After Governor Abé and his wife left for Surei’s house with the children, she turned to me. “His wife is nothing like I expected, but I like her a lot. I get the feeling she is a good part of the reason he has been so successful.” She looked at the retreating figures. “Do women in the provinces typically go about unveiled like that? Did you notice she was carrying a tantou?”
I laughed. “You weren’t paying attention earlier. She is carrying only a tantou now, but she was wearing a tachi earlier. She left it with her husband’s entourage. Besides, you are carrying a tantou. And yes, expectations are different for the wives of the bushi. They often run the estate. They have to get out and deal with people.”
Surei smiled. “A strong woman. She will be do very well for the children. However, we need to think of a way to keep Aoi-chan from becoming too rusticated. She will be able to make a better marriage if she is not only wealthy and beautiful but also cultured.” She paused as she poured us some more to drink. “I could send Reiko with them,” she mused. “She shows no desire to become a shirabyoushi. Intellectually, she realizes her situation has changed, but she has no enthusiasm for what I am teaching her. However, she has been well trained in the courtly arts, so perhaps she will be more successful as a lady’s maid.”
I nodded in agreement. Aoi-chan would have her pick of husbands out in the provinces, and if we succeeded in restoring the shouen to the children, she would be wealthy enough not to have to rely on her husband. It would be an ideal situation for her. I thought Yoshi-kun would do well under Governor Abé’s tutelage, as well.
Now that the children’s future was provided for, Surei seemed more relaxed. “We have taken care of the children, now we need to finish dealing with Ikeda Minbukyou,” she said.
I had strong reservations about this part of her plan. “Are you sure you want to go through with this? It is going to be very hard to convince him.”
“I’ll manage somehow,” Surei said grimly.
Surei went to the door and signaled for a couple of her girls. “Clean things up in here and send someone to get Benkon-sensei,” she told them.
“I am still unclear how Akiko’s ‘ghost’ is going to be able to bring Ikeda Minbukyou to justice.”
Surei said, “My ancestor, Sugawara no Michizane, was falsely accused of treason and sent into exile with his two youngest children. Shortly thereafter, he died out in the provinces, some say of a broken heart. He was so upset by his cavalier treatment at the hands of the court that his ghost haunted his accusers for decades. He so terrorized them all official records referring to his crimes were destroyed, his rank was restored, and his name cleared.” She gave a savage grin. “It wasn’t good enough for him. Two more family members of his persecutors died under mysterious circumstances, and the imperial palace burned to the ground. Desperate, they finally awarded him the upper second rank, dedicated a shrine to him and declared him the kami of Learning and Calligraphy. We are going to do the same thing for Akiko, just speed the process a bit.”
Benkon came in. Genially, he asked as he sat down, “Who are you two plotting against now?”
When Surei answered, “Ikeda Minbukyou,” his smile disappeared.
He grimaced. “I thought you had gotten that out of your system with these faked hauntings. You have certainly created enough turmoil. Half of the city is in a panic. I have even heard the Emperor is considering moving out of the Imperial Palace until things settle down. You have stirred everyone up against the Minbukyou. What more do you want?”
Surei stood staring down at him, her eyes blazing. “I want him dead,” she hissed. “I want him disgraced, humiliated, and ruined. I want the children to have what is theirs restored to them.” She stopped and took a deep breath, visibly calming herself. Sitting back down, she said, in a more normal tone. “And that is why we need your help.”
Benkon’s expression became guarded. “What kind of help?”
“Now that we have everyone concerned about the vengeful spirit, we need to put a name and purpose to the ghost. There are plenty of rumors floating about, but I want you to perform an exorcism at which Akiko will manifest, state her claims against Ikeda Minbukyou, and demand an official investigation and restoration of her shouen.”
For the first time, I saw Benkon lose his composure. “What? You want me to go out and stage a fake ceremony where I summon a fabricated ghost to make an unsubstantiated accusation against a high member of the government?”
Surei nodded with a smile. “Excellent. You understand perfectly.”
“This is preposterous. I am not going to sit here and discuss absurdities.” He stood up and headed for the door.
Surei said, “Benkon, wait.”
He stopped.
“Sit down. Please?”
He slowly returned and resumed his seat.
