Chapter 10: 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 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—rather, 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—” 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—” Jiujiu’s smile became clouded here. “—that 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—‘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—I 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—”

“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. ——There 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—they 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—” They were all talking to each other, so Jusetsu cleared her throat. The palace ladies closed their mouths.

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“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—in 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.

——So 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—in 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—”

——Do 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—”

“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—”

“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—that’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. ——It 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——

“…”

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

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