I, Wang Ha, the Three Red Unparalleled Assassin

Fujiwara no Fuhito looked up at Emperor Monmu and was startled. He sensed that the Emperor's attitude seemed a little strange today.

Although Emperor Monmu had always been lenient with him as a subject who had rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor, this was the first time he had ever smiled so brightly as he had today.

Seeing the Emperor's polite manner, Fujiwara no Fuhito immediately became wary, quickly glancing around the room and then at the items on Emperor Monmu's desk.

After Fujiwara no Fuhito and the others sat down, Emperor Monmu first inquired about Fujiwara no Fuhito's recent situation, then absentmindedly chatted about recent political affairs, before finally steering the conversation toward Kaguya Houraisan.

"Master Fujiwara, may I ask how old Miss Suzuki Take is this year? Is she married?"

Fujiwara no Fuhito, who had been carefully dealing with the conversation without understanding Emperor Monmu's intentions, finally realized what was going on at this moment, but he was even more at a loss for how to respond.

“Your Majesty, Miss Suzuki is only temporarily residing in my home and has never had any contact with outsiders.”

"Your humble servant believes that 'men should marry when they are of age and women should marry when they are of age' is indeed a common principle in the world, but we have not yet consulted with her father, Suzuki Satoru. Furthermore, we should first consider Miss Suzuki Take's own wishes."

After being reminded by Fujiwara no Fuhito through a combination of gentle persuasion and firmness, Emperor Monmu abandoned his plan to summon Kaguya Houraisan to the palace with just an imperial edict, because he could not afford to offend the mysterious Suzuki Satoru.

"Lord Fujiwara, your words make sense. Then I'll trouble you to ask Miss Suzuki Take for her opinion. I'll await your good news."

Under Emperor Monmu's watchful gaze, Fujiwara no Fuhito reluctantly accepted this task that was destined to please neither side.

As Fujiwara no Fuhito walked out of the palace, he sighed, looking exhausted, and once again experienced what it meant to "serve a ruler as if serving a tiger."

"Oh, how could Miss Suzuki Take possibly have any intention of getting married? Otherwise, she would have already chosen from among all the talented young men in the city."

"Moreover, Lord Suzuki Satoru must love this woman very much. I have seen the cat demon who always follows him around as his guard."

While Fujiwara no Fuhito was struggling with how to overcome this difficulty, Houraisan Kaguya was in Hieda no Rei's study, casually flipping through the Kojiki compiled by Rei.

"Sister Ali, did you collect and verify historical materials before writing down everything in this book? That must have been such a complicated and tedious job."

Kaguya Houraisan was engrossed in reading, but she knew that reading and writing were two completely different things. She was so bored just watching her work that she almost fell asleep.

Hieda Arie, who was writing with a brush on the table, stopped and looked up at Houraisan Kaguya, who was standing by the bookshelf.

"A-Zhu, do you have a dream? The kind of dream you really want to achieve, especially a dream that you want to achieve with your own hands."

"Dreams? You could say I have them. For example, I want freedom and to live with my father."

Kaguya Houraisan immediately remembered the crisis she was facing, and breaking free from the constraints of the Lunar Capital was her greatest wish at the moment.

"Freedom? Ah Zhu, your dream is too broad and not specific at all."

"As for the latter, how can that be considered a dream? When you return to the bamboo forest in a few days, won't you be able to stay by Suzuki Satoru's side again? Be a dutiful and good daughter."

As Hieda Arie spoke, her gaze swept over the room full of books, and smelling the faint scent of ink in the air, she revealed a heartfelt joyful smile and spoke of her dream.

“A-Zhu, my current dream is to finish compiling the Kojiki.”

Hieda Arie picked up the manuscript on the table and waved it, then held up a second finger and imagined:

"My second dream is to write a book that records the most comprehensive knowledge about yokai, so that people can learn more about them. But at the current pace, it seems a bit difficult, hehehe~"

Chapter 125 The Feast of the Masterminds

Fujiwara Mansion, inside the study.

Fujiwara no Fuhito, who had just returned from the palace, had already prepared tea and was kneeling quietly at the low table, waiting. He had just sent someone to invite Kaguya Houraisan to come and have a chat.

"How should I bring this up? To be honest, I'm not very familiar with Suzuki Take. Asking him abruptly would be impolite and might even make him feel disgusted or resentful."

Fujiwara no Fuhito, who was forced by Emperor Monmu to act as a matchmaker, was very hesitant because he could not afford to offend either of the people on either side.

Fujiwara no Fuhito felt like a mouse trapped in a bellows, caught between a rock and a hard place.

However, the strong mental fortitude he had developed over many years in officialdom allowed Fujiwara no Fuhito to break free from his state of resentment and begin to think about and weigh the important matters at hand.

