10. The Intruder
Quiet and
peacefully another year had passed. Here comes the beginning of a new year with
the era name of Hougen which means longevity.
On the first
day of New Year or Ganjitsu, everyone in their formal suite will gather at the
Celestial Hall early in the morning for Ganjitsu praying sessions by the Court
Onmyoji and follow up by a series of dancing and drinking festivals till late
night on the 2nd day of the year.
It is a
complicated and tedium occasion. However the event is compulsory for everyone
in the palace even Yuiko too get no exception, if any bad things occurs during
the New Year, those who unable to attend the Ganjitsu event will be the head of
blame.
Yuiko was
seated among the wives of the officials and courtier behind the blind next to
the emperor and empress’s seats. She saw Satou Norikiyo guarding the ground in
his full armed brand new uniform in red; due to the fact that it is New Year he
had taken an extra step to trim his hair making himself as neat as ever. He
made the ladies giggles when the Emperor called him up to compose a poem.
“What a
handsome man!” “How talented he is!” “I wish I am married to him!” etc… That
was their exclamations when seeing Norikiyo.
Opposite
Yuiko’s seating quarter are the Fujiwara Regant clan’s seats. Yuiko saw
Yorinaga sitting directly opposite face to face with her. He is wearing the official
formal robe Sokutai in white, which matches his fair complexion perfectly,
making him very good looking indeed.
For some
unknown reasons Yuiko couldn’t take her eyes off Yorinaga, she would pay
attention to his trivia actions and movements, such as the way he holds the
wine cup or his facial expression after the performance of some courtiers by
peeping through the blind.
“My lady is
there any wrong?” asked Ryoko, Yuiko’s lady in waiting.
“No. Why do
you ask?”
“Well…it
seems that you keep looking at the Minister of Center Yorinaga, and so I
thought something puzzling you…”
“I….Did I really fix my gaze on him? I mean is
that that obvious?”
“I’m afraid
so my lady…”
“Gosh! It is
all stupid Norikiyo’s fault, making me fall into his word’s trap!!”
Yuiko was
too ashamed that she excuses herself and back to her quarter. She then changes into
Koremitsu and plan for a visit to Oxen Street that afternoon. While she was
about to reach the palace gate, she saw Yorinaga right in front of him.
“Physician
of the Oxen Street Abe no Koremitsu ?!”
Before Yuiko
could replies, someone shouted ‘intruder!’ loudly few quarters ahead. Yorinaga
turns his head back and saw that Yuiko was long gone. She bumped into Norikiyo
after safely past thru the palace gate. She was frightens by Norikiyo’s serious
facial expression, as if he had just committed a murder…
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