Yamada Monogatari: The War God's Son

by Richard Parks

  “He left for Mount Oe yesterday. I wrote a letter of introduction to the abbot. Unfortunately my name will likely get him soundly beaten and left in a ditch rather than welcomed.”

  I had met the abbot in question, and I did not consider this a likely outcome, but even so—“He left without saying goodbye?”

  “I am rather certain he does not consider this ‘good-bye.’ So. Have you heard from Prince Kanemore yet?”

  I had not, though we had been in the capital for over a week. Another passed before I finally received a summons, and when I did, it was to the Sixth Ward mansion where our journey had first begun. I arrived to find the place almost deserted, but to my surprise I was met by Taro.

  “It is good to see you, Taro-san. How fares Shiroirei and Neko?”

  “Considering their hardships, quite well.”

  I almost laughed. “Their hardships? As I recall, Taro-san, they were looked after even more diligently than we were.”

  “That is possibly true,” Taro said. “And I must ask your pardon for it, even as you must remember you chose to be where you were. They did not.”

  I still did not laugh, but I could not keep from smiling. “That is a good point.”

  “And now I am neglecting my duties once again. Prince Kanemore wants to see you, as you already know. I will take you to him.”

  Prince Kanemore was waiting in the audience hall, but the feeling of being nearly alone in that great echoing building had not diminished. He was by himself by all appearance, though I knew two or three trusted guards and attendants aside from Taro must have been near. He wasn’t on the dais, he wasn’t even sitting in state. He merely stood in the middle of the room, waiting for me.

  “It is very good to see you again, Lord Yamada,” he said.

  I bowed and made as if to kneel, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back upright. “For now it is just you and I,” he said. “We needn’t be so formal and correct. First, I must apologize for making you wait for so long. It was not my intention.”

  “You are a prince of the royal line,” I said. “I do not feel slighted if, as I suspect, you had higher priorities.”

  “Higher? I would not say so. Yet I suppose you have heard the news by now.”

  Indeed I had. We had not been in the capital more than a few days when word of the fall of Kuriya Castle reached Kyoto. The entire city was buzzing like a nest of hornets at the news.

  “I suppose we must expect a triumphal return of the Minamoto heir?” I asked.

  “Just so. There have been preparations and plans from dawn to dusk, but now there is just you and I, and I want to know what happened. More to the point, I would hear your opinion of Lord Yoshiie.”

  “He is a good, honorable, and brave man; a gentleman, an inspired leader and a skilled diplomat. In the long run I think he will prove far more dangerous than Lord Abe ever dreamed of being.”

  “Do you question his loyalty to the Emperor and his government?” Kanemore asked.

  “Not in the least, not even for a moment.”

  “Then why do you believe he is dangerous?”

  “For the same reasons you do—doubtless this understanding was part of why you wanted me to accompany the army to Mutsu in the first place. Yoshiie was already a hero, and this campaign will solidify that reputation—and deservedly so. But it remains that the Abe do not rule in Mutsu now because the Minamoto chose to oppose them. They may have done so on behalf of the Emperor’s government, but Yoriyoshi accepted the commission primarily to advance the Minamoto Clan. You know this to be true, and through his brilliant son, he has succeeded. The Emperor’s will is law, but the Emperor’s power is what the military families choose to give. That was clear to the Abe Clan. It will be even clearer to others.”

  Prince Kanemore’s brow darkened. I merely waited.

  “You are right,” he said finally. “The Kiyohara and the Shibata saw how much could be accomplished, with or without the direction of the Emperor’s government. What we saw in Mutsu, we will see again, I fear. And again. This cannot be helped, but for now, the Emperor’s will is upheld. That is what I needed to accomplish, as surely as Lord Yoriyoshi himself did. We will welcome the young hero now called ‘Hachimantaro’ back to the capital, old friend, but we will do it with our eyes open.”

  I did bow then. “Let us always have honesty between us, Highness. I do treasure politeness, but given the choice, I’ve always found honesty more useful. Except, perhaps, in the case of water goblins.”

