My personal opinion on Gensokyo

Love lowered her eyes gently.

"I don't need anything. I'd even sacrifice my life to keep Shang Yang-jun safe. So, please, no matter what, stay calm..."

"After seeing what happened to me, please be alert and aware of the enemy's presence."

"As long as Shang Yangjun is safe, it doesn't matter what happens to me."

"This is my only wish..."

At this moment, Ai hoped that her voice could reach the young man, her lover.

But, I'm really unwilling...

Even if you believe that love is worth sacrificing your life for, there is still an indescribable reluctance and regret in your heart.

The end of her destiny came faster than the girl could have imagined.

If the girl's life came to an end before she met the young man, it might be a good thing.

The girl at that time had no attachment to the world.

However, after a month of knowing the young man, the girl now has a longing for life and the world.

I don't want it to end like this.

Tell yourself clearly about your love.

I also want to go to Tang Kingdom with him, and go to more places with him, and then, live together...

"That's enough! Don't think about it anymore!"

The awakened girl used unimaginable courage to cut off her own thoughts.

"That's enough. I was too greedy..."

Love suppresses the unspeakable pain that suddenly arises in my heart, and reminds myself again and again.

"As long as Shang Yangjun is safe, that's enough for me..."

Woo...woo...

Suddenly, just when Ai was trying to suppress the inexplicable pain in her heart, a dull and long horn sounded from the Suzaku Gate in the distance in front of the Daji Hall.

...a trumpet signaling victory in battle?

Suddenly hearing the dull sound of the horn, Ai's heart suddenly felt uneasy.

Recently, there has been no news of the imperial court sending troops to suppress the barbarians and rebellion.

Ai's anxious confusion did not last long. Ten seconds later, a fully armored mounted warrior rushed in from the Suzaku Gate, holding the flag belonging to the three lieutenant generals of the left guard and shouting loudly.

"The Lord Councillor has returned victorious from leading his troops to defeat the demons!"

When the palace gate warriors standing on both sides of the straight road heard these words, they shouted and repeated them with great joy.

"The Lord Councillor has returned victorious from leading his troops to defeat the demons!"

"The Lord Councillor has returned victorious from leading his troops to defeat the demons!"

Suppress the evil?! Suppress which evil?! ! !

Hearing this shocking news, the uneasy Ai turned pale in an instant, staggered, and almost fell to her knees.

No, no, that's not the case! It's just a monster from somewhere else! It has to be!

Gritting her teeth, Ai tried hard to keep herself from falling to her knees. She kept comforting herself over and over again, her clear eyes filled with fear and worry.

However, Ai still tried to keep her eyes fixed on the warrior on horseback galloping.

Shang Yang has always believed in me, so I have to believe in him too!

The girl held on tight and fixed her gaze on the Suzaku Gate of Fujiwara Palace which was slowly opening in the distance.

The girl could not hear the cheers of the nobles and the palace warriors.

The gates of Suzaku Palace were wide open. Ai had seen several times recently. A high-crowned and well-dressed nobleman, Fujiwara no Fuhito, who was about thirty years old and from the rank of Fifth Rank, a senior official, rode in first. He glanced at the nobles and the warriors at the palace gate who were cheering beside the Daigokuden Hall, and then the judge waved to the warriors inside the palace with a smug look on his face.

With the military merit of defeating monsters in hand, the Fujiwara family can move to a higher level.

Afterwards, he rode his horse sideways and galloped to the stone steps of Daji Hall. The judge dismounted, took the black wooden box presented by his subordinates, and warmly invited the ministers who had gathered around to go up the steps and into Daji Hall together.

Seeing the smug look on the judge's face, the nobles and ministers naturally cheered and flattered him. Seeing that the fifth-rank lower-rank direct judge Fujiwara-sama had obtained the military merit of defeating monsters, the judge would soon be promoted to the fourth-rank or higher-rank official and become a new noble in the court.

The judge enthusiastically responded to the flattery of the ministers while striding up the stone steps towards the Daji Hall.

Love stared closely at the high-crowned and smug nobleman who was getting closer and closer. When she saw the black wooden box in his hand, her heart suddenly ached.

...Hmm!

Ai's legs went limp and she fell to her knees, pressing her hands tightly against her chest.

Yes, what is it? That black wooden box! Why does my heart ache as if it's been ripped out...

Reluctantly raising his head, Ai watched Fujiwara no Fuhito holding the wooden box triumphantly as he entered the gate of the Daigokuden, surrounded by nobles and ministers.

Inside the main hall, the queen sat behind the imperial curtain. Although her expression was solemn, there was a hint of joy in the corner of her eyes that could not be concealed.

When Fujiwara no Fuhito and the nobles entered the hall, they all bowed and knelt, respectfully paying homage to Emperor Jitō behind the imperial curtain.

"No need for formalities, everyone, please stand up."

The queen calmly waved her hand, signaling all the ministers to stand up.

"Fujiwara no Sanshi, where is the Councillor?"

"Counselor, the Left Vice-General, has ordered the victorious generals and foot soldiers to return to their respective positions, and has also brought in food and wine from the various warehouses in Kyoto to reward the soldiers."

The minister of Shouyi respectfully replied.

"Counselor General Zuo has ordered me to go ahead and return to the palace to report the victory over the demonic forces to the court and His Majesty, so that His Majesty and the court officials can rest assured."

"The Lord Councillor is truly a loyal court official."

The lady behind the curtain was filled with emotion and gave instructions to the second-in-command of the Right Minister, Tajihijima, on her left.

"I have commanded you to promote the three councilors, the Left Guard Lieutenant General, to the third rank. The rest of the rewards will be determined later. I have also sent someone to the councilor's residence to convey my command to his family."

