Jusetsu had never needed an attendant. In fact, it was better for her to not have one. If she told Koushun, he should be able to make her an attendant to another consort, or return her to her palace lady position. ¡°Jiujiu¡ª¡± ¡ª¡ªDo you not want to be the attendant of another consort? Jusetsu was about to ask that, but then closed her mouth and headed towards her cabinet. She took out the handkerchief-wrapped bundle and held it out to Jiujiu. ¡°I shall give you this.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Jiujiu blinked in surprise. ¡°Why so suddenly?¡± Jusetsu wordlessly pressed the bundle into Jiujiu¡¯s hand. Jiujiu opened it. It was the ivory comb Koushun gave her. ¡°Isn¡¯t this His Majesty¡¯s gift to you?¡± Jiujiu panickily rewrapped the comb. ¡°You mustn¡¯t give this to me. I can¡¯t accept it.¡± ¡°Since I said I would give you to you, there should be no problem.¡± ¡°It is a big deal! Giving me a gift from His Majesty is¡ª¡± ¡°Would you rather clothing?¡± When Jusetsu said that, Jiujiu looked hurt for some reason. ¡°I never said I wanted anything.¡± ¡°But being able to receive things is better.¡± Jusetsu was thinking about what she heard from the palace ladies earlier, but Jiujiu¡¯s mouth dropped open like she was taken aback. ¡°I¡¯ve never considered receiving anything from you, Niangniang. Do I look that greedy to you?¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, at the beginning, I became your attendant because I was ordered to, but I intend to serve you with sincerity in my own way. And yet, acting like I¡¯m only after money¡ªthat¡¯s unfair.¡± Jiujiu thrust the bundle with the ivory comb back at Jusetsu and ran out of the room through the kitchen doorway. Kougyou was peering worriedly from the doorway. Jusetsu stayed where she was with the comb in her hand, not knowing what to do. ¡ª¡ªIt appears that I have angered her. Jusetsu glared at the comb and put it back into the cabinet. She drew the silk curtains around her bed and sat down. It doesn¡¯t matter if I made her angry. I was just thinking of having her transferred to another palace¡ª¡ª ¡°¡­¡± Even though she thought that, why did she try to give Jiujiu the comb? It was as though she was trying to put the angry Jiujiu in a good mood. Jusetsu hugged her knees to her chest and closed her eyes. Honestly I hope Princess Skylark gets a name in the anime, it¡¯s kinda sad that she never gets one Volume 1 - CH 3.2 After the morning meeting, Koushun didn¡¯t go to the inner court, where Gyokou Hall was located, but headed towards the south of the palace. Away from the rows of main government buildings such as the Secretariat and Palace Administration Ministry, there was a quiet temple encircled by mud walls. The mud was falling off the walls in various places, the vermillion paint on the gates were flaking off, and the plaque was slightly tilted. Koushun alighted from his palanquin in front of the gates. It was customary for the emperor to descend from his horse or palanquin here. Koushun looked up at the plaque. ¡ª¡ªSeiu Temple. That temple was dedicated to Wulian Niangniang. The Winter Minister, the head of the Department of Divinities, had his office here. Passing through the gates, they found that the path to the temple entrance was paved with stones, but they were chipped and broken in many places. The pagoda of copper hanging lanterns standing at the side was cloudy with green rust, and the three large incense burners in front of the temple were unlit. They were originally meant to be lit to burn incense to the point of creating smoke. The temple had noticeably peeling paint and some areas appeared to have been eaten by insects. Many of the lanterns hanging from the eaves had been mended where they were torn. The banners had also been mended, but their damage was severe. The inside was empty and cold, and the painting of Wulian Niangniang on the front wall stood out like a terrifying thing in the pale sunlight. The altar had been wiped clean, but there was no way to hide the old, peeling lacquer. In front of the temple, all the members of the Winter Ministry were out in full force, waiting for the emperor¡¯s visit. Although ¡°full force¡± was much less impressive than it sounded, as the number of people who worked at the Winter Ministry only numbered eleven. All of them were dressed in dull robes the color of a cloudy sky, but one old man standing in the front was dressed in dark grey, bluish-black robes¡ªthe Winter Minister. Grey robes were said to be the symbol of Wulian Niangniang¡¯s servants. The old man attempted to bow to Koushun, but perhaps because of his age, he staggered and dropped to his knees. When Koushun told him to raise his head, two grey-robed young men behind the old man supported him as he was about to get up. They were factotums, subordinates to the Winter Minister. ¡°I am the Winter Minister, Setsu Gyoei.¡± Despite appearances, the old man introduced himself firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you have been in bed with illness for a while. Have you already recovered?¡± ¡°I am very sorry to hear that you were concerned for my health, Your Majesty. As you can see, I am an old man, and I am prone to illness. But I have been feeling much better for the past few days.¡± When Koushun entered the temple, he sat down in a chair placed next to a latticed window. Ei Sei stood by his side. ¡°I sincerely apologize for forcing to send a messenger to me many times. And I am very much awed that Your Majesty has come to visit me. As you can see, it is an old temple. Gracious, there is not even the budget to repair it. Please forgive its unsightliness.¡± Gyoei¡¯s tone was courteous but somewhat light. Is he making light of a young emperor? Koushun probed Gyoei¡¯s expression. What is your business here? Gyoei asked. Koushun narrowed his eyes slightly at the thin sunlight streaming in from the latticed window and stared at the wall painting of Wulian Niangniang. ¡°I want to ask you about the Raven Consort.¡± ¡°Haa, so you say¡­¡± Gyoei¡¯s eyes, buried underneath long white eyebrows, fluttered. Koushun noticed that his eyes were surprisingly sharp. ¡°The Raven Consort was said to have been enclosed within the inner palace so that the emperor of the previous dynasty could monopolize her power. This is only written in Tsushinshi, and it is not described in the official history Soutsuten. It was the Winter Minister of the previous dynasty who left the Tsushinshi behind. And so I thought that if anyone would be knowledgeable about the Raven Consort, it would be the Winter Minister.¡± Gyoei stroked his chin in thought. ¡°I am sure that everything regarding the Raven Consort was prescribed in the decrees. It is Wulian Niangniang who I serve, not the Raven Consort.¡± What a crafty old man, Koushun thought as he glanced at Gyoei. ¡°The decrees only describe the Raven Consort¡¯s treatment. I want to ask about the Raven Consort herself. There are some things that I vaguely found strange. My grandfather¡ªthe emperor before the last hated magic to the point that he banished all shamans from the capital, and yet he left the Raven Consort, who similarly used strange arts, as she was.¡± The faint feeling of discomfort had been growing in Koushun lately. There was also Onkei¡¯s report to him. The words Hyougetsu spoke. ¡ª¡ªRaven Consort, why are you contented with being enclosed within the inner palace? You could have everything if you but wish for it. Gyoei stroked his beard with a complicated expression on his face. ¡°¡­The Flame Emperor loathed shamans because the emperor of the previous dynasty valued them highly. The Flame Emperor was contemptuous of curses and anything of that sort. But then the ghosts appeared.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The ghosts of the emperor and imperial family of the previous family had appeared in the Flame Emperor¡¯s bedroom. This troubled him so much that he finally appealed to the Raven Consort to do something about it.¡± ¡°¡­Was that not just a rumor?¡± Koushun had assumed it was an absurd ghost story. ¡°It is the truth. The Raven Consort exorcised the ghosts. Thus, the Flame Emperor could finally sleep soundly at night. That was why he could no longer treat the Raven Consort roughly. That is what happened.¡± Koushun crossed his arms. ¡°I know that. Well then, what else?¡± Well now, Gyoei stroked his beard. ¡°I am merely the Winter Minister of this desolate temple, so there is much I do not know.¡± ¡°Understood. I will tell the Ministry of Finance¡¯s officials to lend money for repairs.¡± Gyoei raised an eyebrow. His long slit eyes peered out, making Koushun think that he must have been a beautiful young man once. ¡°Your Majesty, I did not grudgingly give you information for the sake of such bargaining. It is upsetting. If this temple becomes deserted and the people¡¯s faith is turned away from Wulian Niangniang, then that is the way of the world. I am fine with that.¡± Koushun had received reports that the temples of Wulian Niangniang were becoming deserted in many places, not just the capital. The Winter Minister had been a sinecure for a long time, so one could only imagine what was happening in the provinces. ¡°They say that the Raven Consort was also Wulian Niangniang¡¯s priestess.¡± ¡°That is so.¡± ¡°So her priestess is imprisoned within the inner palace, and her priest is a do-nothing job?¡± Gyoei¡¯s mustache twitched. It seemed that he was smiling. Koushun leaned closer and whispered low enough that no one else could hear. ¡°¡ª¡ªEven though the Raven Consort could have everything if she just wished for it?¡± The crafty old man mask peeled away from Gyoei¡¯s face. His eyes widened, and he was speechless. ¡°Where did you¡ª¡± ¡°There is something else I find strange. Yamei Palace, where the Raven Consort lives. It is directly opposite my Gyokou Hall. Why is that?¡± The palace that shined brightly even at night, and the hall where light condensed. Yamei Palace was positioned in the center of the inner palace, as though it was its master. ¡°Who exactly is the Raven Consort?¡± Sly old geezer, Koushun cursed in his mind as the palanquin swayed. ¡°What a strange thing to say. The Raven Consort is the Raven Consort, as she should be.¡± Gyoei had immediately regained his composure and spoke evasively without substance. ¡°I have no connections with the inner palace, so I do not know about the Raven Consort. You should ask her about the Raven Consort. ¡ª¡ªOh yes, I have heard that she can purge the evil spirits that disturb one¡¯s sleep. Has Your Majesty considered asking her for help? You have not been sleeping well lately, have you? Your complexion does not look good.¡± He knew that while saying he didn¡¯t know anything about the Raven Consort. Koushun rubbed his brow. It was true that he wasn¡¯t sleeping well. Did he really look that unwell? Ei Sei had indeed been concerned about him. Koushun let out a sigh and parted the curtain slightly. ¡°Sei, I¡¯m changing our destination. We¡¯re going to the inner palace, not Gyokou Hall.¡± Yes, Your Majesty, came Ei Sei¡¯s reply. Probably should have included this part with the first part but oh well Volume 1 - CH 3.3 Jusetsu walked along the banks of the pond. It was the pond where Princess Skylark drowned. She was checking the plants and flowers growing next to the pond when she suddenly heard the chirping of a skylark. It was that skylark. She looked around, trying to see where it was, but couldn¡¯t find it. The pond surface was dimly lit even in the late afternoon under the shadows of the trees. Jusetsu was staring absentmindedly at the fleeting sunlight rippling faintly on the water when she suddenly looked up. She heard the sound of footsteps and clothes rustling. She waited, and a palace lady who appeared to be in her twenties appeared from the shade of a laurel tree. Judging from her attire, she was the attendant to a concubine. She was hugging rugosa roses to her chest. She was a dainty girl with pale skin. Although her features weren¡¯t particularly outstanding, there was an appealing charm to her slim figure and long neck. Her single-edged, downcast eyes had a shadow that drew one¡¯s attention. The attendant stopped in her tracks when she saw Jusetsu standing by the pond, looking completely stunned. The flowers she was holding fell to the ground. She probably didn¡¯t expect anyone to be here. She hurriedly picked them up. ¡°Are you offering those flowers to the deceased?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Those flowers. Are you offering them to Princess Skylark?¡± The attendant stared at Jusetsu in bewilderment, and then ambiguously affirmed it with an ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± She seemed to be on guard against an unfamiliar stranger. ¡°I am the Raven Consort. You are?¡± The palace lady seemed more and more bewildered after she introduced herself as the Raven Consort. She was flustered, as though she couldn¡¯t quite believe it. ¡°Are you You-shi, attendant to the Crane Consort?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªYou know who I am?¡± The palace lady knelt, looking fearful. ¡°As you¡¯ve said, my family name is You,1 and my name is Juujou. I apologize for my rudeness.¡± Juujou seemed to think that Jusetsu had guessed her name with uncanny powers. Jusetsu had only guessed that she would be the only attendant who might offer flowers to the princess, based on what she had heard from the palace ladies. ¡°I have been waiting for you.¡± ¡°For me¡­?¡± When she saw the flowers laid on the banks of the pond, she knew that there was someone who mourned the princess¡¯s death. She had come here because she guessed that she would be able to meet that person if she waited here. ¡°I wish to know about the princess. I have heard that you would occasionally bring food to her, but were you close to her?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± As Juujou was about to answer, she broke into a small coughing fit. ¡°My apologies.¡± ¡°Are you ill?¡± ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m ill, but¡­I get a cough when the seasons change.¡± It seemed to be her physical constitution. She might be frail because of her slim figure. ¡°¡¯Tis cold by the water. You should be cautious.¡± Jusetsu led Juujou from the side of the pond to the shade. ¡°Thank you very much. ¡ª¡ªThe princess also had a weak constitution, and perhaps it was for that reason that she often worried about me. Even though she was suffering far more than I¡­¡± ¡°She had a weak constitution?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t serious enough that she had to see the court physician, but on occasion she would get a fever and be confined to bed. She didn¡¯t take any medicine, saying that she would get better if she slept¡ªshe couldn¡¯t get any from the medical office even if she asked. They couldn¡¯t prescribe medicine on their own, and she needed the permission of the empress to ask for the court physician, so Consort Sha was unable to do that much for her¡­¡± If Consort Sha looked after her too much, she would attract the empress¡¯s attention. She seemed to have been afraid of that. ¡°She didn¡¯t have any attendants, so she was someone who could do anything by herself. When I first met her, she was twelve years old, and I was the same age. Even though she was left alone in such a dreary palace at such a tender age¡­she was an admirable person who lived a quiet life without blaming anyone. I had just entered the inner palace and was missing home, and I had some very hard times, but the princess comforted me a great deal,¡± Juujou smiled nostalgically. ¡°She was a down-to-earth person who didn¡¯t mind doing kitchen work or working in the soil. She grew vegetables and flowers in her garden, and I sometimes helped her with that.¡± ¡°She grew vegetables and flowers by herself?¡± ¡°Yes. The flowers are still growing here. Honeysuckles and rugosa roses. These are cut from that garden. They were the princess¡¯s favorite flowers.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jusetsu nodded. Juujou seemed to have suddenly recollected herself. ¡°Pardon me for asking¡ªbut why are you interested in the princess at this time, Lady Raven Consort?¡± ¡°There was a skylark who was attached to the princess, yes?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Juujou immediately nodded. Since it had become famous enough to be the princess¡¯s nickname, there was no need for her to trace her memory. ¡°Do you know that that skylark has still not left inner palace?¡± Aaah, Juujou let out a sigh and spoke with pain in her voice. ¡°I do know that. I thought it was just a rumor, but I see that it really is true.¡± ¡°Yes. I wish to do something about it.¡± When Jusetsu said that, Juujou nodded several times as if to show her gratitude. ¡°Thank you very much. If that is the case, I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡± Please ask anything you¡¯d like, she said, so Jusetsu decided to ask her without hesitation. ¡°Was that skylark so attached to the princess?¡± ¡°The princess fed that skylark millet and doted on it every day. Sparrows and skylarks often came to her, but one in particular had taken to her, and it would sing happily whenever it saw her.¡± ¡°That skylark seemed to have also died when the princess passed away.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± This time, she answered waveringly. It wasn¡¯t because she was hesitating over the answer, but because it was too painful to remember. Juujou hung her head. ¡°She was screaming for help so heartbreakingly, but I hesitated and was too late to get to her. If I had been able to help her right away, it might have made a difference¡­¡± ¡°Since she had a weak body, the coldness of the pond would have been fatal to her. Even if you had been able to pull her out of the water quickly, I think it would have been difficult to save her.¡± Juujou smiled slightly. ¡°Thank you very much. But¡­¡± "" ¡°You said you hesitated. Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Juujou cast her eyes down and her expression darkened. ¡°The day before, I had an argument with the princess.¡± ¡°An argument with the princess?¡± ¡°I was disrespectful towards her without bearing my position in mind. I asked the princess if she could ask His Majesty¡ªthe previous emperor¡ªfor help since her situation was so wretched. She shook her head and said that she didn¡¯t want to do anything about it and that she was fine with it. I thought she was so noble, but at the same time I felt so frustrated¡­because she had done nothing wrong. I thought she should have been more dissatisfied and expressed it.¡± But, the princess only shook her head. ¡°She was so stubborn that she wouldn¡¯t listen to me, and at the end I got angry¡ªand excused myself from her,¡± A self-deprecating smile appeared on Juujou¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m sure that deep down, I also looked down on her as a mere palace lady¡¯s daughter. That was why I could talk to her like that. When I returned to my room, I realized this and was horrified. I¡¯m sure the princess noticed that part of me as well, since she was very discerning¡­thinking that, I was so embarrassed that I couldn¡¯t face her.¡± That was why the next day, even when the skylark was singing for help, she hesitated. ¡ª¡ªAnd then, the princess died. ¡°I have always regretted it. She died all alone. I wish I could have held her hand before she passed away. I wish I could have told her that I was by her side. When I think about how sad and lonely she must have felt when she passed away¡ª¡± Juujou choked up and covered her mouth with her sleeve. She was coughing, so Jusetsu rubbed her back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯ll go away soon.¡± ¡°Ask the medical office for a fritillary decoction. ¡®Tis a cough suppressant.¡± ¡°Yes¡­thank you very much.¡± Jusetsu turned back to the banks of the pond and stared at it for a while. ¡°Do you know the reason why the princess fell into the pond?¡± Juujou shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She sometimes took walks here, so I thought her foot might have slipped somehow or other.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Juujou looked anxiously at Jusetsu, who was deep in thought. ¡°Can you help that skylark?¡± ¡°I can.¡± When she answered succinctly and resolutely, Juujou let out a sigh, like she was relieved. ¡°Thank you very much. I cannot help but think of the skylark as the princess herself.¡± Please save that skylark, Juujou repeated, and then left. Jusetsu started walking around the pond again. ¡ª¡ªThe princess was¡­ A gentle breeze created ripples on the water, making a sound that was like flowing sand. Smelling the dampness, Jusetsu crouched by the water¡¯s edge. Flowers were blooming there. As she approached the ground, the scent of decayed greenery and earth grew stronger. ¡°So you were here?¡± Jusetsu stood up at the voice. Koushun appeared from the woods. Ei Sei was behind him. ¡°When I went to Yamei Palace, they told me you were at Sourou Hall, so I came searching for you. Jiujiu was troubled because you went out by yourself again.¡± ¡°I do not like taking an attendant with me when I walk.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t need an attendant, why don¡¯t you return her to Hien Palace?¡± ¡°That is¡ª¡± Jusetsu turned towards Koushun without thinking. And then she turned back to the pond again. ¡°I do not mind keeping her at Yamei Palace.¡± Koushun walked to Jusetsu¡¯s side. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I am investigating Princess Skylark.¡± ¡°Aah¡ªthey said she was good friends with a skylark,¡± Koushun looked around the pond. ¡°Come to think of it, this was the pond where she died.¡± For Koushun, she was his younger half-sister. ¡°Have you ever met her?¡± ¡°No.¡± Koushun¡¯s answer was short. ¡°But she was your younger sister.¡± ¡°Half-siblings are more likely to be seen only occasionally in ceremonies, if at all. We had no acquaintance with each other.¡± Furthermore, Princess Skylark was a princess who seemed to have been completely forgotten because her mother was a palace lady. ¡°What are these flowers?¡± Koushun spotted the sprigs of rugosa roses nearby and picked them up. ¡°They were offered by a palace lady who had interactions with the princess.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Koushun stared fixedly at the flowers. ¡°So she had someone who would offer her flowers.¡± ¡°Those flowers are called rugosa roses. Do you know them?¡± ¡°Who knows. I forget the names of flowers no matter how many times I hear them. These don¡¯t seem to be in the Gyokou Hall gardens.¡± ¡°Apparently, they were planted in the garden by the princess herself. There were also honeysuckle and chrysanthemums.¡± ¡°Oh ho,¡± Koushun¡¯s eyes said, So what? ¡°Those flowers can all be used in medicine.¡± ¡°Oh ho,¡± Koushun said again in response. This time he sounded surprised. ¡°Honeysuckles can be used as fever medicine. Rugosa roses improve the circulation of qi. Chrysanthemums can alleviate fevers and serve as painkillers. The princess was said to be weak and often had fevers, but no medicine was prescribed for her. Therefore, she most likely made her medicines and took them herself.¡± Jusetsu didn¡¯t know where she learned that knowledge, but it was probably from her mother. ¡°And so¡ª¡± Jusetsu looked towards the pond. ¡°The reason she fell into the pond also lies there.¡± What? Koushun asked, and Jusetsu pointed at the plants at their feet. Green-tinged white flowers shaped like temple bells were blooming there. There was a black mesh pattern on the inside of the petals. ¡°Those are fritillaries.¡± ¡°Fritillaries?¡± ¡°The bulbs are used as a cough suppressant.¡± These are medicine as well? Koushun knelt down and stared at the flowers. He then looked around. ¡°I see, she tried to pick them, but her foot slipped.¡± The area where the fritillaries were growing was sloped, and the ground was muddy from the water. ¡°She didn¡¯t have to try so hard to pick them.¡± Koushun muttered. Jusetsu was silent. ¡ª¡ªThe princess attempted to pick the fritillaries for You Juujou¡¯s sake. The princess tried so hard to pick the flowers because she got a cough when the seasons changed. This was probably for the sake of making it up to Juujou after their argument. That wasn¡¯t something she could tell Juujou by any means. That was why Jusetsu didn¡¯t tell her that earlier. It was better for her to not know. Jusetsu looked overhead. She could hear the cries of a skylark from within the woods. ¡°How have you progressed with that?¡± ¡°That?¡± ¡°The wooden bird. You told me that you would finish it by the time you visited me again.¡± ¡°The swiftlet? It¡¯s done.¡± Even though he couldn¡¯t remember the names of flowers, he was attentive to the names of animals. Koushun took out the wooden carving from his pocket and handed it to Jusetsu. ¡°¡­You did a fine job.¡± Jusetsu was impressed as she looked at the sparrow figure in her palm. It was so lifelike that she could almost feel the bird¡¯s heat. The finely carved feathers looked soft, and its round eyes were adorably animated-looking. She felt like she could feel a small heartbeat if she stroked its swelled chest. ¡°Will it be useful? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re using it for, though.¡± ¡°This is how I will use it.¡± Jusetsu whistled. She was imitating the high-pitched call of a bird. A few moments after she did that, a skylark flew down from between the laurel trees. It landed on a tree branch next to her. It was the skylark from before. Jusetsu took out a peony from her hair, and it transformed into pale pink mist in her palm. She blew on it. The mist turned into a small maelstrom, making her sleeves flap. Jusetsu waved her hand, and the maelstrom unraveled and turned into a gentle wind. Her other hand held the wooden sparrow aloft. The sparrow trembled gently, and then immediately gave a great shake and transformed into a real sparrow. ¡°Go forth.¡± Jusetsu told the sparrow, and it took off from her hand as though responding. It flapped its wings and rose up. ¡°Now, you should follow this bird. The princess is waiting for you at the end of your journey.¡± The skylark took off from the branch. The pale pink wind enveloped it. As though pushed up by the wind, the skylark followed the sparrow. Riding the wind, the two birds flew away. Towards the sea, and towards the other side of it. When she could no longer see the wind or the birds, Jusetsu let out a light breath. ¡°That is good. That sparrow will lead the skylark to paradise.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s good that it was a bird that could fly well.¡± Yes, Jusetsu nodded. ¡°That bird will be able to fly all the way to the other side of the sea without incident.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that I was the one who made it, then. I don¡¯t think that the bird you were carving would have been able to fly up.¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± Jusetsu glared at Koushun and stepped away from him. However, she stopped in her tracks after taking two or three steps. ¡°¡­You have my gratitude for making a bird that can fly well for me. You were helpful.¡± Thank you, she continued in a low voice. She then began to walk without turning around, but was pulled back by her hand. When she turned around, she was met with Koushun¡¯s face right in front of hers, but he only stared at her, saying nothing. A slight tinge of wonderment was in his expressionless face. ¡°What is it? Is that surprising for me to thank you?¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± Koushun looked down and let go of her hand like he was surprised. ¡°I was certainly surprised, but more than that, it was refreshing.¡± ¡°Refreshing.¡± ¡°I felt happy, as though a cat who had never taken to me very well has at last taken to me just a little bit. ¡ª¡ªAah, oi, wait!¡± ¡°I have not taken to you at all, not a single bit, not even one iota.¡± ¡°Understood. Then, that will do.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®that will do¡¯? I¡ª¡± ¡°Hold out your hand.¡± "" ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your hand.¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± Koushun forcibly took Jusetsu¡¯s hand. He put something small in it. It was a wooden carving of a bird. A cute little bird. ¡°What is this bird?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a willow tit.¡± He was strangely specific again. ¡°I would have liked to paint it. It¡¯s similar to you.¡± ¡°¡­Because it is small?¡± ¡°It¡¯s small and adorable.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She assumed he was talking about the bird. If he felt that way about Jusetsu, then he was completely out of his mind. How could he think that a cantankerous and annoying little girl like her was adorable? "" Jusetsu stared at the willow tit. It was smaller than the swiftlet, but it was just as elaborate. The fine feathers looked fluffy, and its slightly tilted neck was charming. It was well made. ¡°¡­The person who taught you wood carving must have been very skilled.¡± ¡°Apparently, he wanted to be a jade craftsman. He said that if he worked with his hands, he didn¡¯t have to talk to anyone.¡± Jusetsu tilted her head, wondering what he was getting at. Koushun looked nostalgically at the willow tit. ¡°Tei Ran was mute. He came from a respectable family, but was put up for adoption because it was impossible for him to become a civil servant, and then he was turned into a eunuch and sent to the inner palace for money. After working in the Palace Maintenance Bureau, he was transferred to the Eastern Palace because of his honesty. As my caretaker.¡± Tei Ran, who was skilled with his hands and could make anything well, seemed to have quickly captured the young Koushun¡¯s heart. ¡°He was a cheerful and easygoing person. Even without speaking, I could understand what he was thinking. Whether he was happy, sad, or troubled. Maybe it was because I was with him all the time.¡± Koushun¡¯s eyes softened as he spoke, but his expression suddenly dropped from his face. ¡°Tei Ran died when I was the deposed crown prince and sent to Gyosou Palace. On that day, he had gone to the Garden and Ponds Office in the inner palace to ask them for mallow. It was the season for harvesting mallow, and pickled mallow was one of my favorite dishes. Even though I told him that I didn¡¯t need it, Tei Ran only laughed and went out. That was the last time I saw him alive. On his way back from the office, he was arrested by the empress¡¯s eunuchs. The empress dowager knew how much I relied on him. That was why she was waiting for a chance to take him away from me. ¡ª¡ªThey pinned him with the crime of stealing the mallow and tortured him to death. When I ran over there, it was too late. His corpse, covered with the bruises from being hit with sticks and the wounds from being punched and kicked, was like an old rag.¡± Despite the gruesome nature of his words, Koushun¡¯s way of speaking was eerily quiet. It was as calm as the surface of the water without wind¡ªor rather, like the stillness of night. It was as if an unfathomable monster breathing quietly in the depths of the darkness. She thought she saw a glimpse of the quiet hatred that laid deep within him. His hatred was hungry. Even after the execution of the empress dowager, that hunger hadn¡¯t disappeared. The quieter it was, the more it became a beast that devoured the depths of his heart. ¡°¡ªHave you made up with Jiujiu?¡± He changed the topic so suddenly that Jusetsu didn¡¯t know what he was talking about for a moment. She answered after she understood. ¡°¡­We do not have a relationship where we have to make up with each other.¡± Jusetsu hadn¡¯t given the sipaotang to Jiujiu, and they didn¡¯t have anything resembling a conversation. However, the two of them were consort and attendant, not friends, so it didn¡¯t matter if they made up with each other or not. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t act tough like that. It will become pointless. You want to be friends with that girl, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I have never wanted that.¡± ¡°Even though you¡¯re worried that you had offended her?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡± She tried to talk back, but couldn¡¯t find the words and closed her mouth. ¡°You have the freedom to employ an attendant or not. Even though you yourself wish for it, why do you deny that?¡± Jusetsu bit her lip. ¡°Do you push other people away because of your circumstances?¡± He was referring to the fact that she was the last remaining Ran clan member. Jusetsu turned her face away from Koushun. ¡°¡¯Tis my nature.¡± ¡°Your lie will not last long. You aren¡¯t so coldhearted that you can force your way through.¡± ¡°What are you calling a¡ª¡± ¡°Is it because you¡¯re the Raven Consort?¡± Jusetsu turned towards Koushun again. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you if the reason you must distance yourself from people isn¡¯t due to your circumstances, but because you¡¯re the Raven Consort.¡± Jusetsu stared at his face carefully. ¡ª¡ªHow much does this man know? Without saying a word, she looked away from him. ¡°Jusetsu.¡± ¡°I have no obligation to answer your question, and you have no authority to demand an answer from me.¡± That was who the Raven Consort was. Jusetsu turned her back to Koushun and started walking away. ¡°Jusetsu,¡± he called her again, but she only said ¡°What is it?¡± without stopping. ¡°You should make up with her.¡± Jusetsu stopped. She thought about saying, ¡°None of your business,¡± but only turned around silently. ¡°It¡¯ll be too late once they¡¯re gone.¡± Koushun¡¯s words were quiet, but they rang heavily. Jusetsu stared at his face for a while, and then left. When she returned to Yamei Palace, Jiujiu was wiping the latticed windows. Since she had nothing to do, she usually cleaned the palace during the day. When she saw that Jusetsu had returned, she stopped her work and bowed. ¡°I have sent that skylark on to paradise,¡± she informed Jiujiu. Her expression brightened. ¡°Is that so? Thank you very much.¡± Jusetsu felt relieved at seeing Jiujiu happy. It seemed that all the complaints about going out alone again today had been put to rest with this. Jusetsu sat down in a chair. ¡ª¡ªYou should make up with her. Koushun¡¯s voice echoed in the back of her head. From the start, they didn¡¯t have that kind of relationship. Jiujiu was only working as her attendant, and in contrast, Jusetsu didn¡¯t know what to do with an attendant. However¡ª. ¡°¡­I apologize for yesterday.¡± Jiujiu, who was preparing to boil water, stopped her hands in surprise. ¡°I heard that consorts give their attendants gifts. That was why I thought that I should give you something as well. I thought that¡ªyou would be happy about that.¡± That¡¯s right. She wanted to make her happy. She wanted to make her feel glad that she was Jusetsu¡¯s attendant. It was foolish. ¡°Niangniang,¡± Jiujiu knelt down on the floor, wide-eyed and ashamed. ¡°No¡­you have nothing to apologize for. I said something I deserve to be struck down for, for being disrespectful as an attendant. No servant should argue with their master. Even Kougyou-san scolded me. She told me that I shouldn¡¯t forget my place because Niangniang is so relaxed and familiar.¡± She said she wondered when she would be punished or thrown out. ¡°I am not such an impressive person. I have never had an attendant before, so there is much I do not know.¡± ¡°Then, will you still keep me here?¡± ¡°Do you wish to stay here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m worried about leaving you alone, Niangniang.¡± ¡°Until you came here, I did everything by myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. Niangniang, you must be lonely, right?¡± Jusetsu blinked. ¡°¡­I have never felt lonely.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be true. I don¡¯t know anything about your situation, Niangniang, but you always seem strained. You must be quite tired every day.¡± Her words struck home. This girl had seen through the essence of Jusetsu. Even though she didn¡¯t know anything, she understood her just by being around her. ¡ª¡ªShe is right. I am tired. I truly am tired. But I cannot complain about it to anyone. Her eyes became misty. She let out a small sigh. ¡°¡­The tea is boiling.¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± Jiujiu put salt in the kettle of hot water and stirred it with a spoon. The steam spread and the aroma of tea filled the air. Jusetsu closed her eyes and inhaled. She hid her trembling fingertips in her sleeves. ¡°Here you go, Niangniang.¡± Jiujiu offered her a cup of tea. Jusetsu looked at it for a few moments, and then sniffed the warm steam and aroma. ¡°I know that you dye your hair, Niangniang.¡± Jusetsu opened her eyes. ¡°But neither me nor Kougyou-san will ever reveal that to anyone. You must have some reason for it. That¡¯s why, you can be more relaxed in here.¡± Jiujiu smiled. Jusetsu stared at the cup. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Jusetsu reached out for the cup. ¨DWith this, the number of things I cannot forsake increases. Along with that gentle warmth, she was at a loss, as though a heavy stone was tied to her legs. Layers and layers of chains were surrounding her body. The tea that went down her throat was so warm that it was bitter. Koushun woke up in the middle of the night. Though he had awakened, he hadn¡¯t been sound asleep until then, only dozing. He had been nodding off while dreaming. Koushun got up from his bed and looked at the curtains. As his eyes became accustomed to the dark, the thin silk curtains appeared vaguely white in the darkness. However¡ª. He saw a shadow on the other side of the curtains and got off his bed. He parted the curtains and stepped out. There was someone standing in front of the door to his room. It was two people. They just stood there, not moving a step. This happened every night for some time now. Strangely enough, even in the darkness, the two figures stood out clearly. It was a sign that they weren¡¯t ordinary people. ¡°¡­Mother. Ran.¡± In front of the door stood Koushun¡¯s mother and Tei Ran. Koushun slowly approached them. However, neither of them moved an inch. They were standing still, as though guarding the door. They didn¡¯t look good. His mother coughing up an immense amount of blood from her mouth, and her clothes were stained with crimson. Her face was pale. She had been killed with poison. Next to her, Tei Ran¡¯s robes were torn and stained with mud and blood. His face, which always had a gentle smile, was swollen and mottled with reddish-black and blue bruises from being beaten. Blood dripped from his limbs and fell to the floor. The two of them only stared at Koushun. He didn¡¯t find himself afraid of them. ¡ª¡ªAlways, in the morning, Koushun found himself on his bed, and there was not a single trace of them remaining in front of his door. So this series also got licensed¡­orz That¡¯s what I get for translating a popular series that¡¯s getting an anime¡­I think I¡¯ll pick up a web novel for my next project here Though unlike the last series, I do want to continue this translation since I¡¯m a big fan of this series, so I¡¯ll move this translation over to sasaranomiya.tumblr.com (I won¡¯t delete the Foxaholic page) so follow me there! Please make sure to support the official English release! Volume 1 - CH 4.1 14-19 minutes 24.07.2022 First update here! I wanna give a big shoutout to everyone who followed me here. Your support means a lot to me! A nightingale was singing. It was able to sing peacefully because the inner palace detested owls and didn¡¯t keep them. It was said that Wulian Niangniang disliked them, so they would die even if they were set free. Jusetsu opened the latticed windows. The lanterns on the palace¡¯s eaves were unlit as usual, so it was completely dark outside. The gentle spring night air glided over her skin. She felt like she was going to melt into the night and become one with it. ¡°I wonder if His Highness will visit tonight,¡± Jiujiu said as she arranged the pillows. ¡°He need not come.¡± Koushun always came suddenly. There was no warning beforehand. It was bothersome to entertain him, so it would save her the trouble if he didn¡¯t come. ¡°You¡¯re saying that again. And yet you¡¯re opening the windows and waiting for him impatiently.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jusetsu closed the windows. Jiujiu was misunderstanding things. She thought Koushun was coming here to lavish money on her. ¡°Listen to me, Jiujiu. I am the Raven Consort who does not serve the emperor.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand that.¡± Jusetsu had a feeling she didn¡¯t understand. She had Jiujiu retire for the night and opened the windows again. She sat on the edge and exposed herself to the night air. On the streets, people were discouraged from walking around at night. That was why when the sun set, the gates were closed and everyone was confined to their own residences. That was because it was believed that the night-wandering gods would appear. It was customary for parents to force children back home, saying, ¡°The night-wandering gods will kidnap you.¡± The same was true in the imperial palace, where the more than a hundred gates, large and small, would be shut, and no one was allowed to come and go. However, there were always exceptions to this rule, and the inner palace and the pleasure quarters were the exceptions. Taking advantage of the custom of avoiding nighttime outings, secret meetings and shady business deals took place. ¡°Kidnapped by the night-wandering gods, huh¡­¡± Jusetsu muttered as she stared into the darkness. She spotted a single dot of light in the distance and got down from the edge of the window. ¡ª¡ªIncorrigibly, he was visiting her again. Jusetsu closed the windows, walked past a frenzied Xingxing, and went inside the curtains. She sat down on her bed and stared at the doors. After a while, they opened. Koushun and Ei Sei had arrived. Ei Sei blew out the fire of the candlestick in his hand. Jusetsu stepped out of the curtains. Koushun sat down in a chair by himself. ¡°What is your business here today?¡± ¡°The only time I came to see you because I had some sort of business was at the very beginning.¡± She turned upon him. ¡°If you have nothing to do here, leave.¡± ¡°What did you do with the sipaotang from before?¡± ¡°I gave them to Jiujiu and the others.¡± ¡°I see. Then, what about these?¡± Koushun took out a wrapped bundle from his pocket and placed it on the table. A faint sweet scent drifted out from it. Jusetsu sat across from Koushun and opened the bundle. There was another paper-wrapped bundle inside, and when she opened that up, she found fuliubing inside. It was a sweet made by kneading flour and baking it, and then dipping it in white honey. ¡°You assume that all will be fine as long as you bring food.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want them?¡± ¡°If I did not, I would have driven you two out long ago.¡± ¡°As long as you like them.¡± ¡°I did not say I like them.¡± ¡°I did have some business with you when I came here today.¡± Koushun advanced the conversation of his own accord. You should have said that from the start, Jusetsu thought. ¡°It seems that a ghost has appeared in the inner palace.¡± Jusetsu frowned. ¡°I tire of hearing that sort of talk. Why now?¡± ¡°It is a little late for that, I know, but listen anyways. Apparently, this ghost doesn¡¯t always appear. Do you know that there¡¯s a willow tree to the south of Enou Palace? It¡¯s said that the ghost appears in the shadow of the tree night after night when the flowers are in bloom, and it no longer appears after the willow fluff fly away.¡± ¡°¡­Might it not be a willow spirit?¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± Koushun hesitated a little and glanced at Jusetsu. ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s a silver-haired ghost.¡± Jusetsu stared back into Koushun¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t say anything more than that. ¨CHe means that this was a Ran clan ghost. ¡°¡­¡¯Tis a pointless rumor with unclear veracity.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it with my own eyes either. But, it seems that the rumor about the ghosts of the Ran emperor and his family appearing in the Flame Emperor¡¯s bedroom was true.¡± ¡°You cannot be serious.¡± ¡°Apparently, they were exorcized by the previous Raven Consort. Have you heard about it?¡± ¡°¡­I have not.¡± Reijou hadn¡¯t told her about anything like that. Jusetsu hadn¡¯t been born yet during the Flame Emperor¡¯s lifetime. She wondered if she hadn¡¯t told her about it on purpose. ¡°If the willow ghost is a member of the Ran clan, it would be a ghost that didn¡¯t appear to the Flame Emperor. I wonder what it¡¯s doing under the willow tree if it didn¡¯t appear in front of the person who killed it.¡± Jusetsu was deep in thought. ¡°¡­Is that ghost male or female?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It seems to have long disheveled silver hair and red garments, but no one has seen it any clearer than that. ¡ª¡ªWhat are you thinking about?¡± ¡°I wonder if the ghost is Hyougetsu.¡± He was the ghost who appeared before Jusetsu and threatened her, saying that he had a request. In the end, she didn¡¯t find out what his request was. ¡°Do you know any more about Hyougetsu?¡± She had asked Koushun about him before. He nodded lightly. ¡°He is the son of the emperor¡¯s youngest child, and he was an imperial family member who stayed away from politics, there aren¡¯t many records about him. However, there are several anecdotes about his eccentricities as a shaman. He was said to have seen through a curse placed on the empress, transformed disrespectful eunuchs into fish in the inner palace¡¯s pond, and found a lost item for the princess. Also, it was said that he was one of the most, if not the most, beautiful people in the imperial family.¡± He seemed to be a man who left his name more in the realm of romances than official history. ¡°And there are also stories that said that, for whatever reason, he was going to be adopted by his shaman master as his successor, or he was already adopted by him.¡± ¡°Adopted¡ª¡± In other words, he was removed or about to be removed from the imperial family. Being a shaman was largely a matter of personal talent, so lineage had nothing to do with it. Therefore, there was no need to carry on family names. So what was the reason for this? ¡°¡­You said that ghost appears when the willow flowers bloom.¡± That occurred during this season. Rather than thinking about this and that, it was quicker to confirm with her own eyes. Even if it wasn¡¯t Hyougetsu, if it was a ghost, she had to send it to paradise. Jusetsu stood up. ¡°Take me there.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Koushun made no complaints but assented without expression and headed towards the doors. In his place, Ei Sei looked like he wanted to voice a hundred complaints. The candlestick was lit, and they went into the night with Ei Sei leading the way. The moon was out tonight, so their surroundings had a faint tinge of blue when their eyes became accustomed to the dark. ¡°I heard that the night-wandering gods can¡¯t roam about on nights with a bright moon. Is that true?¡± ¡°Indeed. They despise bright light.¡± ¡°Is that why the pleasure district and the inner palace are brightly lit?¡± Koushun glanced at the neighboring palace that was some distance away. The lanterns hanging from the eaves of the walkway and palaces cast a bright light. It was completely different from the perpetually dark Yamei Palace. ¡°You would not know anything about the pleasure district.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories about it.¡± ¡°The pleasure district is bright on the outside, but there are not many lights inside.¡± ¡°Is it to prevent fires?¡± ¡°It is so that faces cannot be seen clearly. The inelegant reason is that thick makeup and wrinkles cannot be concealed by bright lights.¡± ¡°Oh ho,¡± Jusetsu couldn¡¯t tell if Koushun was impressed or amazed. ¡°I¡¯ve learned something new today.¡± ¡°The night-wandering gods hide among the people from time to time. Even when you walk in the inner palace, you might find them mixed in with your accompanying eunuchs. Be careful.¡± ¡°Is that so? I will.¡± He spoke seriously, but not knowing if he was only humoring her, Jusetsu knitted her brows. ¡°I am not jesting.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was a joke, though.¡± It seemed that he wanted to say he found it regrettable, but it was difficult to tell because neither his expression or tone changed. I cannot grasp his mood no matter what when it comes to this man, Jusetsu thought bitterly. ¡°You have never threatened people with jokes, and you don¡¯t say things that aren¡¯t for the sake of others. I know I can trust you to say what you mean.¡± He answered plainly. Jusetsu felt strange. She felt the same way when Koushun called her by her name. Jusetsu fell into silence, and Koushun said nothing more either. They walked quietly to Enou Palace, and then further south. The scent of rugosa roses hung in the air. Koushun removed the knife hanging from his sash and cut off a rugosa rose branch. He removed the thorns with the tip of his knife and wordlessly offered it to Jusetsu. Enticed by the flower¡¯s scent, Jusetsu accepted it. ¡°Is it true that flowers don¡¯t grow at Yamei Palace?¡± Koushun asked Jusetsu, who was sniffing the flower. ¡°¡¯Tis true.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°Because Wulian Niangniang loathes them,¡± She didn¡¯t know why she was answering honestly right now. As expected, she was knocked off balance when she was dealing with Koushun. ¡°She only likes the peonies I make.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve heard that Yamei Palace was originally a temple dedicated to Wulian Niangniang,¡± Koushun said, sounding doubtful. ¡°Is it still dedicated to her even now?¡± Thinking that she spoke too much, Jusetsu closed her mouth. Hesitating over whether or not she should toss the flower away, she tucked it in her sash. ¡°Dajia,¡± Ei Sei stopped walking. ¡°The tree is just ahead.¡± At the end of the rugosa rose hedges, there was a forest. It seemed to be a peach grove. As they walked on, they saw a row of willow trees in front of the peach grove. They were just in bloom, and their ears were hanging down. They seemed to glow faintly in the moonlight. Jusetsu exhaled slightly. There was a single shadow between the hanging willow flowers. Its silver color swayed and gleamed. The moonlight made that silver-clad figure stand out, as though it was sprinkling it with scales. A woman with long flowing silver hair was standing there. Her pale face, tinged with melancholy, was slightly hanging down, but they could tell with a single glance that she was beautiful. She was dressed in a crimson ruqun and skirt¡ªno, they weren¡¯t crimson. It was blood. Her clothes were dyed in blood. Looking at her closely, there was a gaping wound across her slender neck with blood gushing from it. Ei Sei muffled a cry and covered his mouth. Jusetsu had noticed this before, but he seemed to not be good with this type of thing. Koushun was calm. Jusetsu gazed at the ghost carefully from top to bottom. The unbound silver hair, the gash that split her neck open, and her luxurious clothes. Her silk ruqun had phoenixes woven into it, her skirt was printed with a pattern of large waves, and her shawl was dyed in seven colors. There was a beautifully polished gemstone affixed to her waist. The willow flowers swayed without a wind. At that moment, the ghost disappeared like a puff of smoke. ¡°¡­So it was a woman,¡± Koushun said. Jusetsu nodded. It wasn¡¯t Hyougetsu. ¡°There¡¯s no mistake that she was a member of the Ran clan with that silver hair, but¡­she was a princess.¡± ¡°Her clothes have phoenixes woven into them,¡± Phoenix garments were the symbol of a princess. ¡°Do you have any inkling as to who she is?¡± Jusetsu asked. Koushun stroked his chin. ¡°There were three princesses at that time. It¡¯s hard to know for sure without investigating it. I heard that when soldiers stormed the inner palace on Grandfather¡¯s orders, there were those among the women of the inner palace who chose to kill themselves rather than suffer disgrace and humiliation.¡± Was the gash on the ghost¡¯s neck something she did to herself? ¡°That ghost from earlier seemed to be wearing an agate stone. I¡¯ve seen it in the treasury at Gyokou Hall.¡± ¡°Gyokou Hall¡¯s treasury?¡± ¡°Treasures are stored inside. Including the treasures of the Ran clan.¡± ¡°Even ornaments torn off from corpses?¡± Jusetsu hadn¡¯t known about it and took on an accusing tone. Koushun was silent. It wasn¡¯t something that he did, so there was no point in blaming him for it. Jusetsu turned her attention to the willows. ¡°If you have it, then you know who that ghost is?¡± ¡°There is an offerings book. It will say who it belonged to.¡± ¡°I see. Then, show it to me.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªThe offerings book? To you?¡± ¡°The inside of the treasury. That would be the quickest way.¡± Koushun had government affairs to look after. If she waited for him to be available, the blooming season might end and the ghost would disappear by that time. Then they would have to wait until next year to send her back to paradise. ¡°That¡­would be difficult. The rule is that only me and Ui¡ªthe eunuch in charge of managing the treasury¡ªcan enter.¡± ¡°No one would know if you kept silent about it.¡± When she said that, Koushun was silent, his mouth open. Ei Sei glared at Jusetsu, his eyes seeming to say, ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªHow far does the Raven Consort¡¯s authority extend¡­in the codes¡­¡± Koushun muttered, folding his arms. ¡°Lady Raven Consort,¡± Ei Sei whispered to Jusetsu in a suppressed tone. ¡°Please stop imposing unreasonable demands on Dajia. He is a sober and serious person, so it will only trouble him. To say nothing of instigating him to break a rule like that¡ª¡± Jusetsu paid no attention to Ei Sei¡¯s grievances and stared at the willow tree. She wondered why that ghost was loitering there. ¡°All right. You can do as you please,¡± Koushun said. Jusetsu turned to him. ¡°I¡¯ll come and get you before dawn. I have a council meeting, but I¡¯ll give you the key so you can investigate it all you like.: And then, Koushun peered intently into Jusetsu¡¯s face. ¡°¡ª¡ªIf the Raven Consort can have everything if she but wished for it, then taking a look at the treasures in the treasury shouldn¡¯t be a great issue.¡± So Koushun did receive a report from Onkei. Jusetsu didn¡¯t answer him and simply looked up at him. For a while, the two stared at each other silently. It was Koushun who looked away first. He looked towards the willows. ¡°Why does she only appear in the season of the willow flowers?¡± He changed the topic. Jusetsu went along with it. ¡°She could only appear with the help of the willow flower spirits. I know not if she had a connection with that willow before her death.¡± ¡°I see. So there are all sorts of ghosts.¡± ¡°Dajia,¡± Ei Sei, who was looking discontented but barely interrupted until now, opened his mouth. ¡°You should discuss that matter with the Lady Raven Consort.¡± ¡°Discuss?¡± Jusetsu looked between Ei Sei and Koushun. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I thought that was what you were going to discuss with her tonight.¡± ¡°Sei, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°But, if things remain as they are, your body will¡ª¡± ¡°I said that¡¯s enough.¡± At his quiet voice that didn¡¯t allow for any retorts, Ei Sei bowed and said, ¡°My apologies.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Jusetsu asked, but Ei Sei had already closed his mouth tightly like a shell and didn¡¯t answer her. Jusetsu turned her gaze towards Koushun. ¡°Has a ghost appeared to you as well?¡± One of Koushun¡¯s eyebrows twitched up, but he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°¡ªSo I am right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to do anything about it.¡± Koushun turned his face away. Jusetsu stared at his profile. ¡°¡­Is it your mother¡¯s ghost, or your friend¡¯s?¡± She guessed that if it was a ghost he didn¡¯t want her to do anything about, it would be one of those two ghosts, and it seemed that she was right. Koushun still didn¡¯t say anything, but that was akin to an affirmation. Jusetsu looked at Ei Sei. He spoke quietly, as though afraid of Koushun hearing him. ¡°Dajia is not sleeping well recently¡­¡± Now that he mentioned it, Koushun¡¯s complexion was dull. Ei Sei seemed to be incredibly worried about it. ¡°That¡¯s enough of that talk. We¡¯re leaving, Sei.¡± Koushun said and quickly began to walk away. Jusetsu watched his back as he left, deep in thought. Volume 1 - CH 4.2 Jusetsu learns more about the ghost and Koushun gets closer to the truth behind the Raven Consort! Translation Notes 1. Gyokou means ¡°congealing light¡± 2. A futou is a Chinese headwear worn by government officials. 3. The term used here is âŸÊó (tetsunezu), which is this color 4. The Sou in ¡°Soutsuten¡± means ¡°paired¡± 5. Ka is ÏÄ (summer) and Jusetsu¡¯s name contains the character for snow (Ñ©) Past the fifth watch of the night (four a.m. to four-thirty a.m.), Ei Sei came to get her at Yamei Palace. The sun hadn¡¯t risen yet, but the edge of the sky was faintly white. It was already the time for Koushun to begin his morning council. ¡°I have come to receive you.¡± Ei Sei bowed politely, but he was probably extremely discontented with leaving Koushun¡¯s side and coming to get Jusetsu. He was taciturn and unfriendly. Jusetsu followed him and left Yamei Palace. She had to go into the treasury, so she left Jiujiu behind. While arranging Jusetsu¡¯s hair, Jiujiu kept reminding her to be careful. It wasn¡¯t as though she was jumping into danger, but she seemed to be worried about her leaving the inner palace. Even when one left the inner palace, one ended up in the inner court which was the residence of the emperor, not the outer court. There was no change from the inner palace. Jusetsu was dressed in black as usual. It would be less troublesome this time to stay in her Raven Consort dress. Ei Sei showed the guards a letter with Koushun¡¯s signature, and Jusetsu left the gates of the inner palace. They walked to Gyokou Hall without using a palanquin. As they walked, the sky calmly began to brighten. The eastern edge was tinged with coral, and one by one, the stars disappeared from the sky that was shifting from ultramarine to pale blue. The atmosphere slackened like it was dozing off. In spring, the nights and mornings were somewhat mellow, and the boundary between oneself and the air around you became vague and fuzzy. After cutting across a clearing paved with pebbles and passing through several gates, Gyokou Hall finally came into view. The light of dawn bounced off the blue-glazed roof tiles and sparkled as though covered in precious stones. It was aptly called ¡°Gyokou Hall.¡± (1) There were two eunuchs standing at the front of the palace, and they respectfully opened the doors when Ei Sei and Jusetsu climbed up the steps. The inside was cool and quiet. Other than the vermillion pillars, there was a vacant hall with only porcelain and bronze vases placed on flower stands and a hallway that led to the back of the palace. Faint light shone through lattice windows from three sides. Hard footsteps echoed as they walked on the floor with floral patterns formed from colored stones. Jusetsu opened her mouth. ¡°Did the ghost appear last night as well?¡± She was talking about the ghost who appeared before Koushun. Ei Sei, who was walking ahead of her, didn¡¯t turn around and stayed silent for a while. However, when they approached a turn in the hallway, he turned around. His brow was furrowed, and there was a conflicted expression on his face. ¡°Will you keep silent about what I have told you to Dajia?¡± It seemed that he was reluctant to talk about what Koushun had forbidden him to mention to others. However, the fact that he still wanted to talk about it was probably out of concern for Koushun¡¯s well-being. ¡°I shall,¡± Jusetsu answered shortly. Upon her answer, for some reason Ei Sei got an even more conflicted expression on his face. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°No¡­I just assumed that you would have a more malicious answer.¡± ¡°Who exactly do you think I am?¡± She wondered if he thought of her as a wicked woman who was leading the emperor by his nose. Looking at the results, she was the one who was always being used as he wished. ¡°I apologize,¡± Ei Sei said, and continued walking again. ¡°It seems that it was only in the past month or so that Dajia became haunted.¡± Ei Sei began to speak as they walked. ¡°I only found out recently. I was concerned about how unwell he looked, but he told me he was fine¡­ The Winter Minister had also pointed out Dajia¡¯s lack of sleep, so with my suspicions confirmed, I repeatedly asked him about it until he finally told me.¡± He must have pressed him persistently, in a formal manner. It was hard to imagine. ¡ª¡ªHowever. ¡°The Winter Minister? So he met the Winter Minister? He is not an official who appears at council meetings.¡± ¡°Dajia went all the way to Seiu Temple to ask about the Raven Consort.¡± ¡°¡­He went to a lot of trouble, I see. It must have been a waste of a trip.¡± Ei Sei glanced back at Jusetsu, but quickly resumed the conversation. ¡°At midnight, the ghosts of Lady Sha and Tei-da¡¯ge stand in front of his door.¡± ¡°Big Brother Tei? Are you referring to Tei Ran?¡± ¡°Yes. I used to call him by that name. He was old enough for me to call him father, but he told me that it was more lighthearted to call him this way.¡± I see, Jusetsu responded. It seemed that Ei Sei was also very attached to Tei Ran. ¡°So there are two ghosts? Those two are only standing?¡± ¡°Yes. I told Dajia that I would stay with him at night, but he said I didn¡¯t need to, so I don¡¯t know what is actually happening. Dajia said that they only stand there and not talk or do anything, so just leave them be¡­¡± Jusetsu sighed. ¡°That fool.¡± Ei Sei stopped and turned around. His eyebrows were raised. ¡°What a rude thing to call Dajia.¡± That came quickly. Jusetsu turned her face away in annoyance. She could see the hallway dividing. Her eyes stopped at the end of it. ¡°Is that the main residence?¡± The hallway extended and connected to the palace at the back. ¡°Yes,¡± Ei Sei nodded. Jusetsu stared intently in that direction. ¡ª¡ªThis sensation is¡­ ¡°Can you do something about those two ghosts?¡± ¡°¡¯Tis a simple thing to do. However¡ª¡± Jusetsu tilted her head a little. ¡°Did you say that the ghosts started appearing a month ago?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jusetsu said no more and looked towards the main residence. ¡°A little ingenuity is needed.¡± ¡°Ingenuity¡­?¡± ¡°Let us settle the manner of the treasure room first. Where is it?¡± ¡°Haa¡­it¡¯s this way,¡± Looking puzzled, Ei Sei nevertheless led the way. They turned several corners and walked through a crossroads as Ei Sei led Jusetsu to the far back of the palace. Jusetsu didn¡¯t think she could make it back to the entrance by herself. Eventually, a door came into view. It wasn¡¯t very big, but it was a sturdy-looking iron door. That seemed to be the treasure room. In front of the door, there was a small, elderly eunuch waiting for them. He was dressed in a pale charcoal robe, and his dark gray futou (2) had snow goose feathers inserted into it. The old eunuch bowed deeply to them. His face was sagging and covered in several layers of wrinkles, but his complexion was good and his skin was glossy, which gave a strange and inconsistent impression. ¡°I am the Ui. I have been expecting you.¡± He announced his official position in a thin, high-pitched voice. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°I do not have one. Please just call me Ui.¡± Jusetsu thought that he must have had a name before he became the Ui, but she only nodded and said nothing. Ui took out a key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. The lock turned, and Ei Sei and Ui pushed the metal door together. The door creaked open. ¡°I cannot go inside, so I shall wait here,¡± Ei Sei said. ¡°Please be careful not to damage any of the treasures inside.¡± The ¡°please be careful¡± part was emphasized, but she ignored it, since she wasn¡¯t a child. Ui respectfully motioned for her to come inside. Jusetsu stepped in and looked around. It wasn¡¯t a large room, but there were many boxes of various sizes on shelves lined up in rows. It was stifling, but that was probably due to the lack of windows. After she went all the way inside, Jusetsu stopped in her tracks. There were no shelves on the left wall, and the entire wall was covered in a painting. It depicted a round island that was almost a circle and wave patterns surrounding it, probably representing the sea. They were blue in color. At the eastern and western edges of the sea were depictions of something that looked like forests of fruit trees. Both of them were palaces of the gods. It was a map. It was an old painting. The colors must have been preserved so well because it was in a dark storehouse. Jusetsu had once been shown a painting like this by Reijou. The round island was this country, Shou. ¡°Lady Raven Consort. Please, this way.¡± Ui called to her from the back of the room. She went over there and found him holding a wooden box. It was small enough to fit in both hands. Ui placed the box on a table next to him. He opened the lid, and Jusetsu saw a gemstone inside. It was a red onyx stone. ¡°This stone is Princess Meiju¡¯s pendant.¡± ¡°Princess Meiju¡­?¡± ¡°She was the second princess of the Ran dynasty¡¯s last emperor. She was renowned as a great beauty.¡± Ui answered smoothly in his high voice. He lacked intonation, so it sounded like he was woodenly reciting everything from memory. ¡°She died at twenty-four years of age. When the Forbidden Army marched into the inner palace, she did not want to fall into the hands of the enemy, so she died under a willow tree by plunging her blade into her own throat. This was the pendant she was wearing at that time.¡± ¡°Under a willow tree¡ª¡ª¡± Jusetsu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you speaking the truth?¡± ¡°I was also the Ui at that time, so I am quite familiar with this matter. The knife she used to commit the deed is over here.¡± Ui opened the other box that was on the table. It was a small knife in a sheath decorated with jade. ¡°This is the offerings book.¡± A scroll was spread out on the table, and it seemed that it was opened up to the section where those two items were recorded. Indeed, they were labeled ¡°Princess Meiju¡¯s pendant¡± and ¡°Princess Meiju¡¯s knife.¡± ¡°¡­Did you say she died at twenty-four years of age? So, a princess who was renowned as a great beauty lived in the inner palace without becoming wedded at that age?¡± ¡°That is indeed the case.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Ui tilted his head slightly. He didn¡¯t have anything that could be called an expression, so he looked like a well-made doll tilting its head. She had considered Koushun to be expressionless, but he was much more human than this eunuch. ¡°I do not know,¡± he said, and immediately returned his head to its original position. ¡°Would you like to see a picture of Princess Meiju?¡± While bewildered by Ui¡¯s lack of life, Jusetsu nodded. Ui silently disappeared among the shelves and returned after a while with a folding screen. It seemed heavy for the small-framed Ui, but he carried it lightly. He opened it in front of Jusetsu. It was a folding screen with six panels. Each panel had a portrait of a person. There were women as well as men. They were all young and beautiful. ¡°The folding screen depicts the six people who were praised as being especially beautiful even within the Ran clan. Princess Meiju is over here.¡± Ui pointed to the leftmost panel. It depicted a beautiful woman in blue with her silver hair tied up. Her slender limbs looked delicate, but the lines of her white cheeks and eyes were soft, and their elegance was surpassing. Her appearance was reminiscent of a mellow nephrite, shining like dewdrops. This was the ghost she saw under the willow tree. The impression was quite different, though, because she wasn¡¯t covered in blood. There was an unusual accessory in Princess Meiju¡¯s bun. It was a milk-white tinted quartz comb. It seemed to be in the shape of waves and peony flowers. In the portrait, she had her hand gently on the comb. ¡°¡ª¡ªIs that quartz comb here?¡± When she asked Ui that, he brought his face close to the portrait and squinted. And then, he spun around to Jusetsu. ¡°No, this comb is not here.¡± ¡°Not here? A valuable item like that?¡± ¡°At that time, there were many treasures taken away from the inner palace. Many fine items are scattered and lost.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± While contemplating, Jusetsu looked at the folding screen. On the panel next to Princess Meiju, there was a picture of a girl who seemed to be younger than her. Did that innocent-looking girl dressed in gold and jewels also become the victim of ruthless blades? Next to her, there was a boy who seemed to be the same age as her, and on the panel next to him, there was a young man who looked about twenty, and next to him, there was a woman who also looked to be about twenty. And on the rightmost panel¡ª. Her eyes stopped on the panel at the right end. A young man was depicted on it. He was beautiful, dressed in blue robes with his silver hair loose and flowing down his back. Unlike the him who Jusetsu saw, there was no shadow of melancholy in his eyes. He had a cold and untouchable beauty, like a clear moon. It was Hyougetsu. ¡°That is the imperial grandson Hyougetsu,¡± Ui said, following Jusetsu¡¯s gaze. ¡°He was a renowned shaman. His beauty, above all, was said to be the finest in the imperial family.¡± The anecdotes Ui told her were the same as the ones she heard from Koushun. His monotone way of speaking was like water flowing, and Jusetsu wondered if he had all sorts of historical facts and anecdotes memorized in his head. ¡°I see. I have heard plenty.¡± After she finished hearing about Hyougetsu, Jusetsu decided to return. As she was heading for the door, she stopped in front of the wall painting again. She looked over it once and began walking again. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± At the door, she turned around and thanked Ui. He bowed humbly with his hands locked in front of his chest. ¡°I am unworthy of those words. If the Lady Raven Consort is in need of anything, I will be happy to fulfill your request. I am a servant of Wulian Niangniang, after all.¡± ¡ª¡ªGrey garments are the mark of Wulian Niangniang¡¯s servants. Jusetsu suddenly asked him a question. ¡°¡­You said you were also the Ui during the Ran dynasty. How old are you?¡± ¡°I do not know my birth year.¡± She opened the door and found Ei Sei waiting. Leaving behind Ui, whose head was still deeply bowed, Jusetsu exited the treasure room. While following Ei Sei through the hallways, she stared at the back of his dark green (3) robes. ¡ª Past the hour of the Monkey (three to five p.m.), Koushun, who had finished his government affairs, had a palanquin take him to Seiu Temple. This time, he wasn¡¯t received in the temple, but the building behind it. Although it was as clean and tidy as the temple, it still showed its age, with its faded latticed windows, creaking floorboards, and the grating of rusted hinges every time one opened a door. In the room where he was ushered to, the Winter Minister, Setsu Gyoei, knelt down and bowed. Taking into consideration his old age, Koushun suggested that he sit in a chair. The room, which only had two weathered cabinets in addition to a table and chairs, was dim and cold even though it was spring. Koushun stared at Gyoei, who was sitting across from him. He was wearing dark grey robes and a dark grey futou with pintail duck feathers. The uniform of the Winter Ministry was similar to the eunuch uniforms, but they weren¡¯t eunuchs. But they were different from the other government officials, not having houses near the imperial palace and instead living in this palace. Those who joined the Winter Ministry cut their ties to worldly things and devoted themselves to Wulian Niangniang. Other than the acolytes who brought them tea, no one passed in front of the room, and it was quiet. Koushun¡¯s guards, as usual, didn¡¯t make a single sound. ¡°I wish to learn more about the Winter Minister called White Smoke who wrote the Tsuushinshi.¡± The Tsuushinshi was the only book that had a description of the Raven Consort. ¡°I went back through the records, but there was no name for White Smoke, the previous dynasty¡¯s Winter Minister. Why is that?¡± Gyoei picked up his white beard between his fingers and slanted his gaze. Not answering the emperor¡¯s question was an exceedingly irreverent thing to do. Ei Sei would have raised his eyebrows if he were here. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are so fixated on the Raven Consort, Your Majesty.¡± Koushun fixed his gaze on Gyoei. Gyoei stared back into his eyes without flinching. ¡ª¡ªHe isn¡¯t just an ordinary old man, he felt. Koushun turned his eyes to the latticed window. A faint light was shining in. ¡°¡ª¡ªThat girl is alone.¡± He murmured. Gyoei raised his eyebrows that were as white as frost. ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°I think Jusetsu is forced to be alone. What is the reason for that?¡± Jusetsu lived in that palace alone with no attendants or palace ladies, only a single bird as her companion. He thought that it might be to hide the fact that she was the sole descendant of the previous dynasty, but there was more to it than that. He couldn¡¯t help but think that it was to hide an even bigger secret. But, if so¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t that miserable for Jusetsu?¡± Gyoei¡¯s eyes, hidden by his eyebrows, fluttered, and his eyes opened reluctantly. ¡°That is what the Raven Consort is.¡± ¡°So you know the Raven Consort¡¯s name, then.¡± Koushun said immediately. Gyoei raised his eyebrows even higher than before. His widened eyes could be seen from behind his eyebrows. ¡°That is¡ª¡± ¡°The only people who know Jusetsu¡¯s name are me and those close to me. Who did you hear it from?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gyoei¡¯s eyebrows lowered and he fell silent. His mask of easygoingness was now removed, and he had a complicated look on his face. He finally let out an exhale. ¡°I¡¯m getting senile now. ¡ª¡ªI heard her name from the previous Raven Consort.¡± ¡°The previous?¡± At that unexpected name, Koushun asked him back. ¡°Did you have a relationship with her?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a relationship¡­we merely greeted each other when her role was succeeded.¡± ¡°The Raven Consort took the trouble to tell you Jusetsu¡¯s name. Is it because both of you serve Wulian Niangniang?¡± Gyoei nodded as though he had given up. ¡°Yes, precisely.¡± ¡°However, the Raven Consort doesn¡¯t publicly worship Wulian Niangniang. Similar to this temple. Even though she¡¯s a special consort, she lives in the inner palace. Isn¡¯t that strange?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get back to the main topic. Who is the White Smoke?¡± Koushun placed one arm on the table and slouched forward, bringing his face close to Gyoei¡¯s. ¡°I am asking you. Why do you think you can get away with not answering? There must be a reason for that as well.¡± ¡°¡­Because we are made to do the bidding of the Raven Consort.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°But, I suppose it¡¯s fine. ¡ª¡ªWhite Smoke is another name for the pintail duck. The pintail duck has black feathers, but the area from the breast to the eyes is white. The pattern looks like smoke, hence the name ¡®White Smoke.¡¯¡± Gyoei took out the feathers from his futou. They were pintail duck feathers. ¡°In other words, White Smoke refers to the Winter Minister. All successive Winter Ministers are White Smoke.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡± Koushun stared at Gyoei. ¡°So, we don¡¯t know which Winter Minister wrote it?¡± ¡°No, it was written by the first Winter Minister of the previous dynasty.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°That is what was handed down to us.¡± ¡°Handed down¡ª¡± Koushun looked at the feathers. ¡°What exactly was handed down to you?¡± Gyoei put the feathers back into his futou. ¡°The history of the past and how we continue to bury it.¡± ¡°History?¡± ¡°May I ask you to order your guards to leave, Your Majesty? I will tell you if you will keep it in your heart alone.¡± Koushun turned to his guards, who were standing in front of the door, and ordered them to wait outside. Once it was just the two of them, he felt that Gyoei¡¯s face looked strangely young again. He almost mistaken him for a fearless military official instead of an old man. ¡°In this country, there is the history book called the Soutsuten.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know why it¡¯s called the Soutsuten?¡± (4) ¡°Because it¡¯s divided into two volumes. The first volume consolidates the administrative and civil codes, and the second volume describes historical facts.¡± Gyoei shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s because there are two of them.¡± ¡°Two of them?¡± ¡°Even if the historians were ordered to write falsehoods, their pride compelled them to leave the truth somewhere else. There is another book that contains the true history.¡± Falsehoods¡ªand, the true history? ¡°¡ª¡ªWhat do you mean? If there is a book like that, then where¡ª¡± Koushun stopped. Don¡¯t tell me, he groaned. ¡°It¡¯s Yamei Palace, isn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°Well discerned, Your Majesty.¡± Koushun pressed his hand against his forehead. The palace built opposite to Gyokou Hall, Yamei Palace¡ªthe palace that shined brightly at night¡ª ¡°That book is kept secret, and the truth remains buried. The White Smoke have replaced the origins of the Raven Consort. That is our duty. The faith has already faded, and soon this temple will decay, and then the Winter Minister will no longer be needed. The day will come when the Raven Consort will no longer need to serve. So be it. Then we will finally be able to finish our duty. We are simply waiting for that day. I am waiting, as well as the Raven Consort¡ª¡± Koushun leaned forward. ¡°What is the true history?¡± ¡°Ask the Raven Consort. Tell her you wish to see the other Soutsuten.¡± ¡°Ask Jusetsu? Would she show me¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that the Raven Consort must also sense the movement of the stars. You are of the Ka clan, and the Raven Consort has winter in her name. (5) Is this also the guidance of Wulian Niangniang, or is it a fated encounter that transcends even her¡­?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Koushun asked, but Gyoei had closed his mouth, ending their conversation there. He seemed to be telling him to ask Jusetsu for the rest. Koushun stood from his chair and headed towards the door. Gyoei called out to him. ¡°Your Majesty. Have you not discussed your lack of sleep with the Raven Consort?¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need for that.¡± ¡°I think it would be best if you consulted with her as soon as you can.¡± After saying that, he bowed like any other subject. Koushun could no longer consider this old man to be his own subject. Volume 1 - CH 4.3 At last, the truth behind the Raven Consort is revealed! I was debating whether or not I should combine this with the next part but I think this makes a nice section on its own. There will be a total of five parts for this chapter. ¡ª¡ªHow should I send Princess Meiju to paradise? At Yamei Palace, Jusetsu was lost in thought. The tea Jiujiu made had cooled down a long time ago, but she didn¡¯t enter the room to pour a new cup in order to not disturb Jusetsu. ¡ª¡ªAnd then, there is Hyougetsu. He was also a ghost she couldn¡¯t ignore. She had guessed that he would appear in front of her again, but there was no sign of that so far. However, there was a strange unease in her heart. Was that because she didn¡¯t know Hyougetsu¡¯s goal? What exactly did he¡ª. Sensing a presence, Jusetsu lifted her head. ¡°You came here again?¡± She opened the doors with a flick of her fingers, thinking that he wasn¡¯t someone who was idle so often. Koushun was standing there. ¡°I already went to Gyokou Hall¡¯s treasure room. That ghost is Princess¡ª¡± Before Jusetsu could finish her sentence, Koushun strode to the table. From the doors, Jusetsu could see Ei Sei a little further off in the distance. He seemed to be hurriedly chasing after Koushun. Usually, he was the one leading the way. ¡°Show me the Soutsuten.¡± Koushun¡¯s voice was quiet, but it was unusually rough. This was the first time Jusetsu had saw him talking like that. His breathing was also rapid. Was it possible that he ran all the way here? ¡°I heard about it from the Winter Minister. You have the other Soutsuten. He told me to ask you to show it to me. That man is¡ª¡± Koushun¡¯s expression was grim. This was rare for him, who always only showed indifferent expressions. ¡°That man is not my retainer. He is your servant.¡± Jusetsu looked up at Koushun, still sitting. ¡°¡­He is the servant of Wulian Niangniang. Not mine.¡± ¡°He said that he follows the Raven Consort¡¯s commands.¡± Jusetsu thought back to Ui¡¯s face. He told her that he would be happy to fulfill any request from the Raven Consort. The servants of Wulian Niangniang wore grey garments. ¡°The Winter Minister also said this. He said that you must also feel the movements of the stars. I am from the Ka clan, and you have winter in your name¡ªwhat is the meaning of that?¡± ¡ª¡ªCurse that Setsu Gyoei. He had revealed that much and left the rest to her? Jusetsu bit her lip. ¡°What are you hiding?¡± ¡°Why do you seek to know what is being kept from you?¡± Jusetsu spat out. She knew it would be a bad idea. She shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved with the emperor¡ª. Koushun stared at Jusetsu intently, and then opened his mouth. ¡°Because I felt pity for you.¡± Those words froze Jusetsu to the core. ¡°You¡¯re forced to be alone in order to protect a secret, correct? But you don¡¯t want to be alone, do you? In fact, you¡¯re getting along well with your atten¡ª¡± Jusetsu unconsciously seized her tea cup and splashed the contents onto Koushun with great force. ¡°Pity me? How dare you¡­!¡± Ei Sei, horrified, was about to run over, but Koushun held up his hand to restrain him. ¡°I apologize if my wording was bad. But it¡¯s true that I feel sorry for you. Does that bother you?¡± Koushun looked into Jusetsu¡¯s eyes, the cold tea droplets dripping from his hair. Jusetsu glared back at him and put the tea cup on the table. She wordlessly turned her back on him and went beyond the curtains. She took out a box from beneath her bed. It was a rosewood box. Holding it in her arms, she returned to Koushun. ¡°Look over this and say the same thing you said before. If you can.¡± She opened the lid and took out what was inside. It was a scroll of bamboo writing strips bound with string. Jusetsu tossed it in front of Koushun. At that moment, the string binding the writing strips broke, and the bamboo strips scattered on top of the table with the dry sound of bamboo rubbing against each other. Jusetsu gasped and stared at the scattered bamboo strips. She had been told by Reijou to be careful with them because they were old. Koushun picked up the strips and arranged them one by one. Jusetsu snatched them from his hands and pulled them, along with the ones that had fell onto the floor, towards her. ¡°¡­Only I can rearrange them. I read them enough to be able to recite them from memory.¡± Jusetsu put aside the pieces of string that hadn¡¯t been torn off and rearranged the strips from one end to another. Koushun watched her in silence, the only sound in the room was the sound of the bamboo strips being placed on the table. ¡°Reijou showed me these a year after I arrived here. I could not read or write, so I learned from her. I could not read these immediately, so she read them to me.¡± That was why it was etched more deeply into her memory by Reijou¡¯s narrating voice than by the written words. ¡°¡ª¡ªEight thousand and one nights after flying from Kakurenomiya in the west, Wulian Niangniang found this island where temple junipers grew and rested her divine wings in the branches. Here, she chose two from the people and made one the Summer King and the other the Winter King¡­¡± The words spilled out from her mouth without her even needing to read the strips. Jusetsu looked at Koushun. ¡°Do you wish to hear it?¡± After a short pause, Koushun slowly nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± Jusetsu let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. She began to speak. ¡ª The male Summer King was in charge of governing, while the shamaness queen, the Winter King, presided rituals. The Summer King was succeeded by a male lineage, while the Winter King was always a young girl who was chosen by an oracle. The Winter King received power from Wulian Niangniang and imparted her words. For more than five hundred years, the country was ruled peacefully by the two kings, from generation to generation, until war broke out. The Summer King, Shou, who was at that time a young and hot-blooded king, killed the Winter King, a maiden named Sui. The reason for this was not clear. There are stories that claimed it was because Shou fell in love with Sui and she rejected him, and stories that claimed he hated that his younger brother and Sui had formed an intimate relationship. Sui was said to be a maiden with a translucent beauty that seemed to radiate a refreshing light from within. Shou loved Sui, it can be said. To the point of wanting to kill her. For the next several hundred years, the army centered around the head priests under the Winter King and the army that sided with the Summer King fought each other. There had been several Summer Kings taking over from each other, but no new Winter King emerged. Wulian Niangniang was silent. The country was devastated, and soon the Winter King was forgotten and the Summer King also lost his name. Several dynasties arose, only to be quickly destroyed. One day, however, an army appeared from the provinces, breaking through the gates with irresistible force and heading towards the capital. It was the army of Ran Yuu, called the Silver General because of his unusual silver hair. He was a young lion-like man, not yet thirty years old. Ran Yuu was accompanied by a young girl marching in the army. Her name was Koushou, and she was a twelve-year-old girl. Ran Yuu had given her that name. She was once a slave, so she didn¡¯t have a name. Koushou was the Winter King chosen by Wulian Niangniang. Ran Yuu was guided by a golden bird to find Koushou and rescued her from her slave master. Koushou used her power for Ran Yuu¡¯s sake and helped him. With the Winter King on his side, it didn¡¯t take long for Ran Yuu to gain supremacy. He was twenty-eight years old when he became king. After nearly a thousand years of separation, the Summer King and the Winter King were together once more. Ran Yuu understood. The loss of the Winter King was what started the war. The Winter King is someone who must not be missing. Without the Winter King, the Summer King would perish. It was the existence of the Winter King that made the Summer King king. The long silence of Wulian Niangniang was said to be a punishment for the Summer King who killed the Winter King. The country was devastated because it had lost the protection of Wulian Niangniang. The Winter King must not be lost, in order for him to remain the Summer King. Ran Yuu took this deeply to heart. However, Ran Yuu didn¡¯t let Koushou call herself king. He said that having two kings would be the cause of war once more. It is unknown whether or not this was out of a desire to monopolize all the power to himself or if it was truly out of concern for another war. Ran Yuu had a palace built in the inner palace and confined Koushou there. He separated her from her priests, took away her authority, named her the Raven Consort, and counted her as one of his consorts¡ªof course, he never had her wait upon him in her bedchambers. After all, he knew it was love for the Winter King that triggered the war. Koushou agreed to it. She made a covenant. She accepted to being confined and silenced. Because she loved Ran Yuu. For Koushou, Ran Yuu¡¯s words were everything. She kept Wulian Niangniang under this palace and became the keeper. Since then, the Raven Consort has guarded Wulian Niangniang at Yamei Palace, and existed to enshrine the Summer King¡¯s position. Ran Yuu compiled an official history. He created a false history book where there were never two kings. The names of the Summer and Winter Kings were buried here. The White Smoke switched the origins of the Raven Consort. She was made to be a mere descendant of the priestess who worshipped Wulian Niangniang. That was the Winter King¡¯s will. Volume 1 - CH 4.4 ¡°¡ª¡ªThat is roughly how it went.¡± Jusetsu let out a breath. When she looked up, she found Koushun staring intently at her. His expression was still unreadable. She could tell by his slightly widened eyes and parted lips that he was somewhat shocked. ¡°¡­Is everything you just told me the truth?¡± Koushun quietly asked. ¡°If you do not believe me, so be it. I know nothing else.¡± Koushun fell silent and dropped his gaze. The Flame Emperor had inherited the throne from the Ran clan, and both the capital and imperial palace were kept as they were in the Ran dynasty. It was only because it was more convenient that way, but that was why he was able to obtain the throne. Because he hadn¡¯t gotten rid of the Raven Consort¡ªthe Winter King. ¡°You mean to say that I¡¯m emperor because the Winter King is here?¡± Koushun spoke again. ¡°Are you¡ª¡± He stumbled over his words, as though hesitating. ¡°Are the Raven Consorts truly fine with that? Having their king titles taken away, and being confined here.¡± Jusetsu glared at Koushun. ¡°What do you want us to do? Name ourselves the Winter King again? Even though it could turn into a needless war?¡± ¡°So you will remain silent and live out your life here? You have neither the duty nor obligation to do so. Can you quit¡ª¡± ¡°If I could quit, I would have done it a long time ago!¡± Jusetsu shouted. ¡°Who want to be the Raven Consort? But the claws of Wulian Niangniang are deep within me. She is the one who chooses the Raven Consort¡ªthe Winter King. The golden bird only notifies people of this. The Winter King restrains that god here, and we are one in body and soul, so to speak. Therefore, the Winter King cannot leave this place. I cannot take a single step outside this palace. It would be a betrayal towards Niangniang.¡± Koushun¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The life of the Raven Consort is in the hands of Wulian Niangniang. If we betray her, she will merely take our life. There is nothing we can do.¡± Koushun¡¯s eyebrows furrowed further in response to Jusetsu¡¯s reply. There is nothing we can do, Jusetsu repeated as though spitting out blood. ¡°¡­Wulian Niangniang only escapes from here at night, when it is dark and moonless, to roam around as a night-wandering god. She must have dug her claw into me on that night.¡± ¡°That night?¡± ¡°The night of the day when my mother ran away with me.¡± That night, Jusetsu wandered around until sunset, and, exhausted, fell asleep by the gate. It was a moonless night. On such a night, one must not stay outside in the dark. She was sure that on that night, she was chosen by Wulian Niangniang. On a whim. ¡°I cannot escape from this place. In order to keep the secret and not to gather people under her command, the Raven Consort must not let others get close to her. That is what I learned from Reijou. I must have pride as the Winter King and maintain silence in order to not bring about unwanted misfortune. I must not covet, I must not wish for anything, for this will lead to disaster. Do you understand? How it feels to be trapped here because of the Ran clan¡ªbecause of your own ancestors, and to exist for the bloodline of the emperor who killed your entire family? Do you know how difficult it is to live while holding your breath in this body, knowing that you would be killed if you are ex¡ª¡± Jusetsu bit her lip. Her voice was trembling. If there was anyone who could answer her, she wanted them to tell her. Why must she live here? Why, of all places, here? She couldn¡¯t wish for anything, she couldn¡¯t truly communicate with anyone, and she couldn¡¯t escape. Why! ¡°Do you understand? Say it again with your mouth. Say that you pity me, as though this has nothing to do with you!¡± Jusetsu gripped the tea cup and slammed it against the wall. The thin ceramic cup broke easily, making a sound like the shattering of ice. Breathing hard, Jusetsu glared at Koushun. She knew that she must not cry. She didn¡¯t want to be pitied. She didn¡¯t want her heart and mind to be guessed with such worthless feelings. What kind of feelings Jusetsu had lived with until now and what kind of feelings she had to live with from now on¡ªshe didn¡¯t want them to be summarized with the word ¡°pity.¡± Koushun¡¯s face was pale, and his lips were pressed together. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t find the words to say. Probably hearing the sound of the tea cup breaking, Jiujiu peeked out from the back of the room. She looked surprised to see the pieces scattered on the floor and approached them. She crouched down and began to collect them. Jusetsu called out to her. ¡°Jiujiu, leave them be. I will pick them up later. You will get hurt.¡± ¡°No, but¡ª¡± Jusetsu jerked back at that voice. It wasn¡¯t Jiujiu¡¯s usual voice. It was a voice with a strange quality, as though it was one voice split into two or two voices combined together. ¡ª¡ªDouble voice. Something that occurred when someone was possessed by a ghost. ¡°Jiu-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move, Raven Consort.¡± Jiujiu¡ªno, the ghost possessing Jiujiu stood up with one of the shattered fragments in hand. Jusetsu, who was about to step forward, stopped. The sharp point of the fragment was pressed against Jiujiu¡¯s slender throat. ¡°¨DHyougetsu!¡± Jusetsu spat out in anguish. Jiujiu¡¯s lips were twitching open. The ghost seemed to be trying to laugh. ¡°Correct. You catch on quickly.¡± The split voice sounded teasing. ¡°There is no ghost who would so easily come up with such a low thing as using the life of a possessed person as a shield. You lowlife.¡± ¡°Is that so? Those types were common when I was a shaman.¡± ¡°Leave Jiujiu right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one making the demands here, Raven Consort.¡± Whenever Jusetsu tried to move her hand, the shard would dig deeper into Jiujiu¡¯s neck. Jusetsu had no choice but to bite her lip and remain still. ¡°Is it the request you talked about before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Are you planning the restoration of the Ran clan? Or a curse killing of the emperor?¡± Koushun glanced at Jusetsu. She wasn¡¯t looking at him. ¡°Of course not,¡± Jiujiu¡ªno, Hyougetsu smiled sardonically. ¡°I have no interest in such things. There is just¡ªthere is just someone I want you to save.¡± Hyougetsu changed his tone and his eyes half-closed, as though he was in dire need. ¡°Raven Consort. Jusetsu. Listen to me.¡± With an earnest voice, Hyougetsu increased the pressure of his hand. The tip of the shard was pressing hard against Jiujiu¡¯s neck. Jusetsu couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°I told you before that I will listen to you. So remove yourself from Jiujiu.¡± Panic crept into Jusetsu¡¯s voice. She couldn¡¯t let him hurt Jiujiu. Jiujiu shouldn¡¯t have had anything to do with Jusetsu in the first place. If Jusetsu hadn¡¯t named her as her attendant, she wouldn¡¯t have been here. She was an ordinary girl with a kind heart. That was why¡ª ¡°Jusetsu, I¡ª¡± Hyougetsu took a step forward and appealed to Jusetsu. At that moment, the tip of the shard cut a line across Jiujiu¡¯s skin. Red blood oozed out. The moment she saw that, something stirred from the innermost depths of Jusetsu¡¯s heart. Goosebumps formed on her flesh. ¡°Get away from Jiujiu!¡± Hair stood up from her fingertips. It was as if a hot wind was blowing over her skin. Even though she was staying still, her hair ornaments were swaying and making sounds. Gradually, the swaying became more and more violent, until finally the hair sticks and ornaments flew off. Her hair, which had been tied up, was untied and fell down her back. Her hair fluttered and became disheveled, like clothes becoming swept up by the wind. Not even a hint of wind was blowing. Jusetsu felt her heart becoming boiling hot and freezing cold at the same time. Feeling like she was no longer herself, she pointed at Hyougetsu and opened her mouth. ¡°Do you not understand that I am asking you to get away from her? This is my command!¡± A gust of wind rose. The curtains turned over and the table moved. The wind swelled and became a wave that slammed into Hyougetsu¡ªJiujiu¡¯s body. As soon as her legs lifted up in the air, she collapsed and fell down on the spot as though a thread had been cut. A scream that wasn¡¯t hers could be heard faintly. At that moment, the storm vanished and ceased. The covering on the table gently fell to the floor. A young man was standing beside the fallen Jiujiu. He was stunned. ¨DIt was Hyougetsu. ¡°To think that you could tear me away by sheer force¡ª¡± Before Hyougetsu could finish his sentence, Jusetsu turned her hand to him. Heat gathered in the palm of her hand, and the air shimmered and began to form petals. Pink petals were formed one by one, creating a peony. The petals glowed faintly. ¡°If you cannot cross over to paradise, I shall send you there myself.¡± Hyougetsu backed away as if in shock. Jusetsu couldn¡¯t hold back the torrent of heat that swirled in her chest. The fierce flames felt like they were going to burst in her body. She couldn¡¯t hear what Hyougetsu was saying. She felt as if she was telling herself to stop from somewhere far away, but her body was being controlled by the heat and didn¡¯t obey her voice. She took a step towards Hyougetsu. There was panic in his eyes. Not caring about that, Jusetsu held up her hand. The peony flower was about to turn into a pale red flame. She tried to stop herself, but she couldn¡¯t. The torrent in her own body was swallowing her up. She was no longer herself¡ª. Everything was about to be swept away by the tremendous heat. ¡°Jusetsu.¡± Koushun grabbed her arm. Jusetsu gasped. Everything came into focus. She felt that the moment her name was called. Koushun¡¯s voice shook Jusetsu¡¯s heart like ripples, reaching all the way to her core. It was as if the curtains covering her body had been removed, and she felt as if light had suddenly burst into her body. She wondered what it was. She blinked repeatedly. The heat that had been raging for so long cooled down like a receding wave. The thing that had taken control of her body disappeared. Jusetsu looked up. Koushun¡¯s face stood out clearly against their surroundings. ¡ª¡ªShe didn¡¯t know why. Whenever she heard her name coming from Koushun¡¯s mouth, it always sounded different compared to others. It made her feel strange. She couldn¡¯t resist it. The peony disappeared from Jusetsu¡¯s palm. She exhaled deeply and the tension released from her shoulders. Her body was quite stiff and tense. What had she been so nervous about? Koushun released Jusetsu¡¯s arm. When she lowered her arm, Hyougetsu, whose face had stiffened, let out a faint sigh of relief. ¡°Sei.¡± Koushun called out to Ei Sei, who was watching the situation with bated breath. Ei Sei¡¯s fluttered as if he was coming to his senses and, as usual, he understood his master¡¯s intention without him needing to say a word. He went to Jiujiu and picked her up. ¡°She is merely unconscious,¡± he reported. ¡°Lay her down over there.¡± Jusetsu pointed to the bed behind the curtains. Ei Sei nodded and carried Jiujiu over there. She followed him with her eyes, and then looked at Hyougetsu. He braced himself. ¡°¡­What is your request? Let me hear it.¡± Even after she told him that, he was still wary and didn¡¯t open his mouth, perhaps out of fear that he was about to be forcibly sent to paradise. ¡°You said there is someone you want me to save. Who is it?¡± Hyougetsu was silent, as if hesitating. Jusetsu looked at his face and pondered for a moment. ¡°Shall I take a guess? Is it Princess Meiju?¡± Hyougetsu looked as if he swallowed something bitter. It seemed that she was correct. ¡°Princess Meiju¡­do you mean the second princess?¡± Koushun said as he stared into the air like he was searching his memory. Yes, Jusetsu nodded. ¡°Hyougetsu, she is your aunt, yes?¡± ¡°¡­She and my father had different mothers. She was also younger than me in age,¡± Finally, Hyougetsu spoke. His voice was low. ¡°Many of the stories about you take place in the inner palace.¡± ¡ª¡ªStories about how he turned disrespectful eunuchs into goldfish in the inner palace¡¯s pond, or he found a lost item for the princess¡­ Jusetsu recalled the anecdotes Koushun told her. ¡°That was why I thought you might have had a close relationship with Princess Meiju. Then, I learned that you planned to be adopted by your shaman master and leave the imperial family. How strange. What was the reason for receiving your master¡¯s family name, which you had no need to inherit? Or, to put it the other way, why abandon your family name of Ran¡ª¡± Hyougetsu¡¯s gaze wandered about as though he was hesitating over how to answer. Jusetsu looked over at Koushun. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t caught on. ¡°You may not be interested in this, but in this world, there exist laws that ban marriage between family members and laws that ban marriage between people of different social standings.¡± People from the same family couldn¡¯t marry each other, and prostitutes could be paid for by customers to get out of their bondage and become mistresses, but never a legal wife. Such were the rules. ¡°Those didn¡¯t exist in the past,¡± Hyougetsu said. ¡°If you read history books and romances, in old dynasties, as long as they had different mothers, you would find many sisters who married their older brothers, and nieces who married their uncles. It only became forbidden starting in the Ran dynasty.¡± ¡°In other words,¡± Koushun stroked his chin. ¡°You wanted to marry someone from your clan, so you attempted to discard your family name and leave the Ran clan. Am I correct?¡± Hyougetsu was silent. ¡°Is that person Princess Meiju, by any chance?¡± Koushun looked at Jusetsu when Hyougetsu didn¡¯t answer. ¡°The emperor and the other ghosts of the imperial family appeared in the Flame Emperor¡¯s bedchamber and were fought by Reijou. If Hyougetsu¡¯s beloved was among them, there would be no reason for him to still be here. If that is not the case, then why would he ask me to save her?¡± Then there was only one person, Princess Meiju. ¡°I see,¡± Koushun said, but he expressionlessly tilted his head. ¡°Why after all this time?¡± Hyougetsu had been possessing a third-rate shaman in Reki Province for a long time. Why would he ask Jusetsu to help him now? ¡°¡­I was in the inner palace,¡± Hyougetsu answered in a murmur. ¡°I wandered around as a ghost and found myself there. I searched for Meiju. Because I heard that she had committed suicide in the inner palace.¡± Hyougetsu let out a sigh. It was a clear sigh, filled with sadness. ¡°We were about to hold the wedding soon. My grandfather¡ªthe emperor had given me permission to leave the clan. I had just presented her with my proposal gift. Meiju had been delighted. Everything disappeared.¡± After he was killed, Hyougetsu wandered around in the completely trampled and ruined inner palace, searching for Meiju. Searching for her body. The cobblestones were stained with blood, and the bodies of attendants and palace ladies were strewn haphazardly in the courtyards. The smell of smoke was thick in the air, as if some palace had burned down. That was the kind of place I was wandering in, Hyougetsu said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find Meiju¡¯s body. It must have been carried away afterwards. But¡ªthere was a ghost under the willow tree. Meiju¡¯s ghost.¡± Hyougetsu dropped his gaze. His downcast eyes were shadowed. ¡°She was standing there in her appearance during her final moments, bleeding from her neck. It seemed that she had died under that willow tree. My voice didn¡¯t reach her. Something was occupying her mind, and she couldn¡¯t hear me. That¡¯s why, I couldn¡¯t send her to paradise, nor could I travel with her. I decided to turn to my master to see what could be done. However, the Flame Emperor had either arrested or banished all the shamans, and those who worked for the Ran clan were executed. My master had apparently escaped, which was why I couldn¡¯t track him down. I decided to leave the capital and search for a shaman who could save Meiju.¡± ¡°Did it not occur to you to turn to the previous Raven Consort, as you did this time?¡± At Koushun¡¯s words, Hyougetsu glanced at Jusetsu. ¡°The Raven Consort exorcised the ghosts of the emperor and the other imperial family members. Exorcising is different from saving. It is driving them away to paradise without question. It is also said that the soul is annihilated. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t ask her. If I thoughtlessly approached her, I might end up getting exorcised.¡± Just like earlier, he said. That was why he always took caution to use someone else as a pawn when he came face to face with Jusetsu. ¡°Even so, I occasionally returned to the inner palace to check on Meiju. I thought that the Raven Consort would not try to exorcise her ghost, which was helped by the willow flowers to only appear for a short time and never took revenge on anyone, but¡­Meiju would never react to my voice.