  Prince Kanemore laughed. “Water goblins? Lord Yamada, on another day I am going to ask you to tell me that story. For now, it will have to wait. I am neglecting other duties simply by being here.”

  “Then let me do this quickly.” I produced the two scrolls that had been entrusted to me. “Lord Yoshiie requested I bring these to you personally. With his compliments, he said. I do not know what he meant by this.”

  Prince Kanemore frowned, but he took the scrolls from me and broke the seal on the first one. Whatever was in the first scroll, no hint of its contents came to Prince Kanemore’s face. I believed the scroll to be readable, but Prince Kanemore was not. After studying the first scroll for a few moments he broke the seal on the second. When he looked up again, he was smiling like a man who had seen some wondrous object and didn’t quite know what to make of it.

  “This always feels strange,” he said finally.

  “Your pardon, Highness, but what feels strange?”

  “Knowing something concerning you that you yourself do not know. You haven’t the vaguest notion of what is in these scrolls, do you?”

  I frowned. “No, they were sealed. I certainly wasn’t going to open them simply to satisfy an idle curiosity.”

  “There would have been no blame, as they both refer to you. The first is a declaration from Lord Yoshiie. As part of his reward for pacifying the Abe, he is formally requesting the Emperor posthumously exonerate and promote three degrees in rank a disgraced noble, namely one Yamada no Seburo.”

  “My . . . ?”

  “Yes, Goji-san. Your father. I can tell you right now His Majesty will likely grant this request, partly because it will cost the Emperor nothing to honor it, but mostly because it will be difficult to refuse the young hero anything. I had requested as much myself and was refused, as our friendship is well known, and my judgment in the matter is considered suspect. I had hoped the next Emperor would be more flexible, but likely that is years away still.”

  I had not known that, either, but Kanemore, being Kanemore, had never told me.

  “As for the second . . . ” Prince Kanemore paused to study the second scroll even more closely, as if there was something difficult contained therein and he wanted to avoid mistakes. “Yes. Twenty thousand. I knew I had read it correctly.”

  I had a very odd feeling then. “Twenty thousand, Highness? Twenty thousand what?”

  “Koku. In rice, as is the custom. That is the value of your new estate near Kamakura.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. A koku was enough rice to feed a grown man for a year. Twenty thousand amounted to—

  “That is correct, Lord Yamada. As of now, you are a wealthy man.”

  “But . . . it is too much!”

  “Lord Yoshiie would seem to disagree,” Prince Kanemore said. “And, as it is his estate to give, I rather believe he knows what he is doing. More to the point, by giving the news through me, he made sure I knew what he was doing. Rewarding my friends is not a poor way to get into my good graces. Which, for the moment and for whatever reason he desires this, I must consider Yoshiie to be.”

  “You are the uncle of the Crown Prince,” I said.

  “A good enough reason, I would think,” Prince Kanemore said. “This one I must take to the Emperor,” he said, referring to the first scroll. “This one belongs to you.” He handed me the second scroll, the one giving me title to the estate. A quick look was enough to tell me it was a clear grant, not a simple stewardship arrangement as I had t
hought at first—the estate was mine. All taxes owed, all income produced. With, it was clear to see, the latter far exceeding the former.

  “What must I do?” I asked.

  “It is a gift, and you must accept it graciously,” Prince Kanemore said. “Unless you wish to insult Lord Yoshiie and, by extension, the entire Minamoto Clan. You do not want to do that. He has also, intentionally I would imagine, placed your fortunes within the Minamoto sphere of influence. Regardless, and the diplomatic aspect aside, Lord Yamada, you’re going to need the income. Your family name will soon be rehabilitated, and in addition, you will inherit a higher rank than your father held in life. When that happens, it will be incumbent upon you to rebuild your clan. Doubtless you will have responsibilities, in due course. Responsibilities are expensive. Believe me, I know, but it is of no consequence. As I said, you are now a wealthy man.”