Surei took a deep breath. “Yoshi and I have done what we can. However, we need more to bring Ikeda Minbukyou to justice. A formal accusation must be made against him before anyone will investigate. My plan is to have Akiko’s ghost make the accusation. This is where we need your help. When Yoshi and I were discussing killing Ikeda Minbukyou for his perfidy, you were quite eloquent about the need for us to moderate our actions so as to ensure we could be around to take care of the children and recover their inheritance for them. We heeded your words and are trying to do that. I assumed you would be equally eager to help us resolve the situation, now that there is a positive contribution for you to make.”
Surei was using her tried-and-true tactic of emotional whipsaw on Benkon. She would try to make him feel bad about not going along with her plan, somehow making it seem all his fault, in an attempt to get him to agree. I was an expert on the tactic, having been its target all too often. I was just glad someone else was on the receiving end this time.
Benkon glared at Surei. “Don’t play word games with me. Faking an exorcism is not ‘making a positive contribution,’ it is breaking the laws set down by Lord Buddha himself.” He shook his head. “Even you have heard of the Ten Precepts by which we monks must live. The Fourth Precept forbids a monk from speaking falsehoods. I cannot do it.”
Surei tried to be reasonable. “We are not asking you to lie. All you need to do is to perform an exorcism as you would normally. We will handle everything else.”
Benkon shook his head. “It is still all a lie.”
Apparently, Benkon was made of sterner stuff than most people. He refused to be moved by her emotional blackmail. Surei was unused to being rebuffed like this. It made her testy.
Surei raised her voice. “We wanted to kill Ikeda, but you stopped us because of the importance of taking care of the children. Instead, at great personal risk, Yoshi and I developed an alternate plan to bring Ikeda’s crimes to light. Now, we need your help, and you refuse us?” She got up and started stalking around the room, too worked up to stay seated. “I have fed you, given you a place to stay, made you new robes when you needed them. I have never refused you anything. I have done this without being asked because you are my brother.” She stopped in front of him, trembling with suppressed rage. “But, you are too worried about your precious spirituality to help.” She threw her hands in the air in an appeal to a higher power. “You wonder why I have no love of Buddhism? What help were your pious Buddhist platitudes to Akiko, who was murdered by thugs? What use is it to her children, who are being robbed by an evil man in a position of power? Where is your compassion and concern for the children?”
Benkon sat there, unmoved. “I cannot betray the principles to which I have dedicated my life.”
I had to admire Benkon’s resolve. I had never seen anyone who was able to refuse Surei when she had gotten this far into her routine. The man had a will of iron.
Calming suddenly, Surei sat down. “Very well,” she said. “You refuse to help us because your religious scruples prevent you from lying.” She mused, as if to herself, “Father had me read quite extensively on Buddhism when I was younger. As I recall, the Buddha said it was permissible to speak falsehoods if it was to prevent a greater evil.” She looked Benkon directly in the eye. “If you do not agree to help, then Yoshi and I will have no recourse but to seek justice the only way open to us. We will punish Ikeda Minbukyou ourselves, no matter what the consequences. How will you sleep at night knowing you precipitated that? Will your conscience rest easy then?”
At this point, I felt that Surei was pushing things too far. I started to tell her, “Surei—”
Surei looked at me angrily and commanded, “Yoshi, be silent.”
I stared at her for a moment, angry at her peremptory treatment of me, but then I tamped the anger down. We really did need Benkon’s help, or everything we had done would have been in vain. I didn’t like the way she was going about it, though.
Benkon had been silent during the exchange between Surei and me. Not only silent but frozen, as if locked in an internal struggle that made it impossible for him to move. Finally, he stirred and said in a choked voice, “Very well, Surei, what is it you want me to do?”
Surei may have tried not to let the satisfaction show on her face, but there was no mistaking the fact she was pleased at Benkon’s acquiescence. “You need to proclaim that you will be exorcising the ghost. Your reputation and your position as Akiko’s personal religious advisor will guarantee a good turnout. I will supply you with a girl to use as your medium…”
The ensuing discussion became quite detailed and technical. My eyes started crossing when they began comparing various types of incense to be used at different stages of the ceremony. There was nothing I could profitably add to the conversation, so I excused myself to go out and resume training the new people.