¡± Every time he returned to Meiju, he would call out to her, hoping that this time she would hear him. Every time he would be disappointed and leave the inner palace to find a way to save her. Jusetsu felt her heart becoming worn down, just imagining that endless cycle. ¡°Shamans were not easy to find, because the powerful ones hid themselves well. So, the first person I possessed was not a shaman, but a priestess. She was a woman who passionately believed in the gods, and she was powerful. Thinking that this woman would be able to do it, I possessed her and tried to summon Meiju¡¯s ghost, but it didn¡¯t work. As expected, Meiju didn¡¯t respond to my calls. After that, I tried to possess several other people, but it was all the same. The only time I could work on Meiju was the season when the willow flowers bloomed. Spring came and went again and again without anything being done.¡± Hyougetsu closed his eyes. Perhaps he was recalling the willow branches dancing in the wind after the willow flowers finished blooming. It was a signal that he would have to say goodbye to Meiju for another year. ¡°After several springs, I decided to look for my master. He was the greatest shaman of his time. I thought that if I couldn¡¯t find him, I would have him find me. So, I fixed my gaze on a third-rate shaman who was a good talker. Sure enough, he was good at attracting attention, and he even created the Moon Truth Sect. But, he was a little too showy. Before I could be found by my master, the government took notice of him.¡± Hyougetsu laughed sardonically. Jusetsu and Koushun both knew what happened after that. ¡°But, perhaps it was thanks to this, when I returned to the inner palace, I learned that the Raven Consort had been replaced. Furthermore, it seemed that she was a member of the Ran clan. I thought that I might be able to negotiate with her if I played my cards right.¡± How stupid I was, Hyougetsu lowered his eyes. When he cast down his eyes, it was like clouds passing over the moon and hiding it. Just as his name implied, he was as beautiful as the cold moon. ¡°¡­If you had not used a palace lady as a shield, I would have listened to you calmly,¡± Jusetsu said. ¡°As if I would go before the Raven Consort completely defenseless. I won¡¯t forget how the previous Raven Consort exorcised my grandfather and the others all at the same time.¡± Jusetsu was at a loss as to how to answer. Brushing her hair out of her face with a hand, she looked out the latticed window. ¡°The sun has already set,¡± she murmured, and then turned towards the doors. Before she walked out, she turned to Koushun and the others. ¡°Come with me.¡± Hyougetsu looked puzzled, but Jusetsu left the palace without minding that. The sky was divided into light pink and moon white. The melting evening sun was sitting on the branches of the laurel trees. She walked swiftly to the south of the inner palace. Towards Meiju. As she walked, Jusetsu recalled the folding screen she had seen in the Gyokou Hall treasure room. The one depicting Hyougetsu and Meiju. Hyougetsu was as beautiful as cold quartz, while Meiju had the mellow beauty of a jade. ¡°Hyougetsu.¡± Jusetsu called out to him behind her. Koushun and Ei Sei were walking right behind Jusetsu, but Hyougetsu was following a little further behind. He left no footsteps or shadow, which gave off a strange feeling. ¡°Do you know Princess Meiju had a quartz comb?¡± ¡°A white quartz comb?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I know. It was my gift. A token of my proposal.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªI see.¡± When Hyougetsu said that he had given Meiju a proposal gift, Jusetsu had thought, Perhaps¡­ ¡°Do you know that it has gone missing?¡± ¡°Missing?¡± Hyougetsu¡¯s face changed. ¡°Was it looted?¡± ¡°That may be so, but I suspect it was not.¡± Passing by Enou Palace, the peach grove with willow trees came into view. The sky was gradually darkening, and their surroundings were turning a deep indigo color. At the same time, the moon, swollen and apricot seed-shaped, was beginning to shine faintly. Approaching the willow tree, Jusetsu stopped. Hyougetsu let out a breath. It was a painful, choking sigh. Under the blossoming willow tree, Meiju¡¯s figure emerged. Contrary to the growing darkness, her figure seemed to glow with a white light. Jusetsu gazed at her hanging head. ¡°Princess Meiju slit her own throat under that willow tree. ¡ª¡ªDo you have any idea why it was this willow tree?¡± Hyougetsu answered. ¡°Whenever I visited the inner palace, this was where we met. I also proposed to her here.¡± ¡ª¡ªIs that why? Did she intend to die while holding her memories with Hyougetsu in her mind? ¡°Then, it would be hard to believe that she would have tried to die without her precious quartz comb.¡± It was her proposal gift. If she chose this place to die, it was only logical that she would choose it as her adornment in her final moments. However, Jusetsu pointed at Meiju¡¯s head. ¡°She died without putting it in her hair.¡± The form of a ghost was not necessarily their appearance when they died. Hyougetsu was a good example. Sometimes, they appeared in the form that left a strong impression in the deceased person¡¯s mind. If Meiju¡¯s ghost wasn¡¯t wearing that comb, it was either because that was what she looked like when she died, or because that appearance left a strong impression in her mind. ¡ª¡ªWhy? Either way, if it was the other way around, they would know. If she was wearing her treasured comb. ¡°She must have thought when she died, the comb should not be on her body. Because it would be looted.¡± Ah, Koushun let out a faint sound that was neither an utterance nor a sigh. ¡°Both Princess Meiju¡¯s gemstone and the blade she used to kill herself are kept in the treasure room of Gyokou Hall. That was how it was done.¡± Jusetsu had criticized Koushun keeping jewelry torn off from corpses before. ¡°It might fall into the hands of the Flame Emperor, who had killed Hyougetsu. I don¡¯t believe she wanted that to happen, no matter what.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Hyougetsu looked at Meiju. ¡°Where¡¯s the comb?¡± Jusetsu approached her step by step. ¡°With the army closing in, there would have been no time to hide it somewhere. She came here, where she had chosen to die, and most likely¡ª¡± Jusetsu crouched down in front of Princess Meiju. She placed her hand on the ground at her feet. The earth was cool. ¡°Buried it here.¡± Taking a piece of wood from her pocket, Jusetsu began digging with it. She had no other tools to use. ¡°Sei,¡± Koushun said, and Ei Sei reluctantly approached Jusetsu. He took out a dagger from his pocket and gouged out the dirt greatly in one go. Jusetsu wondered if he always carried such a dangerous thing around. ¡°She would not have buried it very deeply.¡± After digging for a while, they hit the willow¡¯s roots. They were still thin. Jusetsu stopped her hand. The roots were entangled around¡ªor rather, protecting¡ªa comb. It was covered in dirt, but it was a white quartz comb. Jusetsu hurriedly dug it out and wiped the dirt away from it. ¡°Use this,¡± Koushun held out his handkerchief. When she wiped the comb clean with it, the form of a beautiful comb in the shape of waves and peonies emerged. It was a comb that possessed the clear moon-like beauty of Hyougetsu as well as the gentle beauty of Meiju. ¡°I would guess that she could not leave this place because this comb weighed on her mind. Her whole mind was preoccupied with it.¡± For that reason, even the voice of Hyougetsu, who gave her that comb, didn¡¯t reach her. What an irony. Jusetsu held up the comb in front of Meiju. Heat gathered in her other hand. Light red petals swelled out and formed the shape of a peony. When she breathed on it, the petals scattered and turned into smoke, enveloping the comb. As though noticing it, Meiju, whose head had been hanging down, looked forward for the first time. A light red smoke surrounded her. The comb glistened in the moonlight. Meiju¡¯s vacant eyes slowly came into focus. On the other side of the comb, Hyougetsu was there. Meiju¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¨DMeiju.¡± Hyougetsu called out her name and stepped forward. Meiju blinked. As the wind passed through, her expression changed dramatically. Her eyes sparkled as she blinked again, and light bounced off her smooth cheeks drew soft lines. Her silver hair was tied up, and the wound in her throat and blood disappeared. Her bloodstained clothes were replaced with a splendid upper garment embroidered with gold and silver threads and a skirt printed with patterns of waves. The princess in all her radiance was standing there. Hyougetsu stroked Meiju¡¯s hair. Upon doing that, the quartz comb appeared in her hair. Without making a sound, Meiju smiled. Hyougetsu took her into his arms. He was also smiling faintly. He seemed to whisper something into Meiju¡¯s ear, but Jusetsu couldn¡¯t make out what he said. The two figures faded in the moonlight. The flowering willow branches swayed. Hidden among the drooping flowers, the lovers disappeared without a sound. A faint breeze shook the willow trees. Jusetsu silently gazed at the willow blossoms illuminated by the moonlight. No one said a word. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll bury that comb in their tomb.¡± After a while, quietly, as though slowly waking up from a dream, Koushun spoke. The tomb of the Ran clan was tucked away in a corner of the Forbidden Garden at the edge of the imperial palace. The original family mausoleum was destroyed, but the Flame Emperor didn¡¯t want the people to pray for them, so they were buried in the Forbidden Garden instead of outside the imperial palace. ¡°That would be good.¡± The comb was originally supposed to be with Meiju in death. ¡°It would be better for me not to touch it. It should be in the care of the Ran clan.¡± Saying that, Koushun flipped his sleeves. Jusetsu looked down at the quartz comb. The moonlight softly enveloped the quartz like dew. Volume 1 - CH 4.5 There was one job left to do. As night fell, Jusetsu sat on the latticed window sill and looked outside. The darker the night became, the clearer and brighter the moon became. When she closed her eyes, the cries of a nighthawk came closer. Her breathing became shallow and she searched for its presence. The more she melted into the night, the further away her senses reached. The Winter King reigned over the night. What she couldn¡¯t do during the daytime, she could do with the help of the night. ¡ª¡ªKoushun is¡­in his main residence? There was a scent in the darkness. Around Koushun, there was¡ª Jusetsu opened her eyes slightly. It was the thing she sensed when she went to Gyokou Hall in the morning. This sensation. She sniffed. ¡°That idiot.¡± ¡ª¡ªThe man is a fool. Jusetsu climbed down from the window. As she headed for the door, Xingxing began to flap its wings and flail about. She glanced at it and only smiled with her lips. ¡°Be at ease, Xingxing. I will return soon. I am not running away¡ªyou annoying Niangniang guard.¡± If you try to tell on me, I shall roast you whole, she said, and Xingxing became quiet. Jusetsu opened the doors and quickly went down the steps. She picked up her long skirt and glided over the stones in her brocade shoes. Leaving the black palace, she ran through the grove of laurels and rhododendrons towards the eastern gate of the inner palace. The eastern gate was the gate connecting the inner palace to the emperor¡¯s residence, the inner court. It was called the Ringai Gate. There were watch fires lit at the gate. Gate guards were stationed there. Jusetsu pulled out one of the peonies from her hair. The flower disintegrated into small pieces and scattered. Jusetsu didn¡¯t slow down as she approached the gate, and walked right past the guards. As she passed by, they vacantly stopped moving. Even when she went past the gate, they didn¡¯t seem to notice her. She headed for Gyokou Hall as Ei Sei had guided her in the morning. Unlike Yamei Palace, there were brightly lit lanterns at the eaves of the hall. Jusetsu didn¡¯t go to the front, instead going around to the back. The main residence was there. Passing through the garden, she looked for the outer door to the main residence. ¡ª¡ªAah¡­this scent. It was much stronger than in the morning. Jusetsu made a peony flower in her hand and put it in her hair. She found the door and flicked her finger. The door opened with loud bang. When she ran inside, Koushun, dressed in nightclothes, turned around. He was standing in the center of the room. ¡°You¡ªwhy?¡± Even at a time like this, Koushun¡¯s voice was tranquil. Jusetsu moved her gaze to what was ahead of him. In front of the door facing the corridor, there were two ghosts standing there. They were a pale-faced woman with clothing dyed in crimson and a eunuch with a horrific appearance. These must be Koushun¡¯s mother Consort Sha and Tei Ran. Jusetsu silently pulled a peony flower from her hair. She thrust it towards the two people in front of the door. Koushun grabbed her arm. ¡°Wait. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Be quiet and watch. This will end soon.¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re harmless.¡± Jusetsu glared at Koushun. ¡°You have no clue what is harmful and what is not. This is my domain.¡± Jusetsu shook her arm free and blew on the flower. It turned into a pale red flame, which then transformed into an arrow. Jusetsu swung her hand down towards the ghosts. The arrow was released vigorously. It flew through the air, creating wind, and hit the two ghosts¡ªor so it seemed, but it slipped through the gap between them. At the same time, the door behind the ghosts opened. The arrow flew towards it. At that moment, a tremendous roar rang out. No, not a roar, but a moan. It was the screaming of one¡¯s last moments. The scream seemed to echo from the depths of the earth, shocking the air and piercing the skin. A stormy gale blew through, rocking the whole room, and then it finally died down. The screams disappeared. Koushun stared at the open door, stunned. He didn¡¯t seem to understand what had happened. Jusetsu looked around and confirmed that the strong scent had disappeared. ¡°What was¨D¡± ¡°Why do you think they remained standing in front of your door?¡± Jusetsu looked at the two ghosts who were currently standing next to the door. ¡°I¡ªI thought it was because they had something to say to me.¡± ¡°That is part of it. They are protectors.¡± ¡°Protectors? Of what¡ª¡± ¡°You fool,¡± Jusetsu said over her shoulder. ¡°You, of course.¡± Koushun, speechless, turned to the ghosts. ¡°You said they only started appearing to you in the last month or so. What happened a month ago?¡± Koushun returned his gaze to Jusetsu. ¡°¡ª¡ªThe empress dowager¡¯s execution.¡± Jusetsu nodded. ¡°And it was only afterwards that they appeared?¡± ¡°Yes. But not right away,¡± Koushun said, puzzled. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°Listen. When I came here in the morning, I noticed a scent.¡± ¡°Scent?¡± ¡°A beast¡¯s scent. It was the scent of a curse that used a beast.¡± ¡°Curse¡ª¡± I can¡¯t believe it, Koushun muttered. ¡°Check the palace where the empress dowager was imprisoned or the building where she was kept until her execution. There might be traces of a curse there. Yes, you should check under her bed or on top of the beams.¡± The empress dowager had left one last curse. In order to torment Koushun after her death. ¡°Then, Mother and Ran¡­¡± ¡°They were acting as your final defense, stopping that curse from entering your room.¡± Koushun opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out, and his gaze simply dropped to the floor. Then, he suddenly turned around. The ghosts of Consort Sha and Tei Ran were by his side. Their once heartrending appearances had been transformed. Consort Sha was now a beautiful woman with a slender face and her hair tied up with a hair stick, and Tei Ran had been transformed into a gentle-looking eunuch with kind eyes. They were just as they looked before their deaths. Both of them were smiling. With smiles on their faces, they quickly dissolved into the darkness and disappeared. After a moment, there was only a pale indigo darkness. Koushun¡¯s hand was reaching towards both of them, but he dropped it without being able to touch them. Koushun stood there for a while, silently staring into the darkness. Jusetsu, without saying anything more, turned on her heel and was about to leave. However, Koushun stopped her. ¡°Jusetsu.¡± ¡ª¡ªOh, how I hate this. She hated having her name being called by this man. It made her feel strangely discomposed, and she couldn¡¯t calm down. ¡°Why did you help me?¡± Jusetsu¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you angry with me? Do you not hate me?¡± Koushun quietly asked her. Jusetsu hesitated over her answer for a while. ¡°¡­I am not angry with you, but with the past Summer King and Winter King.¡± It was their fault that Jusetsu was imprisoned in the inner palace. ¡°Besides, those two would not be able to rest in peace if I let you die.¡± Consort Sha and Tei Ran, who even in death still tried to protect Koushun. ¡°¡­I see,¡± Koushun cast down his eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡± Thanked frankly, Jusetsu didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°I do not want your gratitude.¡± ¡°I owe you a debt now. How should I repay you?¡± ¡°How¡ª¡± Unsure whether or not to haggle over a reward, Jusetsu decided to stop thinking about it. ¡°I have no need for that. Rather, I would prefer that you do not come to my palace anymore.¡± Koushun stared at Jusetsu¡¯s face. ¡°¡­What.¡± ¡°Can I not help you?¡± Jusetsu¡¯s eyes fluttered. She looked into Koushun¡¯s eyes to see what he was going to say, but all she saw was a sincere light in his eyes. That was why she was puzzled. ¡°¡­I do not need your help.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Because this is most likely my punishment,¡± Jusetsu looked away from Koushun and gazed into the darkness. ¡°My punishment for watching my mother die without helping her.¡± Koushun closed his mouth. In the darkness, silence hung in the air. Koushun was peering intently at Jusetsu¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Then, I received punishment as well,¡± he murmured. His voice was quiet and clear, like a winter morning. ¡°I received a far worse punishment for failing to save Mother and Ran.¡± Jusetsu suddenly looked up. In the depths of Koushun¡¯s eyes, there was a shade of sadness that couldn¡¯t be removed. That sadness was surely similar to Jusetsu¡¯s own. ¡°If I am going to be punished with you, then it might not be so bad.¡± After saying that, Koushun walked towards his bed. Jusetsu remained rooted to the spot. When she saw Koushun go beyond the curtains, she returned to herself and headed for the door. Stepping out into the garden, she was surprised to see Ei Sei waiting just outside the door. Perhaps to not disturb Koushun¡¯s sleep, he quietly closed the door without saying anything. He only gave Jusetsu a single glance and bowed. Jusetsu left Gyokou Hall and returned to the inner palace through the Ringai Gate, the same way she came here. Upon her return to Yamei Palace, Xingxing made a big fuss, but she ignored it and opened her curtains. Sitting down on her bed, she ruminated over Koushun¡¯s words. ¡°That man¡ªtruly is a fool.¡± Muttering that, Jusetsu laid down on her mattress, still dressed in her black clothes. ¡ª The purple upper garment was dyed with a pattern of waves and birds. The matching skirt was a goose-yellow twill weave with pearls woven in patterns. Jiujiu hung the thin silk shawl on Jusetsu¡¯s shoulders. It was a pink shawl, similar to the morning sky in spring. All of the clothing were gifted by Kajou. ¡°Which hairpin would you like to wear?¡± ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Remembering it, Jusetsu took out the ivory comb from the cabinet. It was a gift from Koushun. When Jiujiu laughed and said, ¡°Oh my,¡± Jusetsu quickly said, ¡°It was made to match this outfit,¡± as if to excuse herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, though.¡± ¡°You intended to say it.¡± When Jusetsu arrived at Enou Palace, accompanied by Jiujiu, they were greeted with crimson roses in full bloom. Kajou, who was waiting with her attendants in front of the steps, said, ¡°Those clothes suit you well,¡± with a satisfied smile. Jusetsu had come here because she received an invitation from Kajou. Kajou had prepared refreshments for Jusetsu, just as she had said before. Rice cakes, fuliubing, baozi with lotus seed fillings¡­a variety of sweets were lined up on the table. Kajou personally poured Jusetsu a cup of tea and offered it to her. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re aware of this, Lady Raven Consort. It seems that His Majesty is currently reviewing the administrative and civil codes. He says there are many pointless laws. He seems to be very busy with it.¡± ¡°I know not,¡± Jusetsu answered while stuffing baozi into her mouth. ¡°I have no interest.¡± ¡°He said in his letter to me that it would be a while before he can visit you. He asked me to tell you that.¡± ¡°Why does a letter to you contain a message to me?¡± ¡°He said that it was because the Lady Raven Consort would burn the letter before reading it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That is certainly true, but there was no need to make Kajou the messenger, she thought. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, do you have any message you would like to send to His Majesty?¡± ¡°No,¡± she immediately answered, and then said, ¡°Tell him not to send me any trifling messages¡ªno, do not tell him anything after all.¡± Jusetsu shook her head. ¡°If His Majesty is going to send a message, it would be better if he could compose a poem or two. I know that anything related to poetry and music are his weakness, though.¡± Please forgive him, Kajou said with a smile. She sounded like an older sister apologizing for her younger brother¡¯s failure. Her smile reminded Jusetsu of a warm and refreshing summer breeze. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try this one too?¡± Kajou said, offering her a rice cake. ¡°There is plenty of food here.¡± There was a smile on her face as she watched Jusetsu fill her mouth with food. ¡°I have ten younger brothers and sisters,¡± Kajou said. ¡°My youngest sister hasn¡¯t married yet, and she still lives at home. She is around the same age as you. This might be rude of me, but I feel like I¡¯m looking at my youngest sister in this way, and it makes me happy.¡± ¡°I do not think you are being rude.¡± ¡°I see. Then, in that case, may I call you ¡®Ah-mei¡¯?¡± That was a name used to refer to a younger girl in an affectionate manner. Jusetsu was puzzled. ¡°You can call me ¡®Ah-jie¡¯ if you like.¡± Kajou had a pushy side to her while seemingly acting modest. It was the same as when she had presented the clothes to Jusetsu. Jusetsu, at a loss for a reply, shoved a rice cake into her mouth. It was almost when she left Enou Palace. Kajou had been dressing her in various garments as though she was taking care of a younger sister. When she returned to Yamei Palace with several garments foisted on her, she found someone waiting at the doors. The evening shadows had fallen, but she recognized their standing figures. It was Koushun and Ei Sei. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t open the doors, but it turns out you went out.¡± ¡°Were you not going to come here for a while?¡± ¡°You heard that from Kajou? It was taken care of quicker than I expected.¡± Koushun¡¯s eyes were on Jusetsu¡¯s hair as he said that. She remembered that she was wearing the ivory comb she received from him. ¡°This is¡ª¡± Thinking that it would be strange to say the same excuse she had said to Jiujiu, she closed her mouth. She lifted her skirt to climb the steps and passed by Koushun and Ei Sei. The doors opened on their own. Once inside, Koushun had Jiujiu draw back. As usual, he sat down in a chair himself without being prompted. ¡°What are you here for?¡± The fact that he made Jiujiu draw back must meant that this was a secret conversation. Thinking so, Jusetsu sat down across from him. ¡°Ah,¡± Koushun said, but was silent for a while. ¡°¡ªI was organizing the administrative and civil codes,¡± Koushun finally spoke. ¡°I heard that from Kajou. What does it have to do with me?¡± ¡°I abolished all the unnecessary laws. ¡ª¡ªIncluding the decree to capture and kill members of the Ran clan.¡± Jusetsu gasped. ¡°All the members of the Ran clan are dead. According to the name register. Therefore, that law was already as good as nothing. There was no need for it.¡± Jusetsu¡¯s eyes widened and she listened to Koushun¡¯s detached voice carefully. ¡°If the Raven Consort is the one who makes the king who he is, then we cannot afford to lose you. For that reason, it is a law that must not remain.¡± Jusetsu remained silent. Koushun took a breath before continuing. ¡°So, there is no more law to capture or kill you. You need not be afraid anymore.¡± Koushun quietly repeated his words and looked closely at Jusetsu. She looked into his eyes, wondering what his intentions were. However, his eyes were as still as winter snow, showing no more thoughts than what his words indicated. ¡°I just¡­¡± Koushun started to say, but his eyes wavered in hesitation and he closed his mouth. He had been choosing his words very carefully. Realizing that, Jusetsu¡¯s lips trembled slightly. He was carefully searching for the right words so as to not hurt her. Jusetsu pursed her lips tightly and looked down. ¡°Have I offended you?¡± Koushun sounded somewhat panicked. The tone of his voice didn¡¯t change much. However, Jusetsu had come to be able to hear the sadness, intensity, and tenderness in his voice much clearer than at the very beginning. Jusetsu shook her head. Not knowing what to answer or what kind of face to make, she kept her head down. Koushun was trying to nestle close to Jusetsu¡¯s pain. He was trying to support her. She didn¡¯t know if that was the right thing to do. Koushun had no need or obligation to understand her. Neither did she need him to understand her. She didn¡¯t seek salvation there. But¡ª ¡°Here.¡± Koushun took something out of his pocket and placed it on the table. They were two fish figurines made of quartz. One was transparent, and the other one was milky white with a hint of pale red. Both had finely carved scales, and the grooves were painted with silver paint. Koushun placed the pale red one in front of Jusetsu. ¡°This one is yours. The other one is mine,¡± Koushun took the transparent one in his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s make a pledge.¡± ¡°Pledge¡­?¡± ¡°Promises between me and you. Between the Summer King and the Winter King.¡± Jusetsu looked between Koushun and the pale red figurine. She slowly reached out and took the figurine. It was smooth and warm, perhaps because it had been in Koushun¡¯s pocket. Jusetsu traced the carved scales with a finger. She raised her eyes and looked at Koushun. ¡°What are the promises?¡± ¡°One is the promise from before. I will not kill you. No matter what.¡± ¡°No matter what?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­What is the other promise?¡± ¡°We will not fight each other.¡± ¡°I had no intention of fighting you in the first place.¡± ¡°That means you will be kept here for the rest of your life, not as the Winter King, but as the Raven Consort.¡± ¡°No other path is prepared for me.¡± A smile played at the edge of her lips, and Koushun fell silent for a moment. His eyes were downcast, and when he raised them, he looked directly into Jusetsu¡¯s eyes. Koushun stood up and went in front of Jusetsu, and then knelt down on the spot. Jusetsu was startled. The face of Ei Sei, who had been standing in front of the doors, changed and he stirred. Seeming to not care about the two¡¯s stunned reaction, Koushun clasped his hands together and bowed. ¡°I¡¯m showing my respect to not just you, but all the Raven Consorts who came before you.¡± Koushun¡¯s raised eyes seemed to be looking far into the distance through Jusetsu. She was puzzled, but accepted his gaze. The thought of Reijou, who had died of old age in this palace, came to her mind and vanished. A faint sigh escaped her lips. Jusetsu glanced down once at the quartz in his palm and sat up. She looked down at Koushun. His eyes were as calm as ever. She held out her hand towards him. Koushun took her hand and stood up. It was a sign that Jusetsu had accepted his pact. Even if what Koushun did was wrong¡­Jusetsu thought, it was indeed a relief for her that he reached out to her in her suffering. ¡°¡­Did you make these fish figurines?¡± She asked, looking at the quartz in her hand. Koushun¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°No,¡± he answered. ¡°Of course, I couldn¡¯t make something this fine. I had the Directorate for Imperial Manufacturies (court workshop) make them.¡± His expression was somewhat frustrated. It was the first time she had ever seen such a face on him, where one could see the traces of a boy. As Jusetsu stared at him, thinking how rare it was, Koushun¡¯s gaze wandered around uncomfortably. ¡°I can make a wood carving in less than a day.¡± ¡°No one has asked for it.¡± ¡°I can make birds and flowers.¡± ¡°Flowers? Ah, I remember. You made the flower flute.¡± Jusetsu recalled the crimson roses of Enou Palace. ¡°¨DEven roses?¡± ¡°Roses, lily magnolias, and hibiscuses.¡± ¡°I would like a rose.¡± Koushun¡¯s eyes blinked. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°A wooden rose would not wither.¡± Jusetsu was about to smile, but drew it back when she noticed that Koushun was staring at her. She turned her head away and sat down in her chair. Koushun also sat across from her again. ¡°You are not leaving yet? I believe you have done what you came here to do.¡± ¡°I forget to tell you the rest of the pact.¡± ¡°There is more?¡± ¡°One more. ¡ª¡ªI want to be your good friend.¡± For a while, Jusetsu stared at Koushun¡¯s face. His eyes were still and clear, and Jusetsu suddenly imagined a scene where a winter sun was shining through a latticed window. The pale light was shining softly. ¡°¡­Friend?¡± ¡°Your friend.¡± Koushun replied with the utmost seriousness. This young man had probably been thinking seriously about the words Jusetsu had thrown at him and the suffering she had brought to his attention. The answer he came up with was the abolition of the Ran clan execution decree and this pledge. Jusetsu slowly gripped the quartz fish in her hand again. It was smooth and strangely warm. ¡°You¡­are a complete fool.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± ¡°That is not a pledge.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pledge I¡¯m making to myself.¡± Hmph, Jusetsu rolled the quartz around in her palm. ¡°What do friends do with each other?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it myself,¡± Koushun replied detachedly. ¡°Perhaps they would have tea with each other. ¡ª¡ªSei.¡± Koushun turned around and called Ei Sei. Ei Sei walked up to him without making a sound. ¡°The tea Sei makes is delicious. Want to try some?¡± After a short pause, Jusetsu simply nodded. Ei Sei walked to the kitchen. After a while, the refreshing and gentle aroma of simmering tea wafted through the air. Jusetsu opened her hand and looked at the quartz. It would surely look beautiful under the moonlight. She felt that the quartz, filled with a clear light like dew, was fitting of a prayer called a pledge. Volume 2 - CH 1.1 I¡¯m baaaaaack, although I still won¡¯t be updating regularly because of school. Can you believe the anime will be airing next week?? In this chapter, Ishiha (my little angel) is introduced! Personally, I think this chapter is one of the saddest ¡°cases¡± of this series, look forward to it! I¡¯m also thinking of making an epub of the first volume, although it would probably be really unedited and not include the translation notes, but I hope it¡¯ll be useful to some people. TW: mentions of child abuse, child eunuchs Translation Notes 1. Rabbit-ear irises or Japanese irises are also written as Ñà×Ó»¨ in Japanese & Chinese, which literally means ¡°sparrow flower¡± Deep in the inner palace resided a consort called the ¡°Raven Consort.¡± Despite being a consort, she was never visited by the emperor. She was a special consort. She lived quietly in a jet-black palace and rarely went out. Of those who saw her, some say she was an old woman, while others claimed she was a young girl. It was whispered that the Raven Consort was an immortal and unageing female sage, or no, a terrifying ghost. It was said that she used strange arts. It was chiefly rumored that if it was asked of her, she would do anything from killing a hated person with a curse, invoking the dead, exorcisms, to finding lost things. A consort who lived in the inner palace but never had her bedchambers visited by the emperor. And, a consort who never bowed to the emperor. ¡ª¡ªThat was the Raven Consort. ¡ª Sensing a presence, Jusetsu looked towards the doors. ¡°Is something the matter, Niangniang?¡± her attendant, Jiujiu, asked. On the other side of the latticed window, the night was a deep indigo darkness that inconspicuously dyed everything in its color. But the garments Jusetsu were dressed in were much deeper than that darkness. Her satin robe embroidered with flower and leaf patterns, as well as her dress embroidered with flower-eating birds, were as black as a raven¡¯s feathers. There were obsidian stones sewn into the black silk that hung from her shoulders, and every time she stirred, it glittered bewitchingly like the stars. ¡°Someone is coming.¡± Jusetsu answered shortly and stood up from her chair. The golden bird at her feet, Xingxing, was restlessly running around. Immediately afterwards, a voice came from the other side of the doors. ¡°¡ª¡ªLady Raven Consort. Are you within?¡± It was the voice of a young woman. Her voice was trembling and shrill, perhaps because she was scared or nervous. ¡°I have a matter I wish for you to entertain.¡° That was the stock phrase of all those who came here. Every one of them used it like a password. They came here with a request for Jusetsu¡ªfor the Raven Consort. Finding lost things. Invoking the dead. Or, curse killings. They asked her for such favors, out of the sight of others. Jusetsu stretched out her hand and gently moved her finger. As though tugging on an unseen string. When she did that, the doors opened soundlessly. The thick darkness peeked out, and the faint moonlight revealed a woman standing there alone. She seemed to be a palace lady. She was wearing a simple ruqun, but her face couldn¡¯t be seen, for there was thin white silk hanging from her head. The woman quickly stepped into the room as though she was afraid of being seen and let out a faint breath. ¡°What is your request?¡± When Jusetsu asked her bluntly, the woman quickly raised her head. Jusetsu could hear her gasp from behind her silk veil. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she was surprised that Jusetsu was a girl of only fifteen or sixteen years of age, or if it was because of her jet-black ruqun. ¡°Are you the Raven Consort¡­?¡± From her bewildered voice, it seemed that she was surprised about her young age. ¡°That is the case.¡± This kind of conversation was annoying. When Jusetsu responded slightly curtly, the woman fell silent for a while, and then she quickly walked up to Jusetsu¡¯s side without a bow or anything else. ¡°Please help me.¡± Jusetsu drew back a little as the woman was practically clinging to her. Her breathing was getting more and more rapid under her veil. ¡°I have no other choice but to rely on you, Lady Raven Consort. Please¡ª¡± ¡°I asked you what was your request before.¡± The woman drew the hand that was extended to Jusetsu to her chest. She squeezed her hands tightly together. They were trembling. Her throat moved with a gulp. ¡°¡ª¡ªResurrection.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was shrill and trembling, just as it had been at the beginning. Jusetsu realized that she was neither scared nor nervous. ¡ª¡ªShe was completely desperate. Resurrection. Making the dead come back to life. ¡°There is someone I wish for you to revive.¡± The woman¡¯s hands were quivering. Jusetsu held up her hand to stop her, who was about to argue further about something. ¡°¡­I cannot revive the dead.¡± The woman let out something that was neither a scream nor a moan. Jusetsu disregarded her and continued. ¡°What I can do is invocation¡ªsummoning a soul only once. I cannot do more than that. ¡®Tis not that I won¡¯t do it, but that I cannot.¡± Jusetsu spoke slowly and clearly. The woman¡¯s shoulders heaved. Her breathing became wild, as if she was about to cry. ¡°No¡­No, that can¡¯t be. Then, then, who should I ask?¡± The woman spoke between the pauses of her wild breathing, and her voice quavered. ¡°No one can do such a thing.¡± The woman screamed something and buried her face in her hands over her veil. Sobs slipped out. Seeing her like that, Jusetsu felt as if dregs were accumulating in the bottom of her heart. ¡ª¡ªRequests like these were rare. This was the first time Jusetsu herself had received this request, but she had seen it with the previous Raven Consort several times. The previous Raven Consort had given the same response as Jusetsu. She had no choice but to turn back those who requested it of her. Jusetsu also had no other choice. Feeling like she wanted to vomit out those dregs, she let out a small sigh and pointed at the door. ¡°¡¯Tis better for you to return.¡± The woman, letting out quiet sobs, drew back and turned around, stumbling. Upon doing so, the silk veil fell from her head. The woman left the palace unsteadily. Jusetsu flicked her hand to closed the doors. Jiujiu, who had been standing still and holding her breath, blinked rapidly as if returning to herself. ¡°Will¡­will that person be okay?¡± Jiujiu walked to where the woman was and picked up the fallen veil. ¡°I know not,¡± That was the only thing Jusetsu could say. ¡°Wanting to revive a dead person¡­the one who died must have been that important to her,¡± Jiujiu said with a sigh and nimbly folded the silk. She handed it to Jusetsu. ¡°What shall we do with this?¡± Jusetsu stared at the silk. It was a well-made piece with a smooth lustre. It carried a gentle scent. It had been perfumed by burning incense. The scent was refreshing and sweet, like a lily¡¯s scent. ¡°¡­Sweetheart incense, huh.¡± It was an incense that held a lot of memory for her. The previous Raven Consort¡ªReijou had it. Nostalgia bloomed in her chest. When she unexpectedly dipped up memories of Reijou in this way, her breath often caught. ¡°I heard it¡¯s an incense burned for the person you love, and given to the person you love as a gift,¡± Jiujiu sniffed the veil¡¯s scent. ¡°Shall I put it in the cabinet? That palace lady might come to take it back.¡± That most likely wouldn¡¯t happen. Seeing that she came here while hiding her face and avoiding being seen, Jusetsu didn¡¯t think she would come all the way here to pick up a lost item. Though she thought that, Jusetsu told Jiujiu, ¡°I¡¯ll entrust it to you.¡± Maybe it was the fragrance lingering on the silk that made her do that. Jusetsu headed for the back of the room. She flipped the sleeves of her black robe. There were several layers of thin silk curtains in the back of the room, and beyond them was her bed. ¡°Are you retiring for the night already, Niangniang?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Then, I shall help you change¡ª¡± ¡°I can do it myself.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t, Niangniang.¡± Jiujiu pouted her lips and went inside the curtains. Jusetsu hadn¡¯t had an attendant until Jiujiu, so she could do things for herself, whether it was changing her clothes or washing her face. Rather, she wanted to do those things alone. However, Jiujiu had gotten miffed and said, ¡°Then, there¡¯s no point in me being here.¡± Jusetsu had given up on objecting and left it to Jiujiu to look after her. Jusetsu felt unsettled when she upset Jiujiu, though it was said it was strange for a consort to care about her attendant¡¯s feelings. ¡ª¡ªShe still wasn¡¯t used to having someone by her side. Even when Reijou was alive, she didn¡¯t even employ a palace lady, much less an attendant. There was only an old servant woman. After Reijou died, only Jusetsu and the golden bird Xingxing spent time in this room. Because that was how it was for the Raven Consort. Now, she had Jiujiu as well as a palace lady named Kougyou. There was also an idle person who visited her often. She always wondered if this was right. Don¡¯t associate with others and don¡¯t let them come near. That was the Raven Consort. Jiujiu reached for Jusetsu¡¯s clothes and untied her sash. While absentmindedly watching her, Jusetsu felt a mixture of doubt, regret, and relief. ¡°¡ª¡ªJiujiu, wait.¡± Jusetsu suddenly turned her face towards the door and spoke. Xingxing was flapping its wings restlessly. ¡°Oh, do we have another visitor?¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± ¡°It must be His Majesty.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe so,¡± Jusetsu promptly refuted. ¡°Did he not visit just yesterday night? I cannot have him coming here so often.¡± ¡°My, you¡¯re speaking like that again.¡± Besides, if the emperor¡ªKoushun¡ªcame, Jusetsu would know. This was different. Jusetsu retied the sash and stepped out of the curtains. A thin voice came from the other side of the door. ¡°Um¡­excuse me. Would you please open the doors?¡± It was a reserved boy¡¯s voice. Even though it was a boy, this was the inner palace, so he must have been a eunuch. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, um, my name is Ishiha. Um¡­¡± Jusetsu inclined her head a little, not able to catch his name very well. ¡°Oh,¡± Jiujiu murmured. Jusetsu turned her gaze to her. ¡°I know that boy. He is a eunuch of Hien Palace.¡± That was the palace Jiujiu worked at before. Jusetsu flicked her hand and opened the doors. A small boy dressed in pale grey robes was standing there with a worried expression on his face. He must have been a little over ten years old. There were freckles sprinkled over his deeply tanned skin. His eyes were round as he goggled at the inside of the palace, and there was a certain charm to him. He seemed to be an honest boy with a somewhat unsophisticated air to him. When he saw Jusetsu, he blinked in surprise, but when he spotted Jiujiu, he began to smile broadly in relief. His adorable protruding canines peeked out. ¡°Jiujiu-san¡ª¡ª¡± The boy almost turned towards Jiujiu reflexively, but suddenly realized what he was doing and hurriedly knelt down. ¡°M-My apologies, Lady Raven Consort. I am Ishiha. I work at Hien Palace.¡± His greeting was halting and awkward. Perhaps it hadn¡¯t been long since he came to the inner palace. ¡°He¡¯s a Hien Palace chu¡¯er¡­an apprentice. He is a new arrival who only just came here at the beginning of spring.¡± Jiujiu came to the rescue. I see, Jusetsu replied. ¡°Raise your head. You may stand.¡± Yes, my lady, Ishiha slowly stood up. His face was stiff, perhaps because he was nervous. He stood upright, his hands stretched tight all the way to his fingertips. ¡°There is no need to be so tense. Come and sit down.¡± Jusetsu pointed to a table and chair placed in the middle of the room and sat down on the other side. Ishiha was blinking, looking bewildered. It wasn¡¯t the norm for a eunuch to sit in a chair in front of a consort, much less sitting face to face. However, this was Yamei Palace, home of the Raven Consort. The rules of the inner palace weren¡¯t required here. ¡°Sit.¡± Jusetsu repeated briefly, but Ishiha only fidgeted uncomfortably. ¡°Niangniang won¡¯t get angry if you sit, so there¡¯s no need to worry. Come over here.¡± Jiujiu also urged him with a few more words, but Ishiha still didn¡¯t move and hung his head, looking like he was about to cry. He was staring at his feet, moving his thighs. Could it be¡­Jusetsu thought of something and stood up. ¡°Are your legs injured?¡± When she said that, Ishiha¡¯s shoulders trembled. So I was right, she thought. Thinking back, when he stood up, he had been careful and his face was tense. ¡°So you can¡¯t sit on a chair because of the pain. Is it the back of your thighs?¡± Jusetsu approached him and lifted up the hem of his robes. Ishiha stirred in surprise. Jusetsu, not minding him, pulled up his hem and had Jiujiu help lower his undershorts. His pale thighs, not tanned by the sun, were exposed. Seeing them, Jiujiu covered her mouth. ¡°How awful.¡± The back of his thighs was covered in terrible bruises. The ones near the middle were the worst. The skin was peeling off and blood welled up, becoming red and swollen. ¡°These are wounds from being hit with a rod several times. Is this from a caning punishment?¡± Jusetsu immediately recognized this because she also experienced it. When she had been a house servant, physical punishment was an everyday occurrence. That was how she had an idea of what was going on with Ishiha. ¡°New eunuchs are always being beaten by the instructor eunuchs. But this is too much¡­¡± Jiujiu paled. ¡°My language isn¡¯t good,¡± Ishiha muttered. ¡°All I do is make my shifu angry.¡± Shifu was the name for an instructor eunuch. ¡°There¡¯s no helping it about your language. You must have had a hard time just learning our language.¡± ¡°¡­Where are you from?¡± The name ¡°Ishiha¡±* didn¡¯t come from the language of this region. There were several tribes, large and small, in the country of Shou. If Jusetsu traced back her roots, she also came from a small tribe from the north. ¡°I¡¯m from the Hatan tribe of Rouko. Rouko is south of Gei Province. It¡¯s next to the sea.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite far.¡± ¡°Yes. But, the number of children who become eunuchs isn¡¯t small. Fishing alone isn¡¯t enough to support an entire family.¡± To sum it up, they were reducing the number of mouths to feed. Becoming a eunuch meant getting a salary, and if you got ahead, you could become wealthy. There were those who counted on that and became eunuchs of their own free will, but there were also those like Ishiha who had no choice to become one. Becoming a eunuch meant you could no longer be biologically male. Some even lost their lives during the surgery. It was different from simply becoming a live-in servant. Jusetsu wondered what the child in front of her was thinking as he accepted this path. Jusetsu, who was examining Ishiha¡¯s wounds, directed Jiujiu to bring over the medicine box. And then, she dragged over a small sleeping couch in the corner and had Ishiha lie on it face down. She took out a packet of pu huang from the box and opened it. The bulrush pollen of the pu huang worked well on wounds. After she rubbed the pu huang on Ishiha¡¯s bruises, she wrapped bleached cotton cloth around them. While she was treating him, Ishiha stayed completely still. ¡°Finished. You may get up now.¡± ¡°Thank¡­thank you very much¡­¡± Ishiha adjusted his clothes with a timid expression on his face. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt if you sit on your behind so that nothing touches your thighs,¡± Jusetsu said and had him sit down on the couch. ¡°Now then,¡± Jusetsu turned her chair to face Ishiha and sat down. ¡°What is your business here?¡± She didn¡¯t believe he came here just to have her treat his wounds. There was a main issue. Ishiha placed his hands on his knees and seemed to be searching for the words. ¡°Um¡­¡± Ishiha peered up at Jusetsu as though trying to gauge her expression. His eyes were scared, as if he was afraid that she would get angry at him. When she thought that this must have been ingrained in him from the pain he suffered at the hands of his shifu, she felt a stab of pity. ¡°You must have a request for me. Everyone who comes here do.¡± She tried to coax him to talk. Ishiha nodded meekly. And then, he opened his mouth wide. ¡°There was a child standing there.¡± ¡°A child?¡± ¡°A boy who looks like he¡¯s about the same age as me, or maybe a little older. He is a eunuch. He is standing in Hien Palace¡¯s garden.¡± ¡ª¡ªSo, he saw the ghost of a boy eunuch? Jusetsu nodded lightly and prompted him to continue. ¡°There are rabbit-ear irises (1) growing in a corner of the garden. It is a damp and swampy area. He stands there and faces the palace. He doesn¡¯t move. He simply stares at it. He looks very sad.¡± But, Ishiha dropped his gaze. ¡°Only I can see him. I told people around me about him, but they said they couldn¡¯t see anything. Shifu yelled at me, telling me not to say nonsensical things.¡± He was most likely beaten for that. Ishiha shrank himself as though the pain had returned. ¡°Even though he was there no matter how I looked at it, they said there was something wrong with me. Is that true? I don¡¯t know either.¡± Ishiha¡¯s cheeks stiffened. He was frightened. He was scared, ghost or not. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of a ghost appearing in Hien Palace, but¡­¡± Jiujiu murmured in bewilderment, but when Ishiha¡¯s face slackened like he was about to cry, she hurriedly comforted him by saying, ¡°Around me, all the ghost rumors are about palace ladies and consorts. Maybe I just haven¡¯t heard anything about a eunuch¡¯s ghost.¡± However, Ishiha began to sob instead. Jiujiu looked to Jusetsu for help. Don¡¯t look at me like that, Jusetsu thought, but she had no choice but to speak. ¡°Whether or not there truly is a ghost, I will know when I go there,¡± Jusetsu said simply. ¡°However,¡± she continued. ¡°Your shifu said, ¡®Don¡¯t say nonsensical things,¡¯ correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But, he didn¡¯t tell you, ¡®Don¡¯t lie.¡¯¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± Ishiha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yes, that¡­that is true. He told me not to mention it again, but he didn¡¯t scold me for lying.¡± ¡°Then, it wasn¡¯t a lie. There is a ghost.¡± Jusetsu said easily, and Ishiha looked amazed. ¡°Is that¡­so?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± If one were punishing a child who claimed to see something no one else did, one would tell them not to lie. Not only did Ishiha¡¯s shifu not do that, he also ordered him to keep quiet, which meant that he knew what Ishiha was saying was true. They had to question him. Ishiha¡¯s face brightened as though a weight was lifted off of him. ¡°So, what is your request? Do you merely want me to ascertain if there truly is a ghost?¡± ¡°No¡ª¡ª¡± Ishiha shook his head childishly. ¡°That boy looks very sad. If I¡¯m the only one who can see him, then I think there¡¯s something I can do. Because he¡¯s a member of the Hatan tribe, like me.¡± Tanned and freckled skin, dark and round eyes, smooth features, and thick lips. Ishiha said that just at a glance, he could tell that they were from the same tribe. ¡°I see.¡± Jusetsu stared intently at Ishiha. There was nothing foolish about this boy eunuch that would have led to relentless punishment from his shifu. Rather, it might have been caused by his intelligence and straightforwardness of heart. ¡°You are smart, but not clever. You are too honest.¡± When Jusetsu said that, Ishiha tilted his head as though he didn¡¯t understand her very well. ¡°I know someone very much like you,¡± the face of a young man emerged in the back of Jusetsu¡¯s mind. She had seen that face last night as well. A young man as unmoving, severe, and tranquil as a winter mountain. Jusetsu let out a ¡°hmph¡± and drove that face from her mind. ¡°You said you think there¡¯s something you can do. You have already accomplished it. Because you came here.¡± Saying that, Jusetsu smiled with only her lips. Volume 2 - CH 1.2 Jusetsu finds out more about the mysterious ghost~~ Also I wanted to make a post about my thoughts on episode 1 but got kinda lazy so I¡¯ll just put it here: it feels a bit rushed but I think they did the best they could since the first chapter crams in a lot of information, although I think it would have been better if it was a one-hour episode instead, also I wish the op animation was better since when I first watched it I was like ¡°wtf¡±, which is a shame since it¡¯s a good song Translation Notes 1. Star raven is the literal translation of hoshigarasu, or spotted nutcracker, but I decided to translate it literally in order to make the significance clearer 2. I don¡¯t know if I mentioned this before but ҹè×Ó or night cat is another name for owls 3. Cat-headed eagle or maotouying is the actual Chinese name for owls 4. Nuidono (¿pµî, short for ¿pµîå¼) or the Clothing Bureau is the office in charge of the emperor/empress¡¯s wardrobe and the court ladies in ancient Japan 5. Sanpaku eyes are ¡°eyes in which either the white space above or below the iris is revealed.¡± According to Chinese/Japanese face reading, it¡¯s believed that people with sanpaku eyes attract accidents and violence. It was already late at night, so she decided to have Ishiha return to Hien Palace that night and go there the next day. It would be unfortunate if his lack of sleep interfered with his work and he got beaten again. Children had to get a good night¡¯s sleep. That was one of Reijou¡¯s teachings. The next morning, Jusetsu left Yamei Palace, accompanied by Jiujiu. Her usual black ruqun was too conspicuous, so she wore a purple outer robe and yellow dress. Those were given to her by Kajou, one of the consorts of the inner palace. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been lovely if you had worn that comb? It goes so well with this outfit.¡± Jiujiu grumbled. She was talking about the ivory comb patterned after birds and waves. Koushun had given it to her to match these clothes. ¡°I won¡¯t wear that one.¡± ¡°Why not? His Majesty would be disappointed.¡± Jusetsu sullenly stayed quiet. She didn¡¯t know how to put it into words. Also, it was something she couldn¡¯t tell Jiujiu about. Jusetsu and Koushun were ¡°friends.¡± ¡ª¡ªI want to be your good friend. When she recalled Koushun¡¯s face as he pledged that, painful, warm feelings almost burst out and overflowed from her. Even though it wouldn¡¯t repay any of her feelings until now or any of the pain in the future, Koushun¡¯s words certainly did become a light that dwelled in Jusetsu¡¯s heart. A faint, gentle light. But, it was her only salvation. However, because of that, Jusetsu didn¡¯t know how to deal with Koushun. He often visited her and chatted with her over tea, but she still wondered what kind of attitude she should take with him. Should she welcome him as a friend? But, she didn¡¯t know how to show her welcome. In the first place, what were friends, and what did they do? Unfortunately, Koushun didn¡¯t know much about it either. As she was walking with her brow furrowed, Jiujiu asked her, ¡°You have such a gloomy look on your face. Whatever is the matter?¡± Jiujiu peppered her with questions just by her changing expressions a little bit. Part of her thought, Leave me be, but she also felt lonely if she wasn¡¯t questioned. She had never felt like this before. Once she became familiar with it, she couldn¡¯t go back to how she was before. ¡°Oh, Niangniang, I see a strange bird.¡± When they entered the laurel and rhododendron thicket that surrounded Yamei Palace, Jiujiu stopped in her tracks and pointed at a branch. There was a bird with brown feathers spotted with white perched on it. Its dark eyes seemed to be looking at them. ¡°That is a star raven.¡± (1) It was called that because its white spots looked like stars. It was said to be the retainer of Wulian Niangniang¡ªa goddess. Even on the mural of Wulian Niangniang in the back of Yamei Palace, it was drawn the biggest, and the shrine in the imperial palace was called ¡°Seiu Temple.¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m seeing one. It lives in the inner palace, I see.¡± ¡°¡¯Tis a bird that came from somewhere else recently. It seems to have taken a liking to this forest, so it is making it its home.¡± There were no night cats (2) in the inner palace because Wulian Niangniang abhorred them. Even the word ¡°owl¡± itself was a taboo, so names like ¡°night cats¡± and ¡°cat-eagles¡± (3) were used instead. Perhaps because of that, small birds lived peacefully here. That might also be the reason why that star raven was living here. It had a relatively loud call, so it was easy to be surprised by it. Even now, it had its beak pointed upwards, but instead of letting out a loud ¡°gah,¡± it flew away. ¡°What a pretty bird. Ravens are all black, but the star raven¡¯s white spots are adorable.¡± Jiujiu seemed to have taken a liking to the star raven. She was saying things like, I wonder what it eats. After passing through the thicket and proceeding through the walkways, the banksia rose hedges of Hien Palace appeared in their view. The flowers have already stopped blooming, but their greenery was still beautiful. The blue-glazed roof tiles gave off a refreshing shine in the white sunlight of the morning. There were tiles with sparrow ornaments on the roof, and there were several sparrows resting their wings there. Jusetsu headed for the back entrance used by palace ladies and servants who performed domestic duties. It would be too troublesome to visit from the front. Jusetsu hadn¡¯t met the Sparrow Mistress, who lived in this palace, nor did she know her name. The kitchens, the sewing quarters (4), and the residences of the palace ladies were located behind the palace. Jusetsu could hear the women busily working inside the buildings. ¡°Is that you, Jiujiu?¡± An old palace lady, coming out from the building on the right, spotted Jusetsu and Jiujiu and called out to them. She was holding a basket full of fabrics. ¡°Gugu!¡± Jiujiu called out to her happily. It was the palace lady from the Palace Dyeing Bureau who Jusetsu met before. Her name was Ashuu. ¡°Didn¡¯t you become an attendant at Yamei Palace? The girl next to you, if I remember correctly, is¡ª¡ª" Ashuu looked puzzled when her eyes turned to Jusetsu. When they met before, Jusetsu was wearing a plain coral ruqun, the uniform of the Palace Cleaning Bureau palace ladies. Right now, she was dressed in a beautiful patterned ruqun befitting of a consort. ¡°This is the Raven Consort, Gugu.¡± Huh? Ashuu¡¯s eyes widened. When Jiujiu explained that she was pretending to be a palace lady before, she looked more and more puzzled. Even so, she put down her basket and put her hands together, then bowed to Jusetsu. ¡°I want to see the rabbit-ear irises in the garden.¡± Jusetsu said. Ashuu¡¯s eyes seemed to ask Why?, but she led them there without saying anything unnecessary. The garden was in the center of the palace. After walking down a stone path and passing by pagoda trees with lushly verdant leaves, they saw a clump of splendid rabbit-ear irises at the end of the path. The willow trees planted around the area swayed gently in the wind. The scent of water was dense. There was a magnificent palace in front of the rabbit-ear irises. That was probably the palace where the Sparrow Mistress lived. Blue flag irises, common irises, and yellow irises were planted up to the palace, partitioned off by stone paved paths. Each of them either liked wetlands or disliked moisture, so even though the flowers looked similar, they had different characteristics. It must have been a painstaking effort to grow them. Under the bluish-white sky, Jusetsu stared at the rabbit-ear irises, but could see no ghost there. ¡ª¡ªHowever¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She sensed a presence. The presence was between the rabbit-ear irises, flickering like a heat haze. Jusetsu stood in the shade of the trees and stared at the flowers with narrowed eyes. She then called to Ashuu, who was standing behind her. ¡°Have you ever heard of a eunuch¡¯s ghost appearing here?¡± Ashuu briefly looked like she was tracing back her memories, but answered frankly, ¡°No, I have not heard anything like that.¡± She was an old-timer palace lady, so she was well-versed in the rumors of the inner palace. If she didn¡¯t know about it, then it most likely didn¡¯t exist as a rumor. However, Ashuu continued with unexpected words. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of a ghost, but I do remember hearing a story about a Hien Palace eunuch.¡± ¡°What sort of story?¡± ¡°A story about a eunuch who was in love with a consort.¡± ¡°Ho,¡± Jusetsu turned around to look at Ashuu. ¡°This is a story from the previous emperor¡¯s reign. A eunuch from the Hatan tribe once worked at this palace. He was only ten. In that region, there are many children who are made into eunuchs in order to reduce the number of mouths to feed. For that reason, that region is also called the ¡®Land of Eunuchs.¡¯ That child also seemed to be one of them.¡± Because she was talking to the Raven Consort, Ashuu¡¯s way of speaking was much more polite, very different from before. As an old-timer, she seemed to know how to switch very easily. ¡°He was still an apprentice chu¡¯er, but they say he was in love with the Sparrow Mistress at that time. Since he was still a child, I suppose it was an exaggeration to say he was in love. The Sparrow Mistress was a girl about fifteen or sixteen years of age. She was apparently a kind person who spoke to even the eunuchs without discrimination. They say that she was terribly fond of the bird feathers that the eunuch presented to her.¡± ¡°Bird feathers?¡± ¡°The tail feathers of a blue sparrow. They were beautiful, so she made them into hair ornaments.¡± A sparrow with deep blue wings. They lived in the forests and thickets of the inner palace. Their feathers were beautiful, but their cries were also exceptionally clear. ¡°Of course, nothing could have happened between the eunuch and the Sparrow Mistress. They were children. I heard that the eunuch died after that, but I¡¯m not sure of the details. It was said that after the death of the previous emperor, the Sparrow Mistress was given to General You of the northern Forbidden Army in marriage.¡± When the emperor died, the concubines must leave the inner palace. Some returned home, while others married again. Most of them married retainers, but there were some who married merchants. The only consort who didn¡¯t leave the inner palace even when the emperor died was the Raven Consort. ¡ª¡ªOr perhaps I should say, she can¡¯t leave. ¡°That is all I¡¯ve heard. I don¡¯t know any other stories about eunuchs at Hien Palace.¡± ¡°Do you know the eunuch¡¯s name?¡± ¡°My apologies, but I do not.¡± ¡°Then, do you know any eunuchs who worked at Hien Palace during the previous emperor¡¯s reign?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ashuu shook her head in bewilderment. ¡°I don¡¯t believe there are any among the eunuchs currently working here, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°I see. Then, that will be all. I won¡¯t impede your work any further. You were very helpful.¡± Jusetsu thanked Ashuu and allowed her to leave. Ashuu bowed deeply while stealing glances at her with eyes shining with curiosity, and then returned to her station. Jusetsu wondered what kind of rumors she would bring to the palace ladies after this. It would most likely be something like, Listen, I met the Raven Consort. She actually exists, you see. Jusetsu turned back to the cluster of rabbit-ear irises. She brought her hand to her hair, which was tied in two rings. There were peony flowers tucked into her hair. They were Jusetsu¡¯s magic in the shape of peonies. When she was about to take one of them out, she heard someone shout, ¡°Lady Raven Consort!¡± She dropped her hand and turned towards it. There was a eunuch running on the stone path from the palace. It was Ishiha. ¡°La¡­lady Raven Consort¡­¡± It seemed that he had run here in a hurry, as he was breathing wildly, his shoulders heaving. He was about to kneel down and greet her, but Jusetsu stopped him. ¡°No need to bow. Is it okay for you to leave your shifu¡¯s side?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s¡­okay. Shifu is¡­paying a courtesy call to the Sparrow Mistress right now¡­and I still can¡¯t appear before her yet¡­¡± He spoke between gasping breaths. Chu¡¯er couldn¡¯t appear before their mistresses¡ªin this case, the Sparrow Mistress. It was only when the shifu deemed that they were ready that they could be in her presence. Ishiha wiped the sweat from his forehead. A courtesy call wouldn¡¯t take up a lot of time. She must hurry to confirm things with him. It would be troublesome if the Sparrow Mistress found them as well. Jusetsu pulled Ishiha into the shade of a tree so they wouldn¡¯t be conspicuous and pointed at the rabbit-ear irises. ¡°Can you see the ghost?¡± Ishiha turned his head to the flowers. He immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s there.¡± Jusetsu nodded back and pulled a peony from her hair. It slowly transformed when placed on her palm. The pink petals came apart one by one and turned into smoke and dissolved. Jusetsu blew on the smoke. The pink smoke trailed and drifted over to the rabbit-ear irises. Gradually, it gathered in one place, and the faint figure of a person appeared beyond it. Seeing it slowly becoming darker, Jiujiu let out a small ¡°Ah¡± and hurriedly covered her mouth. Within the faint smoke, there was a eunuch. He could still be called a child. He shared similar traits with Ishiha. Tanned skin, freckles, dark eyes, and a flat nose. It was a boy eunuch from the Hatan tribe. He was standing in the middle of the blooming rabbit-ear irises, facing the Sparrow Mistress¡¯s palace. His clear, almost transparent eyes were fixed on the palace. They were filled with sorrow. Even now, he looked like he was about to cry, and his eyes stirred her heart. There was nothing like a child¡¯s crying face that made you want to do something about it. He was gripping something in his hand. Something blue¡ª¡ª ¡°¡­The feather of a blue sparrow.¡± The boy eunuch was holding a blue sparrow¡¯s tail feather. She recalled Ashuu¡¯s story from earlier. The story about the boy eunuch who presented blue sparrow feathers to the Sparrow Mistress. Was that eunuch this ghost? Jusetsu moved smoothly towards him. His mouth was moving. He was murmuring something. His voice was high and thin. It seemed that he was murmuring only one word. But it didn¡¯t make sense to her. As soon as Jusetsu turned towards Ishiha, he rushed over without saying a word. A smart child. ¡°What is he saying?¡± She assumed that he was speaking in the language of the Hatan tribe. At Jusetsu¡¯s question, Ishiha listened closely to the ghost¡¯s voice. ¡°¡ª¡ªHe¡¯s saying, ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­?¡± What was he apologizing for? Jusetsu was about to ponder over it, but this wasn¡¯t the time to be leisurely. She blew a breath at the pink smoke again. As the smoke dissipated, the ghost faded and could no longer be seen. It didn¡¯t disappear; it was merely that no one could see it except Ishiha. ¡°¡­You were most likely able to see him because you¡¯re from the same tribe and around the same age.¡± As well as clear eyes that couldn¡¯t be deceived. ¡°We¡¯re finished here. Go.¡± Jusetsu waved her hand and prompted him to return. Ishiha bowed and left, but he was glancing back at the rabbit-ear irises as though his hair was being pulled from behind. ¡°Ah. I forgot to ask his shifu¡¯s name.¡± She realized it after Ishiha left. She had thought that she needed to ask him. ¡°Why not ask someone around here to ask him to come to you¡­?¡± Jiujiu asked quizzically. ¡°Call Ishiha¡¯s shifu, you say? If I ask him about the ghost, he would know that Ishiha has come to me for advice, in spite of being ordered to keep quiet.¡± He might get beaten again. ¡°There would be no issue if I only happened to see the ghost, but¡­it would be too troublesome to question all the eunuchs one after another.¡± All eunuchs wore gray robes, but the shade was differed depending on rank. It would be best if she could find a eunuch in dark grey robes, but she didn¡¯t know how high their rank should be. Even while muttering about how troublesome this was, Jusetsu headed for the palace. ¡°Niangniang, you really do care for Ishiha quite a lot,¡± Jiujiu said as she followed her. ¡°Not particularly, it isn¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°Niangniang, there are things you don¡¯t realize about yourself.¡± ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°The fact that you¡¯re kind, Niangniang.¡± Jusetsu glanced at Jiujiu. ¡°Most people would feel pity when they see a child being beaten. It is not kindness, it is pity.¡± ¡°Yes, that is so. That¡¯s why you¡¯re kind, Niangniang. After all, aren¡¯t you doing all that you can for him? Kindness isn¡¯t thoughts, it¡¯s action.¡± Jusetsu was at a loss as to what to respond. ¡°¡­You¡¯re quite soft-hearted. Better that you be careful,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Jiujiu laughed. They went around one of the palaces and arrived at the back. At that moment, they heard a grating sound like something was being hit. Jusetsu furrowed her brow. ¡ª¡ªThis sound is¡­ Getting a bad feeling, Jusetsu broke into a dash. She ran between the palaces and ended up in front of the banksia rose shrubs that surrounded the palace. There were no stone-paved paths here, and the ground was bare. It seemed that the surrounding palaces were the residences of the eunuchs. There were a few eunuchs huddled together on the way. Two eunuchs were making a boy eunuch stand on his knees, and another eunuch standing behind him was holding a stick. Standing near them was a eunuch wearing gray robes that were darker than the other eunuchs. He was looking down at the boy with a stern look on his face. Without even needing to look at his face, Jusetsu knew that the boy was Ishiha. The eunuch holding the stick was brandishing it aloft, so Jusetsu raised her voice. ¡°Stop it!¡± The eunuchs looked at Jusetsu in surprise at her sharp voice. Jusetsu sped up her pace and approached them. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of him.¡± When she glared at the eunuchs who were holding down Ishiha, the two hurriedly let go of their hands as though pressured. ¡°I sincerely apologize for showing you something so unsightly, Niangniang.¡± The eunuch in the dark gray robes knelt respectfully and bowed with his hands clasped in front of his chest. He probably didn¡¯t know who Jusetsu was, but he bowed after perceiving that she was a concubine. He was a eunuch with smooth cheeks and a bad complexion. His lips were thin and pale. He had a prominent forehead and seemed clever and good-looking, but his sanpaku eyes (5) showed that he had a short temper. This was probably Ishiha¡¯s shifu. The color of his robes was darker than low-ranked eunuchs, but not as dark as those of high-ranked eunuchs. ¡°You must have been shocked, but this is a common punishment for eunuchs, Niangniang. Please disregard us.¡± In a polite tone, he told her not to meddle. He probably judged that Jusetsu was a low-ranking concubine with only one attendant and looked down on her. Jusetsu looked at Ishiha. He was biting his lip and holding back his tears. Jusetsu turned a cold gaze to his shifu. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Kouran.¡± ¡°Kouran, huh. I am the Raven Consort.¡± For the first time, Kouran¡¯s face, which had been shrewdly examining Jusetsu¡¯s face, looked shaken. ¡°The¡ªthe Raven Consort is here? That¡¯s¡ª¡± It seemed that he was hesitating over the correct way to deal with her. How should he handle the mysterious Raven Consort, who almost never left her palace and used uncanny arts? ¡°Why is this boy being punished?¡± Jusetsu looked at Ishiha. Kouran bowed his head and answered. ¡°He left his post without permission and disappeared, so this is his punishment.¡± ¡°Then it is my fault.¡± What? Kouran was about to look up, but immediately lowered his head. Eunuchs were not allowed to gaze at the faces of consorts. ¡°I found this boy and ordered him to lead me to the garden. His name is Ishiha, yes? I asked his name at that time.¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes, this boy¡¯s name is Ishiha.¡± ¡°Therefore, the blame is on me. I apologize. Forgive Ishiha.¡± ¡°¡­I see, so that is the case.¡± Very well, then, he answered, but she could see that he wasn¡¯t convinced. She wondered if she should threaten him a little. It would be a problem if Ishiha was beaten after she left. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something I would like to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it, Niangniang?¡± ¡°Was there a eunuch who died in Hien Palace during the reign of the previous emperor?¡± Kouran¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°He was a eunuch from the Hatan tribe. He was still a child, see, about Ishiha¡¯s age. He¡¯s in the garden. Standing in the middle of the rabbit-ear irises, holding a blue sparrow feather¡ª¡± All the eunuchs paled. ¡°Ishiha was saying such nonsense to the Lady Raven Consort?¡± Kouran¡¯s pale face grimaced. Jusetsu looked down at him coldly. ¡°I have only told you what I saw with my own eyes. Are you calling that nonsense?¡± ¡°N-No¡ª¡± ¡°Kouran,¡± Jusetsu fixed her gaze on him. ¡°You know about the deceased eunuch, do you not?¡± Kouran twitched in surprise, and this time he looked up. He met Jusetsu¡¯s eyes directly and stiffened as though entranced. Jusetsu¡¯s eyes were filled with the radiance of obsidian, and while they were a deep, unfathomably dark color, they were quietly clear. To a terrifying degree. ¡°You cannot hide anything from me.¡± ¡°Ye¡­yes, certainly, I do know that there was once a Hatan tribe eunuch who died at Hien Palace,¡± Sweat beaded Kouran¡¯s forehead. His voice was shaking slightly. ¡°I heard that he was beheaded for some kind of reprehensible act, but I don¡¯t know the details. It¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡ª¡ªHe was executed? Because he was in love with a consort? ¡°¡­Despite knowing that, you accused me of speaking nonsense?¡± ¡°M-My sincerest apologies. It was merely that I knew that the Sparrow Mistress would be offended if she heard about this.¡± ¡°So that was why you decided to remain silent when you heard that the ghost appeared?¡± My apologies, Kouran repeated. ¡°The area around the rabbit-ear irises is in front of the Sparrow Mistress¡¯s palace, and it is the most beautiful spot in the garden. If a ghost appeared there¡­¡± ¡°Do you know the name of the deceased eunuch?¡± Jusetsu interrupted Kouran¡¯s tedious explanation and asked. No, he answered. She then asked, ¡°Do you know any Hien Palace eunuchs from the previous emperor¡¯s reign?¡± But he answered no again. ¡ª¡ªIf I ask Koushun, would he know about this matter? She didn¡¯t want to request anything from him, but there was no other choice. ¡°Listen well, do not carry out any more of this ridiculous punishment, for nothing good will befall you. I already know your name.¡± Names used for curses. Jusetsu asked his name at the beginning in order to make this threat. Kouran bowed, his face chalk-white. Jusetsu glanced at Ishiha and saw that he looked slightly relieved. Jusetsu left Hien Palace, and on the way back to Yamei Palace, she called out, ¡°Onkei.¡± A eunuch lightly got down from the laurel tree next to her. He knelt at her side. This beautiful eunuch who was just under twenty years of age was Jusetsu¡¯s bodyguard. Onkei bowed his head, which had a horizontal knife scar on his cheek, and waited for Jusetsu¡¯s orders. ¡°Give a message to Koushun. Tell him to come to Yamei Palace soon.¡± Onkei simply said, Yes, and swiftly left. When the kneeling Kouran could no longer see Jusetsu, he finally stood up. Even though he hadn¡¯t been running, he was breathless. ¡°Are you all right, sir?¡± A subordinate eunuch asked anxiously and part suspiciously. He seemed to be asking, Should you really be so frightened, even if you were dealing with the mysterious Raven Consort? Kouran gulped, not even bothering to wipe the sweat on his brow. His sweat was cooling down. ¡°¡­In the Raven Consort¡¯s eyes.¡± The voice that spilled out of his mouth was hoarse. ¡°There is a monster in her eyes.¡± Saying only that, Kouran¡¯s body trembled. Volume 2 - CH 1.3 50 followers!!! Thanks for checking out this blog!!! Here¡¯s a sad Ishiha chapter to make up(?) for happy Ishiha in this week¡¯s episode!! Translation Notes 1. I thought the author made up this word (she kinda did) but apparently ¡°bang¡± (°ï) also means ¡°group¡±. Wu (ùM) means bunting, a kind of bird 2. It looks like this 3. I had a hard time finding out what this bureau (¹¬ãǾÖ) actually did but I think it¡¯s in charge of keys and doors or something?? I dunno Koushun visited at the first watch of the night (seven to nine p.m.) on that day. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to request something from me,¡± Koushun said matter-of-factly, without even a smile on his face. ¡°Is there something troubling you?¡± ¡°I wish to know the name of a eunuch who once worked at Hien Palace during the previous emperor¡¯s reign and was executed. He was of the Hatan tribe and still a child. Also, are the eunuchs who worked there during that time still here?¡± Jusetsu stated concisely. Koushun didn¡¯t even inquire her reasons and looked at Ei Sei, who was standing behind him. Ei Sei, who possessed the most beautiful face among the eunuchs, immediately answered, ¡°I shall have those in the Palace Servants Bureau check the register.¡± However, his momentary gaze directed at Jusetsu clearly said, ¡°Stop inconveniencing Dajia.¡± Jusetsu turned away and ignored it. ¡°There are young Hatan eunuchs in my palace as well. There are many from that tribe who become eunuchs at a young age.¡± ¡°Most likely as a result of reducing the number of mouths to feed.¡± ¡°That is also a reason, but¡­¡± Koushun hesitated over his words, which was unusual for him, and looked somewhat troubled. ¡°What is it?¡± Koushun didn¡¯t answer, so Jusetsu looked at Ei Sei. He opened his mouth, looking reluctant. ¡°They can be sold for high prices.¡± ¡°Sold? Does that mean the imperial court buys them?¡± ¡°Brokers are the ones who buy them. And then it is the vulture stewards¡ªthose who are in charge of admitting eunuchs into the inner palace¡ªwho buy them again. The higher their quality, the higher their price, and that goes for young children as well. Because educating them from a young age strengthens their loyalty. A beautiful child would be the most expensive. There are many consorts who like that kind of eunuch.¡± After explaining that, Ei Sei coldly said, ¡°If this talk is vulgar, then I apologize to Dajia and the Lady Raven Consort for sullying your ears.¡± The translation was, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about this kind of thing in front of Dajia.¡± ¡°The one who brought up the topic was this man.¡± Ei Sei¡¯s eyebrows raised at how she called Koushun ¡°this man.¡± Since it would turn into something bothersome, Jusetsu turned the conversation towards Koushun. ¡°Is it the norm to use caning when educating new eunuchs?¡± ¡°You saw it?¡± Koushun asked back. Jusetsu nodded. ¡°¡­It¡¯s done by the teacher,¡± Koushun¡¯s tone was heavy. He was never a talkative man, but perhaps this was also a topic that was difficult for him to discuss. ¡°That is not a commendable practice. To have several adults hold down a small child and punish a small child like that¡ª¡± ¡°Jusetsu.¡± Koushun interrupted her. Jusetsu stopped what she was saying. She always felt strange when Koushun called her by her name. His voice had a quiet warmth to it, like the thin sunlight in winter. ¡°Don¡¯t go into too many details in front of a eunuch.¡± Jusetsu turned her eyes to Ei Sei. Ei Sei smiled faintly with his eyes downcast. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine, Dajia. Please do not worry about me.¡± Jusetsu observed his expression. ¡ª¡ªEi Sei was someone who most likely endured harsh beatings as well. To the point where he didn¡¯t want to remember them. ¡°¡­My apologies.¡± When she apologized, Ei Sei widened his eyes in surprise, and then looked somewhat vexed. ¡°Has a ghost of a eunuch appeared at Hien Palace?¡± Koushun asked quietly. Sometimes, she thought that this man¡¯s voice was too quiet. It had a quietness and gentleness to it that wasn¡¯t quite becoming of an emperor. His masculine face was sharp and prone to looking cold, but his gaze was calm and his bearing was mature. Jusetsu knew that the cold flames of hatred hid behind his serenity, but they didn¡¯t show on the surface. ¡°He is a Hatan child. There is a blue swallow feather in his hand.¡± ¡°A blue swallow, huh. They are remarkably beautiful even among all the birds seen in the inner palace. I have seen the consorts use their feathers as hair ornaments or belt ornaments sometimes.¡± ¡°So even you take notice of women¡¯s decorations.¡± She said in surprise, since she assumed he was an unsociable person with little interest in love affairs and sensual pleasures. ¡°I suppose so,¡± Koushun said vaguely. From a distance, they could hear the voices of the night watchmen telling the time. Koushun stood up. It seemed that he was returning for the night. ¡°One of the consorts have fallen ill. I¡¯m going to go visit her now.¡± ¡°There is no need to tell me where you are going.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s so rare for you to invite me, I felt bad about not staying long.¡± ¡°I only summoned you here because I had need of you. I don¡¯t need you to linger here.¡± ¡°I wanted to converse with you. Because we are friends.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡± Jusetsu couldn¡¯t find the words to respond to Koushun, who spoke seriously. His gaze was so sincere that she couldn¡¯t even snap something uncharitable back. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand what a friend is very well.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m the same.¡± Koushun matter-of-factly responded to Jusetsu¡¯s shameful confession. ¡°If you and I both don¡¯t understand it very well, then we can only meet each other halfway and grope for the answers together.¡± Koushun took out a brocade pouch from his pocket and put it in Jusetsu¡¯s hand. A faint sweet smell wafted from the pouch when she opened it. It contained mijian lianzi¡ªcandied lotus seeds. Jusetsu¡¯s eyes became fixated on the lotus seeds covered in a thin coat of sugar. ¡°At present, what I know best about you is probably your favorite foods.¡± Lotus seeds were Jusetsu¡¯s favorites. In addition to those, Koushun brought other snacks such as dried fruits, candies, and steamed buns almost every time he visited. They were all amazingly delicious. Jusetsu glared at Koushun while holding the pouch tightly to her chest. ¡°You think you can just win my favor with food?¡± ¡°I just want to see my friend¡¯s happy face.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Did he truly think that from the bottom of his heart, or was it a merely a jest¡ªno, there was no joking around when it came to Koushun. Jusetsu averted her gaze from the feeling of not knowing what to do with herself. She couldn¡¯t direct her feelings as straightforwardly as Koushun. Jusetsu was a prisoner of Yamei Palace. But Koushun was different. The reason why she must be imprisoned was because of the emperor¡ªthe Summer King, Koushun. The Summer King and the Winter King. The Summer King couldn¡¯t exist without the Winter King. The existence of two kings was buried deep in the recesses of history. One was the emperor, and the other was the Raven Consort. The former Winter King, the Raven Consort, lived quietly in the inner palace in order to make the emperor the emperor. When she was face to face with Koushun, there were times when feelings that could neither be described as anger or resignation towards that unreasonableness welled up within her. But it was also Koushun who tried to nestle close to Jusetsu¡¯s pain. He reached his hand out to her, and she took it. For Jusetsu, it was her sole salvation. It was a light. Biting her lip, she looked up at Koushun. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what will make you happy.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Koushun¡¯s eyes widened slightly as if he was surprised by Jusetsu¡¯s words. His expressions rarely changed. ¡°There is nothing in particular that makes me happy,¡± Koushun answered after thinking it over overly seriously. ¡°As I was striving to reach my goals, I¡¯m not sure I know anymore.¡± Those were probably his true feelings. He had lived without feeling any joy or pleasure. All so that he wouldn¡¯t show any weakness to the empress dowager. However, that empress dowager was no longer in the world. ¡°¡­You seemed happy when you were carving that bird.¡± Koushun was good with his hands and was skilled at carving. When he was a child, he was taught by a eunuch he loved. ¡°Is that so?¡± Koushun stroked his chin with his fingers, looking deep in thought. ¡°Yes, I suppose I might have been. ¡ª¡ªYou taught me something new.¡± Koushun laughed slightly. It was rare. ¡ª¡ªHe might have been feeling ¡°happy¡± right then. ¡°I¡¯ll visit again. As for the matter of the Hien Palace eunuch, I will send a messenger as soon as I learn anything,¡± Koushun said, and then left the palace. Outside, there were about a dozen eunuchs kneeling. Usually, he only brought Ei Sei as his attendant when he came to Yamei Palace, but he must have brought this many tonight because he was going to visit another consort. Ei Sei should have followed Koushun as he went down the steps, but instead he quickly returned to Jusetsu and whispered to her. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, it seems that you are worried about the eunuch who was beaten, but please leave it be.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you are not prepared to assume responsibility of that eunuch¡¯s future, then don¡¯t even consider helping him. ¡ª¡ªIt will not end well for that eunuch.¡± Ei Sei said quickly, and then followed Koushun like a shadow as always. Jusetsu didn¡¯t move from the doors, watching their backs for a while. At the hour of the Dragon (around 7-9 a.m.) the next morning, Koushun¡¯s messenger came to Yamei Palace. It was Onkei. ¡°I have been entrusted with a letter from Attendant Ei. It is a list of Hien Palace eunuchs during the reign of the previous emperor.¡± When she opened the letter that was handed to her, she was met with a list of names lined up in neat brush strokes. It seemed that Ei Sei had copied the name register. The characters went without saying, but even the thickness of the ink was constant, neither light nor dark, which spoke to his character. ¡°It seems that the words written under the names are where they are currently working.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Certainly, there were locations like ¡°Hakkaku Palace¡± and ¡°Interior Ministry¡± written underneath each name. ¡°The eunuch who was executed was¡ª¡± ¡°A person named Yuisa.¡± ¡°Aah, this one?¡± There was a red seal above his name. Below it was a blank space with nothing written there. It had a cold feeling. ¡°Very well. I will ask these people about Yuisa.¡± ¡°You will, Niangniang?¡± Onkei¡¯s eyes widened slightly in surprise. ¡°There are about thirty names here.¡± ¡°I need not question all of them. Even if they are all eunuchs, they have different roles. They also have different shifus in charge of them. First, who are the eunuchs who have the same shifu as Yuisa? They would know the most about him.¡± Jusetsu lifted her eyes from the paper and looked at Onkei, who was kneeling next to her. ¡°Is there any here that you know?¡± After a quick glance over the listed names, Onkei nodded. ¡°Only one person¡ªthis eunuch named ¡®Shiken.¡¯¡± ¡°Enou Palace¡± was written under the name he pointed at. That was the palace of Kajou, the Duck Consort. Jusetsu turned to Jiujiu, who was standing behind her. ¡°Jiujiu, we¡¯re going to Enou Palace.¡± Jiujiu happily begin to prepare her change of clothes. When Jusetsu stepped behind the curtains, there was a peach-colored upper robe and dark-red skirt prepared on the tray. They were also gifts from Kajou. She seemed to enjoy having ruquns made for Jusetsu, who only owned black clothing. ¡°Onkei.¡± While Jiujiu changed her clothes, Jusetsu called out to Onkei on the other side of the curtains. ¡°Yes, Niangniang?¡± was the answer. ¡°Have you always been Ei Sei¡¯s subordinate?¡± ¡°Yes. He has been my shifu since the time I entered the inner palace.¡± ¡°Ei Sei never hits his chi¡¯er, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Onkei never said anything unnecessary. Jusetsu looked down at the clothes being put on her and continued to speak. ¡°¡­If you were to be punished with caning, would it be a nuisance if you were helped by a bystander?¡± There was a brief silence on the other side of the curtains. Onkei, who was Jusetsu¡¯s guard, had most likely witnessed her saving Ishiha, who was being beaten, yesterday from somewhere close by. ¡°I suppose it depends on my shifu¡¯s disposition,¡± Onkei slowly responded. ¡°Depending on the shifu, there may be some who give an even harsher punishment after help was given.¡± After saying that, he added somewhat quickly, ¡°Since Niangniang gave a warning to that shifu at Hien Palace, I think the risk of that happening is low.¡± Jusetsu was also wary of what Onkei had pointed out and threatened him. She hoped it worked. But, what if it didn¡¯t work¡ªwhat if that eunuch was more ill-natured than expected? Jusetsu let out a deep sigh. ¡°Please do not worry over it, Niangniang. It is generally like this for chi¡¯er,¡± The normally taciturn Onkei continued, perhaps because he was concerned. ¡°I was merely fortunate to have Attendant Ei as my shifu.¡± ¡°¡­At what age did you enter the inner palace?¡± ¡°Sixteen years old.¡± ¡°Huh. I had assumed you were younger.¡± Although there was a scar on his cheek, Onkei was beautiful. Taking into account that beauty, she had assumed he became a eunuch when he was a child. ¡°Until that age, I was an acrobat in a wubang.¡± (1) ¡°Wubang¡­that assembly of song and dance performers?¡± ¡°Originally, they were mediums who traveled around coastal areas to pray for a good catch. Now, they mainly perform at street corners or are employed by merchants and scholar-bureaucrats.¡± Onkei told her that the Wubang he was in was employed by a certain official of a government office. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re so agile¡ªyou were an acrobat.¡± ¡°That is also why I came to work under Attendant Ei.¡± Did that mean his artistic skills helped him? In the first place, why did he quit being an acrobat and become a eunuch¡ªshe thought, but didn¡¯t think it was good to ask while they were at it. Just like Ishiha, those who became eunuchs had their own circumstances. After she finished tying her sash, Jusetsu stepped out from the curtains. ¡°It would be better if you were here when I¡¯m talking to Shiken. Accompany me today.¡± Jusetsu took Jiujiu and Onkei with her to Enou Palace. The morning sunlight was shining brightly on the white gravel. Every time her brocade shoes stepped on the ground, there was a light grinding sound. The sun was still far from the zenith, and the coolness of early morning remained. The crimson roses of Enou Palace were past their prime, but flowers on the verge of falling could be seen between the leaves. The faded flowers didn¡¯t have the freshness and lushness they had in their peak, but they had a dulled luster. The path up to the palace was paved with stones polished like the surface of water. As they were walking on it, Kajou appeared from the wide-opened doors. ¡°Welcome, Ah-mei.¡± With a refreshing smile on her face, Kajou came down the steps. Attendants holding large fans and a canopy followed her in a stream. Kajou was wearing a light blue upper robe embroidered with flowers and a pale sea-green skirt. She was a refreshing woman like a fragrant breeze with a scent of mint. She was about ten years older than Jusetsu, so perhaps because of that, she thought of Jusetsu as her little sister. Apparently, her youngest sister was the same age as Jusetsu. She affectionately called Jusetsu ¡°Ah-mei¡± and insisted that she herself be called ¡°Ah-jie.¡± ¡°Those clothes suit you very much. I was sure that peach color matches you perfectly. Shall I make you a bright blue outfit in raw silk next time? It would be just right for the coming season. Ah, but a much more understated color, like an old copper color, would also be wonderful, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I have no need for either.¡± Jusetsu furrowed her brow, but Kajou generally didn¡¯t listen. She would have clothes made for her and bring them to her as she pleased, and Jusetsu couldn¡¯t coldly refuse her. ¡°Please, come in. Right now, tea¡ª¡± ¡°I did not come to have tea. I have business with a eunuch here.¡± Kajou, who was about to climb the steps, turned around. ¡°A eunuch? Then I shall summon them.¡± ¡°No need. I shall call upon them myself. ¡ª¡ªWhere is the eunuch named Shiken?¡± Jusetsu looked around. There were several eunuchs there, but it appeared that Shiken wasn¡¯t one of them. After looking at each other, one of them answered, ¡°At this time, he should be preparing the incense in the rear palace.¡± ¡°Very well, guide me there,¡± Jusetsu prompted the eunuch who answered. They passed through the walkways and headed for the back of Enou Palace. There were several small buildings at the back of the palace where Kajou lived. They stored personal accessories, furnishings, fragrances, documents and books, and so on. ¡°I believe he is preparing the incense for Niangniang¡¯s chambers inside.¡± The building the eunuch approached was unlike the others. It had a raised floor and was built with wooden planks arranged in a grid pattern. (2) It was probably to protect from humidity. ¡°Shiken, are you inside?¡± The eunuch called out and opened the door. Chests lined the walls inside. A eunuch was kneeling between them. Next to him, there was a small case on a tray. The case was open, revealing small wooden chips inside. They were pieces of fragrant wood. Jusetsu also burned incense every day. ¡°Shiken, the Lady Raven Consort seems to want to ask you about something.¡± The eunuch called Shiken closed the case, held the tray by his side and faced them. He was a young eunuch, perhaps a few years past twenty. He was tall for a eunuch, but his limbs were long and thin, giving him a lanky appearance. His face was also long and thin, but his eyes were soft and gentle. Although not outstanding in appearance, he had a likable face. Shiken knelt in front of Jusetsu and bowed. ¡°I am called Shiken. I am at your service.¡± ¡°Onkei,¡± Jusetsu called to Onkei behind her. He immediately knelt by her side and put his hands together. ¡°Yes, Niangniang.¡± ¡°Is this your acquaintance, Shiken?¡± ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Jusetsu nodded and turned to Shiken. ¡°I apologize for interrupting your work, but there are some things I want to ask you. Accompany me for a little bit.¡± Jusetsu decided to go outside to talk to him. Shiken gave the incense he prepared to the eunuch who led them here. She stopped Shiken as he was about to kneel again and sat down on the steps of the building. ¡°How do you know this man?¡± Jusetsu asked Onkei. ¡°I once worked at Enou Palace,¡± he responded. Since he had always been Ei Sei¡¯s subordinate, he must have been here on a spying job or something. Since she couldn¡¯t say that aloud here, Jusetsu only said, ¡°I see,¡± and turned her eyes to Shiken. ¡°I want to ask you about Hien Palace.¡± ¡°Hien Palace¡­Niangniang?¡± Shiken looked puzzled. ¡°You mean, during the previous emperor¡¯s time?¡± ¡°Correct. You once worked at Hien Palace. Do you remember a eunuch named Yuisa from that time?¡± Shiken¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. He seemed to remember him. It might be natural because Yuisa was an executed eunuch. ¡°¡ª¡ªI do remember him,¡± There was pain in Shiken¡¯s voice. No, perhaps it was more like¡ªgrief. ¡°He was an executed eunuch. Even though he was still a child.¡± ¡°His crime?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°What crime was he executed for?¡± Shiken¡¯s gaze turned uneasy. ¡°That¡­I was also a child at that time, so I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know the details¡­¡± ¡°Did you have the same shifu as Yuisa?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I believe that Yuisa¡¯s instructor was a eunuch named Oubun.¡± Jusetsu took out the letter from her pocket and checked it. He seemed to be working at the Interior Ministry currently. ¡°I have heard that Yuisa was in love with the Swallow Mistress, but is that true?¡± For a moment, Shiken narrowed his eyes nostalgically. ¡°I would not go as far as to call it love¡­he was a child, after all. I think it was more like longing or adoration. She was a distant existence from us.¡± ¡°He seemed to have presented her with blue swallow feathers,¡± The moment Jusetsu said that, Shiken¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°N-no, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Shiken knelt down on the spot, clasped his hands together, and lowered his head. His face was hidden. ¡°My deepest apologies, I feel a bit¡ª¡± Jusetsu stood up and had Shiken lower his hands. His face was pale white. ¡°It appears it was bad to keep you standing. The blood has stopped flowing to your head. Stay still.¡± She told Jiujiu to bring something that would serve as a pillow. Jiujiu brought a rolled-up piece of cloth. They put it under Shiken¡¯s head and laid him down. After a while, the blood returned to his face. Jusetsu looked down at him. ¡°Shiken, do you know that a ghost has appeared at Hien Palace?¡± Shiken opened his eyes slightly, his face still pale. ¡°It¡¯s Yuisa¡¯s ghost. Have you heard about that?¡± He slowly shook his head. I see, was all Jusetsu said. Jusetsu left Shiken in the care of an Enou Palace palace lady and eunuch and left. ¡°We¡¯re going to see Oubun.¡± If he was Yuisa¡¯s shifu, then he must know his circumstances the best. He most likely received some kind of punishment as well because he was his shifu. ¡°¡­Niangniang, about Shiken¡­¡± Onkei was about to say, but Jusetsu interrupted him with a ¡°No need.¡± ¡°We will question him later.¡± She sensed that he knew something. However, she couldn¡¯t forcibly get it out of him in his current condition, and people¡¯s mouths didn¡¯t always tell the truth when you forced them open. ¡ª¡ªFirst, let¡¯s establish everything from the outside first. She would have Oubun confess everything as much as possible. The eunuch¡¯s bureaus, such as the Interior Ministry and Imperial Palace Bureau (3), were located to the south of the inner palace. It was a corner encircled by roofed mud walls. The Interior Ministry, which Oubun was in, was in charge of managing the curtains and bamboo screens in addition to lighting the lanterns of the inner palace. Visiting the Interior Ministry, they found a room lined with shelves filled with an innumerable number of candles, candlesticks, and oil cups. Eunuchs were busily working between them. They seemed to be checking to make sure that the tools were in perfect condition and that the numbers were correct. There were hundreds of hanging lanterns in the inner palace, and they had to light them all every night, so it must have been a very difficult job. The inner palace at night was illuminated brightly. Only Yamei Palace remained in the darkness. Jusetsu called to a nearby eunuch and asked him to get Oubun. Oubun half-ran from the back of the room. He was a quick eunuch who seemed to be past forty. His eyes were small and he seemed to have a tendency to blink his eyes restlessly. Jusetsu perceived that he was fearful, wondering what happened that a consort¡ªthe Raven Consort, in fact¡ªhad summoned him. ¡°Do you remember a eunuch named Yuisa?¡± Jusetsu asked point-blank. Oubun looked as though he had swallowed a stone upon hearing that name. ¡°I could never forget him. He was a chi¡¯er in my care.¡± ¡°Apparently, he was executed. What was the name of his crime?¡± ¡°¡­It was avicide.¡± What? Jusetsu¡¯s eyes widened. It was an unexpected crime. The crime of killing a bird. Killing birds in the inner palace was banned, for birds were the retainers of Wulian Niangniang. ¡°Yuisa killed a blue swallow. He was beheaded for that crime.¡± Oubun sighed. ¡°Being his instructor, I was also beaten. On top of that, I was forced into a do-nothing job¡­why did this happen¡­¡± Ignoring Oubun¡¯s monologue that was mixed with complaints, Jusetsu asked another question. ¡°Why did Yuisa kill the blue swallow?¡± ¡°Yuisa had presented the Swallow Lady with bird feathers in order to win her favor. In order to get the feathers, he caught a blue swallow and accidentally killed it.¡± No matter if you killed it by accident or on purpose, the killing of a bird meant the death penalty. ¡°The empress of that time was furious that on top of being in love with a consort who was far beyond his position, he caused the death of a bird for his own gain¡­she told him to be grateful that he wouldn¡¯t be torn into pieces.¡± The empress of that time referred to the empress dowager, who forced Koushun to be deposed as the crown prince and was executed recently. But then what about the empress dowager herself, who killed many people for her own gain? Jusetsu felt nauseated, but she was already part of the roster of the dead. There was no point in reproaching her anymore. ¡°Did Yuisa say anything before his execution?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Oubun shook his head. ¡°He was only looking devastated and crying.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± The back of her chest felt heavy. She pictured Yuisa¡¯s ghost, standing in the middle of the rabbit-ear irises. She asked Oubun another question. ¡°Didn¡¯t Yuisa say ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ in the Hatan language?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­I don¡¯t know the Hatan language.¡± Excuse me, but¡­, he peered at Jusetsu uneasily while blinking rapidly. ¡°What sort of investigation is this? Is there some sort of issue with what happened back then?¡± ¡°No, not at all. I only wished to know.¡± Returning Oubun, who still looked uneasy, back where he was working before, Jusetsu turned back the way she came. She intended to go to Enou Palace again. However¡ª¡ª She saw him when she exited the palace where the Internal Ministry was located and was walking towards the gate. There were several buildings clustered around. Among them was the dormitory for the eunuchs who worked for the bureaus. It was also the first place where newly arrived eunuchs entered. There, they did the chores of their chenren (senior eunuchs). Next to the dormitory¡¯s entrance, there was a small eunuch crouching down and hugging his knees. ¡°¡ª¡ªThat¡¯s¡­¡± Jusetsu turned in the direction. The dormitory originally had white walls, but now it was dirtied with dust and mold. The eunuch was leaning against the wall. ¡°Ishiha.¡± When Jusetsu called out to him, the eunuch lifted his head in surprise. His eyes were red and moist. It was Ishiha. ¡°Lady Raven Consort,¡± Ishiha sniffled and hurriedly wiped his eyes. He stood up and knelt. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Jusetsu had Ishiha stand up and brushed the dirt off his knees. Ishiha stiffened in surprise and his tears seemed recede. ¡°Are things well at Hien Palace?¡± When she asked him that, Ishiha¡¯s eyes became wet again. ¡°S-Shifu told me¡­that he can¡¯t look after me anymore¡­and that I had to get out¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Jusetsu¡¯s feet chilled. ¡ª¡ªIs it my fault? Did her threat not work, or did it work too well? Either way, she messed up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jusetsu apologized. Ishiha shook his hands and head wildly. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t your fault, Lady Raven Consort. It was because I¡ªtalked about ghosts and scared Shifu.¡± That¡¯s why it¡¯s my fault, Ishiha said dispiritedly. Just by him saying that, Jusetsu felt like she was being covered for. ¡°Shifu seems to be easily scared. That¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t want to hear about ghosts, and the Lady Raven Consort as well¡ª¡± Ishiha immediately closed his mouth and looked down. So did that mean her threat had been too effective? Jusetsu turned to Onkei. ¡°What should a chi¡¯er do if their shifu drove them out?¡± ¡°They would be assigned to another shifu. Until then, they would once again do chores for the chenren.¡± Onkei answered without delay. It seemed to happen often. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°However,¡± Onkei added. ¡°Chi¡¯er who returns here once more get treated harshly.¡± Ishiha¡¯s lips twisted tightly together, and Jusetsu fell silent. ¡°Mr. Onkei, that¡¯s too¡­¡± Jiujiu tugged on Onkei¡¯s sleeve, scolding him. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a more auspicious outcome?¡± she asked, but Onkei¡¯s reply was harsh. ¡°There isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªVery well. I shall try asking Koushun¡ªno, Ei Sei. You are clever, so you should be a valuable asset anywhere. Until then, you may stay in my palace.¡± Ishiha lifted his face. His cheeks were red, unlike before when they were pale. ¡°T-Thank you very much for your generosity.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t we go even further and let him work at Yamei Palace?¡± Jiujiu said hopefully, but Jusetsu shook her head. ¡°The palace needs no manpower.¡± She had been alone from the very start. Adding any more people would be troublesome. The Raven Consort was a solitary existence. She didn¡¯t allow people to get close to her or gather them. That was the way it was. That was what Reijou had done as well. Furthermore, she thought. There was no need to go to the trouble of serving the Raven Consort. She was different from the other consorts. There would be some creepiness involved, since she was involved with ghosts. As she was silently thinking over these things, she realized that Ishiha was staring at her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡ªplease forgive me.