Ooku: The Inner Chambers (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Episode #1.3 - full transcript
Kogiku.
We are beyond words now.
Let us grow our hair.
Abbot, no!
So you are firmly set
in this decision, Arikoto.
The point of return has passed.
Shaving one's head is not a thing
to be easily undone.
Well, as a father,
I find it tragic to have a son
well-versed in both culture
and the academics
who would choose to renounce them.
Father.
This is how I wish to live my life.
Through this choice, I access
not only the Buddhist studies,
but the Zen teachings at the temple,
as well as Chinese classics and poetry.
More so, thanks to this choice,
I got to glimpse into the lives of people
who suffered such as I had never known.
The capital was filled with destitution,
And when I saw a girl covered in scabs
which rags barely hid
suck the mucus out of her little brother's
nose so that he might breathe,
I knew I would never be able
to return to life as a court noble.
- Arikoto...
- I still have dreams to pursue.
One day, I'll become
the Abbot of Keiko-in,
and with my own two hands,
I will save as many lives as I can.
All of it...
it was only ever a dream.
My resolve was an illusion.
I couldn't even save those in front of me.
The life of Myokei,
the life of a courtesan.
I gave in to coercion,
ended up breaking my chastity.
I was absolutely powerless.
Were my sensibilities so fragile?
I'm coming to the Ōoku with you!
I will renounce my monastic vows!
I will go to the Ōoku with you, Master!
You... Do you know
what you're saying, Gyokuei?
If you do that, you would
never be able to go back to Kyoto.
You could still return to Keiko-in
and resume your...
No!
The only reason I took those vows
was to remain by your side!
You, who saved me
when I was on the brink of death!
After my parents died, you were the one
who saved me from starvation and squalor!
It was never the Buddha, it was only you!
Arikoto-dono is requesting
that he take that little monk
into the Ōoku alongside him?
Yes. What do you wish me to do,
Lady Kasuga?
I guess it's fine.
I would rather not have more trouble
from him complaining.
Moreover, what of the wenches
from last night?
I trust you have disposed of the other two
with a burial befitting their status?
It is done.
Anyone involved in this incident
must be immediately silenced for good.
ŌOKU: THE INNER CHAMBERS
Around this time,
red-face smallpox
was spreading in Kansai like wildfire,
and the population of men in Japan
was half that of women.
Papa!
Yasuke! Yasuke!
How dare you do this to me?
You've left your poor old mother
all alone!
Tadzu! Just what kind of wife are you?
Your husband lies dead on the ground
in front of you,
yet you shed not a single tear?
Mother-in-law.
The only thought that fills my head
is what the future of this family
will become now.
Future?
Now that our Yasuke-don is no more,
we face a grave time in the Kanbara family
where there is not a single man
that remains alive.
How will we survive when we have
no one to work our fields for food
or protect our land?
Well, that should be obvious.
We will do as we have always done
until Sotaro here comes of age.
- You and I will...
- We will what?
The remaining men alive
who were the sharecroppers
that knew how to till the fields
and are still able-bodied are dwindling.
Yasuke-don ended up
doing the field work himself.
It wasn't even work he knew how to do,
which is why he got so sick and...
I have a favor to ask of you, Mother.
I know it is unheard of, but I would ask
that you please give me your blessing
to till the field of the Kanbara
family in place of Yasuke-don.
How ridiculous!
You are the wife of a landowner
of the Kanbara family.
You have your vocation!
Your function is to raise the children
and take care of the household!
That is why I ask you.
Mother, I will till the field too.
My health is fine, and I'm strong enough.
Even if it's just a little, I can help!
I... I can help too!
Sato, Sotaro...
Kae gets to help too!
Not until you're older, Kae.
Sato! Sotaro is one thing.
But the young daughter
of the landowners working the field?
The women from the sharecroppers
should take on that sort of labor!
Grandmother!
Have you not looked out to see
who works in the fields already?
Every day the women of the sharecroppers
go out with hoes in their hands as it is!
We no longer have anyone
left that we could ask!