Governor Abé came to see Surei the next day. I saw him crossing the courtyard, and he motioned me to follow him. When we got to Surei’s office, he got right to business, “The children have to be here for their mother’s forty-ninth day memorial service. On the other hand, I can’t wait that long before I return to Isé, especially with District Magistrate Taira creating trouble. However, I don’t want to subject the children to the long trip to Isé and back within a single month. Mayumi is going to take them to a house we have on Lake Awaumi, which is less than a day’s travel from here. They will be safer out of the city, and we can easily have them back in time for the memorial service.”
Surei nodded in agreement. “That is an excellent idea. I was worried about having them here. There is likely to be some unrest soon, and I would feel better if they were away from the capital.”
Governor Abé stood. “It is settled, then. We will be leaving within the next few days. As long as I am here in Kyoto, there are some people in the palace I need to meet, and that will take some time. After that, we will all travel to Lake Awaumi and get Mayumi and the children settled in, then I will head back to Isé with just a couple of my men. The rest of my retinue will stay at the house to protect Mayumi and the children.”
I thought all these precautions were quite sensible, given the trouble simmering just under the surface here in the capital. It would be absolutely devastating if, after Akiko’s death, anything was to happen to her children. I was particularly gratified that Governor Abé intended to leave many of his guards at Lake Awaumi, since it demonstrated his strong commitment to the children’s safety and well-being.
Benkon’s offer to perform the exorcism was accepted with obvious relief by the court. He had initially been invited to try and remove the spirit, but had declined, knowing we were behind the “hauntings.” Three other, less well-known, Buddhist priests had attempted to drive away the spirit, to no avail.
In order to ensure the best chance of success, Benkon demanded the ceremony be held on the most recent site of the spirit’s manifestation, so it was going to take place on the location in the Daidairi where the Minbushou had burned. He spent days preparing for the rite. He had to sanctify the ground, chant a series of preparatory incantations and lay out the religious artifacts he would use to try and restrain the influence of the rogue spirit.
Just outside of where Benkon worked, another set of preparations went on. Workers were frantically erecting pavilions for the high-ranking onlookers. This was going to be the most public exorcism in more than a hundred years, and all the nobles and court ladies wanted to be present. There was even a rumor Emperor Go-Shirakawa himself would be in attendance.
After three days, everything was ready. It was a brilliant, hot summer day, and the humidity made the air oppressively damp. Just being outside for a short while caused me to sweat until my robes were soaked through.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Benkon stood at the center of a group of twenty hand-picked monks he had gathered to chant the sutras, throw poppy seeds into the braziers burning incense, and to brandish the holy symbols to protect the crowds from any stray spirits who happened by while the exorcism was taking place. Nearby stood three male assistants and a shabbily dressed peasant girl he would use as the medium.
The crowd was enormous. I think every noble in the city was there. Many of the court ladies had even donned hats and veils so they could attend. As rumored, the Emperor was here, as was his brother, Junior Retired Emperor Sutoku. Their pavilions were curtained-off to protect them from the gaze of the common people. This was the first time the two of them had been present together at the same event for over a year, such was the interest and concern the ghost engendered in the citizens of the capital. There was another pavilion for Senior Retired Emperor Toba, but he was not feeling well enough to attend, so it was empty.
The two political factions were not just represented by their leaders. Fujiwara no Norinaga had come. He was the Minister of the Left, the senior official in the imperial government and a strong supporter of Junior Retired Emperor Sutoku. His older brother, Fujiwara no Tadamichi, the Minister of the Right, was also present. He was as passionate a supporter of Emperor Go-Shirakawa as his brother was of the Junior Retired Emperor. However, given that the two brothers hated each other, there was some question as to whether their devotion to their respective causes was because of sincere political beliefs or simply out of a desire to spite the other.
I had realized there were political ramifications to what we were doing, but seeing the most powerful officials in the nation among the spectators really brought home to me how high the stakes were in this game we were playing. I started feeling queasy as I thought about what would happen if anything went wrong. There was no way I could escape responsibility if we were discovered.
I noticed Ikeda Minbukyou seated next to a heavily veiled woman in extremely rich clothing. His face was haggard, and his eyes had dark circles under them. He seemed nervous, starting uncontrollably at even small noises. I took great satisfaction in his misery. It wasn’t nearly enough punishment for what he had done, but it was a good start.