¡± Ishiha looked down. ¡°I don¡¯t particularly mind.¡± Eunuchs couldn¡¯t stare at consorts¡¯ faces, but Jusetsu didn¡¯t care about such things. ¡°No, um, Lady Raven Consort¡­you have such beautiful eyes.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± A faint smile appeared on Jusetsu¡¯s lips. ¡°Reijou¡ªthe previous Raven Consort also told me that as well.¡± Jusetsu began walking. Ishiha stared at her profile once more. Onkei and Jiujiu followed Jusetsu. ¡°As expected, there¡¯s no monster in them at all. They¡¯re just beautiful.¡± After murmuring that in the Hatan language, Ishiha ran after Jusetsu and the others. Volume 2 - CH 1.4 Jusetsu returned to Enou Palace. Since it would be bothersome to be caught by Kajou again, she went in from the back. Jusetsu called a nearby eunuch to her and asked about Shiken¡¯s condition. ¡°He seems to be doing fine now. He is currently grinding tea leaves in the back.¡± There was a small courtyard behind the rear palace from earlier. Shiken was grinding tea leaves with a tea leaf roller at a table and chair he had brought outside. Next to him, a young eunuch was crouching down, roasting the tea leaves in a pot. He was burning away the moisture within them. The tea was made by grinding the chunks of hardened tea leaves known as ¡°bingcha,¡± roasting them, and then sifting them and finally boiling them. The area was faintly filled with the aromatic scent of roasted tea leaves and the fresh scent of grinded tea leaves. The two eunuchs stopped what they were doing and stood up, then bowed towards Jusetsu. ¡°Fukuji, tell someone to take over the grinding.¡± Shiken told the young eunuch. The eunuch named Fukuji lowered his brows in discomfort. ¡°The palace ladies won¡¯t accept it unless the tea leaves are ground by you, sir. They¡¯ll yell at me.¡± It seemed that Shiken was good at grinding tea leaves. ¡°I¡¯ll apologize to them myself,¡± he said, and drove Fukuji out of the courtyard. He then knelt to Jusetsu once again. ¡°I was immensely discourteous in front of you a while ago, Lady Raven Consort. I should have been scolded, but instead, you wasted your attention on me by looking after me.¡± ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Yes, thanks to you, Lady Raven Consort.¡± ¡°I only helped you lay down,¡± Jusetsu went next to the table and peered into the tea leaf roller. ¡°You¡¯re skilled at grinding tea leaves, yes?¡± ¡°I am told that the tea leaves I grind smell good when boiled. That is why I am always the one doing this job.¡± The tea Ei Sei made was delicious. If he made tea with the tea leaves Shiken grinded, then it would surely be a delicious tea. I should tell Koushun about this, she thought. Or maybe he already drank it before. Fukuji brought the replacement eunuch, and Shiken led Jusetsu and the others to a building outside the palace. It was a simple and compact building. It seemed to be a eunuch dormitory. After entering a room, Shiken offered Jusetsu a chair. In the room, there were only two chairs, a small table by the latticed window, and a bunk against the wall. It was a simple but clean room. Onkei, Jiujiu, and Ishiha stood behind Jusetsu, facing Shiken. The sunlight shining in from the window made the dust scattered in the air sparkle. A pale blue shadow was cast onto the wall where the sun didn¡¯t shine. Shiken was framed by the gentle sunlight, yet he seemed to be standing in the shadows. ¡°We met Oubun,¡± Even now, Jusetsu still spoke straightforwardly. ¡°So, Yuisa killed a blue swallow.¡± Shiken bowed his head. ¡°Yes, that is right.¡± Earlier, he had said that he didn¡¯t know the details of the situation because he was a child, but now it seemed that he was ready to talk. That was probably why he brought Jusetsu to his room, where no one else was around. ¡°I heard that he was trying to get feathers to give to the Swallow Lady.¡± ¡°Yes. ¡ª¡ªAt first, he picked up a feather dropped on the ground. It was the tail feather of a blue swallow. It was a beautiful feather, so Yuisa blew off the dirt and presented it to the Swallow Lady. ¡­She was a kind person, and she had always been considerate to the young Yuisa and I, and she talked to us as well. It might be because she herself was quite young. At that time, she was around fifteen years old, perhaps a bit older. She was a na?ve and innocent person who often laughed out loud. It was rare for a consort from a distinguished family.¡± A smile appeared on Shiken¡¯s cheeks as he was telling them this. His smile was a mix of nostalgia and sadness. ¡°The Swallow Lady was also someone who would help me if I collapsed.¡± Shiken turned his eyes to Jusetsu. ¡ª¡ªWas that why he decided to talk to me? Most likely, it is the secret that he will soon reveal. ¡°¡­The Swallow Lady was delighted by the feathers Yuisa presented to her. She didn¡¯t make them into hair ornaments, but seemed to simply enjoy looking at them. Perhaps it was because she wasn¡¯t old enough to be interested in gemstones, but she preferred novelty to beauty. From then on, Yuisa would look for fallen feathers when he wasn¡¯t working. It was easy to find feathers in the woods and forests. But Yuisa was searching for something more beautiful and rarer.¡± There, Shiken let out a sigh. ¡°Before long, Yuisa was catching birds and plucking feathers from them. He used cages and nets so that he wouldn¡¯t accidentally kill them or harm their feathers. When he caught a rare bird, he would tell me about it with a bright smile on his face. However¡­¡± Shiken looked down at his feet. His face was half in shadow. ¡°The happier Yuisa was, the less delighted the Swallow Lady became. Every time he gave her a feather, her response became duller and duller. She would gradually look more and more uncomfortable. ¡ª¡ªThe Swallow Lady had gotten bored. The feathers that had been so rare at first had faded. Once she lost interest in them, no matter how many rare feathers he brought, they were only feathers. But the Swallow Lady was too kind to say that she had gotten tired of them. She told him she didn¡¯t need any more, but she didn¡¯t reject him strongly. She only smiled awkwardly. ¡­However, Yuisa wasn¡¯t aware of it. No, he pretended not to be aware of it. He began to chase after the birds even more intently.¡± I should have stopped him, Shiken¡¯s voice shook, his head still hanging down. ¡°But, I couldn¡¯t do it. In fact, I helped Yuisa. I couldn¡¯t tell him, who was desperately trying to catch birds, to stop, nor could I leave him alone. Giving the feathers was the only thing that directly connected the Swallow Lady to Yuisa. He clung to that and couldn¡¯t let it go. I couldn¡¯t stop him because I knew that too well. But if only I had stopped him, then that thing would have never happened.¡° He told them that a blue swallow died in the trap that he had set up. ¡°We set up a net between the branches. The blue swallow that got caught in it seemed to have struggled so badly that it broke its wing. It must have died from weakness. When we found it, it was hanging from the net with its head down. Feathers that probably came loose when it was struggling were scattered in the net and on the ground. ¡­Yuisa was stunned as he looked up at the dead bird. He was in terrible shock. I told him to get it out from the net, and he silently removed the net that was wrapped around the bird¡¯s legs. Killing a bird meant the death penalty. But I said that since we were the only ones there, no one would know if we kept quiet, and we¡¯ll bury the bird properly and mourn for it. Yuisa didn¡¯t say anything, but I thought that meant he agreed. But then, he¡­¡± Shiken swallowed his saliva and shook his head. ¡°He hugged the cold blue swallow to his chest and¡­showed it to the Swallow Lady.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jusetsu had been listening to Shiken tell his story without interrupting until now, couldn¡¯t help but speak up. ¡°He showed her the bird¡¯s corpse?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how exactly Yuisa felt during that time,¡± Shiken said in a strained voice. ¡°However, I think that was how shocking the bird¡¯s death was to him. When he left with the corpse in his hands, I thought he was going to bury it somewhere unknown, so I was cleaning up the trap. When I returned to the palace, it was too late. Apparently, Yuisa had knelt down beside the Swallow Lady, who was out in the garden, and holding the corpse out with both hands. He told her that he had let it died, and he was crying.¡± Jusetsu was at a loss for words. ¡ª¡ªIsn¡¯t that akin to going to your own death by yourself? ¡°I heard that the Swallow Lady screamed and ran back into the palace. Yuisa was captured and sent to the gaol.¡± The gaol¡ªthat was the eunuchs¡¯ prison. ¡°The crime was obvious without any need for an investigation. After all, he himself confessed to it¡­¡± And so, Yuisa was executed. Shiken clasped his hands together in front of his body. His hands were trembling. ¡°I¡­I was terrified the whole time. Until Yuisa was executed, I was terrified.¡± Jusetsu lifted her gaze and looked at Shiken¡¯s face. ¡°Terrified?¡± He nodded. His face was pale. Thinking that he might be sick again, Jusetsu was about to get up, but he immediately said, ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± in a thin voice. ¡°Sit in the chair. I don¡¯t want you to collapse. I want to listen to what you have to say.¡± After she gave the order in an annoyed tone purposefully, Shiken finally sat down across from her. However, he still looked pale as he stared at his hands. ¡°¡­I was frightened because I was afraid that Yuisa would talk about me as well.¡± ¡°About you?¡± ¡°I helped set up the trap that killed the blue swallow. I climbed up the tree with Yuisa to hang up the net. I was also the reason that bird died. That¡¯s why, I was worried that he would talk about me in order to lighten his sentence, or because he doesn¡¯t want to be the only one executed¡­¡± Shiken pressed his hands against his forehead. ¡°It was a terrible and painful experience for me to see Yuisa get executed. At the same time, I was terrified that I would be executed as well. In fact, I wished that Yuisa would get executed quicker, before¡ª¡± Before he talked about me, Shiken spat out the words like mud. His pale face was sweating. ¡°Yuisa was my friend. We entered the inner palace around the same time, and we were the same age. Even when we were hit and beaten by our shifu, we lived and encouraged each other. But I can no longer call myself his friend.¡± Shiken bent his body and buried his face in his hands. The sunlight shining on his back was white, dazzling, and painful. Jusetsu cast down her eyes. ¡°¡­You¡¯re afraid of dying. That¡¯s natural. I am as well.¡± Jusetsu murmured and touched her own hair that was worn up. Her hair that was dyed black. ¡ª¡ªJusetsu, who was a survivor of the previous dynasty, lived in fear and with bated breath. She was afraid of being killed. ¡°Don¡¯t deny those feelings. You should live your life with regret. Your anguish is your punishment. I am probably still alive now because I have a punishment.¡± ¡ª¡ªThat is why I can endure being the Raven Consort. Because it¡¯s my punishment for letting my mother die. Shiken lifted his head and stared at her face for a few seconds. It was as if the sense of guilt that had been nestled deep within their hearts had been understood by each other. Shiken¡¯s expression softened, and something like a tearful smile appeared on his face. ¡°Yes. ¡ª¡ªIt¡¯s exactly as you¡¯ve said.¡± Thank you, he quietly said. His face and voice had regained their composure. There was a clear calmness in his eyes, but at the same time, there was also a shadow of weariness. Even if the incident was in the past, it could be a serious felony if he assisted in the killing of a bird. She wondered if he confessed because he wanted to expose it and feel at peace. Jusetsu shifted her eyes to the window, and then looked at Shiken again. ¡°Did Yuisa ever say ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ in the Hatan language?¡± ¡°The Hatan language? I was taught a few words by him, but I don¡¯t believe he has taught me ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Ishiha,¡± Jusetsu turned around. Ishiha straightened his back. ¡°Try saying ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ in the Hatan language.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, and then said something. Shiken¡¯s eyes widened when he heard that, and then he nodded. ¡°I do remember that word. ¡ª¡ªYuisa kept saying it to the dead blue swallow.¡± ¨DI¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­ Were those words directed to the blue swallow? ¡°Yuisa continuously apologized to the blue swallow he caused the death of.¡± When she said that, Shiken dropped his gaze. ¡°Was that why¡­he went to the Swallow Lady to tell her that he caused the swallow¡¯s death? To make up for what he regretted doing.¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps he finally realized his own shallowness after allowing this small life to die tragically.¡± He wanted to make the Swallow Lady happy, to get close to her, to be liked by her, to have her smile at him¡ªhe was gradually going deeper and deeper into the abyss. By the time he realized it, there was no way to return to the shore. ¡ª¡ªHow should I send that ghost to paradise? There was no need for him to suffer after his death. That should be left to the living. Jusetsu put her fingers to her temples, deep in thought. ¡°Lady Raven Consort,¡± Shiken called out to her. ¡°Are you investigating in this way in order to save Yuisa¡¯s ghost?¡± ¡°¡­I do not know if I can save him.¡± ¡°But, you are trying to save him.¡± Shiken stood up and approached his bunk. He crouched down and took out a small box from under it. He opened the lid and returned to Jusetsu with the object within in his hand. He put it on the table. ¡°¡ª¡ªThis is¡­¡± Jusetsu took it in her hand and stared at it. It was a clear, deep blue feather. When the sunlight hit it, the color changed slightly to aquamarine. It was a blue swallow¡¯s tail feather. ¡°¡­It belonged to the blue swallow that died. I was going to get rid of it, but I just couldn¡¯t¡­¡± Because I feel like Yuisa¡¯s heart is there, he said. Jusetsu stared at the feather intently, and then muttered, ¡°I see, so it¡¯s the dead blue swallow¡¯s feather.¡± Then, she headed towards the door. ¡°We¡¯re going to Hien Palace.¡± Onkei swiftly moved ahead and opened the door. Before she exited the room, she turned back to Shiken. ¡°Are you coming with us as well?¡± ¡°I have work here, so¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask Kajou.¡± Jusetsu immediately went to Kajou¡¯s palace and left after receiving permission to borrow Shiken. He hurried to follow her. They had been three when they left Yamei Palace, but now they were five. They headed for Hien Palace, trailing after Jusetsu. The Swallow Lady would no doubt hear about it if this many people wandered around her palace, so they visited it from the front to avoid any trouble. ¡°You¡¯re the Raven Consort? Oh my, how scary¡­¡± She met the Swallow Lady for the first time in front of the palace. She was a pretty woman. She was about twenty years old, or perhaps even older. However, her gestures and words were younger than her age. She covered her mouth with a fan and stared at Jusetsu fearfully. She seemed to be afraid of the Raven Consort. ¡°Eh? The garden? Ah, yes, please feel free to use it as you like.¡± That was all she said before she was about to retreat within, when she suddenly turned around and said, ¡°Hey, there isn¡¯t a ghost in the garden, is there? I just can¡¯t deal with those kinds of things.¡± Her eyebrows were lowered in sincere distress. It was such an innocent, girlish expression that a small smile appeared on Jusetsu¡¯s lips. She¡¯s a much more charming and endearing woman than I, she thought. The Swallow Lady blinked in surprise at Jusetsu¡¯s smile. ¡°I merely wish to see the rabbit-ear irises in your garden. They must be beautiful. Would you be kind enough to give some to me?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡ªplease, take as many as you want.¡± The Swallow Lady¡¯s face flushed red, as though flustered. She told an attendant nearby to lead them there and then, hiding her face with the fan, ran into the palace. She might be from a distinguished family, but she was just like a child. She knew where the garden was without needing a guide, but she followed the attendant. When they came to the rabbit-ear irises, the attendant handed flower scissors to Jiujiu and withdrew. Jusetsu took out a peony from her hair and blew on it. The pale red smoke wafted over the rabbit-ear irises. Yuisa¡¯s figure emerged. ¡°Yuisa!¡± Shiken shouted. However, Yuisa¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t move even at that voice. His hand was gripping a blue feather. Jusetsu took out the feather from her pocket. It was the blue swallow¡¯s tail feather that Shiken kept. She clasped it between her palms and blew a thin puff of air on it. A deep blue smoke rose from the space between her palms. The smoke, wavering up and down as if confused, gradually began to gather in one place. It trembled, and it repeatedly seemed to come together for one moment before coming loose and dispersing. Jusetsu reached out and traced the smoke with her fingers. As if guided by her, the smoke gathered and solidified. The blue smoke became a blue mass, and one by one, feathers appeared and became wings. Strikingly deep and vivid tail feathers budded and grew out tautly. A beak, eyes, and feet were formed. With a single, clear, high-pitched cry, the bird flapped its wings. Jusetsu held out her finger, and it perched on it. Yuisa¡¯s eyes were looking at the bird. The beautiful bird that was resting on Jusetsu¡¯s finger. She moved her finger. The blue swallow flapped it wings and flew up. Yuisa suddenly stepped forward and reached out his hand. The blue swallow flew around in a small circle, then went towards him and landed on his finger. Its small claws were gripping it. Yuisa lifted his hand and looked at the blue swallow from the front. Its beak was buried in its feathers as it groomed itself. Yuisa¡¯s eyes became tinged with moisture, and before they knew it, the tears were overflowing. His lips moved and his voice leaked out. ¡ª¡ªI¡¯m sorry, he was saying. This blue swallow was Yuisa¡¯s last regret. His remorse for causing the death of this bird still held him here. It was something he could be released from now. The blue swallow flew away from Yuisa¡¯s finger. After dancing in the sky and singing beautifully, it disappeared in a puff of smoke, seemingly blending into the color of the sky. Only a faint wisp of its singing lingered behind. Yuisa looked up after the blue swallow disappeared. He could see its figure slowly fading away. He turned his head back and let out a faint breath. ¡°Yuisa.¡± Shiken called his name. This time, Yuisa turned to him. He looked at Shiken with a blank face. Then, a gentle smile broke out on his face, and he said something along with laughter. After that, Yuisa¡¯s figure disappeared as if blown away by the wind. His faint laughter lingered in their ears. It was a thin, light sound. The blue swallow feather fell on top of the rabbit-ear irises. Jusetsu picked it up and returned it to Shiken. He stared intently at the feather handed to him. It was a deep blue feather, the color of a summer sky that seemed to suck one into it. ¡°¡ª¡ªI think he probably didn¡¯t recognize Mr. Shiken at first,¡± Ishiha murmured. ¡°That was why he looked blank. But then, he recognized you and laughed. Did you hear what he said at the end?¡± ¡°I knew he said something, but I couldn¡¯t catch it,¡± Jusetsu responded. ¡°Was it a Hatan word?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡ª¡ªHe said, ¡®Tonkaji.¡¯¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means ¡®friend.¡± It¡¯s a word you use to call someone, like ¡®My friend,¡¯ or something like that.¡± Shiken held his breath. He stared at the spot above the rabbit-ear irises where that figure could no longer be seen. He seemed to be murmuring, Yuisa, but no sound came out of his mouth. The hand holding the feather was trembling. Jusetsu stared at the feather he was holding. No one heard her murmur, Friend, huh. Volume 2 - CH 1.5 26-35 minutes 08.11.2022 Finally, the end of this chapter¡­so many things happened in this section¡­anyways welcome new followers! TW: mentions of sexual assault involving a minor Here¡¯s my Ko-fi if anyone is feeling generous Translation Notes 1. The characters for Kouei are »ÆÓ¢, which is another name for chrysanthemums. This comes from a short story called ¡°Huangying,¡± which is included in the Chinese short story collection Strange Tales from Make-Do Studio. Chrysanthemum spirits show up in the story 2. Roumitsu (Ä—ÃÛ) is apparently hardened honeycomb/wax that¡¯s used as a base for ointments or something like that 3. ¡°Furen¡± (¸¯ÈË) literally means ¡°rotten person¡±. Couldn¡¯t think of a good localization for it so I decided to keep it the way it is 4. This is based on the Japanese caste system under the Ritsuryo legal system. The upper-class is the ryomin (Á¼Ãñ or good citizens) and includes regular citizens, nobles, while the lower-class is the senmin (ÙvÃñ or lowly citizens) and includes servants and slaves. That night, around the second watch of the night (nine to eleven p.m.), Koushun came to Yamei Palace, bearing lilies in hand. ¡°So even you have a mind to bring someone flowers?¡± Jusetsu asked, somewhat surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t prepare these,¡± Koushun looked somewhat puzzled and displeased at the same time. It was rare for him to show such feelings. ¡°It was Shou Kouei.¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°The Swallow Lady. Didn¡¯t you meet her during the day? When I visited Hien Palace, she told me to give these to you.¡± That woman? Jusetsu recalled her face. Not that Jusetsu was in any position to speak on it, but how could she use the emperor like an errand boy? ¡°I heard you cut some rabbit-ear irises and gave them to her. She was delighted.¡± ¡°Even if I decorate this place with flowers, they will only wilt, so I gave them to her. To begin with, they are flowers of Hien Palace, so there is no reason to give a thank-you present.¡± ¡°Kouei seems to have taken a liking to you. I heard you smiled at her.¡± ¡°I have no recollection of that. The Swallow Lady must have misunderstood something. She was afraid of me to begin with.¡± ¡°She told me that she thought you were a mysterious and scary consort, but you were actually a lovely person.¡± ¡°¡­The Swallow Lady is a bit odd, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°She was raised carefully in the depths of her estate, so she knows little of the world. She¡¯s afraid of adult men and older women. She¡¯s even afraid of Kajou. I¡¯m younger than Kouei, so it seems to be a little better. She prefers playing with children and young girls.¡± What were her parents thinking, throwing her into the inner palace? Jusetsu thought. ¡°Why don¡¯t you plant some chrysanthemums at Hien Palace?¡± (1) ¡°Why?¡± Koushun asked, looking sincerely confused. Jusetsu was astonished. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never given her a chrysanthemum?¡± ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Even though she¡¯s your wife? You once said that I¡¯m not sensitive to the feelings of those around me. I can say exactly the same thing to you.¡± Koushun stopped whatever he was going to say, his mouth still open. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t find anything to say in reply. Kajou must have said something similar to him. In place of Koushun, who couldn¡¯t say anything, Ei Sei, who was standing behind him, looked angry. Koushun cleared his throat. ¡°¡­Putting that aside, you¡¯re kind to women and children.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to be kind.¡± ¡°I can count on one hand the number of times you¡¯ve smiled in front of me, and you¡¯ve never given me flowers.¡± ¡°Are we not the same in that regard?¡± ¡°I brought flowers today, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Are those not from the Swallow Lady?¡± Koushun was speaking without any expression, so it was always difficult to tell whether he was joking or serious. She didn¡¯t think he was the type of man to make jokes, though. It was annoying either way. ¡°How is Ishiha doing?¡± Because she was annoyed, she changed the subject. Ishiha was entrusted to Ei Sei. Koushun glanced back at him. Ei Sei knelt and answered. ¡°For the time being, he is under my employ as a servant at Gyokou Hall.¡± ¡°He must be a bright child.¡± ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Because there was a suggestiveness in his response, Jusetsu asked, ¡°Do you not like him?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that he¡¯s too honest.¡± ¡°Is it bad to be honest?¡± ¡°It makes him inflexible,¡± he said without hesitation. ¡°He can¡¯t communicate subtly.¡± Jusetsu hmmed. ¡°Then, he cannot work under you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying he can¡¯t,¡± Ei Sei glanced at Jusetsu. ¡°But I cannot guarantee his safety.¡± Jusetsu frowned. Although the empress dowager was no longer in the world, it seemed that danger still surrounded Koushun. ¡°Why not put him in Yamei Palace?¡± Koushun said. Jusetsu cast down her gaze, her brow still furrowed. ¡°It must be very inconvenient to be without a single eunuch.¡± ¡°I had no palace lady until recently. It wasn¡¯t particularly inconvenient for me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t realize an inconvenience is an inconvenience. You should add a few more people here now.¡± ¡°¡­I¡­¡± ¡°A chi¡¯er who has been abandoned by his shifu would have a hard time no matter where he goes. If you had created that impetus, you must look after him. Isn¡¯t it awful to get involved in his life, and then tell him to live in good health and abandon him?¡± Koushun¡¯s voice was quiet and calm, but it pricked at Jusetsu¡¯s chest. She remembered that Ei Sei had said something similar to her before. She wondered if something similar had happened between the two of them. ¡°¡­Does that mean you looked after someone?¡± Koushun was silent for a moment, glanced at Ei Sei, and then replied, ¡°I did.¡± ¡°I took Ei Sei as my personal attendant when I was ten years old. Ei Sei was twelve or thirteen. I took him away from his shifu at that time and made him an official of the Eastern Palace.¡± He didn¡¯t say much. Ei Sei¡¯s shifu or someone like him was most likely an awful eunuch. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was a good thing or not, because he had to suffer plenty of hardship when I was the deposed crown prince.¡± Koushun said detachedly. Ei Sei widened his eyes, as if to say, That¡¯s outrageous. ¡°What are you saying? It wasn¡¯t hardship. Compared to the suffering that preceded it, it was nothing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Koushun said and smiled faintly. Jusetsu stared at the tea on the table and pondered. ¡ª¡ªWhat I did was not so different from what the former Swallow Lady did to Yuisa in the past. Unrestrained kindness and consideration were invisible poison. She shouldn¡¯t have reached out her hand so thoughtlessly. She had made a mistake from the beginning. She didn¡¯t know what to do¡ª¡ª. ¡°The previous Raven Consort¡­¡± Jusetsu raised her gaze at Koushun¡¯s voice. ¡°She taught you how to write, how to speak, and gave you knowledge and wisdom. But, you would have been fine without those things. They can be expressed in another way¡ªby what we call love.¡± The image of Reijou flashed through Jusetsu¡¯s mind. From the time Jusetsu was brought here, Reijou looked like an old woman of considerable age. She wasn¡¯t someone who smiled much. However, she was patient. She was a person who patiently poured her love into the vessel that was Jusetsu¡¯s empty heart. ¡°You should also have someone to love. Whether it¡¯s one person, two people, or several people. Think about it.¡± Jusetsu cast down her eyes. What Koushun said seemed understandable, but it wasn¡¯t. He said difficult things with seeming ease. ¡°Ishiha will stay at Gyokou Hall for a while. Let me know when you¡¯re ready to receive him,¡± Koushun stood up. ¡°If you¡¯re not sure, ask for advice.¡± ¡°Ask you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jusetsu gave a small smile. ¡°I have no need for that. You only speak of serious things.¡± ¡°So you want unserious advice? I¡¯ll think of some.¡± Koushun turned on his heel and headed for the doors. Ei Sei opened them. It was night outside, and it was as if everything was painted with black ink. There was no moon, and the starlight was unreliable. As Ei Sei was about to light a candle, Jusetsu pulled a peony from her hair and held it out. The flower shook and melted, lighting a pale red flame at the end of the candle. ¡°It¡¯s the new moon tonight. Take it with you so that Yeyoushen will not catch you.¡± It was said that if you wandered around at night, you would be taken away by Yeyoushen, so people warned against going out at night. That was why they closed all the street gates and forbid people from coming and going. ¡°Wulian Niangniang wanders about as Yeyoushen on moonless nights, right?¡± Koushun remembered what Jusetsu said before. She didn¡¯t answer, and instead said something else. ¡°Don¡¯t visit tomorrow.¡± Tomorrow? Koushun was suspicious. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I will be tired tomorrow.¡± ¡°What do you¡ª¡± Koushun tried to question her, but Jusetsu refused him and told him to ¡°leave immediately.¡± Koushun looked down at her intently. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve also told you before,¡± Koushun said. ¡°I want to talk with you. I want to hear your story.¡± ¡°Talking about myself is¡ª¡± ¡°I want to know what gives you hardship, what makes you sad, and what delights you.¡± I want to know those things, Koushun said, and left. As he turned away, the quartz ornament that hung from his hip swayed and glittered in the pale red flame. It was a quartz fish. Jusetsu had a similar ornament. He had given it to her. Koushun¡¯s was transparent, while Jusetsu¡¯s was milky white with a light pink tinge. It was a token of their oath. Jusetsu had put it in the cupboard. There were other things there that Koushun had given her. An amber fish. A wooden rose carving. Sometimes, Jusetsu would look at them. On a moonless night like this, for example. The light of the moon was lost, and the light of the stars were absorbed. The darkness of the night became deeper and denser than the night sky. The shadows were astir. Something was about to crawl out from the depths of it. ¡ª¡ªNo! About to cry out, Jusetsu covered her mouth. The pale red flame of the candle was flickering faintly in the distance. Koushun was there. If she raised her voice, would he come back? ¨DWhat would that do? The darkness seemed to become more viscous and entangling, so Jusetsu returned to her room and closed the door. She had already made Jiujiu retire and rest for the night. She opened the curtains and stepped inside. There was a door in the back of the room and a narrow passageway on the other side. She opened the door and walked down the passageway. At the end of the passage was a small room. A large black mystical bird with a woman¡¯s head¡ªWulian Niangniang, was painted on the wall, and in front of it was an altar. When she blew on the candlestick, a white flame flared and flickered. A musky scent filled the room. Jusetsu pulled a peony from her hair and threw it into a white lapis-lazuli bowl. There was a sound like the tinkling of a bell in the distance, and the flower dissolved. This was a custom she did every three nights. She exited the small room and returned to the original room. She let down her hair and laid down her bed, finding it too bothersome to change into her nightgown. ¨DI¡¯m afraid of closing my eyes on moonless nights. Despite those thoughts, her eyelids involuntarily drooped and her limbs became heavy and immobile. As she closed her eyes and darkness fell, Jusetsu felt as if her body was sinking lower and lower. The air that clung to her body was cold and heavy. Her breathing was labored. It was if she was being dragged to the bottom of the water. Once she sank to very bottom, she rose to the surface afterward. She emerged much faster than when she sank, but her body stopped midway. Only her mind climbed higher and higher. Jusetsu let out an inarticulate scream. As her mind climbed upward, her body tightened as though thin silk threads were coiling around it, and she felt a pain like she was being torn apart. The mind, however, had risen to the surface on its own despite that and was now faraway from her body, under the night sky. The threads twisted around her limbs tightly, bit into them, and tightened. Her limbs were going to be torn off. The imperial palace was below her. Fires were lit everywhere, brightly illuminating the dark night. With a backward glance at that, the mind was flying somewhere. It had wings. Glistening black wings that seemed to absorb everything. The mind flapped its wings in a big, leisurely flap, and flew far, far away. Each time they flapped, a spasm of pain shot through Jusetsu¡¯s body. The pain was so intense that she felt as if her flesh had been shredded and her limbs were severed. It wasn¡¯t Jusetsu¡¯s mind that was flapping its wings. It was a human-headed monstrous bird with jet-black wings. The goddess from across the sea. It was Wulian Niangniang. Jusetsu resented the first Raven Consort, Koushou. Why did she accept such suffering? Did she love Ran Yuu¡ªthe Summer King¡ªthat much? The man who had locked her up in the inner palace and refused to let her call herself the Winter King. Koushou became the warden of Wulian Niangniang. She made sure the goddess was unable to escape. She bound her to herself. The life of the Raven Consort was one with that of Wulian Niangniang. The Raven Consort also couldn¡¯t escape from the goddess. Thus, the goddess was imprisoned beneath Yamei Palace. However, when the moon disappeared and the darkness deepened, it was no longer possible to contain Wulian Niangniang. Slowly, slowly, she began to melt into the darkness and roam around the night. The Raven Consort felt pain as if she was being torn apart by the moving Wulian Niangniang. Sometimes, Wulian Niangniang flew around all night, and sometimes she returned after just a single lap around the imperial palace. Tonight, it seemed that she was going to be flying all night long. She flew past the imperial palace, through the area near the palace, and beyond. She could smell spoiled water. There was a river below. Wulian Niangniang was flying along the river. The river snaked across the open plain, passing between villages and over hills forested with strangely shaped rocks. ¡ª¡ªWhere is she headed? Jusetsu gazed out at the scenery as she became overwhelmed by the pain. Soon, the lights of a town came into view. As expected, lanterns were hung all around town in fear of Yeyoushen. Wulian Niangniang glided over the houses. The doorways and windows of the houses, built of piled-up stones, were covered with cloth. The lanterns under the eaves were round and curiously shaped. The streets were narrow and maze-like, and there were many slopes. There were no people outside the houses. Jusetsu could smell sea water. They seemed to be near the sea. Light was now leaking out from the second floor of a house. The wooden shutter that covered a window made the cloth fly up as it was opened. A young man looked out from inside. He had a pale face and dark hair hanging down loosely. That young man looked up them. ¡ª¡ªOwl! Jusetsu didn¡¯t know why she thought that. But that was the voice that echoed in her mind. At the moment she saw the young man¡¯s face¡ªno, the moment their eyes met. Jusetsu suddenly opened her eyelids. ¡°¡­¡± Letting out a wild breath, she slowly moved her head. She was in Yamei Palace, on her bed. Her back was sweaty and uncomfortable. The pain that felt as if her body was being torn apart was no longer there, but her strength was being drained away from the inside. She had no strength to sit up, so she turned over with difficulty. As she laid on her side, the cool darkness enveloped her back. As soon as Wulian Niangniang saw that young man, she returned here in an instant. Jusetsu sensed a flash of something like fright there. ¡°¡­Who was that¡­?¡± Her tongue was heavy, her throat was hoarse, and she couldn¡¯t put together words properly. There was no voice to answer Jusetsu¡¯s hoarse murmur. The only thing by her side was darkness. ¡°Close the shutters, Shougetsu.¡± Hou Ichigyou reprimanded his apprentice for opening a window on the night of a new moon. ¡°Okay, Master.¡± Shougetsu said expressionlessly and obediently lowered the wooden shutter. His loose black hair contrasted starkly against his pale face. Though his way of speaking was rough, he was an obedient young man. A month ago, Hou had found him collapsed in the street and took him in. Since then, he had kept him by his side as an apprentice, but in reality, he was no different from a servant who did chores. He didn¡¯t complain about it, but rather aloofly obeyed Hou. Instead, he never smiled and never got angry. He had nothing that could be called facial expressions. Even now, he was a young man who Hou still didn¡¯t know much about. Hou put down his writing brush and rubbed his eyes. Writing at night was hard on an old man¡¯s eyes. He had been asked to write a letter on someone¡¯s behalf. In this small port town, there weren¡¯t many people who could write, so Hou was valued as a scribe. This wasn¡¯t his original job, however. There were many such port towns in this country, which was a large island with several smaller islands. Shougetsu was preparing Hou¡¯s bed. Before going to bed, Hou took his tools out of his bag and checked them, as was his usual custom. Paper talismans with cursive, illegible characters, blank talismans, red-ink sticks, cinnabar, roumitsu, (2) needles¡­After arranging them all on the desk, he carefully put them back into the bag. Next to the desk, there was a cane sword. All of them were tools used in sorcery. Hou was a sorcerer. However, he seldom practiced the art. When the previous dynasty fell, Hou abandoned it and fled the country. Even though he had a disciple, a young man from the imperial family he was about to adopt¨D¨D ¡°Master, I¡¯m done.¡± Shougetsu indicated the bed that had been made up. Hou put his hands on the desk and slowly stood up. His knees creaked and ached. A groan escaped from his mouth despite himself. Shougetsu helped him to his feet. Hou looked at his face from up close. He had a pale face and glossy black hair. His upturned eyes were sharp but captivating. He had a beauty that made it hard to tell whether he was a man or woman. ¡ª¡ªThey don¡¯t look alike. He didn¡¯t even remotely resemble the disciple that Hou was about to adopt. That disciple had silver hair as magnificent as moonlight, and a crisp beauty that seemed to dispel the darkness of the night. However, Hou gave this young man, who he had found collapsed in the street and whose name was unknown, a character from the name of his former disciple. Perhaps it was because they were the same in apparent age and height. ¡ª¡ªHyougetsu. When he thought of that name, bitter regrets and sadness spread through Hou¡¯s heart. The executed imperial grandson. Without even seeing his corpse, Hou escaped the capital, snuck into an anchored ship, and fled the country. The reason was that there were orders to capture the sorcerers who had been used frequently by the previous imperial family. Many of them were executed. He was afraid of death. He was familiar with ghosts and thought that death was something close to himself and not to be feared, but when there was the possibility that he might be killed, he ran away. ¨DI left Hyougetsu to his death. Sitting on his bed, Hou let out a deep breath. Since his return to Shou, he had moved from one port town to another and had never set foot in the capital. He didn¡¯t intend to ever set foot there again. He had no right to bow his head for Hyougetsu at the Ran family mausoleum. ¡°Master.¡± Shougetsu stood by Hou¡¯s side and called his name. What was strange about him was his voice. It couldn¡¯t be defined as either low or high-pitched, but it had a quality that left the listener entranced. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± Hou wondered where Shougetsu had lived before, for everything around him seemed novel to him, and he asked all sorts of questions about them. Thinking that it was the same for this time as well, Hou nodded and said, ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°I want to go to the capital. How do I do that?¡± In the morning, Jusetsu couldn¡¯t get up from her bed. She had no strength. She had to summon up all her energy even to move a finger. Jiujiu was so worried that she sent a messenger to the medicine official even though she told her not to. They brought her rice gruel with water chestnuts and pine nuts and soy milk. Jusetsu had no appetite, but Jiujiu and Kougyou were anxiously watching her, so she lifted her spoon. ¡°If you don¡¯t have an appetite, then please drink the soy milk first. It¡¯s sweetened with honey.¡± Certainly, the soy milk was sweet on the tongue and seemed to soak into the back of her throat. Once she drank the soy milk, the rice gruel also went down her throat. After she had eaten, her strength returned. Her complexion improved, and both Jiujiu and Kougyou lowered their trays, looking relieved. As if to replace them, Onkei came over. He had been sent to the medicine official by Jiujiu, who was worried about Jusetsu. ¡°The color has returned to your face, Niangniang.¡± Onkei was placing a medicinal decoction he had brewed in the kitchen on a tray. Jusetsu glanced at it. ¡°No, sorry to have sent you on such an unnecessary errand,¡± she said, trying to get him to back down. ¡°Your body must be feeling weak, so it would be better for you to drink this decoction.¡± The decoction was most likely a mix of ginseng, di huang, and huang qi. It was meant to restore one¡¯s strength. What Onkei was saying was right and she should drink it. However¡ªthe most effective medicines were often bitter. Onkei silently urged her, so Jusetsu had no choice but to pick up the bowl. It had cooled down moderately. However, judging from the scent, it was bitter. Her brow furrowed naturally, but she couldn¡¯t say she didn¡¯t want to drink it because it was bitter. Resolving herself, she held her breath and gulped down the decoction in one go. It was bitter. She frowned, unable to withstand the bitterness that lingered on her tongue. ¡°Shall I bring you some hot water?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Onkei went into the kitchen and then came back with the hot water. ¡°It seems to have honey dissolved into it.¡± The hot water she held in her mouth was slightly sweet. Like the soy milk from earlier, it was probably the servant who had been here for a long time, Keishi, who suggested adding honey to the water. When Reijou was alive, she always prepared this sweetened water for Jusetsu after she drank a medicinal decoction. Keishi probably remembered that. She was a taciturn and unsociable old woman, but her work was brisk and surprisingly meticulous. ¡ª¡ªYou must never keep a palace lady. You need only a single servant. She recalled Reijou¡¯s voice. Her teachings always tugged at Jusetsu¡¯s sleeve. Eunuchs are out of the question, she had admonished her strongly. Because they would want to form a faction. The Raven Consort must not gather people around her. They would become comrades, become a faction, and eventually they would swell. They would become the elite of the Winter King. Therefore, Jusetsu had to live alone. ¡ª¡ªAnd yet, she had already broken Reijou¡¯s orders. Jusetsu put the bowl back on the tray. But Onkei didn¡¯t leave and remained standing there. She looked up, puzzled. Onkei looked as though he wanted to say something. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­You may think that I am being too forward, but may I say something?¡± ¡°I do not mind. Tell me.¡± Onkei thanked her, placed the tray on the small table next to her, and spoke. ¡°It¡¯s about Ishiha.¡± Jusetsu lowered her gaze at that name. ¡°Niangniang, do you regret helping Ishiha?¡± ¡°¡­If I had not gotten involved, Ishiha wouldn¡¯t have been chased out by his shifu, and he would have eventually risen through the ranks. He is a clever boy, after all.¡± ¡°For those from a rural minority tribe, without an exceptional promotion, they would remain a lowly eunuch for the rest of their lives. He would have continued to receive beatings.¡± That may be so, she thought. It was a fact that Jusetsu got involved, and it was also a fact that it changed Ishiha¡¯s life and future. Jusetsu was afraid of getting acquainted with others and changing way of life. That was true for both Jiujiu and Kougyou as well. ¡°I have changed Ishiha¡¯s path by meddling in his life. Whether it will do him good or not, it is Ishiha that will walk that path. Not me, who changed it. If I couldn¡¯t bear that responsibility, then I shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved.¡± It was as Ei Sei and Koushun said. Jusetsu had irresponsibly interfered from the side and pushed Ishiha onto a path that had no guideposts. ¡°¡­I was once an acrobat in a wubang.¡± After a short silence, Onkei opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve said so.¡± She had heard this from him before. ¡°One year, we were employed by a certain official. We were summoned to every banquet he held. Some of us were musicians, and some of us were good at magic tricks. There were also many acrobats like me. ¡­The banquet that night was held for the friends of the official. I don¡¯t remember what the celebration was for, though. Both the official and the guests were drinking heavily. We retired to our rooms after we were summoned, but one of the guests asked us to send one of our colleagues to his bedroom. The one he wanted was a girl who played the biwa. She was only thirteen years old.¡± Onkei closed his mouth briefly. She didn¡¯t know why he was starting this story. But Jusetsu was listening with bated breath. ¡°We were not in that sort of business. So we refused. However¡­¡± After some hesitation, Onkei seemed to collect himself and resumed his story. ¡°The guest forcibly dragged the girl into his bedroom. She was a gentle and quiet girl, so she was frightened into not shouting for help. I searched for her when I noticed she disappeared and found her by the well in the rear garden. She was washing her face and rinsing her mouth. She was quietly sobbing under the sound of the water¡ªeven now, I can hear her sobbing. ¡­I went to the guest¡¯s bedroom and struck him as he was snoring loudly. By the time the official¡¯s manservants pulled me off him and held me down, the guest was covered in blood. I intended to kill him, but I couldn¡¯t carry it out. That is why I am still alive today.¡± There was no expression on Onkei¡¯s face as he spoke dispassionately, but his voice grew colder and colder. ¡°The official tried to keep the matter private without it going public, but the blood-covered guest told him to make me into a furen.¡± (3) Furen was another name for eunuchs. It was also a derogatory term. ¡°I was taken to a pecking house. It¡¯s a house that creates eunuchs. The guest laughed as he watched them cut it off.¡± Jusetsu felt a chill at the bottom of her chest and couldn¡¯t speak. With difficulty, she muttered, ¡°How cruel.¡± Onkei looked at her. ¡°When I was held down by the servants and beaten until the guest was satisfied, when everyone else found out what the guest had done, and when I was taken to the pecking house, not one person said anything like that near the official and his people. Of course, there was no one who stopped them. After all, I was from a wubang, and people from those are of low class.¡± The people were divided into upper and lower classes. Slaves, prostitutes, and musicians were classified as lower class citizens, and they weren¡¯t allowed to marry upper class citizens. (4) ¡°Niangniang, there are not many people who would have said, ¡®How cruel,¡¯ out loud. Even more so for those who intervene when they see a eunuch being beaten. You are unaware of that. ¡­If only just one person had said, ¡®This is cruel¡¯ at that time, even if it wouldn¡¯t have saved me, it would have¡ªit would have saved my heart.¡± Onkei¡¯s voice was bleeding. Fresh blood was flowing from a wound that hadn¡¯t yet healed. ¡°Do you know how precious a person like you is to us? What a salvation it is, to have someone like you here who is willing to lend a helping hand to the weak. We don¡¯t need you to bear any responsibility.¡± Onkei knelt down, his forehead touching the ground. ¡°As a eunuch, I would like to express my gratitude to you. Thank you for helping Ishiha.¡± Jusetsu couldn¡¯t find the words to say to the kowtowing Onkei. She got off her bed, got on her knee, then placed her hand on his back. ¡°¡ª¡ªOnkei.¡± Onkei was crying silently. His shoulders were shaking uncontrollably. Jusetsu stroked his back without saying anything. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have not only dirtied your ears with my story, but also your hands.¡± Onkei raised his head after a while, and his face was back to its normal appearance. ¡°You did not dirty them in any way,¡± Jusetsu said, putting as much conviction in her voice as she could. She used the hand that had been stroking his back to help him stand up. There wasn¡¯t a single tear left on Onkei¡¯s face, but his eyes were moist as if there was a film of water covering them. She thought they were beautiful, sad eyes. ¡°May I ask something?¡± ¡°What is it, Niangniang?¡± Jusetsu put her face close to Onkei¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Do you know the names of that ¡®official¡¯ and ¡®guest¡¯ you talked about?¡± Her voice was surprisingly cold even to herself. Onkei was silent for a moment, then his eyes softened. ¡°Niangniang, you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with them anymore. ¡­When I told this story to Attendant Ei a long time ago, he asked the same question.¡± In other words, Ei Sei probably already did something about them. ¡°Oho,¡± Jusetsu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ei Sei, huh.¡± ¡°Niangniang, I recommend Ishiha to be your eunuch. He will be of great help to you. I am your guard, but since I work under Attendant Ei, I may not be with you at all times. I think it will be better for you to raise a eunuch like that.¡± ¡°I cannot raise a eunuch.¡± ¡°All you have to do is to tell him what you need him to do. He will learn with that. Then, you can teach him how to read and write.¡± ¡°Reading and writing, huh. I also learned how to do those things from Reijou.¡± She remembered it fondly. ¡°Once he becomes a qualified eunuch, he can work in another department. It is difficult for someone like Ishiha, who has been abandoned by his shifu once, to find someone who will nurture him to that level. That¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that I should raise him up to that point?¡± Onkei nodded. ¡°That¡¯s correct, Niangniang. If you are concerned about your own responsibility, but cannot keep him at Yamei Palace forever, then this is the best way.¡± ¡°I see. ¨DYou¡¯re quite smart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored to receive such praise from you.¡± On one hand, she thought it might be a good idea, but on the other hand, she also felt that it was still a bad idea. However, after glancing back at that indecision, Jusetsu agreed with Onkei¡¯s idea. Perhaps, she truly was looking for a reason to keep Ishiha here. Reijou would surely be angry with her. Jusetsu didn¡¯t know if this was the right choice. It was most likely the wrong choice. Volume 2 - CH 2.1 Damn the Magpie Consorts in this series have terrible luck don¡¯t they Also, the foreshadowing in this series man¡­ Here¡¯s my Ko-fi if anyone is feeling generous TW: Suicide, beheading Translation Notes 1. The kanji used here is ¡° ¶æÐÇ ¡° or kajiboshi, which is a Japanese name for the Big Dipper 2. The kanji used here is ¡°½ðæ—¡± which is read as kanamamaki, which seems to be a Ryukyuan name for one of the stars (it comes from a Ryukyuan song about stars). The same goes for the Flower Comb star. 3. Both of these books are real. Lessons for Women or Å®½ä (N¨¹jie) is written by Han dynasty female intellectual Ban Zhou, and Examples for Women or Å®„t ( N¨¹ze) is written by Empress Zhangsun (consisted of biographies of outstanding women) Previous || Index || Next After Koushun descended from the palanquin, he walked past the kneeling acolytes and stopped in front of an old man, who was still kneeling in the end. ¡°Are you in good health, Setsu Gyoei?¡± Koushun asked after urging him to stand up. ¡°I drink bitter medicinal decoctions every morning and evening and I can hardly move at all. I am thinking that it is time for me to retire.¡± The Minister of Works¡¯ reply was so easygoing that it was questionable whether or not he meant what he said. In Koushun¡¯s eyes, he seemed plenty vigorous in his old age. ¡°It will become blistering all at once soon. That would be difficult on an old man, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°You seem like you¡¯re going to be saying the same thing here in a hundred years.¡± ¡°You jest, Your Majesty.¡± Ho ho, he laughed like an old man. It sounded false. ¡°So, what can this senile old man do for you today, Your Majesty.¡± Koushun was taken to the Winter Ministry building at the back of Seiu Temple and was sitting face to face with Gyoei in a room. As usual, both the temple and the building were old and run-down. The thorough cleanliness of the building made the fadedness of the peeling vermillion pillars and dulled table stand out even more. ¡°I don¡¯t have any pressing business,¡± Koushun said. ¡°So, you came all the way out here to see this wrinkled bearded face? I¡¯m honored.¡± The white-bearded face said, ¡°Do you have nothing to do?¡± That wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°I came to ask about the Raven Consort.¡± Gyoei¡¯s long white eyebrows rose, and his hidden hawk-like eyes widened. He was wearing dark gray robes and a slate-gray futou with a pintail duck¡¯s tail feather tucked into it. His clothing resembled that of a eunuch, but he wasn¡¯t a eunuch. His gray clothing was a sign that he was a servant of Wulian Niangniang. Gyoei was one of the few people who knew who the Raven Consort is. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve said the same thing when you came here before. Well, I don¡¯t know the Raven Consort any better than the Raven Consort does.¡± ¡°Not the ¡®Raven Consort¡¯¡ªI want to hear about Jusetsu or Reijou.¡± Gyoei closed his mouth that had spoken evasively and looked at Koushun intently from behind his eyebrows. ¡°For what reason, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Because I want to know.¡± ¡°I do not believe it¡¯s a good idea,¡± Gyoei made a bitter face. ¡°I¡¯m shocked that you would say that, knowing who the Raven Consort is. It is better for you and her to not have anything to do with each other, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s my fault that she¡¯s imprisoned in the inner palace?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault, Your Majesty. If anyone is to blame, then it would be the fault of Ran Yuu, the first emperor of the Ran dynasty.¡± It was Ran Yuu who decided to confine the Winter King in the inner palace as the Raven Consort. ¡°As long as I¡¯m in this position, I can¡¯t be exempted from blame. It is my duty to learn about the Raven Consort. I must learn what her life was like and what it will be like, and see it with my own eyes.¡± Gyoei sighed. ¡°Your Majesty, you are too serious. You are also resolute. Or should I say, you have a deep heart¡­¡± He sounded greatly troubled. His eyes were moving shrewdly. He was probably searching for a way to excuse himself. Gyoei, Koushun said. ¡°Don¡¯t try and play crafty tricks. Do not think you can talk your way out of this.¡± Koushun rarely raised his voice. However, there was something in his quiet voice that reminded one of winter. Gyoei¡¯s eyes widened behind his white eyebrows, and he turned his face away awkwardly. Seeing the sly old man¡¯s mask come off a little was just a bit satisfying for Koushun. ¡°You¡¯ve said before that Reijou greeted you when she passed on her role. Did you mean that you met her in person?¡± When Koushun asked him that, Gyoei reluctantly spoke. ¡°¡­I have not seen her since she became the Raven Consort. ¡®Passing on her role¡¯ means the moment the Raven Consort dies. That is what I meant by that greeting,¡± Gyoei suddenly broke off and stared at the tea on the table. He blinked several times. ¡°I mean that the deceased Raven Consort had appeared to me.¡± ¡°You mean as a ghost?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Gyoei replied, looking bored. ¡°She came to tell me, ¡®Take care of Jusetsu.¡¯¡± ¡°I see that Reijou trusted you to the extent that she asked you to do something for her. You ¡®haven¡¯t seen her since she became the Raven Consort,¡¯ but that means you have met her before she became the Raven Consort, is that right?¡± Gyoei¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly in displeasure. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, but it is rather difficult to speak when you¡¯re always pouncing on my words like this.¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t pounce on your words, you wouldn¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gyoei was silent. The Winter Minister served Wulian Niangniang and obeyed the orders of the Raven Consort¡ªGyoei had once told him that. Koushun didn¡¯t bring Ei Sei with him today, but he would have been upset at Gyoei¡¯s attitude. He didn¡¯t bring him because he thought that would be the case. Gyoei sighed. ¡°¡­For me, her family is the master¡¯s house. Her father was a hansui (chief of the local military organization), and my father was a house soldier. The hansui was a gruff and down-to-earth man, and he took good care of me. When he saw promise in me, he gave me a teacher to study under, and I studied under the same teacher alongside Reijou. Like her father, Reijou was a wise and open-minded person¡ª¡± Gyoei cleared his throat. ¡°Well, I need not go further than that. In any case, Reijou and I knew each other.¡± Far from just ¡®knowing each other,¡¯ for Reijou, he was most likely a friend she had known since childhood and someone she could trust. ¡°When was Reijou chosen to be the successor to the Raven Consort?¡± ¡°¡­When she was around the age of fourteen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unexpectedly late. I heard that Jusetsu was chosen at the age of six.¡± ¡°If it is the will of Wulian Niangniang, then it is impossible for me to make any conjecture.¡± Couldn¡¯t that be mistaken for her ¡°whim¡±? That thought suddenly popped into Koushun¡¯s mind. ¡°So, upon that, she was taken to the inner palace?¡± ¡°Yes. She was twenty-two when her predecessor died and she became the Raven Consort.¡± ¡°I believe Jusetsu was fourteen when she took over the role of Raven Consort. In both cases, it was eight years later. Could it be that the current Raven Consort dies eight years after the next one is chosen?¡± Gyoei didn¡¯t reply directly to his question, but simply answered, ¡°Eight is a sacred number.¡± ¡°Reijou must have known when she was going to die. That was why she taught Jusetsu as much as she could until then.¡± Gyoei sipped his tea in silence. Koushun looked at him intently. ¡°When did you join the Winter Ministry?¡± ¡°Do you also wish to know about this senile old man?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I think you became the Winter Minister to help Reijou.¡± ¡°How would becoming the Winter Minister be helpful?¡± Gyoei sounded somewhat angry, and then he looked away, as if embarrassed. ¡°¡­I joined the Winter Ministry when I was twenty-four years old. At that time, when a person passed the examinations, they had to be from a prominent family to be appointed a government official position. However, only the Winter Ministry was open to commoners. That is all there was to it.¡± ¡°I see,¡± was all Koushun said. ¡°This place was a little livelier when I joined,¡± Gyoei laughed as he drank his tea. ¡°There were twice as many acolytes as there are now. Although it was still a collection of jobless people who couldn¡¯t become government officials. However, they are all excellent in their own ways. After all, I was the one who trained them.¡± ¡°You train them, and then you let them go.¡± Most of the acolytes of the Winter Ministry were appointed as government officials after a few years. Such a path had been established. It was a path that Gyoei had paved the way for over many years. Despite his do-nothing position, Gyoei was highly respected by the prime minister and chief secretary, who were close to Koushun. ¡°There are still some eccentrics who remain. I will leave the rest to them.¡± He was speaking like he already retired. Did he intend to step down after all? ¡°If you want to retire, I¡¯ll give you my permission¡­but before you do, I would like you to meet Jusetsu.¡± ¡°The Raven Consort?¡± Gyoei lifted an eyebrow in puzzlement. ¡°What good would it do to be face to face with an old man like me?¡± ¡°Tell her about Reijou. I¡¯m sure it would make her happy.¡± It should make her happy¡ªprobably. Gyoei stared at Koushun for a while. Not in an astounded or mocking manner. He was simply looking at him with emotionless eyes. Koushun couldn¡¯t see what dwelled behind them. ¡°I understand. If I am qualified for this task, then I will humbly accept it.¡± After saying that, Gyoei got up from his chair and bowed. Because of that, Koushun was unable to see his expression. When Jusetsu was first brought to Yamei Palace, she was a slightly dingy girl covered in dust and dirt. Reijou had ordered Keishi, the servant woman, to have Jusetsu bathe in the bathroom at the back of the palace and dress in clean silken clothing. With the dirt removed, the magnificent silver color of her hair was revealed. It was the mark of the previous imperial family. Reijou showed no surprise when she saw it. She knew everything. ¡°You will have to live here for the rest of your life. What a cruel fate.¡± Reijou said sorrowfully. Although her hair was dyed black, Jusetsu didn¡¯t truly understand her melancholy. It was only after Reijou told her everything that she understood. She told her that Jusetsu was a survivor of the previous dynasty¡¯s imperial family. That all of them were executed¡ªincluding her mother. That in such a situation, Jusetsu must live not only in the emperor¡¯s lap, but the inner palace. That the reason why the Raven Consort is confined in the inner palace was because of the decision of Ran Yuu, Jusetsu¡¯s ancestor¡ª¡ª She understood, but all she thought was, Oh, so that¡¯s the case. Jusetsu¡¯s heart had been empty since the loss of her mother. It had been several years since she no longer knew how to rouse her emotions. She patiently taught a vacant and barely-responsive Jusetsu to read, write, speak, and cook. With each lesson, Jusetsu suffered more. She was angry, saddened, and frustrated to learn how unreasonable her mother¡¯s execution had been, and how ironic it was that she was trapped here. After she cycled through all her emotions, she returned to her anger. She was tired of going around in circles and getting no answers. She vented all her feelings to Reijou. She had no one else to vent them to. Reijou was incredibly patient, but she was also strict. She sorrowed and fretted, but she never showed mercy. ¡°It is you who must live.¡± It is not me. Pity is of no help to you. Gain knowledge and use your wisdom. You have no choice but to carry out your role to completion. None but you can walk your own path. ¨DEven now, I feel like I can hear Reijou¡¯s voice scolding me. ¡°Lady Raven Consort.¡± Ishiha, who was transcribing her words, held out the sheet of paper. Jusetsu, sitting across from him, accepted it. ¡°Mm, you¡¯re a quick learner,¡± she nodded. Ishiha smiled happily. They were in Jusetsu¡¯s room at Yamei Palace, where she was teaching him how to read and write. Ishiha could speak without much trouble, but he couldn¡¯t read or write at all. There were many eunuchs who couldn¡¯t write, even if they weren¡¯t from rural minority tribes. ¡°It is better for you to be able to read and write.¡± Saying so, Jusetsu looked after Ishiha. Just as Reijou had taught her in the past. Not wanting to waste brand-new pieces of paper for writing practice, Jiujiu went around to Enou Palace and Hien Palace to collect scrap paper. Both Kajou and Kouei were happy to give them to her. The papers were written on until they were completely black, and then they were given to Xingxing to play with. Even now, it was playing with a piece of paper at Jusetsu¡¯s feet, ripping it into pieces with its beak. Putting down the brush dipped in red-black ink, Jusetsu stood up. ¡°Let us take a break. There should be some figs around here.¡± ¡°No, I¡ª¡± Leaving a flustered Ishiha behind, Jusetsu headed towards the kitchen. ¡°Are you taking a break, Niangniang?¡± When Jusetsu appeared in the kitchen, Jiujiu turned around. She was brewing tea in a kettle. On the other side, Kougyou was preparing the tea utensils. She smiled and gestured to behind Jusetsu. Kougyou was unable to speak because her tongue had been cut out. Jusetsu looked behind her and saw Keishi entering the kitchen with a strainer in her hands. She lumbered past Jusetsu. She was a large woman with sturdy arms and legs, and was so robust that it was hard to believe that she was an old woman. Her lips were tightly knit in a grim line, but that didn¡¯t mean she was irritated or angry, as Jusetsu had learned about half a month after arriving at Yamei Palace. She had been a little scared of her until then. Keishi silently held out the strainer. There were ripe, red figs inside. ¡°Thank you.¡± Jusetsu took three figs from the strainer and told everyone in the kitchen, ¡°You can eat the rest,¡± then returned to her room. The figs had a sweet scent that was characteristic of ripe fruit. Ishiha was hesitant to take the figs she offered him, but his eyes were sparkling. He was a growing boy, so he could eat two figs in no time at all. Xingxing wanted a fig as well and was making a fuss, so Jusetsu gave it a little of her own. Ishiha told her that this was the first time he ate a fig. ¡°We didn¡¯t grow fruit in my village.¡± Ishiha¡¯s village was by the sea. It was a fishing village. ¡°When we went to the head fisherman¡¯s house, they would give us tangerines. It was only sometimes, though. They were sour, but delicious.¡± I shared them with my siblings and we ate together, Ishiha laughed. He must be at an age where he still missed his parents¡¯ home, but he never showed it on his face. He probably tried not to show it in front of other people. ¡°Your village is located in Rouko of Gei Province, yes? What kind of fish can you catch there?¡± When asked about his hometown, Ishiha always responded with happy gestures. ¡°You can catch flounder and mackerel there. I used to go on the boats and help with the fishing. When we fish, we use the stars as our guide. Do you know? The southern Rudder Star (1) is used as a guidepost when returning from fishing, and when the Golden Arrowhead star (2) appears, it¡¯s mackerel season. When the Flower Comb star gets dim, that means it¡¯s storm season. When it¡¯s storm season, the village elders would tell us folk tales. Like the story of a great turtle monster from the sea, or a diver whose hand got caught in a big abalone shell at the bottom of the sea and drowned¡­¡± The legends of the distant fishing village were interesting to Jusetsu because much of it was new to her. On the other hand, there were also some tales that were shared with this region. ¡°There¡¯s also a story about a god who sinned a long, long time ago and was cut up and washed away. His body became the islands we live on.¡± ¡°That old tale is the same around here as well.¡± It was the type of myth that told the origins of the country. ¡°I heard that these stories were originally told by traveling wubangs. That is why the same stories are passed down in various regions around the country.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Jiujiu brought a bowl of water. It was for washing their hands. Their hands and mouths were sticky with fig juice. ¡°We¡¯re talking about the god who sinned¡ª¡ª¡± When Ishiha repeated the story, Jiujiu nodded with an Oh, yes. ¡°If I remember correctly, the torso of the chopped-up god became this island, his head became Jie Island, and his arm became Bahuang Island¡­ From his dismembered corpse, soil was created and plants and trees grew. It¡¯s a bit of a creepy story, isn¡¯t it?¡± It was a bit blunt to put it that way. ¡°After I heard that story from my grandma, I was afraid to walk on the ground for a while, because I thought it was a dead body.¡± Ishiha blinked his eyes. That thought didn¡¯t seem to have occurred to him. ¡°Many things wash ashore at the seaside. In my village, there is a cove where people who fall into the sea always end up, and I sometimes see people floating there. So I think that¡¯s the way the sea is. I¡¯ve also seen jellyfish-like things floating around the cove, glowing. The village elders told me that those were the souls of those who had died at sea.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Jusetsu envisioned dimly glowing souls floating on the nighttime sea. A beautiful but sad sight. When she said, ¡°How interesting,¡± Ishiha¡¯s cheeks flushed with happiness. After that, he continued to share some unusual stories he had heard from the village elders. Jusetsu listened as she washed her hands in the bowl. Some time later, Kougyou brought them tea and joined the conversation. The afternoon sun shined brightly through the lattice windows, and Yamei Palace was filled with a sense of serenity. It was strange for Jusetsu to hear the laughter of Jiujiu and Ishiha, their chatter, and to see Kougyou¡¯s smile here. At the same time, it was always at times like this that she felt uneasy. She felt as if a cold hand had suddenly grabbed her ankle. It was as though Reijou was warning her to come to a stop, and Jusetsu was helplessly at a loss. The visitor came that night. It was late at night, and even Jusetsu, who went to bed late, was already falling asleep. She was awakened by a woman¡¯s low voice coming from the other side of the doors. ¡°Ex¡­excuse me, Lady Raven Consort¡­¡± It was the voice of an old woman. It was a faint voice, as if it would disappear at any moment. On her mattress, Jusetsu moved her head to look for Xingxing. The bird, which always made a fuss when there were visitors, was standing at the foot of her bed, raising its head and looking at the doors as if it was annoyed. But it soon lost interest and turned its head to close its eyes. Sleep, it seemed, was more important. Jusetsu got up and got out of her bed. She put on only a black robe over her nightclothes and stepped out of the curtains. She didn¡¯t know exactly what time it was, but from her feeling when she got up, it must have been around the fourth watch of the night (one a.m. to three a.m.). It was getting hotter during the day, but it was still cold late at night. As she walked to the doors, she formed a peony on her hand and tossed it into a lantern to light it. It was a lotus-shaped lantern. ¡°Who is it?¡± Jusetsu asked towards the doors. ¡°My name is An. I have a request to make of you, Lady Raven Consort. Please listen to what I have to say.¡± Her voice was old and thin, but her tone was elegant. Thinking that she might be the attendant of a consort, Jusetsu opened the doors. There was an old woman with grey hair standing there. She was wearing an earth-colored palace lady¡¯s uniform. Her grey hair, barely tied back in a small chignon, wasn¡¯t oily, her complexion was much the same as her clothing, and wrinkles were carved into her face and hands like cracks. Her fingers were chapped deeply. She was a palace lady, and a subordinate one who did kitchen work. Jusetsu let the old woman in, wondering if she had been wrong in assuming that she was an attendant. However, the way she bowed and expressed her thanks, the way she walked, and the manner in which she sat on the chair, didn¡¯t suggest that she was a mere palace lady. Perhaps she was originally an attendant, but was demoted to the position of palace lady for some reason. Jusetsu sat down across from the old woman, An. After waiting for her to do so, An spoke. ¡°I deeply apologize for interrupting your rest so late at night.¡± ¡°I mind it not. I have visitors like you from time to time.¡± ¡°I have something I deeply need to ask of you, Lady Raven Consort. I have thought many times about coming to you. However, I have been unable to do so¡­I have finally made up my mind to come to you tonight.¡± The lit lantern on the floor flickered and cast crooked shadows on An¡¯s face. The light didn¡¯t reach the corners of the room, and thick darkness surrounded the two of them. ¡°What is your request?¡± Jusetsu asked bluntly. An lowered her face slightly. The shadows moved. ¡°It is related to the consort whom I once served. I was the attendant of Lady Sai Enrin, the Flame Emperor¡¯s Magpie Consort.¡± As Jusetsu had thought, she was originally an attendant. ¡°The Flame Emperor¡ªthe emperor before the last? That¡¯s quite a long time ago.¡± ¡°Is that so? It does not seem like so long ago for me. Rather, yesterday seems more distant. When you grow older, time flies like an arrow, and the months and days pass by in the blink of an eye. But the past is so vivid that everything with Lady Enrin seems to have happened only a few days ago.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®everything with Lady Enrin¡¯?¡± Yes, about her, An answered, but then she hung her head and looked at her hands in her lap, as if reluctant to say anything. Eventually, she looked up. ¡°At your young age, Lady Raven Consort, you most likely don¡¯t know who the Flame Emperor¡¯s Magpie Consort is or what fate befell her. Even among those around me, there are only a few who remember what happened back then. In those days, people avoided talking about Lady Enrin¡ªin fact, those who sympathized with her were reported on and punished. So even after the emperors changed, people didn¡¯t talk about her very much.¡± The shadows sank into the fine wrinkles etched onto An¡¯s face, making her look even older. The gloom that seeped out from there made the surrounding darkness even heavier. ¡°Please listen to Lady Enrin¡¯s story. If I am gone, there will be no one who will know the truth about her. I want you to know. And¡ªI want you to save Lady Enrin¡¯s soul.¡± Please, An beseeched, and then she began her story. I was twenty-two years old when I began to serve Lady Enrin. She had just turned ten, and she was the apple of her father¡¯s eye, who was the Ministry of Personnel secretary. I was a distant relative, and although my lineage was closer to the main family than that of Lady Enrin¡¯s family, at that time Lady Enrin¡¯s father, who had been promoted to Ministry of Personnel secretary, was the most successful of our family. Naturally, the expectations of the family were focused on him, and it was especially hoped that Lady Enrin would enter the inner palace as a consort. Therefore, she had to be educated and taught manners as befitting a consort, and I was chosen from among the family to be the perfect person for that job. At that time, I had returned to my parents¡¯ home after being divorced. I was in low spirits every day, but that all changed when I met Lady Enrin. Lady Enrin was a very lovely young lady. Her smiling face was like a peony and her voice was like clear water. I vowed at that time that I would make the finest consort in this country. Lady Enrin was a cheerful and carefree girl. She happily read fantasy stories and narrative poems, but she seemed to dislike reading classics such as Lessons for Women or Examples for Women, (3) which should be read by all women and girls. She preferred reading mysterious stories and love stories rather than difficult books. It was a bit of a problem, but she seemed to understand when I explained them to her simply. As one year passed, and another year passed, Lady Enrin¡¯s beauty became as brilliant as a polished jade. No matter who you were, you couldn¡¯t help but be captivated by her beauty at first glance. Her skill on the zither was first-rate, and she excelled in calligraphy and poetry. The only fault in her was that she was a little careless and didn¡¯t think things through sometimes¡­but I was proud to think that she wouldn¡¯t be outdone by the other concubines in the inner palace. However¡­ Two unexpected miscalculations occurred. The first was the place where Lady Enrin was to marry into. Even though we say that it was the inner palace, her father didn¡¯t intend on putting her in the inner palace of the current emperor¡ªby which I mean the Flame Emperor, but rather the Eastern Palace. After all, the Flame Emperor was already elderly at that time, and he had an empress and children, so the inner palace was of little significance. That was why there were only a few concubines there. So, it was only natural that she be given in marriage to the crown prince. However, both the empress and the princess consort, as well as their relatives, wanted to Lady Enrin¡¯s marriage to wait. Both factions probably thought it would be a problem if the crown prince were to become obsessed with her, who was reputed for her beauty. Lady Enrin¡¯s father and the relatives of the empress and princess consort were at loggerheads with each other. It would have been good if Lady Enrin¡¯s father had been able to split the relatives up or win their favor, but¡­it seemed that he had failed to do so. It was a complicated situation. While her father was busily engaged, there was someone who told the Flame Emperor about Lady Enrin¡¯s reputation. It was probably someone from the empress¡¯s side or the princess consort¡¯s side. That was how the Flame Emperor¡¯s interest was piqued. Strangely, he wasn¡¯t known to be a philanderer, but a devoted husband, and he didn¡¯t seem to have much interest in the concubines of the inner palace, and yet he showed interest in Lady Enrin¡­Perhaps it is the wavering of the mind that comes with old age. Perhaps he wanted to have a fleeting experience with a young and beautiful girl once more. In any case, the Flame Emperor seemed to have been moved. In such a case, there was no choice for her father but to put her in the Flame Emperor¡¯s inner palace. At any rate, it was a good thing, since we had attracted his interest. Although Lady Enrin seemed to be dissatisfied, I thought it was an extravagant thing. Isn¡¯t it a given that she would receive the emperor¡¯s favor? Even if there was an empress, Lady Enrin was the finest consort. She would be the most glorious. I was working with great enthusiasm to prepare for her entry into the inner palace. And yet¡­ Lady Enrin didn¡¯t seem at all interested in the whole thing. That was the other miscalculation. She should have understood from an early age that she was entering the inner palace. Of course, she thought she would be marrying the crown prince, so it was understandable that she was upset. However, even if she entered the inner palace of the crown prince, she has no way of knowing if she would be favored by him. No, even though Lady Enrin was a beauty who no one could resist being charmed by¡­ However, the emperor now wanted her to marry him. There was a big difference. Our victory was already decided. That was how I encouraged Lady Enrin. I also scolded her. She must not be timid and take control of the inner palace, become her father¡¯s strength and become the number one consort¡ª¡ª Lady Enrin seemed to be moved by my words. With tears in her eyes, she smiled and said, Yes, I will think of it that way. The next day, however, a robber broke in. The mansion was full of gold, silver, and treasures for the procession into the inner palace, so he probably had his eye on us. The mansion was guarded, but he found a weak spot and snuck in. The robber was alone. He didn¡¯t head for the storehouse, but rather broke into Lady Enrin¡¯s room. My room was next to hers, but shamefully, I noticed the intrusion too late because I was asleep. The robber tried to kidnap Lady Enrin. The storehouse held dazzling treasures, but perhaps he was intimidated by the strict security, or¡­ I didn¡¯t know how he knew where Lady Enrin¡¯s room was, but he tried to take her away with him. I heard their arguing and woke up. The robber seemed to be whispering something in a coaxing, pleading tone. Lady Enrin¡¯s voice was muffled and I couldn¡¯t hear it, but she seemed to be firmly rejecting him. I had just woken up and was briefly listening to their conversation in a daze, but then I quickly got up. I took the dagger near my pillow and stumbled out to the adjoining room of Lady Enrin. My legs were trembling so badly that I could barely stand, but I desperately shouted that there was a robber, a ruffian in the house. Servants rushed out from all over the house and the robber was quickly captured. I was shocked when I saw his face under the light. He was someone I knew. No, not only me, he was a young man that Lady Enrin also knew very well. He was a bookseller in the eastern market who had been frequenting the mansion for a long time. He used to secretly bring Lady Enrin the fantasy novels and narrative poems that delighted her. It was not a very large bookshop, but he was a young man who wasn¡¯t vulgar in any way, and he had plenty of knowledge because he worked in a shop that handled books, so I thought he was a fine young man¡­ Because he was someone she knew, Lady Enrin begged her father in tears to pardon him. It was a kind thing to do. However, he tried to kidnap a girl who was about to enter the inner palace. That was the same as committing a crime against the emperor. If her father showed mercy towards him, he would be suspected of treason. But, he didn¡¯t want to risk any rumors that Lady Enrin was almost kidnapped by a robber, so her father beheaded the young man in the garden. The young man¡¯s parents were informed that he broke into the estate to rob it, and the market officials destroyed their shop and drove them from the capital. Lady Enrin was in low spirits because the man she had trusted and was friends with for so many years had become a robber, tried to kidnap her, and was finally beheaded. She gazed at the garden where the young man was beheaded and seemed lost in thought¡­ The soil in the garden was soaked in blood, and her father had it replaced. Fortunately, the emperor hadn¡¯t caught wind of this matter, and Lady Enrin entered the inner palace without incident. Lady Enrin was given Jakusou Palace and accepted as the Magpie Consort. There were miscalculations, but she entered the inner palace without incident. If she had won the emperor¡¯s favor as planned, it would have been smooth sailing, but¡­the emperor never visited her even half a month after she entered the inner palace. No matter how long we waited, he never came to the inner palace itself. We had heard that he was too busy with building the foundations of the new dynasty to visit, and it seemed that was in fact the case. The emperor of the previous dynasty had only abdicated as a token gesture¡ªno, I¡¯ve spoken too much. Please pretend you didn¡¯t hear that. However, on top of being extremely busy, apparently his attending eunuchs were deliberately hindering him. They would tell him things like, The Magpie Consort isn¡¯t feeling well today or She¡¯s having her moon cycle. That must not be allowed. I was fretting over what to do. Inward affairs can turn white into black with a single word from the emperor¡¯s eunuchs. I immediately sent a letter to Lady Enrin¡¯s father and asked him to prepare as much gold and silks as he could spare. When I freely handed them out to the emperor¡¯s eunuchs, they told me that if Dajia is in a pleasant mood, he would soon visit Jakusou Palace. That meant they were willing to put in a good word for us. It was shameful for me to bribe the likes of a eunuch to do something for me, but small sacrifices like these were necessary to solve a more pressing problem. It was for the sake of Lady Enrin. While I was taking great pains to do such things, Lady Enrin only vacantly stared at the garden. I suggested that she play the zither, but she wouldn¡¯t even touch it. Even though I endured the shame of abasing myself in front of eunuchs¡­ However, Lady Enrin had a small satin pouch that she kept carefully tucked away in her breast pocket. I didn¡¯t know what was in the pouch, but I saw her holding it in her hand while gazing at the garden. In such a situation, even I lost my patience and scolded Lady Enrin harshly. I asked her how a consort who might receive the emperor tonight could be so feckless and limp. Lady Enrin retorted to me. ¡ª¡ªI didn¡¯t become an consort because I wanted to. I was stunned. I was truly speechless from amazement. What are you saying at this point? I admonished her. I thought she was perhaps nervous about the emperor¡¯s absence, so I gently reminded her of this. I have practically raised her since she was a small child, so I knew her temperament well. The eunuchs promised me that His Majesty will come here soon, I told her. ¡ª¡ªI hope he never comes. Lady Enrin said with a look of despair on her face. I wanted to scold her again with a What are you saying, but I held it in. But then¡­ ¡ª¡ªIf you love His Majesty so much, then you should be a consort. I was so angry that I unconsciously raised my hand. I was about to strike Lady Enrin in the face, but I came to my senses just in time. I didn¡¯t hit her face, but I did strike her hand. The satin bag she was holding fell to the floor and its mouth opened. Something that looked like soil fell out. It looked like soil¡ªno, it was soil. I took some and brought it close to my face. It had a smell of iron. I thought it smelled like blood. ¡ª¡ªIt couldn¡¯t be¡­ I asked Lady Enrin where the soil was from. She confessed that it was soil from the garden back home. The soil from the spot where the young man was beheaded. She had secretly put the soil, which her father had someone replace, in the pouch. Why did she hold such a thing so dearly to her? No, it couldn¡¯t be possible. Lady Enrin and that young man were¡ª¡ª I gathered up the spilled soil with both hands and ran into the garden, then scattered all the soil in the pouch on the ground and trampled on it. I stomped and crushed the soil with the soles of my shoes until it became a mixture of soil from the ground and the soil soaked in the young man¡¯s blood. Lady Enrin clung to my legs, begging me to stop, tears streaming down her face. Lying over the trampled ground, she was howling and sobbing. ¡ª¡ªWho is this? Where did the Lady Enrin I had raised go? This wasn¡¯t her. This weeping woman who had given her heart to a bookseller¡¯s son, not the emperor or even a scholar-official, couldn¡¯t be my Lady Enrin. I was enveloped in a pitch-dark darkness, unable to think anything. I found myself sitting on a couch in a daze. A eunuch came and announced that the emperor would visit tonight. The news finally brought me back to myself. His Majesty was coming. At last, His Majesty. This would surely make everything all right. What happened earlier must have been a dream. I had a daydream because I was so worried that His Majesty wouldn¡¯t come here. ¡ª¡ªLady Enrin. I had assumed that she was in the rear parlor. However, when I rushed there to tell her the good news, I found the place completely empty. Where was she at such an important time? She had to take a bath and dress extraordinarily beautifully. Should she be in red? Or a youthful peach color? Her hair must be rearranged, her hairpins must be jade, and the hairpin ornaments must be gold¡ª¡ª While thinking about such things, I searched for Lady Enrin. Perhaps she was still crying in the garden. If that was the case, I would have to scold her severely this time. No, perhaps I should soothe her instead. Or should I use my tears to persuade her? ¡ª¡ªNo, that was a daydream, so Lady Enrin shouldn¡¯t be in the garden. Lady Enrin wasn¡¯t in the garden. I was relieved. It was a dream after all. There were marks on the ground like it had been trampled, but they were most likely caused by the eunuch who was ordered to cut the sorbarias. That¡¯s what eunuchs are like. If you tell them to cut flowers, they would trample on the flowers right in front of you without compunction. They can only do what they are ordered to do. Sometimes they can¡¯t even do what they¡¯re ordered to do. Trampling on the ground like this, well. I would have to order them to clean it up again¡ªbut for now, I had to find Lady Enrin first. I kept in mind that I would order them later and proceeded to the back of the garden. There was a pond there. A beautiful and spacious pond. The surface of the water was always as flat as a mirror and sparkling. All of a sudden, I had a feeling that Lady Enrin¡¯s voice was coming from there. A voice that was cool and pure, like clear water. Lady Enrin, I called out and went to the pond¡¯s bank. The surface of the pond sparkled refreshingly today as well. Willow trees had been planted around the pond, reflected in the pond¡¯s surface. A faint breeze blew, the willow leaves swayed, and there were ripples on the surface of the water. I thought I heard Lady Enrin¡¯s voice again and looked around. Lizard¡¯s-tails were blooming at the edge of the pond. Half of the leaves were white as if they had been dusted with white powder, and tiny flower buds were hanging down. Near them were a pair of brocade shoes. The brightly colored shoes, embroidered with flowers and birds, had been worn by Lady Enrin. I ran to the shoes and stared at the surface of the pond. It was calm and quiet, with only occasional small ripples on the surface. I was about to turn back to the palace, then hesitated. I had to pull Lady Enrin out as soon as possible. But I didn¡¯t want this incident to get too big. If the emperor caught wind of this¡ª¡ª However, I couldn¡¯t jump into the pond alone. I threw the shoes into the pond, returned to the palace, and told everyone that Lady Enrin had accidentally fell into the pond. I told the palace ladies to make a fire and prepare plenty of cloth, and sent the eunuchs to search the pond. Because of the clearness of the pond, Lady Enrin was found rather quickly and pulled out. But her pulse had already stopped, and no matter how long we waited, she didn¡¯t come back to life. A consort had drowned herself before the emperor visited her at night. It would be a disaster if this was exposed. I persisted in saying that Lady Enrin had unfortunately slipped and fell into the pond. No one saw the scene, so if I said so, no one could deny it. Lady Enrin passed away in an unexpected accident. However, that didn¡¯t change the fact that we were inept. The empress also condemned the consort¡¯s, who was preparing for the emperor¡¯s visit, walking by the water¡¯s edge as an unbecoming, rash, and foolish act on her part. Naturally, the emperor was also angry. I, as well as the other Jakusou Palace eunuchs and palace ladies, were punished, and Lady Enrin¡¯s father was also condemned. If a consort was favored, the grace would extend to her relatives, but if the consort was disgraced, it would have a bad effect on them. Her father was dismissed from his position as general secretary in the Ministry of Personnel and demoted to Gaku Province. It was said that he was deeply depressed by the death of Lady Enrin, the apple of his eye, that he passed away at his post half a year later. I was sent to Sen¡¯e House. It was the place where palace ladies who had committed crimes or fallen ill went, called the graveyard of palace ladies. I have been washing dirty clothes there ever since. Since my hands were constantly soaked in the basin¡¯s water and I had no time to wipe them, cracks opened up on my hands and pained me. Why, just why did I have to keep washing clothes in cold water day after day? If Lady Enrin were still alive, I would not have met with such a fate. Even if I complain like this, there is no help for it. After all, Lady Enrin is no longer here¡­ As I wash the clothes, I heard her voice in between the sounds of leaping water. A voice like clear water. I would never mishear it. It must be coming from the pond through the water. I can¡¯t make out what she¡¯s saying. It sounds like she is crying. Every day, every day, I hear that voice. There is never a day when I can¡¯t hear it. From between the water, Lady Enrin is calling me. Every time I plunge the clothes into water, every time I scrub and wash them, every time water drips from the wringed clothes, her voice resounded beautifully and clearly. I feel terribly sorry for Lady Enrin. Her soul is still wandering in that pond. The pitiful Lady Enrin. Lady Raven Consort, won¡¯t you save Lady Enrin? Please send her soul to paradise. Please¡ª¡ª. Volume 2 - CH 2.2 After she pleaded to Jusetsu, An¡¯s figure vanished like smoke slowly dissipating. Jusetsu took in a light breath and stood up from her chair. ¡ª¡ªShe doesn¡¯t seem to have crossed over to paradise. ¡°I have visitors like you from time to time.¡± Just as she had told her in the beginning, this wasn¡¯t the first time she had such visitors. The ghosts who came to the Raven Consort. Some knew that they were dead, while others seemed to be unaware of it. An seemed to be in the latter group. Jusetsu stepped inside her curtains and tossed her robe on the couch. Xingxing was already asleep. Giving it a sidelong glance, she sat down on her bed and laid down. ¡°¡ª¡ªShe wants me to save Enrin, huh¡­¡± Staring absentmindedly into the darkness, Jusetsu closed her eyes. Sleep came quickly. The next day, Jusetsu questioned Kougyou. ¡°Do you know a palace lady named An?¡± Kougyou had lived at Sen¡¯e House before. That was why she thought she knew her. Kougyou blinked and tilted her head slightly in thought. When Jusetsu had first met her at Sen¡¯e House, her complexion was pale and she looked as if she might die at any moment, but now her complexion was healthy and her cheeks were plump. Jusetsu had never asked her how old she was, but she must have been around thirty. In contrast to Jiujiu, who was hasty and had clear waves of emotions, Kougyou was always calm and composed. ¡°She is an old woman who was the attendant of the Magpie Consort in the reign of the emperor before the last.¡± When Jusetsu added that, Kougyou nodded several times in recognition. It seemed she did know her. ¡°Did she talk about hearing the dead Magpie Consort¡¯s voice?¡± Kougyou also nodded at this. ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Jusetsu brought her the scrap paper and brush Ishiha used for writing and placed them on the table. She prepared the ink and had Kougyou hold the brush. ¡°What kind of woman was An?¡± Kougyou considered her question for a moment with the brush in her hand. ¡°Everyone thought she was creepy and kept a distance from her,¡± she wrote down. ¡°She kept saying that she could hear voices coming from the water.¡± ¡°No one around her could hear it?¡± Kougyou nodded. ¡°I have never spoken to her directly, so I don¡¯t know much about her personality.¡± After writing this, she dipped her brush in ink and slid it across the paper. The brush drew curved lines. She wasn¡¯t writing characters, she was drawing. She drew eyes, a mouth, eyebrows¡­a face was drawn. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re quite skilled.¡± In the blink of an eye, the face of an old woman was completed. It was the face of An from last night. ¡°It¡¯s An. ¡ª¡ªI did not know you had a talent for drawing.¡± ¡°It is sometimes quicker to draw a picture.¡± Kougyou continued to draw. It was a simpler picture than the previous one. The face of a young girl. She had a sweet round face and pretty eyes like those of a skylark. Jusetsu recognized her immediately. ¡°It¡¯s Jiujiu.¡± Kougyou smiled and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s keep this. No, it would be better for you to draw on a clean piece of paper.¡± Kougyou shook her head hastily. ¡°No? Then we shall keep this.¡± As Jusetsu stared fixedly at the drawing again, Jiujiu brought tea from the kitchen. ¡°Oh, what kind of picture is that?¡± ¡°Kougyou drew it. It¡¯s your face.¡± Oh, really? Jiujiu widened her eyes and exclaimed in admiration. ¡°Is this me? Miss Kougyou, you¡¯re so talented!¡± Jiujiu seemed happy. ¡°Please draw Niangniang too, Miss Kougyou.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. ¡ª¡ªCan you draw anyone else?¡± Kougyou stared thoughtfully into the air, and then she suddenly picked up her brush and began to draw. The outline of the chin was firm, the mouth was set in a straight line, and the eyes were puffy. ¡°It¡¯s Keishi.¡± Her meaninglessly grumpy expression was well-depicted. ¡°Miss Kougyou, what about His Majesty? Can you draw His Majesty?¡± Jiujiu asked enthusiastically. Kougyou raised her eyebrows and waved her hands at her. She seemed to want to say, ¡°How preposterous.¡± Jiujiu pouted in disappointment. ¡°I thought if you drew a portrait of him, I could stare at it thoroughly.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need a portrait of him, since he comes here so often.¡± ¡°Just because he comes here, it doesn¡¯t mean that I can just stare at His Majesty¡¯s face!¡± Does she want to observe his face that much? She thought. Even though his expression hardly changes. ¡°And if you keep His Majesty¡¯s portrait here, you won¡¯t feel lonely when he isn¡¯t here, Niangniang.¡± Jusetsu frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want his picture here. And in the first place, I won¡¯t be lonely just because he doesn¡¯t come.¡± ¡°Are you still saying that, Niangniang? On days when His Majesty doesn¡¯t visit, you always seem bored.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed that Jiujiu¡¯s eyes saw someone that was Jusetsu and wasn¡¯t Jusetsu. She wondered how she came to this interpretation. ¡°Then, what about Ishiha?¡± Jiujiu asked Kougyou. ¡°And then Mr. Onkei after that?¡± Kougyou could draw Ishiha quickly, but Onkei seemed more difficult. It¡¯s because I haven¡¯t seen his face clearly, she explained. ¡°It¡¯s true that he isn¡¯t always here.¡± Onkei was Jusetsu¡¯s guard, and he was a eunuch who rarely appeared in front of others in the first place. Whenever Jusetsu went out, he was nearby to watch over her secretly, and when she was Yamei Palace, he patrolled the area around the palace. But Jusetsu wondered if he was bored. It wasn¡¯t as though she had any enemies who would attack her. ¡°Let¡¯s ask him to show you his face next time. Mr. Onkei has a beautiful face.¡± Jiujiu said innocently, but Kougyou chided her, saying, ¡°We mustn¡¯t interfere with his work.¡± Jusetsu was watching them as she drank tea. ¡°Niangniang.¡± Since Onkei called out to her without her sensing his presence, she almost dropped her teacup. When she turned around, she saw Onkei kneeling in front of the door to the outer corridor. ¡°You were there, Onkei?¡± ¡°I have just returned.¡± ¡°And how did it go?¡± She had asked Onkei to go to Sen¡¯e House in the morning. ¡°She passed away last night. She seemed to have some sort of illness in her lungs.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡ª¡ªAn died last night. Since that ghost came to Jusetsu immediately, she must have been extremely worried about Enrin. Though it would have been hard to forget about her since An had been hearing her voice for a very long time. Jusetsu stood from her chair. ¡°I wish to go to Jakusou Palace¡¯s pond.¡± Onkei nodded. ¡°I shall guide you there.¡± ¡°Then, I shall accompa¡ª¡± Jiujiu enthusiastically started, but Jusetsu turned her down. ¡°I will be back soon, I have no need for your company.¡± Jiujiu seemed to refuse to back down, but she closed her mouth when Kougyou nudged her. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for Ishiha to finish cleaning and come here. You and Kougyou can watch him write.¡± When she told her of her task, Jiujiu smiled happily. ¡°Certainly. I¡¯ll make sure he improves.¡± They left the palace and headed for Jakusou Palace. This palace was located to the south of Yamei Palace. As they passed between the rhododendrons and laurels, Onkei suddenly looked up. There was a rustle of wings, and a bird flew away. A brown bird with white spots¡ªa spotted nutcracker. A feather fell from it and landed at their feet. Onkei relaxed his shoulders and apologized. ¡°I apologize for surprising you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Jusetsu picked up the feather. It was a brown feather with a white tip and a greenish sheen. It was beautiful. She wondered who would be pleased if she gave it to them. A few faces came to mind. Jusetsu let go of the feather. ¡ª¡ªThis isn¡¯t something the Raven Consort should think about. She hastened her pace. Jakusou Palace was marked by the roof tiles decorated with magpie ornaments and the redbuds that encircled the palace. In early spring, the reddish-violet flowers were visible from a distance, and on cloudy days, the palace looked like it was surrounded by a red haze. The pair of magpies on the decorative roof tiles were holding a branch in their beaks in order to make a nest. ¡°The pond is in the back of the garden. It¡¯s almost on the outskirts of the palace.¡± Onkei walked past the redbuds and continued onward. The flowers had already fallen, and green husks dropped from the branches. ¡°Have you been here before?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His answer was short. Was it as a spy, or just to examine the situation there without going to that extent? ¡°Ei Sei depends on you a lot.¡± Without turning around, Onkei said, ¡°If so, then it is a great pleasure.¡± He added, ¡°I have already spoken to a eunuch here.¡± It seemed that every time he worked at a palace, he befriended a eunuch there. It came in handy later¡ªlike now. They went around to the back and entered through the gate used by servants. There was a kitchen and buildings that looked like dormitories for palace ladies and eunuchs. It seemed that the construction of the consort¡¯s palace wasn¡¯t so different from the others. The pond was dim. An had said it was a beautiful as a mirror, and while it was indeed clear, it somewhat appeared like there were shadows coiled around it. The willow trees that were reflected on the water surface were lawlessly entangled with ivy, and the hanging branches were in disarray. The flowers and grasses were so vigorously overgrown for the season that the smell of the water mixed with the smell of grass was almost suffocating. The lizard¡¯s-tails that An talked about had probably grown in clumps over a much wider area than now. In a word, it was neglected. ¡°This is far from the palace, a consort fell into the water and drowned, so there are not many people who come near here. The current Magpie Consort also avoids this place because it is too dark. Because of that, this has become a forgotten place.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She thought it would be a picturesque place if only it was taken care of. As she looked around, she saw what appeared to be a shadow coming out of the tall, thick grass at the corner of her eye. Onkei put himself on guard, but Jusetsu raised her hand to stop him. It wasn¡¯t a person. It appeared like a pale haze and hadn¡¯t yet taken the form of a human. As they watched, it gradually took shape. A face covered with wrinkles appeared with a gaping mouth, and it staggered to the water¡¯s edge, dragging its faded, dirt-covered robes behind it. It was An. But her appearance was even more dismal than last night. Her grey hair was wild, and her body was nothing more than skin and bones. Her skin was ashen and cracked and her eyelids were sunken. Only her eyes were startling wide. The hem of her robes was so tattered that it broke off every time she stepped forward. An was huddled by the water¡¯s edge, leaning forward to peer into the water. Lady Enrin, a sluggish voice echoed. She stared at the surface of the water and tried to scoop water with both hands, but her ghost¡¯s hands couldn¡¯t seize anything and simply cut through the air. Even so, An still tried to scoop out the water. Jusetsu walked over to her. She heard a low mumbling. As she got closer, it became clearer. ¡°It won¡¯t go away¡­why¡­if¡­if only there isn¡¯t water here¡­¡± ¡°Can you still hear Enrin¡¯s voice?¡± An looked up and turned her goggling eyes on Jusetsu. Aah, she moaned, and fell to the ground at Jusetsu¡¯s feet, clinging to her. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, you came. Please save Lady Enrin.¡± Jusetsu looked at the pond. The surface of the water was calm, with only an occasional ripple in the wind. There were no other ghosts except An there. There were no voices either. ¡°¡­Enrin is not here. She must have already crossed over to paradise.¡± An¡¯s sunken eyelids fluttered open. ¡°What are you saying? I can hear her voice so loudly.¡± ¡°There are no voices here.¡± ¡°See, even now Lady Enrin is calling to me again. She¡¯s calling me over and over again with that voice¡ª¡ª¡± An insisted, ignoring Jusetsu¡¯s words. She looked at the water with a frightened face and began to move like she was scooping water again. ¡°We have to get all the water out¡­when the water is gone, the voice should be gone as well¡­¡± An¡¯s fingers, trying to scoop water that couldn¡¯t be scooped, became bonier, and her fingernails became sharper. Her hair became more dishevelled, her eyes became blazingly bright, and the corners of her lips began to turn up and split. ¡°Niangniang¡ª¡ª¡± Onkei called out, his voice a mixture of alarm and bewilderment, but Jusetsu responded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°What is so terrible about hearing voices, An?