After all, complaining won't solve anything; the right way is to take a practical approach and find solutions step by step, one problem at a time.

After much deliberation, Fujiwara no Fuhito, whose intelligence is always on point, once again did not disappoint, making the most correct choice based on analysis and comparison.

"Compared to offending the old man, I think it would be better to offend His Majesty the Emperor."

Fujiwara no Hiroshi went through all his memories of being with the two people in his mind, his pale red eyes unfocused, as if he were already immersed in serious thought.

"His Majesty the Emperor still needs my continued assistance. The positions of Right Minister and Grand Councilor cannot be changed with a single word. Moreover, the other political factions are also unstable recently, and the Suzuki Take incident has caused nationwide turmoil. It is truly a time of great turmoil!"

"As for the old man, although he has only met that lord a few times, he is undoubtedly a free spirit. As long as I do not rebel, His Majesty the Emperor cannot do anything to the Fujiwara family, but it is hard to say about this old man."

As the head of the Fujiwara clan, Fujiwara no Fuhito naturally had to consider not only his own interests but also the well-being of the entire clan. This was an inescapable responsibility on his shoulders.

"If Miss Suzuki Take clearly rejects His Majesty the Emperor's marriage proposal later, then I will help her to decline it."

"Even if I'm penalized with a pay cut for my poor performance, it's better than my whole family possibly ending up on the road to the underworld. Although the old man doesn't seem like a bloodthirsty person, how easily can one bear the wrath of a powerful figure?"

Fujiwara no Fuhito chose the safest course of action, because only in this way could the safety of the entire family be ensured, including his wife who had just recovered, and his children.

Kaguya Houraisan, led by her servants, arrived at the study. The noise of her knocking and entering startled Fujiwara no Fuhito.

"Lord Fujiwara, may I ask what important matter brings you here to invite me?"

Kaguya Houraisan stepped forward and gave Fujiwara no Hitoshi a graceful bow. Her movements were slow, yet they exuded a touch of languor and nobility, leaving Fujiwara no Hitoshi momentarily stunned.

Hehehe~

Kaguya Houraisan covered her mouth and chuckled a few times upon seeing this. Her actions were not intentional, but rather a common occurrence when interacting with outsiders.

"As expected, Father is amazing. He has never lost his composure because of my appearance. Even his little tricks and seductive pranks were useless. I almost thought I wasn't as pretty as before."

Kaguya Houraisan muttered to herself, recalling all the efforts she had made to get the old man of the mountain to say, "Atake is so beautiful," but unfortunately, they had all failed in the end.

This left Kaguya Houraisan feeling utterly dejected for quite some time. Perhaps only when she has the good fortune to meet her virtuous wife, Tamamo-no-Mae, or the Medusa sisters will she realize just how meaningless all her efforts have been.

Kaguya Houraisan's teasing laughter brought Fujiwara no Hitoshi back to his senses. His face flushed red, and he pretended to cough to ease the atmosphere, quickly returning to his normal appearance.

"Ms. Suzuki, please have a seat. I do have some matters to discuss."

After Kaguya Houraisan sat down, Fujiwara no Fuhito followed the usual conversational procedure and began by chatting about everyday things to get closer to her. He mostly asked about her recent diet and living conditions, and also casually mentioned Mokou.

“Miss Suzuki, please feel free to speak if there is anything you are dissatisfied with or any other needs you may have. Lord Suzuki Satoru saved my life, and I, Fujiwara, will certainly not refuse these duties without the slightest hesitation.”

"Of course, I have never regarded Lady Fujiwara as an outsider, and I am as close as sisters with Mokou."

Having seen all sorts of tricks in the Lunar Capital, Kaguya Houraisan naturally noticed Fujiwara no Hitoshi's hesitant manner several times, guessing that there must be something he was reluctant to say.

Although those words were indeed Fujiwara no Fuhito's sincere and heartfelt words, Houraisan Kaguya was more interested in what lay hidden on a deeper level.

If everything unfolds as Kaguya Houraisan envisions, then the fuse for instigating conflict between humans, yokai, and the Lunar Capital will be lit.

"But Lord Fujiwara, you must have invited me here today for more than just a casual chat, right? Although I, A-Zhu, was born in the mountains and forests and haven't seen much of the world, I still know a little about reading people."

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Fujiwara no Hitoshi's face as he was bluntly exposed by Houraisan Kaguya. He sighed slowly, looked up at Houraisan Kaguya, and said:

"Indeed, I have been entrusted by His Majesty the Emperor to inquire whether Miss Suzuki is willing to marry into the Imperial Family. If she is not, I will immediately go to the palace to refuse her, and I guarantee that it will not cause her any further trouble or distress..."

"A marriage proposal from His Majesty the Emperor? Of course I'm willing."

