Goshozakurabaishoroku - 19

The days for prayer expired,
and Ryokai and Chukai should leave there.

Koreyoshi got them and gave a lot of offerings.
The brothers took their leave of him with words of thanks.
They returned to their home.

While both, Matsu and Kuretake, thought something was going to happen,
it came to the last month of pregnancy without any accident.

Fin.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 18

Lady Matsu felt uneasy because of Kuretake's Behavior.
Kuretake was ten times as arrogant as before the delivery.
It made Matsu too envious to hearing and seeing Koreyoshi cherished Kuretake.
Having a heir, she would be more haughty,
and I must leave my place.
Matsu was anxieous of even her future.

After the days of anxiety,
Matsu came to maids talking about Aoba and Chukai,
who were murmuring each other intimately.
Then she got into the room adjacent to Chukai's,
and knew the conspiracy at all.

She was surprised at it so extremely
and noticed Aoba was the most fathful maid to her.
She left there and pretended to know nothing about it.

Chukai lost his reason for the love,
and did not make prayer for Matsu's safe delivery
but curse Kuretake's baby to kill it.
He continued it for two weeks with eating nothing for a vow.
Since Ryokai, Chukai's elder brother was making prayer for Kuretake with the utmost care,
Chukai's effort would not realize any effect.
However, Chukai tried hardest in a secret method, and nobody knew the result.
It seemed that the baby would not be born without any happening.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 17

Aoba jumped back and said,
"Don't do roughly.
You are making the important prayer.
If you flirt with me, you must pay for it.
After you finish it, we can get engaged eternally,
and go along with each other everlastingly.
Thereupon, I have a special favor of you.
Surely you cannot refuse it, can you?"

Chukai replied smilingly,
"If you don't tell a lie, why will I refuse it, however difficult it is.
I will sacrifice my life if it is needed."

Hearing his gallant replying, she said calmly,
"It is not such a hard request.
I will ask you just for my master, who have been kind to me for a long time."
She explained him the detail about it.
"Therefore, please curse the baby of Kuretake to kill it, before it is born.

Amazed at it, he accepted it after a moment with a sense of guilt.
He was infatuated with a woman.
"Though that is not easy, I will do it even if I go to hell for it.
I'm going to make a prayer for it.
Please do not forget the promise."

When he touched her on her back, They heard the sound of foot steps.
Aoba go out there with a reluctant look.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 16

Chukai, who was praying for Lady Matsu,
was a honest man as his elder brother.
However, he liked women because of his youth.
Making a serious prayer,
he fell in love with Aoba, a middle aged woman
who was a fragrant flower had not been gone yet,
and he looked for a chance to court her.

In the evening of the seventh day,
he left the alter for his room, and beganto prepare his dinner.
Aoba came along there incidentally and talk to him as a jest.
"Hi, Chukai, you starains your nerves all day,
and should be tired so much. I will wait at you."

He got a timely offer and catched her skirt and said with a amorous glance.
"Ms. Aoba, please do not go.
Cuckoos sing and pass away to attract men.
You should know more about myself and my devotion.
Please give your shine to my darkness of love
rather than to cloudy skies of May."

He leaned against her imprudently.
Being astonished at and trying to escape from him,
She came to think it as a chance for a revenge on Ibara,
which would also make Lady Matsu feel ease.

She knew her plan was outragious, however, carried out it for her loyality.
She was a indiscriminate woman then.
She smiled at him with a scheme.
"You have already noticed my heart.
But you must be kidding me and will laugh at me later.
You have your dear family, don't you.
What a guilty man you are."

She hit him on his back.
He approached her flabbily like a a trepang.
"No, that's wrong so much.
I have neither darling wife nor dear child.
Therefore, you..."

"... love you from the beginning.
It was beyond the reason, and you must not despise me."
Hearing her coquettish words, he edged up to her.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 15

Ryokai escaped there like a rat threatened by a cat.
He wondered himself again in his room.
If he would be a man of virtue with his desire satisfied,
once he had killed a fetus, a human being,
the god would not have forgiven him.
He should have been punished.