¡± An suddenly stopped moving and looked up at Jusetsu. ¡ª¡ªIt seems that words are still able to get through to her. If she could no longer be communicated with and her appearance changed completely, then she would cease to be a ghost. She would become a demon. ¡°What is it that you really fear?¡± An¡¯s eyes widened. Her hands began to shake. ¡°I¡ªam not afraid. I just feel sorry for Lady Enrin¡ª¡± Jusetsu quietly shook her head. ¡°No more deceit. You¡¯ve never pitied or felt sorry for Lady Enrin.¡± An closed her mouth and stared at Jusetsu. ¡°Don¡¯t disgrace Enrin for the sake of your own deception. It is exceedingly regrettable that she is used by you in such a way even after her death.¡± ¡°Are you saying that I have lied to you? That¡¯s too harsh.¡± Tears flowed from An¡¯s eyes. Tears that streamed down a misshapen face didn¡¯t look like tears at all. The sharp nails of her hands on the ground gouged the soil. ¡°I have dedicated myself to Lady Enrin since I was twenty-two years old. Without my devotion, she would never have entered the inner palace. I took on the role of attendant to a ten-year-old little girl from a family that¡¯s far inferior to mine. Because I had nowhere else to go! I was sent back home from my in-laws, who shouted at me for being a barren woman just because I couldn¡¯t conceive a child for two, three years. Do you know how much shame I felt at home? Do you think a woman with a bad reputation of being barren will receive another marriage offer? That¡¯s why I accepted the job. I was angry at that upstart father and that little girl who treated me as her attendant without question. But I raised Lady Enrin properly. I brought her up to be a lady who could enter the inner palace without shame. Did I not do a good job?¡± An howled on and on without stopping. ¡°And yet! And yet, Lady Enrin did such an¡ªungrateful thing!¡± An pounded the ground with her fists. Jusetsu¡¯s chest felt heavy at the fact that An called Enrin¡¯s suicide ¡°ungrateful.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªEnrin is dead.¡± Jusetsu murmured. An¡¯s hands stopped in surprise. ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right. Lady Enrin is dead. She must have hated me. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s my fault, isn¡¯t it? I understand. That is why¡ªI am afraid. I am afraid of her resentment.¡± An said flatly, as though becoming defiant. ¡°Please help me, Lady Raven Consort. I can¡¯t stop hearing Lady Enrin¡¯s reproaches. Please protect me. She calls to me again and again from the bottom of the water. She wants to drag me to the bottom of the pond. Please help me.¡± An pleaded, about to transform into a grotesque monster. Jusetsu just stood there. She wanted to send as many ghosts to paradise as possible. She wanted to take away their suffering. But what could she do to help An? How could she be saved? An tried cling to Jusetsu, who had fallen silent. Her hands couldn¡¯t grasp Jusetsu¡¯s clothing, only cutting through the air. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who can save you.¡± ¡°Lady Raven Consort, that¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°It is you yourself who is dragging yourself to the bottom of the water. The voice from the bottom of the water is your own voice. Listen carefully.¡± An stopped trying to cling to her. Her eyes shook as if she was frightened by something. ¡°It is not Enrin you fear, but yourself.¡± An shook her head. ¡°No¡ªno!¡± Her wild hair scattered about. Those who didn¡¯t have a sense of regret wouldn¡¯t hear the voices of those who weren¡¯t there. What she feared was herself, the one who caused Enrin¡¯s death. An screamed and turned around, then fell to the water¡¯s edge. She flailed her hands about and tried to bail out the water. The water remained calm and still. An tried to push her way through the water, gasping her breath, and she waded into the pond. She staggered forward, her body gradually sinking into the water. Her waist disappeared, her shoulders were submerged, and then, finally, her head. Her grey head sank into the water. ¡°Aah, I can¡¯t hear the voice if I¡¯m in the water.¡± An¡¯s voice echoed with joy, and then no more sound could be heard. The surface of the pond was as still and clear as ever. ¡°¡ª¡ªNiangniang, that was¡­¡± Jusetsu shook her head in response to Onkei¡¯s call. ¡°In time, perhaps the water will save her soul.¡± The coldness and weight of the water, the light shimmering on the surface of the water as the sun shined through it, and the shadows that fell to the bottom of the water might grind, wash away, and dissolve that soul. Those were things that Jusetsu couldn¡¯t do. ¡°Onkei, cut some ivy for me.¡± Jusetsu pointed to the ivy twining around the willow trees. Onkei quickly brought a handful of ivy. Jusetsu gathered them into a hoop, took out a string made of twisted paper from her pocket, and tied them together. The string had characters written on them in red ink. She then threw the hoop into the pond. The ivy hoop fell in an arc into the water and sank with a slight splash. Ripples were left behind. ¡°Reijou told me that this was an art that sorcerers were skilled at, and she had learned it from someone. Now An can¡¯t get out of the pond, but we¡¯d better make sure no one comes near this place.¡± Although it seemed that no one visited this place in the first place. ¡°We¡¯re returning.¡± Jusetsu turned on her heel. Onkei followed her. ¡°May I ask you something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t something like that be exorcised by you, Niangniang?¡± Jusetsu thought about it for a moment before speaking. ¡°¡­It would be simple to destroy her. But that isn¡¯t desirable.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°To destroy a soul is to have a soul disappear completely without even crossing over to paradise. It is not for me to decide which souls should be there and which souls shouldn¡¯t be.¡± The dead were sad beings. Every one of them were equally sad. Jusetsu was alive. It was arrogant of the living to sort the dead. ¡°The living and the dead are by nature separated. I can connect them together, or I can sever them from each other. That is all.¡± It would be arrogant to want to save them. But sometimes she couldn¡¯t give up that desire. ¡ª¡ªReijou would have done better. She moved her heavy legs forward and away from the desolate pond. She could hear no voice from the depths of the pond. When they returned to Yamei Palace, Ishiha was sitting between Jiujiu and Kougyou, who were teaching him how to write. ¡°Ah, Lady Raven Consort,¡± Ishiha rushed out of his chair and knelt down next to Jusetsu. ¡°A letter has arrived for you.¡± ¡°A letter? From who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from Dajia.¡± ¡°Toss it away.¡± Ishiha raised his head in surprise and looked flustered. ¡°But, that¡¯s¡ª¡ª¡± There was no point in troubling a child. Jusetsu held out her hand. ¡°Give it to me.¡± ¡°Yes, Niangniang,¡± Ishiha, looking relieved, took out the letter from his pocket. The letter was wrapped in paper sprayed with a pattern of two fishes looking at each other, and it was even fragrantly scented with incense. Jusetsu thought that this must be an act of harassment by Ei Sei. Koushun wasn¡¯t the kind of refined man who would scent a letter addressed to a woman with incense. She opened the letter, thinking that she might give it to Ishiha as a copybook if the contents weren¡¯t absurd. Koushun¡¯s handwriting was upright and firm, making him a good model to copy. Jusetsu¡¯s eyes ran over the letter, and then she pursed her lips in thought for a little bit. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jiujiu asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Jusetsu put the letter in her pocket. ¡°¡ª¡ªThe Winter Minister, Setsu Gyoei, is an old friend of Reijou¡¯s. You should meet him and talk with him. I will arrange a place for a chat soon¡ª¡ª¡± What was he trying to do by having her meet with the Winter Minister? Did Koushun have some sort of ulterior motive? It was hard to tell just from reading the letter. But¡ªReijou¡¯s old friend? ¡°How will you reply? I will deliver it.¡± ¡°I am not going to¡ª¡± Write anything back to him, she was about to say, but since Ishiha was waiting for an order with a sparkle in his eyes, Jusetsu grew weak. She guessed he enjoyed doing what he was told. ¡°¡­Wait a little bit.¡± Saying that reluctantly, Jusetsu took out a sheaf of colored paper from the cupboard. She chose a light indigo piece of paper, picked up the brush, and only wrote, ¡°I accept.¡± She folded it and gave it to Ishiha. His cheeks flushed red and he said enthusiastically, ¡°I will deliver this to Dajia without fail!¡± ¡°¡¯Tis not such an important letter,¡± Jusetsu said, but Ishiha eagerly ran out of the palace. ¡°He desperately wants to repay you,¡± Jiujiu laughed. Kougyou was also smiling. ¡°Repay me?¡± ¡°He told us that it¡¯s because Niangniang took him in when he had nowhere to go.¡± ¡°¡­But I was the one who caused him to lose his place.¡± ¡°Oh, but that¡¯s not true, Niangniang. It was that shifu that drove Ishiha out of Hien Palace. It wasn¡¯t you. Besides, that man might not be able to stay in that mentor role anyway. I heard he is ill now¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°What?¡± Kougyou nudged Jiujiu¡¯s elbow. Jiujiu covered her mouth, and Kougyou mouthed the word ¡°chatty¡± to scold her. ¡°Is that eunuch lying ill in bed?¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t that serious. I¡¯ve said something unnecessary.¡± My apologies, Jiujiu said. ¡°It matters not to me. If it is unnecessary, I¡¯ll ignore it.¡± ¡°Niangniang,¡± There was a broad smile on Jiujiu¡¯s face, but Kougyou quickly wrote down something on a scrap paper and showed it to Jusetsu. ¡°You must not spoil him.¡± Even Jusetsu couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little. At night, Jusetsu went to the table alone. Various colored papers were spread out on it. Pale red, yellow, apricot-colored, golden-brown¡­they were sprinkled with gold and silver leaf. Next to them were a brush and an inkstick. The brush was a sparrow-head brush¡ªa brush which had a point that resembled a sparrow¡¯s head¡ªwith a spotted bamboo shaft. The inkstick was boat-shaped with its place of origin carved into it. The inkstick was a famous specialty of the east and of high quality. After he delivered her reply, Ishiha came back with these items in his arms. They were gifts from Koushun. The message behind them was probably, ¡°Write me more letters.¡± They were definitely not lovers, so she wondered if they could even exchange letters so often. It was most likely something that even friends did. Koushun seemed to be a surprisingly diligent writer. Apparently, he often wrote letters to the consorts. It was troublesome work. She gathered the hemp paper and put them in a lacquer tray, and then put the brush and ink in a box she used for letters and papers. When she was about to get up to put them away in the cupboard, Jusetsu felt a sensation in her body, like something had shattered. ¡°¡ª¡ªThis is¡­¡± Jusetsu clutched her arm. Something had broken. She hurried to the doors. Xingxing flailed about, scattering its feathers, but she ignored it. After leaving the palace, she followed the same route she had taken during the day. Her destination was Jakusou Palace. Moonlight illuminated her path. The shadows of the trees were scattered on the ground in a different way than during the day. The shadows were blue and absorbing. Insects were beginning to make sounds. They were still not so loud that they were deafening. Once they got noisier, it would be the height of summer. Jusetsu walked past the redbuds and went around to the back of Jakusou Palace. A light stronger than the moonlight was being cast from the palace. The hanging lanterns in the outer corridors were lit up brightly. The lanterns were dazzling, but this area was disproportionately quiet. Jusetsu headed for the pond. Perhaps it was the darkness of the night, but it didn¡¯t seem as wild and rough as it had during the day. The ivy and greenery growing all over the area illuminated by the moonlight gave the place a rather wistful aspect. However, it was somewhat dreary. ¡ª¡ªI knew it. The ivy hoop Jusetsu had tossed into the pond was not working. What she felt earlier was an indication that it had been broken. And then¡­ Jusetsu stared at the water. The moonlight was cold and the surface of the water was calm. The shadow of the willow trees was cast onto it. She couldn¡¯t feel An¡¯s presence. Did An break the hoop and escape? ¡ª¡ªNo, that wasn¡¯t it. It was broken from the outside. There was a faint hint of An¡¯s presence drifting in the air. Fragments here and there, faint and slight. Jusetsu felt her breathing becoming quicker and quicker. What was this presence scattered here and there? It was¡ªit was as if it was devoured messily by something. Jusetsu backed away. It was an unconscious act. Her legs were paralyzed. Her body was frightened. She suddenly recalled that she had felt this fear before. The night of the new moon. The young man that the escaped Wulian Niangniang had seen in the port town. This was the same fear from that time. Volume 2 - CH 3.1 Damn this chapter came a bit later than I wanted bc I had so many assignments¡­anyways here it is Koushun heard about the mask from his retainer, Ka Meiin. It was after the morning council, when they were looking out over the lotus pond from the outer corridor of the palace. The lotus flowers had already closed, but the buds, which were slightly tinged with pale red, looked up at the sky with a refreshing and unspoiled beauty. The sun¡¯s rays flicking off the water surface were dazzling. It was already hot enough to make one sweat even when walking in the shade. I have a strange story to tell you, Your Majesty, Meiin said. This was after they had talked about rumors in the capital for a while. ¡°I have an acquaintance who is a silk merchant. He is a very prosperous businessman and has a large shop in the western part of the city. He has plenty of skill as a merchant, but he has a somewhat distressing hobby¡ª¡ª¡± He had a habit of collecting antiques. ¡°Rather than calling them antiques, perhaps it would be better to call them second-hand goods. He doesn¡¯t collect ostentatious items. According to his wife, it¡¯s ¡®junk.¡¯¡± At that, Meiin smiled wryly. He was over forty and had an intellectual appearance, so such a bitter expression suited him well. ¡°His wife laments that she wishes that he at least collected expensive items or items with a certain value, but all he collects is junk. It isn¡¯t a hobby that looks good for a rich man either. I think it¡¯s better than being a philanderer, though. So, the house is filled with figurines of racoon dogs and cats, metal fixtures that no one can tell what apparatus they come from, and glass from another country that washed up on the seashore. Whenever I visit him, he is always eager to show off his collection one by one, so it¡¯s a bit bothersome for me as well. ¨D¨DAmong the ¡®junk,¡¯ there are some suspicious items mixed in.¡± ¡°When you say suspicious, do you mean ¡®haunted by ghosts¡¯?¡± Koushun asked. ¡°You are very insightful, Your Majesty,¡± Meiin answered. ¡°One time, he bought a cloth mask from an antiquities peddler¡­a traveling merchant.¡± ¡°The kind musicians wear in ceremonies?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. A face is drawn on a square of linen, holes are made for the eyes and mouth, and then it is attached to the face. The back is tied with a string.¡± Meiin made a gesture of wearing a mask. ¡°I always thought it would be difficult to breathe and too hot to play music with a mask.¡± ¡°Indeed. But I suppose it¡¯s necessary. It¡¯s an ancient custom. The cloth mask my friend bought had stains on it and the ink had almost faded, so it wasn¡¯t something worth buying no matter how you look at it, but he said that he liked the design of the drawn face. When he puts it that way, it is true that its features have a somewhat melancholic look to them, and I wouldn¡¯t say that it doesn¡¯t have a certain attractive quality. I don¡¯t think I would buy it, though. Anyway, he got his hands on it and immediately tried it on himself. I¡¯m amazed that he was willing to wear such a rag on his face.¡± Meiin grimaced in horror. He had a love of cleanliness. ¡°But, when he put it on, he saw a man.¡± ¡°Man? What do you mean?¡± ¡°There are holes for the eyes, so one can see the other side. No, one should be able to see it. But, according to him, he couldn¡¯t see the other side, only a man¡¯s back surrounded by mist. He said the man was wearing dirty robes and hanging his head.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Koushun turned to face Meiin. ¡°And then?¡± ¡°My friend took off the mask in shock, but whether it was because he had plenty of nerve because he was the owner of a large shop, or because he was just eccentric, he held a banquet to show off the mask, and then he tried it on again. It was an act of severe drunkenness,¡± Meiin, who didn¡¯t care for banquets or drunkenness, spoke with a bitter face. ¡°When he put it on, the man who he could see on the other side of the mask¡ª¡ª¡± Meiin broke off and glanced at Koushun. ¡°These are the words of a drunk, Your Majesty, so please take this story with a grain of salt,¡± he informed him in advance before continuing. ¡°He said that the man whose back was turned to him had turned around. The man had a pale face with hollow cheeks. He was staring at him intently with empty eyes¡­¡± Even that friend had sobered up and hurriedly removed the mask. ¡°But afterwards, he began to feel sick and had chills. He ended the banquet and went to bed, but he ended up falling ill with a fever. He recovered in a few days, but his wife was so frightened that she put away the mask. Well, he was extremely drunk and making merry with his stomach exposed, so it was only natural for him to fall ill. I don¡¯t think the mask had anything to do with it.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªDoes that person still have the mask?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yes, he does. He is afraid of throwing it away.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Koushun stroked his chin. ¡°Can I borrow that mask?¡± Meiin was momentarily taken aback. ¡°Yes, of course¡­that wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but¡­¡± What are you going to do with such a dingy mask, his face said. ¡°I myself don¡¯t want to see it, but there is someone who I¡¯d like to show it to.¡± ¨D¨DIt seems like something Jusetsu would be interested in, Koushun thought. ¡°Is that so, Your Majesty?¡± Meiin looked puzzled, but he didn¡¯t question him further. ¡°I shall ask my friend,¡± he said and bowed his head. Just then, Ei Sei arrived and knelt down beside Koushun. ¡°Prime Minister Un is here, Your Majesty.¡± He turned to see Un Eitoku coming around the corner of the outer corridor. He was a small old man, but his pace was quick and steady. He was the tutor of the Eastern Palace when Koushun was the crown prince, and had been his most powerful ally from then until now. He was the head of the famed Un clan, as well as Kajou¡¯s grandfather. Without his help, Koushun could not have become emperor. Eitoku bowed to Koushun and looked at the lotus pond. ¡°The lotus blossoms are at their best now. I see that you have finally come to appreciate flowers, Your Majesty.¡± You never were interested in them when you were a little boy, he laughed. ¡°Yes. Lately, I¡¯ve noticed that the gardens of the consorts¡¯ palaces each have their own magnificent flowers.¡± Eitoku looked aghast. ¡°No, I mean I knew that was the case, but I didn¡¯t pay attention to it.¡± ¡°Your Majesty has been very busy. From now on, you should take your time to view the flowers with the consorts. But is that the reason why you sent a pot of chrysanthemums to Hien Palace?¡± ¡°You have sharp ears. It¡¯s not the season for those flowers, but I have to do it when it occurs to me, or I would forget.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like you to show such kind consideration, Your Majesty. I¡¯m sure the Swallow Lady was delighted. I have heard that there are beautiful red roses at Enou Palace. The peak of their blooming period may be past, but why don¡¯t you and the Duck Consort admire them together?¡± He said pointedly. Koushun looked at the lotus buds. The flowers¡¯ blooming period had passed. Those words were also a reference to Kajou. She wasn¡¯t as old as he implied. She was just older than Koushun. ¡°Kajou would be more pleased if I brought her a book rather than flowers.¡± ¡°I see. Goodness, it seems that Your Majesty knows the Duck Consort better than I do. I have said something needless. Please forgive me.¡± Eitoku laughed brightly. He then turned to Meiin. ¡°Is everything go well with you over there, son-in-law?¡± ¡°Yes, all is well with us,¡± Meiin returned his smile. Meiin married Eitoku¡¯s youngest daughter. Eitoku had seen his talent and chose him as his son-in-law. Meiin was currently the chief imperial scholar, the foremost of the scholars, and he was also the vice-minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Since scholars didn¡¯t have official ranks, he was given the position of an administrative official. In other words, that was how talented he was. ¡°Speaking of which, have you heard the rumor, Your Majesty, that a eunuch of Hien Palace has been cursed?¡± Yes, Koushun answered. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that.¡± ¡°The eunuch who had fallen ill said that he was cursed by the Raven Consort.¡± ¡°That has to be a practical joke,¡± Meiin said with a sigh. ¡°As ever, absurd rumors run rampant in the inner palace. More must be done to correct the public morals.¡± ¡°It might be a joke, but I¡¯ve been hearing the Raven Consort¡¯s name quite a lot recently. Don¡¯t you think so too, Your Majesty?¡± I wouldn¡¯t know, Koushun feigned ignorance. ¡°I don¡¯t have your sharp ears.¡± Eitoku stroked his beard, as though disappointed. ¡°Even I am not listening attentively everywhere.¡± Koushun laughed a little. ¡°I know that.¡± He turned around and left the edge of the corridor. The brightness of the outside made the shade even darker when he turned his back to it. For a moment, he stopped. A coldness pressed down on his heart. ¡°Where are you going, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m returning to the inner court.¡± Koushun started walking, and Ei Sei followed silently. ¡°Your Majesty, I have heard that those who get involved with the Raven Consort will have disaster befall them. There are plenty of other consorts you can associate with.¡± Koushun heard Eitoku¡¯s reproachful voice behind him. I know, he repeated. ¡°If you don¡¯t like the consorts you have now, I have asked you this before, but my youngest grandchild, the Duck Consort¡¯s younger sister, has recently come of age¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°The consorts I have right now are sufficient.¡± Leaving Eitoku¡¯s voice behind, Koushun turned the corner of the corridor at a quick pace. He knew that Eitoku had won over the palace ladies and eunuchs of the inner palace to serve as his ¡°ears.¡± He knew that he was longing for Kajou to bear a child, and that he was growing impatient by now. He was an old man whom Koushun had looked up to as his teacher since he was a child. He was a wise, high-minded, and faithful benefactor who had always supported Koushun¡ªthat was why his repayment had to be big. That was the way it was. Eitoku surely didn¡¯t think that way. He was the foundation that supported Koushun. The foundation must be solid. For that reason, blood ties were important. He understood that. Eitoku¡¯s granddaughter Kajou was precious to him, and he was trying to solidify and protect Koushun¡¯s position. Koushun understood those things very well. But, deep within Eitoku¡¯s words, deep within his heart, he felt it. I have dedicated so much to you, so you must not betray me, you must not go against me¡ª¡ª Lately, Koushun had almost forgotten the voice of Eitoku, who had consoled and scolded him when his mother and Tei Ran were killed, and when he was deposed as the crown prince and confined. Even though the loud laughter of the empress dowager hadn¡¯t disappeared from his ears even now. He could almost feel cold, dark footsteps following him from behind. Jusetsu was being rocked in the palanquin. This was the first time she was riding in one. She thought it was a lot bumpier than she expected. She had assumed it would proceed more smoothly. The palanquin was being shouldered by eunuchs. There were also eunuchs in front of and behind the palanquin, and Jiujiu and Onkei were also accompanying her. The curtains were down, so Jusetsu couldn¡¯t see what was going on around her. Only the sound of regular footsteps on white gravel resounded in her ears. They were heading towards Seiu Temple. ¨D¨DIs this the right thing to do? Setsu Gyoei was an old friend of Reijou¡¯s. That shook her to her core. She wanted to meet him and ask him about Reijou. The sound of footsteps on gravel ceased and the palanquin was lowered. The curtains were lifted, and Jusetsu squinted her eyes at the afternoon sunlight. After her eyes adjusted, she stepped outside. It was hot and stuffy behind the curtains, so she finally breathed a sigh of relief. On the other side of the gate, the people of the Winter Ministry were waiting. They were all dressed in grey. Only the old man in the center was wearing dark grey. Jusetsu slowly walked toward him. The faint sound of her soles treading on the paving stones echoed slightly. ¡°Are you Setsu Gyoei?¡± When she called out to him, the old man looked at her as though he had forgotten how to speak for a minute, but then he knelt down with the same expression on his face. ¡°As you say, I am the Winter Minister, Setsu Gyoei.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard your name from Reijou,¡± Jusetsu said, looking at him. She helped him stand. At Reijou¡¯s name, Gyoei¡¯s eyes lit up for a moment, and he met her gaze. He then immediately looked down. ¡°It is an honor to have you here in such a remote place.¡± Gyoei led Jusetsu to a palace at the back of the temple. Jusetsu, taking a look at the temple, thought that it was quite desolate. Everything was faded and shabby. She had heard that Wulian Niangniang¡¯s temple had fallen into disrepair, but it was a shock to see it up close. After being led to a room, Jusetsu faced Gyoei. The chair creaked as she sat down. The bright sunlight streaming in through the latticed window illuminated the wear of the furniture. ¡°¡­You haven¡¯t been obeying Lady Reijou¡¯s instructions, have you?¡± Gyoei murmured after an acolyte served tea for them and walked away. ¡°You have an attendant and a eunuch by your side.¡± Jusetsu glanced toward the door. Jiujiu and Onkei were waiting outside. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend on going against them,¡± Jusetsu said defensively. ¡°It was just the course of things.¡± Gyoei shook his head. ¡°If you keep one person by your side, you will become lax. You will no longer be able to bear being alone.¡± Jusetsu was at a loss for words. ¡°What will Lady Reijou say if she was still alive?¡± Gyoei sighed. Jusetsu bit her lip and looked down. It struck home when she was told that by someone who knew Reijou well. Seeing her like that, Gyoei sighed again. ¡°¡­I have no right to tell you this. The Winter Minister shouldn¡¯t meet the Raven Consort. I¡¯m breaking that commandment in this way. I was moved by His Majesty.¡± Jusetsu looked up. Gyoei looked grim. ¡°To tell you the truth, I also wanted to meet you. I wanted to know what kind of girl Lady Reijou had entrusted to me.¡± Gyoei softened his expression a little. ¡°Given that Lady Reijou had raised you, you very much resemble her. Dignified and beautiful. When you passed through the gate, I thought Lady Reijou was here.¡± Jusetsu blinked and stared at him. ¡°¡­Reijou told me that if there was something I couldn¡¯t maintain no matter what, I could rely on you.¡± Gyoei silently stared back into her eyes. ¡°Reijou had an incense she cherished. She rarely burned it. It is called ¡®sweetheart incense.¡¯ On the night of her death, she wore a dress that was scented with it. When I mourned for her, I also burned it. ¨D¨DWas it you who gave Reijou the sweetheart incense?¡± Gyoei listened without changing his expression, but suddenly half-closed his eyes. ¡°When Lady Reijou passed away and came to me¡­I could smell sweetheart incense. Ah, it was enough for me, to know that she had burned it.¡± It was a very long time ago, Gyoei said. ¡°I gave her that incense¡­when I was assigned to the Winter Ministry as an acolyte, I asked a eunuch to deliver it to her for me. Although it was a youthful indiscretion, it was improper of me to give her sweetheart incense¡ª¡ª¡± Gyoei broke off there, turned to the window, and blinked his eyes. The sunlight dwelled in his white eyebrows. ¡°Lady Reijou was the daughter of the head family. It wasn¡¯t right for someone like me to give her a present.¡± ¡°But Reijou has always treasured it.¡± Gyoei covered his mouth with his hand. His hand was thin-skinned and rippled with wrinkles. Jusetsu remembered that Reijou¡¯s hands were like that as well. They were thin, and their blue veins were visible, but they gripped Jusetsu¡¯s hands firmly. ¡°¡­Thank you very much.¡± Gyoei told her that he and Reijou had studied together under the same teacher. White sunlight filled the room. In the midst of that, Jusetsu listened to him talk about Reijou. Stories from when she was an innocent toddler, and when she was a tomboyish girl who outshone even the boys. The Reijou Gyoei talked about was a dignified and high-minded young woman. Jusetsu only knew Reijou when she was elderly. Listening to Gyoei talk about a Reijou who wasn¡¯t like that was like a new Reijou being formed. However, she didn¡¯t feel like she was listening about someone she didn¡¯t know. Reijou was Reijou. ¡°¡­Reijou had been Reijou since she was a child.¡± As Jusetsu smiled faintly, Gyoei silently gazed at the light from the window. ¡°Minister Setsu, Lady Raven Consort.¡± An acolyte¡¯s voice came from the other side of the door. What is it, Gyoei answered. ¡°His Majesty is here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Again¡­ Gyoei muttered. ¡°He came here so unexpectedly.¡± ¡°Does Koushun often visit?¡± ¡°Yes, though I¡¯m not sure what he enjoys about this shabby place.¡± ¡°Is that so? He has become attached.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He has become attached to you.¡± Gyoei got a strange look on his face. ¡°Haa¡­no, His Majesty only comes here on business concerning the Raven Consort.¡± When Koushun arrived, guided by an acolyte, Gyoei bowed, but he didn¡¯t bother to hide his expression of annoyance that said, ¡°What can I do for you today?¡± ¡°I was on my way back to the inner court, but I decided to come here since I thought that Jusetsu would be coming here around this time.¡± Koushun didn¡¯t seem to mind Gyoei¡¯s attitude and sat down on the chair an acolyte had brought over for him. Gyoei was probably always like this, so Koushun didn¡¯t care about it. If Ei Sei were here, he would have raised his eyebrows. ¡°¡­Do you make it a habit to frequently visit the places where you are treated coldly?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be so twisted, can you?¡± ¡°I come here because I want to come here. I also visit you because I want to visit you.¡± ¡°You need not visit me. Do you not have anywhere else to go?¡± When she said that, Koushun suddenly looked in a different direction. ¡°I suppose so,¡± he said. His expression was terribly forlorn, like that of a child who had no place to go. Jusetsu was puzzled. ¡°¡­You could go to Kajou.¡± She said that because she thought that among the consorts, Kajou was the one who he was the most at ease with. ¡°Kajou is¡­Un Eitoku¡¯s granddaughter.¡± Koushun still looked lost. Jusetsu tilted her head. He then looked at her, as if he had returned to himself. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Forget it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jusetsu looked at Koushun, but he looked away. Thinking that an emperor, being an emperor, was difficult to deal with, Jusetsu stood up. ¡°My business is finished here. I¡¯m returning.¡± ¡°Are you done already?¡± ¡°I have heard enough. You can talk to me about it next time.¡± Koushun stared fixedly at Jusetsu¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Surprised, Jusetsu drew back a little. ¡°There is no reason to thank me.¡± ¡°I¡­think you¡¯re a kind person.¡± Jusetsu frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m leaving.¡± She said and headed for the door. Before she put her hand on it, she looked back at Gyoei. ¡°¡­May I visit you again to ask about Reijou?¡± She thought Gyoei would balk at her request, but he bowed with his hands locked in front of his chest. ¡°Please, do as you will, Lady Raven Consort.¡± Nodding, Jusetsu left the room. Waiting outside the door were Jiujiu, Onkei, and Ei Sei. ¡°We¡¯re returning to the inner palace,¡± she informed them and was about to walk away when she turned to face Ei Sei. ¡°Ei Sei, is Koushun¡ª¡± Worried about something? She was about to ask, but closed her mouth. It wasn¡¯t something for Jusetsu to be concerned about. ¡°¡ª¡ªNot feeling well?¡± That was all she said before turning away. Ei Sei¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Stop here.¡± Jusetsu ordered the eunuchs to set down the palanquin. They had just passed through Kiou Gate, which connected the outer court and the inner palace. Disembarking from the palanquin, Jusetsu headed for the south, not toward Yamei Palace. ¡°Where are you going, Niangniang?¡± Onkei asked. ¡°To Jakusou Palace. The pond.¡± Jusetsu answered without stopping. Onkei quietly followed her, and Jiujiu hurried behind them. ¡°Is there something the matter, Niangniang?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± She gave a vague answer to Jiujiu¡¯s question and hastened onward. Crabapples were planted from the gate towards the south. In spring, the hanging pale red flowers were beautiful, but even now the new green leaves were verdant. There were also small, light green berries. If you stepped on the gravel and walked along the path, you would soon come to a narrow river. In front of the vermillion-lacquered bridge over the river, red rose campions were blooming. After crossing the bridge, you would come upon redbud trees. This was the area where Jakusou Palace was located. They headed toward the pond from the back. Jusetsu was concerned about the presence she had felt the other night. The thing that had frightened her. What was it, and why was she so frightened? The anxiety of not knowing what it was stirred up her agitation. She felt terribly restless. The pond was as neglected as ever. And, it was quiet. She furrowed her brow at the quietness. There should have been the sound of leaves rustling in the wind at times and insects jumping and crawling in the grass, but no such sounds of life could be heard. It was as if all the living things were holding their breath. ¡°¡­It¡¯s so quiet here.¡± Onkei also seemed to find it suspicious. ¡°Is it strange for it to be quiet?¡± Jiujiu asked curiously. Jusetsu looked around and let out a breath. There wasn¡¯t the slightest hint of that presence from last night. Relief mixed with disappointment. What was it that had frightened her so much? ¡°Is there anything abnormal with the consort here?¡± she asked Onkei. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I would call it abnormal¡­I heard that she hasn¡¯t been feeling very well lately.¡± ¡°An illness?¡± ¡°The eunuchs don¡¯t know much about it either. Apparently, she alternates between being up and lying in bed, and rarely leaves her palace. I heard that Dajia had visited her several times.¡± ¡°Visit¡­, come to think of it, Koushun had said that at one point.¡± After a visit to Yamei Palace, he had left, saying that he was going to visit a consort who had fallen ill. Was that it? ¨D¨DDoes this have something to do with the fact that the consort isn¡¯t feeling well? Jusetsu stared intently at the pond again, but the answer didn¡¯t appear. ¡°Shougetsu.¡± Shougetsu looked back at the palace lady who called his name. ¡°The Magpie Consort is calling for you. Don¡¯t wander around, she wants you to stay with her.¡± We have to look all over for you, the palace lady added sulkily. ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologized, and the palace lady blushed a little. ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s fine,¡± she said and turned her face away. ¡°Come on, go back to the palace. The Magpie Consort can¡¯t manage without you by her side.¡± The palace lady roughly pulled on Shougetsu¡¯s arm. He followed her while being dragged. ¡°How did you manage to gain her favor when you¡¯re just a chi¡¯er? Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand, with those looks of yours and all.¡± The palace lady glanced back at Shougetsu. His white face stood out above his pale grey robes. His long black hair wasn¡¯t tied into a topknot, instead simply tied back into a ponytail. The Magpie Consort had allowed it. ¡°I¡¯m not without connections.¡± That night, Hou Ichigyou had looked at Shougetsu with bewilderment. Shougetsu had told him that he wanted to go to the capital and that he had business in the inner palace. ¡°You most likely don¡¯t know this, but to enter the capital, you must show travel papers, and in order to enter the inner palace, you must become a eunuch.¡± No, perhaps you can enter the inner palace with that body of yours, Hou said. ¡°I have an old friend who works at the palace. I will ask him if he can arrange the papers for you, but if he says he can¡¯t, then that¡¯s it.¡± Although he spoke with little hope, Shougetsu ended up being able to enter the capital and the inner palace. ¡°But, you know,¡± the palace lady glanced at him like she was giving him a once-over. ¡°There¡¯s something a little¡ªcreepy about you.¡± After saying what she wanted to say and coming to the palace where the Magpie Consort resided, the palace lady pushed Shougetsu¡¯s back with a ¡°Go on.¡± Shougetsu looked up at the palace. There was no emotion in his eyes. Volume 2 - CH 3.2 Two, three days after their meeting at Seiu Temple, Koushun visited Yamei Palace. ¡°I have something to show you,¡± he said, with his usual impassiveness. He motioned to Ei Sei behind him to bring the box. It was a small, flat, white wooden box. Koushun opened the lid. There was a dirty piece of cloth inside. Jusetsu frowned. ¡°This was obtained by an acquaintance of Meiin¡¯s¡ªdo you remember Meiin? I believe you have met him once.¡± ¡°He is a man of about forty who looks like his head is full of knowledge from all kinds of books.¡± ¡°¡­Come to think of it, he does look like that.¡± And then? She prompted him, and Koushun unfolded the cloth. It was a cloth with a man¡¯s face on it. The face of a man with a beard. There were holes cut out for the eyes. ¡°Is it a mask?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a cloth mask. It¡¯s used by musicians. Have you seen one before?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of them, but I¡¯ve never actually seen one.¡± ¡°They are mainly used for ceremonies and large banquets. ¨D¨DThere are holes for the eyes. When you look through them, you can see a man.¡± ¡°Have you seen him?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Jusetsu couldn¡¯t tell whether he was bold or careless. Did he not find it scary? Jusetsu picked up the cloth mask and put it on her face. A musty smell peculiar to old cloth hit her nose. The cloth hung all the way down to Jusetsu¡¯s chest, but for a grown man it would be down to his throat. A string was attached to the top of the cloth, allowing one to tie it behind one¡¯s head and fix it in place. Jusetsu looked out of the eye holes. Normally, she should have been able to see Koushun, but she could only see a man¡¯s back in the middle of something that seemed to be a white haze. He was wearing dull greenish-gray robes and was hanging his head. The musty smell made her nose itch, and she sneezed. She placed the mask face up on the table. Rubbing her nose, she said, ¡°Did this man work for the court?¡± She asked that because the man was wearing greenish-gray robes. Commoners were limited in the colors of clothing they could wear. The basic rule was to leave them white without dyeing them. Dyeing in shades such as green-gray was permitted only for those with official ranks. She believed that the color of one¡¯s clothing was also determined narrowly according to rank and position, but Jusetsu didn¡¯t know that much about it. ¡°He is wearing the color of the Ibis Workshop.¡± Ibis Workshop¡ªthat was where court entertainers and musicians lived. ¡°So this man was a musician who worked there. Thinking about it simply, this mask must have been used by the man who currently possesses it.¡± She murmured, then stopped herself abruptly. She glared at Koushun. ¡°Why did you bring this to me? What are you trying to show me?¡± ¡°I thought you might be interested.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not, you fool.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Koushun seemed perplexed. It was hard to tell, though. ¡°You¡¯re hard to please.¡± Behind him, Ei Sei was giving her a terrible look. While she was used to that and didn¡¯t think anything of it, Koushun¡¯s deep earnestness made her feel irritated and awkward. ¡°¡­There are plenty of ghosts in the inner palace. I have no wish to have anything to do with those who died¡ªthose who have suffered.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± When she explained herself a little, Koushun nodded in understanding. ¡°That¡­makes a lot of sense. I apologize.¡± He said, much to his credit, and was about to put the cloth mask away. Jusetsu grabbed his hands and stopped him. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep well at night if you show me something and then take it back, now would I?¡± Koushun looked between Jusetsu¡¯s face and hands and said, ¡°I see,¡± and pulled away his hands. Jusetsu also hastily withdrew her hands. ¡ª¡ªThis wasn¡¯t anything special just because she touched Koushun¡¯s hands. This wasn¡¯t the first time either. And yet, she was still strangely flustered. ¡°What do you know about this mask? Do you know that man?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is. But Meiin¡¯s friend tried the mask on at a banquet. Then, the man who had his back to him turned around.¡± ¡°Turned around?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¨D¨DWhy did he do that? Koushun watched Jusetsu ponder. ¡°You always take ghosts seriously, don¡¯t you?¡± Jusetsu looked up at him. ¡°¡­I know no other way.¡± Unexpectedly, those words were her true feelings. ¡°The most I can do here is to save the ghosts,¡± she said, then derided herself. ¡°No, sometimes not even that.¡± She would spend a preposterous amount of time here until she died. If she couldn¡¯t have anything to do with people, then ghosts were the only things left. Even if she didn¡¯t want to concern herself with them, that was the only choice for Jusetsu. ¡°Ghosts are attached to life. Even though they are dead. They are bound by the memories and feelings they had when they were alive. I want to free them.¡± ¨D¨DIn exchange for me not being able to escape. She thought it was warped. ¡°¡­You¡­¡± Koushun was watching her expression intently. ¡°You¡¯ve become much more talkative than you were in the beginning. You¡¯re talking about your feelings.¡± Jusetsu pursed her lips tightly. ¡°By saving ghosts, some of the living can be saved as well. You probably saved more people than you think. What you do isn¡¯t limited to ghosts.¡± Koushun¡¯s voice was dispassionate and gently piled up in Jusetsu¡¯s heart like light snow. Speechless, Jusetsu looked away from Koushun. He had suddenly and quietly touched her heart. She didn¡¯t know whether or not that bothered her or made her happy. It just made her feel warm inside. ¡°¡ª¡ªYou said the man turned around at a banquet.¡± She forcibly turned the conversation back. Yes, Koushun answered. ¡°If it was a banquet, then there must have been musicians there.¡± ¡°Ah¡­that¡¯s true. He is the owner of a large shop, so he must have hired a good number of musicians.¡± ¡°If the masked man was a musician, then he must have reacted to the sound of a musical instrument.¡± ¡°The sound of a musical instrument, eh,¡± Koushun folded his arms. ¡°There are many different kinds of instruments, but the ones used for banquets are¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°The zither, the yueqin, the biwa, the konghou, the flute, the xiao, the sheng, and the yu¡­instruments like those.¡± Koushun listed them on his fingers. There were instruments Jusetsu had never heard of. ¡°If you listen to them with this mask, he might turn around.¡± If the man reacted, there would be things they would understand. ¡°Then, rather than checking randomly, it¡¯s better to ask the merchant himself about which instruments were played at the banquet.¡± I¡¯ll ask Meiin, Koushun said, and then stood up. ¡°Are you going now?¡± ¡°Yes, but what about it?¡± Jusetsu stared at his face. ¡°¨D¨DIf you have any need of me, I can stay here for a while,¡± Koushun sat down again, and Jusetsu knitted her eyebrows together. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything from you,¡± Anger flared up within Jusetsu. ¡°You come here uninvited and without any reason, yet you ask me if I need anything?¡± Koushun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­No, you have a point.¡± His mouth seemed to loosen just a bit. ¡°Then, how about we drink tea together like friends do?¡± Koushun glanced at Ei Sei, who headed toward the kitchen without making a sound. Jusetsu knew that Koushun wouldn¡¯t talk about anything important when he was detained like this. She wondered if he was aware of it. He read too much into her feelings, but he never talked about himself at all. After a few days, Koushun visited with answers. ¡°The instruments played at the banquet were a transverse flute and a biwa. The ones performing aren¡¯t the merchant¡¯s own retained musicians, but a wubang hired only for a day.¡± ¡°Wubang¡­¡± ¡°In that case, I think the man reacted to the sound of the biwa.¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Jusetsu asked, and Koushun opened the box he had brought once again and took out the cloth mask. ¡°The holes in the mask differ depending on the instrument used,¡± Koushun spread out the cloth and explained. ¡°It¡¯s the same as the ones for the eyes.¡± He pointed at the mask¡¯s mouth. ¡°If it¡¯s a transverse flute, you cut a slit in the sides of the mouth and blow through the slit. If it¡¯s a vertical flute, there¡¯s a vertical slit at the lips. With other instruments, there¡¯s no need for a slit.¡± There were no slits on the mask. ¡°This is the mask of a musician who plays an instrument that isn¡¯t a flute. Wouldn¡¯t a musician respond to the sound of the instrument he once played?¡± That meant that the masked man was most likely a biwa player. ¡°That was why I was wondering if I should have someone play the biwa for him.¡± In fact, Koushun had already had the biwa be played for him once. ¡°I summoned a biwa player from the Ibis Workshop to play for me. But the masked man didn¡¯t turn around.¡± ¡°Then that must mean he wasn¡¯t a biwa player.¡± ¡°Why did he turn around, then? Was he draw to the sound of the flute even though he wasn¡¯t a flute player?¡± The two of them pondered together. Wubang, huh, Jusetsu murmured. Onkei came to mind when she heard that word. ¡°¡­Ei Sei.¡± Jusetsu called out to him, and he responded while looking suspicious. ¡°Yes, Niangniang, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°Onkei should be outside. Can you go get him?¡± ¡°Onkei?¡± Koushun questioned her. ¡°I want to ask him some things. For wubangs, it would be better to ask Onkei about them. He was once in one.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Koushun looked back at Ei Sei, who was staring at Jusetsu with surprise. ¡°Yes, it is so. ¡ª¡ªYou are very knowledgeable, Niangniang.¡± ¡°I heard about it from Onkei.¡± ¡°He told you? Don¡¯t tell me¡ª¡± ¡°Was it problematic for me to hear about it? I haven¡¯t told anyone else.¡± ¡°No, that isn¡¯t it at all. I beg your pardon.¡± I was just surprised, Ei Sei said. Then, he quickly walked out the doors to go and call for Onkei. ¡°Eunuchs are reluctant to talk about their own personal history. You must be very trusted by Onkei.¡± ¡°I know not if he trusts me or not,¡± Jusetsu remembered Onkei¡¯s blood-curdling story and tears and closed her mouth. He had given his heart to her back then. Jusetsu wondered if she would be able to repay him with something worthy of that trust. Ei Sei returned with Onkei. Jusetsu called him to her side. ¡°I would like to ask you about the instruments used by wubang musicians.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Onkei, who was kneeling next to her, stood up. ¡°Are there¡ªany special instruments? Are they different from the instruments used by the musicians of the Ibis Workshop, for instance?¡± Onkei seemed to be thinking over this a little. ¡°I think they are basically the same.¡± ¡°What do you mean when you say ¡®basically¡¯?¡± ¡°I am not familiar with all wubangs. They can vary greatly from region to region. I only know of one that used an unusual instrument.¡± ¡°Only one?¡± ¡°Yes. The biwa used by a musician in my old wubang.¡± ¡°Biwa¡ª¡± Onkei and Jusetsu¡¯s gazes met. The biwa player in Onkei¡¯s old wubang. Jusetsu didn¡¯t say anything, but Onkei nodded lightly. ¡°The biwa player was a petite girl. It was easy to hold with slender arms, and the shape was small for a biwa, so she was able to play it well. It was about one size smaller than a standard biwa. Biwas usually have four strings, but that one had five. The biwa¡¯s tuning pegs¡ªthe head of the biwa¡ªis usually bent, but that biwa was straight. It was said to have been introduced from a small island in the west. The west of Dou Province, Shichou Island¡ªthe island of exiles. I heard it was created by an exile from another country, but I do not know if this is true or not. I was told that this type of biwa is a common sight around Dou Province, but it is rare here. I had only ever seen that girl owning one.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªKoushun,¡± Jusetsu said, still facing Onkei. ¡°What are the unique features of the biwa used at the merchant¡¯s banquet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Koushun answered. ¡°However, I was told that the biwa player was a woman.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jusetsu turned to Koushun. ¡°That wubang is called the ¡®Red Sparrow,¡¯ and its leader¡¯s name is Sha. (1) This was confirmed by a copy of his travel papers, so there is no mistake.¡± Jusetsu looked at Onkei again and found him with a stunned expression on his face. ¡°That is my old wubang.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± That meant the biwa-playing woman was ¡ª¡ª ¡°That means that the biwa played at the banquet was that unconventional biwa.¡± A biwa from Shichou Island, huh? Koushun crossed his arms. ¡°It would be best if we had that wubang¡¯s biwa here, but they had already left the capital.¡± What do we do then? Jusetsu¡¯s shoulders slumped in disappointment. ¡°But¡­I do know of one exotic biwa. I don¡¯t know if it would attract the masked man¡¯s attention, though.¡± ¡°Is there one in the Ibis Workshop?¡± No, he said. ¡°It¡¯s in the Gyokou Hall treasury.¡± When asked if she would like to go, Jusetsu declined. There was a guard eunuch named Ui stationed at the treasury. Jusetsu didn¡¯t like him. She felt like she was standing in front of a door that shouldn¡¯t be opened when she talked to him. Koushun took Ei Sei with him to check on the biwa. Jusetsu looked up at Onkei, who was standing by her side. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can find out more about how the people of the ¡®Red Sparrow¡¯ are doing if you asked them.¡± ¡°No,¡± Onkei quickly shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. As long as they are in good health, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± He smiled a little. ¡°After I entered the inner palace, I was worried that their travel papers would be taken away from them and that they would no longer be able to work, but Attendant Ei had already inquired about this for me. They were no longer in the capital when I asked him about it, but they seemed to have continued to their performances without incident.¡± Kiji as well, he whispered. ¡°Kiji?¡± ¡°The biwa player. It seems that she is renowned as one of the best biwa players in the country.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± It seemed to her that he had no intention of ever meeting Kiji again. ¡°Niangniang,¡± Jiujiu poked her head out from the kitchen door. ¡°Shall I bring out some of the just-ripened plums His Majesty gifted us?¡± ¡°Mm, very we¡ª¡± Just as she was about to answer, Ishiha poked out his head from Jiujiu¡¯s side. He was holding Xingxing in his arms. That mystical bird didn¡¯t like people, but strangely, it seemed to have taken to Ishiha. It seemed that it was being taken outside right now. ¡°Is Xingxing not leaping upon you or pecking at you, Ishiha?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a very nice bird, Niangniang.¡± A nice bird? Jusetsu had great doubts about that, but Ishiha seemed to really think so. Ishiha put Xingxing on the floor but didn¡¯t leave, instead fidgeting and staring at Jusetsu. She beckoned him forward, wondering if the plums had caught his eye. ¡°You may eat here as well.¡± ¡°Huh? Um, that wasn¡¯t it, I mean¡­thank you, Niangniang.¡± Flustered, Ishiha came to her side. ¡°¡ª¡ªThen, I shall take my leave.¡± ¡°Eat some plums.¡± Jusetsu stopped Onkei just as he was about to leave. ¡°No, I¡ª¡ª¡± he was about to say, but it seemed that he decided to obey in the end because orders were orders. ¡°Um, excuse me,¡± Ishiha hesitantly called out to him. ¡°I heard that it was you who recommended me to the Lady Raven Consort, Mr. Onkei. I wanted to thank you, but it was difficult to meet you. ¨D¨DThank you very much.¡± Ishiha spoke carefully, punctuating each word with a faltering tone. It seemed that the reason he was fidgety was because he wanted to say this to Onkei. ¡°¡­I only thought it would benefit Niangniang. It wasn¡¯t for your sake.¡± Onkei seemed puzzled. ¡°You helped me greatly. That¡¯s why I¡¯m thanking you.¡± Ishiha was straightforward. That bewildered Onkei. He simply replied, ¡°I see, I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± Jiujiu brought over the bowl of plums. The small fruits had a strength and juiciness that seemed to almost burst forth from the purplish red skin. A sweet scene wafted from them. Jusetsu handed a plum each to Onkei and the others and took one for herself, then sat down on the edge of the latticed window and bit into the skin. She felt the vitality of the fruit as it pushed back against her teeth. In the summer, everything around her was strong and filled with blood. Even at night, the sounds of the insects were so loud that they concealed the intensity of the darkness. As daylight grew brighter and brighter, Wulian Niangniang¡¯s shadow faded. ¡ª¡ªIt was the season of the Summer King. Jusetsu, who was looking out the window, turned around to look at Ishiha. ¡°¡­I heard that the eunuch who was your former mentor had fallen ill. Did you know that?¡± Ishiha, who was biting into his plum, wiped his sticky mouth. ¡°Yes, I know. But I don¡¯t think he¡¯s ill.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Shifu¡ªhe isn¡¯t my shifu anymore, but that person is afraid. He¡¯s afraid of everything. The sound of the wind, the sound of footsteps, the shadows, everything.¡± ¡°What is he so afraid of?¡± ¡°You, Niangniang.¡± Jusetsu¡¯s eyes widened at Ishiha¡¯s reply. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°When you saved me, Niangniang, you told him not to beat me and that if he did, disaster would befall him. You told him that you already knew his name.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± She had threatened him. It was a threat that she would curse him using his name. ¡°¡ª¡ªDon¡¯t tell me that the threat worked too well?¡± ¡°I think so. He became very frightened after that. He was talking about how there was a monster in your eyes, Niangniang.¡± Jusetsu¡¯s breath caught, and she was at a loss for words. A monster? In my eyes? ¡°¡­Ishiha.¡± Onkei raised his voice in a reproachful tone, and Ishiha startled. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m very sorry. Um, that¡¯s why, he was so scared that he made that mistake. There isn¡¯t a monster in your eyes, Niangniang.¡± Jusetsu gripped her own arms tightly. What exactly did that eunuch see in her? A monster¡ª. ¡°¡­¡± Jusetsu recalled that previous incident where she almost lost sight of herself. Hyougetsu had taken Jiujiu hostage and injured her. Anger and power that even she couldn¡¯t control whirled around inside her. It felt like she wasn¡¯t herself. What was it that controlled Jusetsu at that time? She felt cold, as though a shadow had crept into her chest. A bead of cold sweat trickled down her back. In the evening of the next day, a messenger came from Koushun. It was Ei Sei. ¡°Could you please come to Goushi Hall?¡± It was one of the palaces in the inner court where the emperor resided. Jusetsu decided to take Onkei with her. Jiujiu, left behind, was pouting, and it was Ishiha who pacified her. ¡°Was the biwa in the treasury?¡± she asked, but Ei Sei only curtly answered, ¡°Please ask Dajia.¡± He seemed to be in a strangely bad mood, but that was usual for him. They passed through Ringai Gate, which connected the inner palace and the inner court. The guards at the gate were staring at Jusetsu with blank faces. Jusetsu was wearing a black ruqun and peonies in her hair, the outfit of the Raven Consort. Goushi Hall was a small building, closer to the inner palace than Gyokou Hall. The blue-glazed roof tiles shine brightly in the sunlight, and the lacquered pillows looked darkened in the shadows. All the doors facing the outer corridor were open, and the sound of music came from within. The sound of plucking strings¡ªit must have a biwa. The high, dry sounds reverberated quietly, and the lingering notes spread out gently. It was like drops of water falling onto a water surface and creating gentle ripples. There was also a faint smell of incense in the air. Was that agarwood incense? That was the incense that Jusetsu liked and usually lit in her room. As they walked on the paved path and climbed the steps, they found Koushun seated on a couch in the palace, listening to the musician playing the biwa. His attendant eunuchs stood by the doors like stone statues. When Jusetsu appeared, Koushun raised his hand to stop the biwa music. The musician sitting diagonally from him was dressed in grayish-green robes and holding a biwa of unusual shape. It was a beautiful biwa decorated with floral designs of tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl. ¡°This is the exotic biwa that was in the treasury,¡± Koushun said after he prompted Jusetsu to sit on the chair next to him. ¡°It¡¯s made of rosewood and inlaid with tortoiseshell and green turban shells. (2) It¡¯s smaller than a regular biwa and has a straight neck. And, it has five strings.¡± It had the same traits as the biwa Onkei talked about. He nodded at her when she looked at him. ¡°It has the same shape as the one Kiji played, though not as extravagant and fine as this one.¡± The box with the mask was placed next to Koushun. He opened the lid and took the mask out. ¡°Try it on.¡± Jusetsu accepted the mask and unfolded it to look through the eye holes. Koushun again ordered the musician to play the biwa. The gentle and dry tone began to resonate. She froze with a jerk. The man on the other side of the eye holes was looking back at her. His cheeks were emaciated and his eyes were sunken. Under his shadowed eyelids, only his eyes shone piercingly. His face was pale, and his dry and bloodless lips were slightly parted. Jusetsu looked away from the eye holes and stared at the biwa. It seemed that it really was that sound that attracted the man. Why was that? Returning her gaze to the eye holes, Jusetsu jumped in surprise. There were eyes right in front of her. Eyes peering at her. The eyes were bloodshot and had a strange light coming from them. They were the eyes of the mask man. She instinctively took the mask off her face. ¡°He is looking directly into your eyes,¡± Koushun said calmly. Jusetsu nodded. ¡°He¡ªis very obsessed with the sound of this biwa.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing, though,¡± Koushun stopped the musician. ¡°Listen to what this man has to say.¡± He indicated the musician with his eyes. He was an old man wearing gray-green robes. His hair, tied in a topknot, was almost completely white, and his slender face and hands were dry and deeply lined. However, his fingers were beautiful. They were long and beautifully shaped. Perhaps it was because he was a biwa player. The musician introduced himself as Sa Kyuuyou. He had been in the Ibis Workshop since he was eighteen. Nowadays he didn¡¯t appear at banquets or ceremonies, but taught and trained young musicians. Unlike his smooth biwa playing, You spoke haltingly in a muffled voice. ¡°The other day, a young man from the Ibis Workshop came to play the biwa at the invitation of His Majesty. After hearing what he said¡­I think that the ghost who is possessing the cloth mask is a man I once knew. Today, a messenger came¡­a musician to play this biwa has been summoned¡­that was what they told me.¡± ¡°Who is this man that you knew?¡± ¡°He was an Ibis Workshop musician, just like me. We were close in age and joined the workshop around the same time. Both he and I were biwa players, but he was already known as a master. His favorite instrument was the five-stringed biwa.¡± His name was Kippuku Shihitsu, and he came from Shichou Island, a small island in the west. That was the island where the five-string biwa was created. ¡°Shihitsu was a taciturn man. He didn¡¯t associate with others and was always touching his biwa. This is partly because the five-stringed biwa is more difficult to tune than the four-stringed biwa¡­the four-stringed biwa, with its curved tuning pegs, is easier to tune while playing. The five-string is played with one¡¯s fingers, and the four-string is played with a plectrum, and the quality of the sound is different as well. The five-string is more difficult to handle. I know of no other musician who could play it so freely except for Shihitsu. When he plucked the strings, he produced tones that no one else could produce. It was a sound that quietly seeped deeply into one¡¯s heart, as if surrounded by drizzling rain.¡± You looked down at the biwa in his hand as he spoke. It was more like he was speaking to the biwa than Jusetsu. ¡°In contrast to the sounds he produced, Shihitsu was a gloomy and unfriendly man. Day and night, he devoted himself solely to silently improving his art and seemed to have no interest in anything else. He would have been happy if he could have just played his biwa, I think. I was both envious and horrified of him. When he played the biwa, he sometimes seemed to have a horrifying presence, as if he were inhibited by a demon. It felt like he was only living to play the biwa. I also felt a sense of dread, wondering what would happen to that man if he no longer had his biwa. And in fact, those fears were proven true.¡± You closed his mouth, as though he was tired. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jusetsu prompted him. She noticed that he had never once looked at the cloth mask. ¡°In any case, he was a man who didn¡¯t fit in with those around him, and there wasn¡¯t a small number of colleagues who ostracized him. There must have been some jealousy. Because of his personality, he doesn¡¯t entertain people even at banquets. His sound was beautiful, but it lacked comfort. ¡­It wasn¡¯t as though there was some sort of decisive event. Still, little by little, the number of times Shihitsu was called upon as a musician began to decline. The more this happened, the more his sound was sharpened and overpowered the others when he played in public. For that reason, he was even more shunned. A sound that is too prominent and outstanding will disrupt the overall sound. Without opportunities to show off his skill, Shihitsu devoted himself to refining his art in the Ibis Workshop. Day and night, the sound of his biwa resounded throughout the workshop. Without a moment¡¯s pause, on and on¡­¡± It was terrifying, You¡¯s voice trembled as though remembering that time. Jusetsu, not wanting to interrupt his story, didn¡¯t interject and let him tell it. ¡°We were worried about whether or not he was eating or sleeping, but more than that, we couldn¡¯t bear the sound of his biwa. It was as though we were being tortured by a sound far superior to our own. Some of my colleagues complained to him, but the sound didn¡¯t stop. I couldn¡¯t stand it either, so I went to him. He was holding his biwa day after day without ever leaving his room. I was shocked when I saw him for the first time in a long time. His cheeks were hollow and pale, and his body was severely emaciated. Only the pupils of his sunken eyes shone strangely, and his hands plucked at the strings without stopping. Both the biwa¡¯s strings and the front board were stained with black. It was Shihitsu¡¯s blood. Naturally, if you play without rest, you will injure your fingers. Even though the skin on his fingers was peeling and covered in blood, he continued to play without caring about it at all. ¡®Shihitsu,¡¯ I called out his name, but he didn¡¯t even look at me. Feeling as if his soul had already crossed the sea, I took the biwa from his arms. When I did that, he shouted and jumped at me. He raised his fists high in the air and severely beaten me. But I knew that I must not give him the biwa. If he continued to play it any longer, he would die. I was desperately hugging the biwa tightly to my chest. I wondered why I had become so desperate. I wasn¡¯t his friend or anything of the sort¡­ Eventually, our colleagues noticed the commotion and came and seized him. We locked him in his room, still raging, and separated him from his biwa. Shihitsu shouted for us to return his biwa and kept banging on the door, but by nightfall, he seemed to have given up and became quiet. We found him hanging in his room the next morning.¡± After speaking to that point, You raised his head. He wasn¡¯t looking at anything. He let out a thin sigh and spoke again. ¡°I was left with Shihitsu¡¯s blood-stained biwa. I should have put it in his coffin, but I was too shaken. It was only after the funeral was over and I returned to my room that I realized that I had his biwa. ¡­That night, I heard the playing of a biwa. It was the sound of Shihitsu¡¯s biwa. It was a sound like rain that seeped into one¡¯s heart, a sound that no one else could produce. It wasn¡¯t coming from the biwa. Even though it was a quiet sound, it resounded everywhere in the Ibis Workshop. My colleagues and I trembled. We thought that Shihitsu couldn¡¯t cross the sea and was still lingering here. Unable to wait until morning, we set Shihitsu¡¯s biwa on fire in the courtyard. After we did that, the playing stopped. Everyone was relieved, but I was worried, because Shihitsu must have resented me. I had taken his biwa away from him. I went to check his room. I was afraid that he would come back again if his belongings were still here. He didn¡¯t leave many items behind. There was a brush, an inkstone, an ink stick, a worn robe, and a cloth mask. ¨D¨DThat is that very mask.¡± For the first time, You looked at the cloth mask. But then he immediately looked away. ¡°It would be quicker to throw everything away rather than burning them¡ªyou can¡¯t burn an inkstone anyway¡ªso I asked a servant to take Shihitsu¡¯s belongings somewhere far away so they could be discarded. Finally, I felt relieved. I would have never thought that the cloth mask would still exist.¡± It was unknown whether the servant had sold off the items instead of discarding them, or if someone found the discarded items and decided to sell them, but the cloth mask was left behind. ¡°There were no more sounds of biwa playing in the Ibis Workshop, and he didn¡¯t appear there either. But his soul remained without crossing the sea.¡± You¡¯s face stiffened. He was frightened. ¡°Shihitsu must have wanted a biwa. He wanted to take back the biwa that was taken from him. I¡ªwhen I took the biwa away from him, I wasn¡¯t worried about him. I used it as a justification because I wanted to take away his talent for music. The thought of being able to do that even gave me pleasure. That was why I held onto his biwa so tightly. I envied his talent more than any of our colleagues. That¡¯s why¡ªit¡¯s my fault that he wasn¡¯t able to cross the sea.¡± You expressed his feelings with a pale face. His voice sounded painful, as though he was spitting out a lump from the back of his throat. Jusetsu looked down at the mask. Even without looking through the eye holes, she could see Shihitsu¡¯s piercing eyes. ¡°¡­Perhaps he should be called a music demon. A man who was enthralled by music. That obsession remained after his death, and if you hadn¡¯t taken away his biwa, he would have turned into a demon even while he was alive. In that sense, it could be said that it was thanks to you that Shihitsu was able to die as a person.¡± You shook his head, his head still hanging down. ¡°I didn¡¯t take away his biwa with those thoughts in mind.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were thinking,¡± Jusetsu said firmly. ¡°Whether you intended to or not, Shihitsu didn¡¯t turn into a demon.¡± You raised his head and stared at Jusetsu. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, and simply nodded. Jusetsu unfolded the mask and held it out in front of her. ¡°If we give that man a biwa now, his obsession will not disappear, but will only grow stronger and more intense. That might even turn him into a demon.¡± What should we do? Jusetsu wondered, and then turned her gaze to the biwa in You¡¯s hands. ¡°Koushun, would it be problematic to burn that biwa?¡± ¡°Burn¡­¡± Koushun¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change¡ªmaybe he didn¡¯t have time to change it¡ªbut he seemed stunned. ¡°¡­That would be problematic. Extremely.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± ¡°I am not allowed to do whatever I want with the items in the treasury. They don¡¯t belong to me.¡± ¡°I understand. Is there a five-stringed biwa in the Ibis Workshop?¡± When she directed that question to You, he answered, ¡°There is no five-stringed biwa player currently at the workshop, so I don¡¯t think there is one¡­but I might be able to find an old one.¡± ¡°Preferably, something that no one is using anymore. Find one for me.¡± Koushun summoned Ei Sei and had him go to the Ibis Workshop with You. Since the workshop was located outside of the imperial palace, it would take a while to go there and return. Koushun prepared a cup of tea for Jusetsu, accompanied by white honey cakes. Koushun watched her eat them as he leaned against the armrest. ¡°Koushun, I trust that you understand.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t accept requests for free. I will need payment.¡± ¡°¡­But I heard you accepted Ishiha¡¯s request for free?¡± Jusetsu stopped eating and glanced at Koushun sharply. ¡°You want me to extract a price from a child?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that unfair?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be fair. It¡¯s my decision. I do what I want.¡± Unexpectedly, Koushun burst into laughter. ¡°I see. I wish I could answer that too. I envy you.¡± This was the first time Jusetsu had ever seen Koushun¡¯s shoulders shaking with laughter. The eunuchs standing by the doors also looked stunned. But Koushun quickly retracted his smile. ¡°No, I said something unnecessary. I shouldn¡¯t have told you that I envied you.¡± Jusetsu stared at his face. This man is too serious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry over every little thing. Say whatever you like. If I¡¯m displeased with it, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to feel ¡®displeased¡¯ with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jusetsu frowned vigorously. What a bother. ¡°Did you think so now?¡± ¡°No. I thought you were ¡®bothersome.¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s better than being ¡®displeased.¡¯¡± Is that really better? She thought, but it was too bothersome to ask him to explain, so she closed her mouth. Instead, she put another slice of cake into her mouth. ¡°What sort of gift do you want for this time? Cakes? Or jelly desserts?¡± ¡°Stop assuming that all you need to do is to give me food.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything else you want, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± ¡°¡­There isn¡¯t,¡± she said sullenly, and Koushun laughed a little. As they were doing this, You and Ei Sei returned. You was holding a small biwa in his hands. It was an old five-stringed biwa. ¡°Would this do?¡± ¡°Mm, it will. Play it for me.¡± You put the biwa on his lap and plucked the strings one by one from the end. He fiddled with the tuning pegs and adjusted the strings, and then played a short melody to check it again. When he finished, he picked up the biwa again and began to play a smooth tune. The sound was beautiful. The dry, high-pitched tones were like a cool breeze sliding over cobblestones. It was light and pleasant to the ear. Jusetsu pulled out a peony from her hair. She blew lightly on the petals, and they turned into a fine silver sand which she sprinkled onto the cloth mask. There were flickering lights, which disappeared when they touched the mask. ¡°Kippuku Shihitsu.¡± Jusetsu called out the name to the mask. There was no response for a while. After a few moments, however, a husky noise that sounded like faint sighing became mingled with the biwa¡¯s melody. White fingers suddenly protruded from the eye holes. You bent back in shock, but Jusetsu ordered him not to stop playing with her eyes, and he continued to play with a stiffened face. The white fingers twisted, and then warped hands appeared. They were an old person¡¯s hands, just skin and bones. And then, arms like dead branches followed. Sleeves of a tattered robe. The hands groped the air, and then shoulders slipped through. A man¡¯s body slowly came out of the small eye holes that seemed impossible to come out of. The man put his hands on the table and crawled out. His face was pale and emaciated, and his lips were dry and chapped. Only the pupils of his sunken and shadowed eyes were glittering with a strange light and moving around. The man¡¯s eyes looked up. You¡¯s shoulders trembled, but he seemed to be barely stifling a scream by biting his lip. The man¡¯s eyes focused on the biwa. He crawled over to it. You clearly looked like he wanted to run away, but as expected of a musician, he continued to pluck the strings while trembling. The man reached out his hand as though lured by the sound. As soon as his fingers touched the strings, they seemed to disappear, crumbling away like sand. ¨D¨DThey didn¡¯t disappear, but were sucked into the biwa¡¯s sound. As the man¡¯s body got closer to the biwa, it disappeared like quicksand and got sucked in. His arms disappeared into sand, then his shoulders, and then his face. The sand sparkled like silver powder. His legs disappeared, and then finally, even the toes of his shoes vanished, leaving behind a faint glimmer. Jusetsu had the biwa play for a little while more. ¡°¨D¨DThat¡¯s enough.¡± Jusetsu raised her hand to stop You, accepted the biwa from him, and stood up along with the mask. She went out to the outer corridor and went down the steps. The sun had already set and darkness had fallen. The buds of the pagoda tree that was planted by the palace looked bluish black. Placing the biwa and the mask by the tree, Jusetsu stepped away. A pale red flame then rose from the biwa. There was no heat. It was a quiet flame. It shimmered faintly in the darkness. The fire slowly licked the biwa and the mask and silently burned them from the edges. There was no unpleasant smell of burning, only the fragrant smell of flowers instead. The pale red flames were sometimes tinged with white as they flickered, enveloping the biwa and mask. Just before everything was burned away, there was a plucking of strings that lingered long after the flames were extinguished. Darkness returned. Jusetsu returned to the palace. You was rooted to the front of the door. ¡°With this, Shihitsu has crossed the sea.¡± After she informed him of that, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head deeply to her. ¡°The sun has completely set. I¡¯ll have Ei Sei accompany you back to Yamei Palace.¡± Koushun, who left the palace, said while looking up at the sky, after sending You back to the Ibis Workshop. ¡°There is no need for that. I have Onkei.¡± ¡°Two escorts are better than one.¡± ¡°¡­Who do you think you are saying that to?¡± Jusetsu was astounded. The night was the dominion of the Raven Consort. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be over-confident in your own abilities. You should remember sometimes that you are a sixteen-year-old girl.¡± Jusetsu frowned, but Koushun foisted Ei Sei on her and left. The eunuchs followed him in close succession. Ei Sei lit a candle and started walking ahead of her. Although Koushun¡¯s orders were absolute to Ei Sei, he made no attempt to hide his displeasure with Jusetsu. He still seemed to be in a bad mood even now. ¡°Is Koushun tired?¡± After passing through Ringai Gate, Jusetsu asked Ei Sei. He glanced back at her. ¡°Dajia is very busy, so there is never a time when he isn¡¯t tired.¡± ¡°He¡¯s busy, and yet he still has the time to bring me requests?¡± Ei Sei glared at her. She thought that he was the only person who would glare at the Raven Consort. ¡°That is something I would like to ask him.¡± ¡°You should stop him.¡± ¡°I cannot do such an irreverent thing.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, that doesn¡¯t mean you can take your displeasure out on me.¡± Ei Sei frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not doing that at all.¡± Then explain that expression on your face, she wanted to say. ¡°You can go now. Onkei can guard me.¡± ¡°I cannot go against Dajia¡¯s orders.¡± Jusetsu had already stopped talking. She didn¡¯t feel like engaging with him in an argument. ¡°¡­Until now, we shared the same lesion, the empress dowager.¡± After walking for a while, Ei Sei spoke for some reason. ¡°Now that she is dead, those who have kept quiet during that time have now become fetters on Dajia.¡± Jusetsu stared at Ei Sei¡¯s back. He was speaking in a roundabout way, but it wasn¡¯t impossible to understand what he was getting at. ¡°Speaking of things that trouble emperors, this has been unchanging since time immemorial.¡± Consort clans¡ªthe relatives of a consort. ¡°The current foremost consort of the inner palace is Kajou. Her grandfather is the prime minister, is he not?¡± ¡°Prime Minister Un has been a close aide of Dajia since he was the crown prince.¡± ¡°I see. So the Un clan is the most powerful clan right now. I wonder if Koushun deliberately took Kajou as his consort because he doesn¡¯t want to suffer the troubles of consort clans.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t quite follow¡­¡± ¡°In order to prevent the birth of a child.¡± Ei Sei didn¡¯t reply, but he didn¡¯t deny it either. Kajou still had feelings for her deceased lover. Although she was in the inner palace as a consort, she wasn¡¯t husband and wife with Koushun. Of course, they couldn¡¯t have children. In other words, there would be no crown prince from the Un clan. For the consort¡¯s relatives, as long as they had the crown prince, there was no need for the emperor. If he became a nuisance, he could be dealt with. Whether or not the Un clan would go that far, their high-handedness was curbed by not having children. But that didn¡¯t mean that their power should be reduced too much. For the emperor, that was how strong his connections were with the consort clan, and how much they were his allies. It must be wearing down Koushun¡¯s nerves. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think he has the leisure to worry about me,¡± she murmured. ¡°Precisely,¡± Ei Sei¡¯s cold voice replied. ¡°Dajia is a serious and compassionate person. That is why he cannot leave you alone.¡± She could almost hear his inner voice saying, Even though I wish he would. Ei Sei stopped and looked back at Jusetsu. The light of the candle illuminated his beauty. ¡°You will surely be a disaster for Dajia one day.¡± Ei Sei¡¯s beautiful eyes were filled with melancholy, frustration, and irrepressible fear. Jusetsu stared straight into them. ¡°¡­It must be a blessing for Koushun to have someone like you by his side.¡± After she said that, Ei Sei pursed his lips tightly and he turned his back to her. He walked ahead quietly, as if there had been no conversation between them. The candle¡¯s light flickered in front of Ei Sei, searing the outline of his body. When they arrived at Yamei Palace, Ei Sei stopped at the bottom of the steps and motioned for Jusetsu to go in. After climbing the steps, she turned around in front of the doors and said to Ei Sei and Onkei, ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Onkei hadn¡¯t uttered a single word as he followed them on their way here. The two men bowed and didn¡¯t raise their heads until Jusetsu had stepped through the doors. ¡°Onkei, I need to talk to you about something.¡± After watching Jusetsu enter the palace, Ei Sei turned to him and said that, then turned on his heel. However, Onkei didn¡¯t move. ¡°Are we returning to the inner court? I have to guard Yamei Palace, so¡­¡± Ei Sei was annoyed when he said that in a somewhat puzzled tone. ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong. You are not a eunuch of Yamei Palace. You are Dajia¡¯s eunuch.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Onkei nodded and said as if it were obvious, but Ei Sei knitted his brow. Was he not aware of it? Onkei had already become mostly Jusetsu¡¯s eunuch. The reason for Ei Sei¡¯s recently displeasure lied here. Before they knew it, the people around Jusetsu had increased. Even Onkei, who he had looked after the most since he was a chi¡¯er, and who he had trained to become his most trusted subordinate, had joined her. A sense of unease, like a drop of ink dripping into water, spread throughout Ei Sei¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­Then we will talk while you do your nightly rounds.¡± Ei Sei, who was about to turn back the way they come, headed for the laurel and rhododendron woods that surrounded Yamei Palace. Onkei followed him. ¡°I didn¡¯t send you to Yamei Palace to have you befriend the Raven Consort. You know that.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The reason that Onkei was appointed to the Raven Consort was to have him report every single piece of information back to him. His job was first and foremost as a spy. There was no hesitation in Onkei¡¯s answer. However, he continued with a ¡°But, sir.¡± ¡°But sir, isn¡¯t it unnecessary to be so cautious? Lady Jusetsu doesn¡¯t resent Dajia at all, in fact, she helps him.¡± ¡°¡­That is why I¡¯m afraid.¡± That murmur didn¡¯t reach Onkei. Onkei looked puzzled, but Ei Sei kept his mouth shut. Jusetsu had rescued Koushun from the empress dowager¡¯s curse. Despite her demeanour, Ei Sei knew her to be a good-hearted and compassionate girl. He was also well aware that Jusetsu was the one with whom Koushun found temporary peace of mind. That was why he was afraid. It was a fear that he couldn¡¯t put into words. One day, this might become a trap, and she would an enemy to Koushun and pull the rug from under him. I¡¯m unbearably terrified. ¡°Attendant Ei.¡± Onkei called out in a tense voice and stopped. What is it, Ei Sei was about to say when he also startled. They were in the woods. The moonlight was dimly illuminating the trees, but the shadows were dark. There was a scent coming from behind the trees. Both Ei Sei and Onkei fell silent. However, when they looked at each other, they saw a wary look in each other¡¯s eyes. After catching their breaths, the two of them moved forward, their footsteps muffled, towards the scent. The closer they got to it, the stronger it became. It was a fishy, metallic, and stuffy scent. It was the smell of blood. They stopped. An old tree had rotted and fallen over, creating an open space. There were places like these in woods and forests. There were no branches and leaves that blocked the sunlight, allowing the sun to shine and new trees to grow. This was how trees changed from old to new. The moonlight was shining there now. The pale light illuminated the rotten, moss-covered fallen tree. The moonlight was reminiscent of a finely sharpened blade. A transparent, sharp, and merciless light. Someone was lying next to the fallen tree illuminated by light. It was a young woman dressed in the ruqun of a palace lady. Her eyes were staring blankly into space, unmoving. The fingers of her splayed-out hands were stiff and crooked. Her clothing and the ground was dyed with reddish-black¡ªthe blood overflowing from her throat. The woman¡¯s windpipe had been bitten out. Volume 2 - CH 4.1 ¡°¡ª¡ªA beast?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I heard.¡± Jiujiu answered while combing Jusetsu¡¯s hair. When she woke up in the morning, she heard birds chirping awfully loudly in the woods outside, so Jiujiu went out to see what was going on. The eunuchs of the rokuboushi¡ªthe agency directly supervised by the emperor that cracked down on crimes in the inner palace¡ªwere going this way and that with swords in their belts and tense expressions. Apparently, the body of a palace woman was found in the woods. It was surmised that she was attacked by a beast, based on her wounds. ¡°They say that her throat was torn out, so what if it was a wild dog, or a wolf¡­or a tiger?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about the mountains, but I don¡¯t believe there would be tigers in an area like this. I¡¯ve never seen wild dogs in the inner palace, but are there some here?¡± ¡°I heard that wild dogs would sometimes come in here. Before, there was a eunuch who died after he got bitten by one. His wound got infected and he suffered terribly¡­¡± Jiujiu¡¯s face was pale as she trembled. ¡°Which palace was the deceased palace lady from?¡± ¡°It seems that they still don¡¯t know yet. They¡¯re in the process of asking around in each palace to see if there are any missing palace ladies.¡± ¡°¡­I wonder if that palace lady was trying to come here.¡± Did she come to ask for a favor from the Raven Consort and was attacked by a beast? Jiujiu was looking at Jusetsu¡¯s face in the mirror. ¡°No, I think she must have been chased by the beast and ran all the way over there.¡± She hurriedly said, as if trying to be considerate. Jusetsu stared into the mirror. Her clouded-over face was reflected in it. It was an unreliable and helpless face. She straightened her back and tried her best to make a hard expression. The mirror was octagonal with the back decorated with mother-of-pearl. Green turban shells, amber, tortoiseshell, and lapis lazuli were used to depict flowers and birds. Tracing the edge of the mirror with pale fingers, Jusetsu narrowed her eyes at her own face. Not her face, but her hair. ¡°Is my hair still fine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s beautiful black hair.¡± She was checking to see if the color had faded from her dyed hair. Jiujiu didn¡¯t know Jusetsu¡¯s circumstances, but she didn¡¯t try to inquire too deeply. Since the decree to capture and kill members of the Ran clan had been abolished by Koushun, Jusetsu would no longer be killed if it was discovered that she was a member of the Ran clan. But that didn¡¯t make her want to return to her original silver hair. It was obvious that it would be troublesome if she did. However, the fear of death that had been whittling away at her body was now gone. This was brought about by Koushun¡¯s efforts to save Jusetsu, even if only a little. She no longer woke up every morning with the leaden despair of having to survive through another day. Her heart was just a little lighter and warmer. ¡°I¡¯m going to go out wearing a eunuch¡¯s uniform today.¡± ¡°Yes, Niangniang,¡± Jiujiu said and began to tie her hair up instead of the two rings. ¡°Are you really going to go out?¡± she asked worriedly. ¡°Even though there might be wild dogs out there?¡± ¡°Those are most likely active at night. The palace lady was also attacked at night. Besides, we can¡¯t go out at all if you keep talking like that.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there a lot of days when you don¡¯t go out? Why do you have to go out only at a time like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know when that Winter Minister will retire.¡± She was about to visit Setsu Gyoei. She had already learned the hard way that going out in a palanquin was too ostentatious. But it would also be too conspicuous to go out in her consort¡¯s garb. It would have been best to disguise herself as a civil servant, but with Jusetsu¡¯s appearance, even if she dressed in men¡¯s clothing she would only look like a boy before his coming-of-age ceremony. That was why she decided to dress up as a eunuch. ¡°And, you¡¯re only going to take Onkei with you, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jiujiu was miffed. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one worried about wild dogs?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s dangerous for me, then it¡¯s dangerous for you too, Niangniang. ¡­I can¡¯t ask you to take me with you because I don¡¯t want to be a burden on you if something happens, though.¡± She said sulkily, pouting. As she was talking, her hands were quickly tying her hair up into a topknot. Behind them, Xingxing was meekly closing its wings. That was rare. It always rampaged around whenever Jusetsu was about to leave the palace. It didn¡¯t even try to go out of the curtains, but simply listening to what was going on around it, as though afraid of outside enemies. When she stepped outside in the pale-gray eunuch robes, she could still hear birds chirping and flapping their wings impatiently restlessly from the woods. ¡°¡­Do they still not know which palace that palace lady was from?¡± she asked Onkei, who was accompanying her. ¡°No, they know now. She was from Jakusou Palace,¡± he replied. Jakusou Palace, huh, Jusetsu murmured. That palace had been weighing on her mind for a while now. ¡°Was she trying to come to Yamei Palace?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still unknown.¡± Since she was a palace lady, Jusetsu recalled the woman who had visited before. The palace lady who begged her to bring the dead back to life. The scent of sweetheart incense clung to her. Her face was covered with a veil of thin silk, so she couldn¡¯t tell, but what was the color of her ruqun? In the first place, that palace lady¡ª¡ª. ¡°¡­¡± Jusetsu, who was pondering this while walking, turned to Onkei. ¡°Does that palace lady not normally use sweetheart incense?¡± Onkei looked puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. The smell of blood was too strong last night, so I wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡ª¡± he then quickly closed his mouth. But it was too late. ¡°Onkei, were you the one who found the body?¡± It wasn¡¯t surprising if you thought about it. He was Yamei Palace¡¯s guard, after all. ¡°¡­Yes,¡± The look on his face that said, oh no, affirmed it. ¡°I found her while making my rounds.¡± ¡°You should have come to me with that news.¡± ¡°It is not something you should hear about, Niangniang. It was a horrible-looking corpse, after all.¡± ¡°Is it true that her throat was ripped out?¡± Onkei frowned. ¡°Who heard of such a thing?¡± ¡°Jiujiu found out about it.¡± When she said that, Onkei looked troubled. ¡°That girl is a bit too curious. She isn¡¯t a bad girl, though.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s fine as long as she isn¡¯t a bad girl.¡± Onkei laughed a little. He was surprisingly expressive once he got used to someone. ¡°I heard that it was the work of a beast, but what of it?¡± ¡°From the wound, it is unmistakable that her throat was torn out with teeth. However¡­¡± Onkei hesitated. ¡°It didn¡¯t look like the fangs of a beast like a wild dog or wolf.¡± ¡°You mean a beast without fangs? Would such a beast attack people?¡± ¡°Even monkeys have fangs. Or¡ª¡ª¡± Onkei stopped speaking as if he was afraid to voice his thoughts. Jusetsu stroked her lips. Humans also have canines. It can¡¯t be possible, she thought. ¡°There was one more suspicious thing. There was a lot of blood around the body, but not much from the wound on her neck.¡± Jusetsu put her finger on her chin and thought for a moment. ¡°¡­So, you mean that she died somewhere else and was brought over there?¡± ¡°Perhaps so. If that¡¯s the case, a closer look will reveal traces. It was too dark last night to tell.¡± Were the eunuchs walking around in the woods because they were investigating that? ¡°In any case, please refrain from going out alone, Niangniang.¡± ¡°Jiujiu wouldn¡¯t allow that anyways.¡± Onkei¡¯s expression relaxed. ¡°Indeed, Niangniang.¡± Please listen to that girl, he said. Somehow, she felt that Onkei had become as fussy as Jiujiu. When they arrived at Seiu Temple, there was already a visitor there. It was Koushun. There was a table set up in the outer corridor, and he was playing Go with Gyoei. Judging from the fact that the board was made of rosewood with inlays on the sides, and that the Go pieces were colored red and navy blue with flowers and birds, this board was brought by Koushun. It was still before noon, but it was rare for him to be in a place like this. ¡°Unusually, court council ended early today, so I came here.¡± Koushun read the look on Jusetsu¡¯s face and answered before she could ask. Jusetsu peered at the board. ¡°Is Gyoei holding back?¡± Gyoei, who was playing with the navy blue stones, was in an inferior position. ¡°No, no, by no means. His Majesty is very strong.¡± Gyoei seemed to be speaking his true thoughts. He groaned as he stroked his beard. ¡°I¡¯ve been taught by Eitoku since I was a child.¡± ¡°Ah, Prime Minister Un has defeated a Go master once.¡± Jusetsu sat down on a chair brought over by an acolyte and loosened the collar of her robe. The outer corridor was shaded and cool, but she was sweaty from walking so far. ¡°I¡¯ll have to give up the game for lost. How about you play a game, Lady Raven Consort?¡± Jusetsu glanced at the board and frowned. ¡°I am no match for him.¡± ¡°Ho. Are you not skilled at Go?¡± ¡°I was taught by Reijou, but I never won. Going easy on someone was a foreign concept to her.¡± ¡°I had played against her frequently, but she always gave it her all, didn¡¯t she?¡± Gyoei narrowed his eyes in nostalgia. He seemed to be seeing Reijou on the other side of Jusetsu¡¯s face. ¡°Which one of you was stronger?¡± ¡°Well now. I believe I won 123 games, lost 105, and tied 15 games.¡± He remembers it well, Jusetsu thought as she stared at Gyoei¡¯s face. He stroked his beard and averted his gaze. He turned back to the board, picked up a blue stone, and placed it back in the Go bowl. One by one, carefully. His profile stated that he refused to talk about Reijou any further. Jusetsu could tell that for him, Reijou was someone that brought both nostalgia and pain. ¡°¡­You say you want to retire, but what are you going to do after you leave? Are you going to return to your hometown?¡± Gyoei was single and didn¡¯t have a residence outside the imperial palace. She wondered if he had a place to go after he left here. ¡°My younger brother runs a business in town. He is an oil merchant. I¡¯m going to be staying with him. Well, I¡¯m sure even a senile old man like me would be of some use to him.¡± He said easily and held out the bowl of Go stones to Jusetsu. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, how about you put down some stones and then play? Yes, just five stones. Then, wouldn¡¯t you be able to match against His Majesty?¡± (1) He was talking about placing stones on the board in advance and having Koushun go easy on her. ¡°I refuse,¡± she said sullenly, and Gyoei laughed. ¡°I suppose you inherited that competitive spirit from Lady Reijou.¡± He put his hands on the table and slowly stood up. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired as well, since I haven¡¯t played against His Majesty in a while. Please allow me to take a break for today.¡± Pushing the bowl into Jusetsu¡¯s hands, Gyoei returned to his room from the outer corridor. He then walked out of it, accompanied by an acolyte. Jusetsu glared at the bowl and reluctantly sat down across from Koushun. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you put down five or nine stones,¡± Koushun said, his tone relaxed, and Jusetsu furrowed her brow. ¡°I have no need for you to hold back on me.¡± ¡°Is that so. Then let us have an even game.¡± That meant that no stones would be placed as a handicap. Jusetsu furrowed her brow even more. ¡°¡­Just three¡­I¡¯ll only place three stones¡­¡± Koushun laughed at Jusetsu¡¯s frustration. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Do as you like.¡± ¨D¨DThe result was, of course, that she couldn¡¯t win with only three handicap stones, and it still wasn¡¯t any good when she put down five stones for the next game. Koushun¡¯s nonchalant air was hateful to her. ¡°You give up too quickly,¡± Koushun criticized every move played by Jusetsu. ¡°You immediately give up as soon as you¡¯re at a disadvantage. You have to persist more.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of having persistence for something like this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re bitter when you lose.¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± They returned their stones to their bowls for another game. Jusetsu quickly put them in, but Koushun put his in slowly, one by one. Just as he put away his stoned and took one in his hand, Ei Sei rounded the corner of the outer corridor with two or three eunuchs behind him. ¡°Dajia, it¡¯s time for you to return.¡± ¡°Ah, is it already time?¡± Koushun put the stone back into the bowl and put the lid back on it, then stood up. He was quitting while he was ahead. He looked down at Jusetsu. ¡°If you want to play some more, I¡¯ll play with you again,¡± he said. ¡°I will never play you again.¡± ¡°Then, play with Ei Sei,¡± Koushun looked at Ei Sei. His face said, ¡°I have no choice if that¡¯s an order, but I refuse,¡± so Jusetsu also said ¡°No.¡± When she refused, Ei Sei looked dissatisfied. What was she supposed to do here? The eunuchs put the Go board into a wooden casket. It was a beautiful container inlaid with colored ivory. Giving it a sidelong glance, Jusetsu asked Koushun a question. ¡°¡­Do you know about the palace lady who died near Yamei Palace?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard,¡± Koushun nodded. ¡°The eunuchs are hunting for the beast in the inner palace right now. You shouldn¡¯t wander around outside too long either.¡± ¡°I heard that the palace lady was from Jakusou Palace.¡± ¡°She was,¡± he said, then turned to Jusetsu. ¡°Was she someone you knew?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Even if the dead palace lady was the woman from that night, there was nothing Jusetsu could do. However¡­ ¡°If you learn her name, let me know. I¡¯ll burn a silk feather for her. She¡¯ll be able to cross the sea without getting lost.¡± Silk feathers were bird feathers made of paper. They were used for mourning. Koushun looked at Ei Sei. ¡°Her name was Jo Sei,¡± Ei Sei replied. She asked him the characters for her name and kept them in mind. ¡°Did Jo Sei use sweetheart incense?¡± She asked him, and received a curt answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Sweetheart incense? Isn¡¯t that the incense burned for a loved one? It smells like lilies.¡± Jusetsu was surprised that Koushun knew that. ¡°You know about such things well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it before. The Magpie Consort scents her clothing with that incense.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªWhat?¡± The Magpie Consort scents her clothing with that incense? No, perhaps it wasn¡¯t so strange for a consort to scent her clothing with sweetheart incense for the emperor. However, Jusetsu felt strangely uneasy. It was as if the sense of uneasiness was creeping up on her with a shadow on its back. ¡°¡­I heard that the Magpie Consort is unwell. Is that still the case? I remember that you went to visit her before.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t getting better. I¡¯ve often sent envoys to see her when I couldn¡¯t visit her myself, but apparently, she is confined to bed.¡± He looks after his consorts more conscientiously than I expected, she thought briefly, but she was more concerned about the Magpie Consort¡¯s condition. ¡°Is it a long illness?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t an illness. No, perhaps it can be considered an illness. She¡¯s too depressed to eat or sleep properly.¡± ¡°Is that not¡ªvery serious?¡± Sleeping and eating were foundations of life. ¡°It is a serious issue. The consort¡¯s family member died recently. She has been like this since.¡± ¡°Died?¡± ¡°Yes. Her older brother. I heard that he was healthy, but he fell off his horse and was injured in a bad spot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The dead and the sweetheart incense. Jusetsu recalled the woman from that night who requested the resurrection of the dead. ¡°If she does not recover soon, I will send her back to her parents¡¯ house to recuperate. The Kin clan¡ªah, the Magpie Consort¡¯s name is Kin Keiyou, and her father¡¯s name is Koukei. He¡¯s the assistant minister of the Palace Secretariat. As a member of the cold faction, I had wanted to welcome his daughter as a consort.¡± ¡°Cold faction?¡± ¡°To put it frankly, they are a clan with no connection to the Un clan.¡± He really did say that in a surprisingly frank manner. In other words, he wanted to use the Kin clan as a check on the Un clan. ¡°It would be better to return her to her parents than let her die unnecessarily in the inner palace.¡± She said, and Koushun started to walk down the corridor. Jusetsu walked next to him. Behind them, the eunuchs followed, reverently carrying the wooden casket. When they reached the temple, Gyoei was waiting for them along with the acolytes to see them off. ¡°Take care on your way back.¡± He spoke a set phrase and bowed. ¡°Take care of yourself as well. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± Koushun admonished, and Gyoei let out a light laugh. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Koushun was about to head towards the palanquin when he turned to Jusetsu like he just remembered something. ¡°You¡­¡± He took a look at Jusetsu¡¯s sash. ¡°You aren¡¯t wearing that thing?¡± He seemed to be trying to be ambiguous by using ¡°that thing,¡± but Jusetsu and Koushun both understood what he was referring to. The glass fish figurine. Jusetsu looked at his waist. His transparent glass fish figurine was hanging from his sash. Jusetsu¡¯s was still tucked away in her cabinet. ¡°Did you not like it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡± Koushun fell silent. He was expressionless, but somehow, he looked sad. Jusetsu couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and quietly continued. ¡°¡­It would be troublesome if I lost it¡­¡± Koushun was silent for a moment and looked at Jusetsu. ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll make something you don¡¯t have to worry about losing.¡± ¡°What¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°A wood carving can be recreated right away even if it¡¯s lost. In that case, I suppose a flower would be better than a fish.¡± He seemed to have remembered that Jusetsu had wanted a rose as a wood carving before. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Jusetsu turned him down, but Koushun was unmoved, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be reserved.¡± Before Jusetsu could say anything more, he got into his palanquin and left the gate. As they exited, Ei Sei looked at her for a moment, then quickly looked away. ¡°Lady Raven Consort.¡± As Jusetsu watched the procession leave, Gyoei called out to her. When she turned around, she saw that the acolytes were gone, and only Gyoei was by her side. Onkei was standing off to the side. ¡°Pity and love are two different things. Do you understand that?¡± Jusetsu¡¯s brow furrowed at those sudden words. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I hope you will remain ignorant of the words I¡¯m speaking. Though I suppose it would be of no use to tell you not to get any closer to His Majesty.¡± ¡°Tell that to Koushun. He is always visiting me as he pleases.¡± ¡°Because His Majesty is a compassionate man. Do not forget¡ª¡®The Raven Consort must not desire anything.¡¯¡± She was frequently told this by Reijou herself, not to mention Gyoei. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Desire breeds suffering. When you are consumed by it¡ªthat is when a monster will be born from within you.¡± Her breath caught. A monster. A monster in Niangniang¡¯s eyes¡­ She recalled Ishiha¡¯s words. Taking no notice of the frozen Jusetsu, Gyoei bowed and turned on his heel. ¡°Whenever you feel lost, please remember my words.