The Twelve Kingdoms: Dreaming of Paradise
Royal Kyou herself. It wasn't the same thing as petty larceny. If ruled an assault against the Empress, then it wasn't unheard of for the crime to be classified as high treason. In any case, the mood of the Minister of Fall would come into play.
Knowing all this Shoukei had written, Hence I am entrusting these thoughts to paper.
No matter what penance she had performed, no matter how deeply she had earned the trust of the Royal Kei, spending her last days in a prison cell awaiting execution would render it all a waste.
"Could somebody please come here!" Gekkei called out.
A servant hurried down the hallway. Gekkei was about to tell him to fetch one of the junior ministers when he hesitated. He was only a Province Lord. He didn't have the authority to go ordering Imperial clerks around. He'd denied that authority to himself.
For the first time, Gekkei was seized by the enormity of what he had rejected. Without that authority, he could do nothing for anybody. All the grief in the world wouldn't save a soul. As a marquis, his will extended no farther than the borders of his province. He could save the people of his province. But even there he'd been unable to oppose Imperial policy. The insufferable laws enacted by Chuutatsu applied as equally in Kei as elsewhere. He couldn't repeal or ignore them as he saw fit. He'd danced around them as best he could, but in the end hadn't been able to spare his people from Chuutatsu's wrath.
And beyond the precincts of Kei Province, he hadn't saved a single person.
You're excusing yourself to the wrong person. That was definitely the case. The person reaching out, the person making amends was someone completely different.
Unsettled by the sudden silence, the servant asked, "Did you need something?"
Gekkei glanced at him and nodded. "Call the chief secretary here. I'll be sending a communiqué to the Royal Kyou. We shall need to prepare a draft."
"As you wish!" the servant answered crisply. He bowed low, then turned and rushed off.
Watching the servant depart, Gekkei said to himself, "Whatever happens, Shoukei must be spared."
Gekkei cut through the courtyard to the guest house. He was not surprised to see that his visitor— who'd begged off earlier that evening on account of fatigue—was examining correspondence by lamplight.
He paused on the veranda and rapped on the window. "Still haven't settled down for the night?"
Sei put down his brush. He looked up and smiled brightly. "It was my intent, but I feel strangely awake." He opened the door as he spoke and urged Gekkei to enter.
Gekkei stepped into the room with great deliberation. He bowed deeply to the general.
"Marquis?"
"I have taken the time to read the correspondence from the Royal Kei."
When Gekkei raised his head, Sei smiled knowingly and corrected his posture as well. "I must apologize for springing all of this upon you so suddenly. I am very pleased to know that you have accepted it in the spirit given."
"And Shoukei-sama's letter as well. If possible, I would like to send her a reply. I hope you would not object to my relying upon your good offices."
"Not at all."
"And if it would not seem too presumptuous of me, to the Royal Kei as well."
"I am sure Her Highness would be pleased to hear back from you."
Gekkei bowed again and got to his feet. He glanced again at Sei. He'd heard that the Empress was quite young. The rumors hadn't much to say beyond that, but the character of her envoy spokes volumes about the kind of person she was. Implicit in what the general had said and the way he said it was his absolute trust in her.
"You're a good man, General Sei. And Royal Kei must be a fine woman."
Sei smiled. "She is, without a doubt."
Gekkei nodded. "By the way, if you're still having trouble getting to sleep, how about a drink? And seeing as you have eaten dinner, I'm sure we could at least
Sei agreed cheerfully. "I'd be happy to."
Gekkei called a servant and ordered food and drink to be brought. "Providing you don't mind the musty blankets, I'd like you to move into the Guest Palace. Everything's been in storage these past four years, so I can't guarantee much in the way of luxury."
"Not a problem. I appreciate the gesture."
"We haven't much in the way of visitors from other kingdoms of late. If this one time only, I'd like to welcome you and your retinue as official guests, and introduce you to the Chousai and the rest of the Rikkan. I think meeting the emissaries from Kei would do a lot to
Weitere Kostenlose Bücher