Fujiwara no Fuhito, who had only intended to go through the motions and finish his sentence, was speechless by a sudden remark from Houraisan Kaguya.

He stared wide-eyed at the smiling woman opposite him, trying to find a hint of a joke on her face, but no matter how he looked, he couldn't tell.

"Ms. Suzuki, what did you just say?"

“I said I was willing to grant His Majesty the Emperor’s request. After all, those people surrounding us every day are not only causing me a lot of trouble, but also causing Fujiwara-sama a lot of trouble, right? It’s time to resolve this absurd matter.”

"But what about Suzuki Satoru-senpai..."

"I will handle things with my father. Given his love for me, he shouldn't object too much. Besides, His Majesty the Emperor is wise and mighty, and I have indeed admired him for a long time."

Fujiwara no Fuhito confirmed with Houraisan Kaguya several times before hurriedly calling for a carriage to go to the palace to report to Emperor Monmu after confirming that everything was in order.

Meanwhile, Kaguya Houraisan returned to her room. Before she could even sit down and have a drink of water, Himari suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"A-Zhu, you're too impulsive. Why didn't you discuss such a big matter with Suzuki Satoru-sama first? Do you even consider him your father anymore?"

Holding her katana, Himari glared at Kaguya Houraisan, her eyes sharp, her cat ears standing tall, and her tail taut behind her back. She rebuked her fiercely, clearly genuinely angry this time.

"Himamari-neechan, please be patient. This is just a temporary measure."

Kaguya Houraisan calmed down Himari, who was a little agitated, and pulled her to sit down beside her to talk things out.

"Sister Hishimi, what do you think those fanatics outside will do if we just go back to the bamboo forest like this?"

After hearing Kaguya Houraisan's words, Himari gradually calmed down and naturally understood the meaning behind them.

“That’s right, those people will definitely follow us to the bamboo forest, and without Fujiwara no Kou’s obstruction, the situation will only get worse.”

Kaguya Houraisan took a deep breath, toying with her small, exquisite teacup in her hand, and continued softly with a calm expression:

"But Father prefers peace and quiet, otherwise he wouldn't have chosen to live in seclusion in the bamboo forest. Our return without doing anything will surely disrupt that tranquility and cause trouble for Father."

“How could I, Azhu, do such an unfilial thing? So even if I miss my father so much that I wish I could fly back right now, I cannot do that. I will deal with the problems I have created myself. That is my meaning.”

Upon hearing this, Himari remained silent for a few seconds and was about to speak when Kaguya Houraisan stopped her by placing a slender finger on her lips.

"So, if we want to go back, we have to sort out all this trouble first."

"Don't say things like 'just kill anyone who comes to cause trouble.' I don't want you, Himari-neechan, to become a cold-blooded executioner who only knows how to kill. Besides, there are quite a few powerful people and Onmyoji here, so we can't make too much of a scene."

Himari's expression shifted as she looked at Kaguya Houraisan's face, which was so close to hers, and she chose to compromise.

"Hey, just tell me. Ah Zhu, what exactly do you want to do? And how do you expect me to do it? I've always hated having to use my brain!"

"Nothing more than adding fuel to the fire of this increasingly tense situation, bringing forward the storm that was bound to erupt sooner or later."

The news that Emperor Monmu would marry Suzuki Take in a month spread like wildfire throughout the entire country.

Countless people were filled with remorse and despair. Some lovelorn men who had the good fortune to see Kaguya of Houraisan were unable to accept reality and chose to commit suicide.

While the human world was discussing this matter, the monster world was also quite shocked by this bombshell.

Originally, it was just a yokai who was attracted to Kaguya of Houraisan who were fond of beautiful women, but recently a rumor that had spread from an unknown source has attracted the attention of all the yokai.

"It is said that there is a thousand-year-old bamboo in the bamboo forest on the border of the Eastern Kingdom. This bamboo has absorbed the essence of the sun and moon for thousands of years before giving birth to a goddess."

"This goddess herself is a pure life form, and her body is full of the essence of the sun and moon. So as long as one can eat a piece of her flesh, one can live forever and greatly increase one's cultivation."

"However, such miraculous effects are only effective before the goddess remains pure. Once she loses her virginity, her spiritual energy dissipates and she loses her powers."

Although not explicitly stated in the story, it subtly alludes to Suzuki Take, who was at the height of his fame at the time.

Countless monsters who wanted to explore the bamboo forest never returned, which only increased the mystery surrounding the bamboo forest in their minds.

The fact that such a ferocious place could produce a divine object like the Thousand-Year Bamboo is not incomprehensible to them. Moreover, after investigation, the demons did indeed sense the abnormally strong life force emanating from Kaguya of Houraisan.

Rumors spread like wildfire, and the power of public opinion can be immense.