Volume 10 - Chapter 28

The Apothecary Diaries

The Head and the Successor #

“It’s nothing, just a fight for the successor,” Chuue-san said.

Maomao was strangely intrigued.

(That’s nothing.)

It didn’t seem as simple as Chuue-san made it out to be.

(Well then.)

Even though various problems were solved in the presence of Maomao, they still had to return to the capital by carriage, and it was boring inside. Xiao Hong, who was riding with them, was sleeping. Chuue-san was on the coachman’s seat, so Maomao had nothing to do but stare outside absently.

(I’ll organize my thoughts.)

Maomao remembered the four brothers of Xidu who might not be useful.

The eldest son of Tamauguisu, Chikuukyou, had received an excellent education but lacked motivation and was now working at a security company. If he had the drive, there would be no succession dispute, and everything would go smoothly. He wasn’t as bad as the rumors made him out to be, but at the same time, he seemed to be absent-minded.

The eldest daughter, was her name Ginsei? She was Xiao Hong’s mother, a strong-willed woman who seemed suffocated in Inuzuka Province. Maomao had asked the retired guards to contact her, but she hadn’t heard from them yet. She had wasted her time and the pearl fragments she had given them, but she could claim compensation from Chikuukyou later. She was the only daughter among the four brothers and seemed quite dissatisfied with the distribution of the inheritance.

The second son, Hiryuu, seemed to be a serious man, the opposite of the eldest son. They had only met a few times and hadn’t had a decent conversation, but she hadn’t heard any strange rumors about him.

Finally, the youngest son, Korou. It was unusual for Maomao to remember his name. He seemed a bit suspicious, but now his shadiness had come to light. Looking back, she thought that he had caused most of the trouble since Tamauguisu’s death. He seemed to be supporting the second son on the surface. So there might be some convincing reason why he wanted to kill the eldest son.

(But Chuue-san mentioned a succession dispute.)

Certainly, if it was a succession dispute between the eldest and second sons, it made sense. The third son had tried to bring down the eldest son as a member of the second son’s camp. It was understandable, but…

(I feel a strange implication.)

Maomao wrote down the names on the carriage floor while she was troubled.

(None of the four brothers have the name “Tama.”)

It seemed that the new Yang family had its own naming rules.

Men had animal names, and women had color names. It was easy to understand and might be common.

(If the eldest son threw away the name “Tama” by himself, then I understand. Otherwise, he couldn’t have been named Chikuukyou.)

Chikuukyou was the alias for “owl,” and sometimes used to refer to “a wicked person.” In a sense, it seemed that the eldest son wanted to play the villain himself.

If his father, Tamauguisu, had thought of himself as a bushi, his son chose the opposite path. He was also a role model in reverse. On the other hand, despite his wickedness, he was much more suited to being a bushi than Tamauguisu, whose character was straightforward.

(I wonder if he intentionally led me into a chase?)

It was like the climax of a play.

The name of the second son is Hiryu. It is a commonly used name that means “flying dragon”. It is a name that expresses the hope that the son will soar like a dragon and achieve success.

However, what about the third son? The name Korou has a similar negative connotation as the name Chikyou, meaning greedy or cruel.

Perhaps the meaning is different in the central and Inunishi provinces? No, among nomadic people who graze sheep and goats, the wolf is not considered a positive symbol.

Maomao sticks her head out of the window and sees a sparrow singing a song.

“Sparrow-san, Sparrow-san.” (It’s Chuue-san but disguised for an actual bird)

“Maomao-san, Maomao-san, what is it?”

Chuue-san is holding the reins without looking away. It’s a little hard to hear because of the wind.

“Is there a custom in Inunishi Province to give unpleasant names to the youngest child?”

“Well, I’m not sure. I don’t think there was a custom of giving a bad name to ensure that the child would not die early.”

Chuue-san is knowledgeable despite her appearance. Maomao has heard of this before. It is said that to prevent a cute child from dying early, they deliberately give them a dirty name. Some people are even named after excrement.

“Why do you think that?”

“Well, the name Korou is suitable for a villain.”

“Oh, I see. So, it was given by the lady of the house because he was least suited to be the head of the family.”

