Heian Romance: 21. The Eve of War

21. The Eve of War

Tension arises when warriors and troops all around arrive at the capital. It gets to its extreme when Taira no Kiyomori from the warrior clan leads five hundred horseback troops from the eastern country to the Heian Capital. And so here marks the beginning of the first war after almost a century of peacefulness in the Heian Kyou…

***

Yuiko along with other courtiers and royal families who belong to Goshirakawa’s side were bought to Takamatsu Palace as refuge from the war…

If this were to be a song banquet the hundred over occupants in the Takamatsu Palace would turn the place down with their chatter and laughter. However at the eve of war, even the noisiest busybody decided to keep her mouth shut and concentrate in her prayer instead. Everyone gathered here are reluctant about the future, if Goshirakawa’s army was to lose in the war, all of them will be listed as traitors and rebellions, otherwise.

Yuiko and her lady-in waiting Ryoko sit at the far corner of Takamatsu hall quietly facing the garden. As if pending for a heavy storm, the night before is eerily quiet, there are few fireflies waltzing around the garden, however night like this no one would have the spirit to appreciate their beauties…

Yuiko is worrying about Yorinaga, as both of them are in the opposite side; which means one survives the other will falls, especially Yorinaga as the war general his punishment will unmitigated leading only to death…

Yuiko’s thought was interrupted when a footman announced that she has a visitor at a chamber in the west wing.

When she reached the chamber, she saw that the visitor is a monk. The monk is in his travelling cassock which seems that he had just traveled from far, he is in his twenties and very handsome indeed. There are familiarities in this man, but Yuiko couldn’t put a finger into it…

Heian Romance: 20. The Sorrowful Song

20. The Sorrowful Song

 The departures of both his servant Kimiharu and wife Sachiko had left Yorinaga weary and heart-breaking. He spent the following forty-nine days in mourn praying day and night, his sleeves were never dried…

 While in mourn, he had enclosed himself in a small chapel, excluded from the outside world, totally unaware of the turmoil in the court.

 In the mid summer, the young Emperor Konoe had gone to the other world leaving no successor. Thus, initiates the breakage of the court unity. The court was now separated into two; the abdicated Emperor Sudoku and the Emperor Goshirakawa group. Sudoku and Goshirakawa are rival brothers, with Goshirakawa sided by the Regent Fujiwara no Tadamichi, the Empress Dowager Bifukumon, and her brother Fujiwara no Ienari; while Yorinaga sided with Sudoku.

The Sudoku group couldn’t acknowledge Emperor Goshirakawa’s sovereign and insisted to make his own son the new emperor instead. Both parties gathered troops, funds, warriors secretly conspire to overthrown each other, in a short future…

***

Yuiko couldn’t get into sleep ever since knowing the death of Yorinaga’s wife Sachiko. Part of her felt sorry for him, for he had lost two of his beloved ones at the same time. Although, Kimiharu was the culprit who murdered Norikiyo, but she wasn’t glad when receiving his death news. Now only would she know revenge is merely a never ending sorrowful song…

The night of a mid-summer where the weather is hot and humidity is high, crickets song can be heard everywhere around the palace. In this sleepless night, Yuiko took out her koto and play a lachrymose tune, a requiem to the death, so much so sad that her face was covered with tears. Not far from her quarter, the sound of flute joins in and immediately she knew that was the Regent Fujiwara no Tadamichi…

Heian Romance: 19. The Red Medicine Packet

19. The Red Medicine Packet

When the nightingale sings, it is then time to sleep. As Yuiko changes into her nightgown, a man rushes into her quarter harshly, and that person is the Minister of Left Fujiwara no Yorinaga.

“Minister of Left Yorinaga, how can you rush into the quarter without announcing yourself?”asked Ryoko.

“Where is your mistress? I want to see her now!!”

“What’s all the commotion, Minister of Left Yorinaga?” asked Yuiko.

“What had you done to my servant Kimiharu?”

“What about that?”

Yorinaga then takes out the red medicine packet which Yuiko gave yesterday to heal Kimiharu.

“It happens that there are trances of arsenic in this red packet, and YOU are the one who gave it to Kimiharu!”

“Are you accusing me for poisoning your servant?”

“Are you not?”

“Why would I do such things?”