A shock of white hair in the crowd marked Kamo’s presence. The onmyouji no doubt had a professional interest in the ceremony. Although onmyoudou had spells and charms designed to exorcise troublesome spirits, the Buddhist temples had convinced the government they were better equipped to handle those sorts of activities, so an onmyouji who tried to exorcise a spirit, while not technically breaking the law, would find himself the object of a great deal of official scrutiny.
Benkon had placed me off to one side. With me were others from Akiko’s household whom he thought he might need during the course of the ceremony. Surei was with our group, dressed as a noble page, her hair tucked up under an eboshi, a man’s court headdress. To enhance her disguise, I dispatched her on various errands while we were waiting to begin.
Benkon began by lighting four braziers of incense, one at each of the cardinal points of the compass, accompanied by twelve monks chanting sutras. The other eight monks started shaking their artifacts and twanging their bows around the onlookers. The buzz of conversation died as the crowd fell silent. He took the peasant girl and put her in the center of a circle of Buddhist religious artifacts among which he had drawn enclosing lines and various magical sigils. He bent over to whisper something in the girl’s ear. She answered him loudly enough for everyone to hear. “I’m all right, sensei. You tell me what to do.” Her speech had a strong Kyushuu flavor that reminded me of Cook.
It was mid-morning when the ceremony got underway. The chanting and incense burning persisted well into the afternoon. As at the funeral, I was astonished by Benkon’s stamina. Despite chanting sutras continuously for a good part of the day, his voice never faltered. Finally, at a gesture from Benkon, the twelve monks ceased their chanting, and the eight monks halted their brandishing.
He motioned me forward. Holding the smoke-blackened deed in both hands in front of me, I stood in front of him, bowed, and presented him with the document. In a loud voice, I said, “Sensei, this is the document you requested, the deed for the shouen of my mistress, the widow of Fujiwara Minbukyou. She died retrieving it so her children might retain their inheritance. It was her final wish that we make provision for their future, and her last words to me were instructions that I see to their welfare.”
I saw a look of pain cross Ikeda Minbukyou’s face as I related how Akiko had died.
Benkon took the deed and began chanting incantations over it as I returned to my place on the side. Every so often, he cast some powder into the lit brazier in front of him. With each cast of the powder, an aromatic puff of colored smoke rose from the burning coals. Finally, he faced the girl in the circle and presented her with the deed. “You want me to hold it?” she asked.
He nodded and she clumsily took the scroll in both hands.
When she had firm hold of it, he cried out, “Spirit! We call on you to manifest yourself!” The girl fell to the ground and went into a series of convulsions, but she never dropped the deed.
Finally, her fit ended, and she stood back up. But it was if she was a different person. Her entire bearing had changed. Subservience and fear were replaced with dignity and curiosity. She spoke, “Who are you to command me?”
Her voice was a shock. It was Akiko, yet it wasn’t. Suddenly, I realized what was happening. The medium was Dimples, dressed up as a simple peasant. It wasn’t Akiko who she sounded like, it was Surei. I remembered her imitating Surei and ordering the other girls around, to their great amusement. Only someone who knew both Akiko and Surei would be able to tell the difference.
Benkon answered her, “I am Benkon—a monk by license of the Shaolin monastery located on Mount Shaoshi—and I command you to reveal yourself by the authority of Prince Siddhartha, the Lord Buddha.”
Dimples cocked her head to one side, as if considering his statement, then nodded in acceptance. “I am the widow of Fujiwara Minbukyou, the former Minister of Popular Affairs who died three years ago.”
Benkon began a new set of chants to convince the wayward spirit to state its grievances. As he chanted, he threw a different set of incenses into the braziers. The new incense was strongly acrid and the smoke made my nose burn and my eyes water. After chanting for some time, Benkon halted.
He asked Dimples, “Spirit, why do you remain in this fallen world? Should you not pass on to your next life, to join your husband?”
She cried in a loud voice, “I require Justice!” The vehemence of her demand seemed to take Benkon aback.
“For what?” he asked.
