Volume 8, Chapter 12: Lord of the Western Capital (1/2)

Jinshi received a letter in his office.

It was neither wooden slip nor paper, but parchment with a beeswax seal. The letter sending culture changes depending on the location, but this form is common in the west.

“Is it from the western capital?” Baryou peered over from his side of the partition.

“As you say. It’s from Gyoku’ou-dono,” Jinshi said.

“…Gyoku’en-sama’s oldest son, was it?”

“Yeah.”

In other words, Empress Gyokuyou’s older brother. He was many years older than the empress so they must have different mothers. Jinshi had memories of him not really resembling the gentle Gyoku’en-dono.

“What is it about?”

Although Jinshi and Baryou were the only people in the room, it was slightly impolite to suddenly ask about the contents of the letter. Baryou must have understood it as well, but probably had ventured to ask.

“It’s about wanting to get his daughter into the inner palace. He had hinted at it some time ago, but he directly cut to the chase,” Jinshi said.

“Is Gyoku’en-sama aware of this matter as well?”

Wanting to get his daughter into the inner palace. Any high official would attempt it, but Empress Gyokuyou has already been established as his majesty’s main wife. Was he trying to say that he wished to deepen their ties?

Or, was he trying to say that if possible, rather than the crown prince’s uncle, he wanted to become the crown prince’s grandfather instead?

Empress Gyokuyou must feel conflicted.

“Gyoku’en-dono looks like such, but he’s a cunning individual. He might have known of it, but left it alone,” Jinshi said.

He looks like a good-natured old man who could get tricked, but this individual had risen to become the emperor’s father in law.

“Was it seventeen years ago, when the I(戌, Xu in Chinese) Clan disappeared?”

The western capital is the most important region in Rii. The region was called Isei Province(戌西州) in the past, but the namesake I Clan was put to death by the Empress Regnant, the previous empress dowager. They were dealt with under suspicions of rebellion, but Jinshi was three years old at the time. There was no way he could remember that.

“Yeah. And after that, Gyoku’en-dono gained a great deal of power.”

Gyoku’en was staying at the central region, with no signs of returning home as is. This meant that it was appropriate to continue assuming an important central office.

When Gyoku’en showed up at the central, a capable person from the central who matched his criteria was dispatched to his son.

It was Rikuson, the military official who had been working under the weirdo tactician.

Gyoku’en had pointed out that he wanted support for his son, of whom was still inexperienced in the matters of government.

Normally, this request would be strange to hear. It was certainly the case that Rikuson is a military official, but he is skilled at paperwork. He should have done various things in the desk-work-hating weirdo tactician’s stead.

But there should be other more capable people around.

No, or could he be trying to separate the military official from the weirdo tactician’s side?

“Baryou, do you know about a man called Rikuson?”

“…he’s the person who was once Rakan-sama’s adjutant.”

With only a bit of thought, Baryou effortlessly got the correct answer. He was bad at forming human relationships, but he had a great memory for official positions and names.

“I heard that Rakan-sama is bad at remembering people, so he, who was once a civil official, was headhunted, having heard that he is good at remembering faces.”

“Civil official. That fits him to a tee,” Jinshi said,

He is a delicate man. It fit him more to carry books than to carry a sword or a spear.

“It’s better to ask my sister for the details.”

“Maamei, huh. Is she the source of your information?”

So that’s how it is. If it’s Maamei, he could agree that she is well-informed.

“Yes, my older sister speaks to my wife often.”

“…wife. Which reminds me, you’re married.”

Quite some time ago, Gaoshun had mentioned that his grandchild was born. Was that Baryou’s? Baryou looked like a weakling who would faint from a touch of a girl outside his family–Jinshi looked at the other man while feeling a strange sense of defeat.

“Can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“When did your romance start?” Jinshi found himself swallowing saliva. It was all just out of curiosity.

“…older sister Maamei and mum had plotted it. After comparing me to Basen, it seems they had picked the method that would most reliably leave behind an heir.”

“….”

The polar opposite Ma brothers. Certainly, when compared to the idiosyncratic Basen, Baryou with his weak constitution might be the better of the two.

“I was told that I don’t know how long left I would be alive, so quickly make a child. I was forced to prioritise it over the Civil Examinations.”

Since Jinshi heard that Baryou had passed the exam last year, chronologically speaking, he must have taken the exam after getting a child.

“…what kind of wife, no, I’ve heard about it before.”

Jinshi was so busy he forgot about it, but it slipped in his ears before.

“She is descended from the Mi(巳, Si in Chinese) Clan.”