  I wasn’t dismissed. Prince Kanemore simply bid me farewell and left, and I heard the sounds of his attendants and guards rejoining him once he had left the audience hall. Kenji had once said that life was an illusion, but never just one illusion, at least not for long. It never quite remained the same. I’m not sure he was talking about such a thing as this, but the illusion, if so it was, had definitely changed. In a moment or two, Taro appeared to escort me out.

  “Taro-san, what do you want?”

  He blinked. “Want, my lord? I don’t understand.”

  “I mean in years to come. You are in the service of a prince, and that is a fine and envious thing by most opinions, but is it all you desire in this world?”

  He hesitated. “I would not say anything against Prince Kanemore. He has been very kind to me.”

  “Certainly not, nor am I asking you to do so. I merely asked if what you are doing now is what you always wish to do.”

  He hesitated once more but finally replied in a low voice, “I want to breed and train horses, not merely groom and attend them. I think I have the knack for it, but there’s little use for such skills in the capital. Perhaps one day . . . ”

  “I came to appreciate the creatures a bit more during our time together,” I said. “Yes. I can imagine you doing just that. I understand such things are more common around Kamakura.”

  “And further west and east,” he said, “but yes, that is my understanding. I have never been there.”

  I could see another conversation in the future with Prince Kanemore. The illusion, if I had anything to say of it, would change for more people than myself. When I left the Sixth Ward mansion, I made my way north to the Demon Gate. Kenji was there, plying his trade in spirit wards and exorcisms as I had expected. I sat down beside him and told him what had happened. He seemed rather less surprised by the turn of events than I was.

  “You will accept,” he said. “Don’t try to wiggle out of it.”

  “I don’t appear to have a great deal of choice in the matter.”

  “Good, for despite your best efforts, you have finally become the rich friend I have always wanted. I was beginning to think it would never happen.”

  “There is one stipulation, however—I will be in Kamakura. At least until I am established in my new estate. This may take a while.”

  He frowned. “You’re not serious! Leave the capital? What matters besides this place?”

  “The entire country matters, and this is only going to become more clear in time. Prince Kanemore knows that, even if most of the Court nobility does not. Yet.”

  “I cannot fathom it,” Kenji said. “The provinces are either deadly dull or at war—deadly, period. They are best avoided.”

  “Will this prevent you from visiting me?”

  “Certainly not. Do you think I would break ties with a man who could endow my own temple? I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be an abbot.”

  “A small temple,” I said. “Perhaps even tiny. Perhaps the size of a small privy.”

  “A matter for later discussion,” he said, all serenity. “After all, Lord Tenshin—no, I have to stop calling him that. He is going to choose a new name for his new life, and as soon as he lets us know what that is, I will refer to him as such. Regardless, after Mount Oe . . . ?”

  I could see Kenji’s point. Perhaps a larger temple. But, as he had said, this was a matter for later discussion.

  “What about Mai?” he asked then.

  “Oh, she will go with me.”

  “Then are you going to marry her, as I suggested?”

  I frowned. “Certainly not. The idea is ridiculous.”

  Now Kenji looked puzzled. “She will remain your servant?”

  “Remain? She is not my servant now, even if the poor girl seems to think otherwise.”

  “Not a wife and, by extension I would suppose, not a concubine either. Not a servant . . . Lord Yamada, I am running out of potential relationships.”

  “Isn’t it obvious? I will need to re-establish the Yamada Clan, so as my first act as clan chief, I’m going to formally adopt her.”

  Kenji glanced toward the heavens. “Of course you are, because you are that kind of fool. You do realize she is already of marriageable age, don’t you?”

  I demurred. “A little young, to my way of thinking, and she will need time for her education as a lady, but yes, if and when this happens, it will be the Yamada Clan’s first alliance since my father’s time. I am rather looking forward to it, but I will not force her. I have seen where such things lead.”

