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——”

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. ――Among 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——”

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.”

“——Does 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.”

――It 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——”

“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—that 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——

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.

――Is 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. ――Was 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——”

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—”

Worried about something? She was about to ask, but closed her mouth. It wasn’t something for Jusetsu to be concerned about.

“——Not 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?

――Does 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—creepy 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.