The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

did wrong and learn from it?"
    "I suppose."
    "The trappings of royalty are a stumbling block. In any case, lose the throne once and it's gone for good. As far as that goes, being an ordinary person is a lot easier. As long as you're still alive, there's always time for second chances."
    "Yeah," said Shoukei, looking down at the hanjuu. His soft, charcoal-gray coat looked quite warm to her eyes, and his fine, glimmering, silver whiskers struck her as quite pretty. "You know, it just occurred to me, but you're probably quite comfortable."
    Rakushun laughed. "For now. Come summer and it'll be truly tiresome." Shoukei laughed softly as well.

Chapter 36
    " E xcuse me, Enho, but would you mind if I took off for today?"
    After breakfast, Youko approached Enho as he was leaving for the elementary school.
    "Not at all. Where to? Will you be late?"
    "I should be home before the gates close. I'm going to Takuhou."
    Enho hiked up his bushy white eyebrows. He leaned forward and said, "Why now, out of the blue like this?"
    "I'd like to go see the city. Something wrong?"
    Enho hesitated for a moment and then shook his head, averting his gaze. "Go ahead, go take a look. It's all fine by me."
    With that cryptic remark, Enho turned and left through the courtyard. Youko scowled as she watched him go, wondering, "What was that about?"

    Gousui Gorge formed the border between Ei Province and Wa Province. Crossing the rope suspension bridge over the gorge brought you to Shisui Prefecture. It was then a half-day wagon ride to the prefectural capital, Takuhou.
    Youko sat in the back of the wagon and pulled on her jacket. In En, these kinds of suspension bridges were only used on very wide rivers. And the river crossings were well organized. Wagons were ferried across the river on boats. In Kei, you had to get off the wagon. There weren't that many bridges in the first place.
    Bridges over gorges like Gousui were limited to places where a ferry landing couldn't be built to cross the river. As these were suspension bridges that horse-drawn wagons could not traverse, passengers had to disembark and then pick up a connecting ride on the other side. But a bridge that could be crossed was better than the alternative. At wider ravines, you couldn't even do that and had to go on very long detours.
    Kei is poor, she thought, observing the passengers on the opposing shore waiting for wagons to pick them. Comparing Kei to En was a pointless exercise, though.
    Arriving at Takuhou after a half-day's journey, she saw that the chaos had far more deeply scared the city than Hokui. In Hokui, damaged houses had been torn down and new structures were being built. All around Takuhou, remnants of burned-out and half-wrecked buildings stood there abandoned. Rough shacks lined the unreclaimed land outside the city. Sullen-looking groups hung out around open fires, the kind of refugees you never saw in Hokui.
    Ei Province was doing very well. The province lord of Ei was the Taiho, Keiki. Additionally, as in Hokui, citizens of the Duchy of Yellow could expect relief from taxes. The stark contrast with Gahou, the ill-reputed province lord of Wa, was plain to see.
    She climbed down from the wagon and paid the driver. She passed through the gates, listening to Hankyo's whisperings. Following his directions, she made her way to the southwest corner of the city.
    Past a certain street, the rows of houses turned smaller and cruder. Before long, things got even worse. Hungry children on the street, faces tight with hunger. The listless eyes of adults squatting in patches of sunlight. Unconsciously, Youko found herself taking a tighter hold on the overcoat she carried in her left hand. With her right she gripped the hilt of the sword bundled inside the coat.
    There, the hushed voice whispered from her heels.
    Youko glanced from one end of the street to the other. Compared to the state of everything else around them, one of the houses was in rather good condition. As expected, anybody wanting to do business in this kind of neighborhood would first want to preserve the reputation of the establishment.
    Youko approached the tavern, entered the open doors. Inside were several suspiciously-dressed men, even compared to the type you'd expected to be hanging out in this neighborhood. Their eyes fell on Youko.
    "What you want, boy?"
    Standing at the back was the man she had seen in Hokui.
    "Just stopped by to ask for directions. You got a restaurant here?"
    The men had already