The priests kept the gods of death at bay for four good years, and in that time Emperor Go-Sanjo ruled well and wisely. Then his health demanded he abdicate in favor of his son, Sadahito-tennō, who was enthroned as Emperor Shirakawa. Go-Sanjo took the tonsure and lived for almost another year before he passed. I do not know what he did during that time or whether what I had said to Prince Kanemore had made any difference. I do know the law restricting the power of the office of regent had been enacted, so if Go-Sanjo’s son did not take a lesson from his father’s actions, I will be quite surprised. Perhaps he will be able to move to the cloister sooner rather than later, or perhaps not. I try not to care, which is much easier than I ever imagined it would be. Events in the Capital these days seem far removed from my life.
Tagako-hime and I have three daughters together: Rie, Kaoru, and Raishi. They resemble their mother in both beauty and temperament, for which I am more grateful than I can say. Tagako is already considering matches for them. I will counsel patience, while she will pretend to listen and then do what she thinks best. This arrangement usually works well for all concerned, so there is a predictability to the domestic aspect of my life which I find very comfortable, just as there are other aspects which never will be.
It seems Prince Kanemore was right about me, so far as the direction of the Yamada clan was concerned. Taro—I mean Kiyomichi—is working closely with Morofusa. Together they train mounted archers in alliance with the Seiwa Genji. Lord Yoshiie, now clan chief after the passing of his father Yoriyoshi, assigned Morofusa-san to me permanently at Morofusa’s own request, and his training and direction of bushi in my allied families is pulling more and more such men into my circle. I never considered or wanted this, but I know the Yamada clan will be, must be, a military family. This is the direction of the country, as Prince Kanemore and I both recognized, and a boat either rides a wave or is overwhelmed by it. For the memory of my father and the sake of my children I will not allow our family to be destroyed again.
As for Kenji, he has played the role of saintly abbot for so long now I think he is starting to believe it himself. We both feel the years passing. We both have many responsibilities and demands on our time. Despite this, every now and again when we can slip away unnoticed, we will take a walk together toward a nearby tangled ruin or shadowed valley to see what we might find. We know it is both foolish and dangerous, that we are mortal, and everything mortal, dies. We also know something else:
Old habits in old men die last of all.