The End

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It`s finally here!!

This is the last chapter of Flower of Winter and the final entry of the series Saiunkoku Monogatari. \n

I have so much I want to say about this ending and the story in it`s entirety, but I`ll save that for another time.

For now, I`d like to once again thank @abrownfeminist for helping me edit this story. The finished product would have been vastly different without her, and the experience of translating it would have been far less satisfying without our banter. <b>Truly, thank you</b>.

As always, SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF THE SAIUNKOKU MONOGATARI LIGHT NOVELS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.You can find the previous chapters of Flower of Winter here.\n

Let`s end this.

<b>                                                                               The End</b>

<b> </b>

Ryuuki, who

was sitting on his throne with his chin in his hand, writing something, looked

up at the sound of the wind.

On this

spring evening, the scattered sakura petals fluttered in the wind like snow.

The blossoms were in full bloom, but tonight was cool. The brazier Riou had

prepared for him glowed red by his feet.

It was night

time, but in the hall of the imperial court he could still see officials

present.

He stood

from the throne, gripping Kanshou in his hand. The Jougen who had quickly

approached the near death emperor and tried to use Kanshou as a blunt weapon to

hit him had become a legendary man (though why no one had tried to arrest him

on charges for attempting to beat the emperor, Ryuuki didn`t know.)

Incidentally,

despite having surpassed Kouyuu`s son in the imperial examinations, that Jougen

was notorious for having never visited the palace. Now as well, he had gone

missing.

His name

was…Shou Yousen.

There was no

record of that name in the government of the previous emperor, and Kouyuu did

not remember it. Only Ryuuki`s memories had returned.

Chouka had

turned twenty, but as always, she didn`t speak very often. It seemed there were

still very few people willing to put in the effort to get her to open her

mouth, when they wanted to hear her speak.

Chouka, who

had taken the position of Jougen by a landslide in that year`s exams, had said

“I have already been to all of the provinces”. For that reason, she had

remained in the central government, assisting Riou and Kouyuu and had taken

over half of her father`s work. There were no signs that she was chasing after

the person she had searched for any longer. However, the birdcage was left in

his office, and she would place food and water in it, waiting for the day when

levels would decrease. Sometimes, Shijaku would stand beside the cage and fill

the dishes with chili powder.

Ryuuki would

laugh, remembering it.

….After

that, Ryuuki had met with Shou Taishi only once, in this palace.

<hr>It had been

middle of the night. Ryuuki was woken by the sound of insects, and donned his

haori. Under the light of the moon, between the noisy insect laden trees, he

made his way towards the Sentoukyuu. A black haired man with frosty eyes was

standing under an old sakura tree from ages past. Although Ryuuki expressed his

gratitude, the vein in Shou Yousen`s temple throbbed.

“You stupid

brat. For now, tell your daughter that I’m not homeless and living in a tree.”

…it was the

first time that this shitty old man wasn’t going to complain directly.

“Tell her

yourself. You were the one that accidently entered that trap of a birdcage.

Ahhh. You, the same guy fifty years ago who passed their time, looking

unbothered by the fact you were single. Sou Taifu would crack up now.

“That only

happened because I got hungry unexpectedly. Just what should I have taken

responsibility for? You should be grateful that I babysat her occasionally.

Because of your daughter, I bent my principles. And you and that daughter

leaving the palace and wandering about, it was the first time I saw a journey

with more spirits than living humans on it. Are you kidding me?”

When he said

it like that, it was true. But Ryuuki`s soul had still been alive enough to eat

the indigo duck.

“I see. From

an outsider’s perspective, it looked like a premarital honeymoon for Chouka and

Shijaku, so that`s why you were worried, huh?”

“I was

worried because the travel party was so hair-raisingly idiotic, you idiot!”

Judged and

found guilty, Ryuuki recalled how Shijaku and the crow would engage in fierce

battles during their journey. Shijaku`s courtship had also taken place before

the crow`s eyes. Whether Shijaku`s harassment of the crow was a reflection of

his real feelings, it was not quite a mystery.

“See here,

the reason Chouka rushed out of the palace was you. Ah. Then this time you

won`t be Chouka`s fated partner? Another man whose beauty can make her forget

chasing after you would be good too. Shijaku bridging that gap is fine. At any

rate, you found Shuurei for me. How about three hundred gold coins

guuuurgggggg…..are you…trying to strangle the emperor? I`m seeing double of the

Sanzu over there…”

“Go die, you

stupid emperor. You cost five hundred gold, but you think three hundred is

enough for your daughter? Empty your treasury.”