We may cry and wail,
but there are no men left anymore!
Sato...
Master Arikoto.
We have finally arrived.
This is the Ōoku of Edo Castle.
Thank you, Gyokuei.
It's odd.
Since entering the castle,
I haven't seen a single woman.
Everywhere I look, there are only samurai.
Could this really be
the Ōoku of Edo Castle?
Bow in reverence,
for our liege has arrived.
Enough with all that. Raise up your head.
Oh...
This is gonna be the last time I say it.
Raise up your head!
Oh? So I take it this new guy is
that one monk that Kasuga found?
You are correct. This is him. My liege.
Oh!
"My Liege"?
Pleasure to see you again...
I am the son of Madenokoji Arizumi.
My name is Arikoto.
- O-Man!
- Huh?
I'll take the first letter of
"Madenokoji" and call you O-Man.
You have a pale face, and I think
you look like a dainty little girl,
so I'll give you a girl's name.
Answer, O-Man!
Uh...
Does my liege find that "Arikoto"
is a name that is displeasurable
to say or hear?
You disregard him? Our liege?
O-Man!
Hmph!
I just gave you a new name. Answer to it!
Answer!
Answer!
Answer me!
Answer!
My sport is spoiled.
Masakatsu! Get this man out of my sight.
You will not bring him in front of me
until his swollen face
has completely healed.
Kasuga, we're going!
My liege.
You are now free to raise
your head, Arikoto.
Who was that? Who was that person
I was just speaking with?
I have no idea what
you mean to say by that.
Lord Iemitsu is supposed to be
37 years old as of this year!
Why do you act as though
that was the shogun? That was...
Whoever was just here,
that was a young girl!
And the Lord Iemitsu I spoke to when
I reported my succession, that was you.
My name is Inaba Masakatsu.
But beyond the walls of Edo Castle,
in the outside world,
I am considered dead,
and have been for some time.
So please consider me a body double
for our liege in the meantime.
If you are a body double, then
who was the young lady I just saw?
She is the daughter of the deceased
Lord Iemitsu, our previous shogun.
The sequence of events
began 17 years ago.
It was shortly after Lord Iemitsu
had succeeded
in receiving the title
of the third shogun.
My liege, you mustn't!
I beg we return to the castle!
Why? I merely wish to test
the sharpness of my sword
on a homeless beggar before I return home.
Such acts are beneath you.
My liege, please!
If not that, then what of the rare disease
going around Edo?
Young men are the most likely to catch it.
We risk exposure.
I'm sick of O-Fuku. Every second
I'm in the castle, it's endless nagging.
I've no love for women.
My mother never bothered to find any love
in her heart to share with her eldest son.
While on the other hand,
my wet nurse, O-Fuku, annoys me,
always saying,
"Everything is for the sake of my lord."
Hmm?
Masakatsu, we found a winner.
My liege, please!
Oh...
It's just a woman. Too bad.
It's no sport to slice through a frail
little woman with no meat on her bones.
But even in this darkness, you can
tell how beautiful she is by her figure.
Surely you can appreciate that much?
The grace, beauty, and
delightful nature of women like that one.
I find their softer disposition
to be enjoyable.
Hmm...
I beg of you, sir, please!
- Let me go!
- I said be quiet, wench, and I meant it!
You said women were enjoyable,
so I'm going to try this one.
Keep watch so no one
comes around to bother us.
My liege, please.
If she doesn't agree to do what I say,
then I'll just slit her throat
and dump her body on the way home.
You know I'll do it.
Help me, please!
I'm sorry. Please bear it quietly.
Look, O-Fuku!
I can lie with women if I want to!
Since I'm the shogun now, there is nothing
in this world I cannot do!
A year later,
a woman with a baby in her arms
approached the entrance of Edo Castle.
Stop with all of your nonsense!
You are not allowed!
But, sir, it was in fact
the samurai lord himself
who professed that he was the shogun.
And before he left,
his retainer gave me this wakizashi.
Now that I gave birth to this child,
I will never be a bride!
