Heian Romance: 8. Autumn Moon in the Palace

8. Autumn moon in the palace

After every catastrophe occurred the Emperor will demand for a change in era name, with the thought that by changing the name bad luck will be gone for good. Few months ago there was a serious plague happened in the capital, therefore the Emperor Toba demanded to change the era name.

It is the Regent’s job to suggest few suitable names for the emperor to choose. Hence the Regent Fujiwara no Tadamichi had confined himself in the royal secret achieve these few days pondering and researching appropriate names before the naming counsel starts. 

One night as Tadamichi was tired with his research, he decided to come out from the secret achieve to have a walk and clear his tangled mind. While he strolls aimlessly around the royal secret achieve, he heard that someone was playing koto* short distance away.

That person was playing a Chinese tune named Autumn Moon from the Tang Dynasty, it is generally believed to express the hidden bitterness and depression suffered by palace maids in the imperial palace.  Tadamichi was drawn by the music; unintentionally he too took out his flute which he usually carries and started a duet with the mysterious koto player. He grew more and more anxious to know the identity of the player; hence he follows sound of the music and found him landed at the platform of Yuiko’s quarter.

“Lady Yuiko? Sorry to disturb, but are you the mysterious koto player?”

“Yes. Let me guess, you are the flute player then?”

“Yes.”

Both of them gazed at each other and smile, as if that they have finally found their contentment mate. From there onwards, they would meet and play the duet just like Yuiko’s mother Tamako and the Regent did during the old days.

Words seldom uttered from their mouth, nonetheless mentally they felt attached to each other. The power of music had made them close without the aid of words…

*Koto is a Japanese Instrument similar to the Chinese Gu Zheng.