“To take revenge, for Kimiharu had killed Satou Norikiyo!”

“So it was him then!! You instructed him to do so?”

“That’s really none of your business!!”

“What none of my business? He had killed Norikiyo, an important imperial guard and of course my best friend and my lover!!”

Yorinaga’s face becomes uneasy when Yuiko said the word ‘Lover’.

Yuiko then continues: “If you said the death of Norikiyo is none of my business, then I guess Kimiharu’s too as well the same. What I did was clear as water, white as snow; the medicine I bought was truly the actual herbs to heal him. I don’t have any right to stop you accusing me, so do it if you like! As for now, it’s been quite late already I would like to call it a day, so would you kindly LEAVE?”

Yorinaga tried to protest but was stopped by Yuiko’s lady-in waiting Ryoko.

***

Yorinaga was truly upsets with his servant Kimiharu’s death. The usual diligent minister of left was absented at the court office for seven days because of this. Within these seven days, he would only eat simple vegetarian meals and spent all of his time praying for his death servant’s soul.

Almost immediately after Yorinaga’s seven days leave at the court, he is going to be absent again, this time for a month. His wife Fujiwara no Sachiko had passed away at the age of forty. Record stated that she had passed away due to sickness, but the truth is she had committed suicide. A small red medicine packet containing traces of arsenic was found beside her dead bed…

Heian Romance: 18. The Dead of a servant

18. The Dead of a servant

Yuiko reached Yorinaga’s quarter at the East 3^rd Avenue that evening. Yorinaga was away with his office, so instead she was welcomed by his wife Fujiwara no Sachiko. Sachiko is a sulky looking woman who seems clueless about smile and happiness. She is eight years older than her husband Yorinaga, in addition with her upset appearance they made the most mismatch couple in the court. In real life, due to the large age gap between them, they could not get along well either.

  “Welcome Princess Yuiko, it is an honor to have you visits our household. However may I ask you the reason to come here?” asked Sachiko monotonously.

“I am here to heal your sick servant Kimiharu. Minister of Left Yorinaga told me so.”

“In that case please follow me.”

Sachiko then leads Yuiko to the servant quarter at the far end of the household.

Kimiharu was resting when they enter his room. His wound seems getting better after using Yuiko’s medicine which Yorinaga brought back the other day.

“Princess Yuiko…Kimiharu is just a poor servant; I won’t have the honor for the princess to heal me…”

“Foolish. Aren’t you forgotten that I also heal the poor at Oxen Street? Don’t worry I’ll heal you in no time.”

Yuiko took out a small red medicine packet and instructs Sachiko to prepare them for Kimiharu. After Sachiko leaves the room, Yuiko handed an arrow to Kimiharu…

“Do you know what this is?”

“It’s my arrow…”

“Indeed. But do you know where I found it?”

“Sorry I don’t…”

“I found it at the edge of a cliff at Mount Kiei. The same spot where Satou Norikiyo was last seen!!”

“……”

“Tell me what had you done to Norikiyo? Did you kill him? Or push him down the cliff?”

“I…I don’t understand what you are talking about, my lady.”

“Don’t try to act innocence!! Who instructed you to do so? Was it Yorinaga?”

“It is none of my master Yorinaga’s business. If you don’t mind, my lady, I would like to rest.”

“How DARE you to speak to me like this?!”

Their conversation was interrupted when Sachiko brings back the cooked medicine.

“Kimiharu, your medicine is done. Drink it before it gets cold.” said Sachiko.

After confirming Kimiharu had fully consumed his medicine, Yuiko leaves the household quietly…

***

When in the palace,

Yuiko received news that Yorinaga’s servant Kimiharu had passed away shortly after she left…

Heian Romance: 17. The Arrow

17. The Arrow

 

 

Perhaps it was the aftermath of snake bites or maybe of what Yorinaga had said, Yuiko went into delirium after Yorinaga left her quarter.

When Ryoko finished her duties, she was shocked to find that Yuiko lying weakly on her bed.

“My lady is you unwell?”

“Ryoko, finally you had returned. I’m a fine… Just a little bit tired…”

“Really? You look sick…What had happened?”

“Well the fact was that I think Yorinaga had just confessed to me…”

“What did you said then?”