I beg you, please, sir! Allow me
to have an audience with our liege!
But my liege insisted he had
no idea who the woman was.
She was not allowed
to live in the safety of the Ōoku,
and the whole incident stayed a secret.
The Honored Kasuga arranged
for a wet nurse,
and a house on the outskirts of Edo.
There, she lived a quiet life.
She raised her daughter there in peace.
And so then, Lord Iemitsu passed away
without ever producing a rightful heir...
Masakatsu.
I need you to dispose of the doctor.
Do it quickly.
Mother, listen!
Keeping others out...
We accomplish nothing by
silencing the doctor in this manner.
It is impossible
to keep the passing of our liege
a secret from the outside world forever!
Inaba Masakatsu, Governor of Tango.
You are a samurai!
How unseemly of you to be so upset!
How many times must I tell you
not to call me "Mother"?
Do you understand
the situation that we face
if Lord Iemitsu were to be dead right now?
If he were to pass away
without having an heir?
The Tokugawa reign would end.
Then war and chaos would
return to these lands once more!
Only 30 years have passed
since the deified Lord Ieyasu
established the shogunate in Edo.
Some provincial lords have not given up on
the ambition to rule the entire country.
Our liege must remain alive,
no matter what the cost!
Be that as it may, he no longer lives...
- You will be the one to die in his stead.
- Huh?
The corpse lying here
Is that of the Honored Kasuga's
firstborn son, Governor Inaba Masakatsu,
who suddenly died from red-face smallpox!
For the sake of the Tokugawa
clan, today was your last!
That night,
she secretly summoned the Senior Councilor
to the Outer Chambers.
Matsudaira Nobutsuna, the Governor of Izu.
How, though?
What plan could you feasibly use
to keep our liege's death a secret?
There is no way to wait for a successor
for the fourth shogun.
He never saw fit to have an heir.
I don't see...
But he did, Nobutsuna-dono.
He laid with a wench in the town of Edo
and secretly had a daughter.
Huh?
She is only eleven years of age
at present,
but in due time, I can make sure
she has a son to take the title,
so he may become
the successor for the lineage.
Even if you accomplished that,
it would mean that the male
bloodline of the Tokugawa clan
would be forever broken!
That is why every step we take
should be done in secrecy.
Without this option, there's not
a hair's-breadth of hope to cling to.
Every last son of Lord Hoshina Masayuki,
The only remaining
brother of Lord Iemitsu,
perished from red-face smallpox!
Drastic times need drastic measures.
This illegitimate daughter I speak of
is the only person
who can pass down the blood of
the Tokugawa line to the next generation!
Additionally, you will limit the entry
of foreign ships to only Nagasaki,
and enact a ban on voyages for Japanese
people to foreign countries from now on.
What?
This epidemic has lasted
longer than it should.
The male population of this country
will continue to decrease for some time.
If foreign states learn of this,
it would cause domestic trouble
and invite external threats.
We must nip any potential for
threat in the bud while we can.
The pretext can be called
an exclusion of the Christians.
And a government-enforced monopoly on
foreign trade so it won't be questioned.
Then we can effectively
close off the country.
Those events took place six
years ago and are still in progress.
Oh!
Then the reason why I
was brought to the castle...
You are here to serve as seed stock.
That is your only part to play.
The sole purpose for which
you were brought into the Ōoku
is to provide our liege with a male heir.
Why do you keep saying
that she is your liege?
If she is the daughter of a lord,
she should be a lady!
There is no other option
of a name or title for her.
There should never be a woman's name
listed in the family tree
of the Tokugawa clan.
For the sake of our government,
Lord Iemitsu must be alive.
She is someone who should not have
existed in this world in the first place.
Therefore, I would ask that
you refer to that person as our liege.
I heard that the Ōoku of Edo Castle
was the women's quarters
for those that were
in the service of the reigning shogun.
But no women live here!
Correct. We have instead gathered
young lordless samurai
from all over the country
#to reside in the Inner Chambers.
With the number of men declining in Kanto
due to red-face smallpox,
how do we make sure there are enough
warriors to raise an army?
