Chapter 11: 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.

——Seiu 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—the 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—the 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.

——Raven 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.

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“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.

“——Even 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—”

“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. ——Oh 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

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