“I just managed to say thank you. It’s just so weird; I don’t know how to reply to him. Not that I hate him, I just couldn’t describe my own feeling…”

“My lady, you better don’t fell for him. Or else you are going to hate what I’m going to tell you…”

  “What is it then?”

“Remember that you told me to investigate Satou Norikiyo’s disappearance? Though I still can’t allocate his body, but all evidence point to Yorinaga’s servant Kimiharu that he was the last person who was seen with Norikiyo…

 According some herb collectors around Mount Kiei, they saw Kimiharu chasing Norikiyo towards the end of a cliff one day while collecting herbs around the mountain. They tried to stop Kimiharu, but it was too late, Norikiyo falls from the cliff as Kimiharu tries to shoot him using an arrow…”

  Ryoko then hands an arrow engraves with the word ‘K. Haru’ for Yuiko to see.

“Did the herb collectors mentioned why Kimiharu wanted to kill Norikiyo?”

“No, they don’t know either. Perhaps he was doing his master’s order…”

“His master? The Minister of Left Fujiwara no Yorinaga…”

 “Affirmative…”

“If so I would REALLY like to figure it out!! Ryoko, brings me my weather wear and medicine kit, it’s time to pay the sick servant a visit!!”

花嫁に成れるかな？

先月インターネットで打ちかけを買いました。そして、ついに昨日を届けました。１３３リンギットに掛かります。綺麗なものですが、打ちかけは花嫁の服装じゃない？今のあたしは恋人もできないし、何故花嫁の服を買ったの？好きだから～

でも、もう一度考えて、私は本当に結婚できるかな？

そう判断するのは早すぎじゃない？～笑～

Recently I’m so mad that I bought an uchikake last month. Well it reached yesterday and it only costs me RM133 include the shipping fee. This kimono is quite nice, but come to think of it Uchikake is the formal wedding dress for the bride in Japan. So what’s the purpose to buy it, as I don’t even have a boyfriend? Ha-ha~

So below are some pictures of my new collection, please ignore those at the back if you don’t like my face…lolz~

Heian Romance: 16. Abe no Koremitsu

16. Abe no Koremitsu

Yorinaga lets Yuiko down when they enter her quarter.

“Thanks for carrying me to my quarter, and so respectable minister of left Yorinaga you may LEAVE now…” said Yuiko cynically.

 “Hold on here, don’t you think you can get rid of me just like that. I won’t leave until I get an explanation of this matter!!”

“What matter? What explanation?”

“Don’t try to play fool Princess! But before that I must treat your wound first.”

Yorinaga then let Yuiko sit down and try to mend her injured leg.

  “Let me do it. I’m the physician you know!”

“Talk about physician, see what you did to yourself? Your wound had manifested! So please keep your mouth shut and let the PROFESSIONAL does his work!!”

Yuiko was quite surprised to see that Yorinaga did very well on mending her wound.

“Never thought an aristocrat like you, know how to handle such circumstances too!”

“Do you think I’m completely oblivious during my days in the Oxen Street? I’m not that stupid you know.”

“So you have to thank me then for teaching you first aid!”

“Balderdash! And now Princess Yuiko why you didn’t tell me you is Koremitsu the physician all along?”

“Well… I don’t think I have a need to do so. Firstly I don’t know you well. Next the tenacious personality of yours, I don’t think you will leave me in peace when you know the truth.”

“Of course I won’t! No matter what you’re still a princess, how can a princess go out impersonates as a man and hang around with the lowly? Not to mention some of them are terribly sick! This is absolutely against the rule!!”

“Here we go again…..” said Yuiko then shutting her ears to isolate herself from Yorinaga seems to be never ending nags.

“But… The most important thing is…You made me wonder about my gender preference!!”

“Gender preference?”

“I….I keep on…keep on asking myself…whether I am really….in love with man!! I even told my servant Kimiharu to test me. But all came to negative results, other than one person……”

 Adrenaline was doing its job excellently when Yorinaga speaks and his face was the reddest when he said the name:

“Abe no Koremitsu…”   

Yuiko was wondering whether this can consider a confession from Yorinaga. His words keep on swimming around her mind making her completely blank.

“Thank you….” That was the only reply that manages to come out from Yuiko’s emptied mind.

“I see…” said Yorinaga and leave the quarter quietly with a hint of disappointment…