If the truth should get out
and the country fall into chaos,
Edo would quickly be facing an attack.
The Ōoku would be
our final line of defense.
The last stand within the fortress
of Edo Castle to protect our liege.
Now the Ōoku is our final hope
if we should ever need to protect
the Tokugawa dynasty.
The fact that the current shogun is
a woman is classified information.
Even within the government,
only a handful of ministers
are privy to this information.
Our liege wears the clothing and
hairstyle of a man to keep this secret.
Arikoto-dono, now that you have
been made aware of this truth,
you may never leave the Ōoku again.
You will never set foot outside of
these walls for the rest of your life.
Mmm.
Was the young noble I found for you
to your liking?
Mmm.
Hmph. Train him to answer faster
and be more obedient
by the next time he comes near me.
He is annoyingly strong-willed.
Hah.
If he is someone who can be trained,
Should I take that to mean
he could become pleasing enough
for my liege to care to see him again?
Does it hurt?
What could have happened?
What injured you so severely?
Who could have done such...
Master Arikoto... Was it...
Did Lord Iemitsu do this?
He didn't try anything, did he?
Ah... You see... There's...
I'm unsure of what to say.
How much I can divulge...
I would endeavor to say
that you tell him the truth, sir.
He will eventually find
out all there is to know.
My name is Murase Masasuke.
A pleasure, sir.
I am here by the order
of the Honored Kasuga.
I have been commanded
to serve you, my lord,
as your personal attendant
within the Inner Chambers.
Huh?
There is no need for such a thing!
I can attend to all of Master Arikoto's
needs without any of your aid!
Gyokuei...
Come, now, there is no need
to be so protective anymore.
There are many customs in the Ōoku
to be aware of.
All I ask is that you consider my role
as your guide to the ways of this place.
I welcome it.
Gyokuei and I are quite lost in
maneuvering around a new space,
So I will rely on your counsel.
You have my gratitude.
My heart will be at ease.
I will no doubt have many failings,
but will do my best to serve you.
If it is within your power, I do have
something I should like to ask of you.
What would that be, sir?
I wrote some letters
for Kyoto and Keiko-In.
I only wish to let my family
and the temple
know my whereabouts and of my health.
I'm afraid I cannot.
Huh? And why not?
Any intention of running away
was put behind me.
I only wish to inform those
who care for me,
and must be concerned about me,
that I am safe and well.
The Madenokoji family in Kyoto
has been notified of the turn of events
from the government already.
At the same time, a small gift of gold
was delivered to your household,
and that seemed to suffice
as proper notice.
Apparently your father, Lord Arizumi,
was quite pleased to have
received that small gesture.
I heard he said it was
absolutely no inconvenience whatsoever.
- You liar!
- Please, Gyokuei.
I'm sure that's the truth.
I know my father is
a good person at heart,
but there is a calculating side to him.
- Oh, and...
- Huh?
Keiko-in has been informed
of this new development as well.
I was told the new Abbot who
succeeds you has been appointed.
Is there anything else
I may be able to assist you with?
Then I now have a request of my own.
Huh?
You reside within Edo Castle now.
Please refrain from using the repugnant
court language of Kyoto here
whenever words leave your lips.
So, Masasuke,
how was his reaction?
I can only imagine how crestfallen he was.
No. Not at all.
He gave a response instantly
with a smile on his face.
Understood, makes sense.
I'll comply with the request you've made,
and will start using
the language of the samurai.
He shifted his speech almost immediately.
There was not a trace
of the court language still there.
Hmph.
That brings us to the present.
I have been brought here
to serve as a stallion,
in the hopes that my seed might be able
to help save the Tokugawa clan
from going fully extinct.
I have no doubt that this story
is hard to fathom...
No, Master Arikoto would make a
perfect consort for the shogun's daughter.
That's what she was doing.
Why the Honored Kasuga
urged him to lie with a courtesan.
She needed to know if Master Arikoto
could handle a woman's body.
Gyokuei.
