Heian Romance: 5. The Regent's story

5. The Regent’s story

Whenever there’s rain, part of the palace will tend to struck by lighting and follow up by fire. This is the disadvantage of the Heian’s housing structure, as there are mainly made of papers and woods. However, people during this period believe that the courtiers’ hedonistic attitude had angered the God, and so He sent the lighting for destruction. Therefore when it rains, the court’s Onmyoji (Shinto priest) will gather together and beg for His mercy.

The Regent Fujiwara no Tadamichi was reading in the royal secret achieve at the deep end of the palace when it rains, one late night. The lightning strikes a bridge in the palace suddenly, not only cut off Tadamichi’s way back, but also made him accidentally lost his candle and twisted his ankle, leaving him painfully alone in dark.  

“My lady, there’s a fire at the bridge nearby the royal secret achieve!” alerted Ryoko to her mistress.

“We better go and figure out what had happen.”

They found Tadamichi in pain when they reached, and bring him back to Yuiko’s quarter for treatment.

***

“Sorry to have you here for treatment. Since this is the isolated side of the palace, I don’t think the guards will be here any moment.” Yuiko apologized to the Regent Tadamichi as she applies some herbs to his hurt ankle.

“No, it was me who should apologize, to cause such trouble to you. But still I am surprised to know that you have the knowledge of medicine. Both of you really look alike…”

“You mean me and my father? Well yeah, I heard that he’s a physician too.”

“No, I mean your mother. Both of you look so much alike that it gave me a shocked when the first time I saw you…”

“Really? Well I never get the chance to know her or even my father. They were dead few months after I was born. No one in the palace willing to tell me what had happen. They said my parents bring disgrace to the royal family…”

  After a long pause, Tadamichi sighed and starts his story…

“I knew your mother Princess Tamako since we were small. As my mother was her wet nurse, we get to play along and met up very often. Our favorite thing to do was to climb up the roof and begins our own music recital; I would play the flute while she plays the lute. She’s lively, caring, and intelligent, and beats me in almost everything. Not to mention she’s the apple of the former emperor’s eye, and everyone loves her.

We were supposed to get married two years after our adulthood ceremony. But she met your father Abe no Asatori a local peasant physician one day at the market, and fall in love with him at the first sight. She often sneaks out of the palace to see and helps him with his studies in medicine, so often that the emperor himself had grounded her to set foot outside the palace. The love between a princess and a lowly peasant is object and forbid by the court. However, this didn’t stop her thought and love towards your father. They keep on seeing each other and decide to elope after knowing Tamako is pregnant. Nevertheless, their attempt failed and your father was killed by one of the soldier during the elopement, leaving Tamako alone and in despair. Eventually, she decided to follow your father and gave up her life few months after you were born…”

Tadamichi ends his story here. There’s a long silence among them, so silent that the fall of a pin too could be heard clearly. Yuiko glances at Tadamichi and saw that he was in tears. Although already in his middle age, traces of youthfulness still can be found in his face. He has sharp features and an aquiline nose, with his sophisticated and placid attitude, he had becomes one of the handsome man in the court who holds high position. Power, fame and wealth are in his hand; still nothing can fill the emptiness in his heart after Tamako’s death…

Yuiko breaks the silence by saying: “I really envy my mother… Even in death she will always be loved and remembered…”

“……”

“It was you weren’t it, the person who made arrangement for my parents’ meeting despite the objection of the emperor?”

“I….”

“Regent Tadamichi, thank you very much! Our family is greatly in debt to you! Thank you…”said Yuiko grabbing his hand while tears begin to fall from her eyes.

At this moment the rain stops, and the guards arrived for the rescue…

 

* Regent 摂政: In the Heian Period, The Regent is the actual person who exercise power in ruling and governs the country, making the Emperor practically as puppet monach.