Onmyoji, a nobleman in Heian-kyo

Page 1362

"Kyosuke is really a very intelligent man."

Suzuhiko silently commented in her heart.

By the time we had listened to most of it, it was already noon.

Kyosuke Kosaka brought out some simple food for everyone to eat.

Suzuhiko asked, puzzled as to why they were eating lunch so early, and then learned that Kousaka Kyosuke was eating three meals a day. So she secretly began to work hard, hoping to make the Snow Mountain tribe live such a life.

In the afternoon, the group walked around under Suzuhiko's guidance, and they did not encounter any unfriendly looks during the trip.

Realizing this, Kyosuke Kousaka finally decided that he would bring other people with him next time he came to visit.

Day 461 of crossing

Kyosuke Kosaka continued to inspect the situation at the government office.

It felt like I had returned to that monotonous life I used to lead.

This is certainly not the case.

At this moment, the atmosphere in Kyoto was anything but relaxed, as an army had been formed to fight against the Yamata no Orochi.

If I had to describe it in one word, it would be "anxious".

The air felt like it was about to catch fire!

In particular, there were rumors that many nobles deliberately lived in residences not far from the palace, as if they were afraid of encountering some terrifying event.

It must be said that these nobles were indeed quite wise.

Ultimately, the safest place in Kyoto is the Imperial Palace, followed by the area surrounding the Imperial Palace.

The mansion where Kyosuke Kosaka lived was also among them.

Originally, the area was mostly inhabited by Onmyoji and had few nobles, but now, due to the formation of Minamoto no Yorimitsu's army, many of the abandoned lands have changed.

Yes, these days many nobles have been building houses around Kousaka Kyosuke's mansion.

Some abandoned houses were demolished and rebuilt, resulting in significant air and noise pollution.

Kyosuke Kousaka, who disliked the noise, specially created a barrier to quell the resentment of the people below.

Even though he didn't manage things much, Kyosuke Kousaka still provided basic benefits.

Providing a suitable environment for work and living is a matter of course.

"Kyosuke-sama..."

"What's the matter?"

Seeing that Ayanokouji had come over specifically, Kousaka Kyosuke asked directly.

Ayanokouji, still in a bowing posture, took a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Kousaka Kyosuke.

"It is a letter from a princess. Because of her sincerity, I could not refuse."

"Ah."

Kyosuke Kosaka responded softly, without saying anything more.

Ultimately, this era values ​​status and face even more than the modern world.

Once someone of high status lowers their stance, there's no way to forcefully refuse them.

Therefore, it's not unreasonable for Kousaka Kyosuke to often avoid social engagements because he has important matters to attend to.

Correspondingly, their power within Kyoto will be less stable.

However, this is not a problem. As long as Daozhang has not completely eliminated Ichiju's influence and has not assumed the role of "regency", Kousaka Kyosuke still has plenty of time to manage things properly.

"...Lord Kyosuke, it was Princess Kyosuke herself who told me this. It seems she has already become a nun, but I don't know the specifics."

Ayanokouji gritted her teeth and continued to emphasize.

He felt so unlucky.

For no apparent reason, he encountered an unknown princess and was asked to deliver a message.

This looks like it's causing trouble for the head of the household.

What do you think of her?

"...very sincere."

When asked the question, Ayanokouji hesitated for a second or two before answering truthfully.

Kyosuke Kosaka nodded slightly: "Go and continue with your own business."

"Yes, Kyosuke-sama."

Ayanokouji finally relaxed and went back to work.

I secretly resolved to make a concerted effort to minimize my presence this time.

sincere?

Kyosuke Kosaka pondered the words in his mind, his eyes fixed on the meticulously written characters on the letter.

"The letter said we could ignore it, but it seems like there's no harm in meeting it..."

At present, Kyosuke Kosaka doesn't have any urgent matters to deal with.

The princess who sent the letter was described by Ayanokouji as "very sincere," so perhaps he should go and take a look.

There will likely be a lot of trouble.

But a strange flutter of excitement stirred within him, and he felt it was still necessary to go and see him.

On a whim.

Could it be that some kind of treasure will appear in this matter?

After making a self-deprecating remark, Kousaka Kyosuke continued with his work.

The time agreed upon in the letter was noon.

The location is a very ordinary Inari Shrine in the suburbs, not far from Kyoto.

So there's still plenty of time, let's continue with our own business.

Then ask around.

Half an hour later.

Kyosuke Kosaka went to Fujiwara Yukinari to inquire about information.

"Sigh, do you only think of me when you have something to do?" Fujiwara Yukinari sighed as he poured a glass of wine for Kosaka Kyosuke.

He felt like he had become a tool specifically for explaining questions.

"Didn't I bring gifts? Look, these are all great for replenishing your energy; they'll be very effective for your skin."

"...Please don't wait until now to give me the thing!"

Fujiwara Yukinari seems to be turning into a comedic character.

In response, Kyosuke Kosaka felt that he should perhaps reflect on this a little.

He raised his hand, grabbed the wine glass, and poured it into his mouth.

Kousaka Kyosuke, who was already frowning, immediately took out peach blossom wine from his own space and filled Fujiwara Yukinari's cup first.

Upon seeing this, Fujiwara Yukinari did not speak, but instead took a sip of his drink and immediately looked at Kousaka Kyosuke with an even more resentful expression.

It's probably saying, "Why don't you share good things with me right away?"

"There's only one bottle; the raw materials are very precious."

"I've heard that peach blossom wine is good for your health..."

"Okay, I'll have another sip."

Seeing that Fujiwara Yukinari was staring intently at his hand, Kousaka Kyosuke could only drink one more cup and then stop.

He can try to obtain the raw materials again, and the wine can be brewed again.

However, some intelligence cannot be ignored.

"The Horie-dono you mentioned is the only daughter of Emperor Murakami and a concubine's son. Last year, His Majesty wanted to try handling affairs, so he gave this concubine's son an important position..."

Fujiwara Yukinari spoke as he drank.

When referring to the official who was highly regarded by Emperor Ichijo, he directly used the term "son of a courtesan," which suggests that he was displeased with this person.

"That Ya Ji is quite capable, but he's also sensible enough that he stopped making things difficult for you after hearing that you married a woman from the Qin family."

"...I don't think that's the case."

Kousaka Kyosuke, who was not far from being politically astute, stared at Fujiwara Yukinari with a strange look.

Fujiwara Yukinari chuckled: "Alright, back then you just happened to have made a lot of contributions, didn't you? If we start collecting taxes from your wife's side, it will damage His Majesty's reputation."

Having a general idea in mind, Kyosuke Kousaka said, "Actually, it's just going down the road along the way."

Collect taxes.

This has been a major event throughout history.