Chapter 23: 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 “ 舵星 “ or kajiboshi, which is a Japanese name for the Big Dipper

2. The kanji used here is “金鏃” 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 女戒 (Nüjie) is written by Han dynasty female intellectual Ban Zhou, and Examples for Women or 女則 ( Nüze) is written by Empress Zhangsun (consisted of biographies of outstanding women)

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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’—I 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—Gyoei 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—”

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—probably.

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—including 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——

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.

―Even 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.”

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“No, I—” 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——” 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—the 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—in 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—I 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—by 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——

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—no, 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. ——I 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.

——I 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…

——If 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—no, 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.

——It 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——

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.

——Who 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.

——Lady 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——

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? ——No, 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—but 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——

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——.

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