  “This is all very well, but sooner or later you are going to require a son, or hadn’t you considered that? Lord Yamada, you really must think about finding a proper wife before you’re too old for such things to matter to you. As a friend, I’m telling you this sad day is probably a lot closer than you’d care to admit . . . no offense intended.”

  “Possibly a little offense intended, “I said. “Yet I do see your point. I am not ruling the possibility out, understand, but I cannot leave my clan’s future to the winds of chance. So, concerning a son, I have a plan for this, too.”

  “A plan? Oh, you mean Taro,” Kenji said. It wasn’t a question.

  “Why not? I have seen enough children of the nobility and otherwise to know the results of any union can be . . . unfortunate. With Mai and Taro I know precisely what I am getting. The resurrected Yamada line will be off to a fine start.”

  “I would argue with you on some general principle or other, but I know there is no point. Besides,” he said, “you are right. They will certainly be an improvement on you.”

  “You think so?” I smiled, but it was mostly a show of teeth. “Now then, sir monk, let us discuss that temple.”

  GLOSSARY OF TERMS

  baka – A general insult. Usually translated as “idiot,” but with connotations of being uncouth and wild, like an animal.

  boushi – A hat.

  bushi – A warrior. Later this would refer to samurai specifically.

  -chan – Honorific connoting a familiar person. It is a diminutive indicating the person is endearing. In general, used for babies, children, grandparents, and teenagers.

  chie (or che) – An expletive.

  daikon – Literally “big root”; white radish.

  Emishi – An indigenous people usually identified with the modern Ainu.

  hai – Yes.

  hakama – Loose-fitting trousers.

  hi – A kanji character.

  hitatare – A two-piece outfit consisting of a large-sleeved tunic and divided trousers.

  hojo – The abbot or chief priest of a Buddhist temple.

  kami – A divine spirit, roughly equivalent to a god.

  kampai – Equivalent to “cheers!” before a drink.

  kanji – Chinese logographic characters, used for formal documents in the Heian period.

  karma – The sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. Informally: destiny or fate, following as effect from cause.

  koku – A unit of volume; one koku wa
s considered sufficient to feed a single man for a year. Wealth was determined by the number of koku in a lord’s landholding. Taxes and salaries were denominated in koku.

  -kun – Used for those of junior status; can also be used to name a close personal friend or family member.

  kuge – Court nobility; an aristocratic class that emerged in the Heian period and held high posts and considerable power at the Imperial Court in Kyoto.

  maedate – A frontal decoration for a helmet.

  maku – On the battlefield, a curtain enclosing a space reserved for commanding officers.

  mala(s) – Buddhist prayer beads.

  mamushi – Gloydius blomhoffii, A venomous pit viper found in japan, China, and Korea.

  matsuri – A festival or holiday.

  mizu – A kanji character.

  menpo – Facial armor that covered all or part of the face and provided a way to secure the helmet.

  mon – A family crest or symbol.

  noppera-bō – A faceless ghost.

  obi – A sash worn with a kimono.

  oni – A specific type of dangerous monster, equivalent to the Western ogre.

  onibi – Ghost lights. Small will-o’-wisp-type flames that signify the presence of ghosts.

  onmyoji – A magician and diviner whose practices are derived from yin-yang. In the Heian period, onmyoji gained influence at Court as they could protect against vengeful ghosts and divine auspicious or harmful dates; they could also call and control shikigami.

  sakura – The cherry blossom tree and its blooms.

  -sama – Honorific, usually reserved for someone of high social status.

  saya – A scabbard.

  samuru – A servant. Thought to be the word from which the later samurai is derived.

  -san – Honorific, showing respect to the person addressed.

  shi – In the context used, a word meaning both “four” and “death.”

  shikigami – Artificial creatures created by magic to do the magician’s will.

  shin – A kanji character.

  shirime – A youkai with an eye in the place of his anus.

  shogi – Literally: “general’s board game.” A two-player strategy board game in the same family as Western chess.