¡± After a few final words that sounded like a farewell, Gyoei returned to the temple. When Jusetsu came back to herself and tried to follow him, he was already gone. She was left alone, feeling like she had been thrown into the air. ¡ª¡ªNo, she wasn¡¯t alone. Onkei had walked up to her without making a single sound. ¡°Shall a palanquin be prepared for you, Niangniang? You look pale.¡± No, Jusetsu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can walk back.¡± It was easier to not think about things when you were moving your legs. Jusetsu headed for the gate. She glanced at Onkei. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you are here.¡± When she let slip her true feelings, Onkei only gave a small smile. After returning to Yamei Palace, Jusetsu asked Onkei for a favor. ¡°I want you to look around inside Jakusou Palace. Especially the Magpie Consort¡¯s condition.¡± Onkei immediately left the palace. He was a shrewd and careful man, so he would probably return with information after a while. Jusetsu entered the palace and called out for Jiujiu. ¡°Before, the palace lady dropped a piece of thin silk when she left. Bring it out.¡± Jiujiu brought the silk from another room. Jusetsu brought her face to it. It still had the scent of sweetheart incense on it. She unfolded it and felt its texture. The material was remarkably light, and it laid smoothly against her skin. It was carefully woven with the finest raw silk threads. ¡°I¡¯ve had the same thought when I touched it for the first time, but this is too high quality to belong to a palace lady.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, it is.¡± But there are also wealthy palace ladies, Jiujiu added. Jusetsu thought back to the woman on that night. She was dressed in a palace lady¡¯s uniform and covered her head with this silk. And from the moment she entered to when she left, she never once bowed to the Raven Consort. Not even once. Was it because she was too distraught? However, would a palace lady, who had etiquette training drummed into her, not even bow to a consort when she came to ask her for the desperate favor of resurrection, all because of her emotions at that time? ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Niangniang?¡± Jiujiu asked, seeing her grip the silk with a difficult look on her face. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jusetsu told Jiujiu to put away the silk, and then went to her cabinet to take out the inkstone and an inkstick. She also prepared some pieces of colored hemp paper in the shape of a bird feather. This was a silk feather. In the past, they were made of cotton cloth, and in even older times, they were made of bark fiber. That was how long they had been used in mourning. After grinding ink and picking up a brush, she wrote ¡°Jo Sei¡± on a piece of paper. It was the name of the dead palace lady. Jusetsu took a flower-shaped silver plate with legs with her and went outside. She went down the steps and placed the plate on the stones. Her hand went up to her hair and she realized that she wasn¡¯t wearing her peonies because she was dressed as a eunuch. She turned her palm up and held it out in front of her, and a pale pink color shimmered. Petals formed one by one, and in an instant, it became a peony. Jusetsu clamped the flower between her hands and blew on it. When she let go, small pink fragments fell onto the plate and turned into a pale flame. The colored paper with the name written on it was burned in the fire. A feather-shaped piece of paper with no writing on it was also thrown into the fire in the same way. The paper burned quietly. Jusetsu held her hand out over it. The pale red flame rose up and coiled around her fingers. The flame wasn¡¯t hot. It was faintly warm. She gathered the flame in her hand, squeezed it tightly, and opened her hand. A small bird flew out of her hand. A small bird that was translucent, light red, and sometimes flickered like flames. The bird flapped its wings high and fast, crossed the woods, and eventually disappeared from sight. It would lead the soul of the dead palace lady to the other side of the sea. As long as she hadn¡¯t become a ghost. When she returned to the palace with the silver plate in hand, she found Jiujiu cleaning the table. ¡°Did you burn the silk feathers?¡± Jiujiu said, the colored paper in her hands. ¡°For mourning the dead palace lady?¡± People, not just the Raven Consort, burned silk feathers for mourning. The practice of turning the flame into a bird that would lead the soul was something only the Raven Consort could do, though. ¡°Shall I change your clothes, then, Niangniang?¡± Jiujiu opened the curtains. Jusetsu pinched the robe between her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s much more comfortable, though, this outfit.¡± A eunuch¡¯s uniform was very easy to walk around in. However, Jiujiu scolded her. ¡°You mustn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You look lovely in those clothes, dressed like a man, but I think you look best in ruqun.¡± ¡°Is that so? ¡­I see.¡± Jiujiu said that with such force that Jusetsu had to obey. It was better not to go against Jiujiu in situations like these. As she changed behind the curtains, Ishiha, holding Xingxing in his arms, came in. It seemed that he had been giving it a dust bath. ¡°You haven¡¯t gone to the woods, have you?¡± The beast that killed the palace lady hadn¡¯t been found yet. ¡°No, Niangniang,¡± Ishiha replied. ¡°I was behind the palace. Xingxing doesn¡¯t want to go to the woods either.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Jusetsu gazed at Xingxing, who was faintly visible through the curtains. This mystical bird had been docile lately. When she finished changing and stepped out from the curtains, Ishiha was kneeling and looking down. ¡°Is there something the matter?¡± she asked him. ¡°No, Niangniang,¡± he responded, his face was slightly red. ¡°You were in the middle of changing, so he couldn¡¯t raise his face,¡± Jiujiu said. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s it?¡± Jusetsu said, and got an exasperated face in return. ¡°Niangniang, you need to learn to have a little more shyness.¡± Shyness, Jusetsu murmured. She had enough discretion to change behind the curtains, though. As the people around her increased, there were more new things to learn. Rather than it being troublesome, it was interesting to learn new things. ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel shy in front of us servants, but it would be a problem for His Majesty. Niangniang, you used to change clothes without hesitation even when His Majesty is present.¡± ¡°I did? I don¡¯t remember.¡± Really, Niangniang, Jiujiu grumbled. That was when Onkei entered from the kitchen. Kougyou was behind him as well. ¡°That was quick, Onkei.¡± Onkei bowed to Jusetsu. The movements were brisk and beautiful, as one would expect from a subordinate of Ei Sei. ¡°As ordered, I have been investigating the people around the Magpie Consort. I am still in the process of doing so, but I want to give you a brief report.¡± Mm, Jusetsu prompted him to continue. ¡°For the past few months, the Magpie Consort has been laid up in bed. It is said that she is depressed because her older brother died suddenly. Now, she only has a few attendants to take care of her, and no palace ladies or eunuchs are allowed to approach her. However¡­¡± Onkei closed his mouth like he had changed his mind. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Apparently, she has taken a liking to one eunuch and only keeps him close by her side. They say she has breakdowns when he leaves her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Even for a favorite eunuch, it was somewhat bizarre. ¡°He is a chi¡¯er who has recently entered the inner palace. He is around twenty years old. I couldn¡¯t exchange words with him, but I¡¯ve been able to confirm his face.¡± Onkei turned to Kougyou behind him. Kougyou held out the paper she was holding. ¡°I described his features and asked her to draw his likeness,¡± Onkei said and showed Jusetsu the paper. ¡°His name is Hou Shougetsu.¡± When she saw the portrait, Jusetsu felt like she had been punched in the chest. This face. Long black hair and a beautiful face that no one could ever forget once they saw it. Owl. It was the face of the young man she had seen that night when Wulian Niangniang roamed around outside. The one who made her feel a trembling fear from the bottom of her heart. Jusetsu recalled feeling the same fear at the Jakusou Palace pond. Was that because this man was in the palace? ¡°Do you know this face?¡± Jusetsu couldn¡¯t respond when asked by Onkei. She barely managed a slight nod. Onkei¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°¡­After the arrival of this person, the Magpie Consort began to keep the people around her at a distance more and more. And sometimes there are strange noises coming from inside her room.¡± ¡°Strange noises?¡± ¡°Like something is being slurped¡­and moaning sounds as well.¡± Before she knew it, Jusetsu was clasping her hands together. She didn¡¯t know what this all meant, but she had a very bad feeling about it. ¡°I think there is something going on with Shougetsu and the Magpie Consort. I¡¯m going to look into them a little bit now.¡± After saying only that, Onkei bowed and made to leave. ¡°Wait.¡± She called out without thinking. She was confused at that. She didn¡¯t know what she was about to say. She was just thinking that she had to stop him. Onkei was waiting for Jusetsu¡¯s words. ¡°No¡­¡¯tis nothing. Just, don¡¯t pursue it too far.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Just as he had done when he came to the palace, Onkei left without making a sound. Jusetsu looked again at the portrait left behind and swallowed. What was this inexpressible uneasiness? ¨D¨DThe sun set, but Onkei didn¡¯t return. Volume 2 - CH 4.2 Translation Notes 1. A yorishiro, in Shinto, is an ¡°object representative of a divine spirit; object to which a spirit is drawn or summoned; object or animal occupied by a kami?¡° 2. I¡¯m not 100% sure on this, but the ¡°be¡± (²¿) ending seems to be referring to the ¡°hereditary occupational groups¡± during the Yamato period. I think it¡¯s supposed to be some kind of role that is given to the people of Kakurenomiya, like tsukaibe are those in charge of being running errands, toribe I guess are like special birds or something 3. Shougetsu¡¯s role of haburibe is ÔáÕß²¿ in Japanese, which contains the character for ¡°to bury¡± Just as Jusetsu ran down the steps, Koushun was about to come upstairs. He was followed by Ei Sei, who was holding a candle. The remnants of sunset drifted around them, and a light purple curtain had fallen. The sun had set, but it was still too early for the darkness of night. The heat of the day hadn¡¯t yet left, and a heavy, lukewarm wind was blowing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Koushun asked when he saw Jusetsu. He immediately sensed that this was something unusual. ¡°Onkei hasn¡¯t returned from Jakusou Palace.¡± Koushun knitted his brows. ¡°Jakusou Palace? Why is he there?¡± ¡°I asked him to investigate the Magpie Consort,¡± Jusetsu bit her lip. ¡°He returned once to give a report and went back again. I told him to find out a little more about the Magpie Consort and the eunuch¡­I should have stopped him. No, I should have gone myself. I¡ª¡± I was afraid. She was afraid to investigate it for herself because she was assailed by an unfamiliar fear. That was why she pushed Onkei to do it. She used to do everything by herself before. She became less self-reliant and more spoiled when she started to have others by her side. ¡°I have become weak.¡± It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this. Relying on others, depending on the kindness of others, involving others¡­ ¡°Jusetsu.¡± Koushun grabbed her arm. ¡°You¡¯re going to Jakusou Palace, aren¡¯t you.¡± As he stared into her face, Jusetsu nodded. ¡°Then just think about that. Other things can be considered later.¡± Koushun¡¯s voice resonated directly to Jusetsu¡¯s core. It always did. In a way, his voice controlled her. But this time, it calmed her down. She gritted her back teeth and nodded again. ¡°I¡¯ll go as well. That will be quicker.¡± Koushun set off first and started walking. As she followed him, Jusetsu looked back at the palace. Jiujiu and the others were peering at her anxiously through the doors. Jusetsu turned forward and quickened her pace. As the last vestiges of daylight faded, darkness fell quickly, and an indigo-blue darkness spread out around them. The color darkened as they continued onward. The flame of the candle held by Ei Sei, who was at the head of the group, was flickering. They stepped into the woods of laurel trees and rhododendrons. As soon as that happened, they heard a loud cry and a flapping sound and startled to a stop. A bird¡¯s shadow swooped overhead, and a guttural cry echoed through the air. The bird perched on a branch, shaking the leaves. It was the spotted nutcracker. The white spots on its feather seemed to stand out in the darkness. Jusetsu let out a small breath and hurried on. Jakusou Palace was quiet, as though it was holding its breath. It was completely silent. Not even the sound of insects could be heard. They went to the building where the Magpie Consort resided, but the front door and the doors facing the outer corridors were all closed, and it was pitch black beyond the latticed windows. There were no lights. The same was true for the lanterns hanging outside, and there were no lights in any of the palace buildings or corridors. It isn¡¯t as though this is Yamei Palace. The night was supposed to be brilliant with lights in order to protect against Yeyoushen. Why was this place dark as well? Ei Sei stood in front of the doors and announced their visit. ¡°Please open the doors, Lady Magpie Consort.¡± There was no response for a while. When Ei Sei was about to call out again, the doors slowly opened. It was an attendant who opened them. She was terribly pale and haggard. She knelt down and said, ¡°We sincerely apologize for keeping you waiting.¡± The room was completely dark. ¡°The consort dislikes light. I will light the lanterns now.¡± The attendant, with her fragile body that looked as if it would snap in half at any moment, went back and forth across the room, lighting the lanterns. The inside of the room emerged dimly. The spacious room couldn¡¯t be illuminated by one or two lights. A dimly lit curtain could be seen in the back of the room, and a woman could be seen rising from a bed. Koushun stepped in, and Jusetsu followed. In the poor light, Jusetsu¡¯s figure was hidden in his shadow. She looked around, but there seemed to be no other servants except for the haggard attendant. The eunuch in question wasn¡¯t here. Jusetsu covered her nose with her sleeve. As soon as she stepped into the room, she was struck by the choking smell of incense. A sweet, clear, lily-like scent. It was sweetheart incense. It was like wandering into a lily garden. The room was hazy, probably due to the smoke from lighting incense too much. Next to the curtains, a white porcelain incense burner was placed on top of a cabinet, exhaling smoke. Mixed in with the scent, there seemed to be a faint, fishy odor lurking behind it. Was it just her imagination? No¡ª¡ª ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± A dwindling voice came from behind the curtains. The woman who had been lying on the bed tried to peel away from her cushions and get out of bed. Her body was tottering. ¡°Stay where you are. There is no need to push yourself.¡± Koushun called out and approached the curtains. Ei Sei, vigilant of their surroundings, stuck close to him. Jusetsu and Koushun walked up to the woman. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Having you see me in such a state¡­¡± Her thin voice sounded familiar to Jusetsu. Koushun opened the curtains and stepped within. Jusetsu followed. The Magpie Consort, who had raised her head, widened her eyes in shock when she saw Jusetsu and gasped. She was practically skin and bones, her cheekbones were prominent and her skin had lost its luster, but she was a good-featured woman. She had an elegant appearance that could be called graceful. ¡°Y¡­you¡­¡± The Magpie Consort paled and lowered her head. There was no mistaking it¡ªher voice was the same as the palace lady who asked her for a resurrection. ¡°You left your veil at Yamei Palace. I have come to return it.¡± Jusetsu took out the piece of thin silk from her pocket and tossed it onto the bed. It fell to the mattress without a sound. ¡°You should also give me back my palace¡¯s eunuch.¡± The Magpie Consort¡¯s head jerked up. Jusetsu stared straight into her eyes. ¡°Return him or else, Kin Keiyou.¡± The Magpie Consort¡ªKin Keiyou¡ªstiffened, and all the blood drained from her face. ¡°P¡­please forgive me, Lady Raven Consort.¡± ¡°What do you want me to forgive?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Keiyou buried her face in her hands. Jusetsu felt a fretfulness, as if her chest was being scorched. A cold sweat broke out on her skin. ¡°Keiyou, where is Onkei¡ªthe eunuch?¡± When Jusetsu questioned her sharply, there was a sound like a beast groaning. It came from the other side of the door in the back. Keiyou, with some unknown reserve of strength, jumped out of her bed and stumbled towards the door. Lady Magpie Consort, the attendant rushed to intervene, but Keiyou pushed her away and opened the door. A stifling smell struck their noses. A fishy odor. This was the smell that was mixed in with the incense. ¡°¡­the smell of blood.¡± Koushun murmured. Jusetsu narrowed her eyes at what lied beyond the open door. It seemed to be a continuation of the room. There was no light and it was pitch-dark. But there was something there. Jusetsu sensed it and stepped forward cautiously, holding her breath. Keiyou stood in front of the door and called inside. ¡°Brother!¡± Keiyou¡¯s voice was shrill and out of tune. Her voice had a strange tone, a mixture of fear and affection. ¡°Brother, please be quiet. Wait a little longer. I¡¯ll properly ask his Majesty.¡± Brother? Keiyou suddenly turned around. Her eyes were looking at Koushun. But her eyes were so dark that it was hard to tell where she was looking. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m sorry. I was hiding my brother here. However, he does not have a normal body, so there is no choice but to let him stay here. So please¡ª¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Koushun¡¯s brow furrowed slightly and he spoke quietly. ¡°Didn¡¯t your brother die?¡± Keiyou¡¯s face twisted. It was as though a thin piece of glass had shattered inside her. ¡°He died. He¡¯s dead¡ªeven though he was so healthy!¡± Her high-pitched shouts sliced through the darkness. ¡°He had never gotten sick, and had never been still since he was a child, so even though he often had minor injuries, he seemed to be unbothered by them, and soon he was riding his horse around the fields and mountains again¡­we live in the countryside, and there are many mountains around our house that are perfect for riding around in. My brother liked to hunt. Whenever he went out to hunt, I was always worried that he might get into danger, but he would always come back safely. And yet¡ª¡ª¡± Keiyou¡¯s voice, which seemed like it would disappear at any moment, got stronger and sometimes wavered, yet she still spoke with all her heart as though she was delirious from fever. Everyone was silent, unable to interject. ¡°My brother and I are each other¡¯s only sibling. My brother defended and protected me when I was little, and sometimes¡ªno, often¡ªscolded me and got into silly fights with me. We grew up together. My brother was a brilliant person and unrivaled in the martial arts as well. He excelled over his schoolmates, and to me, he was the best of the best. He was lively and beautiful, and he was never afraid of anything¡ªI¡­¡± Keiyou¡¯s voice trembled, and she covered her face with her sleeve. ¡°I adored my brother. I even decided to the inner palace if it would help him when he eventually became a government official. And yet, he¡­he¡­¡± The crying continued for a while. ¡°¡­My brother¡¯s death is some kind of mistake. He shouldn¡¯t have died. That was why I asked the Lady Raven Consort to bring him back to life.¡± Koushun glanced at Jusetsu. ¡°When she told me that she couldn¡¯t do it, I lost all hope. I thought of following my brother into death. But then¡­¡± Suddenly, Keiyou¡¯s face brightened. Her cheeks were tinged with red. ¡°Someone who could grant my wish appeared.¡± Koushun quietly cut in. ¡°¡­Your wish is, in other words¡­¡± Even in the presence of Keiyou¡¯s obviously bizarre speech, Koushun¡¯s tone was calm. He was probably like that to begin with, but it seemed as if he was just barely holding back Keiyou¡¯s agitation. ¡°He said it wouldn¡¯t be so difficult to bring my brother back to life.¡± Keiyou¡¯s eyes were glistening wetly. ¡°I was skeptical because he had only just joined the eunuchs. He asked for my brother¡¯s hair or a fragment of his bones, as well as some soil. I asked my father to send me a lock of my brother¡¯s hair. I¡­I haven¡¯t even seen my brother¡¯s body. All I have is a lock of his hair. This made me even more eager to see him again. With the hair and soil, the man made my brother. When he was making the mud doll, I was furious, thinking that he was trying to fool me with childish tricks, but when he finished, my brother was there.¡± As Jusetsu listened to Keiyou talk, she quietly stepped into the adjoining room. It was completely dark inside, but her eyes adjusted after a while. There was a chair in the middle of the room, and someone was sitting in it. From their height, they must be a man. She couldn¡¯t make out his face. However, the smell of blood became even stronger when she entered the room. ¡°It really was my brother. My brother has come back to life. He can move. He can¡¯t talk yet, but his face, his body¡ªhe¡¯s my brother. It¡¯s a bit difficult to keep him alive because it takes a lot of work, but it¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t cause anyone any trouble. No, he gets hungry sometimes, so it might cause some inconvenience, but¡ª¡± Keiyou¡¯s voice was so thin as she talked on and on that it made one wonder where she was keeping that strength in her weak body. It was as if she was trying to cover up her anxiety by talking, rather than being agitated and unable to stop. In fact, her voice was trembling with fear. ¡°I will never let something like this happen again. So please, have mercy¡ª¡± Jusetsu focused her eyes on the back of the room. What was there? There were several objects that looked like buckets there. All of them were filled with water, which appeared black in the darkness. No, it wasn¡¯t water. It was¡­ ¡°What do you mean by, ¡®something like this¡¯?¡¯ Koushun questioned her. Keiyou was at a loss for words, and her face scrunched up. ¡°Oh¡­Your Majesty, I¡ª¡± Keiyou¡¯s voice had almost dissolved into sobs. She inhaled like she was weeping. Jusetsu looked around the room. Beyond the row of buckets, she could see a person lying down in the corner. Jusetsu slowly stepped forward. Neither the person sitting in the chair nor the person lying down moved. The person lying down was on their stomach, and their hands seemed to be tied around their back. They were wearing eunuch¡¯s robes. She couldn¡¯t see his face, but she knew him just by his stature. ¡°Onkei!¡± At the same time she shouted his name, Jusetsu ran towards him. She kicked over the buckets that were in front of her, but there was no time to worry about that. Kneeling by Onkei¡¯s side, she called his name. She was relieved to find that his arm was warm when she touched it. She placed her fingers on the nape of his neck to make sure he had a pulse. It was dark and hard to see, but it didn¡¯t look like he was severely injured. ¡°Onkei,¡± she called his name several times, and Onkei opened his eyes. ¡°Niangniang?¡± He called out hoarsely. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Jusetsu responded, putting her fingers on the rope that bound his wrists. The knot was tight and difficult to untie. Onkei tilted his head and looked up at her. His face stiffened with alarm. His gaze was directed behind her. ¡°What¡¯s¡ª¡ª¡± Wrong? Jusetsu was about to turn around, but Onkei jumped up, his hands still tied, and went in front of her. It all happened in an instant. Someone was standing right in front of her. It was too dark to see clearly, but it had to be the man who was sitting in the chair. The chair was empty. Jusetsu was horrified. She hadn¡¯t felt the presence of anyone standing behind her. On the contrary, even though he was standing right in front of her, no vitality could be sensed from him. What is this thing? ¡°Brother!¡± Keiyou ran to them. She tugged on the arm of the man standing there and pulled him away from Jusetsu and Onkei. The man moved, swaying unsteadily. They weren¡¯t the movements of a typical human. Suddenly, a light illuminated the room. It was a small light. Ei Sei had entered the room with the candle in his hand. Koushun was standing near the door. His gaze was fixed on the man. ¡°¡­Is that the brother who came back to life you talked about?¡± Keiyou¡¯s fingers dug into the man¡¯s arm. Jusetsu could see his profile and back from where she was. The man¡¯s hands were tied behind his back just like Onkei. His face was pale, not just because she was looking at him in the darkness, and his lips were similarly bloodless. His eyes were dull and aimless. However, even in profile, she could tell that he was well-featured. But strangely enough, she couldn¡¯t consider him beautiful. ¡°You said the dead was resurrected¡­?¡± Jusetsu muttered. Impossible. However, the man did look like a human. ¡°Not even a sorcerer could do such a trick. ¡­I can¡¯t do it either.¡± Keiyou turned only her upper body towards her. ¡°Shougetsu did it for me. He gave me my brother.¡± ¡°Who is this Shougetsu? He is no mere eunuch.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. To me, it doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s a eunuch or a death god.¡± ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s most likely somewhere in this palace. I told him to stay close by.¡± Jusetsu recalled the report from Onkei. ¡°You get terribly distraught when Shougetsu leaves your side, don¡¯t you?¡± Keiyou averted her eyes and clung to her brother¡¯s arm. ¡°¡­Because Shougetsu is the only one who can calm my brother down.¡± ¡°Calm him?¡± ¡°My brother needs blood.¡± With a smooth gesture, Keiyou moved her arm forward and pointed to the floor. It was the line of buckets. The bucket that Jusetsu had kicked over was still lying on the floor. The candle held by Ei Sei illuminated the buckets and what spread out on the floor from the fallen over bucket. Something like reddish-black water. A fishy smell was coming from it. ¨D¨DBlood. A large amount of blood. Goosebumps rose all over Jusetsu¡¯s body. Where did all this blood come from? ¡°All the blood here is animal blood.¡± Be rest assured, Keiyou said in a feeble voice, as though she had read Jusetsu¡¯s mind. ¡°But my brother doesn¡¯t like animal blood very much. I have tried all kinds of blood. Shougetsu said that if I don¡¯t give him blood, he would turn back into dirt. Monkey and pig blood seem to be the best. ¡­But that¡¯s a last resort. He actually needs human blood. But that¡¯s not an easy thing to get. But sometimes, my brother goes berserk for human blood. When that happens, Shougetsu is the only one who can stop him.¡± Keiyou paled. Her shoulders were trembling. ¡°¡­That¡¯s why his hands are tied now?¡± Jusetsu asked. Keiyou nodded slightly. ¡°Keiyou.¡± Koushun called her. Keiyou startled and turned to him. That voice, which resounded so deeply in Jusetsu¡¯s heart, seemed to be terrifying to her. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question earlier. What do you mean by ¡®something like this¡¯?¡± Koushun¡¯s tone was dispassionate. Keiyou lowered her head and covered her face with her sleeve. ¡°Please forgive us, Your Majesty. My brother¡­killed Jo Sei.¡± Keiyou replied with a trembling voice. Jo Sei. That was the palace lady who had her throat torn out. ¡°My brother was starving that night. Animal blood wasn¡¯t enough, and he went berserk for human blood. Until then, me and Renjou used to give him our blood before he got too hungry.¡± Keiyou rolled up her sleeves. Cotton bandages were tightly wrapped around her entire arm. Renjou seemed to be the attendant¡¯s name. The two women looked pale and haggard because they didn¡¯t have enough blood in their bodies. ¡°This time, we didn¡¯t make it in time. Just when I was hurriedly calling for Shougetsu, Jo Sei came into the room with water at an unfortunate moment. My brother bit through her throat¡­it all happened in an instant. He was engrossed in sucking her blood while still biting her throat.¡± Keiyou¡¯s face was chalk-white and shivering. It wasn¡¯t just due to the lack of blood. ¡°By the time Shougetsu arrived, it was too late. Jo Sei was dead. We¡­couldn¡¯t leave her like that. We couldn¡¯t have this palace be searched. I had to keep my brother a secret. So, I ordered the eunuchs to take the body far away. ¡­I did something inexcusable to Jo Sei.¡± Her voice almost faded away at her last words. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Keiyou raised her head. ¡°I will take all the blame. Please overlook my brother. I beg of you. He finally came back to life. If he dies again, I will¡ª¡ª¡± Keiyou¡¯s face was desperate. Her feeble voice became tense all at once. Jusetsu, who was crouching down, stood up and observed the face of the man standing next to Keiyou. There was no expression on his face, nor emotion, nor thought. ¡°¡­Keiyou, this person is not your brother.¡± As she said that, something bitter seemed to spread in her mouth. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Keiyou looked back at Jusetsu with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°This isn¡¯t your brother who has come back to life. Shougetsu hadn¡¯t resurrected him. He only ¡®made¡¯ a mud doll.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°This person isn¡¯t alive. He is hollow. I see, the vessel is in the shape of your brother. But there is no soul within. No matter how long you wait, this will not become the brother you knew.¡± Keiyou¡¯s face turned white. Jusetsu could almost hear the sound of her expression being chipped off. She mouthed the words, That¡¯s a lie, but only a hoarse sound came from her lips. ¡°That can¡¯t be true, it can¡¯t be¡­¡± Keiyou looked up at the man next to her. However, seeing his face without any reaction, her expression fell. Somewhere in her heart, she must have also felt the same way. The fact that this person wasn¡¯t her brother. ¡°No, no, this is my brother. My one and only brother,¡± Keiyou shook her head several times, her voice trembling as she insisted. ¡°My one and only, my beloved¡ª¡± Keiyou¡¯s voice, filled with pain, were directed at her brother, but the man standing next to her only stared blankly into nothingness. Keiyou¡¯s face contorted, and tears spilled down her cheeks as though she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. ¡°Brother.¡± Keiyou reached for him with shaking hands. Her hands touched the cheeks of the empty-eyed man. At that moment, the man¡¯s eyes widened. His face moved for the first time. His mouth opened. He bent over quickly, as though his previous sluggishness was unreal. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A surprised, breathy sound escaped Keiyou¡¯s lips. The man was biting her throat. His bared teeth bit into her white throat, tearing the skin and causing blood to gush out. There was the sound of flesh being torn off. Blood spurted to the ceiling. The blood fell like rain on Jusetsu¡¯s face. It all happened in an instant. The man was slurping up Keiyou¡¯s blood, still biting her throat. Keiyou¡¯s arms drooped as they lost their strength, and they swung like pendulums. Her tear-filled eyes remained open, becoming empty like her brother¡¯s. Jusetsu pulled a peony from her hair and transformed it into an arrow. She took a step towards the man, and without a moment¡¯s hesitation, plunged it into his solar plexus. He, sucking up Keiyou¡¯s blood, stopped moving. If it was a doll, it was easy to destroy it. All you had to do was take away their yorishiro. (1) And the place where the yorishiro was embedded was fixed. It was the solar plexus. Jusetsu withdrew her hand. It was gripping a lock of hair. The man¡¯s skin dried up and turned ashen. Dirt crumbled from the surface of his skin. His arms and hands collapsed into clods of earth. His face crumbled from his mouth, and Keiyou¡¯s body fell to the floor. The man¡¯s body disintegrated and fell on top of Keiyou. All that remained was dirt and clothes. They were covering Keiyou like a blanket. For a while, no one spoke or moved. The heavy scent of blood and dirt filled the darkness. The first to make a sound was Keiyou¡¯s attendant. Her sobbing began to resound faintly in the room. Koushun stepped forward and kneeled down beside Keiyou. He reached out his hand and closed her wide-open eyes. ¡°¡­I knew that she wasn¡¯t doing well after she heard the news of her brother¡¯s death. I should have returned her to her father as soon as possible.¡± His voice was tinged with bitter remorse. He stared at Keiyou¡¯s face for a long time. Jusetsu took out a handkerchief from her pocket and crouched down to wipe Keiyou¡¯s blood-soaked face. After placing the lock of her brother¡¯s hair in her hand, she stood up and left her side. When she turned around before she left the room, Koushun was still staring at Keiyou¡¯s face. When she left the palace, the faces peering out from the edge of the outer corridor hurriedly pulled in. They appeared to be palace ladies and eunuchs. They must have come because they were worried about the commotion here. Jusetsu went down the steps and quickly walked on the paving stones. ¡°Niangniang.¡± Onkei chased after her from behind. He seemed to have untied the ropes by himself. He was holding out his own handkerchief. ¡°For your face.¡± Jusetsu touched her cheek. It had blood on it. ¡°¡ª¡ªI¡¯m sorry.¡± She used the handkerchief to wipe her face. As she wiped, she wondered what she had accomplished. The palace lady was dead, and so was Keiyou. Keiyou came to the Raven Consort to ask for a resurrection, but more than that, she was looking for salvation. I didn¡¯t do anything. All she did was chase Keiyou away. ¡°Niangniang¡ªLady Jusetsu.¡± Onkei held out his hand. Jusetsu returned his handkerchief. Onkei didn¡¯t put it away, but said, ¡°Forgive me for my insolence,¡± and wiped the remaining blood from Jusetsu¡¯s face. ¡°¡­I did something unforgiveable to you as well, Onkei.¡± Onkei, who was wiping away the blood, stopped and looked at her. ¡°I am the one who owes you an apology. Not only was I unable to carry out your order, but I was saved by you. Please accept my apologies. I have failed you.¡± He told her that when he found the attendant and tried to talk to her, he was struck from behind. ¡°It seemed to have been the Magpie Consort.¡± Is that so, Jusetsu murmured. She turned around and looked up at the palace building. The white moon shone wetly over the magpies of the decorative tiles. ¡°¡­I must search for Jusetsu.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that Attendant Ei would make the preparations, but should we search within the palace?¡± ¡°He is no longer here.¡± The palace ladies and eunuchs had come to take a look at what¡¯s going on, so Shougetsu must have noticed the commotion as well. He probably already fled. ¡°Where is his room?¡± She asked that because she was going to use Shougetsu¡¯s hair or personal belongings to follow him. Since she knew his name, she could use a familiar bird to follow him. About that, Onkei answered. ¡°Shougetsu doesn¡¯t have a room in the eunuchs¡¯ dormitory. Since he was a personal attendant of the Magpie Consort, I thought that he might have a room in that palace, but that wasn¡¯t the case either. It¡¯s unclear where he sleeps or how he has his meals.¡± Jusetsu was perplexed. How did Shougetsu live? ¡°Apparently, no one has ever seen him sleeping or eating.¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s as if he¡¯s¡ª¡± Jusetsu thought of Keiyou¡¯s older brother¡ªor rather, the impersonation of her brother. A mud doll with empty eyes. Jusetsu frowned. If she couldn¡¯t pursue him using her arts, then there was no way for her to find him. She had no choice but to wait for Ei Sei to use the eunuchs to find him. ¡°¡­For the time being, we will return to Yamei Palace.¡± Jusetsu bit her lip and quickly left Jakusou Palace. She was angry at herself for being of no use. It happened when she entered the grove of laurel trees and rhododendrons. Jusetsu¡¯s spine stiffened and she stopped in her tracks. It wasn¡¯t that she stopped, but rather that she froze and couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Niangniang?¡± Onkei asked quizzically. Without time to answer him, Jusetsu looked around. The moonlight cast the shadows of the trees. Where the light passed through, it was bright, but where the branches were the densest, a darkness that was deeper than shadows was harbored there. There was something on those branches. There were two human legs standing on a laurel tree branch. That was the only place the moonlight reached, and they seemed to grow out of the darkness. She could tell that he was a eunuch from the hem of his gray robes. ¡°Are you the Raven Consort?¡± A voice resounded from the branches. It was as high-pitched as the chirping of a bird and as low-pitched as a dog¡¯s growl. It was a voice that was both bright and tranquil. Onkei covered Jusetsu¡¯s back. ¡°Who are you?¡± The person on the tree didn¡¯t answer the question. The branch bent. Before they knew it, he was on the ground. There was no sound at all. All they could hear was the rustling of leaves. In front of their eyes was a young man with slender, supple limbs, a pale face, and long black hair. He looked exactly like the picture Kougyou had drawn. No, the man who Jusetsu had saw on that night was right before her. ¡°¡ª¡ªOwl!¡± Jusetsu shouted that the moment their eyes met. Just like on that night. ¡°You¡¯re not quite right,¡± Shougetsu said coldly. ¡°This isn¡¯t me. Just as you aren¡¯t the Raven.¡± He put his hand on his chest to indicate his own body. ¡°It¡¯s nothing but a vessel. A tsukaibe.¡± A vessel? At the same time as she wondered this, Jusetsu pulled a peony from her hair. Her body was moving on its own. It was like it wasn¡¯t her own body. Her hand moved and threw the flower at Shougetsu. The flower transformed into an arrow in midair and tried to pierce him. But as soon as the arrowhead hit his chest, it melted away and was sucked into his body. There was no other way to see that. ¡°It¡¯s pointless to fight with your own family. If you¡¯re going to fight, use a toribe,¡± (2) Shougetsu, with a cold face, said somewhat disappointedly. ¡°What, you didn¡¯t even know that? Or did the Raven forget? You ate too many flowers.¡± Cold sweat was pouring down Jusetsu¡¯s back. She wanted to run away from here, but her feet were stuck to the ground and couldn¡¯t move. Her shoulders were heaving. ¡°But you know to be afraid of me. Hmm.¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t understand a single thing you are saying¡­¡± Jusetsu¡¯s voice was wrung out from between pained gasps. It was the first time she had ever heard such a thin, quavering voice from herself. ¡°Very well. I understand that you don¡¯t know anything. You see, I¡¯m a haburibe of Kakurenomiya¡ªI suppose they would call me a guizishou (executioner) here¡ªand the Raven¡¯s older brother.¡± Kakurenomiya¡ªthe country where the gods lived, said to be on the other side of the sea. He was an executioner there? Shougetsu, who seemed to feel as if he had explained everything, looked up above his head, his expression unchanged. Ah, he said in a somewhat sluggish tone. ¡°There it is. I was looking for it. I worked so hard to get to this island, and yet it disappeared on me.¡± Sumaru, he seemed to say. ¡°Come over here.¡± The sound of flapping wings was heard. There was also a ¡°Gah¡± cry. A bird perched on a nearby branch. White spots on brown feathers. It was the spotted woodpecker. ¡°I told you to come here. To me. You really don¡¯t listen to anything I say.¡± After being called again and again to come, the spotted woodpecker finally landed on Shougetsu¡¯s arm. ¡°Sumaru was originally the Raven¡¯s bird.¡± Jusetsu opened her dry mouth and formed the words. ¡°Who¡ªis this ¡®Raven¡¯ you¡¯re talking about? Is it me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not quite right.¡± It was the same line he said earlier. ¡°The Raven is the Raven. She¡¯s inside you. In there.¡± Shougetsu pointed at Jusetsu. ¡°Me?¡± Jusetsu pressed her hand against her stomach. ¡°I¡¯ve watched over her for a long time. I wasn¡¯t allowed to get involved. We are forbidden from interfering with this island. This is our land¡ªthe taboo island where those who are exiled from Kakurenomiya go. When the Raven was exiled for her crimes, when she washed ashore on this island, I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Shougetsu¡¯s face didn¡¯t change in the slightest, but his voice took on a faint hint of sadness. ¡°The Raven and I were born from a bubble on the sea that was split into two. We were originally one and the same, a single bubble. I was given the role of executioner, and the Raven was given the role of a misakibe, guiding the souls of the dead as they drifted in on ocean currents and winds. Souls are beautiful things. They twinkle in the darkness like pale white stars. The Raven and I lived in the night.¡± His story brought a strange feeling of nostalgia from deep within Jusetsu. She had never heard this story before¡­no, hadn¡¯t she heard something like this recently? A folktale from Ishiha¡¯s home village. No, that wasn¡¯t it. It was something that she had known for an even longer time. She didn¡¯t know. Her memories were mixed up and confused. ¡°But the Raven sinned. Tempted by the dead, she sent a soul back and revived them. Without knowing how serious this crime was. The Raven was a foolish and na?ve girl. Foolish little sister. That was why she was so dear to me. She is my only sister. I couldn¡¯t do anything for her. I could only watch her be exiled and feel her drift to an island far, far away. I wasn¡¯t allowed to interfere, so I could do nothing except wait and see from Kakurenomiya.¡± However, Shougetsu put force into his voice. ¡°I felt the Raven¡¯s power a little while ago. It was about to rampage within you. It was so nostalgic and dear to me that I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. That is why I sent to this here from Kakurenomiya along with Sumaru.¡± Shougetsu pointed to his body when he said ¡°this.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªI did pretty well, being so patient for a thousand years, didn¡¯t I?¡± Shougetsu pulled out a feather from the woodpecker. ¡°I have come to end your suffering. Raven Consort¡ªand my sister.¡± The feather turned into a double-edged sword. It was a straight sword, with star-like spots on the brown blade. It was a beautiful sword that shone brilliantly in the moonlight. The moment Jusetsu realized this, Shougetsu had landed firmly on the ground. The woodpecker flapped its wings. Onkei was the one who reacted first. He took out a dagger from his pocket, pulled it out of its scabbard, and at the same time, the hard sound of blades clashing resounded in the air. Shougetsu took a step back. He was holding his sword and observing Onkei closely. Slowly, he back away and kept a distance. ¡°This form is hard to move. The waves and the moon get into the way. If only this was the night of a new moon.¡± He complained, but his expression was unchanged. This ¡°vessel¡± was probably not designed to form facial expressions. Jusetsu didn¡¯t know if it was mud doll or something else, though. The feeling of panic that had been building up in Jusetsu was gradually calming down. Perhaps it was because she was with Onkei. If she panicked, he would be in danger as well. ¡°You came here to kill me¡ªis that right?¡± She asked as if to confirm, and Shougetsu took a pause. ¡°It¡¯s not like I want to kill you. But, in order to bury the Raven, I must destroy her vessel¡ªyou. Because the Raven is inside you.¡± Shougetsu spoke carefully and in order. It seemed that he really did have the intention of informing her. ¡°By Raven, you mean Wulian Niangniang, don¡¯t you.¡± She couldn¡¯t think of anyone else. Shougetsu took another pause. ¡°¡­That is the name you people gave her on your own. It¡¯s not the name I know. The Raven and the Owl are also not our names, but I won¡¯t tell you our real names.¡± So the Raven is Wulian Niangniang, and he came to bury her. And that meant he had to kill Jusetsu, albeit reluctantly. Jusetsu stared at Shougetsu. She couldn¡¯t read his face. He was a puppet, after all. However, from the way he spoke, he wasn¡¯t someone who couldn¡¯t be communicated with. He was conscientious enough to explain what she didn¡¯t understand. Even though he suddenly slashed at her with a sword. She told herself to calm down. Jusetsu had no intention of getting killed, and if she did, Onkei would probably be get dragged into it as well, so she couldn¡¯t afford to make a bad move. ¡°¡­Is Hou Shougetsu not your name?¡± Jusetsu shifted the subject a bit. She didn¡¯t know if he noticed. ¡°That is the name Master gave me. He looked after me.¡± ¡°Master?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what everyone around him called him. They called him Hou.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®look after you¡¯?¡± ¡°It was difficult to cross the sea, and I used up all my power to turn into this form. Master saved me when he found me collapsed. He brought me here.¡± He answered any question that was asked of him honestly. Even though he came here to kill her. What was with this sense of crookedness? ¡°¡­Do you need human blood too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± his expression was unchanged, but there was a hint of dislike in his voice. ¡°Because that thing I made is a human being. It takes blood to maintain it that way.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a human. It was just a mud doll. Why did you make that thing?¡± Jusetsu kept her voice down, but she couldn¡¯t hide the anger that was seeping out of her. Shougetsu tilted his head slightly and looked at her observantly. ¡°Because that was what that consort wanted. I think it was well done.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t well done. That thing wasn¡¯t brought back to life, nor did it have a soul. It was just a failure to make a human being.¡± ¡°But the consort was delighted that it was her brother.¡± ¡°You mean you did that to please her?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have gone through all that trouble if it weren¡¯t for that. The consort was so pitiful that I made it for her as a consolation.¡± Jusetsu was at a loss for words. She stared intently at Shougetsu¡¯s face. ¡°¡­There is a pond at Jakusou Palace. Have you ever been there?¡± The image of the old palace lady came to mind. ¡°I have. There was a demon there and I got rid of it. Such things are harmful if left alone. It¡¯s pitiful for the demons as well.¡± Jusetsu didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. ¡°Is that all? No more questions to ask me?¡± Shougetsu raised his lowered sword. Onkei also raised his dagger again. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Shougetsu was about to take a step forward when he suddenly stopped. Something grazed his toes and pierced the ground. It was an arrow. As soon as he saw that, another arrow pierced his shoulder. The impact made Shougetsu take a step back. The sound of objects cutting through the wind made him quickly turn around and hide behind a tree. Arrows fell to the ground. Jusetsu turned around. She saw several figures at the entrance of the forest. Koushun was standing in the middle. Ei Sei was standing before him like a shield. On either side of him, there were rokuboushi eunuchs with nocked bows and drawn swords. Jusetsu turned to Shougetsu again. She couldn¡¯t see him behind the tree. Him hiding meant that arrow attacks worked against him. Even though Jusetsu¡¯s arts didn¡¯t work. Since he was a doll, that meant that it would be bad for him if his vessel broke. Speaking of which, he said it himself. In order to bury the Raven, he had to break the vessel¡ª ¡°It¡¯s not as if I¡¯d die if I got shot by an arrow, but if this tsukaibe¡¯s arms or legs get broken, I¡¯ll have to remake them again. How bothersome.¡± The voice came from the top of the tree. He seemed to have climbed the tree. The eunuchs armed with bows aimed at it, but it was dark and the branches and leaves were in the way. Koushun approached in silence. He gave Jusetsu a once-over and asked, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Jusetsu shook her head. ¡°Is that Shougetsu?¡± Koushun said as he looked up at the tree. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We were just looking for him. We came right on time.¡± ¡°I do not know if that is good or not. He is not a normal human being.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to ghosts already. No, he got hit by an arrow. Hmm.¡± Koushun fixed his eyes on the top of the tree. ¡°Did he say he was going to remake his limbs? Is he also a type of mud doll?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if he is made of mud or not.¡± ¡°If he is a doll, then we can destroy him.¡± Koushun said in a casual manner. At the same time, Ei Sei sharply released something from his hand. Something fell from the darkness of the branches. It was Shougetsu. Even though he fell to the ground, the sound of impact was strangely light. A knife was stuck in his ankle. That must have been what Ei Sei threw. Shougetsu didn¡¯t even pull out the knife, but crouched down and looked up at Jusetsu and the others. The arrow in his shoulder also remained there. ¡°The emperor, huh. I would like you to stay out of my way.¡± When Shougetsu said that, Ei Sei pulled out a dagger from his bosom. Koushun raised his hand to stop him. ¡°If you want to hurt the Raven Consort, then I have no intention of standing idly by.¡± Koushun¡¯s voice was dispassionate and quiet. Shougetsu scrutinized his face. Koushun also looked back at him as though inspecting him. ¡°Even I don¡¯t want to kill an innocent girl. If you want to hate someone, hate Koushou.¡± Koushou¡ªthe first Raven Consort. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She is the cause of everything. She imprisoned the Raven within her own body.¡± Koushun glanced at Jusetsu, then looked at Ei Sei, who had the other eunuchs move away from the surrounding area to a position where they couldn¡¯t hear anything. ¡°Koushou¡­¡± Jusetsu spoke. ¡°Did she not restrain Wulian Niangniang under Yamei Palace? That is why the Raven Consort is said to be her warden.¡± Jusetsu was taught that, and it was also written as such in the history book at Yamei Palace. ¡°Warden,¡± Shougetsu spat out and laughed mockingly. ¡°What a crafty little girl she was. She offered up herself and the numerous women who succeeded her as vessels and put a seal on them so they couldn¡¯t escape, but she never spoke about her own crimes. She is a criminal. A monster. I hate that woman.¡± Shougetsu¡¯s voice was cold, and even his unchanging expression showed the shadow of hatred. ¡°It is unforgiveable to use a living thing as a vessel. It will inevitably cause corruption. For us and for you, it is a forbidden art. Koushou had violated this taboo.¡± Shougetsu looked at Jusetsu. ¡°You suffer on every night of the new moon, don¡¯t you? Your soul is being nearly torn apart because the Raven within you is escaping. I can¡¯t even imagine that pain. The Raven within you is causing you to suffer.¡± Jusetsu didn¡¯t want to recall the pain on the nights of the new moon. She was taught that the Raven Consort and Wulian Niangniang was one in body and soul. Was this what it meant? The bottom of her stomach chilled. Wulian Niangniang was within her. The word ¡°monster¡± came to mind. ¡°I know you¡¯re afraid of me. But it is the Raven who fears me. I am the executioner who hunts the residents of Kakurenomiya who have sinned. You are already halfway to becoming the Raven. You were given life in this world as yourself, but it is being taken from you without you realizing it. What a horrible thing Koushou had done¡ª¡± Shougetsu closed his mouth and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Koushou made the Raven eat flowers. She continuously fed them to her. They were a poison. They make us intoxicated. The Raven had already lost itself.¡± Shougetsu spoke with pain in his voice, like it was being wringed out of him. Flowers, Jusetsu murmured. She looked down at her palm. Was he talking about the flowers she offered to Wulian Niangniang at night? Were those poison? ¡°But even so, I watched over her. For a long, long time, to the point where I was on the verge of losing my mind. But a little while ago, I felt the power of the Raven overflowing. It was her cry. A cry of anger and pain. It was raging within you. You must have been angry at that time too.¡± Raging¡ª¡ª. Jusetsu remembered the time when she almost lost control of her anger in front of Hyougetsu. At that time, heat swirled in her stomach and it completely overwhelmed her. ¡°It¡¯s time to put the Raven out of its misery. As befitting my title of executioner, (3) I am here to bury my sister. And to do that, I must kill you.¡± Before he finished speaking, Shougetsu got down on one knee and swept his sword sideways. The tip of his sword tore Jusetsu¡¯s clothes. Onkei pulled her body back at the last minute. Shougetsu quickly stood up and slashed at Jusetsu, who had lost her balance. Onkei caught the sword with his dagger, but Shougetsu flicked it away with his long sword. Onkei fell to his knees from the momentum. Shougetsu brandished his sword at Jusetsu¡¯s neck. She felt a chill on her neck, probably from the wind pressure created by the blade. Just when she thought that her head was going to be cut off, Jusetsu¡¯s arm was grabbed with great force and she was pulled backward. Falling on her side, she felt the coolness of the earth and the strong scent of the grass rubbed against her. It was strange that she could be conscious of such things at a time like this. In addition to those things, she felt the warmth of someone¡¯s skin. Jusetsu was being held in someone¡¯s arms. She knew who this warmth belonged to. It was Koushun. Koushun, who had draped himself over Jusetsu, stirred slightly. When he got up, a metallic scent grazed against her nose. ¨D¨DIt was blood. A shiver ran through her and her fingertips went cold. Jusetsu jumped up. ¡°Koushun¡ª¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Before Jusetsu could say anything, Koushun expressionlessly pressed his hand against his arm and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s just a graze.¡± It seemed that his arm had been cut. He said it was just a graze, but blood was dripping from the cuff of his sleeve. Jusetsu pressed her chest. Her heart was beating fast. Her fingers were still cold and she was shaking. She heard the sound of blades clashing. She looked up and saw Ei Sei deflecting Shougetsu¡¯s blade. Ei Sei¡¯s dagger made the sword jump up. When Shougetsu staggered slightly, Ei Sei thrust out his blade, but Shougetsu jumped back and kept his distance. With his sword in his hand, he watched Ei Sei closely. It was then that Jusetsu heard a piercing cry. It wasn¡¯t the woodpecker¡¯s voice. It was a voice that was very familiar to her. A golden-colored thing flew out of the bushes near Shougetsu. ¡°Xingxing!¡± Flapping its golden wings, Xingxing flew to Jusetsu. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Xingxing let out another cry, though it probably wasn¡¯t in response to her question. ¡°Harara.¡± Shougetsu called it. He sounded annoyed. ¡°Useless toribe, what did you come here for?¡± Xingxing spread its wing wide menacingly. Toribe, Jusetsu muttered in her head. ¡°If you¡¯re going to fight, use a toribe.¡± Jusetsu plucked a tail feather from Xingxing. It instantly transformed into a golden arrow. The arrow of the golden bird, the arrow that would fly to the next Raven Consort. Jusetsu understood that this was it. Jusetsu threw the arrow at Shougetsu with all her strength. The arrow, shining golden in the wind, aimed at him sharply. The arrow hit his shoulder. At that moment, his shoulder burst and shattered. It wasn¡¯t flesh that scattered with a light bursting sound, but bird feathers. Owl feathers with brown and white stripes. Jusetsu¡¯s hands were moving before she could think, and she released another arrow. It pierced Shougetsu¡¯s solar plexus. This time, there was a sound like the shattering of thin glass. His chest puffed out before feathers were blown off in all directions. Not only his chest, but also his legs and arms turned into his feathers in succession. The robes, now empty, flopped to the ground. Only his head hadn¡¯t yet turned into feathers and fell down as it was. His face was still expressionless, but his lips were moving. No sound came out, and Jusetsu didn¡¯t know what he said. It was most likely the Raven¡¯s real name. Before falling on the ground, the head also transformed into feathers. Owl feathers covered the surrounding ground. All remnants of Shougetsu disappeared without a trace. Only the moonlight illuminated the owl feathers. Volume 2 - CH 4.3 With one shoulder exposed, Koushun¡¯s injured arm was being bandaged by Ei Sei. Jusetsu watched them out of the corner of her eye as she gathered the owl feathers. ¡°It isn¡¯t a serious injury. It¡¯ll heal quickly. I¡¯ve had worse injuries.¡± After the treatment was over, Koushun put his sleeve back on and said indifferently. Indeed, she had caught glimpses of old wounds on his body. But he had to be in pain after being injured. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. Thank you.¡± After saying those few words reticently, Koushun and Ei Sei looked at each other. Jusetsu silently stuffed the feathers into a sack. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should leave these feathers here or not. She decided to collect them for the time being and keep them in Yamei Palace. Onkei helped her, but Jusetsu continued her work without exchanging much words with him. She felt ashamed of herself for not being able to do anything against Shougetsu, and she didn¡¯t have the energy to speak. If Xingxing hadn¡¯t appeared, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything. Harara, Shougetsu had called Xingxing. Was that Xingxing¡¯s real name? There were many things she didn¡¯t know. Jusetsu pressed my hand against her stomach. Gyoei¡¯s words echoed in her mind. ¡°A monster will be born from within you.¡± Will I become a monster? ¡°You are already halfway to becoming the Raven. You were given life in this world as yourself, but it is being taken from you without you realizing it. What a horrible thing Koushou had done¡ª¡± Did Koushou not think that far? Or did she know that, and still offered up the Raven Consort as a vessel? Did Reijou and the previous Raven Consorts know about this? What about the Winter Minister? The Raven Consort was imprisoned in the inner palace. Moreover¡ªmoreover, even her mind and body didn¡¯t belong to her. Something crumbled and became lost from within Jusetsu. She hid herself as a survivor of the Ran clan, her mother was killed, she was chosen as the Raven Consort, and lived her life in the midst of many things over which she had no control, but she still believed that she had to stand on her own two feet and survive. She thought that her own self was the only thing no one could step into and take away from her. With that¡ªnot as something she needed to believe in, but as a matter of course¡ªas her core, Jusetsu stood tall. Is who I am now really me? How much of me is me and how much is the Raven? Will the Raven take everything away one day? Or had it already done it? Her vision became blurry. I can¡¯t bear it, she thought. ¡°Lady Jusetsu.¡± Onkei called out. Jusetsu raised her head. ¡°Jiujiu and the others will be waiting for you at Yamei Palace. I¡¯m sure you must be feeling chilled from the night air, so I¡¯ll have them prepare a cup of warm tea for you,¡± Onkei squeezed the mouth of the sack closed, hung it from his sash, and held out his hand toward Jusetsu. ¡°Can you walk, Lady Jusetsu?¡± Jusetsu stared at the hand offered to her, and then slowly reached out her hand. Onkei¡¯s hand was warm. Her cold fingertips finally felt warmth. It was a warmth that seemed to seep into her. Onkei took her hand and stood up. Xingxing had disappeared at some point. It might have returned to Yamei Palace immediately. Jusetsu, Koushun called, and she turned around to see him walking towards her, searching for something in his pocket. ¡°What is it, sweets?¡± Jusetsu asked. It had become a given that anything he was hiding in his pocket was usually sweets. ¡°No,¡± It seemed that this time was different. Koushun took one look at what he had pulled out of his pocket and furrowed his brows. He then put it back in his pocket. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you next time.¡± ¡°What, you can¡¯t show it to me? Now I¡¯m curious.¡± Koushun reluctantly pulled his hand out of his pocket. He took Jusetsu¡¯s hand and placed the object on it. It was a fish-shaped ornament. It was carved out of wood, down to the finest scales, and the tail fin looked like it was about to move at any minute. ¡°You made it already?¡± When she said that she was afraid of losing the glass ornament, Koushun had said that he would make one for her out of wood. That conversation had happened today. ¡°I can make something like this quickly. I visited Yamei Palace to deliver it to you.¡± There, he had run into Jusetsu, who had just left the palace. ¡°But I was careless. I must have chipped it when I fell down.¡± Jusetsu looked closely at the fish and saw that the fish¡¯s dorsal fin was slightly chipped. She thought that it was just the shape. She wouldn¡¯t have noticed if she hadn¡¯t been told about it. ¡°I¡¯ll make a new one.¡± Koushun held out his hand. It seemed that he wanted it back. Jusetsu gazed at the fish and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need a new one.¡± The fish had a pale red cord tied to it. Jusetsu put it through her sash and tied it. The fish hung from her sash. It swayed every time she moved, resembling a fish jumping. ¡°It¡¯s better if it¡¯s chipped a little. Otherwise, it would start swimming away.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªIs that so?¡± Jusetsu swung the fish hanging from her waist with her fingertips. Koushun smiled slightly when he saw that. ¡°I¡¯m glad you liked it.¡± Jusetsu glanced up at him and then looked away. She turned on her heel and walked toward Yamei Palace. ¡°I did like it. ¡­Thank you.¡± Without looking back at Koushun, Jusetsu sped up her pace. Onkei was before her, keeping an eye on their surroundings as they walked. The moon was bright. The warmth, which was both a heavy chain and a poison that bound Jusetsu, was now pulling on her hand and keeping her from falling. This might be a mistake, something that broke her promise to Reijou. But even so¡ª¡ª. ¡°Ei Sei.¡± On the way back to the inner court, Koushun called to Ei Sei. Ei Sei, who was holding a candle and walking in the front, slipped closer to him. Surrounding them were the eunuchs of the rokuboushi. ¡°There are a few things that need to be investigated.¡± ¡°This is regarding Shougetsu, yes?¡± Ei Sei was perceptive. Koushun nodded. There were a number of questions. Questions from before, such as who was he. In the first place, how was Shougetsu allowed into the inner palace as a eunuch? Not only that, but how was he hired by a consort¡¯s palace? How did he get travel papers? ¡°¡­He has a collaborator.¡± His murmur melted into the darkness of the night. After passing through the gate of Seiu Temple, Koushun headed straight for the rear building. He hadn¡¯t announced his visit ahead of time, so when the acolytes saw him, they rushed out of the building and dropped to their knees. When he asked them if Gyoei was there, he was led to their usual room. Gyoei arrived immediately. It was as if he had been waiting for Koushun. ¡°I heard you were injured the other day, Your Majesty. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°You¡¯re very well-informed. It¡¯s not serious. Just a scratch.¡± Gyoei nodded, seemingly relieved by those words and Koushun¡¯s usual demeanor. ¡°I¡¯m very glad to hear that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re relieved?¡± ¡°Well, of course.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Koushun closed his mouth and turned his face towards the latticed window. The sunlight was dazzling, causing him to squint. He had been thinking about how he should broach the topic even before he came here. ¡°The one who wounded me was a eunuch named Hou Shougetsu. He is a new chi¡¯er.¡± Have you heard about that as well, he asked. Gyoei stared at his face intently. As if trying to guess his true intentions. ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Shougetsu enticed the Magpie Consort, caused the death of a palace lady and brought disorder to the inner palace. Naturally, his origins were investigated in detail. On his travel papers, it was written that Shougetsu is the nephew of a man named Hou, but I know that person doesn¡¯t have a nephew or anything of the sort. In other words, the papers were forged. Who arranged those papers? One more thing. Shougetsu wasn¡¯t a eunuch who the vulture stewards bought from a broker. He was allowed to enter the inner palace based on the recommendation of an official. That was why Jakusou Palace trusted him and employed him. Who was the recommender? The person who did both those things was Shuku Kou, the general secretary of the Ministry of Personnel.¡± Koushun stared at Gyoei¡¯s face, but his complexion didn¡¯t change at all. ¡°You know Shuku Kou very well, I think. He used to be an acolyte here. He was one of the people you trained. Apparently, they all remembered your kindness and still love you dearly. Why did you involve someone like that?¡± Only when Koushun said so did Gyoei¡¯s lips quiver. He bit his lip. ¡°Shuku Kou didn¡¯t confess what you asked him to do until the very end. But there were people who saw and heard that you visited him. Even a secret meeting in the shadows of the night isn¡¯t something that can be concealed.¡± ¡°Did you torture him?¡± ¡°You made it happen.¡± Koushun said quietly, but authoritatively. Gyoei held his tongue. ¡°Why?¡± Koushun asked another question. ¡°Why did you send Shougetsu to the inner palace? What is the relationship between you and him?¡± He choked on his words and continued talking as though to spit them out. ¡°Did you do all this knowing that Shougetsu came here to kill Jusetsu?¡± Gyoei didn¡¯t avert his gaze. Koushun felt pain, as if he was the one being cross-examined. ¡°I knew.¡± Gyoei answered calmly without looking away. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about Shougetsu at first. Hou Ichigyou was an old friend of mine. I haven¡¯t seen him for a long time, but I received a letter from him for the first time in a while. He wanted travel papers to be prepared, so I asked Shuku Kou for help. At the time, I thought I was just doing a small favor for an old friend. To my surprise, they came to visit me and asked me to help Shougetsu enter the inner palace as a eunuch. Since there are many people who become eunuchs because they were destitute, such requests weren¡¯t unusual. It is better to have a recommendation, so you would be treated well once you entered the inner palace. However, Shougetsu didn¡¯t seem to be struggling financially, and I didn¡¯t understand why he wanted to become a eunuch. He was a strange man. No, he wasn¡¯t a man. It wasn¡¯t necessary for him to go to a plucking house, as he was neither a man nor a woman. More to the point, he didn¡¯t even seem like a human.¡± Gyoei took a breath and moistened his lips with tea. ¡°Shougetsu answered when I asked him. He said, I want to go to the Raven Consort. When I asked why, he said he had to kill her. I didn¡¯t hear anything more. On top of not being a normal human being, he had some sort of duty to bear. I also asked Shuku Kou to send him to the inner palace.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Koushun¡¯s voice had unusually lost its composure and became agitated. ¡°By doing that, it would be no different than if you had sent an assassin to kill the Raven Consort.¡± ¡°That was precisely what I did.¡± Koushun was speechless at Gyoei¡¯s response. ¡°I decided that if Shougetsu wasn¡¯t a normal human, then I mustn¡¯t stop the course of events. Whether she is killed by Shougetsu, or she turns the tables on him, it is not up to me to decide. That is destiny. Even if it kills the Raven Consort¡ªLady Jusetsu.¡± ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t care what happens to her? Even though she¡¯s so fond of you?¡± Jusetsu had visited this place many times. She was listening attentively to Gyoei¡¯s stories about Reijou. Even Gyoei had to have known that. Gyoei¡¯s eyebrows twitched and his eyes shook. He looked down. ¡°¡­Your Majesty, you¡¯re always sympathizing with Lady Jusetsu in that way.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I have admonished you many times. I have repeatedly told you not to be too close with the Raven Consort. But you didn¡¯t listen to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°The Raven Consort is a solitary existence. She does not desire anything, she keeps herself away from others, and she spends her life alone in Yamei Palace. Your Majesty, you asked me Why, why, but I would like to ask you the same question. Why did you think I was receiving Lady Jusetsu with kindness? I cannot help but find it strange that you think so.¡± Koushun stared at Gyoei in astonishment. ¡°Lady Jusetsu has a eunuch and palace ladies who serve her. She even has you. Lady Jusetsu is blessed. Unlike you, I don¡¯t pity her. Ever since Your Majesty came here out of concern for her, I have never once thought that way. Lady Jusetsu is surrounded by people. Even the emperor cares about her. Never once did the emperor care for Lady Reijou in that way. None of the emperors before you gave the slightest thought to her. Lady Reijou was alone. She was always alone, all by herself!¡± Gyoei¡¯s hoarse and bloody shouts echoed in the room. ¡°Did anyone save her? Did anyone exert themselves for the sake of Lady Reijou? Why Lady Jusetsu? If only Lady Reijou had an emperor who cared about her¡ª¡± Gyoei pounded the table with his fist. The tea cups overturned, and tea spilled onto the floor. The sounds of dripping tea were unusually loud. It sounded like tears falling. Gyoei¡¯s fist was trembling. Koushun stared at it. ¡°¡ªShe had Jusetsu,¡± Koushun said. Gyoei looked up. ¡°Reijou would have had Jusetsu. It was she who taught Jusetsu how to read and write, showed her the way of things, and loved her. Anyone can tell just by looking at Jusetsu how much love and care Reijou poured into her. Jusetsu¡¯s existence was that great to her. Was that not Reijou¡¯s salvation?¡± Gyoei looked at Koushun silently. ¡°That is the girl you tried to kill.¡± Koushun¡¯s voice was quiet. Gyoei¡¯s moustache twitched, but no words came out. Koushun recalled the sarcastic tone of the aloof and easygoing Gyoei, the look on his face when he was caught off-guard, and the crease between his eyebrows when he was playing Go. Jusetsu wasn¡¯t the only one who frequented this place. For Koushun, the time he spent here were brief moments of relaxation. They were lost and would never return. Never again. Koushun stood from his chair. ¡°You said you wanted to retire. I¡¯ll allow it. Leave this place without a word to anyone.¡± He had no intention of publicly punishing Gyoei. At a time when the empress dowager had just died, he didn¡¯t want to cause a stir about another reprehensible scheme. Gyoei bowed. ¡°I am grateful for your kindness, Your Majesty.¡± Koushun left the room without saying anything. He hadn¡¯t known anything about the anger and sadness that Gyoei had hidden in his heart. He couldn¡¯t see any of it. Gyoei sometimes hid his face to avoid having his expression read. He wasn¡¯t aware of its significance. No, he was aware of it, but unconsciously avoided pursuing it deeply. Many things slipped through the gaps between his fingers, scattering into the darkness. In the end, there would surely be nothing left. It was like a dim and cold shadow was approaching him from behind. Gyoei left Seiu Temple that same day and, as he had said before, went to live with his younger brother in the castle town. It was several days later that Koushun learned the news that Gyoei had committed suicide. In a corner of the imperial palace, there was a place called Koshi Palace. It was a private residence of the emperor, but it was small and not very luxurious. It was a sort of a retreat for spending time quietly. A messenger with a palanquin came to Jusetsu to ask her to go there. Of course, it was an invitation from Koushun. After stepping out of the uncomfortable palanquin, she saw a plaque that read ¡°Koshi Palace¡± hanging from the tile-roofed gate. She passed through the gate and walked down the stone-paved path to find only one small building. There wasn¡¯t even a garden. The view was good, but she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of forlornness. The pillars of the palace weren¡¯t painted red, and the wood was left bare. On the edge of the roof, there were decorative tiles of an old man riding a giant turtle, and cast-iron lanterns hanging from the eaves. When the eunuch opened the doors, a light rustling sound was heard. She wondered where it came from, but then noticed that the copper-plate banners around the room were fluttering and rubbing against each other. It was a strange room. At her feet, she saw the whole surface of the stone floor was inlaid with gold. Connections of circles and lines. They apparently depicted stars. As she walked while gazing at it, she found a couch at the back of the room and Koushun sitting there leisurely. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± That was the first thing that came out of her mouth. Koushun motioned with his hand for her to sit down next to him. There were no other chairs there, so Jusetsu had no choice but to sit down on the edge of the couch. By all rights, no one was allowed to sit next to the emperor, but Koushun kept his promise to treat her as the Winter King whenever they were alone together. ¡°The Winter Minister has changed. He wants to introduce himself to you, so I told him to come here.¡± ¡°Did Gyoei retire?¡± Jusetsu felt somewhat dejected. He had said for quite a while now that he was going to retire, but she hadn¡¯t expected him to do it before she knew it. ¡°Yes.¡± Koushun¡¯s answer was brief. She wished they had informed her before Gyoei retired, but neither he nor Koushun had any obligation to tell her. However, she felt a little sad. ¡°He told me his brother and his wife are living in the castle town. Is he living with them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t be able to see him anymore.¡± Jusetsu couldn¡¯t leave the imperial palace. Unless Gyoei came here, she would never be able to see him again. Koushun didn¡¯t say anything, only staring at the stars on the floor. ¡°Who is this new Winter Minister? Have I met him before?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He has been working in the back of the temple until now. He is the one who has been running Seiu Temple with a scanty budget and staff. He¡¯s still young. I believe he is just over forty.¡± Jusetsu learned that he was the person who Gyoei had named as his successor for some time. ¡°Since he¡¯s the Winter Minister¡ªhe knows what the Raven Consort is, does he?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Koushun¡¯s reply was short. ¡°¡­How much do Winter Ministers know?¡± Jusetsu suddenly murmured. Until now, she assumed that the secrets known to the Winter Minister and the Raven Consort were the same. However, Gyoei had suggested that there was a monster¡ªWulian Niangniang¡ªwithin Jusetsu. That was something she hadn¡¯t known. There were probably more things she didn¡¯t know, but did the Winter Minister know everything? ¡°Dajia.¡± Ei Sei walked into the palace and went before Koushun with quiet, gliding steps. ¡°The Winter Minister is here,¡± he announced. A man arrived, escorted by another eunuch. He was a tall, thin man dressed in bluish-black robes and a dark gray futou with a pintail duck¡¯s feather tucked in it. He was a tall, thin man. His cheeks were hollow and pale, and his eyes were piercing. He looked like a sick man. The man came to Koushun and Jusetsu and knelt down. ¡°I have just been granted the role of Winter Minister. My name is Tou Ken, and my courtesy name is Senri.¡± His voice was low, but unexpectedly amicable and soft. At first glance, he seemed like a high-strung and fussy man, but that surprisingly might not be the case. ¡°I have always been prone to illness, and I¡¯m not a considerably robust person. However, I want to fulfill my role for the sake of Master Gyoei, who has supported me until this point.¡± Senri said with downcast eyes. This softened the sharp impression of his eyes. ¡°Is Gyoei doing well in retirement?¡± Jusetsu asked. Senri looked at Koushun for a moment. He quickly returned his gaze and answered, ¡°Yes. I hear that he¡¯s doing well.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She wondered if he was playing Go with his younger brother. ¡°I would have liked to play Go with Gyoei once. I am not a strong player, but I think he¡¯s weaker than Koushun.¡± Koushun smiled a somewhat melancholic smile. He, too, seemed to be lonely now that Gyoei had retired. ¡°If it is Go, then I can play a little as well,¡± Senri said. ¡°If you¡¯re fine with me as your opponent, I¡¯m always available.¡± ¡°You must be strong. You have that sort of face. And so, people like you say, ¡®I can play a little.¡¯¡± When she frowned, Senri laughed. She was surprised by his unguarded smile. Perhaps he was more cheerful than he seemed. ¡°Master Gyoei has been researching the Raven Consort for a long time,¡± Senri said, a faint smile still on his face. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ve noticed that successive generations of White Smoke¡­Winter Ministers also didn¡¯t know many things.¡± ¡°Many things?¡± ¡°For example, the fact that Wulian Niangniang is sealed within the Raven Consort.¡± Reflexively, Jusetsu looked at Senri¡¯s face. He nodded lightly. ¡°The one who succeeds the Winter Minister are given the Soutsuten¡ªthe other Soutsuten. The Raven Consort has it as well. We inherit nothing else. Therefore, the successive Winter Ministers only know what is written in the Soutsuten. However, Master Gyoei seemed to have done his own research beyond that. I say ¡®seemed,¡¯ because I learned about this from the many notes left behind by him. I haven¡¯t sorted through all of them yet, but Master Gyoei seemed to have been researching very diligently. Apparently, he stopped after the death of the previous Raven Consort¡­¡± Oh, I see. Jusetsu understood. He must have been doing all this research in order to save Reijou. But he couldn¡¯t help her. He couldn¡¯t set Reijou free. ¡°First, I would like to organizing all of Master Gyoei¡¯s findings. After that, I intend to follow in his footsteps and continue his research. I¡¯ve always been good at such things.¡± ¡°Would it not be quicker to ask Gyoei himself about his research?¡± ¡°He would scold me with, ¡®Is this something you have to ask a retired old man to understand¡¯?¡± He would say that with plenty of sarcasm, Senri said with a smile. ¡°I would also be outraged about that. I believe this is a task left to me by Master Gyoei.¡± Jusetsu could imagine Gyoei¡¯s sarcastic words easily. The smile carved into Senri¡¯s hollow cheeks was a mixture of nostalgia and affection. It was clear that Gyoei and Senri had trusted each other deeply. ¡°If it would help you in any way, Lady Jusetsu, then I would have done my duty as the Winter Minister who succeeded Master Gyoei.¡± Senri said, choosing his words carefully. Jusetsu tilted her head a little. Why would helping her be a fulfillment of his duty?¡± ¡°I believe that the Winter Minister was originally supposed to be a helper to the Raven Consort.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¡°At the very least, I want to help you, Lady Jusetsu.¡± Jusetsu stared at Senri¡¯s face. Senri was pale and thin and looked like he was about to collapse at any minute, but she felt a strange sense of security with him that made her feel as though she could entrust herself to him. If I had a father, perhaps he would be like this, Jusetsu thought. With that, Senri bid them farewell and left. The Winter Ministry seemed to be in good hands. ¡°As expected, Gyoei has a trained a good successor.¡± ¡°It seems like it.¡± Koushun was of few words today. Jusetsu turned to him. ¡°Does your wound hurt?¡± Koushun looked puzzled. ¡°No, why do you ask?¡± ¡°You look like it.¡± She said the same thing she had said to Senri. Koushun let out a small laugh. ¡°Do I?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re tired, you should go back and rest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said, but made no move to stand up. ¡°¡­I believe I¡¯ve slept in your bed once before.¡± ¡°You did. It caused me a great deal of trouble.¡± ¡°I had the most peaceful sleep I ever had at that time. I feel like I had a good dream.¡± He said, ignoring the ¡°trouble¡± part. ¡°That¡¯s my bed, not yours. I won¡¯t let you use it again.¡± ¡°Maybe it would be better if you were with me.¡± ¡°I am not your bed.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true,¡± Koushun said, and then stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve said something foolish. Forget it.¡± Jusetsu looked up at Koushun¡¯s face. ¡°You can¡¯t sleep?¡± Koushun looked down at her. ¡°¡­Somewhat.¡± Jusetsu gestured to the spot next to her and pressed him to sit down. It was an imitation of what he did earlier. Koushun obediently sat down again. She took his hand. ¡°You¡¯re freezing. Even though it¡¯s summer. Are you eating well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m eating.¡± ¡°Not being able to eat is bad, but it is also unwise to force yourself to eat. It would only put a strain on your stomach. I hope you aren¡¯t only eating cold food because it¡¯s hot. It¡¯s good to eat rice porridge with green onions and ginger. It warms the body. Also, eat some lychees. It improves the circulation of the qi,¡± Jusetsu said as she rubbed Koushun¡¯s hand. ¡°Also¡ª¡± As she was thinking about what he should eat, she sensed Koushun smiling. ¡°What?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ Did you learn that from Reijou as well?¡± ¡°From Keishi. She¡¯s the servant at Yamei Palace. Keishi is fastidious about food. When I came to Yamei Palace, I was like a withered branch, so she took care of me.¡± She learned the rubbing hand trick from Reijou. Whenever Jusetsu dreamed of her mother¡¯s exposed head and jumped out of bed, Reijou would warm her hands so she would sleep well. She told him this and said, ¡°When you can¡¯t sleep, have someone rub your hand like this.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Koushun leaned back on the couch and seemed to be relaxing. ¡°The Magpie Consort has died,¡± he murmured. Jusetsu stopped her hands and looked up at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t want her to die.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite natural.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not simply mourning her. Considering who her father is, she had to live.¡± ¡°The Magpie Consort¡¯s father¡­he is in the cold faction¡­and the assistant minister of the Palace Secretariat, yes?¡± ¡°Yes. He must hold a grudge against me.¡± ¡°I¡ªdon¡¯t think he would. You had nothing to do with what she did. That blame is misplaced.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s the way it is. If only she hadn¡¯t entered the inner palace, if only I had returned her to her parents¡¯ house earlier. Even if I suppress such reproaches with reason, they will continue to smolder from the bottom of my heart. And the flames of these feelings will eventually lead to a great fire.¡± Just as I can¡¯t forgive the empress dowager, he said. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my mother and Tei Ran, I don¡¯t know if I would have been fixated on the throne. It was emotion that moved my heart.¡± Jusetsu started massaging Koushun¡¯s hand again. His hand was getting warmer, but she knew that this couldn¡¯t warm his heart. ¡°I¡¯m also disgusted with myself for not being able to simply mourn the Magpie Consort¡¯s death from the bottom of my heart,¡± Koushun said matter-of-factly, but to Jusetsu, it seemed like a cry from his creaking heart. ¡°¡­Burn a silk feather.¡± ¡°A silk feather?¡± he asked back. ¡°Take a moment to mourn for the Magpie Consort yourself. Only then will you be dedicating yourself to solely grieving for her.¡± Koushun stared closely at her face. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°I will burn one as well. So that the Magpie Consort will not be lost on her journey across the sea.¡± So that Koushun would also not be lost. This was the first time that Jusetsu prayed for Koushun. When she returned to Yamei Palace, Jusetsu took out a silk feather from the cupboard, wrote the Magpie Consort¡¯s name on it, and burned it. Watching the pale red bird fly away, Jusetsu thought of Koushun. For the first time, she wondered what she could do for him. It wasn¡¯t to repay Koushun protecting her and getting injured or for offering her help. It was just something she suddenly thought of. She could no longer see the bird. In the sky that was so blue that it seemed like it would dye your hand azure if you dipped it in, kneaded white clouds formed puffy mountains. The sky itself was dazzlingly bright. Jusetsu, staring at it with squinting eyes, turned back inside the palace. She headed for her cupboard and took out a piece of paper. With the inkstone and brush still out, she placed the paper on the table and sat down. After thinking for a little bit, she picked up the brush. On that day, Jusetsu sent a letter addressed to a certain government official. After Koushun took off his outer robe, Ei Sei removed the bandages around his arm. The wound was already closed, and there was no longer pain. However, Ei Sei¡¯s brows were furrowed as he looked at the scar. ¡°Dajia¡ª¡± The scar was only a faint line. It healed rather quickly. However, strangely, a bruise resembling a striped pattern had emerged next to the scar. It wasn¡¯t a bruise from being hit. It was a brown bruise. It looked like owl feathers¡ª. ¡°It¡¯s nothing unusual.¡± Koushun fixed his clothing. In fact, even with the bruise, nothing changed. Besides, the bruise seemed to be fading. It would disappear soon. ¡°If anything unusual happens, you must let me know.¡± Koushun left the room after saying this to Ei Sei, whose worried look didn¡¯t leave his face. He headed for an outer palace from the inner court. He walked through a walkway and came out to a corner of the lotus pond. There was a large palace in front of him, but he stopped without going in there. The buzzing of insects came from here and there, and it was so hot that one would break out into a sweat as soon one stepped out into the sun. Even so, the wind that glided over the pond reached him, and the shaded walkway was cool. As he gazed at the lotus buds that had already closed, a eunuch announced the arrival of a retainer. He knelt down in front of Koushun and bowed. Koushun had Ei Sei and the other eunuchs withdraw and called out to the retainer. ¡°Come next to me, Koukei.¡± Yes, Koukei stood up and walked to Koushun¡¯s side. Kin Koukei¡ªthe Magpie Consort¡¯s father. He was a good-looking man in his fifties. But now, he was care-worn and a shadow of his former self. His hair, which until recently was quite dark for his age, was now gray. He had resigned from his position of assistant minister and it was decided that he was leaving the imperial court. Officially, the Magpie Consort died of illness and the palace lady was bitten by a wild dog. However, he, the father, wasn¡¯t blamed. ¡°I can offer no sufficient apologies to you, Your Majesty.¡± Koukei was battered by grief. How must it feel for a father to lose his son, his daughter, and then have to apologize to others? It was beyond the scope of Koushun¡¯s imagination. ¡°There is no need for you to apologize to me. You should mourn your children and take care of your wife.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Koukei¡¯s expression broke down and he gritted his teeth, as if unable to bear it any longer. Tears welled up in his eyes and overflowed. ¡°My, my apolo¡­¡± Unable to speak, he wiped his cheek with a handkerchief. He was an honest man, trusted by other officials, and did excellent work. It would be a great blow to Koushun to lose him. ¡°From a young age, they were the closest of siblings, complementing each other¡­¡± Wiping away his tears and regaining his composure, Koukei began to speak haltingly. ¡°It was my wife who said that they were a little too close. Embarrassingly, I¡¯ve never noticed such things¡­ I discussed with my wife that it would be best to marry Keiyou off before an indiscretion is committed, but I knew that we couldn¡¯t sever their relationship by simply marrying her off into another family. I thought that if she was in the inner palace, they would no longer be able to see each other, and so they would have no choice but to give up on each other, or their feelings would naturally drift apart. It was an exceedingly insolent reason to put her in the inner palace. That was our crime. That is why Keiyou had done what she did. I never¡­never expected that she would do such a dreadful¡ª¡± Koukei clutched his handkerchief. No amount of regret would be enough. Koushun patted his arm lightly, silently telling him not to be too hard on himself. Tears welled up in Koukei¡¯s eyes again, and he hurriedly pressed his handkerchief over them. ¡°Truly¡­I couldn¡¯t have been happier if Keiyou was also able to adore a kind person like you, Your Majesty¡­¡± I am in no way kind, Koushun thought. He had been thinking that by letting Keiyou die, he would lose Keiyou and be hated by him. Though Koukei couldn¡¯t have read his inner thoughts from his expressionless face, he smiled faintly. ¡°I know you are a kind man, Your Majesty. You burned a silk feather for Keiyou, did you not?¡± Koushun was shocked. He had never told anyone about this. The only person who knew that he secretly burned a silk feather would be Ei Sei. And he would never tell anyone about it. ¡°How¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ve received a letter from the Raven Consort.¡± ¡°From the Raven Consort?¡± Now he was even more shocked. Jusetsu sent a letter to Koukei? ¡°She said that she burned a silk feather so that Keiyou¡¯s soul would not be lost. She said that you also did the same thing, Your Majesty. That was what she wrote. I never expected to receive a letter from the Raven Consort, and I was astonished. I had received a compassionate letter from a being deep in the inner palace, who may or may not exist, who may be a human or a ghost, who to me is like a ghost story¡­ I could keenly feel her condolences for Keiyou in her letter. The Raven Consort is a kind person, isn¡¯t she. And so are you, Your Majesty.¡± Koushun was speechless. He never expected Jusetsu to do such a thing. Moreover, this was most likely¡ªfor Koushun¡¯s sake. He had thought it was strange that he didn¡¯t feel any deep-seated resentment from Koukei to him. He wondered if Koukei was good at hiding it or if he had always been like that. Jusetsu¡¯s letter comforted his heart. Koushun didn¡¯t know why, but at this moment, he felt the urge to cry. As the cold, dim shadows were constantly chasing him, he suddenly remembered how to breathe. That was how it felt. He had always wanted to save Jusetsu. There was also a sense of guilt because he had silently chosen the path of binding that girl to the inner palace. He also knew that what Shougetsu had told her would hurt her even more. Jusetsu should have been wounded all over. Even if her body wasn¡¯t injured, her heart was probably deeply wounded. So how, Koushun wondered, did she have the time to think carefully about him? Him, of all people. The Summer King who imprisoned the Winter King. It was only then that Koushun realized that he had underestimated Jusetsu. As he realized his own hubris, his stiffened heart, frightened of the shadows, slowly began to loosen. He could breathe. It was salvation. It was the salvation he had been seeking while giving up on the idea that he would ever obtain it. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Koukei said in surprise. ¡°Your Majesty¡­are you crying for Keiyou¡¯s sake?¡± No, that¡¯s not why. Unable to utter a word to clear up the misunderstanding, Koushun simply stood there in silence. The wind that blew across the surface of the pond lightly caressed the tear that ran down Koushun¡¯s cheek. Volume 3 - CH 1.1 I¡¯m back guys~~! This is the volume where a bunch of new characters are introduced and we start the overarching plot of the series. Translation Notes 1. Banka is written with the characters Ííϼ which means ¡°evening glow,¡± while Chouyou¡¯s name is written with the characters ³¯ê– which means ¡°morning sun.¡± Previous || Index || Next At the deep, deep bottom of the sea, stretched out in the silence of the night, I am always waiting. In the dead of night, Ishiha woke up. He quietly rose from his bed so as to not make any sound. He felt like he just had a bad dream. It was because his throat was dry. The rain he had been hearing before he fell asleep had already stopped, but the damp scent of rain that was characteristic of the end of a shower drifted in the air. ¨D¨DIt¡¯s different from the scent of the sea. It was different from the smell of the tide, mixed in with that somewhat fishy smell, that clung to his skin. Ishiha hugged his knees on his bed. He hated waking up in the middle of the night. That was when he was the loneliest and the saddest. Memories of his hometown and of the time when he was made into a eunuch swirled around in his head, making his chest squeeze tight. He was having trouble breathing and he pressed his forehead against his knees. He choked back a sob. ¡°¡­You can¡¯t sleep?¡± He heard Onkei¡¯s voice in the darkness. He felt him getting up in the bed next to his. Ishiha shared a room in Yamei Palace with his senior, Onkei. He hastily apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I woke you up.¡± It was dark, so his tear-stained face couldn¡¯t be seen, but he sounded nasal. He could feel Onkei staring at him. Onkei slipped off his bed and left the room. Just as Ishiha was panicking, wondering if he had irritated him, Onkei immediately returned. He was holding up a candlestick. His face emerged from the darkness with the flickering flames of the candle. ¡°Here.¡± Onkei held out a cup. It was filled with water. He seemed to have drawn it from the water jug in the kitchen. ¡°You must be thirsty.¡± ¡°Y¡­yes. Thank you very much.¡± Ishiha drank the water, wondering how did he know. His parched throat now quenched, he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Everyone has nightmares for a while after they become a eunuch.¡± That was all Onkei said in his quiet voice. He was a beautiful man, but there was an unapproachable coldness in his appearance that made Ishiha too nervous to approach him. However, the gentle smile that sometimes appeared on his lips told him that he was a warm person at heart. ¡°Mr. Onkei, was it like that for you as well?¡± There was no answer to that question. Onkei blew out the candle and darkness returned to the room. The faint wisp of smoke from the blown-out flame faded quickly. The smell of smoke and water mingled together. There was the sound of Onkei crawling into his bed, and Ishiha laid down as well. The water that soothed his throat slowly seeped into his chest and loosened his stiffened heart. His eyelids naturally drooped, and he was lulled to sleep as though rocked by the waves. In the waves, the image of his hometown floated and disappeared. His parents, the village elders. The fireside on stormy days, the sound of the wind beating at the window, and the starry sky after the storm had passed, like silver sand scattered across the sky. The elders¡¯ tales. The islands born from the chopped-up god. The lost souls blown into the cove. The one or two new lives raining down from the river of stars. He wondered if the baby born next door was growing up healthy. He wondered how his siblings were doing. How was his childhood friend, Ayura, doing¡ª¡ª It seemed that the rain had stopped. Jusetsu turned her attention to the latticed window. Late at night, beyond the lattice, all she could see was a deep indigo darkness. Water was seeping into the darkness. When the rainy season began, there would be large downpours of rain all at once, but they didn¡¯t last long. After the rain, the soil, greenery, and even the darkness became fresh, as if they had come back to life. The scent of life was strong. Jusetsu didn¡¯t care for this time of the year. No, it might be Wulian Niangniang who didn¡¯t like it. She didn¡¯t know. Jusetsu looked at the table. What she had been looking at until then was placed there. It was a necklace of two strands of black pearls. A delicate rainbow pattern played on the jet-black surface in the light. These black pearls were the feathers left behind by the ¡°Owl.¡± The remains of what was once Shougetsu, who was created by the Owl. Shougetsu had turned into feathers and disappeared, but Jusetsu had gathered those feathers and stuffed them into a hemp sack. They turned into black pearls overnight. She asked the Directorate for Imperial Manufactories to string them into a necklace. We were born from sea foam¡ªthat was what the Owl had said. Was that why his feathers turned into pearls? Jusetsu let out a sigh, placed the pearls in a mother-of-pearl box, and put it in the cupboard. It wasn¡¯t as though she would know the answer just by staring at it. Jusetsu no longer knew who she was. Was she the Raven, was she ¡°Jusetsu,¡± or was she a mixture of both? The Raven came here from the distant Kakurenomiya. This was the taboo island where gods who committed crimes drifted to. The Raven was trapped in Jusetsu so that she couldn¡¯t escape. Just as the Owl made the doll called Shougetsu, Jusetsu was a vessel for confining the Raven. If she was shattered, would her body turn into feathers and become pearls as well? Jusetsu let out a small laugh. At night, when she had her attendant Jiujiu retire for the night and was left alone, an unbearable emptiness began to take root in her chest. Loneliness could be endured. However, emptiness ate into her heart little by little. Right now, she wasn¡¯t being swallowed up by it because Jiujiu and the others were here with her. Even if she was disobeying Reijou¡¯s words in the process. Xingxing, who had rested its wings at Jusetsu¡¯s feet, raised its head. Jusetsu looked back at the door. Xingxing spread its wings and made a fuss. Jusetsu gently flicked her hand and opened the doors. It was a visitor who had come to ask for a favor from the Raven Consort. Now, she could understand painfully why the Raven Consorts had accepted the requests of the people of the inner palace until now. They wanted to be connected to people. As they weren¡¯t even sure of their own minds, if they couldn¡¯t rely on anyone, they would at least like to be useful to someone and have a connection with others, even if it was just a thin thread. ¡°L-Lady Raven Consort. I have a matter I wish for you to¡­¡± Before she could speak, the doors opened, and the flustered palace lady falteringly said this. ¡°You may enter.¡± Jusetsu sat down in a chair. The palace lady also sat across from her while looking around nervously. Judging from her appearance, she seemed to be an attendant of some palace. Her ruqun was of fine silk, and her sash was adorned with an ornament of white coral with a violet-colored decorative cord. ¡°I am the Crane Consort¡¯s attendant at Hakkaku Palace. My family name is Ki, and my given name is Senjo.¡± The attendant introduced herself. She was a thin woman with a slender and pale face. Her hands were tightly clasped together in front of her chest, and her body was trembling slightly. ¡°What is your business here?¡± When Jusetsu asked her that, Senjo took a deep breath. Hesitant to speak, her gaze wandered, then she looked at Jusetsu with imploring eyes. ¡°A ghost has been visiting me.¡± Senjo¡¯s nails were digging into her clasped hands. She closed her eyes and repeatedly exhaled and inhaled, perhaps to calm herself. She touched the white coral hanging from her sash, and as she stroked it, her breathing finally evened, and she spoke again. ¡°¡­The ghost only comes on rainy nights. It comes to the door of my room. It doesn¡¯t even knock on my door, much less come in. How do I know that a ghost is visiting me? I hear its footsteps. Footsteps walking in the rain. It walks steadily and stops in front of my door. When the rain stops, its presence disappears. There is a puddle in front of the door. It cannot be a person. A few times, I couldn¡¯t help but peer through the lattice window. I see a black shadow there. But I can¡¯t make out its appearance. It¡¯s right there, but I can¡¯t see it. Only its feet in long boots are visible. All that I can see other than that is water dripping from its clothing. No matter how hard I look, its face is indistinguishable, as if it¡¯s covered in shadows.¡± After speaking with a trembling voice, Senjo let out a deep breath. Her shoulders were heaving. While she was talking, even now, she was stroking the white coral frequently. It seemed that she couldn¡¯t calm down unless she was fiddling with something. Jusetsu got the impression that she was high-strung, but that might be because she was haunted by a ghost. Her almond eyes, which would be charming otherwise, were red. Jusetsu peered at her face, and then spoke. ¡°When did this begin happening?¡± ¡°It began on the first rainy night on my journey from my hometown to here.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t start after you came to Hakkaku Palace?¡± ¡°Yes. I have always been an attendant of the Saname clan¡ª¡± ¡°Saname clan?¡± ¡°It is Lady Banka¡¯s family. Do you not know it?¡± ¡°I know not. Who is Banka?¡± Senjo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Perhaps remembering that the Raven Consort was someone isolated from society, she cast down her eyes and said, ¡°I beg your pardon.¡± ¡°The Saname clan is a wealthy family from Ga Province. They are a clan that migrated from the country of Kakami a long time ago, and they were once feudal lords who governed the whole of Ga Province, but now they have stepped away from government and are a powerful family with a large number of manors. Ga Province is a rich land, and the Saname clan is in no way inferior to that of a great merchant.¡± Jusetsu recalled hearing that the Crane Consort¡¯s family was wealthy when she visited Hakkaku Palace before. ¡°This Banka is the Crane Consort, yes?¡± ¡°That is correct, Lady Raven Consort.¡± ¡°Despite her family name sounding foreign, her given name is in the Shou-style.¡± ¡°Lady Banka¡¯s name was given to her by His Majesty when she entered the inner palace. Since long ago, the Saname clan has never revealed their true names to others. Since the head of the Saname clan, Lady Banka¡¯s father, calls himself Chouyou, His Majesty gave Lady Banka her name to match him.¡± (1) ¡°I see, afterglow, huh.¡± It was a stylish name. That man could do something so elegant? Jusetsu thought of Koushun¡¯s face, which always lacked expression. ¡°Master Chouyou was also very happy. And¡ªum¡­¡± Her face said, What were we talking about again? ¡°We were talking about when the ghost appeared. You said that it was after you left your hometown, and you have been an attendant of the Saname clan for a long time.¡± ¡°Yes, that was the case. So, nothing happened when I was with the Saname clan in Ga Province. When it was decided that Lady Banka was to be married to His Majesty, on the way from Ga Province to the capital, there was a night when it rained, and that was when it started. It happened when we were staying at an inn.¡± Seeming to recall that time, Senjo trembled. ¡°Even after the rain stopped and the ghost disappeared, I couldn¡¯t sleep for the whole night. Even now, when it starts to rain after dark, I¡¯m out of my mind terrified. Tonight as well¡ª¡± ¡°It was raining just now, was it not?¡± Senjo nodded while trembling. ¡°After I confirmed the rain had stopped and the ghost had left, I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and came here. I have no other choice but to rely on you, Lady Raven Consort.¡± ¡°Do you wish for me to drive away the ghost?¡± ¡°Yes. Please fulfill my request. I will prepare compensation for you, so please¡ª¡± Jusetsu thought about it for a moment. A ghost that only appears on rainy nights¡ª? ¡°¡­I¡¯m quite curious.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°The fact that it doesn¡¯t come through your door weighs on my mind. You say that it only stands there and does nothing?¡± ¡°Yes, but,¡± Senjo was about to protest, but Jusetsu held up her hand to stop her. ¡°On the other hand, I am also concerned about the fact that it is following you. It seems that it isn¡¯t a ghost that has settled down in the inner palace.¡± Senjo paled at the words ¡°following you.