What pains me the most is that
I dragged you into this situation.
You share my sorry fate.
Your life path is set.
You may never again
take a single step out of this Ōoku,
nor may you ever return to Kyoto.
Gyokuei, I'm so sorry.
You are truly mistaken.
It could seem strange to you,
but I was actually surprised
by how lucky everything turned out.
Huh?
I know this to be true.
If you hadn't brought me
to the Inner Chambers alongside you,
I would have been killed immediately.
I have no desire to die yet.
I will follow you wherever you decide
to go, Master Arikoto.
That is the only true path
my life will ever follow.
Gyokuei...
Huh?
What is it, my liege?
Take it.
Uh...
Huh?
It was mewling outside of my bedchamber,
and so I give it to you.
Take it.
THE CHRONICLE OF THE DYING DAY
THE CHRONICLE OF THE DYING DAY
We are beyond words now.
Let us grow our hair.
Abbot, no!
So you are firmly set
in this decision, Arikoto.
The point of return has passed.
Shaving one's head is not a thing
to be easily undone.
Well, as a father,
I find it tragic to have a son
well-versed in both culture
and the academics
who would choose to renounce them.
Father.
This is how I wish to live my life.
Through this choice, I access
not only the Buddhist studies,
but the Zen teachings at the temple,
as well as Chinese classics and poetry.
More so, thanks to this choice,
I got to glimpse into the lives of people
who suffered such as I had never known.
The capital was filled with destitution,
And when I saw a girl covered in scabs
which rags barely hid
suck the mucus out of her little brother's
nose so that he might breathe,
I knew I would never be able
to return to life as a court noble.
- Arikoto...
- I still have dreams to pursue.
One day, I'll become
the Abbot of Keiko-in,
and with my own two hands,
I will save as many lives as I can.
All of it...
it was only ever a dream.
My resolve was an illusion.
I couldn't even save those in front of me.
The life of Myokei,
the life of a courtesan.
I gave in to coercion,
ended up breaking my chastity.
I was absolutely powerless.
Were my sensibilities so fragile?
I'm coming to the Ōoku with you!
I will renounce my monastic vows!
I will go to the Ōoku with you, Master!
You... Do you know
what you're saying, Gyokuei?
If you do that, you would
never be able to go back to Kyoto.
You could still return to Keiko-in
and resume your...
No!
The only reason I took those vows
was to remain by your side!
You, who saved me
when I was on the brink of death!
After my parents died, you were the one
who saved me from starvation and squalor!
It was never the Buddha, it was only you!
Arikoto-dono is requesting
that he take that little monk
into the Ōoku alongside him?
Yes. What do you wish me to do,
Lady Kasuga?
I guess it's fine.
I would rather not have more trouble
from him complaining.
Moreover, what of the wenches
from last night?
I trust you have disposed of the other two
with a burial befitting their status?
It is done.
Anyone involved in this incident
must be immediately silenced for good.
ŌOKU: THE INNER CHAMBERS
Around this time,
red-face smallpox
was spreading in Kansai like wildfire,
and the population of men in Japan
was half that of women.
Papa!
Yasuke! Yasuke!
How dare you do this to me?
You've left your poor old mother
all alone!
Tadzu! Just what kind of wife are you?
Your husband lies dead on the ground
in front of you,
yet you shed not a single tear?
Mother-in-law.
The only thought that fills my head
is what the future of this family
will become now.
Future?
Now that our Yasuke-don is no more,
we face a grave time in the Kanbara family
where there is not a single man
that remains alive.
How will we survive when we have
no one to work our fields for food
or protect our land?
Well, that should be obvious.
We will do as we have always done
until Sotaro here comes of age.
- You and I will...
- We will what?
The remaining men alive
who were the sharecroppers
that knew how to till the fields
and are still able-bodied are dwindling.
Yasuke-don ended up
doing the field work himself.
It wasn't even work he knew how to do,
which is why he got so sick and...
I have a favor to ask of you, Mother.
I know it is unheard of, but I would ask
that you please give me your blessing
to till the field of the Kanbara
family in place of Yasuke-don.
