“That means that ghost would have been a concubine in the inner palace during my grandfather’s reign.”
“Or yours, perhaps.”
“A concubine is yet to pass away in my time as emperor.”
The word yet made Jusetsu feel slightly glum. It wasn’t unusual for a concubine or court lady to die in the inner palace as they vied for the emperor’s affections.
Poisonings, women drowning themselves, executions… Some concubines even came to the Raven Consort asking for curses to be placed on their rivals. Once they found that such a service would cost them their own lives, however, they all went away.
Koshun picked up the earring. “We might not know whether she was strangled or killed herself, but is she haunting this earring because she died in such a miserable way?”
“She must be.” That was generally why spirits stayed around.
“Can’t we do something about it?”
“Huh?” Jusetsu blinked in response to this question. “What do you mean?”
“They say that people go to a paradise beyond the sea when they die—but if you’re a ghost, that’s out of the question, and you must suffer for all eternity. Isn’t there any way we can save that woman?”
Jusetsu examined the look on the emperor’s face but was unable to discern any emotion from it. He was impossible to read.
“Well, it is possible, but…” There were several ways to send a ghost to paradise. Things like consoling them with a repose of the soul ritual or eliminating any lingering regrets they may have usually did the trick.
Once Jusetsu explained this to Koshun, he spent another few moments thinking to himself. “If she was killed in the inner palace—or if she was driven to kill herself—I’m sure she has plenty of unfinished business here,” he said.
His tone of voice was casual, but there was a strange softness to it too. His voice lacked the coldness that you’d expect from someone who never showed his emotions.
Koshun’s words stirred Jusetsu’s emotions. Just moments ago, she had witnessed that tragic ghost with her own eyes. Being a concubine, that woman would have been bafflingly beautiful while she was still alive, but the anguish and fear she had experienced was clear to see on her face. How much pain had that woman suffered?
“Won’t you save her for me?” Koshun pleaded.
Jusetsu wasn’t sure how to respond. She wanted to avoid trouble and would have preferred not to get too involved with the emperor. And yet…
The jade part of the earring glimmered faintly in Koshun’s hand.
“…You have marks on your arm too, don’t you?” Koshun said to Jusetsu, who was deliberating what to do. Jusetsu covered her arm reflexively.
“These aren’t the symbol of the inner palace. They’re just birthmarks.”
“I know. They’re in a different place, and they’re a different shape.”
Why are you bringing it up, then? Jusetsu wondered as she tried to read his face. As she expected, though, she couldn’t work out what he was thinking.
“They’re shaped like flowers, from what I remember. They almost looked like burn scars…”
Jusetsu stood up.
“That’s enough unnecessary chatter for one day. Fine—I’ll take on your request about the ghost with the earring,” she said, before leaning forward and snatching the earring out of Koshun’s hand. “But I can’t promise you I’ll be able to save her, all right?”
“Yes, that’s fine. Thank you for your help.”
“But why are you going to such lengths for that ghost? Is this really because of an earring you just found on the ground?”
Koshun replied to Jusetsu’s query with just one line. “I suppose I feel sorry for her.”
Jusetsu frowned. She was far from convinced that was the only reason.
“Well, never mind. Now, you should provide me with a list of all the concubines under the previous emperor, as well as the emperor before that. We must start by identifying who that ghost really is.”
They would need detailed information, including her name and place of origin, to perform a repose of the soul ritual. That could help determine why she had lingering regrets as well.
“A list? That’s impossible,” Koshun retorted dismissively.
“Why? All you have to do is demand one, and it’ll be prepared for you.”
Jusetsu heard from the previous Raven Consort that lists of concubines, eunuchs, and death records were stored in the inner palace registry. The only information that wasn’t recorded there was the names of the Raven Consorts. If any concubine died an unnatural death, it would be easy to tell from those records—that was, if it was properly documented.
“If I make that demand, people will find out that I’m up to something.”
“What?”
“That would be a problem for me. There are some who get abnormally suspicious over every little move I make.”
Jusetsu didn’t say a thing.
“Sei,” Koshun called out to the eunuch behind him.
The eunuch bowed, seemingly having understood what the emperor was asking of him.
“Let’s see if we can pull some strings. It might take a bit of time, but…”
Then Koshun looked back at Jusetsu and made her a vague promise. “If I manage to get those records, I’ll bring them to you.”
The fact that the emperor’s demands could be fulfilled as soon as you issued an order seemed to be more of a hassle than it was worth. After a few moments of contemplation, Jusetsu grinned at her visitors.
“In that case, I’d like you to bring me something else.”
“What is it?”
Koshun seemed slightly taken aback by Jusetsu’s request.