¡± ¡°I wish to investigate where the ghost appears. Tomorrow, I shall visit your room. And then¡ª¡± Jusetsu stood up and brought over a piece of hemp paper from the cabinet. ¡°¡¯Tis merely for peace of mind, but I¡¯ll give you this amulet. It is for protection. It¡¯s the type of thing that sorcerers walk around giving out, but weak ghosts will not come near you with this.¡± Senjo gratefully accepted the amulet, which had strange characters written on it in ink. ¡°Do you not have any clue as to the identity of that ghost?¡± At Jusetsu¡¯s question, Senjo hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°No.¡± She hugged the amulet against her chest and quickly left the pitch-black palace. Jiujiu was always noisy in the morning. She talked incessantly while bringing in the water basin for washing her face or while getting breakfast ready. It was like the chirping of a little bird. She rambled on about things like how it wouldn¡¯t rain today because winter wrens were flying high in the sky, or how it was good weather for laundry, or how the rice cakes in the kitchen had mold on them. ¡°In my hometown, they say that if the Fishing Star looks hazy, then it¡¯s going to rain,¡± Ishiha said as he helped prepare breakfast. ¡°They don¡¯t say that around here. We don¡¯t have the custom of looking up at the night sky because they close the doors at night.¡± Ishiha¡¯s hometown was a small fishing village. For those who made their living by fishing, the stars were an important guidepost for finding directions. ¡°For us, it¡¯s very important to know where the stars are and when they appear.¡± ¡°Then, your tribe isn¡¯t afraid of the night, then? They say that Yeyoushen appears at night.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re afraid of Yeyoushen. That¡¯s why we wear charms against our skin and don¡¯t go fishing on starless nights. We¡¯re afraid of monsters coming out of the waves and dragging our boats down to the bottom of the sea on dark nights.¡± It was very interesting to hear about Ishiha¡¯s hometown, which was very different from this area. Jusetsu had never actually seen the sea with her own eyes. The exception was through the eyes of the Raven who slipped out of the inner palace on nights of the new moon. ¡°The sea must be a terrifying thing.¡± Jusetsu murmured as she scooped up her porridge with a spoon. Ishiha laughed brightly. His tanned skin wrinkled tightly. ¡°It¡¯s scary, but it¡¯s also warm. It¡¯s like a cradle.¡± ¡°A cradle?¡± ¡°The waves. They come and go, like a very big cradle,¡± Ishiha gestured like he was rocking a cradle. ¡°Besides, they tell us that you have to be afraid. Otherwise, people will underestimate the sea. We should be afraid of it.¡± ¡°Did your village elders tell you that?¡± ¡°Yes. They taught us a lot about the sea and the stars.¡± Jusetsu supposed that it was similar to what Reijou was like to her. She blew on her scooped-up porridge to cool it. The congee with snow fungus and dried day lilies was so hot that it would burn her throat if she didn¡¯t cool it down enough. It would be nice if they could serve it a little cooler, but the old servant Keishi would never allow it. She always said that food must be served when it was hot because it would quickly get colder and colder. She finally put the cooled porridge into her mouth. The crispy snow fungus was one of Jusetsu¡¯s favorites. The pine nuts sprinkled on top of the porridge were fragrant and nourishing. In Keishi¡¯s mind, Jusetsu would always remain a small, underfed child, and she still only prepared nourishing food for her. ¡°Niangniang, what are your plans for today?¡± Jiujiu asked. Usually, her answer was ¡°nothing in particular,¡± but today was different. ¡°I¡¯m going to Hakkaku Palace.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going out? It¡¯s been a while,¡± Jiujiu suddenly sounded excited. ¡°Then, this is a good opportunity for you to wear the clothing that was given to you by Hua Niangniang recently. The pale purple raw silk robe and peach-colored skirt¡­the crystal hairpin will do.¡± She spoke like a full-fledged attendant. ¡°I don¡¯t need to dress up so excessively,¡± Jusetsu reminded her, but the exuberant Jiujiu wasn¡¯t listening. Since she seemed to be in a good mood, Jusetsu thought, Oh well, and gave up. Jiujiu liked dressing up Jusetsu. According to her, it was boring how Jusetsu usually dressed in black. As soon as she finished breakfast, she was made to change clothes. The colorful clothing was a gift from Hua Niangniang¡ªthe Duck Consort, Un Kajou. Kajou wanted to take care of Jusetsu as if she were her younger sister. She often had garments tailored and sent to her even though she said she didn¡¯t want them, and Jusetsu, unable to ignore them, reluctantly accepted the gifts. Why did those around her never listened to her? Jiujiu kept changing the sash and hairpins, taking on the task of changing her clothes until she was satisfied. Jusetsu simply stood there. She kept silent, because it would only prolong the process if she interfered. ¡°Are we finished?¡± Jusetsu asked Jiujiu, satisfied with the pale red crystal hairpin and the dangling gold hairpins. ¡°I believe so,¡± Jiujiu nodded with an air of importance. Kougyou, who was helping with Jusetsu¡¯s change of clothes behind her, had her shoulders shaking with amusement. Leaving the care of Xingxing to Ishiha, Jusetsu left Yamei Palace with Jiujiu. For some reason, the usually-difficult Xingxing had taken a liking to Ishiha and became attached to him. Xingxing¡ªdidn¡¯t the Owl call it Harara? Could that be its real name? As Jusetsu passed through the woods surrounding Yamei Palace, she looked up at the treetops. With a cry of ¡°gah,¡± a bird landed there. Brown wings with white spots. It was the spotted woodpecker. She thought that bird had also disappeared when Shougetsu scattered into feathers, but it was living in this forest. ¨D¨DDidn¡¯t he say that this bird is a tsukaibe? Was that why it was staying here? Nothing could be gleaned from the eyes of the woodpecker¡ªSumaru. They went through the woods and headed north of the inner palace. Onkei, who was Jusetsu¡¯s bodyguard, was most likely watching over her from somewhere in the shadows. That was why she was walking without much caution. Within the inner palace, it was filled with trees, blooming flowers, waterways, and sturdy mud walls. The tiled roofs of the palaces looked like waves as they reflected the sunlight. Just as Jiujiu said, it didn¡¯t look like it would rain today. Senjo must be relieved as well. ¡°What business do you have at Hakkaku Palace?¡± Jiujiu asked as they walked down the alley between the mud walls. ¡°I received a request.¡± ¡°Ah, so a visitor did come last night. You slept until quite late this morning, so I wondered if that was the case,¡± Jiujiu pouted a little, like she was sulking. ¡°That¡¯s why I always asked you to let me stay up until much later.¡± ¡°One never knows when visitors like that will come. It is useless to stay up late for them. You and the others have to wake up early in the morning.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Jiujiu didn¡¯t look happy. Jusetsu would lose if they continued this quarrel, so she changed the topic. ¡°Do you know the consort of Hakkaku Palace?¡± ¡°Was it the Crane Consort who visited last night? No, I¡¯ve never met her.¡± ¡°It was the Crane Consort¡¯s attendant. Even if you¡¯ve never met her, do you know anything about her?¡± Jiujiu tilted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t really know much. Hakkaku Palace doesn¡¯t have a very high rank within the inner palace, and it¡¯s located on the outskirts. Rumors about it don¡¯t reach this far. I believe she is a princess of Ga province. I heard that she is the youngest daughter of an old and powerful family, and that she is a generous person without the primness of a rich young lady.¡± Jusetsu also heard that she was very generous in giving away fabrics and hairpins before. Senjo had also been wearing fine clothing. ¡°There¡¯s talk that since the position of Magpie Consort is now empty, the Crane Consort or Swallow Mistress might be promoted. If anything, it seems more likely that the Swallow Mistress¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jusetsu still felt depressed when she thought about the Magpie Consort. The image of her blood splattering as her throat was bitten open flashed through her mind. Jiujiu, who seemed to have sensed Jusetsu¡¯s feelings, changed the subject in a panic. ¡°Oh, Niangniang. By the way, we have the peaches that His Majesty gifted us the other day. I¡¯ll peel them for you when we return to Yamei Palace.¡± ¡°I can peel a peach by myself.¡± ¡°But your hands will get all sticky. Ishiha makes quite a mess of himself, getting the juices all over his face.¡± ¡°He is a child, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Jusetsu let out a soft laugh. Ishiha wasn¡¯t accustomed to eating fruit, so he always made a big mess. It was quite adorable to see his mouth sticky with fruit juices. A hedge of juniper trees came into view. It was Hakkaku Palace. There were crane ornaments on the roof tiles. Jusetsu went around to the back entrance. When she came here before, she also entered from there. Just as before, there were palace ladies drying clothes nearby. There was a palace lady who remembered Jusetsu and had a look of ¡°Oh?¡± Jusetsu called out to her. ¡°There is an attendant I would like you to call for me.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you an attendant of Yamei Palace?¡± She tilted her head in confusion. ¡°But you aren¡¯t dressed like an attendant today.¡± It would be bothersome to explain, so Jusetsu didn¡¯t answer her question. ¡°Call an attendant named Ki Senjo here. She¡¯ll understand if you say it¡¯s someone from Yamei Palace.¡± However, before the palace lady could leave, there was the sound of running footsteps. ¡°Lady Raven Consort,¡± it was Senjo. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you. I didn¡¯t expect you to come from the back entrance.¡± Apparently, she had been waiting for at the front gate. Looking between Senjo, who was out of breath, and Jusetsu, who was called the Raven Consort, the palace lady¡¯s eyes widened. The palace ladies drying the clothes at the back were whispering to each other about something. There was awe in their eyes. It was the fear directed towards the Raven Consort, who lived quietly in a jet-black palace, darker than the darkness of night, deep within the inner palace, and took on any request from searching for lost things to curse killings. Jusetsu glanced at one of them, sensing something different in her gaze. Standing a short distance away, a palace lady was staring at Jusetsu. There was no fear in her eyes. That said, she didn¡¯t know how to describe it. It was neither friendly nor hateful. It was, dare she say it, something like earnestness. Did she have a request for the Raven Consort? ¡°Lady Raven Consort, please come this way.¡± Led by Senjo, they headed for the palace. They were guided to a palace next to the consort¡¯s residence in the center. It was the residence of many attendants. Across the courtyard was the building used by the emperor when he visited. Double-layered gardenias were blooming in the courtyard. The white flowers were as vivid and distinct as summer clouds, and their fragrance was strong. Their whiteness and scent would be recognizable even in the middle of the night. ¡°Apparently, peonies used to be planted here,¡± Senjo explained after following Jusetsu¡¯s gaze. ¡°I heard that His Majesty ordered the garden to be reconstructed. He must be pained by the memory of his mother.¡± Koushun¡¯s mother was the previous emperor¡¯s Crane Consort. ¡°I see,¡± was all Jusetsu said, and she looked away from the garden. Senjo¡¯s room was in a corner of the palace. It had a door and lattice window facing the outer corridor. When Jusetsu entered the room she saw that there was also a door and window at the back, and guessed that the ghost came from that side. She tried opening that door and going outside. The back was poorly lit, shadowed and cool. It was even darker because of the trees planted there. Beneath the shade of the leaves, Jusetsu stared closely at the ground. This was where the ghost was standing. ¨DThere is certainly indications here. The faint remaining presence of a ghost. ¨D¨DBut, this is¡­ ¡°How is everything, Lady Raven Consort?¡± Senjo timidly asked from inside the room. Jusetsu turned around. ¡°There is no doubt that there is a ghost coming here.¡± Senjo paled and pressed her hand to her chest. Jusetsu took a step back and pulled out a peony from her hair. She blew on it. The flower instantly turned into smoke and spread like a thin curtain as it wavered. Soon, the figure of a person began to appear beyond the smoke. It was indistinct at first, but gradually became clear. Its contours took distinct form, and vacant eyes and slightly opened lips emerged. Bloodless, pale lips. The ashen face belonged to a man in his twenties with a dishevelled topknot. Loose strands of hair fell over his forehead, and there was no light in his sunken eye sockets. There was the sound of water dripping. A puddle was created at his feet. No, it wasn¡¯t water. It was red. Something red was dripping from the hem of the man¡¯s robes. It was blood. His body was slashed from the base of his neck to his chest. Fresh blood poured down from his neck unceasingly. His blood stained his clothes and dripped onto the ground. Senjo collapsed onto the floor with a sharp, shrill scream. Jusetsu blew on the smoke and the man disappeared. She rushed over to Senjo and was relieved to find that she hadn¡¯t fainted. She and Jiujiu helped her to a couch. ¡°That was Saku Hashuu.¡± Senjo said with a pale face. Her voice was trembling and shrill. Her breathing was erratic, so Jusetsu rubbed her back to encourage her to take deep breaths. After taking two or three deep breaths, Senjo¡¯s complexion improved considerably. She squeezed the white coral hanging from her sash. ¡°¡­That ghost just now was named Saku Hashuu.¡± Senjo said after drinking some water brought by a palace lady and calming down. Her voice was still trembling. ¡°Was he an acquaintance?¡± ¡°Hashuu was my fianc¨¦. We lived in the same neighborhood, and we had been friends since childhood¡­even though it was called a betrothal, it wasn¡¯t so formal that we didn¡¯t even know each other¡¯s faces until the bride¡¯s veil is lifted at the ceremony, but rather a relationship where we knew each other well,¡± Senjo spoke softly, sometimes at a loss for words. ¡°In our region, we have a tradition of paying a visit to the shrine of the local god before getting married. Three years ago, we went to visit the shrine. I was accompanied by my mother and a servant, and Hashuu was accompanied by his parents and a servant. It takes two full days to get to the shrine on the mountain and back, so it was a bit of a sightseeing trip. Pilgrims would dismount from their horses at the foot of the mountain, and from there they either ascend on foot or by palanquin. Hashuu was a good walker, but everyone else were women or elderly, so we had to go by palanquin. That was a mistake.¡± Senjo sighed with deep regret. ¡°Starting from the first palanquin, Hashuu¡¯s parents, my mother, and I rode in that order, and the servants followed Hashuu¡¯s parents and my mother on foot. Hashuu accompanied my palanquin on foot, and since it was a mountain road, the palanquin bearers walked slowly and without haste. We proceeded without issue in this way for a while, but then it began to rain. The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and I could no longer see the palanquin in front of me, but it seemed that only the palanquin I was riding in was falling farther and farther behind. Hashuu became suspicious and urged the bearers to go faster, but the two bearers only gave vague replies and made little progress. I had heard that some bearers were miscreants who would threaten customers with exorbitant prices or even mug them, I had never imagined that I myself would cross paths with such wicked bearers. When we were picking bearers, we picked young men who looked as simple and honest as possible. They decided that it would be easier for them to attack me and Hashuu, who were unaccompanied by escorts. In the rain, they finally bared their fangs. They abandoned the palanquin and pointed knives at us, demanding money and goods. If that was all, Hashuu might have obeyed them for the time being. But they were also trying to kidnap me. Because of that, he¡ª¡ª¡± Resisted. ¡°Hashuu held the bearers back and told me to run. He told me to follow my mother¡¯s palanquin and ask for help, and he wouldn¡¯t be far behind. I ran. I fell many times because my feet got stuck in the wet ground. I had never hated the rain so much as I did during that time. By the time I returned after calling for help, Hashuu was already¡­¡± Senjo couldn¡¯t get the words out. She took a breath and then said in a hoarse voice, he was already dead. The bearers had fled the scene, but they were soon caught by the police. Since they mugged and murdered someone, they were of course sentenced to death. They had already been executed. ¡°¡­If Hashuu hadn¡¯t let me escape during that time, I don¡¯t know what would have happened to me. I can¡¯t believe that he¡­didn¡¯t cross over to paradise and wanders around as a ghost¡­¡± Senjo covered her face with her sleeve. However, it wasn¡¯t unusual that he would become a ghost if he was killed. Jusetsu wondered if Senjo had vaguely foreseen this. Last night, when she asked Senjo if she knew anything about the ghost, she had hesitated in her answer. She probably didn¡¯t want to consider it, her betrothed becoming a ghost. But, that ghost¡­ Jusetsu turned to the door again and looked outside. ¡°The ghost didn¡¯t appear when you were still in your hometown, yes? Also, he doesn¡¯t come in through the door.¡± Senjo turned around. ¡°Yes,¡± she answered and nodded. ¡°One thing is certain,¡± Jusetsu pointed at the door. ¡°That ghost is what we call a tsukaibe.¡± Senjo tilted her head. ¡°A tsukaibe¡­?¡± ¡°Someone has set him to work and sent him to you. To put it simply, he¡¯s being used as a tool. As a tool of a curse.¡± Senjo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A¡­a curse?¡± ¡°The traces of sorcery are immediately recognizable. But I know not the curser or their goal. There¡¯s no meaning in a sluggish curse where the ghost is simply standing outside a room only on rainy nights without haunting its target to death. I don¡¯t understand their intentions.¡± Jusetsu frowned. At this stage, I can only think that they simply want to scare Senjo. ¡°Returning a curse is easy. However, it¡¯s not wise to return a curse without a clear idea of the other side¡¯s intentions. This level of curse will not kill the curser even you return it. Rather, by returning it, they might even cast a new curse on you. Do you have any idea who is likely to curse you?¡± Senjo shook her head vigorously. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to investigate a little more now.¡± ¡°Investigate¡­what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°The people around you.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± Senjo looked worried. ¡°Are you saying that someone I know has cast this curse on me?¡± ¡°A curse wouldn¡¯t be put on you if the person had nothing to do with you. In fact, it would be easier to find you if they did.¡± Senjo ducked her head and looked around. ¡°What¡­what should I do?¡± ¡°Think carefully about whether there is any reason someone would cast a curse on you, or anyone around you who can cast curses.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Senjo nodded nervously. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll put a ward around your room. It seems that the ghost doesn¡¯t enter your room for now, but this is just in case he tries to enter.¡± Okay, Senjo pressed her hands to her chest, looking a little relieved. Jusetsu took out a shaft with thread wound around it from her pocket. She unwound the thread and circled the room with it, from corner to corner. ¡°¡­This technique was originally used by sorcerers. My arts aren¡¯t suited for delicate work.¡± Jusetsu muttered as she unspooled the thread across the floor. The principle was the same as the barrier that was previously used on the Jakusou Palace pond. The arts of sorcerers and the Raven Consort were similar yet different, different yet similar. Were they originally the same, or were they completely different¡ª? Jusetsu tied the ends of the thread in front of the door. ¡°This will do,¡± she said and stood up. Senjo thanked her profusely. ¡°This is not a fundamental solution, though.¡± ¡°No,¡± Senjo shook her head at Jusetsu, who was bewildered by her gratitude. ¡°I can sleep peacefully knowing that no one will come in.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Jusetsu studied her pale face. What good would it do to curse such a frail, powerless woman? She couldn¡¯t figure out the curser¡¯s goal. Curses were more or less magic that placed a burden on oneself. If it was returned to you, it could kill you, depending on the degree of the curse, and the greater the power of the returner, the greater the danger. It wasn¡¯t something with much benefit. Is the curser a sorcerer who¡¯s this confident that the curse can¡¯t be broken? However, if that was the case, she didn¡¯t understand the point of aiming for a mere attendant like Senjo. It would be different if it was someone with status like Koushun. The more Jusetsu pondered it, the deeper the wrinkles between her brow became. I sense something troublesome. These kinds of hunches were usually right. Volume 3 - CH 1.2 Jusetsu, who decided to return to Yamei Palace, noticed a group of people walking down the outer corridor. ¡°Ah!¡± Senjo let out a small cry and rushed to the side. ¡°That¡¯s the Lady Crane Consort,¡± she whispered to Jusetsu. Jusetsu looked at the girl walking behind them with her attendants accompanying her. She was nothing more than a girl. She wasn¡¯t a mature older woman like the other consorts she had met. She¡¯s like a butterfly. That was what she thought at first glance. The Crane Consort¡¯s steps were light, as though she was weightlessly flitting between flowers. The hem of her deep purple skirt, embroidered with silver thread, fluttered, and silver shoes peeked out from underneath. Her lustrous black hair was tied into twin hoops with the rest hanging down, and her dark eyes shone like the surface of shimmering water. A butterfly with beautifully fluttering wings. A butterfly that showed an unaffected interest in the unknown. The Crane Consort was staring straight at Jusetsu with her large eyes. ¡°Pardon me, are you the Raven Consort?¡± Her voice was also light. Standing in front of Jusetsu, she observed her without reserve in her large dark eyes. She was a little taller than Jusetsu, and she was probably about the same age. ¡°You look like a small bird,¡± the Crane Consort said after observing her thoroughly. ¡°Do you know a bird called a willow tit? You look just like that little bird.¡± Koushun also talked about that bird. He said that Jusetsu resembled it. Were they that similar? ¡°It has a black head and a white body. Its wings look silver in the sunlight and are very beautiful. I adore the color silver.¡± She said and narrowed her eyes in pleasure. Jusetsu frowned slightly. Could she possibly know that my hair is silver? The Crane Consort¡¯s shoes were covered in silver embroidery, and her hairpin was also silver. It was rare, because gold was mainstream for the hairpins of consorts. She must simply love silver. ¡°Did Senjo have a request for you? She hasn¡¯t been feeling well recently, so I¡¯ve been worried about her. When you¡¯re dealing with a ghost, you can¡¯t drive them away by giving them money. It¡¯s quite troublesome when the other party doesn¡¯t understand the way of the world.¡± Isn¡¯t that right? She tilted her head and asked for agreement. ¡°It isn¡¯t only ghosts who don¡¯t understand the way of the world.¡± ¡°Oh, truly? You and my father are quite similar.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Wasn¡¯t she a willow tit? ¡°Like you, my father is calm and collected.¡± It seemed that she wanted to say that her appearance resembled a willow tit and her mannerisms were similar to her father. But since Jusetsu didn¡¯t know how to answer her, she decided to keep quiet. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, what is your name?¡± ¡°¡­Ryuu Jusetsu.¡± ¡°Lady Jusetsu. I¡¯m Banka. His Majesty gave me this name.¡± Jusetsu knew that. She nodded lightly. ¡°Lady Jusetsu, would you like to have tea with me now? I¡¯d love to talk with you.¡± What did she want her to talk about? Ghost stories? Jusetsu couldn¡¯t quite grasp this girl called Banka. ¡°I have no desire for tea. I¡¯m on my way back.¡± She said flatly and flipped her sleeves. Talking with Banka didn¡¯t seem likely to yield anything about the curse. It would be better to ask the attendants later. She glanced at the ones standing behind Banka. No one had a particularly strange attitude. Like Senjo, they were wearing fine clothes, and some of them were also wearing white coral ornaments on their sashes. Perhaps it was trendy here. Banka tilted her head slightly as she stared at Jusetsu, who quickly left. ¡°Lady Raven Consort¡­Lady Raven Consort.¡± A palace lady called out to Jusetsu as she was about to leave Hakkaku Palace through the same back door she used before. Jusetsu recognized her as the palace lady who had stared at her like she wanted to say something. She was a petite girl with dry, red, adorable-looking cheeks. ¡°Um¡­I¡¯m a palace lady who worked at Jakusou Palace until recently,¡± the girl hesitantly said in a thin but clear voice. ¡°¡ª¡ªAt Jakusou Palace?¡± After the Magpie Consort passed away, the palace ladies and eunuchs attached to Jakusou Palace were reassigned. The doors of the palace were closed, and there was no longer anyone there. ¡°I was the one who lent the palace lady uniform to the consort.¡± Jusetsu¡¯s eyes widened at those unexpected words. Those clothes¡ªthe palace lady¡¯s ruqun the Magpie Consort was wearing when she secretly visited her. Was that the one? ¡°At that time, I knew that the Lady Magpie Consort¡¯s heart had been hurting for some time. But I just kept quiet and lent her my clothes.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was thin and trembling. ¡°The Magpie Consort seemed to be growing weaker and weaker by the day. Even when she was awake, she seemed like she was wandering around in a nightmare. We palace ladies had to inform someone when we feel that something is wrong with her. And yet¡­¡± We didn¡¯t do anything, the girl said, and hung her head. Jusetsu could feel the regret festering in her eyes. Jusetsu stared at the girl¡¯s trembling eyelashes. ¡°¡­Each person who goes through life day by day has their own limits. The phrase ¡®know your limits¡¯ is commonly said,¡± Jusetsu said. ¡°Your hands are too small to save the Magpie Consort. But when you look back at what has passed, your hands seemed much bigger.¡± Yes¡ªit was the same with Jusetsu. She looked at her own hands. What she could do with them was, as a matter of fact, insignificant. Even so, she couldn¡¯t escape the regret that she could have done more with her hands. ¡°Rather than lamenting, it is better to hold a memorial service for the deceased. So the soul of the Magpie Consort reach the end of the sea, cross the sea of stars, and become a healthy new life.¡± Prayer exists to scoop up feelings you can¡¯t do anything about, she thought. ¡°You should pray for her.¡± The girl looked up at Jusetsu with wet eyes and slowly nodded. ¡°Thank you very much. ¨D¨DI¡¯m glad that you¡¯re here, Lady Raven Consort. I¡¯m sure the Lady Magpie Consort feels the same way.¡± The tormented look on her face softened. The girl returned to her work. ¡°It was good that you came here today, Niangniang,¡± Jiujiu said, who was standing by her side. ¡°I¡¯m sure she feels much better now.¡± ¡°I¡ªdo not think I said anything remarkable.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it needs to be anything remarkable. Right now, that girl wanted you to listen to her, she wanted your words. All she needed was for you to listen to her and find words for her.¡± ¡°¡­Is that it.¡± Jusetsu¡ªthe Raven Consort wasn¡¯t that kind of existence. Still, she wondered if there was anyone in the world for whom these words became their salvation. As night fell, the grey clouds became thicker. It might rain. It was a very humid night, and the wind wasn¡¯t blowing at all. Jusetsu was sitting on the edge of the window, slowly fanning herself with a large fan. A moist, warm breeze caressed her cheeks. The darkness outside the window was more dense than deep, like the mud settled at the bottom of water. A small light flickered in that mud. Jusetsu stopped fanning herself. ¡°Is His Majesty here?¡± Jiujiu, sharp-eyed, noticed the change in Jusetsu¡¯s demeanour. ¡°I have to prepare some tea.¡± ¡°Tea would not do in this humid weather,¡± Jusetsu was astonished to see Jiujiu hurriedly heading for the kitchen. ¡°Then, shall I peel some peaches and serve them? We have some chilled in the well.¡± ¡°Rather, I¡¯m sure he brought something himself.¡± ¡°Oh, I have no doubt you¡¯re right, Niangniang. I wonder what His Majesty brought tonight.¡± Jusetsu¡¯s prediction was correct. When Koushun arrived, he had his personal attendant, Ei Sei, carry a basket of melons. They were sweet melons that had been offered to court as a gift. ¡°These are melons from Tou Province. There¡¯s nothing like these melons in the summertime,¡± Koushun said, but he didn¡¯t look particularly hot. Since he lacked facial expressions, it was difficult to tell whether he was unwell or healthy. Even so, he must be feeling hot, since he was loosely dressed in silk robes. The light indigo color was cool to the eyes. ¡°Melons are good for the body because they take the heat out of it,¡± Jusetsu said after she sat across from Koushun. ¡°If you don¡¯t sweat in hot and humid weather, the heat will be trapped inside you.¡± ¡°I see. Then I¡¯m glad I brought these,¡± Koushun answered dispassionately. His voice was as quiet and calm as ever, making one think of a composed and firm mountain in winter. Jiujiu brought over the sliced melons. ¡°I heard you visited Hakkaku Palace,¡± he suddenly said as brought a slice of melon to his mouth. Perhaps Onkei or someone else had reported it to him. ¡°Is there any danger?¡± Since the incidents with the Magpie Consort and the Owl happened, Koushun seemed somewhat worried these days. ¡°No. ¡ª¡ªI think,¡± the case of the curse from before came to mind, so she couldn¡¯t definitively say that there was nothing wrong. Koushun observed her closely. ¡°Should more guards be added?¡± he asked. ¡°Even if they can use a sword, there is no one who can use sorcery. There are times where there is nothing we can do.¡± ¡°The sorcerers were expelled by my grandfather¡­the Flame Emperor. But having a sword is better than no sword.¡± Swords and bows were rather more effective on Shougetsu. Having Onkei as her only guard in an emergency scared her. It wasn¡¯t that she was afraid of danger approaching her. She was afraid of sacrificing Onkei. ¨D¨DBut, on the other hand, increasing the number of people by my side is¡­ She took a slice of white melon and put it in her mouth. When she bit down on it, her mouth was filled with a refreshing juiciness. ¡°¡­Just one. It would be helpful if you could send me a capable person.¡± If she placed someone by her side, she would have to place another person there to protect them. More and more¡ªmore and more people. That was how it worked. That was why Reijou strictly admonished her. She didn¡¯t need an attendant. She shouldn¡¯t have a eunuch. The Raven Consort was a solitary existence¡ª¡ª. As the number of people increased, they would become the shields and swords of the Raven Consort. They would become the Raven Consort¡¯s¡ªthe Winter King¡¯s stronghold. Whether she wanted them to or not. She knew that in theory. But Jusetsu no longer had the heart to forsake everyone around her. ¨D¨DI¡¯m weak. I became weak. She didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°I¡¯ll send you someone from the rokuboushi. Those men are as tough as any military officer.¡± These were the eunuchs who were allowed to carry a sword and dealt with crimes in the inner palace. They were also an agency under the direct control of the emperor. When Jusetsu was attacked by Shougetsu, they were a great help to her. ¡°Who should we send?¡± Koushun glanced back at Ei Sei, who was standing behind him. ¡°How about Tan Kai? I think he would be a good match with Onkei,¡± Ei Sei¡¯s expression was cold as he answered. He always seemed to be in a bad moon whenever he was in Jusetsu¡¯s presence. Koushun lightly nodded in agreement. Turning to Jusetsu, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll send him to you tomorrow.¡± ¡°I heard that the Crane Consort is from Ga Province.¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s the youngest daughter of the Saname clan. Saname is¡ª¡± ¡°I heard. They¡¯re a powerful family that came here from Kakami.¡± ¡°They did, but that was a very long time ago. It was back when Ikahi Island still existed.¡± A long time ago, between Shou and Kakami, there was an island called Ikahi Island. It was used as a halfway point for ships, both business and personal, coming and going between the two countries. However, the island sank at some point, and traffic between the two countries became much longer. ¡°Ga Province is a good land. It is a fertile plain surrounded by mountains, and it has a port as well. Recently, they have been focusing on raising silkworms, and they have yielded high quality raw silk. They are somewhat far from the capital, but they can deliver their goods faster by using waterways.¡± Shou, an island nation, had many mountain ranges in the inland area, so the routes to the capital were mainly by sea, but the time it took to reach the capital had been shortened considerably thanks to the river-to-river canals built in the previous dynasty. ¡°If we can get high quality raw silk, we will not only be able to supply the capital, but also be able to do good business with other countries.¡± It was a casual remark, but Koushun¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. Thinking that it would be a pain if there were complicated circumstances, Jusetsu decided to change the subject. ¡°I heard you gave Banka her name,¡± she said as she ate a melon. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The members of the Saname clan never reveal their true names to outsiders. Only their parents know their true names.¡± ¡°They¡¯re controlling of their children.¡± To know someone¡¯s name was the ability to control someone. The Saname clan probably had stronger parental authority than others. ¡°I hear the children have a lot of respect towards their elders. Have you met the Crane Consort?¡± ¡°I have.¡± ¡°How did you think of her?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not good at dealing with that girl.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Jusetsu stared at Koushun. It was rare for him to say something like that. ¡°I haven¡¯t interacted with her enough to answer your question, but she seems to be a good-natured girl.¡± ¡°She has no malice. But¡ªI can¡¯t tell what she¡¯s really thinking.¡± ¡°But everyone is like that,¡± Jusetsu said, but she somewhat understood what Koushun was trying to say. Banka was a slippery girl. One couldn¡¯t tell what she thought of you, whether she liked you or not. ¡°The Crane Consort¡¯s father is also a man who¡¯s difficult to read. The Sanames aren¡¯t governors of the province nor do they hold any central government office, but they are the de-facto rulers of Ga Province. The native ruling families and officials dispatched from the capital do not get along. That¡¯s natural. But the Crane Consort¡¯s father is doing just fine. It seems that he is winning the officials over. ¨D¨DIf you¡¯re going to frequent Hakkaku Palace, you should be careful.¡± Jusetsu wondered if he deliberately made the daughter of someone he was wary of his consort. In other words, she was a hostage. Is Banka a hostage to curb the Saname clan? Koushun spoke plainly, but she couldn¡¯t identify the feelings behind his words. She mused that he and Banka¡¯s father might be very similar. ¡°Come to think of it, the Crane Consort told me that I resemble her father.¡± Koushun tilted his head slightly. ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not our appearances. She said that we are both similarly calm.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Koushun looked even more puzzled. ¡°She told me that I resembled a willow tit. You¡¯ve also told me that before.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªA willow tit. The Crane Consort said so?¡± Koushun frowned slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± Koushun fell silent with a grave look on his face. Was he thinking about the fact that the willow tit¡¯s plumage was silver? ¡°¡­The request came from the Crane Consort¡¯s attendant?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s being haunted by a ghost.¡± Koushun looked at her face. ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard for you?¡± Jusetsu blinked. Koushun suddenly lowered his gaze, seemingly searching for the words. ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard to live a life where all you do is listen to the requests of those who come here?¡± He was talking about the Raven Consort¡¯s way of life. A bitter smile appeared on Jusetsu¡¯s lips. ¡°Too late for that now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking because it is now.¡± This was all because he heard what the Owl said. ¡°¡ª¡ªNevertheless, there¡¯s nothing that can be done. That isn¡¯t allowed.¡± For the peace of Shou, the Winter King must exist, and the Raven Consort must not appear officially as the Winter King. Jusetsu couldn¡¯t leave the imperial palace and must live here for the rest of her life. All the while suffering the pain of being split apart every night of the new moon. Koushun was silent, seemingly thinking about something. Jusetsu didn¡¯t speak any more than that and simply turned her face to the latticed window, staring into the darkness. In the past, she might have gotten irritated by Koushun¡¯s kindness. But now, his words quietly and calmly seeped into her heart like rain. On the contrary, it pained her all the more. When Koushun was about to leave, he glanced at Jusetsu¡¯s sash. ¡°You¡¯re wearing it.¡± The fish-shaped ornament was hanging from her sash. It was a wood carving made by Koushun. Its tail was a bit chipped, but Jusetsu wore it as it was. The chip came from the time when Koushun defended Jusetsu from the Owl¡¯s blade. Jusetsu also looked down at the fish and toyed with it slightly with her fingertips. She thought that it was adorable how it swung when she walked. ¡°I¡ªlike it very much.¡± Koushun paused for a bit when she said that. Perhaps he was surprised that she was being surprisingly straightforward. ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± He said, and laughed just a little bit. The strong scent of gardenias hung in the air. The fragrance of these flowers sweetly masked both the scent of the air after rain and the scent of grass. It looked like the petals had absorbed the moonlight, and perhaps their beauty was more striking in the evening or in the deep darkness rather than in the morning sun. Enveloped in the suffocating scent of gardenias, Jusetsu was led to Senjo¡¯s room once again. ¡°The ghost came again last night, but thanks to the reassuring power of your ward and amulet, Lady Raven Consort, he was not as terrifying as before.¡± Thank you very much, Senjo said. Indeed, her color did look much better today. ¡°And¡ªnow I know the ghost is Hashuu,¡± Senjo smiled sadly. ¡°I don¡¯t think he would do me any harm even if he becomes a ghost.¡± ¡°Ghosts are transformed beings. ¡®Tis best to keep that in mind,¡± Jusetsu cautioned. Senjo nodded obediently and said, Yes. Jusetsu told Jiujiu, who was accompanying her, to stay in the corner of the room, and then opened the back door. Even in the morning sun, it was dim here. ¡°Yesterday, after you left, I was thinking about what you told me¡­¡± Standing in front of the window, Senjo nervously clasped her hands together. ¡°I still don¡¯t really know who could cast curses or who might be able to carry out a curse. I might have unknowingly caused someone to hold a grudge against me, but¡­I don¡¯t remember having an argument with anyone around me.¡± In general, grudges were incurred without the knowledge of the person in question. The most likely factors for someone to hold a grudge against you would be in your usual sphere of life. In this case, the Crane Consort¡¯s surroundings. Should I investigate the other attendants? ¡°Did all the Crane Consort¡¯s attendants come with her from Ga Province?¡± ¡°Some are, but there were others who were newly recruited by Lady Banka when she entered the inner palace. They are all from Ga Province, though.¡± Since the curse began before she entered the inner palace, if there was any connection, it would have to be with an attendant from before. ¡°I would like to talk to one of the veteran attendants. Preferably one who is as loose-tongued as possible.¡± ¡°Haa¡­the oldest attendant here is Miss Kitsu Rokujo, but she¡¯s a strict person, so she might not be suitable. There is a young girl named Tou Koujo who became an attendant after me. Because of her youth, she¡¯s quite talkative¡­¡± Jusetsu asked her to bring this Tou Koujo to her. A little while after Senjo went to go get her, she heard high-pitched chatter coming from outside. ¡°Miss Senjo, I was told by Miss Rokujo to prepare the flowers. We¡¯re decorating the emperor¡¯s residence. If I¡¯m scolded by Miss Rokujo for still not preparing them yet, will you explain the situation to her properly? She keeps complaining about the decorations not being good enough or the scent of the incense being too subpar. His Majesty is coming here tonight, after all.¡± ¨D¨DKoushun¡¯s coming here? Come to think of it, the palace did seem busier than yesterday. The emperor was visiting, so the palace was probably in a flurry of preparations. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll make the excuses for you, so please listen to what the Raven Consort has to say. And please keep your voice down.¡± Senjo, looking fed up, had Koujo enter the room. Koujo was one of the attendants standing behind the Crane Consort yesterday. She was a lovely girl with glossy skin and large round eyes. Perhaps because she was the type who couldn¡¯t get the details right, both her hair bun and ruqun were a bit sloppy. Koujo¡¯s eyes fluttered as she stared at Jusetsu sitting in a chair, as if looking at a rare animal. ¡°There are a few things I wish to ask you,¡± When she broke the ice, Koujo nodded. ¡°Yes, I heard it from Miss Senjo. It was the curse, right? I don¡¯t know anything about that kind of thing. Are you asking if anyone has a grudge against Miss Senjo? I¡¯ve never heard anything about that either. After all, Miss Rokujo has great authority over us,¡± Seeing the question in Jusetsu¡¯s eyes, she explained, ¡°She said that we would incur divine punishment if we bore grudges, get jealous, or get angry. She told us that if we kept our hearts and minds pure, we will be happy. These are very important lessons from Lord Hakumyoushi.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªHakumyoushi?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the god of the Eight Truths Sect. They haven¡¯t heard of him yet around here? He¡¯s quite famous in Ga Province, there has been many temples built for him there.¡± ¡°Eight Truths Sect¡­¡± She thought she heard that name from somewhere. ¡ª¡ªNo. ¨D¨DThat was the ¡°Moon Truth Sect¡±¡­ It was a religious cult created by Ran Hyougetsu. Their names were similar, but were they related? Or did all such sects have similar names? She knew that new faiths were flourishing in many places these days. The Moon Truth Sect was just one of them. It was said that faith in Wulian Niangniang was waning, and her temples were only becoming more and more deserted. The Winter Ministry¡¯s Seiu Temple was in a terrible state as well. ¡°Most of the attendants are believers, even Miss Senjo. Right?¡± Koujo looked back at Senjo. She nodded. ¡°I spent my days in tears after Hashuu died, but thanks to Lord Hakumyoushi, my heart has become much more at peace.¡± Senjo stroked her white coral ornament. She frequently caressed it in order to calm herself down. ¡°What is that ornament?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a token of the Eight Truths Sect believers. I have one too. Look,¡± Koujo showed the ornament tied to her sash. ¡°Well, I¡¯m more wearing it because it¡¯s cute than because I¡¯m a believer.¡± ¡°¡­Is the Eight Truths Sect connected to the Moon Truth Sect in any way?¡± ¡°Moon? Huh?¡± Senjo and Koujo looked at each other blankly. ¡°¡¯Tis fine if you don¡¯t know. Who is this Hakumyoushi?¡± ¡°We told you, he¡¯s our god. Since he¡¯s a god, no one¡¯s ever seen him before. There¡¯s a priestess, though. What was her name again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lady Injou,¡± Senjo said reproachfully. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. She¡¯s a little girl. And there¡¯s the founder as well. He¡¯s in charge of all kinds of things.¡± Jusetsu¡¯s brow furrowed as she pondered all this. ¡°The Crane Consort dislikes gods and faiths, so she herself isn¡¯t a believer nor does she wear the white coral, but she lets her attendants do as they like. There aren¡¯t any inconveniences in particular. In that way, the Crane Consort is free, or maybe she¡¯s uninterested in other people.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going too far, Koujo.¡± ¡°Oh, did I say something bad? I don¡¯t think I did. After all, isn¡¯t it a good thing that she isn¡¯t a consort who fusses over everything? She bestows ruquns and hairpins like candy. Miss Senjo, you received a pine-colored cloth the other day, but isn¡¯t it too plain? There was a beautiful purple one, so I wondered why you didn¡¯t go with that one. Were you deferring to Miss Rokujo?¡± Koujo¡¯s open and frank chatter didn¡¯t stop for a minute as she smoothly switched topics. ¡°No, I thought I¡¯d tailor that piece of cloth and present it to Mother-in-Law, so I accepted it.¡± ¡°Mother-in-Law¡­? Oh, you mean the mother of your deceased fianc¨¦? You also gave her a gift the other day, didn¡¯t you? I don¡¯t mean to be insensitive, but it all happened before you were married, and your fianc¨¦ has died, so why do you need to devote yourself so much to her?¡± Koujo said in an exasperated tone. Senjo smiled sadly. ¡°Mother-in-Law and Father-in-Law are now the few threads that connect me to my fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°Haa, so that¡¯s how it is,¡± Koujo looked like she didn¡¯t understand at all. ¡°The two of them were very concerned about me coming here with the Crane Consort. The inner palace is a place of both splendor and horror, unfortunately. I hear a lot of ghost stories as well¡­¡± ¡°I hear a lot of them too. They¡¯re entertaining, aren¡¯t they?¡± Koujo seemed to like ghost stories. In contrast, Senjo, who had experienced them for herself, frowned. ¡°¡¯Interesting¡¯? Really, Miss Koujo¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t tell Miss Rokujo. Are you done with me, Lady Raven Consort? Can I go back?¡± Jusetsu, who was deep in thought, raised her head when she was asked that. ¡°Ah, yes, I have what I need. I apologize for interrupting your work.¡± ¡°No, I should thank you. I¡¯m glad to have an excuse to slack off. Oh, don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Koujo laughed mischievously and ran out of the room. She was a restless girl. ¡°I apologize for her lack of manners¡­ She comes from a family from the lowest echelons of the Saname clan, but she wasn¡¯t brought up very strictly.¡± ¡°I mind it not. I feel cheered by her.¡± When she said that, Senjo smiled. ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m glad to hear that. I also feel a little cheered up when I¡¯m with her.¡± ¡°There are people like her out there. It would be better for you to stay with her.¡± ¡°Haa¡­is that so.¡± An expression of ¡°that¡¯s going to be absolutely unbearable¡± appeared on her face. Jusetsu thought that Senjo should stay together with Koujo, because Koujo was capable of eliciting such emotions from her. ¡°Do not hold grudges, do not envy others, do not get angry, and keep your heart pure¡ªwas that right?¡± Those were the teachings of the Eight Truths Sect. ¡°Those are teachings that must attract the weary.¡± ¡°The weary?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exhausting to be resentful and angry. Letting go of those things would leave your heart at peace. But telling people not to resent or be angry is tantamount to telling them not to feel or think anything. I feel that it is healthier to tell people to come to terms with those feelings rather than telling them not to feel them. However,¡± Jusetsu lowered her lashes. ¡°I suppose that for those who are tired of holding grudges, it¡¯s sometimes easier not to feel or think anything at all.¡± Senjo only listened in silence as she considered the meaning of Jusetsu¡¯s words. ¡°¡­The Eight Truths Sect. Are there any sorcerers within the sect?¡± Senjo blinked at the sudden question. ¡°Sorcerers? Yes, there are. Among the believers and among the temple guards as well. Even the founder, Master Hakurai, is a sorcerer.¡± ¡°If one is a sorcerer, then one is able to cast curses.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Senjo exclaimed in shock, then hurriedly covered her mouth. ¡°Are you saying that someone in the Eight Truths Sect cursed me?¡± ¡°Curses aren¡¯t something you can do half-heartedly. Is there anyone else you know who can cast curses?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ But isn¡¯t it a bit hasty to suspect the sorcerers of the sect just because there¡¯s no other suspects?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that it¡¯s the most likely possibility. If someone connected to you wanted to curse you, who would they ask? Is the Eight Truths Sect so widespread in Ga Province that most of the attendants are believers?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t believe that means the Eight Truths Sect would do such a thing as¡ªcursing me,¡± Senjo squeezed the white coral ornament. ¡°After Hashuu was killed, I was unable to eat or sleep. I hated the men who killed Hashuu, but they had been executed, so there was nothing more to be done about it. You don¡¯t know how many times I regretted going to the god¡¯s temple or getting into that palanquin. It was Hashuu¡¯s parents who took me to the Eight Truths Sect¡¯s temple. The founder was there, and he told me that I should leave all my hatred and regrets here. The rest will be taken care of by Lord Hakumyoushi. Then, he gave me this ornament. As soon as I touched the white coral, I remembered feeling very refreshed, like a breeze was blowing through me. I was indeed comforted then.¡± Jusetsu silently listened to her story. ¡°¡­Hakumyoushi will take care of it¡­?¡± she muttered and looked at the door. ¡°Where do those feelings go after he takes them?¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Ignoring Senjo¡¯s confusion, Jusetsu continued. ¡°There are several methods for casting curses, but the most common one is to give the curse tool to the person you wish to curse. For instance, creatures like snakes, toads, and insects are concealed inside gifts. Or combs, rings, and necklaces. Curse tools vary greatly. Did you receive any gifts before leaving Ga Province?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s gifts¡­I received many of them from my relatives.¡± ¡°Do you have them now?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t bring all of them with me, but I did bring some.¡± When Jusetsu asked to see them, Senjo opened her chest and took out a box. It was a beautiful box, crafted of cypress with brocade affixed to its surface. ¡°This box was given to me by my uncle on my mother¡¯s side. I keep the gifts inside, because they¡¯re important. This is a piece of thin silk I received from my paternal grandparents. This is a sash I received from my maternal grandparents. Ga Province produces good quality raw silk, so I received many textile gifts. This is from my paternal¡ª¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Jusetsu pointed to a cloth bundle in the bottom of the box. It was a thin, small package. The cloth was light indigo, dyed fast with a white floral pattern. ¡°I received it from Hashuu¡¯s parents. It¡¯s a charm from the Eight Truths Sect. I was told that it was a talisman for good health and that I should put it under my bed, but I didn¡¯t want to accidentally throw it away or tear it, so I put it away in the box.¡± Jusetsu opened the bundle. Indeed, there was a talisman inside. It was a piece of hemp paper with characters and patterns written on it in ink. Jusetsu stared at the talisman in silence. ¡°Um, is something wrong¡­?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªThis isn¡¯t a talisman for good health.¡± A ¡°Huh?¡± slipped out from Senjo¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s an incantation. Words for a curse,¡± Jusetsu looked at her. ¡°This is a curse tool. One of the curse talismans used by sorcerers. It must have been written by one. If this is a talisman from the Eight Truths Sect, then it must be from one of their sorcerers. And it was given to you by Hashuu¡¯s parents. They disguised it as a talisman for good health and told you to carefully place it under your bed. ¡ª¡ªIt is said that a curse is most effective if you bury it under your bed or hide it above the beams of the ceiling.¡± Senjo¡¯s smile froze on her face. After a while, her cheeks twitched, and her mouth opened. ¡°Are you saying that Hashuu¡¯s parents cursed me?¡± Jusetsu didn¡¯t answer. This talisman represented the truth. And Senjo would know best what kinds of words were used by Hashuu¡¯s parents when they gifted her with the talisman. ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­no, I¡¯m sure that my in-laws gave it to me without knowing that it was a curse. After all, they¡ª¡ª¡± Senjo was trembling. Jusetsu looked down at the talisman again. If Hashuu¡¯s parents had given this to her without knowing it was a curse, then why did the curser curse Senjo? Above all, this curse used none other than Hashuu¡¯s ghost as a tsukaibe. When she heard that Senjo was still close to Hashuu¡¯s parents, she thought briefly, That¡¯s dangerous. After all, Hashuu was killed, and Senjo was still alive¡ª. Jusetsu wondered uneasily how Hashuu¡¯s parents felt as they received her, and how Senjo would perceive this. Jusetsu didn¡¯t attempt to tell Senjo about those thoughts. They were nothing more than her imagination. She didn¡¯t think it would be good to voice them out loud. What she could do was limited. ¡°I shall return the curse.¡± Senjo looked up in surprise. ¡°The curse shall return to its executor. It will return to the sorcerer and the ones who asked the sorcerer to curse you. The purpose of the curse isn¡¯t killing, so they will not die. I hope the sorcerer isn¡¯t a dimwit.¡± But even as she said that, Jusetsu glanced at the talisman. This sorcerer is far from a dimwit. They are most likely a first-rate one. A first-rate sorcerer created a curse for mere harassment? Jusetsu wondered what their intention was for doing this. She frowned. ¡°Once the curse is returned, the tsukaibe will be released as well. Hashuu¡¯s ghost will disappear quickly. Then, he will finally be able to cross over to paradise.¡± Jusetsu pulled out a peony from her hair. The petals turned into pale pink smoke into her hand and twined around her fingers. She tossed the curse talisman into the air. Jusetsu blew the smoke at the talisman as it fluttered and fell. The talisman burned silently. It billowed and sprang up as though it was writhing in the air. Jusetsu flipped her hand and sent a breeze towards the door. ¡°Return to your master.¡± The flames turned into an arrow, then flew out of the door with a mighty rush. There was a sound like glass breaking. The arrow flew high and far, and it was out of sight in no time at all. Only a faint trail of pale red remained in the slightly overcast sky. Jusetsu drew back a little. The ghost, freed from its tsukaibe bonds, was beginning to appear on the other side of the door, shimmering like a flickering flame. Gradually, his outline became clearer. Hashuu was standing there with his blade wounds and dripping blood still there. Senjo ran up to him noiselessly. She stopped at the door and teared up in front of Hashuu. ¡°¡­Hashuu¡­¡± Senjo was about to take a step towards the ghost, but Jusetsu grabbed her arm and pulled her back. ¡°Lady Raven Consort? What are you¡ª¡± There was a gurgling sound. It was the sound of blood flowing out from Hashuu¡¯s opened mouth. His wide-opened eyes were fixed straight on Senjo. But there was no love or tenderness in them. His eyes were dark with sadness and anger. ¡°Sen¡­jo¡­¡± Hashuu tried to speak through the sound of gurgling blood. ¡°Why¡­did you¡­run away¡­and¡­leave me¡­behind¡­?¡± With each word he spoke, bubbling blood, mixed with drool, gushed from his mouth. Hashuu reached for Senjo, His hands were covered in blood. ¡°You traitor.¡± Those were the only words that resounded clearly and lowly. The ghost flickered again, and then quietly, as though burning out from the tips of his fingers, it disappeared. All that remained was a dim shadow. Senjo collapsed on the spot. Her eyes were wide open and unblinking. Tears welled up from the edge of her eyelids and streamed down her cheeks. They dripped onto her clothes, leaving stains behind. ¡°¡­Did Hashuu die thinking that?¡± A voice like an empty husk leaked out from Senjo¡¯s mouth. ¡°Did he think I was a traitor who abandoned him and ran away?¡± Senjo lowered her head and stared at the floor. ¡°Back then, it was true that I¡­abandoned him and ran away. While he was holding the palanquin bearers back, I left him to go call for help¡ªthat¡¯s the truth. But, I knew that Hashuu wouldn¡¯t get away. And if I stayed there to help him, I might have gotten killed as well. I¡ªwas scared. I was scared of being killed. That¡¯s why I took advantage of Hashuu telling me to escape and ran away. If he says that I abandoned him and ran away, then he¡¯s right.¡± Not wiping away the tears that kept streaming down her face, Senjo¡¯s gaze wandered through the air. ¡°Would it have been better if I had died with Hashuu? Was that what my in-laws, who cursed me, wanted? Did Hashuu also wanted me to die with him? Is it wrong that I¡¯m alive?¡± Senjo lay down on the floor and sobbed. Jusetsu looked down at her trembling body. This is me, she thought. Jusetsu understood Senjo¡¯s feelings of being afraid very well. She had been afraid, horrified, hugging her knees tightly and shaking. That was how she abandoned her mother to her death. How did her mother feel when she left Jusetsu and ran away? She didn¡¯t know. What she did know now was only a little bit about ghosts. ¡°¡­I told you that ghosts are transformed beings,¡± Jusetsu said softly. ¡°People¡¯s feelings are not singular. Just as you said you were afraid of being killed, Hashuu must have been afraid of being killed as well. Do you think it strange that he tells you to run away, but also doesn¡¯t want you to go at the same time?¡± Senjo lifted her face. Her cheeks were wet with tears. ¡°That ghost merely showed you just one of his emotions. He was used for a curse, so his resentment and sadness are brought into the open and exploited. The curse-users¡ªHashuu¡¯s parents¡¯ feelings must have been there as well. It was a mixture of all those things. However,¡± Jusetsu put the words together matter-of-factly. ¡°Even so, Hashuu chose to let you go. Do not forget that. Though feelings are changeable and difficult to discern, the actions we take do not change no matter how much time goes by. The fact is, you are kept alive because of Hashuu. Don¡¯t deny his actions.¡± Oh, I see. As she spoke each word to Senjo, Jusetsu felt her heart stir. I¡¯ve always denied my mother¡¯s choice. Part of her had always hated her mother¡¯s choice to go to her death. She wished she had died with her then, so that she wouldn¡¯t have to suffer the pain of abandoning her and running away. But¡­ Senjo¡¯s mouth was slightly open, and she was looking up at Jusetsu with wet eyes. Eventually, she bowed her head deeply. Yes, she said in a hoarse voice. ¡°Jiujiu,¡± Jusetsu called to Jiujiu, who was standing by in a corner of the room. Jiujiu, who had been watching them with bated breath, hurriedly straightened her back and said, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Go get Tou Koujo. And then, some hot water.¡± Jiujiu quickly left the room. Jusetsu looked down at Senjo. ¡°You better have her stay with you for a while. That girl is like the embodiment of lively spirit,¡± she told her. ¡°The curse didn¡¯t wish for your death. It means that Hashuu¡¯s parents didn¡¯t think that far. It¡¯s just that¡ªthey had nowhere for their feelings to go.¡± The uncontrollable feelings that were exorcised in the form of a curse¡ªJusetsu thought about the sorcerer who created this curse. All the hatred and regrets you carry can be left here¡ªso the founder of the Eight Truths Sect was said to have said. Hashuu¡¯s parents must have left their anguish within this talisman. And thus they were freed from suffering. The sorcerer turned the entrusted suffering into a curse. I don¡¯t like this, she thought. Feelings with nowhere to go shouldn¡¯t be made into curses. How could that be salvation? ¡°For helpless feelings, what is needed isn¡¯t curses. ¡­It surely must be prayer.¡± Surely¡ªthat was all she could say. Perhaps prayer was also a type of binding spell. However, Jusetsu wanted to pray rather than bear grudges. Jiujiu came into the room, bringing the hot water as well as Koujo, who looked confused as to why she was called here. Jusetsu only said to her, ¡°Keep Senjo company,¡± and left through the back door. In the dim light, humidity enveloped her skin. It might rain tonight. But the ghost that stood there was no longer there. Even though there was no wind, the copperplate banners lined up all over the room rustled against each other. In the center stood a man wearing a stone mask. Dressed in a long white robe, he wore neither a topknot nor a futou. His black hair, streaked with grey, was simply tied into a loose ring on his back. The curse is returning here. The dry sound of a hard object cracking echoed. A banner split right in half. One after the other, the banners cracked, and the room was filled with a deafening noise. The man exhaled a puff of air, and pursed his thin lips. At that moment, the mask shattered and fell to the floor. A stream of blood trickled down from his forehead. The man casually wiped it away with a handkerchief from his pocket and glowered into the air. ¡°¡­Is that the best you can do?¡± His voice as he muttered that was low, akin to a groan. His face was as pale as his robes, and his eyes are sharply upturned. He was a little past forty, but it was difficult to tell how old he was, as he looked both mature and youthful at the same time. He was a tall man who carried himself well with a high strung-seeming shadow to his oval face. ¡°It seems to be true that Wulian Niangniang has weakened.¡± He spat out in a somewhat bitter tone and left the room. He went to the courtyard from the outer corridor and headed for the gazebo. She¡¯s probably here. He thought, and sure enough, there was a girl lying asleep in a chair. She was curled up like a cat. She was around ten years old, maybe younger. She still had an innocent face. Her white ruqun was stained with mud in places, probably from playing in the courtyard. The man frowned. ¡°Injou.¡± He called her name in a voice that contained irritation, but the girl didn¡¯t wake up. The man sighed and was about to leave the gazebo, but then turned around. He took off his long robe and gently put it on the girl who was curled up and sleeping. ¡°¡ª¡ªMaster Hakurai.¡± There were footsteps running down the outer corridor. The man quietly left the gazebo and turned that way. ¡°What?¡± ¡°There you are. Oh, you¡¯re injured, sir?¡± The servant, a young man, panicked exaggeratedly upon seeing the man¡¯s¡ªHakurai¡¯s forehead. ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch. It¡¯s nothing. What do you want?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, the master is calling for you.¡± Hakurai glanced at the gazebo, then nodded at the young man. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± He walked down the corridor with long strides. The young man followed him. Both had white coral ornaments swinging from their sashes. Volume 3 - CH 2.1 Translation Notes 1. This is a reference to the historical ¡°Five Surnames and Seven Hopes,¡± the collective title for the seven most powerful clans from the Warring States Period to the Tang Dynasty. They consist of the Cui Clan of Boling, the Li Clan of Longxi, the Cui Clan of Qinghe, the Zheng Clan of Xingyang, the Wang Clan of Taiyuan, the Li Clan of Zhaojun, and the Lu Clan of Fanyang. The new bodyguard sent to Jusetsu, the eunuch Tan Kai, was somewhat different from who she had imagined. ¡°Ei Sei said he¡¯s good match for you, so I assumed that he would be a quiet and obedient person.¡± In response to Jusetsu¡¯s words, Onkei, with a very serious expression, said, ¡°This is Attendant Ei¡¯s harassment.¡± ¡°Harassment? Towards me?¡± ¡°No, towards me.¡± Jusetsu stared at Onkei. ¡°¡­Do you not get along with Tan Kai?¡± ¡°I do not like him.¡± His tone was so flat and decisive that it was bracing, but he added, ¡°But in regards to the mission of guarding you, we can indeed compensate for each other¡¯s deficiencies.¡± ¡°And by that, you mean¡­¡± ¡°Tan Kai is good at archery, and I am good at martial arts.¡± ¡°I see, so close range and long range. ¡ª¡ªAh, could it be that Tan Kai was the one who shot the arrow when I was attacked by Shougetsu?¡± Onkei nodded. ¡°He was the one who shot Shougetsu¡¯s shoulder.¡± Indeed. As one would expect from someone recommended by Ei Sei, he seemed to be skilled. However. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, Kougyou has peeled some pears for you.¡± Tan Kai came into the room with a bowl of pears in his hand. He was holding an unpeeled pear in his other hand and biting into it as they watched. He was a young man who was a little taller than Onkei, with a somewhat refined face and alluring almond-shaped eyes. But he was as carefree as the wind and too unfettered like a feral child. ¡°Tan Kai,¡± Onkei¡¯s voice was sharp and cold. ¡°Know your place.¡± ¡°Whoa, your reprimands got shorter.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in Niangniang¡¯s presence. I¡¯ll tell you every single thing you did wrong in detail later.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t remember each and every one of them, you know.¡± He seemed to be aware that his manners were so poor that he couldn¡¯t remember all his missteps. Jusetsu didn¡¯t care about etiquette at all, but she wondered how he survived in the inner palace with that personality of his. ¡°I¡¯ll just say one thing for now. Don¡¯t hold the bowl with one hand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°If you hold the bowl with both hands, you won¡¯t be able to hold a pear and eat it.¡± ¡°Haha, I see,¡± after saying that in a completely unimpressed tone, Tan Kai put the bowl on the table. ¡°Shall I call Ishiha as well? He¡¯s outside playing with Xingxing.¡± Jusetsu nodded at Tan Kai¡¯s words. He grinned and left the room. I feel like I somewhat understand why he was able to survive in the inner palace with those manners of his. He had an amiability that couldn¡¯t be hated, and an allure that drew people to him. ¡°I sincerely apologize for him, Niangniang,¡± Onkei was already fed-up just from this exchange. ¡°I mind it not,¡± Jusetsu answered. In fact, she really didn¡¯t mind. Tan Kai brought in Ishiha, who was holding Xingxing. Everyone ate the pears, including Jiujiu and the rest. Yamei Palace had become even livelier with the addition of Tan Kai. The austere and frightening atmosphere of the palace where the Raven Consort lived was completely erased during the daytime. No, it¡¯s not quiet at night here either. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, you had guests last night as well, right?¡± Tan Kai said, leaning against the door and biting into a pear. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Jusetsu popped a piece of pear into her mouth and nodded. The well-chilled pears were full of moisture and made one feel revitalized when eaten in the hot and humid weather. ¡°With such frequent nighttime visitors, it¡¯s impossible for a single guard to protect you. It was right to add me.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t expect those kinds of risks¡­¡± More and more people were visiting Yamei Palace. ¡°My neck has been feeling stiff lately. Is this a curse from someone?¡± ¡°My younger sister has received a marriage proposal. Could you tell whether or not it¡¯s a good match?¡± ¡°Is there any charm that works for love?¡± Those were the only types of visitors she received. She understood that they were all in a predicament, but why did they keep swarming to her? ¡°I heard that you heard a request from a Hakkaku Palace attendant the other day, Niangniang,¡± Jiujiu said after leisurely chewing a pear. ¡°And, you also consoled a palace lady. Before, you went to Hien Palace and interacted with Hua Niangniang, so you¡¯re gradually seeming less and less like a mysterious and fearsome consort. People are starting to realize that you¡¯re a kind person, Niangniang.¡± Jiujiu smiled happily. Jusetsu had weakened. How did things become like this? The choices that had been made one by one, had now piled up and changed the world around her. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t forgive myself for a single one of them. She had placed an attendant by her side, she had helped a eunuch, she had received gifts. She had made those choices while knowing that they were wrong. An unexplainable frustration burned in her chest. This wasn¡¯t right. It couldn¡¯t be. But then, where should she start to make things right? It was no longer possible to let go of everything and be alone. ¡°I wonder if it would be better to increase the number of attendants if things are going to be like this. But I¡¯d just hate it if there are too many attendants here,¡± Jiujiu murmured. Jusetsu turned her gaze to her, and she ducked her head in embarrassment. ¡°Because I¡¯ll get jealous.¡± ¡°Jealous¡­?¡± ¡°Niangniang is a kind person, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll also treasure your other attendants.¡± Jusetsu tilted her head in consideration, then said, ¡°You¡¯re the only attendant I need.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jiujiu seemed happy. Is it really something to be so delighted about, Jusetsu wondered. ¡°The Lady Raven Consort doesn¡¯t seem to know what jealousy is,¡± Tan Kai said. When Jusetsu turned to him, he narrowed his eyes into a smile. Tan Kai always had an easygoing smile affixed to his face. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about knowing it personally, then I most probably don¡¯t know.¡± Tan Kai nodded, still with a faint smile on his face. Onkei, who was wiping Ishiha¡¯s hands, kept glancing at him. He seemed to be worried that he would say something insolent again. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll learn about it in the future.¡± It sounded like a prophecy. Jusetsu peered at Tan Kai¡¯s face. One type of divination was to divine one¡¯s own destiny from the casual conversation of others. For instance, if you heard the word ¡°death,¡± it meant that you were about to die. Tan Kai¡¯s words just now, which he himself might have said without any deeper meaning, had quietly crept into Jusetsu¡¯s heart and sunk to the bottom. ¡°That reminds me, have you heard of this rumor?¡± Tan Kai¡¯s voice was strangely cheerful, as if switching the atmosphere of the room. ¡°There¡¯s a rumor I heard at the rokuboushi the other day, about a ghost haunting the inner court.¡± This wasn¡¯t the type of story to be told in a cheerful tone. Jiujiu frowned in displeasure. Tan Kai continued to chatter on, disregarding her. ¡°Apparently, late at night, the ghost of an elderly drudge wanders around.¡± Elderly drudge? Ishiha whispered in confusion, and Tan Kai grinned. ¡°It means an old servant,¡± he explained. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be a eunuch. From the shape of his cap to his attire, he seems to be someone from a very long time ago. He totters around with his back bent¡ªlike this, see¡ªand his clothes are tattered. He¡¯s holding a small vessel with both hands as he drags his feet.¡± What a pitiful tale, he said. ¡°This ghost took up residence in the inner court?¡± ¡°This is a rumor that¡¯s only being talked about recently. I heard about it the first time the other day.¡± ¡°Why is a ghost from so long ago wandering about?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. Well, it¡¯s just a rumor. We don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s true or not.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know someone who actually saw him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone,¡± Tan Kai said easily. ¡°It¡¯s related to the inner court. I work in the inner palace, so I wouldn¡¯t know anything.¡± The inner court was the residence of the emperor, and the inner palace was the residence of the consorts. Each had their own eunuchs. Jusetsu sighed. ¡°There are plenty such stories of uncertain authenticity here. I¡¯m tired of hearing them.¡± ¡°No, no, trivial rumors are still important, Lady Raven Consort. Rumors are clusters of information. They are places where you can find fragments of unexpected secrets. To play your cards well, you have to have sharp ears.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s how you¡¯ve managed to stay safe all this time.¡± Tan Kai smiled affably. ¡°I¡¯m here to be useful to you. If there¡¯s information you desire, I will get it for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t particularly need information about others here. There¡¯s no need for you to useful,¡± Jusetsu said, then added, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything dangerous.¡± ¡°Haa,¡± Tan Kai blinked as though let down. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, you¡¯re kind of¡­¡± He scratched his ear in confusion, as though she was different from what he was used to. ¡°She¡¯s very kind,¡± Jiujiu interjected. ¡°She¡¯s kind, or rather, she¡¯s too soft.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± the corners of Jiujiu¡¯s eyes raised. ¡°It¡¯s my job to cross dangerous bridges, so this is the first time someone¡¯s telling me not to do anything dangerous.¡± Tan Kai looked at Jusetsu with narrowed eyes as if he was trying to guess what she was thinking, but then he suddenly cracked a smile. He glanced at Onkei, then turned his attention back to Jusetsu. ¡°Understood, Niangniang. I won¡¯t get involved in anything dangerous. But, if you¡¯re ever in danger, I will do my utmost. I will repay you for your concern for my well being.¡± As Jusetsu had only known him for a short time, she couldn¡¯t tell how serious his words were. But, she decided to take them at face value. ¡°Mm,¡± she nodded. The affable expression returned to Tan Kai¡¯s face. ¡°Although, Niangniang. It might be unwise to have the carefree attitude that you don¡¯t need to know what¡¯s going on around you. It might have been fine until now, but from now on¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the Raven Consort is no longer the Raven Consort she¡¯s always been. You are no longer the mysterious consort isolated deep in the depths of the inner palace. You are intimate friends with Dajia. That¡¯s problematic. It¡¯s very problematic.¡± She had also been lectured frequently by the previous Winter Minister, Gyoei, to not close to him. ¡°Reason?¡± Her question was curt. ¡°Secretariat Un is impatient. He¡¯s the prime minister. His granddaughter is the Duck Consort, Lady Kajou. Secretariat Un¡¯s ¡®ears¡¯ are planted within the inner palace. He bribes palace ladies and eunuchs to obtain information. He is puzzled by the fact that the Rave Consort, who had been completely disregarded until now, had suddenly started interacting with Dajia. At any rate, there¡¯s not much information on you. He¡¯s frantically trying to find out just who the Raven Consort is and how close she is to Dajia.¡± ¡°¡­He would know that we don¡¯t have the kind of relationship to be frantic about once he investigates.¡± ¡°I wonder about that. Since you are a consort who doesn¡¯t perform night duties, it¡¯s true that there wouldn¡¯t be any danger of an heir being born. However, depending on the situation, that might be more troublesome.¡± Why? Jusetsu frowned. ¡°Producing heirs is the emperor¡¯s duty, so Dajia takes good care of his consorts. But your relationship with him doesn¡¯t fit within that framework. And yet, he¡¯s always visiting you¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°¡­He is not the kind of man who is kind to others out of obligation.¡± Koushun didn¡¯t possess that level of dexterity. Tan Kai showed an unreadable smile. ¡°I guess that¡¯s what it is about you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taken a liking to you as well, so I¡¯ll gather useful information within a safe range. If I don¡¯t do that, you¡¯ll get dragged into troublesome things occasionally.¡± After saying that, Tan Kai opened the door and left. He was most likely taking a look around outside. Onkei let out a sigh. ¡°He is a strange one,¡± Jusetsu said, taking the initiative. ¡°It¡¯s not so much he¡¯s strange as that he¡¯s selfish.¡± Onkei looked fed up, but his melancholic face looked exceptionally beautiful. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± he asked when he noticed Jusetsu staring at him. She shook her head. If she said what she thought, she was likely trouble him even more. But, Jiujiu readily said, ¡°Beautiful people still look beautiful even when they look sorrowful,¡± and Ishiha also nodded seriously. Onkei, with a perplexed look on his face, let out another deep sigh. Dewdrops glistened on some of the lily pads that were battered by last night¡¯s rain. The buds also looked moisty and puffy with water. Squinting at the glare of light reflecting off the dew, Koushun put his hand on the parapet. Although the outer corridor facing the lotus pond was in shadow, there was no way to block the heat and humidity. Ei Sei had been fanning him, but his retainer, Ka Meiin, was approaching him from the corner of the corridor, so he had Ei Sei step back. He asked Meiin, who was bowing, to come closer. ¡°Today¡¯s council went on for quite a long time. I expected it to be, though.¡± The main agenda was to determine the successors to vacant official positions. The Magpie Consort¡¯s father, who was the vice director of the Secretariat, had been demoted to regional administrator, and the director of the Ministry of Personnel was dismissed after arranging for Shougetsu to be admitted into the inner palace at the request of Gyoei, so both positions were vacant. The council had quarreled over who should be appointed to those positions. ¡°Secretariat Un didn¡¯t concede either.¡± ¡°That was also expected¡­¡± On one side, Un Eitoku, the prime minister, recommended people from distinguished families, and on the other side, Meiin recommended people who weren¡¯t from those sorts of families¡ªcommonly called a ¡°cold¡± faction or cold families¡ªthus dividing opinions into two. ¡°A long time ago, the Secretariat were the stars of distinguished families, and the Ministry of Personnel was the stronghold of distinguished families. They are desperate to regain that position.¡± In the past, if you were the child of a prominent family, that alone was enough to get you a government position. Although that system still existed today, most of the so-called star officials were those who had passed the court examinations with excellent grades. Nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t so difficult for children of prominent families who could spend enough time and money on studying to pass the examinations, unless they were exceedingly dull-witted. That was why many people from prominent families held high positions even now. On the other hand, there were people who didn¡¯t come from prominent families who could also ¡°spend sufficient time and money on studying.¡± For example, wealthy merchants, large landowners, and powerful clans. It was those people who were now rising in the bureaucracy. ¡°I¡¯m sure they especially want to regain the Ministry of Personnel. After all, they would have the authority to manage government officials. Once they take it, we¡¯ll be back to the era where prominent families are at the height of their power,¡± Meiin made a gesture like he was putting down a Go stone. ¡°¡ªAt least, they think so.¡± Then he shook his head. ¡°People¡¯s activities cannot go backwards. Therefore, government must also move forwards.¡± Koushun simply stared at the lotuses in silence. The one he chose in the end were those recommended by Meiin. Un Eitoku¡¯s betrayed face was still flashing through his mind. Meiin wasn¡¯t from a prominent family. He was the son of wealthy merchant who lived in the capital. At the time when he passed the examinations, prominent families were still exercising their authority, and it was difficult for sons of merchants to hold a position in government, even if they passed the examinations with excellent grades. The only positions those people could take were Winter Ministry acolytes, and other than that, officials whose roles weren¡¯t prescribed in the civic codes¡ªunspecified officials. Meiin served as an unspecified official in the countryside for a long time. It was Un Eitoku who recognized his talent and chose him as his son-in-law. Eitoku recommended Meiin to Koutou Academy as a scholar. Eitoku had a good eye, and Meiin was now the foremost scholar and the chief imperial scholar. If Eitoku was Koushun¡¯s right-hand man, then Meiin was Eitoku¡¯s left-hand man. ¡°Secretariat Un is the head of the noble Un family after all¡­¡± Meiin murmured in a somewhat dry voice. ¡°I doubt he¡¯s a stickler for things like cold factions and prominent families, since he discovered you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Meiin smiled thinly. His intellectual appearance was bright and vivid. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between making someone your son-in-law and letting them take authority.¡± Sometimes, Meiin would show a glimpse of cynicism. He, for his part, seemed to have an inferiority complex in regards to prominent families. ¡°¡­I hope I never let a talented person like you slip through my hands.¡± Koushun tried to shift the subject, but he wasn¡¯t very good at such things. However, Meiin seemed to have sensed that and matched him. ¡°Nowadays, no one is turned away simply because they aren¡¯t from a prominent family, so this has been improved. But still, it is a closed door for those without money or backing. Oh yes, pertaining to that, I have something I wish to request of you, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I have a friend from back when I was working in the provinces. He is a deputy inspector in Ga Province.¡± A deputy inspector was an unspecified official. ¡°As you know, they are not centrally appointed officials, but hired at the discretion of their superiors. He is a very talented man and is sought after in many regions. As it should be, since he passed the examinations with top marks. However¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s the type to get turned away at the door?¡± ¡°Yes. He was originally an orphan and was adopted when he was fourteen or fifteen years old. He also thinks that it¡¯s better to work freely in the provinces than to be forced to become a government official and be confined to the capital, so he has remained a provincial official until now.¡± ¡°He¡¯s now interested in going to the capital?¡± ¡°No, it was I who recommended it. He told me that he was going to resign from his post of deputy inspector in Ga Province. Apparently, there was something he disliked there. That¡¯s why I invited him to work for me. Of course, since Koutou Academy is under Your Majesty¡¯s direct supervision, nothing can happen without Your Majesty¡¯s permission.¡± ¡°¡­Ga Province, huh.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the hometown of the Crane Consort, if I remember correctly. It¡¯s a difficult region to work in if you don¡¯t have good relations with the Saname clan, whether you¡¯re a government official or unspecified official.¡± ¡°Did he not get along with the Saname clan?¡± ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± ¡°Did you ask him the reason in detail?¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± Meiin looked perplexed. ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon for people to move away because of disagreements with the powerful people of a region¡­shall I ask him? He is staying at my house right now.¡± ¡°No,¡± Koushun thought about it a little, then said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, bring him to Koutou Academy.¡± Meiin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re going to meet with him in person?¡± ¡°I will have to meet with him anyway. I¡¯m sure that anyone recommended by you is more than worthy, but I want to see who he is.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Meiin nodded. ¡°Then, I shall bring him to you on a fine day.¡± ¡°Very well. What is his name?¡± ¡°Reiko Shiki, Your Majesty. He was born in Reki Province, northeast of the capital.¡± Reki Province, Koushun muttered in his mind. That was the place where Kajou¡¯s lover died. He was engulfed in a riot caused by the Moon Truth Sect. While thinking, What a strange coincidence, he was about to end the conversation there when Ei Sei appeared. ¡°Secretariat Un is¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Un Eitoku came hurrying towards them from the corner of the outer corridor. His gait was so quick that it was hard to believe that he was an elderly man. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, is there something urgent?¡± Koushun said. Eitoku bowed, and then replied, ¡°You won¡¯t deign to meet with me unless it¡¯s an urgent matter?¡± Koushun smiled wryly. ¡°Don¡¯t say such contrary things. Come here and admire the lotus flowers,¡± he pointed to the side. Meiin gave up his spot. Eitoku glared at him. As expected, he was in a bad mood because of what happened at court. ¡°I see the two of you have been trying to exclude this senile old man lately.¡± ¡°He who considers himself a senile old man is not a senile old man. Just because we didn¡¯t agree with your opinion doesn¡¯t mean that we want to exclude you. Don¡¯t be so sullen.¡± ¡°¡­Your Majesty, please do not try to appease me so frivolously.¡± Koushun had said this to ease Eitoku¡¯s irritation, but it had the opposite effect. Eitoku¡¯s face turned crimson. He was the only one among Koushun¡¯s retainers who could show so much unconcealed emotion towards him. He was his mentor who had always supported him through his time as the crown prince, the deposed crown prince, his restoration to the throne, and his accession. ¡°It is true that I do not wish to exclude you, Tutor Un.¡± Koushun called Eitoku the way he used to call him when he was a child. For a moment, there was an intense nostalgia in Eitoku¡¯s eyes, and then his face became even more sad. He¡¯s gotten old. Koushun thought as he looked at his face. He felt a cold, painful sadness, as if a blade had sunk into his chest soundlessly. Eitoku apologized for his rudeness and left. After his bent back disappeared beyond the outer corridor, Meiin spoke in a mutter. ¡°Secretariat Un was most likely going to advise you on unspecified officials.¡± ¡°Unspecified officials?¡± ¡°In the provinces, unspecified officials are already becoming more powerful, and the officials dispatched from the central government are becoming less and less influential. And in order to confer stipends, government positions are added for convenience, so the position becomes meaningless. Recently, he has been bitterly complaining about how proper officials are becoming in-name-only figures and how unspecified officials are throwing their authority around, making the codes meaningless.¡± Unspecified officials had it convenient. The directors could be decided at the sole discretion of the emperor, and the directors could employ subordinates without having to ask the central government for their decision. As their name suggested, they weren¡¯t bound by the codes. They were gap-filling positions that couldn¡¯t be filled by government officials. They were outmaneuvering professional positions. In addition to that, Meiin must also be a reason for Eitoku¡¯s apprehension, Koushun thought as he glanced at his profile. He was afraid of being outmaneuvered by him. Scholars were also unspecified officials. The Eitoku from five years ago¡­no, three years ago would not have feared such a thing. Will old age dampen his spirit, dull his instincts, or cause him to look only to the past instead of the future¡­? Koushun considered how to handle Eitoku, and by extension, the faction of the prominent families. Rocked by his carriage, Eitoku headed towards the Un estate from the imperial palace. The mansion of the Un clan, one of the Seven Great Clans (1), was located not far from the imperial palace. When he arrived in front of the main gate of the estate, he dismounted from the carriage and passed through the gate. Soon after, servants arrived and welcomed him. Gyoutoku, his second son, poked his head out from the inner door. ¡°You¡¯re late, Father.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± ¡°We have steamed rice cakes. I shall prepare tea for you.¡± ¡°¡­Eating is the only thing you¡¯re fervent about.¡± Eitoku was exasperated as he stared at Gyoutoku¡¯s puffy and round face. ¡°Food is the source of everything. It¡¯s important. If you are hungry, you cannot think, and you cannot be kind to others. To have a broad mind, you must be full.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes. That¡¯s enough.¡± Eitoku waved his hand. Is it alright for the heir to the Un clan to be so carefree? He thought. Gyoutoku had a round body and a round and amiable personality. This made him deeply virtuous among officials, but he lacked the level-headedness that was sometimes necessary. Eitoku was exceedingly anxious about leaving the estate to him and retiring. If only Chitoku was here. How many times had he thought that? His eldest son, Chitoku, grew tired of the intense ups and downs of bureaucracy and quickly left home to become a merchant. Now, he has made a fortune as a respectable sea merchant. Chitoku, contrary to Gyoutoku, was a bit too sharp, which was why he was quick to turn his back on his family. How much better would it have been if the two of them had been able to help Eitoku by compensating for each other¡¯s shortcomings. It¡¯s far too late to say any of this, though. He sighed. He had no other sons besides his eldest and second sons, and he chose a son-in-law who he thought would be a good choice for his youngest daughter. That was Meiin. In terms of excellence, Meiin certainly lived up to Eitoku¡¯s expectations. But, perhaps he was somewhat misreading his stubbornness and ambition. His Majesty as well¡­ He had never left his side since he was a child. He intended to teach him politics, preach righteousness, and raise him with love. When he ascended the throne as emperor, he was moved to tears, thinking, Finally. But he is no longer a little child. He was not a child who Eitoku must guide and instruct. There would be times when he would disagree with Eitoku. That was natural. That should be celebrated as growing up. However, he felt a feeling of ¡°betrayal¡± deep within him that couldn¡¯t be wiped out. The discerning Koushun must have realized this. That was why he said what he said to appease him. While changing in his room, Eitoku looked at his hands, which were thin and fleshy and covered in wrinkles. Their elasticity and moisture had long since disappeared. ¡°Master, a guest has arrived.¡± He had been putting his arm through the sleeve of his robe when the servant informed him. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°He calls himself Hou Sanrou. He is a silk merchant.¡± ¡°Hou? An unfamiliar name. He must not be a silk merchant from the capital.¡± ¡°He says that he comes from Ga Province.¡± ¡°Ga Province?¡± Eitoku stroked his beard for a while, then spoke. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll meet with him.¡± Volume 3 - CH 2.2 This one took a while Translation Notes 1. A yuzu is a citrus fruit from the East Asian region 2. Gou (Ao in Chinese) uses the same character as the mythical sea turtle in Chinese mythology. The goddess Nuwa chopped off Ao¡¯s legs to support the sky after a disaster. Previous || Index || Next At night, Koushun came to Yamei Palace. ¡°You smell good,¡± Jusetsu sniffed around him. ¡°You¡¯re like a dog,¡± Koushun said, taking a round fruit from his pocket. It was a large, golden citrus fruit. ¡°This is a Summer Treasure yuzu. (1) I picked it from a tree in the Gyokou Hall garden.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Koushun put the fruit in Jusetsu¡¯s hand. It was large enough to cover her hand. The skin looked tough and thick. When she brought it close to her face, the scent grew stronger. It was the refreshing scent of citrus. ¡°Don¡¯t citrus fruits ripen in winter?¡± ¡°They do bear fruit in winter, but they are too sour to eat at that time of the year. The sourness becomes more moderate if you wait until summer. It is a valuable citrus fruit that can be eaten in summer. It was discovered in the countryside during my grandfather¡¯s reign and offered up to him as an auspicious omen. They call it a sign of the gods¡¯ blessing on the Ka dynasty. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called a Summer Treasure yuzu.¡± Huh, Jusetsu said, but she was only half-listening to him. She sniffed the fruit. Citrus were the produce of the winter, but it certainly did smell like summer. It was the scent of vibrant life that enclosed sunshine. ¡°The skin is thick, so it¡¯s better to use a knife to peel it.¡± Well then, Jiujiu approached her, but Jusetsu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll eat it tomorrow and leave it here for tonight, since it smells good.¡± Jusetsu put the fruit on the table and stared at it. It shined golden, like the sun. Jiujiu had the sense to extinguish the incense that was burning. ¡°How is your new bodyguard?¡± Koushun sat down across from Jusetsu. He seemed to have come here today because he was concerned about that. ¡°He¡¯s doing just fine.¡± ¡°I heard that he and Onkei don¡¯t get along too well.¡± Jusetsu glanced at Ei Sei, who was standing behind Koushun. Ei Sei feigned ignorance. ¡°I see. Should I send someone else, then?¡± ¡°No, Onkei said that won¡¯t be necessary. I will also keep an eye on the situation.¡± ¡°Tan Kai is talented, but he¡¯s also a smooth talker and has sharp ears. He does have a capricious side to him, though.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a bit too easygoing. But, very well. Speaking of sharp ears, I heard from Tan Kai about a ghost haunting the inner court.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Judging from Koushun¡¯s response, he seemed to already know about the rumor. ¡°Is there actually a ghost?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it, but some of the eunuchs said they have.¡± ¡°Then, does that mean it¡¯s true?¡± ¡°It only totters along and doesn¡¯t seem to do any real harm, so we left it alone.¡± But a ghost is wandering around. She felt a twinge of pity when she imagined the old ghost tottering alone in the darkness. ¡°I want to investigate it.¡± When Jusetsu said that, Koushun didn¡¯t seem to like that idea. ¡°You want to go now?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me to?¡± Koushun was reluctant, and Jusetsu was surprised. ¡°Up until now, you were the one who kept bringing up the subject of ghosts to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Koushun stared thoughtfully at the fruit on the table. ¡°You once told me that you didn¡¯t want to actively get involved with ghosts.¡± ¡°¡­I suppose I did.¡± It was back when they were dealing with the ghost who possessed the cloth mask. ¡°That was why I held it back.¡± ¡°You decided to not even mention the ghost in the inner court?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too considerate at times,¡± Jusetsu said with a furrowed brow. Koushun looked at her intently. ¡°Do you think so?¡± ¡°I do. I¡¯m sure you must have offended people by considering things too carefully.¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± She had assumed that an emperor would be more arrogant and careless of his surroundings. However, after observing Koushun, she found that he looked at things from many angles and was carefully attentive, to the point where she was afraid that he would have a nervous breakdown. ¡°You should direct that consideration to yourself a little more.¡± Koushun listened to Jusetsu¡¯s advice with a serious face. ¡°Is that so. I¡¯ll bear that in mind from now on.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say anything of that magnitude.¡± ¡°I will try to remember what you said.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to remember it. I don¡¯t remember every single word you say either.¡± Is that so? Koushun, still expressionless, tilted his head a little as though considering her words. Being too serious is something he should also think about, Jusetsu thought. Koushun didn¡¯t know when to relax his shoulders, and he didn¡¯t know how to express his emotions. ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± Koushun said and stood up. ¡°Where?¡± she asked. ¡°You want to see the inner court ghost, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked back. Come to think of it, that was the original topic. They left the palace and headed for the inner court. It was east of Yamei Palace. Ei Sei, holding a light, was leading the way, and Onkei was shadowing Koushun and Jusetsu. Tan Kai was left behind to guard Yamei Palace. Jiujiu was also left behind, much to her annoyance. ¡°I heard that the ghost was apparently a servant from a very long time ago.¡± ¡°It seems to be true. That¡¯s why it¡¯s walking around with some sort of vessel.¡± ¡°I doubt it¡¯s a rumor that¡¯s been around for a long time.¡± ¡°Yes, this is the first time I heard it. I wonder why it appeared now.¡± Jusetsu also wondered about that. They passed through Ringai Gate, which connected the inner palace with the inner court. The inner court consisted of various palaces with Gyokou Hall at their center. Goushi Hall was nearest to the gate, and Koshi Palace was at its back. All of them were places where Jusetsu had been before. ¡°Where does it appear?¡± ¡°It wanders around, so there is no fixed location. Some say they saw it near the walls that surround Gyokou Hall, while others say that it was near Goushi Hall. It¡¯s said that the ghost disappears into thin air after watching it for a while.¡± The flickering light stopped. Ei Sei had stopped walking. ¡°Dajia, look at that.¡± Lowering his voice, Ei Sei pointed to the left. Tonight, clouds covered the sky, and the moonlight was unreliable. Under the scanty shimmering moonlight, the tiled roof of the palace was visible. In front of it, in a corner of a coldly glossy clearing paved with polished stones, there it was. He was an old man with a hunched back, dressed in a dirty linen robe. His gray hair was wrapped in a black kerchief, and he was holding a small vessel in front of his face. His head was hanging down, so only his gaunt cheeks could be seen. He staggered along slowly, one step at a time. It looks as if he was limping. He was wearing a short jacket with a belt of straw rope and short hakama pants, and his feet were bare. The way his topknot was tied and wrapped was different from how it was done today. Certainly, he was an old man who looked like a servant from ancient times. Jusetsu approached the ghost. He continued to lurch forward. Rather than walking with a singleminded aim somewhere, his gait was as though he was wandering around without a goal. She couldn¡¯t see his face even from up close. His figure was also somewhat hazy and unfocused. She couldn¡¯t even make out the shape of the vessel he was holding. Jusetsu pulled a peony from her hair and blew on it. The pink smoke surrounded the ghost and made him stand out clearly. The ghost¡¯s decrepit old face appeared. His cheeks were hollow, his eye sockets were sunken, and even his wrinkles and blemishes were visible. Fatigue, sadness, and despair was in his face. His half-opened lips were dry and cracked, but they were pale with no blood welling up. His lips were quivering faintly, but no sound escaped them even when she strained her ears. She had thought it was a vessel that he was holding up, but it seemed to be a small ornament. It was a turtle figurine. The ghost¡¯s hands were as thin as a dead tree. His hands were also trembling. The turtle figurine seemed to be carved out of stone. It was bluish black with stripes. ¡°¡­That¡¯s a stone turtle casket.¡± Koushun had come up beside her without her knowing and murmured that. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°That vessel is a stone turtle casket. It¡¯s in the treasure room.¡± A casket was a container. And being in the treasure room meant that it was the emperor¡¯s treasure. ¡°The shell is the lid. At first glance, it looks like an ornament.¡± ¡°Is there something in it? Or is it empty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that it used to contain medicine, but it is now empty. I think it belonged to a dynasty from long ago. The contents must have been lost in the meantime.¡± ¡°Medicine¡­¡± Jusetsu returned her attention to the ghost. The expression on his face remained unchanged and hollow. Jusetsu blew out a breath to clear the smoke. The ghost disappeared as well. ¡°The treasure room, huh,¡± Jusetsu looked up at Koushun. ¡°You want to enter it,¡± Koushun said before she could make her request. ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangement. Just like before, I¡¯ll send a messenger in the morning.¡± ¡°Ei Sei?¡± Jusetsu glanced at him. He was the one who came to get her when she visited the treasure room. She had been greeted with a look of unparalleled disapproval. ¡°Okay,¡± she said. Koushun turned to Ei Sei. ¡°I¡¯m entrusting this to you.¡± In front of Koushun, Ei Sei obediently replied, ¡°Yes, Dajia,¡± but his eyes as he glanced at Jusetsu were still full of disapproval. When the sky began to lighten, Ei Sei came to Yamei Palace. He gave a perfunctory bow and immediately started walking. Since Koushun wasn¡¯t here, his attitude towards her was open and blatant. Jusetsu had already become accustomed to this side of him and could no longer imagine an affable Ei Sei. ¡°Ei Sei,¡± Jusetsu called out to Ei Sei as she looked up at his back while he went on ahead. ¡°You sent Tan Kai here knowing that Onkei wouldn¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Is there an inconvenience?¡± Ei Sei said without looking back. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you do it to me, but there¡¯s no need to harass Onkei.¡± She thought that he didn¡¯t like the fact that Onkei was close with her. Ei Sei glanced at her. ¡°Considering his abilities, he was the most suitable for the job. I¡¯m sure Onkei knows that as well.¡± ¡°Sly bastard,¡± Jusetsu glared at him, and Ei Sei knitted his brows together in annoyance. ¡°If you don¡¯t like Tan Kai, then we can choose someone else.¡± ¡°I never said that.¡± ¡°That is akin to what you are saying.¡± Jusetsu was at a loss for words. It was true that the more she complained about Tan Kai, the more it seemed like she was saying Tan Kai was inadequate. ¡°¡­You¡¯re an unpleasant fellow, aren¡¯t you¡­¡± she said in frustration. ¡°I feel the same way about you,¡± Ei Sei said, cool-faced. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit too direct?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t a consort stipulated by the codes, and you aren¡¯t recorded in the inner palace¡¯s registry either. The ¡®Raven Consort¡¯ is a separate existence from ¡®consorts.¡¯ Therefore, I do not consider it necessary for you to be treated with the same courtesy as with the other consorts.¡± He spoke smoothly and decisively. Certainly, in regards to the laws, he was right. Ei Sei coldly looked down at Jusetsu. ¡°You call me an unpleasant fellow, but you assume you won¡¯t hear the same from me? Because I¡¯m a eunuch?¡± Jusetsu¡¯s breath caught, and she turned red. He had hit the nail on the head. She lowered her head in shame. It¡¯s just as Ei Sei said. She had thought that because he was a eunuch, a subordinate, he wouldn¡¯t say such things. Although she usually said that she didn¡¯t care about manners, it was still deeply ingrained in her consciousness. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s unpleasant. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ei Sei looked at her, then silently started walking again. ¡°It¡¯s true that I am a sly and unpleasant fellow.¡± Those were the only words he said after a while. As they walked in silence, Ei Sei stopped and turned around just before the Ringai Gate. ¡°Could you please stop making such a pathetic face?¡± he sounded irritated. ¡°Dajia will reprimand me if he finds out.¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t see my own face. What do you mean by ¡®pathetic face¡¯?¡± Ei Sei frowned. ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to cry.¡± Jusetsu turned her face away. ¡°I am not making such a face.