Translation: Saiunkoku Monogatari "In the Lily of the Valley Season" (The Beans Vol.9) Chapter 7
Novel Translation
Saiunkoku Monogatari Short Novel
Suzuran no Saku Koro ni
彩雲国物語「鈴蘭の咲く頃に」
Title: Suzuran no Saku Koro ni (In the Lily of the Valley Season)
Author: Yukino Sai
Published: The Beans Vol.9(2007)
Chapter 7
The emperor was playing with a bean bag in his hand alone in the throne. It was the one he exchanged with Seien. Seien was probably leaving the palace with the second concubine by now.
“I didn’t expect this.”
Ran Setsuna took a step forward.
“You did not order the execution of Prince Seien.”
“You abandoned Seien so readily.”
“Ou Ki’s judgment was not wrong. Seien made too many friends and foes. He does not have what it takes to win the enemies over, but not foolish enough to be destroyed easily. He is not the eldest, but the highest in the standing of family. By him just existing in the imperial court, it is split into two and the country will be in disarray as he grows. The number of his enemies won’t decrease with that personality. Even his allies are not devoted to Seien himself, but will be factions based on their interests. There will be more bureaucrats and aristocrats who excel in fight for domination, and less bureaucrats who serve people. It will hold up a bit longer if Seien is removed now. Other princes and the concubines can be dealt with any time.”
He said this with a gentle smile.
“Are you this mad at him for making a fool of the forth son in public?”
“No? I was glad for that. So, I respected your wishes and stayed at the imperial palace a year longer.”
If you have a match, it is proper to do your best no matter how big the difference in ability is. But he openly slackened his effort in public, and still beat the forth son of the Ran family to insult him. Then he drove him away based only on his ability.
‘Seien lacks something critical.’
Seien’s superb ability and reliance on himself to make his way made it impossible for him to trust someone else. That kind of quality is advantageous for advisors, but fatal for an emperor.
Those who don’t trust others are not trusted by anyone. They cannot obtain retainers whom they can trust with important matters, and will be abandoned when they lose their usefulness. Just like what the Ran family did.
“Are you going back to Ran Province?”
He was expecting an immediate yes, but Setsuna kept a hesitant silence.
“… I am hesitating a little.”
Setsuna closed his eyes.
“If you are willing to take three of us into your service seriously…”
The emperor looked at Setsuna. Even Setsuna couldn not understand this emperor. Cruel and impulsive. He looked indifferent to everyone, yet acknowledged an achievement of even a common soldier. He eliminated his blood relatives, yet let Ou Ki and Kai Yu loose no matter how many times they opposed. He did not seem to trust anyone, yet entrusted all power to his staff easily. He let the concubines alone, yet paid attention to the princes. Setsuna knew that he saved each prince’s life once. And he looked heartless, yet he kept loving one woman so deeply he didn’t even realize it himself. Those contradictions and chaos.
They even attracted the Ran triplets.
If…, he thought. If this emperor, who had no intention of seriously enlisting the Ran family, put his mind and try to really obtain the triplets…
If this emperor desired it with all his heart.
… He might willingly surrender…
‘Just once.’
The first and the last in his lifetime, the only chance he offered to this emperor alone.
… However, the answer the emperor threw with a bean bag was simple.
“No way. It is too late. The time is out.”
Setsuna looked at the bean bag, and kept silence. Then he smiled. A bit desolate.
Setsuna only muttered, it’s disappointing, and left.
… He could hear a crying voice.
The emperor closed his eyes. He could sense “Bakuya” even from the distance since he was its master.
He thought they would get cranky when he ordered them to be with Seien, but they were unexpectedly quiet. Especially, “Bakuya” protected Ryuuki very well.
“Did Prince Seien leave…?”
U U came close with air of sadness.
“Yes. Don’t look so depressed because my time has gotten shorter. I will be able to live for another 5 to 6 years if I don't leave Kiyou.”
U U took the emperor’s hand and rolled up the sleeve.
… The marking of a curse spreading on his upper arm.
It was the curse engraved in the bean bag Seien bought in town.
The extremely perceptive emperor noticed it and exchanged the bean bags. It meant the emperor would take the death curse that meant for Seien instead.
-- Nothing could be done.
Even U U couldn’t compare against the present mistress of the Hyou family. Even with the best effort, ten years at best--. The curse would slowly destroy the emperor’s body, and eventually lead him to death.
But the emperor himself looked nonchalant.