Outrage filled Dimples’ voice. “I was robbed, forced into poverty by unscrupulous men. In life, no one raised a hand to aid me. Now, in death, my children will have nothing.” She gazed at the crowd of onlookers, scorn evident on her face and proclaimed, “This shall not come to pass. I will have justice. If you deny me my justice, then your homes shall burn as mine did! Your children will descend into poverty as mine have!” Everyone shrank back. She turned and pointed to Ikeda Minbukyou. “You!” she shouted. “You did this to me!”
Ikeda Minbukyou paled at her accusing glare. “No!” he shouted. “It’s not true. I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted to marry you…” He suddenly seemed to realize what he was saying. The crowd’s looks of suspicion at his outburst finally penetrated his self-absorbed misery. “I didn’t…” he began. He turned to his wife, sitting next to him. “Dear…”
His wife struck him with a satchel she was carrying. “You wretch! I used my family’s wealth and influence to get you your position. Without me, you would be nothing!” she screamed at him. “You worm!” Enraged, she stood and stomped out.
Ignoring the uproar in the crowd, Benkon asked the medium, “Is there nothing we can do to right this wrong? Tell us how you were robbed.”
Dimples turned in my direction. “I demand a full investigation into Ikeda’s stewardship as Minbukyou after my husband’s death. You must restore the shouen to my children and replace the lost income. Ask Yoshi. He and Surei have been helping me. They know…” Slowly, she collapsed to the ground.
Caught up as I was in the spectacle, I was completely unprepared when everyone in the room, including Benkon, turned to face me. Surei hadn’t made any mention of this when we had talked about what would happen at the exorcism. I shot her a quick glance. She was trying to hide a small smile of satisfaction and triumph.
Benkon turned to the onlookers. “The spirit will not rest until its grievances have been addressed. There is nothing more I can do as an exorcist. It is now in the government’s hands.”
The Minister of the Right stepped out of Emperor Go-Shirakawa’s pavilion and turned to face me. “What is this shouen she is talking about?” he demanded of me.
I shrank under the concentrated attention of the audience and the Minister of the Right’s expectant gaze. I tried to speak, but couldn’t muster any words. After swallowing a few times, I managed to answer, “The widow’s shouen in Isé was given over to Enrakuji, and was replaced with a worthless, worked-out shouen nearby. The land grants for the two properties were forged at the Minbushou, and they bear the signature of Ikeda Minbukyou.”
The Minister of the Right turned to face the onlookers. “This is outrageous. These are grave allegations against Ikeda Minbukyou. We must launch an immediate investigation into matters at the Ministry, as the spirit of this poor woman requested. I—”
“You will do nothing,” the Minister of the Left broke in, flinging aside the curtains to Junior Retired Emperor Sutoku’s pavilion and striding into the open. “Or have you forgotten that the Ministry is under my supervision?” He turned and appealed to the audience in turn. “This is nothing but a crass political maneuver. My brother, the honored Minister of the Right, seeks to defame this innocent man, no doubt to further his personal agenda. It is obvious Ikeda Minbukyou has been possessed by an evil spirit, which is why he is acting so strangely. I am certain a responsible official such as he would never do anything like what this spirit,” he made a dismissive gesture in Dimples’ direction, “claims.” He turned to Ikeda. “Is this not true, Minbukyou? Can you defend yourself?”
Everyone turned to Ikeda Minbukyou. He seemed to shrink under their combined gazes. He looked around in confusion and panic. “Burning,” he whispered. “Every night, I dream of the flames and the burning. The blistering heat on my skin.” Suddenly, he cried out. “Akiko, why? I only wanted to take care of you. Not what happened, not … this.”
A triumphant smile lit the Minister of the Right’s face. “He practically admits the accusations are true.” He composed himself and adopted a stern expression. “It is shocking that my brother, the Minister of the Left, would attempt to excuse this kind of official malfeasance. I had always believed my brother to be a man of honor and principle, but his defense of this miscreant casts grave doubts upon—”
Dimples opened her eyes again and sat up. She laughed a chilling laugh and chanted, “Burning, burning, it is all burning. And who will be there to see its end?”
Had Surei told Dimples about her vision on our way to my first meeting with Akiko? A quick glance at Surei’s shocked face told me this development was a surprise to her, too.
Dimples continued, “Now, it begins. Senior Retired Emperor Toba has passed.” A pause, then she repeated herself. “Senior Retired Emperor Toba has passed.” She closed her eyes and slumped back down again.