How ridiculous!
You are the wife of a landowner
of the Kanbara family.
You have your vocation!
Your function is to raise the children
and take care of the household!
That is why I ask you.
Mother, I will till the field too.
My health is fine, and I'm strong enough.
Even if it's just a little, I can help!
I... I can help too!
Sato, Sotaro...
Kae gets to help too!
Not until you're older, Kae.
Sato! Sotaro is one thing.
But the young daughter
of the landowners working the field?
The women from the sharecroppers
should take on that sort of labor!
Grandmother!
Have you not looked out to see
who works in the fields already?
Every day the women of the sharecroppers
go out with hoes in their hands as it is!
We no longer have anyone
left that we could ask!
We may cry and wail,
but there are no men left anymore!
Sato...
Master Arikoto.
We have finally arrived.
This is the Ōoku of Edo Castle.
Thank you, Gyokuei.
It's odd.
Since entering the castle,
I haven't seen a single woman.
Everywhere I look, there are only samurai.
Could this really be
the Ōoku of Edo Castle?
Bow in reverence,
for our liege has arrived.
Enough with all that. Raise up your head.
Oh...
This is gonna be the last time I say it.
Raise up your head!
Oh? So I take it this new guy is
that one monk that Kasuga found?
You are correct. This is him. My liege.
Oh!
"My Liege"?
Pleasure to see you again...
I am the son of Madenokoji Arizumi.
My name is Arikoto.
- O-Man!
- Huh?
I'll take the first letter of
"Madenokoji" and call you O-Man.
You have a pale face, and I think
you look like a dainty little girl,
so I'll give you a girl's name.
Answer, O-Man!
Uh...
Does my liege find that "Arikoto"
is a name that is displeasurable
to say or hear?
You disregard him? Our liege?
O-Man!
Hmph!
I just gave you a new name. Answer to it!
Answer!
Answer!
Answer me!
Answer!
My sport is spoiled.
Masakatsu! Get this man out of my sight.
You will not bring him in front of me
until his swollen face
has completely healed.
Kasuga, we're going!
My liege.
You are now free to raise
your head, Arikoto.
Who was that? Who was that person
I was just speaking with?
I have no idea what
you mean to say by that.
Lord Iemitsu is supposed to be
37 years old as of this year!
Why do you act as though
that was the shogun? That was...
Whoever was just here,
that was a young girl!
And the Lord Iemitsu I spoke to when
I reported my succession, that was you.
My name is Inaba Masakatsu.
But beyond the walls of Edo Castle,
in the outside world,
I am considered dead,
and have been for some time.
So please consider me a body double
for our liege in the meantime.
If you are a body double, then
who was the young lady I just saw?
She is the daughter of the deceased
Lord Iemitsu, our previous shogun.
The sequence of events
began 17 years ago.
It was shortly after Lord Iemitsu
had succeeded
in receiving the title
of the third shogun.
My liege, you mustn't!
I beg we return to the castle!
Why? I merely wish to test
the sharpness of my sword
on a homeless beggar before I return home.
Such acts are beneath you.
My liege, please!
If not that, then what of the rare disease
going around Edo?
Young men are the most likely to catch it.
We risk exposure.
I'm sick of O-Fuku. Every second
I'm in the castle, it's endless nagging.
I've no love for women.
My mother never bothered to find any love
in her heart to share with her eldest son.
While on the other hand,
my wet nurse, O-Fuku, annoys me,
always saying,
"Everything is for the sake of my lord."
Hmm?
Masakatsu, we found a winner.
My liege, please!
Oh...
It's just a woman. Too bad.
It's no sport to slice through a frail
little woman with no meat on her bones.
But even in this darkness, you can
tell how beautiful she is by her figure.
Surely you can appreciate that much?
The grace, beauty, and
delightful nature of women like that one.
I find their softer disposition
to be enjoyable.
Hmm...
I beg of you, sir, please!
- Let me go!
- I said be quiet, wench, and I meant it!
