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. ——But 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——.

“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.

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“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——”

“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.

“——Was he Koushun’s ‘friend’?”

Kajou raised her head and blinked her eyes.

“Yes—he 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? ——She 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——”

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.

“——There’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—but then, one of them would have made their escape—but 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. ——Certainly, 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—it 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.

——Yes, 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.

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An incident occurred the next day.