The right minister in a high hat and hunting robe received the order and left to convey the queen's imperial decree.

Afterwards, the lady behind the imperial curtain suppressed her joy and asked eagerly.

"Then, Mr. Fujiwara, please tell me and the other ministers of the court about the course of this battle."

"Your Majesty, I am deeply terrified."

After kneeling respectfully once more, Shouyi Gongqing excitedly recounted the story of conquering the monster.

"Last night, under the command of the Councillor, Lieutenant General Zuo, I and the other lords led the samurai foot soldiers in ambush near Daigokuden. Just after midnight, the demon appeared near Daigokuden. The lords immediately led their foot soldiers in pursuit. The demon, seeing your prowess and your skill, feared the enemy and fled in panic. The lords led their troops in relentless pursuit, chasing the demon all the way out of the palace. Then, terrified, the demon fled south of Kyoto. As he was about to scale the high walls to escape, I shot him in the shoulder with an arrow. The Councillor, Lieutenant General Zuo, I, and the other lords pursued him relentlessly, pursuing him all the way to Yoshinoyama, over twenty miles south of Fujiwara no Kyo. After retreating into the valley of Yoshinoyama, exhausted and seeing no hope of escape, the demon became ferocious and slaughtered the pursuing samurai foot soldiers."

"Afterwards, relying on Your Majesty's blessing, the lords, unafraid, led their warriors in a desperate battle against the demon. They ultimately defeated and slew the demon at the foot of Mount Yoshino. They dissected the demon's heart, hacked its remains to pieces, and burned them before returning victorious."

The complacent judge spoke in a loud voice and held up the black wooden box with both hands.

"This box contains the heart of the 'evil spirit'. Lord General Zuo, the Councillor, has specially ordered me to bring it to you and present it to your majesty and the court to demonstrate the court's military prowess."

After the report, the judge opened the wooden box, took out the still fresh and glowing heart, held it up with both hands, and asked the lady to read it.

"Yes, you have done a great job."

The lady behind the curtain did not feel disgusted when she saw the vivid and strange "evil" heart, but praised Shouyi Gongqing and others.

"During this campaign to defeat the demon, the Councillor, Lieutenant General Zuo, and other nobles demonstrated extraordinary bravery. They defeated the demon at Mount Yoshino and returned victorious."

"This incident can be compared to the story of Iwao Hikozun's expedition to the East, in which he defeated the 'evil spirits'."

"I will reward all the nobles, samurai, and foot soldiers who participated in the campaign."

Upon hearing the empress's order, Fujiwara no Sanshi and the nobles were extremely excited and hurried to express their gratitude.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. We will serve you faithfully and diligently in the future to repay your grace."

"Your extraordinary bravery and courage in defeating the 'evil spirit' are proof that the imperial court has countless brave generals, the country is prosperous, and the Taika Reform is a necessary measure... What's going on outside?!"

The Queen behind the curtain was about to use this incident to thoroughly prove the justice of her own and the reformists' rule, but a loud argument outside the Daegeokjeon Palace suddenly interrupted her words.

The enraged queen shouted loudly outside the palace.

“…Your Highness! You cannot enter the palace!!! Ah…!”

PS1: Unlike the first edition, the love in this article is a weak struggle, falling into the abyss of fate step by step.

PS2: I was so immersed in the feeling of love while writing this that I felt very sad.

PS3: The ending will be slightly different later on, so please don’t mislead new readers in the intervening posts. New readers don’t need to look for the old chapters to read, as they are slightly different. There are only two or three chapters left to finish.

Volume 1 Heian Past and Present Stories: Chapter 31 If There Is an Afterlife

Outside the Daji Palace, there were voices of maids frantically trying to stop them.

The black-haired girl used all her strength to shake off the maids and rushed into the Daji Palace.

The nobles in the hall were all astonished and stared at the girl who suddenly broke into the hall.

She saw it at first sight, the heart held in the hands of the Shouyi noble.

At this moment, the girl's clear eyes could no longer hold anything else.

Her gaze was completely focused on the heart held in Shouyi Gongqing's hands.

The girl's pupils suddenly shrank and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

Love knows, that is Shangyang's heart.

Love knows it all too well.

But at this moment, Ai would rather not see anything.

No, Love would rather be blinded now than see it.

The weak black-haired girl, who had suffered a lot in prison, rushed forward and snatched the heart before Shouyi Gongqing could react, and held it tightly against her chest.

Then, as if unable to bear the burden of her frail body, the girl's legs softened and she knelt on the ground.

"Shangyang...Shangyang...Shangyang..."

Over and over again, the cry of love, like the blood-soaked cry of a cuckoo, resounded throughout the hall.

Everyone in the hall looked at each other in astonishment.

Holding the heart tightly against his chest, love seemed to want to rub it into his heart with all his strength.

……

"My name is 'Shang Yang (しょうよう)'."

On a cold night, the young man from Tang State considerately introduced himself to the girl.

"If we don't meet in this life, our actions will be like the 'business (しょう)' of 'Sho'..."

……

Don't think about it...

……

I am willing to wait until the time comes when you can tell me..."

Facing the young man who was astonished by what he saw as unbelievable, the girl's eyes were like a spring emitting the brilliance of the summer sun.

"I'm willing to help you."

……

I didn't help him at all.

……

The black-haired girl turned her face to the side, released the hand that was holding the young man's right arm, gently closed her eyes, and clasped her fair hands together like other people in the hall of heaven praying for Buddha's blessing. The girl prayed earnestly to the huge Buddha.

This is my only wish... May the Buddha bless Shang Yangjun to be safe and sound forever...

……

fraud.

……