If emptying

the treasury would catch the man in front him, then Ryuuki thought he would do

so gladly.

….But this

wasn’t that sort of man.

Ryuuki

opened his mouth to continue.

“Shou

Taishi. Chouka wasn’t able to change my world, but I don’t know about your

own.”

The force

squeezing his throat stopped. Chouka`s choice, again, seemed like it was fated.

<b>“In order to become emperor, Chouka

has given up on you. </b>But

Chouka`s wish depends on you. She`ll be isolated on that seat of solitude. You

understand that, don`t you? If that bothers you, choose. <b>Do as you like</b>.”

In response

to those words, Shou Yousen`s eyes glowed slightly. Those obstinate,

cold-hearted eyes that knew no contentment were unchanged from when Ryuuki was

a child.

Shou Yousen

took his hands off of Ryuuki. He showed neither kindness nor respect.

Long ago, in

order to save his consort Shuurei, Ryuuki had told Shou Taishi that he would

grant the man`s one true wish.

….In the

end, Ryuuki hadn`t been able to grant it. But whether Chouka could was still

unknown.

Ryuuki was

never able to make this man turn around and face him like his daughter had.

Similar to how the sound of this man’s footsteps at court for Ryuuki`s sake had

never been heard.

The sakura

petals blew in the wind, and the man whose heart could not be swayed by

anything stood silently as his hair danced in the breeze.

“Because I have never seen that

person look happy.”

There was

only one reason why this man, who appeared

unhappy even now, would appear in the imperial court. To stand at the

side of his chosen emperor. What kind of ruler would fill the heart of this

man, who serves not the country but only the emperor?

In the blink

of Ryuuki`s eyes, the black haired man had disappeared under the light of the

moon from beneath the old sakura tree.

The sakura

petals danced in the night wind. Ryuuki sighed, understanding something.

“Goodbye.”

Likely, he

would never be able to meet Shou Taishi again.

<hr>A sakura

petal floated inside and landed on Ryuuki hand as he was sitting on his throne.

In the brazier, the charcoal made a crackling noise.

….Since

then, Shou Taishi had disappeared. Perhaps one day Chouka would be able to meet

him. He didn`t know.

There hadn’t

been any ruling empresses since the ancient times. If Chouka were truly to

become one, she would face greater difficulties and opposition than Ryuuki and

Shuurei had on the paths they had walked. In the document that Ryuuki had

written, there was nothing about such a thing.

(Succeeding not Shuurei, but me, in

my job. I hadn’t anticipated that…)

But

strangely enough, that was the only path to meeting that crow again. Ryuuki

grinned. Perhaps Chouka was chasing after what she truly wanted after all.

The name

Shou Yousen, which had been erased from Senka`s time and had never appeared

during Ryuuki`s reign, might appear once again during Chouka`s time.

….And if

Chouka`s wish comes true, and the day finally comes when the ice around that

man melts, then surely this country will become much happier than during his

own reign.

Afterwards,

he thought about the door on the road to the underworld a little bit. There was

no way that the merciless Shou Taishi had opened the door “carelessly”. Although

he was not an emperor he found worthy of serving, perhaps over the past thirty

years Shou Taishi had found something to approve of in him. To the extent that

he had granted him a stay of execution. He found himself immersed in that

delusion.

Kouyuu

approached him with medicine in one hand.

“You should

go to sleep soon” he frowned.

“After I

finish one or two more” Ryuuki replied.

The prime

minister started opening the documents on his left side.

Today,

Kouyuu had mysteriously asked “Is there anything strange about your condition?”

countless times, and had loitered at his side for no reason. He had muttered

something like “the candles have gone out”, so Ryuuki was thinking about giving

him some candles next time.

Incidentally,

he had hidden Kouyuu`s letter that he had found in Shuurei`s chambers. Since

that time, he would find Kouyuu inside those chambers in the middle of the

night acting strangely. Whenever he asked “What are you searching for?”, Kouyuu

would answer “There`s something that I need to burn.”

Since

returning to the palace, Chouka no longer walked around the palace at night.

After working she would fall into her bed, and sleep so long that she would be

woken up by the sound of the chimes in the morning.

Shuuei`s

oldest son would wake Ryuuki. After everything, Ryuuki had finally folded, and

allowed Shijaku to stay around him on the condition that he would get a job.