You said women were enjoyable,
so I'm going to try this one.
Keep watch so no one
comes around to bother us.
My liege, please.
If she doesn't agree to do what I say,
then I'll just slit her throat
and dump her body on the way home.
You know I'll do it.
Help me, please!
I'm sorry. Please bear it quietly.
Look, O-Fuku!
I can lie with women if I want to!
Since I'm the shogun now, there is nothing
in this world I cannot do!
A year later,
a woman with a baby in her arms
approached the entrance of Edo Castle.
Stop with all of your nonsense!
You are not allowed!
But, sir, it was in fact
the samurai lord himself
who professed that he was the shogun.
And before he left,
his retainer gave me this wakizashi.
Now that I gave birth to this child,
I will never be a bride!
I beg you, please, sir! Allow me
to have an audience with our liege!
But my liege insisted he had
no idea who the woman was.
She was not allowed
to live in the safety of the Ōoku,
and the whole incident stayed a secret.
The Honored Kasuga arranged
for a wet nurse,
and a house on the outskirts of Edo.
There, she lived a quiet life.
She raised her daughter there in peace.
And so then, Lord Iemitsu passed away
without ever producing a rightful heir...
Masakatsu.
I need you to dispose of the doctor.
Do it quickly.
Mother, listen!
Keeping others out...
We accomplish nothing by
silencing the doctor in this manner.
It is impossible
to keep the passing of our liege
a secret from the outside world forever!
Inaba Masakatsu, Governor of Tango.
You are a samurai!
How unseemly of you to be so upset!
How many times must I tell you
not to call me "Mother"?
Do you understand
the situation that we face
if Lord Iemitsu were to be dead right now?
If he were to pass away
without having an heir?
The Tokugawa reign would end.
Then war and chaos would
return to these lands once more!
Only 30 years have passed
since the deified Lord Ieyasu
established the shogunate in Edo.
Some provincial lords have not given up on
the ambition to rule the entire country.
Our liege must remain alive,
no matter what the cost!
Be that as it may, he no longer lives...
- You will be the one to die in his stead.
- Huh?
The corpse lying here
Is that of the Honored Kasuga's
firstborn son, Governor Inaba Masakatsu,
who suddenly died from red-face smallpox!
For the sake of the Tokugawa
clan, today was your last!
That night,
she secretly summoned the Senior Councilor
to the Outer Chambers.
Matsudaira Nobutsuna, the Governor of Izu.
How, though?
What plan could you feasibly use
to keep our liege's death a secret?
There is no way to wait for a successor
for the fourth shogun.
He never saw fit to have an heir.
I don't see...
But he did, Nobutsuna-dono.
He laid with a wench in the town of Edo
and secretly had a daughter.
Huh?
She is only eleven years of age
at present,
but in due time, I can make sure
she has a son to take the title,
so he may become
the successor for the lineage.
Even if you accomplished that,
it would mean that the male
bloodline of the Tokugawa clan
would be forever broken!
That is why every step we take
should be done in secrecy.
Without this option, there's not
a hair's-breadth of hope to cling to.
Every last son of Lord Hoshina Masayuki,
The only remaining
brother of Lord Iemitsu,
perished from red-face smallpox!
Drastic times need drastic measures.
This illegitimate daughter I speak of
is the only person
who can pass down the blood of
the Tokugawa line to the next generation!
Additionally, you will limit the entry
of foreign ships to only Nagasaki,
and enact a ban on voyages for Japanese
people to foreign countries from now on.
What?
This epidemic has lasted
longer than it should.
The male population of this country
will continue to decrease for some time.
If foreign states learn of this,
it would cause domestic trouble
and invite external threats.
We must nip any potential for
threat in the bud while we can.
The pretext can be called
an exclusion of the Christians.
And a government-enforced monopoly on
foreign trade so it won't be questioned.
Then we can effectively
close off the country.
Those events took place six
years ago and are still in progress.
Oh!
Then the reason why I
was brought to the castle...
You are here to serve as seed stock.
That is your only part to play.