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you couldn¡¯t see your own face just now?¡± ¡°I know without needing to see it. I am not crying.¡± ¡°I said that you looked like you¡¯re about to cry. To think that you can¡¯t even remember what someone else just said.¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore!¡± Jusetsu raised her voice like a child about to throw a tantrum. ¡°Is that so? Then I suppose we are on the same page,¡± Ei Sei said without changing his expression. This was the moment when Jusetsu realized that she would never be able to match Ei Sei in a war of words. Even with Koushun, she had never felt more acutely like a mere sixteen-year-old girl than she did now. In front of Ei Sei, Jusetsu was nothing more than a child. An old eunuch in a charcoal-colored robe was kneeling and waiting for them in front of the door to the treasure room. He was Ui, the keeper of the treasure room. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already heard, but I wish to see the turtle vessel.¡± When Jusetsu said that, Ui looked up. He was full of wrinkles but his cheeks were as smooth and ruddy as ever. The fact that he showed no expression on his face also didn¡¯t change. ¡°I shall fulfill your request. Please, this way, Lady Raven Consort.¡± With those words, he easily opened the heavy-looking door of the treasure room. She had also wondered this before, but where did he get such strength from? Before going inside, Jusetsu looked back at Ei Sei. ¡°I know. You¡¯re going to tell me to be careful not to break any of the treasures,¡± she said, anticipating his words. Ei Sei raised his eyebrow a bit and looked bored. Feeling a little triumphant at that, Jusetsu marched into the treasure room with satisfaction. Ui closed the door. Inside the room, numerous treasures were tucked away in boxes and lined up on shelves. One of the walls was covered with a painting depicting the island nation and the sea surrounding it, as well as the palaces of the gods beyond the sea. ¡°Please come over here, Lady Raven Consort.¡± After saying that, Ui disappeared between the shelves. Almost immediately, he returned with a box in his hands. He put it on a table and opened the lid. There was a cloth bundle inside. He removed the cloth and unveiled a turtle vessel, the same one the ghost was holding last night. ¡°This is a stone turtle casket.¡± It was a casket made of smooth stones. ¡°These stones are called wave stones. Their beautiful striped patterns are their distinctive characteristics,¡± Ui explained. The carvings were finely detailed, with the patterns on the carapace, the eyes, the mouth, and even the claws on its limbs meticulously rendered. Colored stones were set in its eyes. ¡°Amber is used for the eyes,¡± Ui said as though reading Jusetsu¡¯s mind. ¡°May I touch it?¡± she asked. ¡°Of course,¡± he answered, so she reached out to touch the shell. She then held it up and discovered that the inside was empty. ¡°It once contained pills. Pills for prolonging life.¡± Ui spoke as though he knew that to be the truth, not just a story. ¡°Life-prolonging medicine. Do you know the specifics?¡± ¡°It was medicine made from grinding the claws of a god.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The claws of a god,¡± Ui repeated calmly. ¡°The claws of a god¡­do you mean Wulian Niangniang¡¯s claws?¡± Ui shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, whose?¡± Ui stared at Jusetsu¡¯s face intently. There was no emotion in his eyes, and Jusetsu felt a strange sense of deja vu. Ui¡¯s expression felt familiar. Why was that¡ª? ¡°Ui?¡± Jusetsu called out. Ui¡¯s eyes fluttered, and then he opened his mouth. ¡°The Gou-no-Kami. Gou means Great Sea Turtle.¡± (2) ¡°The Great Sea Turtle¡­God?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that medicine grinded from the claws of that god was contained in this casket?¡± Jusetsu stared at the turtle vessel. ¡°You said this casket is called a stone turtle casket, yes? So, is this casket modelled after the Great Sea Turtle God, then?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ui repeated without intonation. ¡°This is from a very old dynasty, right? I heard so from Koushun. When exactly is it from?¡± ¡°It is from around the time of the Hi dynasty. That was about one thousand and eight hundred years ago.¡± ¡°One thousand and eight hundred¡­so old?¡± She truly was surprised. At the fact that such an ancient thing still existed, and the fact that it was so skillfully crafted. Then, that ghost is also¡­ He was most likely someone from that time as well. ¡°Do you know the origin of this casket?¡± ¡°It is something that a king of the Hi dynasty had an excellent craftsman make for him.¡± There seemed to be no other origin for it. ¡°Then, have you heard any stories about ghosts or something like that regarding this casket? Such as an elderly servant possessing it?¡± Ui tilted his head to the side somewhat. ¡°I do not know.¡± His voice was still monotone. Jusetsu was disappointed. She stared at the turtle vessel. It was as if the amber eyes were staring back at her. ¡°The Hi dinasty and the great sea turtle god, huh¡­¡± she muttered as she looked into those eyes. Jusetsu returned the vessel to Ui, stood up, and left the treasure room. After returning to Yamei Palace briefly, Jusetsu decided to head for the Winter Ministry. ¡°I was going to go straight to the Winter Ministry, but Ei Sei insisted that I mustn¡¯t do so, so I came back. He said that it would attract too much attention if I left from the inner court¡¯s gate. He is not a man of flexibility,¡± Jusetsu muttered while changing into her eunuch¡¯s uniform. ¡°Niangniang, you really don¡¯t get along well with Attendant Ei, do you?¡± Jiujiu laughed as she helped her change. ¡°You¡¯re like a cat and dog.¡± ¡°Which one of us is the dog, and which one is the cat?¡± ¡°Attendant Ei is like a guard dog, and Niangniang is like a kitten with a lustrous coat.¡± ¡°A kitten¡­¡± ¡°Yes, like a kitten who desperately making its fur stand on end with all its might. Ishiha, you worked for Attendant Ei for a short time, right? Was it hard?¡± Ishiha, who was practicing his writing at the table, looked up. He was supposed to be practicing his penmanship in his free time. Jusetsu, Jiujiu, and Kougyou took turns teaching him. In some rare cases, Onkei and Tan Kai also taught him sometimes. Right now, the one watching him was Kougyou. ¡°It was¡­not hard at all. Attendant Ei was strict, but he never said anything unreasonable. He taught me everything one by one in detail.¡± He was a bit scary, though, he added apologetically in a small voice. ¡°Oh, so he¡¯s surprisingly a kind person,¡± Jiujiu said. ¡°He has nothing but harsh words for Niangniang, though.¡± ¡°¡­I will not quarrel with him anymore,¡± she grumbled sullenly. ¡°Because you will lose?¡± Jiujiu said bluntly, and Jusetsu glared at her. Jiujiu ducked her head. Jusetsu finished changing and stepped out from behind the curtains. Onkei was waiting for her outside the thrown-open doors. She left Yamei Palace with him. ¡°Onkei.¡± While walking, Jusetsu looked back at Onkei. ¡°Please face forward, lest you trip,¡± Onkei cautioned and quickly came up to her side. ¡°What is it, Niangniang?¡± ¡°What do you think of that ghost?¡± ¡°The ghost in the inner court?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jusetsu had thought that he would be bewildered by such a question, but surprisingly, Onkei thought it over with a quiet expression on his face before opening his mouth. ¡°He is a man of loyalty.¡± ¡°A man of loyalty?¡± ¡°That man has the appearance of a servant, but more than that, isn¡¯t because it¡¯s obvious that he is a deeply loyal person that everyone who saw him concluded that he is the ghost of a servant?¡± ¡°¡­Why do you think that he is deeply loyal?¡± ¡°I can only explain it by his ¡®feel,¡¯ but he is someone who only has one thing in mind. He is bowing his head for that one thing.¡± I am a eunuch, after all, Onkei continued. ¡°And those who witnessed the ghost in the inner court are also eunuchs, so they can tell that he is someone who serves another and swore loyalty to them.¡± A man of loyalty. Loyal to whom? ¡°That was very helpful. Thank you.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Onkei replied shortly and moved back behind her again, even though she would have liked to have someone next to her to talk to. The Winter Ministry was located on the outskirts of the imperial palace, and Seiu Temple, which enshrined Wulian Niangniang, was located there. When they passed through the gate, it was as shabby as ever, but it was still clean and tidy. They headed for the Winter Ministry building in the depths of the temple and were greeted by the Winter Minister Senri and the acolytes. Senri led Jusetsu to the outer corridor. There was a table with a Go board set up out there. She recalled Gyoei and Koushun playing Go here. ¡°Did you play Go with someone?¡± ¡°No, I was playing by myself. I was coming up with various moves while remembering a game I played with Master Gyoei before.¡± ¡°For a rematch?¡± Senri smiled. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± Senri, who was over forty, was a man whose impresion at first glance was very different from who he actually was. He was tall and thin, and because of his gaunt face, his gaze seemed sharp and highly strung, but when he opened his mouth, his tone was gentle and his laugh was unexpectedly cheerful. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± Sitting across from him on the other side of the Go board, Jusetsu observed Senri¡¯s pale cheeks and asked that question. He was prone to illness and had been bedridden for several days recently when the heat and humidity increased. She felt like his cheeks had become even more sunken. ¡°Yes, I am. I apologize for making you worried. My body can¡¯t keep up when it suddenly gets hot.¡± ¡°You should take care of yourself without pushing yourself too much.¡± ¡°Thank you. ¨D¨DIs there something you would like to ask me today?¡± Senri was perceptive. Jusetsu nodded. ¡°Have you ever heard of the Great Sea Turtle God?¡± she asked without any preamble. ¡°The Great Sea Turtle¡­you mean Gou-no-Kami, yes? He¡¯s also known as the Turtle King,¡± Senri answered without hesitation. ¡°He was a god widely worshiped in ancient times. Sometimes, the ruins of his former shrines have been excavated. There are still a few shrines in the countryside, but they are few and far in between.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very knowledgeable about him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯ve been researching temples and folk beliefs in various places for many years. Also, he was worshipped as a god of prolonging life and longevity, so one of the shrines where my parents went to pray for me was his¡­¡± It seemed that because of his sickly condition, his parents visited various shrines to pray for his recovery and prolong his life. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m a bit familiar with the gods of that aspect.¡± I see, Jusetsu nodded. ¡°Have you heard of a medicine that¡¯s made by grinding the claws of the Great Sea Turtle God?¡± Senri tilted his head, then shook it. ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember hearing about that or reading about that.¡± ¡°I also do not know anything about it, but there is a turtle vessel in the treasure room that once contained the medicine.¡± Jusetsu told him about the ghost with the turtle vessel in his hands. Senri quietly listened to her without interrupting. ¡°Apparently, the turtle vessel is from the Hi dynasty.¡± ¡°Hi dynasty, you say?¡± That¡¯s before Wulian Niangniang, Senri said. This country had two histories. The official history that was publicly taught, and the story of the Summer King and Winter King that could never be told. In the official history, the existence of the Winter King had been erased. The two kings ruled the country peacefully for about five hundred years, and then afterwards, after losing the Winter King, Shou entered a long period of war. Many ruins and artifacts were destroyed during this time, and there was little to no way of knowing the details of the previous eras. It was fortuitous that there were some treasures left in the treasure room. In official history, the Hi dynasty was just one of many dynasties. It was so long ago that it was almost mythical. On the contrary, in the history of the Summer and Winter Kings, the Hi dynasty was a milestone dynasty. ¡°After the fall of the Hi dynasty, Wulian Niangniang came to this land¡­¡± It was exactly before the time of Wulian Niangniang. That meant the era before she came from Kakurenomiya. Jusetsu didn¡¯t know anything about what happened before. That was because the Soutsuten in Yamei Palace didn¡¯t contain any details about that time. For the Raven Consort¡ªthe Winter King, what happened before the arrival of Wulian Niangniang was meaningless. However, there was of course history between the birth of the country from the corpse of a god and the subsequent arrival of Wulian Niangniang. ¡°It is a vessel from that time? It must be very well preserved.¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because it¡¯s made of stone. What do you think of that ghost? I¡¯m curious as to who he is, but I¡¯m also curious about why it appeared now.¡± ¡°I am as well¡­¡± Senri put his hand on his slender chin and pondered. ¡°Have you thought of something?¡± ¡°No,¡± Senri hesitated for a moment, like he wanted to say something, but he ended up shaking his head. ¡°My apologies. I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I see¡­I thought you would know something, because you¡¯re so knowledgeable.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overrating me. I am not even close to Master Gyoei in terms of knowledge.¡± Senri smiled wryly. It was a nostalgic, wistful smile. I saw that smile before, she thought. Not from Senri, but Koushun. I think it was at Koshi Palace, when we were talking about Gyoei¡ª¡ª. Jusetsu peered at Senri¡¯s face. He smiled at her. A cheerful smile, different from the one before. ¡°So, Lady Raven Consort, do you want to save that ghost?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, if possible.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s a servant, then he must have a master. Perhaps that master lies at the root of it all.¡± Onkei also said that he was a man of loyalty. So was his master the key to all of this, then? ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I think this because I am ill, but perhaps the servant¡¯s master was also ill. The fact that he is holding a vessel that contained a medicine to prolong life is¡­¡± After saying that, Senri stared off into the distance. Koutou Palace Academy¡ªgenerally known as Koutou Academy, was overflowing with books in every room. Wooden strips, bamboo strips, scrolls, transcribed books, and sheafs of paper were piled up on the shelves¡­ The smell of ink was strong. ¡°Paper gets damp at this time of year, which becomes a problem.¡± Meiin said after he led Koushun to a room. It was quiet inside. He thought that there was no one there, but then heard a noise at the back of the room. Meiin called out in that direction. ¡°Shiki, His Majesty has arrived. Come over here.¡± A young man appeared from the other side of the shelves. He stepped forward before Koushun and knelt. It was a gentle movement with no exertion. He was a man who seemed to be a year or two over thirty, and had the air of a third son from a wealthy merchant family, rather than a capable official who had traveled around the rural regions. He wasn¡¯t particularly beautiful, but he had a gentle and refreshing appearance. From the way Meiin spoke about him, Koushun had imagined a somewhat brusque and obstinate young man, but at first glance, he appeared to be an agreeable young man. ¡°Raise your head.¡± After Koushun told him that, he slowly got up. His eyes were gentle, but he noticed that there was a shade of sadness in his face. There was a shadow over his eyes. Koushun suddenly sensed something similar to himself in his eyes. He had an intuition. This man holds hatred deep inside his heart. A smouldering flame of hatred with nowhere to go burned in the depths of his eyes. He had no proof, but somehow he was convinced of that. Koushun sat down in a chair. ¡°Over there,¡± he pointed to the seat across from him and prompted Shiki to sit down. Shiki glanced at Meiin with a hint of bewilderment, but Koushun repeated, ¡°We can¡¯t have a long conversation there,¡± so he obediently sat down. ¡°I heard that you were in Ga Province until recently.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± His answer was short, but his voice was clear. He had a mellow and deep voice. ¡°I want to know the situation there,¡± Koushun said point-blank, and Shiki¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Are you concerned about Ga Province, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°I am a little concerned. Did something happen there?¡± Shiki looked away in deliberation, then spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it can be called an issue that happened, but¡­do you know of the Moon Truth Sect?¡± Koushun nodded lightly. ¡°Its successor is now spreading in Ga Province.¡± ¡°The Eight Truths Sect? Is that the Moon Truth Sect¡¯s successor.¡± ¡°So you knew about it? The person who was once the evangelist of the Moon Truth Sect became the founder.¡± Koushun peered at Shiki¡¯s face. ¡°How do you know so much?¡± ¡°I investigated them. Because of that, my life became endangered, so I resigned my position and left Ga Province,¡± Shiki explained with his gentle expression. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it because your relationship with the Saname clan had deteriorated?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, that isn¡¯t necessarily wrong either. The Saname clan seems to be¡­somewhat patronizing the Eight Truths Sect.¡± ¡°The Saname clan?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any proof because I¡¯ve never publically became a believer or donated money. I was just trying to obtain some proof when I was poisoned.¡± Shiki said that so casually that Koushun was slow to react. ¡°¡­Poison.¡± ¡°Shiki, this is the first time I¡¯m hearing this as well.¡± Meiin was also startled. On the other hand, Shiki looked like it was of no concern to him. ¡°It wasn¡¯t fatal poison. It was a threat. The Saname clan are poison users, after all.¡± ¡°Poison users?¡± ¡°It was a rumor that had only been whispered of in Ga Province, but it was true. The Saname clan originally hailed from Kakami. It is said that they have a secret poison. There was a frightening rumor that they obtained it by killing a god.¡± I don¡¯t know how much of it is true, though, he added. ¡°So, I left Ga Province, making it seem like I escaped out of fear.¡± ¡°Ho¡­¡± Koushun stared at Shiki¡¯s face and expressionlessly responded. Shiki smiled gently. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, Your Majesty? Well there¡¯s no proof that the Saname clan poisoned me, so if you say that it¡¯s all a result of me overthinking, then that¡¯s the end of it.¡± No, Koushun answered. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about whether or not Saname believed you. Did they believe that you were the type of person who would give in to threats and run away?¡± ¡°I suppose I¡¯m still alive because they believed it. They are also taking the approach of letting me go freely and watching me.¡± Or it could be that Shiki is working for Saname¡ªthough neither of them said it aloud. ¡°The Ga Province inspector was Kou, I believe. Were you working under his orders?¡± ¡°No, it was my own arbitrary decision. Inspector Kou has no suspicion towards the Saname clan.¡± The inspector was an important post that directly answered to the emperor and was appointed by him. The deputy and lower ranks were chosen at the inspector¡¯s discretion. Shiki, who was a deputy inspector, had ignored his superior¡¯s inclinations and acted on his own accord? This man seems to be acting on some other motive. He didn¡¯t know what that was yet, though. Do I have to send spies to Ga Province¡­? Normally, the province¡¯s governor or other official dispatched from central would report any suspicious activity without having to do such a thing. An unspecified official. Had the real power been transferred to the inspector and he was unable to do a good job? Koushun looked at Meiin, who nodded as though he fully understood the situation. He would make the necessary arrangements. ¡°Is it because of the precedent of Reki Province that you decided to probe into the Eight Truths Sect?¡± When Koushun suddenly asked that, Shiki looked as though the emotions had slipped off his face. ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± ¡°You were from Reki Province, weren¡¯t you.¡± Yes, he answered and frowned slightly. It seemed to be a topic he didn¡¯t want broached. ¡°I also lost an acquaintance in the Reki Province riots. It was the man who was supposed to be my friend¡¯s¡­husband,¡± Kajou¡¯s face flashed through his mind. ¡°Things like that shouldn¡¯t happen.¡± Shiki lowered his eyes. ¡°Yes¡ªprecisely.¡± Koushun had a feeling that he too had lost someone important to him. Koushun invited Shiki to the lotus pond. It was located on the same site as Koutou Academy. Walking along the corridor, they moved from the palace and came to the outer corridor where the beautiful lotus pond could be seen. ¡°Even though the waterways have been built and the transportation of goods have become faster, Ga Province is still a long distance from here. There must be many things that cannot be seen and voices that cannot be heard there. Even the government there is hard to grasp, so it would be even more so when it comes to the people,¡± Koushun spoke plainly as he stared at the closed lotus buds. ¡°This doesn¡¯t only apply to Ga Province.¡± ¡°¡­This country is divided by mountains, after all.¡± Koushun nodded. The capital was located in the east of the island, with steep mountainous terrain to the north, much of which was unexplored, and a soaring mountain range in the center, impeding travel between the east and west. Although the roads were built on relatively gently sloping terrain, it took many days to travel on them because they took detours around the mountain range. The sea route was somewhat faster, but this was also dependent on the weather. ¡°The fragmentation of information is very frightening. It can become irreversible at times.¡± Shiki nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why a man like you, who has seen so much of the country, is very valuable. And you know the people well as well as the government. I would like to increase the number of people like you.¡± For this purpose, unspecified officials who directly answer to the emperor were very convenient. But there were also downsides. It was difficult to find the right balance, so to speak. ¡°Your Majesty¡­is a very serious person,¡± Shiki said in a tone that was either impressed or astonished. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about expressing my opinions in a non-serious way, but it was difficult.¡± He said with Jusetsu in mind. Shiki laughed in amusement. ¡°You have?¡± ¡°Yes, driven by necessity.¡± Shiki¡¯s shoulders shook. The air around him was gentle, and there was no hint of timidity even when dealing with the emperor. However, he wasn¡¯t overly familiar. He was relaxed and gentle in a proper manner¡ªand there was sense of loneliness coming from him at the same time. His air was different from anyone he had met so far. Was it because Koushun had sensed something similar to himself in the depths of his eyes? ¡°Who is it that you hate?¡± Those words suddenly came out of his mouth. Shiki¡¯s smile disappeared, and his face became blank. There was a shadow over his eyes. ¡°I can assure you that it is not you, Your Majesty.¡± He then added, ¡°Can you tell that because you also harbor a similar hatred, Your Majesty?¡± He stared into Koushun¡¯s eyes as he said that, as though probing him. ¡°¡­The person I hated is no more.¡± Koushun murmured, and Shiki narrowed his eyes as though in sympathy. ¡°Then, you feel empty right now, don¡¯t you, Your Majesty.¡± This man understands me very well. Koushun turned his eyes toward the lotus pond. There was no breeze, just a sweltering heat and humidity. He wasn¡¯t even sweating. It was simply agonizing. Koushun wondered what Jusetsu would say to them if she was here. ¡°Have you ever seen a ghost?¡± Despite the suddenness of his question, Shiki answered ¡°Yes¡± without any hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve traveled to many different regions, so I¡¯ve heard many stories about ghosts. People in all regions like ghost stories and strange tales.¡± ¡°I see. There are many such stories here in the imperial palace as well. I¡¯ve also seen some with my own eyes.¡± ¡°You have, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Yes. Ghosts are tragic beings, aren¡¯t they.¡± The ghost that haunted the jade earring, the ghost that stood under the willow tree, and finally the ghosts of his mother and the eunuch flashed through his mind before disappearing. ¡°Last night, I saw the ghost of an old servant. He wanders the inner court with a treasure from the treasure room in his hand.¡± ¡°A treasure?¡± ¡°A treasure called a stone turtle casket. It is a turtle-shaped vessel that once contained medicine. He seems to be a ghost from ancient times, but no one knows why he¡¯s wandering around¡­¡± It was pitiful, almost painful, to see the old servant tottering about, holding up the vessel like an offering. After Koushun told him about the ghost, Shiki was silent, looking perplexed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No¡­it¡¯s only that I remember hearing a similar story in the provinces.¡± ¡°A similar story?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about ghosts. It¡¯s about a pitiful elderly servant who was killed over medicine¡­¡± ¡°What kind of story is it?¡± Koushun¡¯s interest was piqued, and he turned towards Shiki. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can remember it exactly, since I¡¯ve heard it many years ago. I heard it from the people of Raku Province, which is located at the foot of the northern mountains next to Reki Province, while I was working as a patrolling inspector there.¡± ¡°Raku Province was said to be where the capital was located in ancient times, during the Hi dynasty.¡± Yes, Shiki nodded. ¡°In the era when the capital was still there, there lived an old servant who served a noble family. The family had already fallen into ruin, and there was only the young lady and old servant in the deserted house. The young lady was bedridden with illness, so the few other servants that were there had given up on her and left. The old servant served and nursed the young lady very attentively. One day, he heard of a life-prolonging elixir in the castle. It was the medicine of the gods, stored in a turtle vessel. He went to the royal family, with whom the young lady¡¯s family had a slight connection, to ask if they might share the medicine with them. The royal family listened to his request and handed over the medicine. However, it was a fake medicine. They were annoyed by the old servant who repeatedly came to ask for help and handed over the drug in order to get rid of him. The young lady died. The old servant, who learned that it was a fake medicine, blamed the royal family but was tortured to death after angering them. After that, the royal family died of a mysterious disease, and it is said that that was the old servant¡¯s curse.¡± Shiki sighed. ¡°It was one of those kinds of stories¡­ One of the legends in that region. I am sure some of it has changed over time, but it is also interesting as a story about a dynasty that died out.¡± ¡°It certainly is,¡± Koushun nodded. ¡°Sometimes there¡¯s unexpected truth behind those legends.¡± The old servant and the turtle vessel¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll tell Jusetsu about this,¡± he murmured without thinking. ¡°Jusetsu?¡± Shiki tilted his head in confusion. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Koushun cleared his throat. Koushun arrived just when the sun was about to set. Looking at his face, Jusetsu thought that he must be in a good mood. There was no change in his expression, but he somehow seemed like that. ¡°I heard a story about the turtle vessel and the old servant from someone who worked in the provinces.¡± That was the first thing that came out of Koushun¡¯s mouth. ¡°I was wondering what urgent business you had¡­you came here to tell me that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A letter would have sufficed.¡± ¡°I wanted to tell you directly.¡± Jusetsu remained silent, unable to answer. Because it was still early, Jiujiu and Ishiha hadn¡¯t yet retired for the night. ¡°Have you improved in your handwriting?¡± Koushun asked Ishiha. ¡°Yes,¡± Ishiha replied respectfully, then added, ¡°A little.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. Just work steadily. I taught Ei Sei how to write, and now he¡¯s more skilled at calligraphy than me.¡± ¡°Really, Your Majesty?¡± Ishiha looked up at Ei Sei. ¡°It¡¯s all because I had a wonderful teacher,¡± he said with a cool face. ¡°Ishiha is a quick learner, so he is improving very quickly. He has also improved a lot in reading.¡± Ishiha smiled bashfully when Jusetsu praised him. ¡°Shall I bring some books? Something that Ishiha can read,¡± Koushun said. ¡°We have the books Kajou lent us. She brought all kinds of books,¡± Jusetsu pointed at the cabinet. Several books were stacked on top of it. When she had asked Kajou if she had any books that children could read, she happily brought them herself. ¡°Kajou seems to like reading books,¡± Jusetsu remarked. ¡°She does,¡± Koushun nodded. ¡°I also gift some to her from time to time. They please her more than flowers or hairpins. It¡¯s about time I bring her some new books.¡± ¡°She said she wants to borrow some classics from Koutou Academy. She wants to read classic poetry.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll give her permission.¡± Even consorts could leave the inner palace with permission. Kajou sometimes went to Koutou Academy or the chronicler¡¯s pavilion in the imperial palace to borrow books. Jiujiu brought tea, and Jusetsu drank it with Koushun. She had misgivings about drinking hot tea in hot weather, but Keishi, Kougyou, and Jiujiu all said that it was better to sweat to get rid of the heat. She blew on the tea as she drank. As they drank tea, Koushun told her the story about the turtle vessel and the old servant that was handed down in Raku Province. ¡°An old dynasty¡­the Hi dynasty?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s said that their capital used to be at the foot of the northern mountains.¡± ¡°The turtle vessel in the treasure room is also supposed to be from the Hi dynasty¡­¡± Was that old servant the ghost who was tricked with fake medicine and killed? ¡°It¡¯s still a mystery why a ghost from so long ago would appear now,¡± Koushun said, and Jusetsu nodded. ¡°Mm-hmm. I heard that the vessel once contained medicine made from the claws of the Great Sea Turtle God.¡± ¡°The Great Sea Turtle God?¡± ¡°Apparently, he was a god that was widely worshipped in ancient times, so he must also have been commonly worshipped in the Hi dynasty. When I asked Senri about it, he said that the old servant¡¯s master might have been ill. If what you told me is true, then he hit the nail on the head.¡± But even if it turns out to be correct, we still don¡¯t know what to do about it¡­ ¡°Medicine¡­he¡¯s fixated on medicine¡­?¡± The ghost of the old servant holding up the turtle vessel. Did he still want the medicine he never got while he was alive? For the sake of his mistress. Jusetsu pondered this for a while. ¡°Can I see the treasure room again?¡± she asked Koushun. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but¡­what are you going to do there?¡± ¡°I want to search for the medicine. Even if it isn¡¯t in the vessel, it may be somewhere in the treasure room.¡± ¡°The Great Sea Turtle¡¯s? I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s in the treasure room ledger.¡± ¡°It might not necessarily be in the ledger. I¡¯ll ask Ui.¡± Mm, Koushun made a sound. ¡°Because he is a strange keeper, indeed,¡± he nodded. ¡°Are you going tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°Oh¡ªno, Kajou said she¡¯s visiting tomorrow morning. She¡¯s going to bring new books for Ishiha.¡± ¡°The afternoon, then. I¡¯ll go with you as well if that¡¯s the case. It won¡¯t be too much trouble that way.¡± Jusetsu peered at Koushun¡¯s face. ¡°I asked this before, but are you allowed to just let me in many times like this?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t change whether it¡¯s one time or many times. I don¡¯t think of those treasures as only belonging to me to begin with.¡± They don¡¯t only belong to the Summer King, but also to the Winter King¡ªhe was saying. Then, Koushun¡¯s eyes softened a little. His expressionless face took on a gentler shade. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not bad to have you ask me for a favor.¡± Because we¡¯re friends, he said. It was at times like these that Jusetsu didn¡¯t know how to respond. However, she could feel a slight but definite warmth in her chest. Volume 3 - CH 2.3 The antagonist of the series is revealed¡­ Translation Notes 1. The Japanese reading for this word is ¡°dango¡± 2. The ancient Chinese believed that ingesting cinnabar will make you immortal 3. I don¡¯t feel like typing the characters out but the ¡°Gou¡± in ¡°Gou-no-Kami¡± and ¡°Goushi Palace¡± are different characters but very similar looking Previous || Index || Next The next morning, Kajou came to Yamei Palace with several books. It was a casual visit accompanied by only one of her attendants. Kajou, dressed in a light green dress, reminded one of a cool breeze. ¡°Thank you,¡± Jusetsu thanked her and accepted the books. ¡°It was my pleasure,¡± Kajou said happily. ¡°Since it was a request from Ah-mei, I picked them out enthusiastically. If you need more, please let me know. I have many more in my palace.¡± Jusetsu became a little puzzled by the happy Kajou. ¡°You don¡¯t find this a nuisance?¡± Kajou gave a refreshing and broad smile. ¡°Goodness, of course not. I¡¯m very glad that you¡¯re relying on me.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Koushun also seemed to be pleased with Jusetsu¡¯s request. Jusetsu still didn¡¯t understand his feelings. ¡°This is for you, Ah-mei,¡± Kajou said, then took out a vessel from the pail the attendant was holding. Dumplings (1) covered in white honey were piled up in the celadon porcelain vessel. Jusetsu¡¯s eyes were drawn to them, and Kajou smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡± She sounded like an older sister. Jusetsu, whose eyes were captivated by the dumplings, nodded. ¡°¡ª¡ªOh my, a ghost holding a turtle vessel?¡± Jusetsu and Kajou were sitting across from each other, scooping up the smooth dumplings with spoons and eating them. ¡°And, there¡¯s apparently an old tale passed down in the north, about an old servant who was killed.¡± She told her what she heard from Koushun. The dumplings with white honey were sweet, chewy, and delicious. Kajou, who was listening closely, put her finger on her cheek in thought and remained silent. ¡°Is there something wrong with the story?¡± Jusetsu asked. ¡°You said it was a story handed down. Stories handed down orally are bound to change.¡± Jusetsu tilted her head a little. Kajou continued. ¡°An old servant who served a fallen noble house died after being treated unjustly and brought down a curse on the people involved¡ªI¡¯ve sometimes read such variant tales in books.¡± ¡°Variant tales?¡± ¡°It means stories that are very similar to each other. There is a certain template. There are probably similar stories in various places, and they are compiled in books and spread to even more regions. The story you told me is more in line with the pattern of the story in that book. ¡ª¡ªWhat I mean is, the story might have been that type of story originally, but it could also have been in a different form.¡± ¡°A different form¡­¡± She never even considered it. ¡°So, this story might not have much to do with the inner court ghost?¡± When she said that disappointedly, Kajou seemed to be in deep thought again. ¡°No¡­I¡¯m not saying that it has nothing to do with the ghost, because the points about the turtle vessel and medicine are distinctive. However, I think you should think more carefully about taking this story as it is and confronting the ghost.¡± Hmm, Jusetsu nodded. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it was unnecessary,¡± Kajou smiled. No, Jusetsu shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s interesting to hear different opinions from different people. It¡¯s fascinating.¡± Onkei had immediately replied that the ghost was a person of loyalty. Senri felt that this person must have had a sick master. Each of them said what they said because they were who they were. ¡°It¡¯s fascinating¡­¡± Jusetsu murmured again. Past noon, Koushun came to get her himself. Of course, he was accompanied by Ei Sei as usual. On the way to the inner court, Jusetsu talked about her conversation with Kajou. ¡°Indeed,¡± Koushun replied calmly. ¡°Kajou has a point. Even written materials can become wrong when they are transcribed.¡± ¡°So, I thought about it a lot, but¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Medicine can also be poison.¡± Koushun looked at her profile. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Even good medicine can become poison if you give the wrong dosage. Even if it¡¯s life-prolonging medicine, it might work for some people, but make others sicker. In the first place, all medicines that prolong life and longevity since ancient times are all poison.¡± ¡°Cinnabar is one of those.¡± (2) ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is divine medicine or not, but even if the royal family in that story handed over the real thing, it¡¯s not known if that sick young lady would have been saved. Rather¡ª¡± ¡°You think she might have died instead?¡± Mm, Jusetsu nodded. And, maybe¡ª¡ª ¡°¡­¡± Jusetsu had fallen silent, and Koushun didn¡¯t speak to her any more than that. Gyoukou Hall, which was usually only visited by the emperor and eunuchs, was quiet even in the early afternoon. Perhaps it was because it was cloudy and looked like it might rain at any moment, but the inside of the palace was dimly lit and strangely cold, even though the weather was hot and humid. Only the sound of footsteps on the stone floor could be heard. They passed through the corridors and arrived at the treasure room. As expected, Ui was standing in front of the door. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± He bowed deeply. Invited into the treasure room, Jusetsu immediately asked, ¡°Does the medicine that was in the turtle vessel still remain anywhere?¡± ¡°It does not,¡± Ui said in a monotone voice without his expression changing in any way. ¡°Are you sure? There must be some old medicine left here. Is it not there?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t any,¡± Ui said flatly. Jusetsu took in a faint breath. ¡°Is that so? ¨CThen, regarding that medicine, does it matter if someone who is weak and sick takes it?¡± Ui looked at Jusetsu with round eyes for a while, as if he didn¡¯t understand the intent of her question or he was searching through his memories. He tilted his head slightly. ¡°I do not know.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it was a life-prolonging elixir? Is it true that anyone who takes it will prolong their life?¡± ¡°I do not know,¡± Ui repeated the same thing. ¡°In other words, there are no stories of such people left?¡± Ui tilted his head to the other side this time. ¡°I don¡¯t know of any such stories.¡± Jusetsu nodded. ¡°I see. Thank you. ¨CMay I see that casket one more time?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ui disappeared between the shelves like the wind. He almost immediately came back with the box in his arms. He wasn¡¯t even breathing hard. Holding the turtle vessel in her hands, Jusetsu looked at it intently. Koushun was also looking at it from the side. ¡°It isn¡¯t a flashy masterpiece, but it¡¯s a finely crafted item,¡± he quietly evaluated. ¡°Precisely, Your Majesty,¡± Ui responded. ¡°This stone is a precious rock that can be mined from the northern mountain range, but it was considered too solid and difficult to work with, so the best craftsman of the time put their heart and soul into carving it. The design is both intricate and generous¡ª¡± ¡°Ui.¡± Jusetsu interrupted Ui, who was speaking like he was reading out from a book. Ui closed his mouth and stared fixedly at her. ¡°A ghost holding that vessel is wandering about. How do you think such a ghost can release its attachment to this world and cross over to paradise.¡± That question always brought back unexpected answers, depending on the person she asked it to. She was curious as to how this person would respond, but the answer she got was succinct. ¡°Breaking the vessel will release the ghost.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Breaking the vessel will¡ª¡± ¡°Are you saying that I should break this vessel?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If the ghost is holding the vessel, then it has an attachment to it. If you break the vessel, the attachment will disappear.¡± It was a very simple and crude solution. ¡°Breaking the vessel is¡ªnot allowed. Right?¡± Jusetsu looked at Koushun. Before, she had asked if she could destroy the biwa that was stored here. Koushun looked troubled. It seemed that it wouldn¡¯t be allowed. ¡°Breaking it would be¡­problematic,¡± Koushun looked somewhat baffled as he said it. ¡°Is that so, Your Majesty.¡± No one expected the keeper of the treasure room to suggest destroying a treasure. Jusetsu looked at his expressionless face. It was different from Koushun¡¯s blank face. It was flat and lifeless. ¡°Then,¡± Ui continued in his monotone voice. ¡°It is better to borrow the power of Gou-no-Kami.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Gou-no-Kami¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°No, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Goushi Palace is the answer.¡± ¡°¡­? Hmm?¡± ¡°You should bring that vessel to Goushi Palace and pray.¡± Jusetsu glanced up at Koushun. He also looked like he had no idea what Ui was talking about. ¡°Why is that so?¡± ¡°The shell of Gou-no-Kami is used to decorate Goushi Palace. The ¡®Gou¡¯ in Goushi means Great Sea Turtle, the same as the Gou in Gou-no-Kami. (3) It is imbued with divine power.¡± Jusetsu was speechless for a while. ¡°¡ª¡ªWhat?¡± A god¡¯s shell was used as decorations? She was deeply confused. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m hearing of this,¡± Koushun said in a calm voice. ¡°The first emperor who built this imperial palace arranged it to be so.¡± ¡°The first dynasty of this palace¡­the Ran dynasty. It was Ran Yuu?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Why did he do that?¡± ¡°It was for protection against Wulian Niangniang, just in case. It is the same as a shaman. You may think of it as a wall.¡± Jusetsu and Koushun looked at each other. What did he mean? ¡°He told me that he couldn¡¯t feel safe without the power to fight back.¡± ¡°Told you? Who¡ª¡± Ran Yuu? ¡°Ui, you¡ª¡± Jusetsu took a step toward Ui, but he closed his mouth and stared vaguely ahead with nothing reflected in his smooth eyes. ¡°Please go to Goushi Palace,¡± he repeated. He showed no more sign of speaking beyond that. ¡°Shall we go there?¡± Koushun asked. After thinking it over for a while, Jusetsu nodded. ¡°I still have things I want to ask you,¡± she told Ui before leaving the treasure room with Koushun. They were heading to Goushi Palace. It was a palace located near the inner palace. ¡°Defence against Wulian Niangniang¡­just in case¡­¡± Jusetsu muttered as she walked briskly. What does that mean? What was Ran Yuu thinking? They climbed the steps and entered the palace. It wasn¡¯t a very large building. They had a musician play the biwa for them and send a ghost possessing a cloth mask to paradise. At that time, she didn¡¯t get a good look at the palace¡¯s structure¡­ Jusetsu looked around the palace. It had a cold stone floor, several pillars supporting beams, and couches, a table and folding screens. Jusetsu suddenly pulled back. The stone floor. It was laid with polished round stones¡ªbut that wasn¡¯t the only thing. Something that looked like mottled tortoiseshell was embedded here and there. They were light grey, not brown, and difficult to distinguish from the stone. Looking at the entire floor, one could see a large floral pattern made from these embedded objects. Is it these? Jusetsu headed towards the center of the pattern while staring at her feet. There was a table at the center of the flower. ¡°¡­Koushun.¡± She received the turtle vessel from Koushun and put it down on the table. She moved back a little and knelt down on the spot. She touched the flower pattern with her fingers. It was hard, but not as cold as the stone and contained a mysterious warmth. Suddenly, she smelled a fishy, damp smell. ¡°This is¡­the smell of the sea,¡± Koushun murmured. The smell of the sea. Jusetsu never smelled it. But she also felt a feeling of nostalgia, like she knew it well. Her fingertips suddenly felt wet, and she drew back her hands in surprise. The flower pattern wavered and rippled. Water? The flower pattern swayed like the surface of a lake and shone a faint silver. Before she even had time to be startled, bare legs appeared from behind the turtle vessel on the table. She looked up to see the ghost of the old servant standing there with his head hanging down. He was holding out the vessel. His hands were trembling. He¡¯s wailing. Looking up at him from the floor, she could see his expression clearly. The ghost was crying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± His voice was hoarse and thin. Sobbing, the old servant apologized again and again. ¡°My lady¡­my lady¡­it¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± He was constantly blaming himself in between his sobs. Jusetsu listened to him intently. ¡°I thought that if you took the medicine¡­you would be saved¡­¡± As I thought. Jusetsu stared at the old servant¡¯s face. ¡°You gave that life-prolonging medicine to your mistress, didn¡¯t you.¡± The old servant didn¡¯t react. It seemed her voice didn¡¯t reach him. ¡°¡­Then, in other words?¡± Koushun asked. ¡°The medicine he received from the royal family was most likely the genuine article. He gave it to the sick young lady. However, rather than prolonging her life, she died.¡± ¡°¡­So the medicine became poison?¡± Jusetsu nodded. The old servant thought that the young lady would get better if she drank the medicine. And yet¡ª ¡°It must have been too strong for the sickly lady.¡± The people who gave the medicine to the old servant probably did so out of the goodness of their hearts. Perhaps they felt sorry for the old servant¡¯s desperation. Jusetsu could only furrow her brow and stare at the sobbing old servant. There was nothing she could say to him, nor would she ever be able to reach him. What could she do? She looked at the floor. The flower pattern still shone with a faint silver color and was undulating. She slowly brought her hand closer. ¡°¡­Gou no Kami.¡± Did he have another name? She didn¡¯t know. She simply called out to the god. ¡°Will you save this person?¡± She touched it with her fingertips. It didn¡¯t feel cold. It had the warmth and feel of lukewarm water. Like water warmed by the sun. It swayed and bumped against her fingers, making a watery sound. It felt terribly nostalgic, even though she had no memory of it. The sea. Suddenly, her fingers were drawn in with a strong force. It wasn¡¯t that they were grabbed and pulled in. It felt like a power of absorption. Her hand was sinking into the water. Jusetsu put her hands on the floor and resisted the force. However, the power of absorption was so strong that it felt like if she exhaled, she would be swallowed up in that moment. ¡°Jusetsu!¡± Koushun held her in his arms. Jusetsu could finally breathe. As she inhaled, she pulled her hand back with all her strength. Let go of me! She chanted that in her mind, and her chest became hot. Heat flowed from her chest to her arms, from her arms to her fingertips. The force that was sucking her in seemed to slacken, and her arm slipped loose. There was a dry sound, like something popped, and Jusetsu fell backwards with Koushun. ¡°Dajia!¡± ¡°Niangniang.¡± Ei Sei and Onkei, who had been watching the situation, rushed over to them. Koushun lightly raised his hand to restrain them and got up. Then, he put his arm around Jusetsu¡¯s shoulders and held her up. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Jusetsu nodded. She was out of breath and couldn¡¯t speak for a while. She pressed her hand against her chest. That heat. An unpleasant heat. She suddenly looked up at the table and let out a small ¡°ah.¡± The vessel had split right into two. The ghost had also disappeared. The flower pattern on the floor had gone back to normal, no longer that silver glittering water. ¡°It¡¯s broken,¡± Koushun said nonchalantly. It was the emperor¡¯s treasure. Everyone except Koushun stared at the treasure with bated breath. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do about something that¡¯s been destroyed. This is how the ghost disappeared, right?¡± he asked Jusetsu. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± There was no sign of that ghost anymore. She couldn¡¯t hear his crying either. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s fine.¡± It was a quick thing. Jusetsu let out a small sigh. Right at that moment, a charcoal-colored sleeve stretched out from the side and picked up the vessel that was on the table. No one had noticed him approaching. ¡°Ui.¡± With that expressionless face, Ui stood there with the pieces of the vessel in his hands. No emotion or intention could be sensed from that face. ¡°W-When did you¡ª¡± Ei Sei was unusually flustered. He was looking at Koushun, seeming to be at a loss as to how to deal with this. Koushun stood up. ¡°Ui, just as you said, the ghost disappeared once the vessel was broken.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ui replied in his monotone voice. Jusetsu stood up as well. She stared at Ui¡¯s face intently. She had always thought that it seemed familiar. It was just as she thought. This expression wasn¡¯t a face. ¡°Ui, you¡­¡± You have the same expression as Shougetsu. ¡°You¡¯re a doll¡ªa tsukaibe.¡± His eyes that looked like gaping holes were directed at Jusetsu. Eyes that were smooth and seemed to reflect nothing. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Ui said it like it was nothing. ¡°Whose tsukaibe are you? Wulian Niangniang¡¯s? I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re the Owl¡¯s.¡± Ui tilted his head to the side a little. ¡°Until this moment, I was Wulian Niangniang¡¯s tsukaibe. Before that, I belonged to Gou-no-Kami. I was created by Gou-no-Kami.¡± Gou-no-Kami¡¯s tsukaibe. ¡°Gou-no-Kami has gone into hiding, so I was made Wulian Niangniang¡¯s property. But, Gou-no-Kami has summoned me again¡ª¡± The flower pattern on the floor wavered again and emitted that silvery light. ¡°This is the end. It seems that Wulian Niangniang is no longer strong enough to detain me. This is where I take my leave. So long, princess of Ran¡ªno, princess of Hi.¡± The ground beneath Ui¡¯s feet transformed into water, and his body sank down. ¡°I shall leave you for a short time.¡± Ui and the turtle vessel he was holding sank into the water. At the same time, the light disappeared and the floor returned to how it was before. No one spoke for a while. ¡°¡­Did he call me ¡®princess of Hi?¡¯¡± Jusetsu¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°What does he mean by that?¡± Even at a time like this, Koushun spoke with a quiet, unwavering voice. ¡°The Ran clan was from a minority tribe in the north. It¡¯s said that they descended from a old dynasty, but¡­¡± Jusetsu had also heard that story. They were the descendants of a family that once ruled the country or the descendants of priests. Was that the Hi dynasty? After thinking about it for a while, Jusetsu shook her head. So what did that mean? Being a Ran survivor was already a troublesome fact, but what was the significance of a long-gone dynasty like the Hi dynasty? ¡°What¡¯s certain is that we¡¯ve lost one of our treasures, and the treasure room¡¯s keeper¡­¡± Koushun murmured, sounding just a little lonely. That day, Jusetsu headed for the Winter Ministry. ¡°I see, the treasure room¡¯s keeper¡­¡± Jusetsu told Senri about what happened to the turtle vessel as they sat at a table in the middle of the outer corridor. ¡°It was the Great Sea Turtle who created Ui, but because the god had ¡®gone into hiding,¡¯ he became Wulian Niangniang¡¯s possession, and now he has returned to the Great Sea Turtle¡ªwhat does all that mean?¡± Senri blinked and looked at her face. ¡°Before, you told me that you wondered why the ghost of the old servant has appeared now of all times. At that time, I was at a loss as to whether or not to say it, but¡­¡± Come to think of it, he did seem like he wanted to say something. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­This is my personal theory, but faith comes in waves,¡± Senri spoke in a voice as gentle as basking in the sun. ¡°It may safely be said that it has trends.¡± ¡°I understand that,¡± Jusetsu nodded. There was the desolate Seiu Temple and the new beliefs in new gods arising in many places. Beliefs came and went. ¡°Why is it that the shrines of Wulian Niangniang have become deserted in rural areas, and the belief in other gods has grown stronger? The Great Sea Turtle god, who was worshipped in ancient times, is now nowhere to be seen. ¨CI believe these are all due to the weakening of those gods.¡± ¡°Weakening?¡± ¡°If a god¡¯s power weakens and no longer brings benefits to the people, their faith will fade away. Little by little, like the waves receding. And then, faith will gather in a god with a different power. I believe that gods can also be replaced like that.¡± ¡°A god¡¯s¡­replacement?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like a struggle for supremacy. There are many temples to many gods in this country, from big to small ones. Aren¡¯t the gods competing against each other for power?¡± Jusetsu recalled Shougetsu¡¯s¡­the Owl¡¯s words. Koushou made the Raven eat flowers. She continually fed them to her. They were poison. The Raven has already¡ªlost itself. And then, Ui¡¯s words. It seems that Wulian Niangniang no longer has the power to detain me. Was Wulian Niangniang weakening? ¡°Then¡­does the fact that Ui has returned to the Great Sea Turtle God means that that god¡¯s power has returned?¡± ¡°I believe there¡¯s a high possibility of that.¡± ¡°But on the other hand, Wulian Niangniang¡­¡± Senri had a difficult look on his face. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure that my theory is correct. However, I believe that Wulian Niangniang was in a similar crisis in the past.¡± ¡°Crisis?¡± ¡°When the Winter King was killed. The world was plunged into war after that. A new Winter King hadn¡¯t appeared during that time, and Wulian Niangniang remained silent. Why was that? It is said that the country was devastated because of this silence, but since the war continued, it is natural that it was devastated. However, I also think that the silence was due to some kind of crisis that Wulian Niangniang had to deal with. It is all hypothetical, just my supposition.¡± ¡°No¡­it was very helpful. It is not something I would have thought of, since I have no knowledge of such things.¡± When she said that, Senri¡¯s eyes narrowed into a smile. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Lady Raven Consort, Master,¡± an acolyte approached them. ¡°His Majesty is calling upon you.¡± ¡°What, Koushun also comes to see you?¡± ¡°Yes, sometimes. I play Go with him in Master Gyoei¡¯s place.¡± ¡°It must be tough playing against him.¡± Senri smiled at Jusetsu¡¯s words. It seems that he was a good opponent. A strong one. ¡°You¡¯re here too?¡± Koushun, who appeared in the outer corridor, said after seeing Jusetsu. ¡°Do you play Go with Senri too?¡± He probably said that because of the Go board on the table. ¡°No,¡± Jusetsu shook her head. ¡°I came to ask his opinion.¡± ¡°I see. I came here to play Go with him.¡± However, Senri pointed to the chair he was sitting on. ¡°Why don¡¯t you play a game with the Lady Raven Consort today?¡± he suggested. Jusetsu frowned. ¡°I won¡¯t play with him.¡± ¡°Because you hate to lose.¡± Jusetsu hated how Koushun said that with a cool face. ¡°You don¡¯t think you can lose?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about losing, though.¡± She considered throwing the stones at him. ¡°Sit there.¡± Jusetsu pointed to the chair across from her. She then took off the lid from the bowl and gripped a stone. Koushun obediently sat down. Senri bowed with a smile and quietly left. Jusetsu watched him from behind. He wore the same grey color as Gyoei, but he looked completely different from behind compared to Gyoei. ¡°¡­It¡¯s helpful to hear other people¡¯s opinions.¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°It makes me realize how little I know.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you this for a while.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Gyoei died, didn¡¯t he?¡± Koushun¡¯s hand, about to put down a Go stone, stopped. ¡°Looking at how you and Senri remained silent, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of his age. Was it suicide?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, he must have taken responsibility. ¨CWas it Gyoei who let Shougetsu into the inner palace?¡± Jusetsu repeated her words with a calmness that surprised even herself. ¡°He must have hated me,¡± Reijou appeared in her mind. Reijou, who lived alone, grew old, and died, just as the Raven Consort should. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s natural.¡± ¡°¡­Jusetsu.¡± Koushun¡¯s voice that quietly called out her name was something that shook the bottom of Jusetsu¡¯s heart. It always did. This time it sounded even deeper and stronger. Feeling a sharp pain at the back of her nose, Jusetsu swallowed her breath. ¡°I¡¯ve told you this before, you¡¯re too considerate. You¡¯re so considerate and thoughtful that it makes people angry instead.¡± ¡°¡­You did say that.¡± Are you angry? He quietly asked. Jusetsu shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re concerned for me¡­but then, who will take care of you? Are you going to keep the pain of losing Gyoei to yourself and never tell anyone?¡± All the while keeping those wounds open. ¡°¡­There are many who worry about the emperor.¡± That wasn¡¯t what she¡¯s talking about. The back of Jusetsu¡¯s chest hurt. This pain was for Koushun¡¯s sake. ¡°You accept your wounds as a matter of course. That¡¯s because you think of them as your punishment. I thought that way as well. But¡­¡± Jusetsu looked down at the Go stone in her hand. ¡°Some time ago, I exorcised a curse put on an attendant of Hakkaku Palace.¡± Koushun nodded. ¡°The attendant¡¯s life was saved by her betrothed, but she deeply regretted leaving him to his death. However, I think that regretting like that would also mean denying the choice that her betrothed staked his life on. So, I¡ª¡± Jusetsu sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t say it well. But I¡­don¡¯t want to deny my mother¡¯s decision at that time.¡± She tried to say more, but couldn¡¯t find the right words. ¡°Is that so,¡± Koushun said. He seemed to understand what she was trying to say. ¡°I see¡­¡± He didn¡¯t say anything more after that. He also stared at the stone. ¡°I¡¯ve never considered it a good thing to associate with others,¡± Jusetsu put a stone on the board. ¡°But there are many things that you are able to see when you interact with people.¡± Even if that¡¯s the wrong path for the Raven Consort. What people did with the best of intentions didn¡¯t always bring good results. So maybe this was all a mistake as well. I might be falling into a dark pit, little by little, little by little. Still, I cannot think that I would have been better off without the connections that I have now. After she returned to Yamei Palace, a familiar attendant visited. She was no longer wearing the white coral ornament on her sash. It was Ki Senjo. ¡°I have come to deliver a letter from the Lady Crane Consort.¡± Senjo was holding a tray in her hands. There was a letter on the ostentatious brocade cloth. Wondering what it was about, Jusetsu picked up the letter and spread it out. The writing was beautiful, as one would expect from a consort. Contrary to the Crane Consort¡¯s mysterious impression, the contents were terribly ceremonious and formal. However, it was simply an invitation to tea. ¡°¡­She shouldn¡¯t have gone out of her way to send a letter like this.¡± Senjo, who apparently didn¡¯t know what was in the letter, looked dumbfounded. ¡°She asked me to have you write an answer. May I please ask you to do so?¡± Jiujiu started to grind ink with an inkstone. Jusetsu hesitated over how to reply. Her eyes caught on Senjo¡¯s tray. The brocade cloth was embroidered with tortoiseshell crests in gold and silver threads. ¡°Are those turtles?¡± Senjo looked down at the tray after she murmured that. ¡°Are you talking about this cloth? Of all the ones that the Crane Consort owns, this one is the finest. The Lady Crane Consort was reluctant at first, saying that the tortoiseshell pattern wasn¡¯t cute, but after much deliberation, she chose this one, saying that the ones with dyed flower patterns were too light and that she couldn¡¯t find any other brocade that she liked.¡± ¡°All that for a single piece of cloth?¡± ¡°Since this is the first letter she¡¯s delivering to the Lady Raven Consort, she agonized over how to write it. The Lady Crane Consort wants to get along with you.¡± That was surprising. Jusetsu¡¯s impression of her was that of a ¡°girl who¡¯s difficult to grasp.¡± ¡°Not cranes, but turtles?¡± the person who cut in was Jiujiu, who was rubbing out the ink. ¡°Since it¡¯s Hakkaku Palace, I thought you would use a crane crest more often.¡± ¡°Tortoiseshell crests are everywhere at our palace. The attendants also favor that pattern for their ruqun¡­ It is the crest of Lord Hakumyoushi, after all.¡± Hakumyoushi. The god the Eight Truths Sect worships. Jusetsu, who was about to pick up the brush, lifted her head. ¡°The tortoiseshell crest is the crest of Hakumyoushi?¡± ¡°Yes. Because Lord Hakumyoushi is the Great Sea Turtle God.¡± The brush fell onto the table. Volume 3 - CH 3.1 Translation Notes 1. The word used here is Ö¾¹Ö which translates to ¡°tales of the miraculous/strange.¡± They deal with the supernatural, and gods, ghosts and spirits 2. Zensen incense is an incense made from fragrant wood. There is one on display at the Shoso-in. There were several archives within the imperial palace that collected books. The Koutou Palace Library was one of them, and it had a particularly valuable collection of books. Some of the books were written for scholars on foreign laws and history, while others were elaborately bound manuscripts and rare editions of strange tale collections. (1) ¡°Have you ever been to the Western Territory?¡± Koushun asked that question to Shiki in a room at Koutou Academy. This country, separated down the center by a mountain range, had long been divided into the Eastern and Western Territory. The capital was located in the Eastern Territory, and Rouko, home to Ishiha¡¯s Hatan tribe, was located in the west. ¡°I have been in Dou Province and Gei Province. I served as the western chief military secretary in Dou Province and an assistant inspector in Gei Province.¡± Even the gentle-faced Shiki¡¯s low voice was mellow and smooth. And just like the shadows on his face, his voice was tinged with a touch of sadness. ¡°Dou Province, huh. You must have had a difficult time there.¡± There was an island of exiles. There were also several other small islands, which were quite difficult to manage and govern. Koushun heard that the waves were rough and the weather was harsh there. ¡°The winter cold was hard to withstand,¡± Shiki answered, nodding. ¡°Crops don¡¯t grow well there because the winds are too strong. Because of that, iron manufacture and crafts flourish there. Since many of the woodturners and foot bellows operators were roughnecks, so bookish government bureaucrats are no match for them. However, it isn¡¯t enough for warriors to simply suppress them with force.¡± ¡°Is the regional military governor handling things well?¡± ¡°The governor who summoned me at that time was a well-educated military officer. I have heard from others that the current governor is also a man of good reputation.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Koushun nodded. It was he who had appointed the regional military governor. ¡°Rouko is in Gei Province. The Hatan tribe lives there. I have several eunuchs from there around me.¡± ¡°That land¡­isn¡¯t very bountiful,¡± Shiki dropped his gaze somberly. ¡°They can¡¯t feed their children, so they give them away. But then there will be fewer workers. Their poverty doesn¡¯t go away. It¡¯s a vicious cycle. It isn¡¯t very pleasant to see brokers coming to buy boys to make them into eunuchs.¡± After he said that, he looked up, seeming to remember that he was talking to Koushun. ¡°I apologize for going on a tangent.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Koushun recalled Ishiha¡¯s face. He was still a young child, about ten or so. Ei Sei had also been around that age when he entered the inner palace. ¡°Generally, the western territories are poorer than the eastern territories. I hear the fish used to be so plentiful in the west that a palace could be built just with fishing.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Ishiha also said that the elders used to be nostalgic for that time¡­¡± ¡°I¡­? Is he from the Hatan tribe?¡± It appeared that he could tell from the sound of the name. ¡°He¡¯s a eunuch from the Hatan tribe. He worked at Gyoukou Hall for a while. He currently works at Yamei Palace.¡± ¡°Yamei Palace¡­¡± Shiki, who had just arrived in the imperial palace, might not know anything about the inner palace. Koushun was about to add an explanation, but before he could, Shiki said, ¡°They say that the Raven Consort lives there.¡± ¡°You knew that already?¡± ¡°No, I learned about it after I came here. When I was in the provinces, I didn¡¯t even know about the existence of the Raven Consort. Is it true that she undertakes everything from searching for lost items to curse killings?¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± He had never seen Jusetsu cast a curse, and he didn¡¯t think she would. ¡°Um¡ª¡± Just as Shiki was about to say something after careful consideration, Ei Sei came to inform them. ¡°Dajia, the Duck Consort has arrived.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Was it today?¡± He had given Kajou, who wanted to borrow books, permission to come here. Kajou entered the room, accompanied by several attendants and eunuchs. She was a refreshing sight in her pale blue robes tinged with light grey. The dangling ornaments of her hairpins clinked together coolly. ¡°Did you want to borrow the classical poetry book, Kajou?¡± ¡°Yes, I have already borrowed it. There is a copy of a Kakami picture scroll in this room, I believe. I would like to borrow it.¡± I want to look at it together with the Raven Consort, she said. Kajou was extremely fond of Jusetsu. ¡°A Kakami picture scroll?¡± Koushun looked at the lined-up shelves. ¡°It must be somewhere around here.¡± ¡°I shall bring it,¡± Shiki quickly moved. It seemed that he already knew where everything was. Kajou thanked him, who returned with several picture scrolls. ¡°My, thank you very much. Are you a scholar? It¡¯s my first time seeing you.¡± Kajou often visited the academy, so she was familiar with the scholars¡¯ faces. ¡°I was appointed here as a scholar recently. My name is Reiko Shiki,¡± Shiki bowed courteously. ¡°Oh, is that so? Where are you from?¡± Koushun, with a start, said, ¡°He¡¯s from Ga Province.¡± ¡°I used to be a deputy inspector in Ga Province. I was born in Hosui in Reki Province.¡± Kajou¡¯s smile stiffened for just a moment at Shiki¡¯s answer. ¡°I see. ¨CI shall look at the contents and choose which one I wish to borrow,¡± Saying that with a smile, Kajou moved to the long table in the back. The eunuchs holding the picture scrolls and attendants followed. Watching them, Shiki asked Koushun, ¡°Should I not have mentioned Reki Province?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­She lost someone she knew there.¡± That was all Koushun said, and he glanced at Shiki. He was shrewder than he thought he would be, showing off his competence in front of a consort and promoting his name. ¡°¡ª¡ªPutting that aside, weren¡¯t you about to say something earlier?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Shiki lowered his eyes. ¡°Um, will the Raven Consort accept a request from someone like me? Or does she only listen to requests from those in the inner palace?¡± ¡°Do you have a request for her?¡± Koushun was a little surprised. Somehow, Shiki didn¡¯t look like someone who would rely on such things. Yes, Shiki answered and rubbed his arms. His expression was dark, a shadow cast over it. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try asking her. By the way, what sort of request do you have for her?¡± Shiki moved his gaze as if in hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll think me a fool, but¡­¡± After saying that, Shiki lifted his eyes. ¡°I can see a hand pulling on my sleeve.¡± Jusetsu sat down in a chair and looked at the man kneeling before her. His name was Reiko Shiki. At first glance, he didn¡¯t look like a government official. Jusetsu hadn¡¯t seen that many government officials to the extent that she could conclude that, but he looked very different from the officials she had seen so far. Bureaucrats were generally somewhat cold. It wasn¡¯t that they were cold-hearted. It was an intellectual coldness, like they were sharpening their reason with knowledge. However, this man named Shiki had no such coldness. His gaze was gentle, and there was a sense of cleanliness radiating from his ruddy skin and dress. He had an affable appearance. But, for some reason, Jusetsu could sense a shadow from him. Like the shade of early spring, there was a sudden chill and loneliness. Why is this man in the imperial palace? He didn¡¯t seem to possess the spirit to work for his country or the ambition to make a name for himself. He simply looked terribly lonely. Men like him are dangerous. A eunuch offered a bowl of lychees to the frowning Jusetsu. The red skin was peeled in half and placed in a glass bowl for easy eating. Picking up the skin, Jusetsu put the white fruit flesh in her mouth. The sweet juices overflowed. Jusetsu directed her gaze diagonally. Koushun was sitting there. With an expressionless face, he was leaning slightly against the armrest and sitting calmly. Nobody was saying anything. The rain was so loud that they couldn¡¯t hear each other when they spoke. This was the Tourin in the imperial palace, the emperor¡¯s villa. It had a garden, a pond, and a beautiful pagoda. Under normal circumstances, she would have enjoyed the view, but the shower that suddenly started made that impossible. It felt as though this gazebo was about to be submerged. Well, it would probably stop before that happens¡­ They couldn¡¯t do anything with this kind of rain, so they could only wait for the time to pass. Jusetsu came to Tourin at Koushun¡¯s request to meet with a scholar who had a request for her. That was why she was observing Shiki. A hand pulling on his sleeve, huh¡­ She glanced at it and thought, indeed. There was a white hand holding Shiki¡¯s sleeve. It was a thin, pale woman¡¯s hand. It was neither pulling hard nor gripping it. It was pinching the sleeve between its fingers forlornly. Only a glimpse of a pale yellow sleeve printed with a tiny flower pattern could be seen, and there was nothing beyond that. There was only a hand. The rain finally let up and showed signs of stopping. Koushun opened his mouth. ¡°This person says that he can see a hand pulling on his sleeve¡­¡± Jusetsu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s most likely a woman¡¯s hand. She¡¯s wearing a light-yellow upper garment with a pattern of small flowers.¡± Shiki suddenly flinched. ¡°You can see it?¡± ¡°Even now, it¡¯s pulling on your sleeve. Reservedly.¡± Shiki let out a breath. ¡°I can only see it once in a while. It didn¡¯t seem like anyone else could see it¡­¡± He said that he thought that there was something wrong with his eyes because no one else could see it when he asked to confirm it. ¡°There are those I can see immediately, and those I can¡¯t see no matter what. One might call it compatibility.¡± She glanced at Shiki¡¯s sleeve. ¡°The owner of that hand seems to be very worried about you. If that¡¯s the case, then you must know this person. Someone close to you. And you know why they are worried about you, don¡¯t you? I don¡¯t believe there is much for me to do here.¡± Shiki¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡­can tell that much?¡± ¡°I can reveal the ghost with my arts, but is that necessary?¡± No, Shiki shook his head. ¡°That person¡¯s sleeve and hand are both familiar to me. In particular, the hand¡­it is unmistakable. It¡¯s Shoumei. She was my adopted younger sister.¡± Adopted sister, Koushun murmured as though in confirmation. ¡°I only call her my sister, but we are not actually related by blood. I believe that you know that I was an orphan, and so was Shoumei. Orphans like us lived together. We wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive otherwise.¡± Shoumei was three years younger than Shiki, and was a helpless child in everything she did, so he took care of her and helped her as if she was his little sister. ¡°Shoumei also called me ¡®Big Brother¡¯ and loved me. In the town where we were born and raised, there was an old teacher who gathered the orphans and taught them how to read and write, and he was partial to me because I did well. Because of that, I was taken in by the current Reiko family. At that time, I asked if they would adopt Shoumei as well. It seemed that the couple wanted a daughter as well as an heir, so they decided to adopt us together.¡± ¡°You have good parents,¡± Koushun said, and Shiki smiled faintly. It was a nostalgic smile filled with affection. That alone made it clear how he thought of his adoptive parents. ¡°Yes, they are wonderful people. They weren¡¯t well-off, but they said that it would be too pitiful if we were separated from each other. I can never repay my debt to them. And yet¡­I made them feel sorrow about Shoumei.¡± Shiki¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Shoumei married into a family in the neighboring town. There was a wealthy landowning family there, and both the husband and parents were very kind, so we were all overjoyed with such a good match. ¡­It wasn¡¯t until a few years later that something went wrong in the husband¡¯s family. Perhaps their good nature was taken advantage of. They began to believe in the Moon Truth Sect, which was popular at the time. Only Shoumei rejected it. Apparently, they donated a lot of money to the sect¡­ I heard that she reprimanded them many times, but her husband and in-laws didn¡¯t listen to her. My sister would occasionally write to me, asking what should she do, but I was working in another province at the time and couldn¡¯t return right away. I regret not leaving behind everything and going back home back then.¡± Shiki furrowed his brows and seemed to be in great pain to say any more. ¡°¡­If it¡¯s too painful to talk about, then you don¡¯t have to talk about everything. Just a general outline will do.¡± When Jusetsu said this, Shiki nodded slightly. After a moment of silence, he exhaled and continued. ¡°I still don¡¯t know why her husband and his parents, who were so kind and good-natured, did such a thing. Is that what faith is? One day, Shoumei was encouraged by some men to join the Moon Truth Sect. It had happened many times before, but Shoumei refused each time. However, that wasn¡¯t the only thing that happened that day. There was a quarrel, and eventually they became violent¡­in the end, Shoumei was beaten to death with sticks by them. I was later told that the men were yelling that by beating Shoumei with sticks, they were going to eradicate the evil things inside her. The men were quickly arrested and executed. By the time I returned, Shoumei was in a coffin, awaiting burial. They were waiting to bury her for my sake. Although it was difficult to tell because of the makeup applied to the dead, her body was covered in wounds. Her face too¡­ That was months before the Moon Truth Sect was destroyed by riots.¡± Shiki lowered his head. ¡°¡­It was about half a year after Shoumei died that I noticed this hand. The robe with the flower pattern was one I bought for her long ago, and it was her favorite. It wasn¡¯t tailor-made from new materials, but secondhand, so it wasn¡¯t anything much¡­ But even if she wasn¡¯t wearing that robe, I would recognize her immediately. When we were children, Shoumei would always hold onto my sleeve anxiously and follow me. Her way of gently and shyly holding onto my sleeve hadn¡¯t changed at all. It¡¯s like she¡¯s alive, and there are times when I just wanted to grab her hand.¡± Shiki smiled sadly. ¡°But, even though she was helpless and unreliable, Shoumei always seemed to be somewhat worried about me. I used to tell her to worry about herself before she worried about others, but¡­I guess she had that kind of temperament.¡± ¡°¡­So, are you saying that is why she is still pulling on your sleeve?¡± Jusetsu asked, and Shiki lowered his head slightly. ¡°I suppose so,¡± he said, nodding as if trying to tell himself that. Jusetsu silently stared at his face. ¡°I wish to ask if it is possible to send Shoumei to paradise. If things remain this way, it would be too pitiful for Shoumei.¡± ¡°If Shoumei¡¯s worries disappeared, she would soon be able to cross over to paradise without me having to do anything. You are the reason why Shoumei is kept here.¡± And Shiki probably knows that reason. Shiki didn¡¯t want to talk about it, so Jusetsu didn¡¯t know what it was. Shiki hung his head and remained silent. Jusetsu glanced at his waist. There was an ornament hanging from his sash. It had been on her mind ever since they first met here. It was a white coral ornament. The symbol of the Eight Truths Sect. ¡°¡­You said that you were the deputy inspector in Ga Province. Are you an Eight Truths believer?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shiki bluntly denied. ¡°Then why are you wearing that ornament? It¡¯s the proof that you are a believer of the Eight Truths Sect.¡± ¡°This is¡ª¡± Shiki touched the white coral ornament. ¡°This is something I wear in order to investigate the Eight Truths and the Saname clan.¡± ¡°Shiki was poisoned while investigating the relationship between the Eight Truths and the Sanames in Ga Province,¡± Koushun cut in. Jusetsu glanced at him. ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that I¡¯m being let go on purpose. There are believers in the imperial palace as well. This is to deceive their eyes.¡± There was an unpleasant feeling there, a sizzling sensation like skin being smoked. It was his wariness against the Eight Truths. Hakumyoushi was said to be the Great Sea Turtle God. Was this the same god that was worshipped in ancient times? Gou-no-Kami is summoning me once more¡­ They had to be the same. Power had returned to an ancient god¡­ And the Eight Truths, who worshipped that god. She had a bad feeling about this. ¡°¡­You¡¯re still investigating even now?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Even now, you¡¯re still investigating the Eight Truths and the Saname clan?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shiki nodded as though it was natural. ¡°The Eight Truths is something that must not be left alone. They would surely cause a disaster in the future. They must be destroyed.¡± His voice felt dim and seemed to echo from the shadows. I see, so that¡¯s where this man¡¯s heart is, Jusetsu thought. ¡°Do you hate the Eight Truths?¡± Shiki stared directly into her eyes. Dark flames dwelled in them. ¡°I heard that the Eight Truths Sect was derived from the Moon Truth Sect.¡± She had heard that from Koushun. ¡°Yes,¡± Shiki answered. ¡°¡­The person who recommended that Shoumei¡¯s husband and in-laws join the Moom Truth Sect is currently the leader of Eight Truths. He is a man named Hakurai,¡± Shiki spat out the words, his expression unbefitting of his face. ¡°He was the man who taught that people who are possessed with evil spirits can be cured by beating them with sticks.¡± He despises that man. Jusetsu averted her eyes from Shiki and stared at the white hand that was pulling on his sleeve. I think this is what Shoumei is worried about, she thought. She was worried about this hatred. She was worried about his burning hatred intensifying and turning into the beast called revenge and running wild. Unless Shiki gave up his revenge and let go of his hatred, Shoumei couldn¡¯t cross over to paradise. She couldn¡¯t leave Shiki¡¯s side. She continued to grab his sleeve and tried to hold him back. Jusetsu looked at Koushun. He was expressionless as ever, and she couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. ¡°In any case, there is nothing I can do. I can forcibly tear Shoumei away from you, but that is not the same as sending her to paradise. If you want her to go to Kakurenomiya and turn her into a soul that traverses the river of stars, then you will have to remove her worries.¡± The souls of the dead were led to Kakurenomiya in the far eastern end of the sea. After a long time, the souls were swept away on the river that flowed from Kakurenomiya. The river was in the night sky. For the people of the sea, the sky wasn¡¯t what laid above, but something stretched out in the sea. The river was a corridor that connected the sea of beyond to the sea. Souls turned into twinkling stars after flowing from there, and their lights fell onto the earth and became new lives. No one knew if a star would become a fish in the sea, a plant growing from the earth, or a human being. Every time a star¡¯s light falls to the ground, a life is born. That was why people feared, respected, and yearned for starlight. ¡°The wind that blows from the distant sea sounds the flower whistle, and the starlight reminds us of the deceased. If you wish to quietly mourn her, then put Shoumei at ease.¡± Shiki bit his lip and bowed his head. Then, slowly, he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems¡­that I still can¡¯t send Shoumei to paradise.¡± Jusetsu frowned slightly. She looked at Koushun and saw him staring out the latticed window. The rain had stopped. Droplets of water were dripping from the leaves one by one outside the window. Ei Sei made tea for Koushun, who had returned to the inner court. As steam rose from the kettle and the scent of tea filled the room, Koushun felt the tension from his shoulders to his back slowly loosening up. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Ei Sei scooped the boiled tea with a spoon and poured it into a cup. When Koushun accepted it, the scent of fragrant and refreshing tea wafted from the cup even more strongly. He took a sip and found that it was faintly sweet. ¡°Where did this tea come from?¡± ¡°Bu Province.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s delicious. Your tea is the best, as always.¡± ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Ei Sei smiled a faint, proud smile. Koushun asked while drinking tea, ¡°How is the tracking of Hou Ichigyou coming along?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like he left the capital. We are continuing the search for him.¡± Koushun nodded at Ei Sei¡¯s reply. Hou Ichigyou was the person who brought Shougetsu to the capital and introduced him to Gyoei. His identity had come to light. He used to serve the previous dynasty as a sorcerer, and was also Ran Hyougetsu¡¯s master. What kind of intentions did such a person have in sending Shougetsu to the inner palace? There were many things they needed to question him about. He must be taken into custody as soon as possible. Koushun threw another question at him. ¡°Sei, what do you think of Shiki?¡± It was common for the two of them to ask each other questions out of context. That was how it went with Ei Sei. Ei Sei lowered his long, glossy eyelashes. ¡°He seems dangerous,¡± he immediately replied. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Dajia¡­you shouldn¡¯t trust him too much.¡± ¡°Does it look like I trust him?¡± Ei Sei closed his mouth, and Koushun peered at his expression. He stroked the rim of the teacup, which was painted with flowers and birds. ¡°¡­I am wondering what Chouyou is thinking.¡± ¡°The Saname¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only met that man three times, but he¡¯s completely unreadable to me. If the Sanames are involved with the Eight Truths, and if they are plotting something no good, he wouldn¡¯t do anything that would arouse suspicion. That¡¯s an absolute fact. He wouldn¡¯t fail to kill Shiki or let him slip through his hands. If Shiki was able to escape from Ga Province, that was because of Chouyou¡¯s will.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªDoes that mean Shiki is Saname¡¯s pawn?¡± No, Koushun put the cup back on the table. ¡°I am not sure about that. Did he only let Shiki go, or did he send him here? Is there a connection between Chouyou and Shiki? What is the relationship between Chouyou and the Eight Truths¡­?¡± Don¡¯t rush. You¡¯ll let him get away. Koushun folded his hands in front of his body and closed his eyes slightly. Saname Chouyou¡­ The head of the Saname clan whose real name was unknown. He wondered where his intentions laid. ¡°I¡¯m concerned about the Ga Province silk merchants who have been coming and going from the Un estate lately.¡± Koushun nodded slightly at Ei Sei¡¯s words. Tutor Un, don¡¯t pretend to be stupid. Everything is falling away from between my fingers¡­ In the end, there is nothing left. He couldn¡¯t get those thoughts out of his mind. Ei Sei burned incense for Koushun, who had closed his eyes. Clove incense, pipe vine incense, zensen incense (2)¡­there had always been a variety of incense used here, but recently he had been preferring to burn agarwood incense. That was the incense Jusetsu often used. As the gentle fragrance filled the air, he felt as if he was in Yamei Palace. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled. Jusetsu had told him that the deity worshipped by the Eight Truths was the ancient Sea Turtle God. He had sensed that something was stirring and reaching out to them. He wanted to know just what it was. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Koushun heard footsteps and opened his eyes. Standing beside Ei Sei was a serving eunuch with a tray in his hands. Ei Sei took the tray and placed it on the table. ¡°This is a gift from Gei Province that arrived the other day.¡± ¡°Ah¡­the large rare conch snell, was it?¡± Ei Sei lifted the cloth over the tray. It held a conch shell as big as Koushun¡¯s face. It had a deep, dark color that sparkled in rainbow colors depending on the angle one viewed it from. It was named the ¡°Brilliant Raven Shell. It was believed that large conch snails were the messengers of the gods who created the Peripheral Mirages¡ªthe fog at the ends of the sea. What was more, this was a rare raven shell that sparkled in many colors. Because of this, it was presented to the emperor as a symbol of good omens. Apparently, it was picked up a local fisherman after it had washed up on the beach. ¡°It was a beach in Rouko, right? That¡¯s Ishiha¡¯s hometown. I heard all sorts of things are washed up there.¡± Did even corpses wash up there? He suddenly recalled the myth that this land was created from the corpse of a god who was chopped into pieces. It was said to be a god who was exiled from Kakurenomiya. ¡°A country born from death. Is ruling it as an emperor the same as turning a corpse into a throne?¡± Koushun, who had the shell in his hand and was admiring its iridescent luster, suddenly felt that he heard a faint voice and looked around. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you hear that voice?¡± Ei Sei stopped his movements to listen carefully. ¡°No, I don¡¯t hear anything.¡± Koushun gestured to the bewildered Ei Sei to stop talking. He could still hear it. What was this? It was like a whisper, but it wasn¡¯t a distant voice. It sounded from nearby. And yet it was far away. ¡°Summer King.¡± Koushun startled. It was a familiar voice. A voice that was neither low nor high. A sound like intense waves. This was¡­ ¡°Shougetsu¡­no, the Owl?¡± Koushun looked down at the shell in his hand. The voice is coming from here. Impossible. ¡°Summer King¡ªwould it better if I called you emperor? Your names are quite complicated.¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening? Where are you talking from?¡± ¡°Dajia?¡± Ei Sei was flustered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you hear him?¡± Astonished, Koushun looked between Ei Sei and the shell. ¡°My voice can only be heard by those who wear my mark.¡± ¡°Your mark?¡± ¡°I injured you. That must have left a bruise.¡± Koushun¡¯s hand went to his arm. The scar he had received from the Owl had already disappeared, but the faint bruise that had appeared still remained. It was a brown bruise, shaped like an owl¡¯s feather. ¡°I can¡¯t move. I can¡¯t even make tsukaibe anymore. All I can do now is send my voice elsewhere.¡± There was a sound like a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m in prison. I¡¯m completely powerless here.¡± ¡°Prison?¡± ¡°I told you that interference was forbidden. Didn¡¯t I say that? I don¡¯t know. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve been punished and sent to the goal. That¡¯s why I had this large conch snail act as my messenger.¡± ¡°I thought you said you couldn¡¯t make tsukaibe.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a tsukaibe. Conch snails can only perform simple things. Right now, it¡¯s conveying my voice. The shell is in your hands, and the snail itself is drifting in the sea, relaying my voice. The trouble is that whether or not it reaches you depends on the tides.¡± Koushun stared at the shell and frowned. ¡°Why exactly are you doing this? You can¡¯t kill the Raven Consort with just your voice.¡± The Owl¡¯s goal was to kill the Raven Consort¡ªand consequently, the Raven. ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t kill her. But, once I get involved, I can¡¯t stand just watching. I want to help the Raven.¡± The Owl¡¯s tone was aloof, but his desire sounded earnest. ¡°¡­But, you can¡¯t do anything anymore, can you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Koushun was astonished. ¡°Are you telling me to kill the Raven Consort?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I want you to help the Raven.¡± ¡°So, what¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to kill the Raven Consort. I want to save the Raven. Even I don¡¯t want to kill an innocent maiden. Didn¡¯t I say that before as well? If that¡¯s the case, think about it.¡± ¡°¡­About what?¡± ¡°A way to save the Raven without killing the Raven Consort.¡± Koushun stared at the shell. The jet-black shell was glossy, and the rainbow sheen was like moonlight shimmering on the surface of a lake. ¡°There must be a way to save the Raven Consort as well. You want to help her, don¡¯t you?¡± He caught his breath faintly. Yes, he wanted to save Jusetsu from her suffering. That was what he wanted to do. ¡°¡­But, that¡­¡± Wouldn¡¯t that mean losing the Winter King? The Raven was imprisoned within the Raven Consort, who was concealed within the inner palace, and that was how the Summer and Winter Kings were just barely kept in existence. If we free the Raven¡ªwhat will happen? The Raven would probably not be who she used to be. This dynasty wasn¡¯t an era where the Winter and Summer Kings stood side by side. Chaos is inevitable. Chaos caused war. Koushun closed his eyes and drooped his head, as though he could see visions of the war-torn land. There¡¯s no way I could make such a choice. The Owl continued to speak, not minding Koushun¡¯s silence. ¡°You and I don¡¯t have conflicting wishes. So think about it. Find a way to help both of them.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just¡­¡± Koushun pressed his hand against his forehead. ¡°What can I think of and do about it that a god can¡¯t?¡± He heard a snort. ¡°God this, god that¡ªyou mortals were the ones who worship us as that on your own, but I don¡¯t understand that concept. We may be able to do some of the things that you cannot do, but you can also do what we cannot. It¡¯s not a bad thing to fear and respect those of a different race, but it¡¯s a problem if you think they can do anything.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could do anything, but¡­¡± Koushun didn¡¯t think they were talking about a mere difference in race. ¡°Can you mortals match the claws of a bear? Can you fight against the fangs of a wolf? I doubt you can. But, you have wisdom. That¡¯s why you make tools to fight against beasts. That¡¯s the difference between you and us. We have wisdom too, but it¡¯s probably different from yours. After all, we never even dreamed that Koushou would do such a foolish act. Something that benefitted no one¡ªno, it only benefitted one person: Ran Yuu. I don¡¯t understand how you people think.¡± Koushou. The first Raven Consort. She was the one who imprisoned the Raven within the Raven Consort. ¡°But that is precisely why you lot might be able to think of something. And the way to save the Raven is also¡­¡± Was there such a way? If there was¡ª¡ª The Owl¡¯s voice became distant. There was a faint sound like the tides receding. The voice cut off at that point. Silence returned to the room. Koushun resisted the urge to throw the shell and placed it on the tray instead. He let out a deep sigh. ¡°¡­Dajia, is everything okay?¡± Ei Sei, who had been holding his breath until then, asked him nervously. ¡°Ah¡­¡± His body, which had been lightened by Ei Sei¡¯s tea, became heavy again. ¡°Sorry, but could you give me another cup of tea? Lukewarm is fine.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ei Sei, not looking bothered in the least, happily prepared the tea again. It must be a hassle. He started the fire, boiled the water, and boiled the tea. Koushun felt at ease as he watched him. Even though the tea leaves were already roasted and ground, it took some skill to get just the right amount of boiled water and extract the flavor. Ei Sei had always been good at getting the hang of things no matter what. He was a clever person. If he hadn¡¯t been a eunuch, he would have made a good government official. He had thoughts like that from time to time, but he never said it aloud. That was because it would only be nothing but degrading to Ei Sei to talk about something that was already beyond help. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve improved so quickly in both tea and calligraphy as soon as you were taught.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. I truly enjoyed learning from you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Until you rescued me, Dajia, I had nothing to hope for in my life,¡± The sound of boiling water resounded in the room. Ei Sei took salt from the salt rack and added it to the kettle. ¡°I have no regrets about becoming a eunuch, because I would have been in a far worser situation if I had stayed where I was born.¡± Ei Sei spoke as though he understood Koushun¡¯s feelings. He was smiling. It was a beautiful smile. ¡°¡­¡± Koushun, who knew what Ei Sei, who was more beautiful than anyone, had gone through after becoming a new eunuch chi¡¯er, remained silent. It was difficult to imagine a far worser situation than that. I heard he was born in the entertainment district. He had never pried. That was because Ei Sei didn¡¯t seem to want to be asked about it. If I remember correctly, Jusetsu was also born in the entertainment district. He heard snatches of her story some time ago. She had lived there before becoming a house slave, and her mother was a prostitute as well. Koushun gazed at Ei Sei¡¯s face as he sipped his tea. Although her features were different from his, Jusetsu was also beautiful. Her face somewhat gave off the same air as Ei Sei¡¯s. They possessed beautiful faces, but also an air of coldness and indifference. ¡°¡­I have a feeling that you and Jusetsu will get along very well.¡± Ei Sei nearly spilled the tea. ¡°S-Sometimes, Dajia, you remain silent for a long time, and then you suddenly say something out of the ordinary.¡± Ei Sei looked as though he wanted to say, ¡°Get along well? Absolutely not.¡± It was so funny that Koushun let out a laugh and thought to himself, I¡¯ll say the same thing to Jusetsu next time. Volume 3 - CH 3.2 It was raining. It was raining so hard that it felt like they might pierce through the cobblestones. It was only a short spell, so it wasn¡¯t too bad, but if this rain had continued for even one night, it might shatter the roof tiles of all the palaces. ¡°It¡¯s raining too hard to make the rounds.¡± The sound of the rain drowned out Tan Kai¡¯s voice as he looked out the window in dismay. In addition to Jiujiu and Ishiha, Onkei and Tan Kai, who were usually outside the palace, were also inside because of the rain, making the room feel smaller than it actually was. Kougyou and Keishi were preparing tea in the kitchen. However, the smell of boiling tea was overpowered by the scent of the rain and didn¡¯t linger in the air at all. Jusetsu raised her head from her book and looked out the window. It looked more like it was pouring water outside than raining. She couldn¡¯t see anything because of the mist. It was dark inside the room, so the lanterns were lit. The darkness of the rain gave a strange feeling that was unlike the gloominess of twilight and dawn. Jiujiu and Ishiha were playing Go by the window. Both of them were very faltering in placing their stones. Onkei and Tan Kai were standing behind each of them and interjecting with comments of ¡°you should put it there¡± and ¡°that¡¯s a bad move.¡± No, only Tan Kai was interjecting. Onkei was silently watching, occasionally telling Tan Kai to ¡°be quiet.¡± The Go board was a gift from Koushun. He seemed to be telling her, ¡°Practice diligently with this.¡± She found out that Onkei was unexpectedly strong at Go, so she sometimes had him be her opponent. She didn¡¯t know if Tan Kai was strong or weak. He was capricious and couldn¡¯t concentrate until the end. Jusetsu followed the characters with her eyes, but the content didn¡¯t enter her mind. Perhaps it was because of the sound of the rain, but she found herself locked in her own thoughts. The Great Sea Turtle God and the Eight Truths. Hakumyoushi. The Crane Consort¡­ And finally, Shoumei¡¯s white hand pulling on Shiki¡¯s sleeve. Even Jusetsu didn¡¯t want to leave that ghost as it was. However, Shoumei was still in this world because she was worried about Shiki, and Shiki knew this but couldn¡¯t let go of his own obsession¡ªthe obsession with revenge. Does Shiki want to kill the founder of the Eight Truths? Just as it was the empress dowager for Koushun. If so, then Koushun would be the one who understood Shiki¡¯s feelings. And Koushun would sympathize with him. He surely wouldn¡¯t tell him to stop feeling that way. Shoumei wanted to stop him. But Shiki had no intention of doing that. If that was the case, there was nothing Jusetsu could do. Even though I know that he will become empty. Koushun will probably never stop¡­ Jusetsu felt like she understood Koushun, but there were parts of him that she would never understand. The flames of hatred he carried within him. It continued to smolder inside him even now that the emperor dowager was dead, leaving him empty and frozen. Jusetsu didn¡¯t understand that. But Shiki would surely understand. This strangely pricked at Jusetsu¡¯s chest. It wasn¡¯t irritation or pain, but a mixture of frustration and loneliness, just a little bit. What is this feeling I don¡¯t understand? Jusetsu stood up. Jiujiu and the others stopped talking, stopped their hands, and stood up. Jusetsu gestured for them to stay where they were and headed for the doors. ¡°The rain has stopped.¡± The torrential rain that had been causing clouds of mist to rise up had stopped at some point. The green leaves seen through the lattice windows were dripping with raindrops. ¡°Are you going somewhere, Niangniang?¡± Jiujiu asked. ¡°I want to go to Koutou Academy.¡± ¡°Then, let us send out a messenger first.¡± Onkei looked at Tan Kai. ¡°Huh, me? Not Ishiha?¡± Tan Kai said. ¡°Ishiha would be slower,¡± Onkei said and pointed to the doors. ¡°Hurry and go.¡± ¡°Why are you ordering me around?¡± Tan Kai grumbled, but he ran out anyways. His movements were indeed light. ¡°Since Tan Kai is a fast runner, it will be fine if we start walking there now. I shall accompany you. Please, go ahead.¡± ¡°But Niangniang, what about the tea? It¡¯s just done brewing.¡± Jiujiu turned to the kitchen. Now that the rain had stopped, Jusetsu realized that the fragrance of boiled tea was wafting through the air. ¡°You all should drink it.¡± ¡°But today we¡¯re having the lotus seed baozi that Hua Niangniang gave us.¡± Jusetsu, who was about to head towards the doors, stopped. ¡°¡­Leave some for me.¡± After she said that, she added, ¡°And leave some for Onkei and Tan Kai as well.¡± At the gate of the area where Koutou Academy was located, they ran into Tan Kai on his way back. ¡°I told them that the Raven Consort is coming,¡± Tan Kai said lightly. ¡°Would you like me to accompany you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Return to Yamei Palace.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also your bodyguard too, Niangniang.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine as long as Onkei is here.¡± ¡°It makes me feel lonely to hear you say that, since I¡¯m ¡®unwanted,¡¯ haha,¡± Tan Kai laughed. ¡°Just ki¡ª¡± ¡°You feel lonely?¡± Jusetsu looked up at him. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°In that case, you can follow me.¡± Jusetsu passed through the gate after saying that. Tan Kai was staring at her, taken aback. ¡°Niangniang is a kind person. Don¡¯t tease her,¡± Onkei whispered to him. ¡°¡­¡± Tan Kai closed his mouth and followed Onkei. In front of the Koutou Academy building, there was a scholar waiting for them. He, who bowed to Jusetsu, was Ka Meiin. A man in his forties with an intellectual face. Jusetsu once described him as ¡°a man who looks like he has the knowledge of all the books in the world in his head.¡± He still had that kind of face. ¡°Is Reiko Shiki here?¡± Even though she immediately asked the question without any preamble, Meiin responded without moving even an eyebrow. ¡°Yes. I shall take you to him.¡± As they walked down the corridor, the scholars stopped with startled looks upon seeing the figure of the black-clad consort. Come to think of it, when she visited here before, she was disguised as a eunuch. Although it was easier for her to come and go from the inner palace since she got a permit from Koushun, it was still less troublesome for her to dress as a eunuch than as the Raven Consort. Meiin opened the door to a room. It was lined with shelves containing various books such as bamboo slips, paper scrolls, and bound books. A young man who was holding a bamboo slip scroll in front of one of the shelves turned around. It was Shiki. ¡°¡ª¡ªLady Raven Consort.¡± Even though he was flustered, he gently returned the scroll to the shelf and bowed in front of Jusetsu. ¡°I want to talk to you for a little bit.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Jusetsu sat down across a table from Shiki. Meiin bowed and was about to leave, but then said ¡°Oh yes,¡± like he just remembered something. ¡°His Majesty will be here soon. I have just sent a messenger to inform him that the Raven Consort has arrived. Eating and drinking are strictly forbidden here, so we regrettably cannot serve tea.¡± Speaking quickly, Meiin left the room. Koushun is coming here? There was nothing particularly problematic about that, but she had a slight feeling that she didn¡¯t want to include Koushun in her talk with Shiki. Onkei stood behind Jusetsu, and Tan Kai stood by the door. Jusetsu leaned back in her chair and looked at Shiki, as well as the white hand pulling on his sleeve. The thin sunlight that shined through the lattice window gently illuminated the upper half of Shiki¡¯s body. The white fingertips grasped the sleeve helplessly, but also firmly. Slender, unreliable fingers. Those were the things emerging in the weak sunlight. ¡°Do you¡­want to kill the founder of the Eight Truths?¡± Shiki looked down. A shadow fell upon his gentle expression. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. There are times when I want to strangle him to death. He is, of all things, trying to attract those who were once followers of the Moon Truth Sect by implying that they were the successors of the Moon Truth Sect. Even so, it seems that they are being protected by the Saname clan, so the provincial government and envoys are only standing idly by¡­or they were won over as well. The Eight Truths must be crushed. We must not let any more people end up like Shoumei. ¡­But, to tell the truth, my desire to slam that man against the ground and kill that man as he is covered in blood and humiliation is stronger than such honest reasons.