“Even if Ka Shin rushes in as he promised, we will have to send him back. Curses are out of his field.”
“Your Majesty!”
“I decided only once. I would save each of my kids’ lives only once. Seien’s once happened to be this.”
That as why he could not become the “master” of the Ran triplets. It was too late. It was after he gave his life to Seien.
Suddenly he remembered Seien’s expression when he screamed for a “capital punishment.” He did not expect such a defiant kid readily admitted defeat, and was willingly accept a capital punishment.
‘I would escape at once, if it were me.'
He wasn’t ashamed of the defeat, and wanted to die. It seemed like that overheightened pride was not build for himself. Seien, who did not usually reveal his real intentions, screamed with sincere, honest and frantic eyes like the forth son of the Ran family.
‘I didn’t know I was liked.’
He knew that he had been watched, but he thought he was out to kill him.
It is interesting, the emperor thought.
They were all his children, but they were completely different inside. They acted unexpectedly, too. They were like hodgepodge stew, and it was never boring to observe them.
Seien’s slightly puzzled expression when he gave him a bean bag was not an exception. Whatever the reputation by the people around him was, his son was still soft and showed weakness compared to him and the senior officials who lived through the war-torn era. But this was probably what we call “childlike.”
Surely, Seien was different from the children what he, Shouka and the Ran triplets once were. The forth son of the Ran family had amazingly honest eyes. There was no more overt conflict, and the time was changing slowly.
The emperor closed his eyes.
… He could still hear the crying voice in distance. He cries so much. The youngest son who noticed the unusual change and was wondering around like a ghost to look for his brother, and Seien, who showed his true self only to Ryuuki.
‘It must be… a shepherd, who takes care of a sheep.’
He remembered Sou Shungai used to have a part-time job as a shepherd.
First, he decided to get Kou Shouka out of Kou Province. He would come out, with tons of complaints and sarcastic remarks, though. If he was lucky, he could force both sheep to him.
It was true that Seien could not trust other people. But… if Ryuuki had been born earlier, and if his mother wasn’t HER, Ou Ki might have decided differently.
The emperor smiled bitterly. - A complete defeat.
‘… Even Ou Ki couldn’t find an evidence. Suzuran should have been appointed as a bureaucrat, not in the harem. She would have become a first-class politician.’
Saiunkoku Monogatari Short Novel
Suzuran no Saku Koro ni
彩雲国物語「鈴蘭の咲く頃に」
Title: Suzuran no Saku Koro ni (In the Lily of the Valley Season)
Author: Yukino Sai
Published: The Beans Vol.9(2007)
Chapter 7
The emperor was playing with a bean bag in his hand alone in the throne. It was the one he exchanged with Seien. Seien was probably leaving the palace with the second concubine by now.
“I didn’t expect this.”
Ran Setsuna took a step forward.
“You did not order the execution of Prince Seien.”
“You abandoned Seien so readily.”
“Ou Ki’s judgment was not wrong. Seien made too many friends and foes. He does not have what it takes to win the enemies over, but not foolish enough to be destroyed easily. He is not the eldest, but the highest in the standing of family. By him just existing in the imperial court, it is split into two and the country will be in disarray as he grows. The number of his enemies won’t decrease with that personality. Even his allies are not devoted to Seien himself, but will be factions based on their interests. There will be more bureaucrats and aristocrats who excel in fight for domination, and less bureaucrats who serve people. It will hold up a bit longer if Seien is removed now. Other princes and the concubines can be dealt with any time.”
He said this with a gentle smile.
“Are you this mad at him for making a fool of the forth son in public?”
“No? I was glad for that. So, I respected your wishes and stayed at the imperial palace a year longer.”
If you have a match, it is proper to do your best no matter how big the difference in ability is. But he openly slackened his effort in public, and still beat the forth son of the Ran family to insult him. Then he drove him away based only on his ability.
‘Seien lacks something critical.’
Seien’s superb ability and reliance on himself to make his way made it impossible for him to trust someone else. That kind of quality is advantageous for advisors, but fatal for an emperor.
Those who don’t trust others are not trusted by anyone. They cannot obtain retainers whom they can trust with important matters, and will be abandoned when they lose their usefulness. Just like what the Ran family did.
“Are you going back to Ran Province?”
He was expecting an immediate yes, but Setsuna kept a hesitant silence.
“… I am hesitating a little.”
Setsuna closed his eyes.