By the way, Maomao has never seen her before. She can’t even remember if she was there at the funeral of Tamugyou. The women of the west are said to be reserved, but are they too reserved?

“What is the lady of the house doing now?”

“She is no longer seen in public. As I recall, she said she would be traveling by ship for several years and staying in a foreign country.”

“I heard something like that.”

The reason why the fourth brother is so much younger is said to be because of that.

“At that time, she seemed to have broken down in various ways. After giving birth to Korou, she seems to have been unable to do anything anymore.”

“I see.”

Suddenly, Maomao thought of something strange. What if Korou was not Tamugyou’s child?

If he was a child from a foreign country, it would be a reason to give him a bad name.

Thinking whether to say it or not, Maomao decided to ask.

“Is it possible that Korou-sama is not Tamugyou-sama’s child?”

“Pfft!”

For some reason, Chuue-san burst out laughing unusually. She usually smiles, but this is the first time Maomao has seen her laughing so hard. However, she still held the reins firmly and her piloting skills were excellent.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry. There is absolutely no way that could be true.”

“Why do you say that?”

“He was born a year after the lady of the house returned, so there is no way she could have returned pregnant with a foreign child. Of course, if she had an affair within the estate, it’s a different story.”

Chuue-san must have found something very amusing, who kept bursting into fits of laughter. But Maomao, whose sense of humor seemed to be a bit different, couldn’t figure out what was so funny.

“What’s wrong, am I missing something?” Maomao asked.

Maomao closed the window. They still had a long time to ride in the carriage, and she thought it would be best to sleep quietly.

It would take several days to reach Nishi-tsu. Since they were traveling with a large group, they decided to set up camp along the way instead of staying in towns. The former nomads were accustomed to camping, and the makeshift tents were comfortable enough.

The organizing was done by Shikyō, and both Maomao and Xiao Hong, as well as Chuue-san, were just there as guests.

“Wow, it’s amazing, Uncle!” Xiao Hong exclaimed, her eyes shining brightly. Watching her drink the warm goat’s milk, she looked like any other child her age.

“Perhaps Xiao Hong is the most valuable player this time,” Maomao thought to herself. It was good to have a child who listened to instructions and did everything asked of her. Many adults couldn’t even do that. Maybe it would be interesting to take her back to the capital and raise her as a medicine woman.

“Maomao, are you thinking something sinister?” Chuue-san asked.

“No, I’m not thinking of anything,” Maomao replied, shaking her head. It seemed that picking up strays like a normal cat or dog was not allowed.

“Nevertheless, the food here is delicious even though it’s just camping,” Chuue-san continued.

Putting fire-roasted cheese on slightly burnt noodles, the saltiness of the cheese blended well with the noodles, making it delicious. Although the broth had hardly any ingredients, it was made from animal bones and was appetizing.

“I wish we had a little more food, though,” Chuue-san said. “I haven’t had a decent meal in a while.”

“But you’re feeding the thieves, aren’t you?” Maomao retorted. “If they gave us some, it would be different.”

“Even a criminal gets hungry,” Chuue-san replied. “And since they’re going to be hanged anyway, it’s better to kill them all at once.”

Chuue-san’s words were harsher than its cheerful tone suggested.

“I’m definitely going to be hanged,” Maomao thought. There was no excuse for taking over a town, killing and enslaving its people, and attempting to kidnap foreign dignitaries.

So, the lower-ranking members were hanged in the next town. The leader, Kumao, and a few others were being transported to Nishi-tsu.

“What will happen to the residents who helped the thieves?” Maomao asked.

“Well, we can’t say they’re innocent,” Chuue-san replied. “There is room for leniency, but…”

“That old teacher is a difficult case,” Maomao said.

The only reason the residents survived was because of the old teacher. But during the process, he had to choose between whether they were of the same faith or not, and he chose those who would follow him instead of being killed.

“He won’t regret protecting his own faith, no matter what happens,” Chuue-san said, sounding like a know-it-all.

Maomao felt strangely uneasy. She couldn’t help but feel that human hearts were not easily understood or predicted.

“Don’t worry, Maomao. The teacher is not the kind of person who will regret his actions,” Chuue-san said reassuringly, sounding like she knew everything.