¡± Shiki spoke in a deep and low voice. There was no intensity in the slow tone of his voice, yet she could still feel a roiling passion at the bottom of it. ¡°It isn¡¯t just hatred. I also have regrets, so I despise him even more.¡± ¡°Regrets? Of not being able to save Shoumei?¡± Shiki closed his eyes tightly and hung his head. ¡°Shi¡ª¡± She was about to say his name, but then the door opened. Tan Kai, who was next to the door, hurriedly kneeled, and Onkei also got onto his knees after turning that way. Shiki also knelt down and bowed. Only Jusetsu remained seated. It was Koushun. Ei Sei was behind him. Koushun told Tan Kai and the others to be at ease and approached the table. ¡°May I listen to your conversation as well?¡± he asked Jusetsu. She thought that this was just like him. Even though he held the position of emperor with no one to find fault with him whether he listened in or not. ¡°Do as you like,¡± Jusetsu answered. Koushun sat down in the chair next to her. Shiki was looking between them with a slightly curious look in his eyes. ¡°Let us continue,¡± Jusetsu addressed Shiki. ¡°What did you regret?¡± Shiki lowered his head and stared at his hands for a while. Then he looked up. ¡°I suppose there is a difference between being like brother and sister and actually being brother and sister, isn¡¯t there?¡± Jusetsu blinked her eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I thought of Shoumei as my younger sister. That was why I was so happy when we were both taken in by the Reiko family. I thought Shoumei felt the same way. I had no doubt that she loved me as an older brother.¡± After saying that, he then laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°That wasn¡¯t true. I just wanted to think so. I was averting my eyes from the issue. I somehow sensed it. But I pretended not to notice.¡± ¡°By that, you mean¡­¡± Jusetsu was about to say it, but closed her mouth. She didn¡¯t know if this was something she should say plainly. ¡°On the night before her marriage, Shoumei confessed to me that she loved me¡­not as a brother. I¡ªcouldn¡¯t respond to that. Shoumei seemed to know what I was going to say. She wasn¡¯t reluctant to get married, and the next day she married as though nothing had happened.¡± But, Shiki held his head. ¡°Would it have been better if I had answered her? If I had done so and stopped her from marrying, would Shoumei not have died? But that¡­that would have been a lie.¡± Shiki spoke as if he was spitting out the dregs that gathered at the bottom of his heart. ¡°Shoumei was my little sister. To me. I couldn¡¯t see her that way for the life of me.¡± Shiki must have been carrying around this circling agony for a long time. If only he had been able to respond to Shoumei¡¯s feelings, he might have been able to save her from her death. However, Shiki could only love her as a sister¡­ Jusetsu recalled the deceased Magpie Consort. There were sisters who loved their blood-related brothers, and brothers who couldn¡¯t love their non-blood-related sisters. It truly is something beyond one¡¯s control. If one were to say that everything would have been fine if Shiki returned Shoumei¡¯s feelings even if that was a lie, of course, that was highly unlikely. But there was no escape from regrets. Jusetsu understood this feeling well. ¡°¡­Is that regret the reason you can¡¯t escape from your hatred?¡± Shiki shook his head slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t hate because I want to escape from my regrets. But regret is also mixed in behind my hatred.¡± Jusetsu looked at the white hand pulling on Shiki¡¯s sleeve. It was motionless and quietly clutching the sleeve. ¡°Just because your regrets disappear, it doesn¡¯t mean that your hatred would as well,¡± It was Koushun who murmured that. He turned his face towards the dimly lit lattice window. ¡°And even when the person you hate is gone, the hate is still there.¡± His voice sounded desolate and dry, like the wind blowing through barren trees in winter. ¡°In my empty chest, the banked fire continues to burn.¡± Wouldn¡¯t that eventually burn up even Koushun himself? Jusetsu trembled faintly as that fear loomed in his heart. ¡°Banked fire¡­yes, that¡¯s the word to describe it. There is a fire inside me as well. Because it is inside, whether the person I hate dies or not, the fire cannot be extinguished from the outside.¡± Shiki brought his left hand to his right sleeve. Towards the hand pulling his sleeve. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shoumei. I can¡¯t clear away your worries. So¡ªlet¡¯s stay together. Until you can find peace of mind.¡± In the pale sunlight, his hand was on top of hers. Shiki bowed his head to Jusetsu. ¡°My deepest apologies. You came all this way to talk to me.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Jusetsu looked away. Koushun rose from his seat quietly. There was only the sound of clothes rustling. ¡°Shiki. I want to ask you some things about the Eight Truths,¡± Koushun said, then headed for the door. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± Shiki stood up and followed him. Jusetsu remained seated and watched them go. What is this feeling? In the depths of her chest, she felt a prickly, smouldering sensation. It felt like a snake slithering, or mud being stirred up from the bottom. What those two understand¡­no, what Shiki understands, I can¡¯t understand. I probably never will. ¡°Niangniang,¡± Onkei called out to her, and Jusetsu came back to herself. ¡°Shall we return?¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes.¡± She nodded and stood up. When she left the room, Tan Kai, who was waiting by the door, quietly asked her, ¡°Are you okay, Niangniang?¡± Jusetsu looked up at him. Instead of his usual easygoing expression, he was looking at her with a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she answered and left the room. She didn¡¯t know what made Tan Kai ask that, or why she answered with ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yamei Palace was surrounded by a grove of laurels and rhododendrons. When the rainy season arrived, the trees darkened their green color as though singing with joy, and they scattered fresh breaths of life. Under the dense foliage, Tan Kai was walking soundlessly toward Yamei Palace. A star raven noisily flew overhead. Sensing the movement of the wind, Tan Kai stopped walking. A drawn blade was thrust before him. Tan Kai glanced at the blade, which reflected the shadow of the leaves, and shifted his gaze left. Onkei, who was holding the dagger, was standing in the shade of a tree. ¡°Oi, this escalated quickly.¡± ¡°Who were you meeting with?¡± Onkei¡¯s eyes were cold. He showed no sign of lowering the dagger. ¡°Who, you ask¡­it was a palace lady from another palace. I was getting information from her. You know that I¡¯m an informant, right?¡± ¡°That palace lady is one of Secretariat Un¡¯s ¡®ears.¡¯¡± Tan Kai¡¯s lips curved into a smile. ¡°You were watching me. Well, I thought that would be the case.¡± ¡°Are you an ¡®ear¡¯ as well?¡± ¡°Nope. I¡¯m no one¡¯s spy. ¨CWould you believe me if I said that?¡± Onkei took a step forward. His dagger flashed. Tan Kai quickly dodged, grabbed his wrist and swept his feet. He snatched the dagger from Onkei down on the ground and held him down, pressing the dagger against his throat. Onkei looked up at him in disbelief. ¡°Archery is my strong point, but I don¡¯t remember ever saying that I¡¯m not good at martial arts.¡± Onkei frowned in frustration. ¡°You¡­because you deceive people like this, I can¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°Keeping your cards close to your chest is necessary for survival. But, I¡¯m telling the truth about not being a spy. If I were one, I¡¯d be a lot better at it. I wouldn¡¯t let you trip me up.¡± Onkei was still glaring at Tan Kai suspiciously. Tan Kai searched through Onkei¡¯s pockets and returned the dagger to its scabbard. After returning the blade to Onkei, he removed himself from his body. ¡°The reason I met with that palace lady was to get information about Secretariat Un. You want it, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­What kind of information did you provide to the other party for that purpose?¡± ¡°Secretariat Un wants to learn more about the Raven Consort. So I told her things that are suitable.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®suitable¡¯?¡± ¡°Stuff like how the Duck Consort likes her, how she showed her a picture scroll the other day, that kind of thing. Even for Secretariat Un, being on good terms with your own granddaughter is safer than being at loggerheads with her.¡± Onkei stared at Tan Kai¡¯s face fixedly. ¡°¡­Was it for Niangniang¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Niangniang¡¯s bodyguard, so I won¡¯t do anything that¡¯s not for her sake, of course.¡± Onkei stared at Tan Kai for a while, like he was probing him, and then finally let out a small sigh. ¡°Is that so. If that¡¯s the case, then that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Hey, weren¡¯t you scolded by Attendant Ei about whose eunuch you are?¡± ¡°Dajia is the one I serve, but right now I¡¯m Niangniang¡¯s bodyguard.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Tan Kai laughed. ¡°Attendant Ei must have been furious. That¡¯s why he sent me over here to be your partner. ¨CBut I do get it now.¡± Tan Kai turned his face to Yamei Palace. The black tiled roof peeked out over the treetops. ¡°It¡¯s as you say. Niangniang is a kind person. It¡¯s no wonder that people are so drawn to her.¡± Including me, Tan Kai murmured. ¡°She¡¯s gentle, vulnerable, and somewhat fragile. You know?¡± Onkei silently listened to his words. ¡°We¡¯re a group of people who will never be treated the same as people anywhere, whether we become eunuchs or not. Isn¡¯t that right? I was a failed bandit who got caught because I made a stupid mistake, but got bought by a broker who thought I had a nice face and got thrown into here. I¡¯m a worthless bastard. But I¡¯m sure that Niangniang would be just as concerned for me whether or not I¡¯m royalty, a bandit, or eunuch.¡± Tan Kai stared vacantly at the jet-black roof and continued. ¡°I¡¯m a good-for-nothing, but even a guy like me wants someone like Niangniang to live a happy life.¡± Onkei also stared at Yamei Palace. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not deeply loyal like you. I just want to be liked by her.¡± Onkei furrowed his brow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine as long as I can devote myself to Niangniang, but I also want her favor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Onkei didn¡¯t seem to understand and only looked at Tan Kai contemptuously, but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°¡ª¡ªAnd so?¡± Onkei asked as they started walking towards Yamei Palace. ¡°Did you get any information about Secretariat Un from the palace lady?¡± ¡°I did. But it¡¯s something I need to inform Dajia about rather than Niangniang.¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°There might be something wrong in the future. Someone like me wouldn¡¯t know, though.¡± Tan Kai lowered his voice. ¡°Secretariat Un is gathering information about Ga Province. He¡¯s having his ¡®ears¡¯ spying on Hakkaku Palace, investigating everything from the Crane Consort, her father Chouyou, to the store merchants and traveling merchants visiting the palace. She doesn¡¯t know the reason behind this. Dajia might know. It wasn¡¯t like how he was keeping tabs on the consorts like he did in the past. It feels more troublesome and shadier.¡± Onkei stroked his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Hakkaku Palace¡­I don¡¯t know much about that place.¡± ¡°The Crane Consort has a mixed reputation. There are those who praise her for being generous, while others call her eerie and uncanny.¡± ¡°Eerie and uncanny?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell what she¡¯s thinking.¡± A warm breeze blew through the woods. It was a damp and heavy wind. Tan Kai looked up at the sky. It was covered entirely in thin gray clouds. It was the same color as their eunuchs¡¯ robes. ¡°Let¡¯s get under the roof before it rains.¡± Hurrying Onkei on, Tan Kai started running. Even before the sun set, the main street of the entertainment district was brightly lit. Behind the paper lanterns hanging from the doors, the prostitutes, their skin coated in cold kneaded face powder, were plucking at the strings of their biwas, looking bored. In winter, it would already be the time of business, but the days were long this time of year, and the sudden rainfall slowed down customer traffic. There weren¡¯t many people walking around, and all the brothels seemed to be having plenty of spare time. Ei Sei was wearing a cloak to protect himself from the rain and was walking at a brisk pace with his mouth tucked beneath his collar. I never thought I would set foot in this place again. He was walking with his brows tensely furrowed and his face downcast. There was no guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t run into a familiar face. This was the place where he was born and raised. He was born into a house filled with the smell of powder and sweat. His mother was the most beautiful prostitute in the brothel. His father was one of her good customers. Apparently, there were talks of buying her out and making her his mistress. Those talks fell through, and his mother killed herself by slitting her throat with a razor. The smell of face powder, sweat, and the choking scent of blood. This was one of Ei Sei¡¯s childhood memories. Left alone, there was no other path for Ei Sei but to become a male prostitute. Female prostitutes were called bustards, and male prostitutes were called mallards. Young boy prostitutes were called chi¡¯er. Ei Sei, who refused to become a male prostitute and chose to become a eunuch, was shocked when he learned that new eunuchs were also called chi¡¯er. And, his shifu made it known to him that they were the same thing. The beautiful Ei Sei was easy prey. Unable to endure the pain and humiliation inflicted on him by the shifus, Ei Sei ran away, and in the garden that he barged into without knowing why, he met Koushun. His memories were fuzzy, but that was probably Hakkaku Palace. The palace Koushun¡¯s mother lived in. Koushun sheltered Ei Sei, who was practically naked and covered in injuries, and took him into his service without any question. To this day, he never questioned Ei Sei about that time. Koushun gave Ei Sei his name. His surname and given name were given to him by Koushun. Ei Sei had abandoned his former name. He would never use it again. For Ei Sei, Koushun was his one and only master. A master who was more important than his own life. That was why he feared and was irritated by Jusetsu, who could threaten his master¡¯s position. But recently, he came to understand that that wasn¡¯t the only reason he disliked Jusetsu. Jusetsu was Koushun¡¯s friend. That was something Ei Sei could never be. Ei Sei was Koushun¡¯s servant. That was what Ei Sei chose to do. For him, Koushun was his savior, his parent who named him, and an object of worship from the very beginning. To be called his equal was outrageous. But¡ª It was Shiki. Ever since he showed up, ripples arose in Ei Sei¡¯s heart. Koushun seemed at ease when dealing with him. That was probably because Shiki didn¡¯t act stiff with Koushun. Perhaps because he had been in the countryside all his life, but he wasn¡¯t as formal as the other officials in the imperial palace. He thought that must be much more comfortable for Koushun. Ei Sei couldn¡¯t do that. After realizing that, he became aware of the fact that he had been harboring feelings of near jealousy towards Jusetsu. He was Koushun¡¯s servant, more loyal than anybody. But he couldn¡¯t be his friend. Ever. He didn¡¯t have the slightest regret about becoming Koushun¡¯s servant. There was just a spoonful of loneliness, bitterly seeping into his chest¡ªthat was all. He pressed down the collar of his cloak and hurried on. He turned off the main street and entered a narrow alley. The brothel he was heading for was in this alley. You can have someone else go. Koushun was considerate in that way. However, Ei Sei told him that he was certain that he would be the one to go and left the palace. A small brothel was located on the corner of the street. It was an old and sooty building, but it didn¡¯t give off an air of dirtiness. The front of the brothel and the door were well-swept. That was a rare thing for a brothel located on a back street like this. The door was open, but there were no customers yet, so it was quiet. He walked from the front, where lanterns were hanging, to the back and looked in through the doorway. It was dimly lit inside, and the kitchen was right behind the doorway. A girl was sitting in front of the stove and making up the fire. Ei Sei called out to her. ¡°Good evening.¡± The girl turned around in surprise. She looked up at Ei Sei¡¯s face and widened her eyes even more. She looked to be only around fifteen or sixteen years old. ¡°I hear you have a scribe here. Can I ask for him?¡± After repeating his question again to the girl, who was staring blankly at his face. ¡°Oh, the old scribe, you mean. Yes, yes, of course,¡± she finally understood. ¡°Please wait here for a little bit. Just for a little bit. He¡¯s in the back. I¡¯ll be back soon, very soon.¡± Ei Sei followed her as she jumped to her feat and went to the back of the house. It was a small brothel, so it was a short walk to the back. ¡°Grandpa Hou, I have a customer for you,¡± The girl opened the door, calling out slowly. A bed and table were crammed into the small room. There was a lattice window in the back, and the light from outside illuminated the room faintly. An old man was sitting in front of the table. He was a frail old man. He looked healthy, but he didn¡¯t seem to be a vigorous person. He looked dispirited. Ei Sei wordlessly pushed the girl aside and went inside. He stood in front of the old man. The old man bent himself back to look up at Ei Sei with frightened eyes. This was the person he had been searching for for a long time. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. I thought you would have used a fake name at least, Hou Ichigyou.¡± The old man¡ªHou Ichigyou¡ªtried to stand up, but Ei Sei grabbed his shoulders and held him down. ¡°Don¡¯t use strange tricks. It will only increase the charges against you,¡± he threatened. Hou let out a whimper and sat back down. It seemed that his knees had always been bad. He was grimacing. The girl was looking flustered in the doorway. Ei Sei turned around. ¡°He¡¯s an old friend of mine. Leave us alone for a while,¡± he said. The girl hesitated, but she nodded and left. She left the door open. Perhaps she thought closing it would put Hou in danger. She was a surprisingly shrewd girl. Ei Sei looked down at Hou. He was a weak-looking old man. His face was pale, and he was trembling faintly. Ei Sei was a little surprised. This feeble old man was the one who sent Shougetsu into the inner palace? ¡°I¡¯ve investigated your background, Hou Ichigyou. You were the emperor¡¯s personal sorcerer in the previous dynasty and Ran Hyougetsu¡¯s master, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Ei Sei thought he would talk his way out of it, but Hou only nodded weakly. Ei Sei furrowed his brow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ever consider escaping from the capital? No matter how far-flung the brothel is, you know that we will find you sooner or later.¡± Hou hung his head as though struck. ¡°¡­I no longer have the strength to run away,¡± his words were a hoarse moan. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just get arrested?¡± Ei Sei snorted. ¡°Is your life so valuable to you?¡± Hou shrank his body. Ei Sei¡¯s brows gathered together. ¡°¡­I hate men like you. You are the only one who sneaks around and hide yourself and pretend you don¡¯t know anything. Gyoei is dead, you know.¡± Hou looked up in shock. He looked like he had received a great blow. ¡°He wasn¡¯t executed. It was suicide. He took responsibility for sending Shougetsu to the inner palace. It was a noble thing.¡± Unlike you. That implication was contained in his words. Hou lowered his head with a pale face. ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­Lord Gyoei¡­¡± Hou buried his face in his hands and sobbed. Ei Sei frowned. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know that Shougetsu wanted to kill the Raven Consort. If I had known, I would never have brought him to the capital. I intended to never set foot in the capital again¡­¡± ¡°Never? Why?¡± ¡°I¡­I fled the capital when the Ran dynasty fell. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t face the Ran clan¡¯s mausoleum¡­¡± Ei Sei now understood. In the previous dynasty, sorcerers were highly valued, but when the emperor before the previous ascended the throne, they were all either executed or exiled. ¡°You abandoned Ran Hyougetsu and ran away. What a despicable man you are,¡± Ei Sei spat. Hou was still sobbing, his face covered in tears and snot. Ei Sei didn¡¯t know how such a man became the emperor¡¯s personal sorcerer or Hyougetsu¡¯s master. Was he that good at the sorcerous arts? Ei Sei sighed in frustration. ¡°I would rather you be executed immediately, but Dajia wishes to question you. I¡¯m taking you to the palace.¡± Hou raised his head in surprise. ¡°W-What does he want to question me about?¡± ¡°Everything you know. About sorcerers, the previous dynasty, the duties of a sorcerer¡­¡± Hou blinked. Snot was dripping from his nose. Ei Sei grimaced and took out a handkerchief from his pocket, then tossed it onto Hou¡¯s lap. ¡°How unsightly. Wipe your face.¡± Hou wiped his tears and sniffled. ¡°S¡­Sorcerers are¡­¡± He wiped his snot several times before lifting his face. ¡°A sorcerer is a practitioner who uses arts that have been handed down from ancient times. They are different from shamans and priests. Their origins date back to ancient times, and the arts are taught to them by a god. Now they are treated as nothing more than roadside fortune-tellers, but in ancient times, they served kings, supporting and protecting their dynasties.¡± His speech was smooth and fluent. His confident voice made his earlier disheartenment seem like it never happened, and Ei Sei could see a glimpse of the dignity he had when he served the emperor as a sorcerer. I see, he thought. ¡°It was Gou-no-Kami who taught the arts to sorcerers. Gou-no-Kami was created from the corpse of the Great Sea Turtle God, who was chopped up and washed away. He was worshipped in the Hi dynasty¡ª¡± ¡°Wait. Talk about this in front of Dajia. I¡¯m going to take you to the palace now.¡± Stopping Hou, who was rambling on, Ei Sei urged him to get up. When Hou closed his mouth, he returned to being the dejected old man he was before. He got up unsteadily. When Ei Sei grabbed Hou¡¯s arm and headed for the door, he saw the girl from the kitchen peering anxiously into the room. Next to her was a middle-aged woman who appeared to be this brothel¡¯s bustard mother¡ªthe madam. She might have been a prostitute who was promoted to bustard mother, as even her loose skin had a somewhat sensual quality to it. She looked at Ei Sei with puffy eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t treat that old man so roughly. He¡¯s a poor thing.¡± Her voice was raspy despite her age. Perhaps it was from over-drinking or singing too much. ¡°If you knowingly harbored a criminal, this brothel will have to pay the price as well,¡± Ei Sei snapped. Hou shook his head. ¡°No, these people know nothing¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what this old man did, but everyone around here has a guilty conscience, so I didn¡¯t worry about it too much. And him being a scribe was very helpful.¡± As she said that, the ibis mother stared at Ei Sei as though licking him with her eyes. It was as though she was assessing him. Ei Sei glared back at her. The ibis mother tilted her head. Her sloppily-tied hair flopped to the side. ¡°Are you¡ªJakuji?¡± The blood suddenly drained from Ei Sei¡¯s face. ¡°You are, aren¡¯t you? That strong-willed, cold, and astonishingly beautiful face. You look just like your mother. I thought you had a beautiful face when you were a kid as well.¡± A nostalgic look appeared on the bustard mother¡¯s face, and she smiled. ¡°You became a eunuch, right? I don¡¯t know how many years it has been since your mother passed away. Do you remember me? I used to live in the same brothel as your mother. I wasn¡¯t that popular, but I had a decent number of customers. But what happened to your mother, such a waste! She was such a beautiful and skilled girl, but she got involved with that worthless man and got thrown away by him in the end. That man was a real bastard, even having a child with her but switching to another girl anyways.¡± The bustard mother continued to rattle on and on. Ei Sei steadied his breathing and quickly turned to leave. ¡°Do you know about the girl who that man changed to? Her name was Ougyoku, but she got herself beheaded. I don¡¯t know what the crime was, but the soldiers of the Southern Command came to arrest her. All those soldiers just for one prostitute? It was a terrifying time. The brothel where Ougyoku was working was demolished too¡ª¡± Ei Sei stopped and looked down at the bustard mother. She flinched a little. ¡°W-What is it?¡± ¡°This prostitute named Ougyoku. Did she have a child?¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m pretty sure she didn¡¯t. No, there were rumors that she did have one. Well, rumors like that are common with prostitutes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There was talk about buying her freedom. But that man was like that with your mother as well. Saying that he was going to buy her freedom after giving her a child¡ªoh, then Ougyoku might have given birth to his child as well. That bastard has kids all over. Do you know what happened to him? In the end, he was stabbed to death by a prostitute. It¡¯s very fitting, don¡¯t you think¡± The bustard mother let out a raspy laugh. Ei Sei silently left the room while holding Hou in his arms. He could see several of the brothel¡¯s girls anxiously watching from behind the stairs. He went around to the back door and left the kitchen. He took Hou to the horse parking area in a corner of the red-light district. He was right to have come here by carriage. With Hou¡¯s legs, it would have been difficult to walk to the palace. Ei Sei bound Hou¡¯s hands and put him into the carriage. It started to rain as they traveled along the main road leading to the gates of the imperial palace. Amidst the heavy rain drumming against the carriage top, Ei Sei kept silent as though he had forgotten Hou¡¯s existence and didn¡¯t say a single word. Ei Sei pushed Hou into a room in the Interior Ministry, located in the inner palace. The small room that had been used as a storage room was cleaned, and the minimum necessary furnishings were brought in. ¡°For now, your punishment is suspended because you¡¯re a source of information. But if you escape, you¡¯ll be punished immediately.¡± With that threat, Ei Sei left the Interior Ministry. The passing shower had weakened somewhat. He covered his head with his cloak and headed for the inner court. The droplets dripping from his cloak fell on his face. His surroundings were dark. He didn¡¯t know if it was because the sun had set or because of the rain. Why did I come here? Before he knew it, he had stepped into a forest of laurels and rhododendrons. It was the forest around Yamei Palace. The rain hit the leaves of the trees, sounding like off-beat drums. Ei Sei leaned against a laurel tree and looked up at the dark roof. Even though it was raining so heavily, he felt like he could still smell the white face powder of the entertainment district. It repulsed him. Luckily, there weren¡¯t many customers coming and going today. The smell of the customers who came to buy prostitutes, or boys, was more nauseating than that of face powder. He thought that if he became a eunuch, he would be able to live a life free from sex, but in fact, it was even worse for eunuchs. Why did they seek carnal desires so relentlessly even though they had abandoned their sexuality? Ei Sei had fallen into despair on the night that he met his shifu. Memories of his shifu¡¯s soft, sweaty hands and wet tongue running over his body came back to him, and Ei Sei, unable to bear it, vomited. It happened more than ten years ago, and yet these memories had never disappeared from his head. Ei Sei¡¯s heart had died that night, and was revived when he met Koushun. He leaned against the tree and took shallow breaths. He calmed down after a while. Hearing footsteps, he looked up with a start. ¡°¡­Ei Sei?¡± Jusetsu was standing there, candlestick in hand. The rain had already stopped, and the damp heat and humidity had returned in the dimness. Even so, Ei Sei¡¯s body was frozen up to his fingers. ¡°Onkei was worried and came to inform me. I came to check on you.¡± A shadow stirred near Jusetsu. It must be Onkei. It was natural to be suspicious of him, seeing as he was standing idly in a place like this and vomiting. He could have called out to me, Ei Sei thought. Did I look like I was in no state to be called out to? Was he that upset? It wasn¡¯t because the memories from when he was a chi¡¯er came back to him. Ei Sei wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and looked down at Jusetsu. Her white face illuminated by the candlestick. It bore no resemblance to Ei Sei. Do we both resemble our mothers? That thought flashed through his mind, and he vehemently denied it. There was no way that was true. A prostitute would have no way of knowing who the father of her child was. He didn¡¯t even know if the prostitute who was Jusetsu¡¯s mother was Ougyoku or not. ¡°¡­Lady Raven Consort. Do you remember your mother¡¯s name? Not her real name, but her name as a courtesan.¡± Jusetsu furrowed her brow in confusion. But she answered. ¡°I think she was called Ougyoku. That¡¯s the only name of my mother I know.¡± ¡°¡­What about your father?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is.¡± Ei Sei closed his eyes and exhaled. ¡°What? What about it?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing. I took a wrong turn because of the rain. Excuse me.¡± ¡°Wait, take this,¡± Ei Sei turned on his heel, but Jusetsu stopped him. She was holding out a handkerchief. ¡°Wipe your face.¡± Ei Sei recalled that he had given his handkerchief to Hou. He then suddenly realized what was on his face. Tears. It seemed that he was crying without even realizing it. Ei Sei pulled his cloak deep over his eyes. ¡°¡­Since it¡¯s raining.¡± It was a contrived excuse, but Jusetsu nodded silently. He took the handkerchief and wiped his face. ¡°The road is already dark. Take this with you.¡± Jusetsu pushed the candlestick into his hand. Then, she turned around and went back to Yamei Palace. For a while, Ei Sei gazed at her black-clad figure as she walked away. Like Dajia, she never attempted to ask me about anything¡­ He wiped his eyes with the handkerchief once again. So what? He had known for a long time that Jusetsu was that kind of girl. Supposing that they might have the same father, so what? Ei Sei¡¯s master was Koushun. If Jusetsu was a threat to him, Ei Sei would hate her. The light from the candlestick he borrowed from Jusetsu illuminated the dim road. Ei Sei stared at the handkerchief and stuffed it into his breast pocket. Volume 3 - CH 4.1 Finally learning more about the mysterious Saname clan¡­ Translation Notes 1. The word used here, ±¦Öé (Houju), means ¡°precious orb,¡± but also refers to the Cintamani stone, a wish-granting jewel in Buddhism After prayers, Hakurai was offered tea for his exertions. He gratefully accepted it. Chatting with his patron over tea was also a steady and important role of a sect founder. There were bamboo blinds hanging under the eaves of the roof, and the room was dimly lit. In addition to tea, steamed rice cakes with honey, bean stew, and other dishes were laid out in front of Hakurai. ¡°Is there anything else you want? I¡¯ll prepare it for you.¡± ¡°No, I already have all that I need,¡± Hakurai politely declined. ¡°Since you started praying for me, my leg has been in excellent condition,¡± his master laughed in an easy-going manner as he patted his knee. ¡°I¡¯m very pleased to hear that.¡± ¡°Meeting you was very fortunate indeed. For me and the Saname clan. ¨CI heard that the silk merchant who went to the capital on your advice is doing well. He was even allowed access to the prime minister¡¯s residence.¡± Without dropping his broad smile, his master talked like it was nothing. It wasn¡¯t nothing at all. By prime minister, he meant Un Eitoku. ¡°Is that so?¡± Hakurai narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Your advice was sound. I¡¯m impressed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful to be helpful.¡± Hakurai bowed his head. The emperor should have killed Un Eitoku immediately, he thought. The person who did the most to bring the current emperor to the throne was Un Eitoku. However, those who contributed greatly should be eliminated as soon the commotion died down. They would only serve as fetters for the next era. ¡°If this goes well, my¡­the Sanames¡¯ dearest wish will soon be fulfilled.¡± The Saname head murmured, very quietly. ¡°Eitoku has been very quiet lately.¡± Koushun said quietly in front of the lotus pond. Meiin was standing a step behind him. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I would like to talk to him, but¡­¡± He stared at the lotus buds. The plump white buds looked like hands clasped together. What do I say to him? Just the slightest wrong choice of words could cause a person¡¯s feelings to swerve off course. Koushun, who had been staring at the lotuses for a while in silent contemplation, suddenly turned his head to Meiin. ¡°I want to meet Un Eitoku in secret. Set up a place for us.¡± He was Eitoku¡¯s son-in-law. He served as the assistant minister of the Department of State Affairs¡¯ Ministry of Personnel. ¡°Also, I need to speak with Shiki.¡± Meiin didn¡¯t ask any questions, but simply bowed his head and said, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Jusetsu stared absentmindedly out the lattice window. All the doors facing the corridor were open, but there was no breeze blowing through, and the heat and humidity were unbearable. ¡°Niangniang¡ªNiangniang!¡± She came back to herself with a start and turned her face to the front. Onkei¡¯s beautiful almond eyes were fixed on her. A hint of worry was peering out from his worried-looking eyes. His eyes were as serene and clear as a quiet spring in the depths of the forest. ¡°It¡¯s your turn, Niangniang, but should we take a break? You don¡¯t look well.¡± There was a Go board between the two of them. She was playing Go with him. Staring at the board, Jusetsu let out a breath. ¡°Mm,¡± she said, returning the stones to the casket. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling up for it. Let¡¯s stop here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is this because you don¡¯t think you can win?¡± Jiujiu said from the side. Jusetsu glared at her. ¡°That¡¯s not the reason. I intended to reverse the situation from here.¡± She hated to lose. But it was true that she just couldn¡¯t concentrate on the game. When she thought back to the feelings she felt towards for Koushun and Shiki the other day, her heart became unsettled, and she became absent-minded. Jusetsu sighed. Jiujiu and Onkei looked at each other. ¡°Niangniang, you really don¡¯t seem to be in good spirits today. You don¡¯t look depressed, though. Could it be because of the weather?¡± Jiujiu looked up at the sky through the open door. It was cloudy today. The sky didn¡¯t look as though it was about to rain, but rather, it looked like it was covered with a thin film. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s about to rain, so why don¡¯t we go outside? Say, didn¡¯t the Crane Consort urge you to come and visit Hakkaku Palace yesterday?¡± ¡°¡­The Crane Consort, huh¡­¡± She was a girl who was difficult to read. Was there an agenda behind her excessive invitations? Or did she genuinely want to befriend Jusetsu? ¡°¡­I have to investigate her at least once,¡± Jusetsu murmured and stood up. ¡°Are you going out?¡± Jiujiu asked enthusiastically. ¡°You don¡¯t have to dress me up too excessively,¡± she told her in advance, but Jiujiu probably wasn¡¯t listening. ¡°I¡¯ll send Tan Kai to Hakkaku Palace to inform them of your visit,¡± Onkei said and left the palace. Tan Kai would definitely complain again about being sent on errands. Jiujiu chose a thin silk crimson robe and a scarlet skirt. The thin silk was embroidered with gold thread, and the skirt was printed with designs of flowers and birds. ¡°These would look beautiful in the gardenia garden in Hakkaku Palace,¡± she said. The vivid crimson color looked good against Jusetsu¡¯s translucent white skin. She hung the wooden fish carving she received from Koushun on her sash. ¡°As for the hair ornaments¡ª¡± Just as Jiujiu was about to pick up the ivory comb, Jusetsu stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t use that one.¡± It was a comb in the shape of a bird and waves. This was also a gift from Koushun. ¡°But I do think it will go well with your outfit.¡± ¡°It would be troublesome if I lost it.¡± Jiujiu looked between the comb and Jusetsu for a moment, and then she grinned. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s a precious gift from His Majesty, after all.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I received it from. Combs are easier to fall off than hair sticks. Hakkaku Palace is a little farther away, so if I drop it on the way there¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I understand. Then, let us use these hair sticks.¡± With a big smile on her face, Jiujiu put the golden hair sticks into her hair. It seemed like she was only making excuses if she kept talking, so Jusetsu remained silent. Tan Kai, who was sent as the messenger, returned with a palace lady of Hakkaku Palace. It was Ki Senjo. ¡°I have come to take you to the palace.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t require someone to pick me up,¡± Jusetsu said, perplexed. ¡°The Lady Crane Consort was so overjoyed that she insisted on you being taken there,¡± Senjo laughed. ¡°She was worried that you would change your mind.¡± She¡¯s exaggerating, Jusetsu thought. Perhaps realizing this, Senjo added, ¡°The Lady Crane Consort is very much looking forward to talking to you. She¡¯s filled with a childlike innocence about it.¡± ¡°Ever since she left Ga Province, the attendants around her are all the same, and the consorts are a little older than her, so she can¡¯t become too close with them¡­¡± It seemed that she was bored. I see, Jusetsu answered. She suddenly noticed that there was an ornament hanging from Senjo¡¯s sash. She hadn¡¯t been wearing the white coral ornament when they saw each other before, but now she was wearing a fish ornament. It was similar to Jusetsu¡¯s. ¡°Are you wondering about this?¡± Noticing Jusetsu¡¯s gaze, Senjo put her hand on the ornament. She smiled embarrassedly. ¡°It may be presumptuous of me, but I had it made to resemble your ornament, Lady Raven Consort.¡± ¡°This one? Why?¡± ¡°I am no longer a follower of the Eight Truths, but¡ª¡± That was only natural, since she was cursed by them. ¡°I was wondering if I could wear something of the Lady Raven Consort, who saved me, as a talisman¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that can be used as a talisman.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a matter of feeling. It¡¯s a symbol of my great admiration for you.¡± Should she be happy about that? Jusetsu didn¡¯t know. Jusetsu took Jiujiu with her and Onkei and Tan Kai as escorts to Hakkaku Palace. After Senjo led down through the gate, they were met with rows of gardenias. Beyond them, the Crane Consort, Banka, was waiting for them with her attendants. Jusetsu could feel the gazes of the attendants flickering to the left and right of her. They were looking at Onkei and Tan Kai. It seemed that their eyes were captivated by the two beautiful eunuchs. ¡°I¡¯m so happy that you¡¯re finally visiting me,¡± Banka¡¯s dark eyes were sparkling. She truly was a girl with no malice. ¡°You and I are close in age, aren¡¯t we? The other consorts are all older. It¡¯s difficult to approach them.¡± Banka seemed more excited than the last time they met. Jusetsu was led to a room in the palace and sat down. It was a room with a good view of the garden beyond the outer corridor. The strong fragrance of gardenias entered through the open door. Does she not find it unpleasant? Jusetsu thought. ¡°I actually didn¡¯t want to become a consort. I was scared of leaving my hometown, and I didn¡¯t know what kind of person His Majesty was. But Father ordered me to go,¡± Banka spoke frankly as she drank the tea served by her attendants. ¡°But His Majesty was a good person, so I¡¯m glad. I was wondering what I would do if he was self-important and unpleasant like my eldest brother. Or if he was mean like my second-oldest brother. I thought it¡¯d be good if he was kind and gentle like my great-uncle, but if he really was like my great-uncle, he would be an old man. That would be a problem as well. But I was so relieved when I saw that he was young, though he is older than me.¡± Banka talked a lot. Jusetsu listened to her as she stuffed her cheeks with honey-simmered peaches. ¡°How do you think of those peaches? They¡¯re boiled in honey. In my hometown, they¡¯re a bit smaller, and we simmer the sour peaches to sweeten them, but here they are sweet as they are.¡± ¡°They¡¯re delicious,¡± Jusetsu answered, and Banka looked delighted. ¡°I¡¯m so happy to hear that. They¡¯re simmered with honey and cloves. We use peaches that are still hard and¡ª¡± ¡°Is there something you¡¯re worried about?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Banka stopped talking, the smile still on her face. ¡°You¡¯re acting strangely restless. It feels like you have some other concern, and your mind is elsewhere.¡± ¡°¡­My,¡± Banka rubbed her cheek. ¡°I wonder if you really can see everything.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t like that,¡± Jusetsu put one of the honey-simmered peaches in her mouth. ¡°Is it about the emperor? Or your hometown?¡± Since Banka talked about Koushun and her hometown, she thought that those things must be what was on her mind. ¡°Oh¡ªno. No, but I suppose it does have something to do with my hometown¡­¡± Banka seemed to stare into the distance. ¡°Will you listen to my story? It isn¡¯t the kind of worry that I want you to solve. Sometimes I just can¡¯t endure it. Will you listen to me¡­?¡± At that moment, Banka looked terribly fragile, like a child who had nowhere to go. Banka had her attendants stay behind and invited Jusetsu to the garden. Jusetsu also left Jiujiu in the room and followed Banka into the garden. Gardenias filled the garden, burying it in their sweet and sharp fragrance. Even though many of the flowers had their petals scattered due to the rain, their scent seemed even stronger in spite of that. ¡°There¡¯s an heirloom that¡¯s been passed down for generations in my family,¡± Banka spoke as she walked slowly between the flowers. ¡°Heirloom?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s called the ¡®Twilight Orb.¡¯¡± (1) ¡°Twilight Orb¡­¡± Jusetsu repeated. ¡°It resembles the sky at sunset. Orange, pale pink, rose, violet¡­a jewel with all kinds of colors mingling together. It¡¯s very beautiful. It¡¯s beautiful¡­but terrifying.¡± ¡°Terrifying? How?¡± Banka stopped and turned around. ¡°Because it¡¯s cursed.¡± Jusetsu widened her eyes. A curse. ¡°Did you know that my family is from Kakami?¡± Banka changed the subject while playing with the petals of a gardenia. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then, do you know why my family left Kakami?¡± Jusetsu tilted her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Banka glanced at her. ¡°It¡¯s because we killed a god.¡± God slaying? Jusetsu silently waited for her to continue. ¡°In the land where my ancestors lived in Kakami, they worshipped a certain god. The god of harvest. The god of the land, you see. But at some point, my ancestors wanted to keep that god all to themselves. So, they made a deal with that god. We will give you our youngest daughter as a bride, so won¡¯t you be our family¡¯s guardian deity?¡± ¡°¡­Youngest daughter¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t Banka a youngest daughter as well? ¡°The god seemed to agree to this. So, it was decided that the youngest daughter would marry the god. The wedding preparations were made, and she went into the cave where the god lived. But¡ª¡± Banka plucked off the petals of the gardenia. ¡°What resounded in the cave was the scream of the god. The one who was dressed in the bridal costume was a servant disguised as the youngest daughter. He stabbed the god to death with a sword he had hidden on his person. The Saname head had no intention of marrying off his youngest daughter from the start. What he wanted was the orb possessed by the god. It¡¯s an orb that was said to be able to bring about long rains and droughts as the owner wishes. It was in the god¡¯s stomach. The servant tore open the god¡¯s stomach and took out the orb. Apparently, the god took the form of a toad.¡± Banka tossed the torn-off petals to the ground and turned to face Jusetsu. She had a strange expression on her face, neither smiling nor sad. ¡°This orb was the Twilight Orb. The Sanames tried to rule the country with the orb, but the murder of the god angered the people. The clan was hated, and it became difficult to even live as before, let alone rule the country. In the end, the Saname were forced out of that land, despised as god-killers wherever they went, and had no choice but to flee to a distant foreign country¡­¡± That was the reason why the Saname clan came to Shou. Banka looked at Jusetsu with her dark eyes and smiled slightly. ¡°And now, we come to the main topic. A short time after the god was killed, the youngest daughter died of a mysterious high fever. She was fifteen. Then, when the eldest son took over as the head of family, his youngest daughter also died of a fever in the year she turned fifteen. After that, the youngest daughters of those who took over the Saname clan would all die at fifteen. Someone started to call it a curse. It was the curse of deceiving a god and killing them. Some family heads tried to break the orb. But no matter how strong the person we asked, no matter how renowned the sorcerer we asked, the orb couldn¡¯t be destroyed. There were those who said we should throw it away if we couldn¡¯t break it. But even if we discarded it in the mountains or the sea, it always returned. The curse never went away. After some time, everyone gave up on parting with the orb.¡± Banka took a breath. Before Jusetsu could interrupt her, she started talking again. ¡°I heard this story from my father when I was twelve years old. He showed me the Twilight Orb. It was very beautiful. But, it was also terrifying. It was scary, sinister¡­its beautiful color was like it came from absorbing all the pain and sorrow of people.¡± She narrowed her eyes in memory. Jusetsu, staring at her profile, spoke. ¡°,,,But you¡¯re already past fifteen, aren¡¯t you?¡± Banka¡¯s cheek twitched as soon as she asked that. ¡°I¡¯m seventeen.¡± Her voice was like a bird chirping out of tune. ¡°The youngest Saname daughter will die at fifteen¡ªthat still hasn¡¯t changed. Then why do you think I¡¯m still alive?¡± Jusetsu didn¡¯t answer, just furrowed her brow. ¡°Once, a Saname head tried something. I don¡¯t know how he came up with the idea. And, I don¡¯t know how he could carry it out, but he did.¡± Banka laughed lightly. It sounded contemptuous. ¡°He adopted a girl younger than his youngest daughter. A girl who was once a servant. He wanted to find out if the curse was attached to the Saname blood, or if it was just a matter of being a youngest daughter of the Saname, even if only in form¡­ I¡¯m the proof of that result. The real youngest daughter didn¡¯t die at fifteen, and it was the adopted girl who died at fifteen instead. Since then, the Saname clan has always adopted a daughter before their youngest daughter turned fifteen. An adopted girl who would only serve as a substitute for the youngest daughter.¡± Banka looked at Jusetsu. ¡°What do you think of this custom?¡± Jusetsu stared back into her eyes. What a sad look in her eyes, she thought. ¡°¡­You were also able to live by sacrificing your adoptive sister¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± The pain and sadness on Banka¡¯s face grew even more intense. ¡°I chose that. I¡­¡± ¡°You chose it?¡± ¡°In the year I turned thirteen, the adopted daughter came to us. She was a servant girl from somewhere and had no family. She was one year younger than me. She didn¡¯t have a name until that point, so I gave her the name of Shouzen. Shouzen was a thin girl who looked younger than she was. She was always anxious and shivering like a puppy.¡± Banka smiled faintly. Her curved lips looked like a wide-open wound. ¡°She was pitiful and adorable. I grew very fond of my fragile little sister. I gave her lots of delicious food and played with her a lot. My precious little sister¡­¡± Banka cast her eyes down. ¡°That¡¯s why I asked Father to save Shouzen. I didn¡¯t want her to die¡­ Father is a strict man, but I thought if I begged him, he would listen to me.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t listen to you?¡± Banka shook her head. Her face stiffened, and she was trembling slightly. ¡°Father said, Very well. If that¡¯s what you want, then we¡¯ll return Shouzen to her old home. That will save that girl¡¯s life. On the other hand, your life will be forfeit.¡± Jusetsu sucked in a breath. ¡°He told me, ¡®That¡¯s to be expected. You want to save Shouzen, but it¡¯s fine for another servant girl to die. That is not acceptable. If you want to save Shouzen, choose to sacrifice yourself. There is no other way. So¡­I chose.¡± I chose to live, Banka whispered. ¡°Shouzen died of a fever when she was fifteen. I am, as you can see¡­not sick at all.¡± Banka¡¯s voice cracked. Oh, I see, Jusetsu thought. This girl is an empty shell. It seems like she would crumble and shatter at the slightest movement. ¡°¡­That cannot be called a choice. It was chosen for you.¡± By the mistakes of her ancestors, by the curse¡ªand by her father. Banka stared at Jusetsu, then smiled. ¡°There is a reason why the Sanames won¡¯t let go of the Twilight Orb, and it isn¡¯t just because we can¡¯t. Do you know what it is?¡± Jusetsu was bewildered by the sudden change in topic. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You see, the Sanames have a long-cherished wish. It is for that reason that we want to keep the orb, which is a sacred treasure.¡± ¡°A long-cherished wish?¡± ¡°Returning to Kakami. Becoming its rulers. It sounds like a pipe dream, doesn¡¯t it.¡± How ridiculous, Banka laughed. ¡°Ah, I feel so refreshed after talking to you. Thank you very much. I never told anyone about these things before.¡± Banka exhaled a laugh, then stretched. Had she been constantly inviting Jusetsu because she wanted to confide this to her? Banka snapped off a gardenia branch and put it with the white flower in Jusetsu¡¯s hair. ¡°You look beautiful. It suits you very well, much more than peonies.¡± Looking at Jusetsu with narrowed eyes, Banka smiled with satisfaction and turned around. ¡°Shall we have another cup of tea? Let¡¯s talk about something pleasant this time.¡± With light steps, Banka returned to the room. Volume 3 - CH 4.2 On that day, Koushun came to Yamei Palace while it was still light, which was unusual for him. ¡°I¡¯m a little busy, so I can¡¯t stay here for long, but I came to see how you¡¯re doing,¡± he said matter-of-factly without even sitting down in a chair. ¡°You needn¡¯t come if you¡¯re busy,¡± Jusetsu said in exasperation, but Koushun didn¡¯t say anything and just stared at her face. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re well, then that¡¯s good.¡± Just as Jusetsu was wondering what that was all about, Koushun was already outside the doors. Gazing after him as he left, Jusetsu rose. She was about to leave the room when Xingxing started to kick up a fuss, but she ignored it and chased after Koushun. ¡°Koushun.¡± Koushun seemed a little surprised by her chasing after him. ¡°¡­Was there something you have to tell me?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll see you off until you¡¯re outside Yamei Palace.¡± ¡°¡­See me off?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Even she herself wondered what she was doing. Koushun slowed his hurried pace and matched Jusetsu. Ei Sei glanced back at her, but instead of giving her a sharp look, he abruptly turned back around. She was thinking of talking about Banka, but that wasn¡¯t something that could be done in a short distance, and it wasn¡¯t something she had to talk about right now. It seemed Koushun had the same thought. ¡°I have a few things I want to talk about, but it would be difficult to keep it short,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with you later.¡± ¡°Are you busy?¡± ¡°A little.¡± It was a meaningless conversation. Once in the woods, the area became dimly lit due to the thick foliage, but it was still extremely humid. Jusetsu stopped walking when they reached the edge of the woods. Koushun turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll come visit again.¡± There¡¯s no need for you to visit¡ªthat was what she would have responded a short while ago. ¡°Okay.¡± That was all she said, and she watched him leave. The shadows darkened, perhaps because the sun was covered by clouds. Jusetsu was left behind in the dim forest. The cries of the spotted nutcracker echoed. Koushun returned to the inner court from the inner palace and headed for Koshi Palace on foot. He had summoned Shiki there. Quietly located in a corner of the inner court, Koshi Palace was a small, unusual palace. Its outward appearance was simple, the pillars not even painted red. The decorative tiles depicted an old man riding a large turtle, and cast-iron lanterns hung from the eaves. Once inside, one would find a line of copperplate flags hanging along the walls. They shook and made a rattling sound when one passed by. No one knew why the building was designed this way. The stone floor was engraved with stars in gold paint. There was no furniture except for a folding screen, a couch, and a table. Shiki was kneeling next to the couch. Koushun sat down on the couch and told him to raise his head. ¡°¡­There is a place I would like for you to go,¡± Koushun said quietly. Shiki glanced up at him and nodded. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s close to Meiin¡¯s house. It¡¯s a mansion in Tourin Row.¡± Shiki looked up in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have someone of the Northern Command act as your escort.¡± A soldier of the Northern Palace Guard. Tourin Row was the area where the Un estate was located. ¡°I want you to meet Eitoku. If you tell him that you¡¯re here on my order, he will meet you.¡± Shiki silently waited for the order of what he was going to do when he met Eitoku. Koushun leaned toward him, who was still kneeling. The image of Eitoku, who he adored as his teacher since childhood, flashed through his mind and disappeared. There was a commotion at Yamei Palace when the dim light of the evening was deepening. Xingxing was the one who started making a fuss, but before they could feel the presence of a visitor, something akin to a scream rang out. ¡°Lady Raven Consort! Lady Raven Consort, please help us!¡± It was Senjo¡¯s voice. She was terribly distraught. She flew in when Jusetsu hastily opened the door. ¡°Lady Raven Consort¡­¡± It seemed that the attendant, who was not accustomed to running, had run all the way here. She collapsed to the floor, panting. Jiujiu went to the kitchen to get water, and Jusetsu ran to her side to help her up. She rubbed Senjo¡¯s back as she coughed, gave her the water, and waited for her to calm down. ¡°What happened?¡± Jusetsu asked once she settled down. ¡°Lady Banka¡­the Lady Crane Consort suddenly collapsed.¡± ¡°Collapsed? Did she suddenly become ill?¡± ¡°No¡ªI don¡¯t know. She¡¯s suffering from a high fever.¡± A high fever. She recalled the story about the curse she heard from Banka during the day. ¡°We called for the doctor, but something strange happened when Lady Banka collapsed¡ª¡± ¡°Something strange?¡± ¡°In the evening, a package arrived from the Saname clan¡ªthis is a common occurrence. Fabrics and accessories are often sent to her. This time, there were several accessories. It seemed that something strange was mixed in among them. It was a bracelet, but as soon as Lady Banka put it on, she collapsed.¡± ¡°¡­Was it coated with poison?¡± Senjo shook her head. ¡°That was the first thing we suspected, so we immediately removed the bracelet to check.¡± However, there was no evidence that poison had been applied to the bracelet or implanted. ¡°And then, Lady Banka developed a fever¡­Lady Raven Consort, what do we do?¡± What do we do¡­how am I supposed to know? ¡°I am not a doctor.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there any way to cure her? Prayer, or anything¡­ Anyway, will you please take a look at Lady Banka?¡± Jusetsu weakened. What could she do even if she saw her? But, there was one thing that concerned her: the fact that Banka had a fever, just like the Saname curse. ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything,¡± Jusetsu stood up. ¡°For now, I will take a look at her condition.¡± ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Senjo prostrated herself. It was as though she was entreating a deity, and Jusetsu felt uncomfortable. Accompanied only by her escorts Onkei and Tan Kai, Jusetsu hurried to Hakkaku Palace. At Hakkaku Palace, the moment she passed through its gates, she could feel the unsettled atmosphere. Eunuchs and palace ladies rushed back and forth in the corridors, and attendants were also going in and out of Banka¡¯s room. When Jusetsu entered the room, she saw Banka lying on the bed. Her face was visibly red, her eyes were moist with fever, and she was panting in pain. ¡°The doctor left just now¡­he prepared some medical decoction for relieving her fever, but she seems unable to drink it.¡± The elderly attendant by the side of the bed explained the situation. She was the oldest of all of Banka¡¯s attendants. Her name was Rokujo. She was pale and trembling with agitation as she tried to calm herself down. ¡°Where is the bracelet?¡± Jusetsu asked, and one of the attendants brought a box that had been placed on the table. It contained a gold bracelet. Gold? Even though Banka prefers silver? Jusetsu frowned as she held the box and looked at the bracelet. This is¡­ These kinds of things were immediately recognizable. Just like the time with Senjo. ¡°This is a cursed item.¡± The attendants in the room gasped or let out faint screams. ¡°W-What does that mean, Lady Raven Consort?¡± Rokujo asked fearfully. ¡°A curse has been laid on this bracelet. Did you say that this was in a package sent by the Saname clan?¡± ¡°Yes¡ªoh, but this isn¡¯t a gift for Lady Banka.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Lady Banka wrote a letter to the master saying that she wanted to be friends with a consort because she was close to her age, so perhaps this was a gift for that purpose¡ª¡± ¡°Wait. What are you saying? By consort who¡¯s close to her age, you don¡¯t mean¡ª¡± ¡°She was talking about you, Lady Raven Consort.¡± Jusetsu¡¯s gaze returned to the bracelet. ¡°So, this was meant to be a gift for me?¡± Was that why it was gold instead of silver. ¡°Yes. However, when Lady Banka saw the bracelet, she said that it wasn¡¯t pretty and that it didn¡¯t suit the Lady Raven Consort, so she decided to give you a hairpin that was presented to her and keep this bracelet as her own.¡± ¡°In other words, they were switched. This was originally supposed to be for me.¡± Rokujo nodded. The one who was supposed to be cursed was me. This was a deadly curse. Someone was trying to kill Jusetsu. But why? Jusetsu stared closely at the bracelet. The gold bracelet was inlaid with a milk-white gem. Where the gem was set, there was a decoration carved into it¡­ She looked at it closely. The carved details were in the form of a toad. The toad was holding the gem. That was what was carved. A toad. The god that was killed by the Saname¡­ Jusetsu peeled off the sheeting of the box that contained the bracelet. A curse talisman was pasted to the bottom of the box. The handwriting was familiar. Curses were difficult to grasp as individual characters, the flow of the brush, the way the ink blurred, and the sweeping strokes and upward turns all reflected the idiosyncrasies of the writer, just as in the case of characters. The handwriting was very similar to the talisman used to curse Senjo. Banka muttered something, and Jusetsu leaned in closer to listen. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure, it¡¯s¡­Hakurai¡­¡± ¡°Hakurai? Are you saying that this curse is the work of Hakurai?¡± Banka nodded slightly. ¡°I¡­hate¡­that man¡­¡± She wrung out her voice under her labored breathing. ¡°He¡­cozied up¡­to Father¡­¡± Banka said, sounding half-delirious. Hakurai¡ªthe founder of the Eight Truths. He tried to curse Jusetsu, the Raven Consort. Could Senjo¡¯s curse also be¡­ What if, apart from the purpose of cursing Senjo, there was some other intention, such as testing the power of the Raven Consort, or harassing her? ¡°Lady Raven Consort, what do we do?¡± Rokujo asked weakly. ¡°¡­I will break the curse.¡± The attendants let out cries of relief and astonishment. Jusetsu asked them to leave the room and was left alone with Banka. She placed the bracelet and the box side by side on the table and stared at them. A toad spell. She remembered hearing about that. It was a spell used by sorcerers. The items they used, such as toads, snakes, and poisonous insects, differed depending on the person. The bracelet was adorned with a toad and a grayish-white stone, which was said to be obtained from the head of a frog. It was called a toad stone. According to one theory, silver was made from condensed moonlight, and gold was made from concentrated sunlight. Wulian Niangniang, who was Yeyoushen, was weak against light. Was this bracelet gold because of that? Jusetsu glanced at Banka. Her face was hot, and sweat beaded her forehead and neck. Her breaths were fast and shallow. She wiped her sweat with the handkerchief placed by her side. Banka opened her eyes slightly and tried to look at Jusetsu with unfocused eyes. Lady Raven Consort, she seemed to say with a hoarse voice. ¡°No need to worry. I¡¯ll break the curse,¡± Jusetsu told her. She didn¡¯t know if Banka heard her or not, but she knitted her brow slightly and closed her eyes. Jusetsu pulled out a peony from her hair. Whether it was a toad or snake, these curses could be broken by breaking the curse tool. The flower transformed into pale red smoke that drifted in the air. She drew it close with her fingers, manipulated it, and shaped it into an arrow. Jusetsu grabbed it and aimed it at the toad stone on the bracelet. She swung down all at once. The arrowhead shattered the toad stone¡ªor at least, it was supposed to. ¡°!¡± The moment the arrow hit the stone, the arrowhead slowly unraveled and disappeared as though it was being sucked in. ¡°¡­This is¡­¡± The same thing happened with the Owl. What does this mean? At that time, if I remember correctly¡­ It¡¯s pointless to fight with your own family. If you¡¯re going to fight, use a toribe. Yes, that was what the Owl told her. Jusetsu scrutinized the bracelet. She was able to return the curse cast on Senjo. Why couldn¡¯t this spell be broken? A toad spell. Toad. The same as the god who cursed the Sanames. ¡°¡­I need the power of a god?¡± The Sanames were cursed. At the same time, they possessed a sacred treasure. An orb that held the power of a god. I can also use that. Jusetsu glared at the bracelet, but raised her head and ran to the lattice window. She opened the lattice. The starry darkness was spreading. Which way was Yamei Palace? Jusetsu looked around. It didn¡¯t matter. She was calling it anyway. The answer was given to her by the Owl. ¡°Sumaru!¡± Jusetsu¡¯s sharp voice resounded in the darkness. What felt like an incredibly long time passed before she heard the flapping of wings. The flapping of its wings and its raspy cries tore through the silence. White spots appeared in the darkness. Brown wings. Jusetsu stretched out her arm. The spotted woodpecker flapped its wings restlessly as it descended and perched on her arm. Its claws dug into her arm, and Jusetsu¡¯s face twisted a little in pain. However, this wasn¡¯t the time to complain. ¡°Sumaru, give me one of your feathers.¡± The spotted woodpecker let out a cry, as if giving permission, and Jusetsu plucked out one feather from its wings. When she shook her arm, the spotted woodpecker flew away. The feather transformed into a double-edged sword. The shining brown blade was dotted with white spots like stars. Jusetsu slashed through the air with the sword, making a light whoosh sound. Jusetsu stood in front of the table. She looked at the gold bracelet and raised her sword. She swung it down with all her might. The blade made a hard, sharp sound. She felt some resistance pushing her hand back. A gray-brown smoke began to disperse from the toad stone. It enveloped the bracelet, as though to protect it. Jusetsu dug her heels in and pushed the sword down with even more force. There was a sensation like breaking through a membrane. She heard water splashing furiously. A deafening, piercing, and unpleasant cry resounded. The voice lingered for a long time, but gradually became quieter and thinner, and then finally faded away. She looked and found the smoke had disappeared, the stone was shattered, and the bracelet was broken in half. As she looked on, the bracelet crumbled like ashes. Silence returned. Jusetsu let out a breath. She heard a knock on the door. ¡°Lady Raven Consort, what was that sound just now¡­?¡± It was Rokujo. ¡°You may come in now,¡± Jusetsu said. The door opened, and the attendants nervously entered. Rokujo was the first to run to Banka¡¯s bed. ¡°Her fever¡­!¡± She touched Banka¡¯s forehead in surprise. Banka¡¯s complexion had returned to normal, and her breathing became regular and calm. She was sleeping well. ¡°Lady Raven Consort,¡± all the attendants knelt before Jusetsu. They were prostrating themselves as though worshiping a god. ¡°Thank you very much, Lady Raven Consort¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for this. That curse was originally directed towards me.¡± Jusetsu backed away at the sight of the attendants. She wasn¡¯t a god, and she didn¡¯t want to be worshipped. ¡°No¡­! What would have become of Lady Banka if you hadn¡¯t been here, Lady Raven Consort?¡± Rokujo began to cry, perhaps out of relief. The other attendants also began to cry or soothe each other, and the room became noisy. Jusetsu slipped out of the room quietly. Onkei and Tan Kai were waiting outside the door. ¡°Are you injured, Niangniang?¡± Onkei asked. ¡°No,¡± she responded and began walking away. She was exhausted. The moment she exited the gate, she staggered. Onkei and Tan Kai held out their arms at the same time to support her, so she didn¡¯t collapse to the ground. ¡°I shall carry you on my back.¡± Onkei turned his back to her and knelt down. Under normal circumstances, she would have refused, but right now she found it too exhausting to even open her mouth, so she silently entrusted her body to his back. Why did the leader of the Eight Truths, Hakurai, try to kill me? The Owl, who also tried to kill her, didn¡¯t hold a grudge against her. He only tried to kill her out of necessity. But, this curse was different. There was a clear intention to have her ¡°die painfully.¡± The depths of her heart went cold. Am I hated? Is it because I¡¯m despised? When those thoughts crossed her mind, her heart trembled, and she couldn¡¯t move. She no longer knew what to do. And she didn¡¯t even know if it was her own heart that was trembling with fear, or if it was the Raven¡¯s. I don¡¯t know anything. Jusetsu felt like she was still that child cowering in the darkness of night. There was no one to point the way. Reijou raised her so that she could walk on her own two feet, require no one¡¯s help, and never need to ask for anyone¡¯s help. That was who the Raven Consort was, after all. Jusetsu had also intended to live her life without asking for anyone¡¯s help. However¡ª. In the darkness, she felt the warmth of Onkei¡¯s back, and for the first time, she wanted to cry out from the bottom of her heart for someone to help her. Shiki was led down a hall in the Un mansion. Instead of sitting in the chair offered to him, he waited for Un Eitoku. The soldier escorting him was waiting outside the door. The room was very modest. The desk and cabinet were probably made out of good-quality rosewood, but they weren¡¯t painted with expensive black lacquer or decorated with mother-of-pearl. The blue-and-white porcelain vase on the stand didn¡¯t seem to be too expensive. It wasn¡¯t all that surprising. One could tell by Eitoku¡¯s appearance that he didn¡¯t like extravagance. The room was clean, but not luxurious. Perhaps that was what it meant to be a distinguished family. After making him wait long enough to fully examine the furnishings in the room, Eitoku arrived. He threw a cool glance at Shiki. At times like this, Shiki always felt like he had been stripped naked. People of distinguished families always looked at him like he had nothing. It was probably subconscious. That was why it showed in his glance. ¡°Sit,¡± Eitoku told him after sitting down himself. ¡°No, I shall remain standing.¡± Shiki could have obeyed him without any protest, but he stubbornly refused. His Majesty never looked at me like this. He simply looked at Shiki with a transparent, colorless gaze. That was why Shiki served him. Koushun never broke his polite demeanour even for someone like Shiki, but possessed a dignified and noble manner. ¡°So,¡± Eitoku cast a sharp glance at Shiki, who was still standing. ¡°What sort of business is so urgent that you need to meet with me at this hour?¡± ¡°I am here at His Majesty¡¯s command.¡± Eitoku¡¯s mustache fluttered. ¡°His Majesty, you say. What kind of order is it?¡± ¡°I understand that you have been patronizing a silk merchant from Ga Province lately.¡± ¡°His wares are good. That is all. ¨CGa Province is associated with the Sanames, though. Could it be that His Majesty thinks that I¡¯m working with the Sanames and plotting a rebellion?¡± Saying this frankly, Eitoku laughed, while Shiki stared at his face without smiling. Eitoku grimaced, looking displeased. ¡°Speak your business now. But even if you say you¡¯re dragging me before His Majesty on suspicion of treason, I won¡¯t believe you. His Majesty isn¡¯t such a fool. Now, tell me what you want. This is no time to vague.¡± Eitoku¡¯s voice held the confidence and composure that had supported Koushun for many years. It was a calmness that came from trust of Koushun¡¯s intelligence. That finally brought a soft smile to Shiki¡¯s lips. ¡°I feel the same way.¡± Eitoku looked puzzled. ¡°I apologize for doing something so audacious as testing you. His Majesty has charged me with giving you a message. ¡®Tell Reiko Shiki everything you can find out and use it.¡¯¡± Eitoku¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Please let me know how I can help you. I will do my best.¡± ¡°¡ªHas His Majesty noticed?¡± ¡°Just as you said earlier, His Majesty is no fool. His Majesty knows you well, just as you know him well. You were investigating the silk merchant from Ga Province under the pretense of being swayed by him. You used your ¡®ears¡¯ in the inner palace to investigate the Sanames.¡± Shiki took a step toward Eitoku and lowered his voice. ¡°What His Majesty wants to know most of all is who is working with the Eight Truths. ¨CIt¡¯s not Saname Chouyou, right?¡± Eitoku looked in Shiki¡¯s eyes and nodded firmly. The copper banners were shattered. Hakurai, who was standing in the center of the room, let out a groan and crouched down, covering his left eye. The toad spell was broken. I can¡¯t believe it. Does she still have that much power left? That was a spell that borrowed the power of a divine treasure¡ª. There was a burning pain in the left half of his face. A lukewarm liquid overflowed from between his fingers. Blood dripped onto his clothes and the floor. Groaning, Hakurai groped around in his pocket. The divine treasure he took out¡ªthe Twilight Orb¡ªwas shattered into pieces. In Hakurai¡¯s palm, it turned into dust and vanished. How stupid. Hakurai pressed his handkerchief against his left eye and stumbled out the door. The main house was noisy. He could see torches burning. Hakurai put his hand on the wall and staggered on unsteady legs down the corridor toward the main house. Someone was talking. It was¡ªthe voice of this mansion¡¯s owner. It was the Saname elder¡¯s voice. ¡°What are you trying to do, Chouyou! Pointing a blade at me¡ªat me!¡± Hakurai turned the corner of the corridor and appeared in front of the main house. Standing in front of the door was the master in his nightwear and a man facing him. The man was in his forties with sharp features. He was accompanied by his retainers, who were holding torches behind him. He was the head of the Saname clan, Chouyou. ¡°Do you think you can talk your way out of this, Uncle? I understand that you were trying to infiltrate the Un clan by sending your own man to the capital, and that you were scheming to regain your own vested rights as well.¡± ¡°So what? I¡¯m the Saname elder.¡± Chouyou looked coldly at his uncle, who didn¡¯t even attempt to make an excuse for himself. ¡°Yes. The Sanames take care of their elderly. It is precisely because we respect you as our elder that we have turned a blind eye to you until now.¡± Chouyou let out a somewhat theatrical sigh. ¡°Have you forgotten in your old age what you did during the time of the empress dowager, conspiring with the worthless chief official of Ga Province, who bought his position with money? You falsified the profits of the domain, put it all in your own pockets, bribed the chief official to turn a blind eye, and poisoned my subordinate who tried to inform the central government of your wrongdoings. When the empress dowager was overthrown and the chief official dismissed, you came crying to me when you found yourself in a dire position. If the matter came to light, not only you, but the Saname would also not be able to escape punishment, so I dealt with the aftermath and protected you. All I asked you to do was to never leave the mansion. And yet you¡¯re still dissatisfied with that?¡± Chouyou gave his uncle a chilling look. His uncle turned pale. His gray hair was disheveled, and there was no longer a shred of the Saname dignity in him. He staggered back, but perhaps because of his weak knees, which he hurt on a regular basis due to his age, he fell onto his behind. ¡°I¡­I simply wanted to fulfill Saname¡¯s earnest wish! To gather strength and return to Kakami! That is all. You also understand, don¡¯t you?¡± The old Saname elder looked up at Chouyou as though pleading. Chouyou simply looked down at him coldly. ¡°You have never thought about the Saname. You¡¯re only thinking about yourself. Secretariat Un is of a different caliber than the former chief official. A paltry bribe won¡¯t work on him. On the contrary, your contact with Secretariat Un has aroused suspicion, and your past wrongdoings will soon be revealed. That isn¡¯t all. That deputy inspector you poisoned is now a scholar who serves the emperor. We can no longer cover things up. The Sanames will be punished. All because of you.¡± Chouyou put his hand on the hilt of the sword hanging from his waist. ¡°I asked His Majesty to grant his forgiveness in exchange for your life. I hope at least your head will become useful to us.¡± There was a flash of light. His skill was magnificent. With a single stroke, the head detached from the torso and flew into the air. Blood spurted out. Chouyou stepped back and dodged the blood. The retainers behind him immediately rushed to the body and head and started cleaning up. Chouyou turned his gaze to Hakurai. Hakurai was kneeling there. After Chouyou looked down at him fixedly, he said, ¡°You must leave Ga Province.¡± It was an order of exile. ¡°Yes,¡± Hakurai answered obediently. ¡°¡­Did you injure your eye?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you receive treatment for it, at least. Bring him to the mansion and call for the doctor.¡± A servant approached. Hakurai called out to Chouyou¡¯s back as he was about to leave. ¡°Injou is in the detached house. A little girl is there. She will come with me as well.¡± Chouyou turned around and looked at Hakurai briefly, then motioned to one of his servants. ¡°You should learn from this and resign as sect leader.¡± After saying that, Chouyou left for good. Hakurai watched him intently as he disappeared into the darkness. Volume 3 - CH 4.3 Translation Notes 1. I couldn¡¯t think of an alternative that captures the meaning of dim sum so I¡¯m sorry if anyone got taken out of the novel ¡°I heard that Saname Chouyou cut off his uncle¡¯s head himself.¡± Koushun nodded at Meiin¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to cut off a person¡¯s head with a single sword stroke. Chouyou is a man of great skill, isn¡¯t he.¡± Meiin made a face that said, That¡¯s not the point here, and Koushun smiled faintly. ¡°It seems that they had quite a lot of trouble with him for many years. The fact that he was family meant that they had even more trouble dealing with him.¡± ¡°I heard that he was an elder. Even though Chouyou is the head of the family, his uncle was older than him, and he would have been reserved when it came to him. If he treated him with disrespect, the whole family might condemn him, since the Sanames respect their elderly more than anything else. Well, the uncle was a thorn in their side, so to speak.¡± Koushun gazed at the lotus pond and narrowed his eyes. It was raining lightly. Amidst the foggy scenery, white lotuses dimly emerged out of the fog like stars. ¡°¡­That thorn is no more.¡± ¡°Yes, he isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°He has taken a very aggressive approach, marching into his uncle¡¯s mansion and beheading him without waiting for the province¡¯s ruling.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chouyou¡¯s uncle made contact with Un Eitoku and tried to get him to put pressure on Chouyou so that he could be reinstated as the administrator of his former domain. In the event that he returned to his position, he promised Eitoku that he would under-report the profits from the domain and give them to him as a bribe. In addition, he had been lining his own pockets by mismanaging the taxes he was supposed to pay to the imperial court when he was serving as the domain administrator, and he had poisoned the deputy inspector, Reiko Shiki, who had been investigating his personal affairs. The death penalty would have been appropriate for his deeds. ¡°Including the amount of money he embezzled, the Saname would have been responsible for paying that vast sum¡­but even so, it was in Chouyou¡¯s best interest to get rid of his uncle.¡± Koushun murmured, and Meiin glanced at him. ¡°He was able to get rid of his uncle under the pretext of ¡®for the sake of the Saname.¡¯ His uncle, disgruntled with being put under house arrest, criticized Chouyou considerably and became obsessed with ¡®Saname¡¯s earnest wish.¡¯¡± This information came from the reports from Shiki and the spies sent to Ga Province. ¡°Saname¡¯s earnest wish?¡± ¡°Returning to Kakami and becoming its rulers, apparently.¡± Meiin looked amazed. ¡°Abandoning the fertile lands of Ga Province and setting out on rough seas to a place you don¡¯t even know if you can reach safely? How many of their ships will be wrecked? It would be one thing if it¡¯s Ikahi Island.¡± ¡°Even so, they must have some kind of longing for returning to their homeland. Chouyou¡¯s uncle preached the dream to the younger members of the Saname clan, and apparently gained some support.¡± ¡°Innocent young people are easily influenced. It¡¯s so beautiful that it¡¯s more like a dream than an actual dream.¡± ¡°I guess they couldn¡¯t overlook that. Doing something that would mislead the young is an unpardonable offense.¡± Koushun thought that this was what Chouyou was most worried about. However, punishing his uncle without prudence would invite backlash from the young people. It would be logical if, after getting the imperial court involved, the person who caused the disturbance compensated with their own life in order to ¡°reduce the damage to the Saname clan.¡± ¡°So¡­he basically used his uncle indiscretions?¡± ¡°It would have been easy for Chouyou to stop him before he made contact with Eitoku.¡± Chouyou¡¯s uncle put the noose around his own neck. He was trying to outwit Chouyou, which was exactly what Chouyou wanted him to do. ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± A furrow appeared between Meiin¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°Isn¡¯t this also akin to using Secretariat Un as a pawn?¡± ¡°He expected that Eitoku wouldn¡¯t take his uncle¡¯s offer no matter how much he was offered in return, but¡­¡± It must be complicated for Eitoku as well. It meant that he was taken advantage of in anticipation of him refusing to take bribes and ability to pay attention to past wrongdoings. ¡°He had a bitter look on his face,¡± Meiin smiled wryly. ¡°Even though he knew he was being used, he couldn¡¯t help but investigate them. Yes, he was very complimentary of Shiki¡¯s usefulness, which was rare for him.¡± ¡°Is that so. I¡¯m glad,¡± Koushun¡¯s answer was short. He thought that Eitoku would like Shiki. Eitoku liked young people who were brilliant but had no backers. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you decided to send Shiki, Your Majesty. I introduced him to you, but he has only been here for a short time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­he¡¯s a greedy person.¡± ¡°Greedy?¡± ¡°When I was the deposed crown prince, I was keenly aware of my lack of power. He also knows that he can¡¯t do anything without power. He¡¯s different from people from distinguished families who have it from the beginning and don¡¯t even realize they have it. I thought that Shiki wouldn¡¯t miss the chance to get close to Eitoku and have him acknowledge him. Even if he was in communication with the Sanames, he would join us even if meant reneging on that.¡± Meiin¡¯s eyes widened, and he didn¡¯t say a word. After some time, he came back to himself and cleared his throat. ¡°¡­Do you not trust Shiki?¡± ¡°I trust him in a sense. Trusting someone doesn¡¯t mean placing unreasonable, self-centred expectations on them. It¡¯s about seeing the person you¡¯re dealing with for who they are.¡± He had to look at people honestly and properly, without bending them to suit his own convenience. That was what he believed. In that sense, Koushun also trusted Chouyou. He wasn¡¯t a man who would do something so foolish. And¡ªhe still couldn¡¯t tell what his true goal was. They must continue to focus their attention on the Sanames. ¡°You¡¯ve truly matured a lot, Your Majesty. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s why Secretariat Un has made up his mind to retire.¡± After the Saname affair was settled for the time being, Eitoku asked to retire. ¡°No, it¡¯s not so much about me, but rather, I think he was frustrated.¡± ¡°About what, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°The fact that he was seen by Chouyou¡¯s uncle as someone who could be bribed¡ªa weak spot in the imperial court. It must have been unbearable for Eitoku to be seen as such by others.¡± Koushun would give the title of Grand Minister of the Department of State Affairs to Eitoku, not retirement. This was an honorary position with high rank but no real authority. ¡°As the leader of a distinguished family, he will not be lost for some time to come. In the meantime, I want you and Gyoutoku to do your best.¡± ¡°I will do my best with all my heart and soul,¡± Meiin bowed with his hands locked in front of his chest. He was newly appointed to the position of Chancellor, and Un Gyoutoku was to be appointed to the position of Chief Minister of the Chancellery from his old position of assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites. Earlier, Koushun had met with Gyoutoku and discussed this. ¡°It seems that Eitoku is unsatisfied with Gyoutoku¡¯s mildness, but I think it¡¯s a quality that¡¯s difficult to find in a person. The two of you together would be just the right balance.¡± ¡°Because I lack warmth, after all,¡± a smile appeared on his intelligent face. He then turned his gaze to the lotus pond. ¡°Ah, the rain has stopped.¡± The clouds in the sky cleared before they knew it, and the damp lotus buds were sparkling. Squinting his eyes at the glare, Koushun thought, I have to go see Jusetsu. He promised her that he would visit her again. There were things he wanted to talk about with her. Jusetsu was invited to Hakkaku Palace by Banka. Banka had completely recovered, and her complexion looked well. She was treated to dim sum as thanks. (1) ¡°Those gifts came from my great-uncle. It seemed that Hakurai smuggled the bracelet in there. I didn¡¯t expect it to be so horrifying. If you hadn¡¯t saved me, I would have died.¡± Thank you very much, Banka thanked her. ¡°No¡­that curse was originally meant for me, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad it was me instead of you. After all, if you have been the one to collapse, no one would have been able to help you.¡± The fever must have been painful, but Banka didn¡¯t even voice any resentment towards her. ¡°My great-uncle was cheerful, generous, and pleasant. I wonder how he ended up like this¡­¡± Banka¡¯s great-uncle, in other words Chouyou¡¯s uncle, was beheaded. Jusetsu heard that there had been some kind of wrongdoing involving his domain. The source of this information was Tan Kai. ¡°Hakurai has been banished from Ga Province, and the Eight Truths has been dissolved. I didn¡¯t like either of them, so I¡¯m relieved.¡± Banka popped a baked rice cake with dried apricots into her mouth. She seemed to like apricots. ¡°You said that Hakurai was cozying up to your father¡­¡± Jusetsu remembered that she had said something like that when she was delirious with fever. When she reminded her of this, Banka tilted her head to the side. ¡°Did I say that? When I had the fever? I don¡¯t remember that. Hakurai curried favor with my great-uncle. My great-uncle has bad knees, and he told me that he got better after receiving Hakurai¡¯s prayers. I wonder if such a thing can really happen. I think he was tricked. I¡¯m sure everything that happened this time was instigated by Hakurai as well.¡± Banka frowned in displeasure. She seemed to despise Hakurai quite a lot. ¡°¡­What kind of man is Hakurai?¡± ¡°How? He¡¯s about the same age as my father. I think he¡¯s in his forties. He has a lot of gray hair for his age, and he doesn¡¯t wear his hair in a topknot. He has a strange hairstyle. He has cold, creepy eyes. I don¡¯t think Hakurai is his real name. I wonder where he came from.¡± Jusetsu asked her if he had any connections with her, but there was no way to know for sure. ¡°I think the people of the Saname house would know more. Do you want to know?¡± Jusetsu nodded. ¡°If possible.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no trouble for me. I¡¯ll write a letter back home. ¨CHey, may I call you ¡®Jusetsu¡¯?¡± Jusetsu was a little perplexed, but answered, ¡°You may.¡± A smile broke out on Banka¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so happy. You can call me ¡®Banka¡¯ as well.¡± She felt like she had a similar exchange with Kajou. She had asked her if she could call her ¡°Ah-mei,¡± and that Jusetsu should call her ¡°Ah-jie.¡± When she first met Banka, she thought that she was a hard-to-read princess, but now she saw her as a bright and carefree girl. However, Banka would sometimes stop talking and lower her head. It seemed that she wasn¡¯t entirely carefree. Was she thinking about the girl who died due to the Saname curse? Even when she was leaving Hakkaku Palace, Banka suddenly lost her smile and stared at Jusetsu¡¯s face for a short while. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± she asked her, but Banka just shook her head and smiled weakly. After seeing Jusetsu off, Banka returned to her room and asked her attendants to leave. She placed a piece of paper on her table, and then prepared an inkstone and brush. She had to write a letter to her father. Banka often received gifts from back home, and each time she wrote a thank-you letter to her father, including information under the pretext of telling him about her current situation. This was her ¡°role.¡± There were a lot of things to write this time. About the curse. About how that caused her to break out in fever. About how Jusetsu saved her. She assumed that the attendants would probably report on this as well¡ª. Banka didn¡¯t pick up her brush and simply stared at the pale blue hemp paper scattered with gold leaf. She knew at a glance that the bracelet was no ordinary gift. It wasn¡¯t something that matched her great-uncle¡¯s or her own taste. It was an ugly toad¡¯s bracelet. She hadn¡¯t known it was cursed, but she had a hunch that there was something wrong with it. Even so, she hesitated for a while over whether or not she should give it to Jusetsu. Was that what her father intended? However, Banka didn¡¯t give it to her. She didn¡¯t want something bad to happen to her. Would her father be angry at her? What if it was sent here on his instructions? Banka¡¯s shoulders slumped. She didn¡¯t want to be scolded by her father. She didn¡¯t want to feel discouraged. Even more than that, she didn¡¯t want to be abandoned as a useless daughter. But Jusetsu was an innocent girl. Just like Shouzen. She couldn¡¯t bear to see her suffer or worse. She never wanted to be involved in the death of an innocent girl ever again. Even now, she felt like Shouzen was watching her from the side. She felt like she was calling her a coward. A coward who abandoned and killed her beloved sister in order to save herself¡ª. Banka covered her ears with her hands. Father, what should I do? The face of her father appeared in her mind. A face that was strict and didn¡¯t tolerate clinging to others or crying. His cold face when he told her to choose between her own life or Shouzen¡¯s. However, it was precisely because of that strictness that her father was respected and adored by the people of their clan and land. Even Banka respected him. That was why she didn¡¯t want to be disdained or made despondent. Banka picked up the brush. She wrote about the recent situation, including the curse. And then, she put the brush down. Should she let her father know about that? Banka once put a gardenia in Jusetsu¡¯s hair. That was when she discovered it: Jusetsu dyed her hair. Her original hair color seemed to be white or silver. She had no idea until then. Was this something she should let her father know? Or was it something trivial that she shouldn¡¯t even bother with? However, it surely has to be a secret Jusetsu wanted to hide. That¡¯s why she dyed her hair. She kept that a secret. If that¡¯s the case¡ª It wasn¡¯t a trivial matter at all. Banka picked up the brush and put it down again. She repeated this several times. The faces of her father and Jusetsu alternated in her head. Jusetsu was a good girl. Banka wanted to be friends with her. She saved her. She let out a sigh. After a long period of hesitation, Banka picked up the brush. As a gift, Koushun brought some unusual food. Jusetsu stared at the bowl that was piled high with the treat. It smelled sweet. Plum fruits were covered in a thin coat of candy. ¡°Candy was coated onto the plums and hardened. It¡¯s sweet. I thought you might like these kinds of snacks, so I brought some here.¡± Listening to Koushun¡¯s words absentmindedly, Jusetsu picked up one of the candies. It was glossy and shining, like a star. Hesitantly, she bit into it. The candy coating crumbled as soon as her teeth bit into it, and when she bit into the plum, the soft, sour fruit and crunchy, sweet candy mixed together and filled her mouth. This was¡ªan unknown deliciousness. ¡°Wonderful.¡± Koushun smiled faintly at Jusetsu, who only said that word. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± Jusetsu closed the lid of the vessel, thinking that she should give some to Jiujiu, who had already retired for the night, tomorrow. Koushun watched as she licked the candy off of her fingers. Uncomfortable with his gaze, she wiped her fingers with a handkerchief. ¡°¡­So, what business do you have with me tonight?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Koushun was silent for a moment, seemingly searching for the words. Jusetsu waited. ¡°I have many things I need to tell you. First, there are two things to report.¡± Koushun raised his index finger. ¡°I heard the Owl¡¯s voice.¡± Jusetsu frowned, not understanding. ¡°Voice? What do you mean?¡± ¡°A few days ago, I was presented with a large conch shell. It was a rare item, with a jet-black shell that shins rainbow colors. The voice came from it. The voice of the Owl. It seemed that I¡¯m the only one who can hear him. He said that it was because I was wounded by him before.¡± As usual, Koushun spoke about anything in his matter-of-fact way. Jusetsu pressed her fingers to her temples and tried to sort out his words in her head. ¡°¡­And so?¡± ¡°Apparently, the Owl is in prison because of the recent events. He can¡¯t help you. Instead, he told me provide wisdom.¡± ¡°Wisdom?¡± What did that mean? ¡°How to rescue the Raven¡ªhow to rescue you.¡± Koushun¡¯s voice was quiet, as well as his eyes that were staring at her. ¡°¡­Rescue me?¡± Jusetsu¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°Yes.¡± A silence descended upon them. Jusetsu didn¡¯t speak, so Koushun started talking again. ¡°There might be a way to free the Raven without killing you. I would like to find it.¡± ¡°But,¡± Jusetsu raised her voice. ¡°Then¡ªwhat would happen to the Summer King?¡± What would happen to the Winter and Summer Kings when the Raven was freed? ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Koushun¡¯s answer was simple and straightforward. ¡°However, I have doubts as to whether or not it would be safe if we keep things as they are. The situation is different now than it was a long time ago. I believe there might be new wisdom that can be derived from that. There may be a best way forward.¡± And then, Koushun raised another finger. ¡°We¡¯ve captured Hou Ichigyou. That¡¯s the second report. As a sorcerer, he knows things we don¡¯t. About Gou-no-Kami and Wulian Niangniang as well. His knowledge would probably be very helpful.¡± Jusetsu was staring intently at Koushun, who spoke quietly without any expression on his face. Why? ¡°Why¡­¡± Jusetsu bit her lip. ¡°What is it?¡± Koushun asked. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to go that far, is there?¡± When she said that, Koushun fell silent and peered at her face. ¡°There is a need. Because we¡¯re friends.¡± Koushun¡¯s voice was always quiet, but it was decisive and resolute, not matching that stillness. ¡°There are many things I have to give up after weighing them against other things. I thought that I couldn¡¯t let you leave this palace. But¡ªif there is a way, I want to choose it.¡± What about you, he asked. Jusetsu squeezed her hands together beneath the table. She wanted to scream, Save me, but she knew she couldn¡¯t do that. But now Koushun was trying to scoop up that cry. As her chest grew hot, she lowered her head. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t do it¡­¡± She squeezed her hands tightly. ¡°I¡­can¡¯t choose it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Koushun asked quietly. ¡°If I¡¯m¡­if I¡¯m saved,¡± Jusetsu closed her eyes. ¡°I would feel guilty towards Reijou.¡± Towards Reijou, who spent her life alone as the Raven Consort. Towards Reijou, who loved and raised her¡ª. ¡°¡­Jusetsu.¡± Jusetsu suddenly opened her eyes. That was because Koushun¡¯s finger was touching her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ve never met Reijou, but I can imagine how much she loved you. Jusetsu, don¡¯t you forget. Just like you had Reijou, she also had you.¡± Koushun¡¯s voice permeated gently into the bottom of Jusetsu¡¯s chest. ¡°Save yourself, who was loved by Reijou.¡± It felt like there was a hot lump in her throat. It gradually rose, making her lips tremble. She felt like her cry for help, tossed into the darkness, had been received. Koushun¡¯s finger wiped Jusetsu¡¯s eyes. It was then that she finally realized that she was crying. Something that had hardened slowly softened and melted away. Koushun¡¯s hand gently caressed her cheek. Injou was playing on a rocky beach. Water dashed onto her every time the waves washed ashore and broke on the rocks, but she didn¡¯t care at all, observing the small fish and shellfish left behind in the tide pools. Hakurai watched her from a distance. The sea breeze caressed his hair and made the hem of his robe flutter. The left half of Hakurai¡¯s face was covered with a cloth. With his remaining right eye, he shifted his gaze to the sea. In the distance, the shadow of an island was faintly visible. ¡°Is that Bahuang Island?¡± Hakurai confirmed with the man standing next to him. The man was wearing a wide-brimmed hat that cast a shadow over his face. He brought no attendants with him as he came to see Hakurai off. He had virile features and a sharp gaze. He might put on a kind smile for his people, but he never did that ordinarily. ¡°Bahuang Island consists of several islands, large and small. The largest island is called Big Island. That¡¯s the island you two are heading for,¡± the man¡ªChouyou¡ªsaid. ¡°The boats come and go every day, the fish are delicious, and the fruits are plentiful. The islanders are also very peaceful and carefree. ¨CDon¡¯t disturb the peace by displaying your bad habits.¡± The corners of Hakurai¡¯s lips lifted and he simply smiled back. ¡°Seeing with only one eye must be very inconvenient. I¡¯ll give you a servant. He¡¯s a hard worker who can do anything from cooking rice to repairing a house. If you don¡¯t have enough hands, you can hire whoever you want after you reach the island.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, sir. I¡¯ll live quietly and frugally. I have Injou with me as well.¡± Chouyou glanced at Injou. ¡°Will she be useful?¡± Hakurai laughed. ¡°In her own way. She was born in a fishing village, so living near the sea would suit her better.¡± ¡°Rouko in Gei Province, was it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a poor village.¡± ¡°So, when I asked them if I could take her, they were delighted. Of course, I paid them handsomely.¡± Chouyou cast a sorrowful gaze at Injou. If Hakurai had visited that village a year later, that girl might have been bought at a bargain by a procurer of bad character and sold to some run-down brothel. She was a young girl with tanned skin and dark eyes, and was beautiful even for a child. ¡°I had long surmised that the Hatan people were a people close to the gods, but Injou was an unexpected find.¡± As the spray of the waves grew higher, Hakurai called out to Injou. ¡°Injou, come over here.¡± Injou didn¡¯t react right away, but after he called her again, she finally turned around. She leisurely walked over to him. Although she seemed to be a slow-witted girl, she was the only one who could serve as a vessel that could communicate with Hakumyoushi. Various items washed onto the beach from distant places. Shells, pieces of broken glass, drowned bodies, lost souls, gods. That was why fishing grounds were also called gathering places. When he first met Injou, she had been collecting shells on the beach. She told him that she sold beautiful shells and pieces of glass as souvenirs at a nearby inn town. Such items became amulets as flotsam from the land of the gods. There were many children on the beach who were also collecting sea shells. All of them were barefoot and wearing rough clothes. There¡¯s a god at the bottom of the sea. Injou had said that. When you put a shell to your ear like this, you can hear his voice. The god lives at the bottom of the deep sea. The bottom of the sea is pitch black, the same as the night, so the gods are asleep. But, this god is awake. He says he¡¯s waiting. For what? Hakurai had asked her. For me. ¡°Mister, look at this. It¡¯s a sakura shell,¡± Injou approached and showed him the shell. ¡°It¡¯s not chipped anywhere.¡± Injou¡¯s eyes were sparkling. That was because shells without any chips or cracks could be sold at a relatively high price. Hakurai let out a sigh. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do such things anymore.¡± She wasn¡¯t living a life where she had to walk around barefoot selling shells. However, completely ignoring Hakurai¡¯s words, Injou gleefully put the shell in a small pouch and put it in her breast pocket. The pouch was dirty and worn-out, made by her mother in the past. While Hakurai frowned, Chouyou held out his fist to Injou. ¡°Put your hands out,¡± he told her, and Injou did what he said, looking confused. Chouyou dropped an avalanche of shells into her hands. They were all small, but they were silver-lipped pearl oysters with a rainbow-colored luster on the inside. These were one of the shells used to create mother-of-pearl. ¡°Wah¡­!¡± The shimmering shells made Injou¡¯s face flush. ¡°These will sell for a very high price!¡± That¡¯s not the point here. Hakurai pressed his hand to his forehead, but Chouyou narrowed his eyes with a gentle expression on his face. ¡°I was told by the merchant that the quality of these shells isn¡¯t suitable for mother-of-pearl. I heard that you liked seashells, so I gave them to you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Injou had a big smile on her face. She carefully put the shells away in her pouch. Because Hakurai never knew what kind of words might come out of her mouth, he didn¡¯t let her appear in front of people. Even if she did, he didn¡¯t let her speak. It was better to keep her mysterious. Hakurai took out a handkerchief and wiped her wet clothes and hair. Injou obediently let him do it. It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t become attached to him, but she still called him ¡°Mister¡± and didn¡¯t call him by his name. Because that¡¯s not your real name, she said. She was right. ¡°Let¡¯s set off now.¡± Hakurai put his hand on her back and they headed for the dock. After a short walk, they came across a pier. There was a ferry there waiting for passengers. ¡°The servant should be on Big Island¡¯s dock to greet you. He should have finished cleaning the house by now.¡± ¡°I am deeply grateful for your kindness.¡± With a face that didn¡¯t take Hakurai¡¯s gratitude seriously, Chouyou looked towards the island. ¡°You should take a rest for a while. Your wound must still hurt.¡± ¡°¡­I even borrowed the divine treasure from you, and now this plight has befallen us. I feel ashamed of my own stupidity more than I feel pain.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about the orb. It was originally a cursed object that couldn¡¯t be destroyed even if we wanted to. I¡¯m even grateful to you,¡± Chouyou glanced at Hakurai. ¡°You¡¯re the one who lost the Eight Truths you so carefully nurtured.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about such things anymore.¡± Yes. The Eight Truths had collapsed, but that didn¡¯t matter to him. As long as he had Injou and Hakumyoushi, everything was okay. ¡°Very well then. ¨CThis is where I see you off. Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± If he had really wanted to, he wouldn¡¯t have taken the risk of coming to see him off. It would be bad if Hakurai, who was supposed to have been banished from Ga Province, was seen here exchanging friendly words with Chouyou. However, Chouyou came to see him off out of a strong sense of duty. ¡°If you ever need me again, please call on me.¡± Just like this time, when he was sent to deal with Chouyou¡¯s eyesore of an uncle. Hakurai and Injou headed for the boat landing. Chouyou watched them for a while, but eventually left the rocky shore and went away. Even if she was called with the name Injou, she couldn¡¯t react immediately. Because it wasn¡¯t her real name. Injou, who was still being rocked by the boat and peering into the water, turned around after her name was called several times. Hakurai had a scary look on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t look in. You¡¯ll fall.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see the bottom of the sea.¡± Despite growing up in a fishing village, Injou had rarely been on a boat. It was a man¡¯s job to go out to sea. Girls like Injou and boys who aren¡¯t old enough to go fishing yet were either picking shells, mending nets, or listening to the elders¡¯ folktales. Especially on stormy days, she would sit while hugging her knees by the fireside and listen to the elders¡¯ story. The other children would be there as well. That¡¯s right, she wondered if that childhood friend of hers was fine. A boy who had gone to the capital. They would sit together and listen to old tales. Injou looked out at the dark indigo sea. Every time the waves rocked the boat, she murmured her name. In order to not forget it. ¡°Ayura¡­Ayura.¡± I mustn¡¯t forget that boy¡¯s name as well, she thought. She pressed her hand against her pouch over her clothes. It held the shells she was given. I wonder what he¡¯s doing right now. That boy was a crybaby, so maybe he was crying right now. She was worried. Ishiha. ¡°Ishiha.¡± Her whisper was crushed beneath the waves and sank to the bottom of the sea.