My dear friend, There
is grace and harmony in every moment. There can be grace and harmony in every
action.
I know I do not need to tell you this. Not you, of all of us, who
have served as a shining beacon to the rest of the Empire, a guiding light of
honour, dignity, and of courage.
You have shown the Empire what it means
to be a samurai - not just to wield the blade, but to turn a clever word without
barbarian drawl, to perform the tea ceremony without fumbling with fingers
numbed by hoisting a tetsubo, to breathe excellence in every gesture. To be more
than a general, but also a poet who can capture the presence of the kami in
three lines gifted to the Court. To live in the world and be part of it rather
than spend decades in stunted isolation to emerge with only a tattoo and a
begging bowl.
Despite the ravages [of] the Shadowlands and the
devastation inflicted upon our clan by the Stone Crab, you have ruled our people
wisely and with an eye towards the calm order that is always dear to the
Emperor's heart.
And yet now there is no Emperor. Toturi has ascended to
the Yomi, realm of the blessed ancestors. We must sort through affairs here on
earth while his children vie among themselves to decide who will be the true
heir. Each of them has [a] legitimate claim. When we have determined which of
them satisfies our clan's desires for excellence best, only then will we
choose.
In the meantime, we are charged with obtaining resolution to the
matter of the Yasuki. The lands that have always been truly ours have once again
been delivered into our hands. The Otomo have rendered their decision. Daidoji
Hachi is the legal heir as the Yasuki daiymo. Of this there can be no doubt. The
imperial registry does not lie. But the Crab favour their own lesser blood over
the true line. Even the Crab cannot defend what they have never honestly
possessed. What can we do, when the voices of the imperial heirs do not rise in
unity, when honourees clans would curry favour by promising things that do not
belong to them?
As a young man, I would not know how to say this, how to
react to such blatant dishonour.
As one who has lived long and been
greatly blessed by the spirits of Kakita and Lady Doji, I believe I
know.