“If you are willing to take three of us into your service seriously…”
The emperor looked at Setsuna. Even Setsuna couldn not understand this emperor. Cruel and impulsive. He looked indifferent to everyone, yet acknowledged an achievement of even a common soldier. He eliminated his blood relatives, yet let Ou Ki and Kai Yu loose no matter how many times they opposed. He did not seem to trust anyone, yet entrusted all power to his staff easily. He let the concubines alone, yet paid attention to the princes. Setsuna knew that he saved each prince’s life once. And he looked heartless, yet he kept loving one woman so deeply he didn’t even realize it himself. Those contradictions and chaos.
They even attracted the Ran triplets.
If…, he thought. If this emperor, who had no intention of seriously enlisting the Ran family, put his mind and try to really obtain the triplets…
If this emperor desired it with all his heart.
… He might willingly surrender…
‘Just once.’
The first and the last in his lifetime, the only chance he offered to this emperor alone.
… However, the answer the emperor threw with a bean bag was simple.
“No way. It is too late. The time is out.”
Setsuna looked at the bean bag, and kept silence. Then he smiled. A bit desolate.
Setsuna only muttered, it’s disappointing, and left.
… He could hear a crying voice.
The emperor closed his eyes. He could sense “Bakuya” even from the distance since he was its master.
He thought they would get cranky when he ordered them to be with Seien, but they were unexpectedly quiet. Especially, “Bakuya” protected Ryuuki very well.
“Did Prince Seien leave…?”
U U came close with air of sadness.
“Yes. Don’t look so depressed because my time has gotten shorter. I will be able to live for another 5 to 6 years if I don't leave Kiyou.”
U U took the emperor’s hand and rolled up the sleeve.
… The marking of a curse spreading on his upper arm.
It was the curse engraved in the bean bag Seien bought in town.
The extremely perceptive emperor noticed it and exchanged the bean bags. It meant the emperor would take the death curse that meant for Seien instead.
-- Nothing could be done.
Even U U couldn’t compare against the present mistress of the Hyou family. Even with the best effort, ten years at best--. The curse would slowly destroy the emperor’s body, and eventually lead him to death.
But the emperor himself looked nonchalant.
“Even if Ka Shin rushes in as he promised, we will have to send him back. Curses are out of his field.”
“Your Majesty!”
“I decided only once. I would save each of my kids’ lives only once. Seien’s once happened to be this.”
That as why he could not become the “master” of the Ran triplets. It was too late. It was after he gave his life to Seien.
Suddenly he remembered Seien’s expression when he screamed for a “capital punishment.” He did not expect such a defiant kid readily admitted defeat, and was willingly accept a capital punishment.
‘I would escape at once, if it were me.'
He wasn’t ashamed of the defeat, and wanted to die. It seemed like that overheightened pride was not build for himself. Seien, who did not usually reveal his real intentions, screamed with sincere, honest and frantic eyes like the forth son of the Ran family.
‘I didn’t know I was liked.’
He knew that he had been watched, but he thought he was out to kill him.
It is interesting, the emperor thought.
They were all his children, but they were completely different inside. They acted unexpectedly, too. They were like hodgepodge stew, and it was never boring to observe them.
Seien’s slightly puzzled expression when he gave him a bean bag was not an exception. Whatever the reputation by the people around him was, his son was still soft and showed weakness compared to him and the senior officials who lived through the war-torn era. But this was probably what we call “childlike.”
Surely, Seien was different from the children what he, Shouka and the Ran triplets once were. The forth son of the Ran family had amazingly honest eyes. There was no more overt conflict, and the time was changing slowly.
The emperor closed his eyes.
… He could still hear the crying voice in distance. He cries so much. The youngest son who noticed the unusual change and was wondering around like a ghost to look for his brother, and Seien, who showed his true self only to Ryuuki.
‘It must be… a shepherd, who takes care of a sheep.’
He remembered Sou Shungai used to have a part-time job as a shepherd.
First, he decided to get Kou Shouka out of Kou Province. He would come out, with tons of complaints and sarcastic remarks, though. If he was lucky, he could force both sheep to him.
It was true that Seien could not trust other people. But… if Ryuuki had been born earlier, and if his mother wasn’t HER, Ou Ki might have decided differently.
The emperor smiled bitterly. - A complete defeat.
‘… Even Ou Ki couldn’t find an evidence. Suzuran should have been appointed as a bureaucrat, not in the harem. She would have become a first-class politician.’