He decided to break the contact,
which is the first and last breach in his life,
continue praying for her safe delivery with all his might
and pretend to curse the baby.
He was a prominent shaman with honesty.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 14

Though Kuretake got angry at his cowardice,
now that she could not drop the plan.

"Don't be surprised at it.
The baby is not a human being now,
but just a thing the same as a frog.
You must regard it as water.
It is not a crime to kill it.
When you acomplish it, you will get as you like.
If you deny my propossal, you can not leave here."

As Kuretake winked at the next room,
He noticed faithful maids in white headbands waiting with their slleves tucked up.
Each held halberds and prepared for the case.
Kuretake had planed to turn on the lights in order that
he could see them through the bamboo blind.

Ryokai was so frightened that he could not say anything again,
and he could not lift his face for a while.
He thought if he denied it, he would be killed,
and so far he should accept the request agreeably.
Finally he consented to it in order to spare his life,
though it was against his will to kill the baby.

Kuretake was pleased to hear it.
Prohibiting from telling others about it smilingly,
She gave several gold coins for the temporary reward.
Then, She let him go.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 13

Ryokai was absorbed in prayer.
One time, it got so hot that he could not continue it.
He went out of the room to take a rest.
Ibara thought it was the chance,
and took him to Kuretake's room.

Kuretake expressed her appreciation and gave him a lot of gifts, which delighted him.
Then he noticed that Kuretake was in gorgeous clothing and surrounded by glittering furniture,
however, she herself looked anything but noble.
Being envious her fortunate circumstances,
He prostrated himself before her.

After Kuretake raised him up intentionally with too much familiarity,
she shut out any persons but him and Ibara from the room.
She talked to him with herself approaching him,

"Though there is no one who has no desire,
you are the exceptions, who have no wife or child.
You have no desire, don't you?"

Ryokai was so a honest man that he did not noticed her secret wish.
He denied it and said frankly,
"I am not a bonze, who has no relative.
Shamans are different from bonzes;
they can eat meat and marry with women.
I have my family and lots of desires as common perple."

Kuretake was pleased to hear this answer.
She approached him more and whispered,
"Many of your desire will be satisfied with money.
I have a wish too.
If you fulfill it, you will have yours fulfilled.
But I think you won't grant my request..."

Ryokai answer to her inconsiderately,
"Yeah, If you make my desire fulfilled,
why won't I deny your request!
Please ask me anything."

Kuretake was glad of it at heart,
"Then, I'll tell you.
You can't deny once you hear about it.
Please notice it.
Lady Matsu conceived at the same time with me.
Chukai is praying for her now.
The child in her body is hindrance to me.
Please curse to kill the baby."

It astonished him.
He shuddered with turning pale and could not say nothing.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 12

It was Fumizuki (September).
Cold winds rang wind bells, and made them notice coming of the fall.
Kuretake looked traying hard with the child getting bigger in her body.
Koreyoshi felt anxiety too see it.

Brothers of sorcerers lived in North-Shirakawa.
They were called Hannyain, and said to be men of eminent virtue and good at pray.
What they prayed for must be accomplished.

Koreyoshi heard about them, and asked them to pray for safe delivery.
The elder brother, Ryokai did for Kuretake,
and the younger, Chukai did for Matsu.
They prepared for the same prayer of 21 days, 33 times a day,
a golden painting of Kongo-Yasha-Myo'o on the north wall,
28 candles and 75 kinds of offerings.
Burning incenses and chanting spells, they were praying Myo'o.

The sight showed that evils could not make any obstacle.
People felt ease, since the safe delivers seemed to be guaranteed.

Kuretake though she should be the very mother of the heir,
and got to be full of devilish spilit against Matsu, who conceived unexpectedly.
She planned to take advantage of the oppotunity there were sharmans nearby.