Onlookers exchanged glances, unsure of what to think. I looked at Surei. She was staring out at the city, a look of pain and sadness on her face.
The two ministers stood in stunned silence, their dispute forgotten. A cold wind blew from the west. People began whispering back and forth. In the distance came the frantic ringing of bells and the sounding of gongs.
The audience stilled, waiting. A sense of expectancy and fear hung in the air. The sound of a galloping horse broke the silence. A messenger came rushing in through the southern gates of the Daidairi. He spoke briefly to an imperial guard, then went straight to the Emperor’s pavilion. Looking at each other, the Ministers of the Left and Right followed him inside.
The tension was palpable. After a few moments, an official came out and announced, “His Eminence, the Senior Retired Emperor Toba, has just passed away.”
The audience gasped. The crowd quickly melted away as officials and courtiers scurried off to begin the involved process of arranging for Toba’s funeral. Retired Emperor Sutoku, no longer Junior, and his party immediately abandoned his pavilion and hurried out of the palace grounds, moving with a very undignified haste. The Emperor also left, although not nearly so precipitously as his brother. In no time at all, we stood alone in the Daidairi with no one but Benkon and his assistants.
I turned to Surei. “What just happened here?”
She seemed troubled. “We won. Almost.” She shook her head and sighed in frustration. “Senior Retired Emperor Toba was a wonderful man. I owe much of my success to his favor. But his death could not have happened at a more inopportune time. Now, the government will shut down as everyone prepares for his funeral, then there will be an official mourning period. It could be months before things return to normal and anything gets done about the shouen. If fighting actually breaks out, it could be even longer.”
“I don’t imagine us burning down most of the Minbushou the other night is going to make things go any faster either,” I reminded her.
Ignoring my remark, Surei walked over and helped Dimples up from the ground.
“Did it work, Mistress? Where has everyone gone? I felt very strange at the end. Did I do something wrong?” Dimples whispered.
“No, dear, it wasn’t you. Let’s go back to the saké house.” Surei didn’t say a word the entire trip home.
When we arrived back at the Spring Palace, Surei and I sat quietly together in her room. She pulled her eboshi off, releasing her hair to cascade down over her shoulders and back. I was concerned about her—I couldn’t remember the last time she had gone this long without saying something.
The door banged open and Benkon walked in. His face was red and his lips compressed in anger. He sat himself down across from Surei. “I should never have let you talk me into this,” he said. “I had a bad feeling about this travesty of an exorcism, but I let you browbeat me with ‘family ties’ and ‘don’t you care about Akiko?’ and what do we have now? Do you know what happened back there? That was not Dimples at the end.”
Surei tried to placate him, “It’s not that serious—”
“Yes it is!” he shouted. He took a deep breath, then said in a softer voice, “What you had me do was a violation of my oath as a Buddhist monk. It was immoral and criminal to pretend to perform an exorcism when there was no real ghost. The point of an exorcism to draw the wandering spirit. It is very risky to call on a spirit when there isn’t one. Something came at the end there. Who was it? How much of what happened was part of your charade? We are meddling in things best left alone, and I have no idea what we have done. Are you even aware of the danger you exposed Dimples to? What if the spirit had not willingly left her?”
Surei turned white at Benkon’s words.
He put his face in his hands. “I am supposed to be reducing my entanglements with the world, but it is clear that I have failed.” He sighed. “It is not fair to put all of this on you. I became a monk to release myself from the confines of the world by removing the bonds and attachments that tied me to this impermanent life. I should be distancing myself from friends and family.”
He looked around the room. “I am grateful for the kindness you have shown me in letting me stay here, but this is self-defeating behavior. By taking advantage of your hospitality, I am binding myself closer to you, making it that much harder to let go. I need to spend some time in prayer and meditation at a monastery to cleanse my thoughts of these distractions.”
He stood up. “I just stopped by to let you know that I am going to be gone for some time, perhaps permanently. Please keep the writings I brought back from China. If I need them, I will send for them.”
As he stepped to the door, Surei said softly, “Benkon…” and held out her hand as if to stop him leaving. He hesitated in the doorway for an instant, then straightened his shoulders and left. His footsteps faded out of hearing.
Surei slowly stood and walked out of the room.