During the day, Shijaku was an up and coming official, and at night he would

stand in front of Ryuuki`s door, sword in hand. Although he was a `bodyguard`,

come the next morning he would be found asleep near the door. Sometimes Chouka

would sleep there besides him as well. When he asked about it, they would say

“If the Emperor becomes a spirit and tries to run away again, he’ll probably

leave through this door.”

However,

since that time Ryuuki had never taken another night time walk.

For these

two years, Ryuuki had smelled that familiar fragrance every morning and enjoyed

watching the two young people drag themselves to the outer court.

He drank the

medicine and returned the bowl to Kouyuu. His eyes followed another sakura

petal as it fell on the documents, and he pressed his imperial seal on a

document that had been prepared by Chouka. As that last petal fell, he thought

that there was nothing left for him to do, and he realized that during these

past two years he had taken care of most of the problems that had been left for

him.

Suddenly,

besides for Kouyuu and himself, the hall was empty.

He sighed,

sitting on the throne. Ryuuki did love the view from here after all.

All of the

things that had happened in this place flashed before his eyes.

Sakura

petals poured inside the hall, dancing in the wind. The lanterns swayed, and

the old man Shou Taishi and Sou Taifu, Sa Taiho and Uu walked across the hall.

Kai Yu and Kei Na were talking. Ou Ki, Son Ryouou, and Ryou Anju were there as

well. Yuushun stood beside Ki Kouki, smiling at Ryuuki. If he went to the

Archives, it seemed like he could meet Shouka as well.

Kanshou was

shining at his side.

Before he

realized it, Shuuei and Seiran appeared on both sides of him, and called out to

him “My lord”. Ryuuki liked this term of address more so than `Your Majesty`,

but it wasn’t one he was able to hear often. Whenever he heard it, he was glad

that he was the emperor.

Shuurei

stood before his eyes dressed in the clothing of an official. She was laughing

at him, amazed.

“Ryuuki,

your job still isn’t finished?”

“No, after

having signed this spring`s appointment of new officials, it’s the end.”

For many

days, Ryuuki had struggled and thought about the spring appointments, and at

last he had signed them. He felt sluggish. Perhaps Kouyuu`s medicine was

working after all.

He suddenly

felt anxious, and started to fret.

“…Shuurei is

young, but I’m already over fifty years old. I`m afraid to meet you.”

“Stupid”,

Shuurei laughed, and touched her forehead to his. “You`ve become more wonderful

than before. I`ve always been watching you. I love you.”

Ryuuki

thought that this must be a dream, for Shuurei to be saying such things.

“It`s the season when flowers bloom. Let`s go see them again,

together.”

Shuurei

stroked his cheek. Sakura petals fell infinitely around them.\n

Again,

together….

Ryuuki

smiled, covering Shuurei`s hand on his cheek with his own. He nodded.

The sakura

tree that Ryuuki had given to Shuurei long ago had now grown into a large tree,

and every year the flowers bloomed.

<hr>He was a

little tired, he thought. But it was a pleasant kind of fatigue. Looking out at

the view from the throne which he loved so dearly, Ryuuki`s mouth relaxed.

Tomorrow….for

just a little bit….he would rest from his job….rest….and go see the sakura….

With Kouyuu,

Chouka, and Shijaku as well….

He thought

he heard the sound of Chouka`s horrible erhu from somewhere. Stretching on for

an eternity.

He sighed,

his last breath escaping.

“…Your

Majesty?”

Kouyuu`s

voice rang out.

\n

<b>TRANSLATION NOTES</b>\n

<ol>Shou Yousen is Shou Taishi`s name. `Taishi` is a title, which can be translated as Grand Advisor.It`s not directly stated in the text, but Ryuuki`s will does not list Chouka has his heir. It`s implied to say “Let Chouka do as she wants”.</ol><b>WHALIN NOTES</b>

We`ve reached the end of Saiunkoku Monogatari. I may scream about Sai Yukino`s writing most of the time, but this chapter was wonderful.

I`m both sad and happy. It`s always sad to see characters you`ve loved for years pass away. But this story is far more about life than death, and these characters have truly lived. In the beginning of this story I never thought that Ryuuki would finally make peace with his life. I`m so glad I was proven wrong.

Stand up. Keep walking. A night that never ends does not exist. \n

These are central themes in Saiunkoku Monogatari, particularly the Ask My Bones stories. These characters endure such hardships, and lose so much along the way. But they continue until the end, until their feet can take them no further. \n

Just as a night that never ends does not exist, neither does a story that never ends.

Thank you for reading this translation.\n