She seemed up to something, and whispered in Ibara's ear, who knew her heart.
Then, Ibara went out.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 11

Sir. Koreyoshi heard that
both of Matsu and Kuretake conceived at the same time.

He was delighted so much that
he sent representers
to every shrine and temple
to pray for safe delivers.

Time goes as dreaming,
five months have passed.
Ceremonies of the fifth month were held splendidly.
In spite of the advice of elder retainers,
Koreyoshi had the ceremony for Kuretake
more gorgeosly than that for Matsu.

Thoughtful people felt pity for Matsu, and suspcious of him.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 10

Aoba entered there politely and made a speech,
"Matsu would like to make a celebration for your conception.
Here I brought the gifts for it..."

Seeing Aoba presented the gifts,
Kuretake thought at heart that
Matsu seemed to submit to my strongness and make an offering;
if my child is male, I will make anyone not to interfere me.
Kuretake adopted a face to receive them sincerely and thank Matsu.

Though Aoba knew Kuretake's thought,
continued the speech without indicating,
"I've represented my master Matsu,
from now, I'm going to speak as myself.
I hadn't expected to see Ibara, your representer today.
Noticing that good news, I had a needless conflict against her.
It was an immodest and shameful thing that would be laughed at.
Still more, I was rude to you.
My master told me to apologize to you.
I'm anticipating that you would hate myself.
As women have, generally speaking, talkative nature for everything,
please forgive me and intercede with Ibara."

"I'm very sorry for your words.
You are not responsible for all.
Ibara should be blamed too.
Don't mention it."
Treating Aoba kindly,
Kuretake took advantage of the modest approach of Aoba.

Although Aoba felt depleased the arrogant tone of Kuretake,
who behaved haughtily as a mistress of Koreyoshi,
She took her leave with saying nothing after a while.
She returned to Matsu's room and reported about the meeting.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 9

Then Matsu told another maid to prepare gifts,
and Aoba to deliver them to Kuretake.
"I know it is hard to you, however,
please go apologizing to her.
These are in celebration of her pregnancy."

Not having ideas against it,
Aoba accepted the order respectfully.
She visited the room of Kuretake far from there
with her servants carry them.
Kuretake let her come in the room as a guest,
without understanding the purpose of visiting.

Goshozakurabaishoroku - 8

Aoba got the basket to the palace hastely,
and saw Lady Matsu.
She handed the talisman and burst into tears with saying nothing.
Wondering why she did so,
Matsu asked her tenderly and smilingly.
"Hi, What make you feel sad?
Please show me the cause.
Since it is a celebrated day today,
I sent you there as a representer of me.
It was not good condition for flowers, unfortunetly,
still, you came back far earlier than I expected.
You don't need to cry.
I got this great talisman you received.
Or, did basket guys importune you something?
If so, you can give them as you like."

Aoba gazed at her master who is smart enough and said,
"No, Mum. You don't know about that serious matter."

"What do you say as serious? It is on my mind."

"Kuretake seemed to get the offspring too."

Though the news astonished Matsu, she said calmly,
"Hohoho, I'm so delighted to hear that she conceived a child"

"Why? I feel vexed a lot.
Worse still, her maid Ibara, who has the same ill-nature,
came there to get the talisman much later than I,
however, asked the pray before me.
It so frustrated for me that I cannot help myself from taking up a quarrel.
Then finally I returned here."

Hearing the whole story,
though Matsu thought it served her right at heart,
she pretended angry and scolded Aoba,
"Hey, although you have waited on me for long,
you don't know my thought. You must learn more.
You should have behaved politely in the holy place,
besides, it was in front of audience.
If you do such rudeness in public, I can explain nothing to defend to my husband.
It is shameful if Kuretake might think that my envy told you to do so.
Never do such a thing."

Aoba could not answer to that unexpected and clever caution.
She was really impressed by knowing her master's heart,
holded her tangue and did nothing more.