"Yes, indeed."
"You think that's really what's going on?"
"I've heard that most of the ministers at the Royal Court are from the era of the Late Empress Yo-ou. I think you can guess what kind of people they are. The same ones who stood by while Yo-ou fell from Way before their very eyes."
"But the Royal Kei dismissed the Province Lord of Baku. Wasn't he beloved by his people?"
"Standard practice for corrupt officials. Of course, beasts like Gahou and Shoukou would conspire against an accomplished and respected man like the Marquis. They'd cook up some crime to frame him with."
"But--"
"There's a superintendent in Ei Province by the name of Enho. I've heard that he's highly knowledgeable of the Way. The rike where Enho was superintendent was attacked. The attackers killed a girl and kidnapped Enho. A gang was hanging around the rike, and rumor has it they were from Takuhou. I've also heard that the same day Enho was assaulted, even after the gates were closed, they were opened again."
"You're kidding." Very few people could order a city gate reopened after it was closed. "It must have been Shoukou."
"He's the only one who could pull off something like that, don't you think? Just like the people around the Royal Kei could engineer the downfall of the Marquis without breaking a sweat."
Shoukei looked into Suzu's eyes. Her big eyes suddenly brimmed over. Shoukei watched her silently.
"The Royal Kei… she's a good person?"
"I have to think so. The way you asked, do you not like her?"
Suzu shook her head. "It'd be such a relief is she were."
"Suzu?"
"I wanted to see her. I thought for certain she must be a good person. I met Seishuu on the ship from Sai. He was in a really bad state, and I was worried sick about him. I told him we'd go to Gyouten together… . "
Suzu spoke his name in such a grief-stricken voice it made her heart ache.
"But he was killed by Shoukou. Anybody who'd let a beast like that run free, who'd protect him, wouldn't have done anything for Seishuu if I had taken him to Gyouten. So what did I bring him to Takuhou for? Just to die?"
"Suzu--" Shoukei said, taking hold of her hand.
"He was such an unfortunate kid."
"Yes, he was."
"If we had gotten to Gyouten, the Royal Kei would have helped him."
"Of course."
Shoukei stroked the back of the sobbing Suzu. She wept like a child. It was enough to break her heart.
I only wish you could understand.
That was all she desired to say to the Empress in Gyouten. Shoukei didn't know whether or not the Royal Kei could have healed Seishuu. She wished--
I only wish you could understand how all the hopes of the people rest upon your shoulders.
Part VI
16-1
Shoukei picked up the reins of the horse. "Are you going straight back to Takuhou?" she asked Suzu, who was holding the reins of her sansui.
"Yes," said Suzu.
"I hope we meet again."
Suzu answered with a nod.
Where do you live-- Shoukei almost asked, but swallowed her words. They'd talked about so much. She had the feeling they'd talked about things that would bring a scowl even to Kantai's face. Nonetheless, she and Suzu knew the limits of what they could say to each other.
"It was really nice being able to meet you," said Suzu, looking on the verge of tears.
Shoukei nodded firmly. "We'll definitely see each other again, after everything settles down."
"Yeah."
With that, they averted their eyes and mounted up. "Later," they said to each other, and separated on the main highway to the east and to the west.
A day's ride brought Shoukei to Meikaku. She wrapped her shawl loosely around her head as she approached the gates. Though the search for the stone-throwing girl had been called off for the time being, she couldn't be too cautious. The guardsman gave her a once-over, but paid her no particular attention.
In Meikaku, or rather, in the cities of Hokkaku and Toukaku that had grown out of Meikaku, the criminal element was prevalent, and even if very few of them went around throwing stones at officials, the authorities couldn't go on chasing Shoukei forever.
The merchant caravans found themselves thrown into this cauldron of refugees and the teeming poor. It was hard to believe they didn't find it completely disorienting. With nothing to eat, and with no other recourses, starving people would attack wagons hauling grain shipments and were arrested by the police. That they weren't dragged off to the main square could be considered a salvation of sorts, but nobody knew where they were held.
According to the mercenaries, even when highwaymen were arrested, they could win release by greasing a few palms with their share of the loot.
The poor and downtrodden joined gangs that teamed up to attack the caravans, knowing that if they were arrested they wouldn't be punished. Even if their hard-won proceeds were confiscated, and they were lucky enough not to get arrested, at least the pressing hunger would be alleviated. And even when the caravans hired bodyguards, they surely couldn't protect every piece of cargo. Looting and plunder that began in poverty was bound to repeat itself over and over.
A training ground for thievery, that's what Kantai said. Every time he caught one of these self-made highwaymen, the stolen merchandise went to the Provincial Guard. It was never returned to its rightful owner. That was how Wa Province enriched itself.
Traders were aware of this, but had no choice but to go through Meikaku. Smaller merchants formed their own syndicates and hired mercenaries. They bribed provincial officials and demanded that the authorities enforce the law. But depending on what was being transported, there weren't any guarantee that their own bodyguards wouldn't turn on them. In fact, it was hardly uncommon.
Strongmen with the slightest confidence in their abilities gathered from the outlying districts to find work. The competition led to bloodshed over and over.
Shoukei sighed, dismounted from the horse, and walked through the gate.
"So you're finally back. You're late."
Kantai was addressing a number of men when she entered the main hall. When he saw her, he waved the men off. The men got up and left to a separate wing.
"One other shipment didn't arrive," said Shoukei, and forthrightly informed him about what had transpired. She handed Kantai the money she'd gotten from Suzu via Rou.
"That's unfortunate. Did Rou say anything more about his move to Houkaku?"
"There was a girl--" Shoukei knit her brows. Kantai had asked her to inquire into the subject, and she had been told something about it.
"What?"
"Apparently there was a girl checking out Rou's place in Hokui."
"That's all?"
"About the same time he was meeting with the people in Takuhou. A little while later, the same girl visited them in Takuhou. After that, Rou was warned that it'd be a good idea if they moved."
She related the account as she'd heard it. She leaned forward. "So, what kind of man is this Rou?"
"A good man with a good heart. In short, he's an associate of Saibou."
"And what about Saibou? He's the one who hired you?"
"Not the case here. He's somebody who helped me out in the past. Let's leave it at that."
"Saibou helped you out? Or one of his superiors?"
Kantai eyes opened a bit wider and he smiled thinly. He motioned for her to get a chair and sit down next to him. "What do you mean, 'or one of his superiors?'"
"That's the sense I got about him. It seemed to me that Saibou-sama was working for somebody, too."