The sole purpose for which
you were brought into the Ōoku
is to provide our liege with a male heir.
Why do you keep saying
that she is your liege?
If she is the daughter of a lord,
she should be a lady!
There is no other option
of a name or title for her.
There should never be a woman's name
listed in the family tree
of the Tokugawa clan.
For the sake of our government,
Lord Iemitsu must be alive.
She is someone who should not have
existed in this world in the first place.
Therefore, I would ask that
you refer to that person as our liege.
I heard that the Ōoku of Edo Castle
was the women's quarters
for those that were
in the service of the reigning shogun.
But no women live here!
Correct. We have instead gathered
young lordless samurai
from all over the country
#to reside in the Inner Chambers.
With the number of men declining in Kanto
due to red-face smallpox,
how do we make sure there are enough
warriors to raise an army?
If the truth should get out
and the country fall into chaos,
Edo would quickly be facing an attack.
The Ōoku would be
our final line of defense.
The last stand within the fortress
of Edo Castle to protect our liege.
Now the Ōoku is our final hope
if we should ever need to protect
the Tokugawa dynasty.
The fact that the current shogun is
a woman is classified information.
Even within the government,
only a handful of ministers
are privy to this information.
Our liege wears the clothing and
hairstyle of a man to keep this secret.
Arikoto-dono, now that you have
been made aware of this truth,
you may never leave the Ōoku again.
You will never set foot outside of
these walls for the rest of your life.
Mmm.
Was the young noble I found for you
to your liking?
Mmm.
Hmph. Train him to answer faster
and be more obedient
by the next time he comes near me.
He is annoyingly strong-willed.
Hah.
If he is someone who can be trained,
Should I take that to mean
he could become pleasing enough
for my liege to care to see him again?
Does it hurt?
What could have happened?
What injured you so severely?
Who could have done such...
Master Arikoto... Was it...
Did Lord Iemitsu do this?
He didn't try anything, did he?
Ah... You see... There's...
I'm unsure of what to say.
How much I can divulge...
I would endeavor to say
that you tell him the truth, sir.
He will eventually find
out all there is to know.
My name is Murase Masasuke.
A pleasure, sir.
I am here by the order
of the Honored Kasuga.
I have been commanded
to serve you, my lord,
as your personal attendant
within the Inner Chambers.
Huh?
There is no need for such a thing!
I can attend to all of Master Arikoto's
needs without any of your aid!
Gyokuei...
Come, now, there is no need
to be so protective anymore.
There are many customs in the Ōoku
to be aware of.
All I ask is that you consider my role
as your guide to the ways of this place.
I welcome it.
Gyokuei and I are quite lost in
maneuvering around a new space,
So I will rely on your counsel.
You have my gratitude.
My heart will be at ease.
I will no doubt have many failings,
but will do my best to serve you.
If it is within your power, I do have
something I should like to ask of you.
What would that be, sir?
I wrote some letters
for Kyoto and Keiko-In.
I only wish to let my family
and the temple
know my whereabouts and of my health.
I'm afraid I cannot.
Huh? And why not?
Any intention of running away
was put behind me.
I only wish to inform those
who care for me,
and must be concerned about me,
that I am safe and well.
The Madenokoji family in Kyoto
has been notified of the turn of events
from the government already.
At the same time, a small gift of gold
was delivered to your household,
and that seemed to suffice
as proper notice.
Apparently your father, Lord Arizumi,
was quite pleased to have
received that small gesture.
I heard he said it was
absolutely no inconvenience whatsoever.
- You liar!
- Please, Gyokuei.
I'm sure that's the truth.
I know my father is
a good person at heart,
but there is a calculating side to him.
- Oh, and...
- Huh?
Keiko-in has been informed
of this new development as well.
I was told the new Abbot who
succeeds you has been appointed.
Is there anything else
I may be able to assist you with?
Then I now have a request of my own.
Huh?
You reside within Edo Castle now.
Please refrain from using the repugnant
court language of Kyoto here
whenever words leave your lips.
So, Masasuke,
how was his reaction?
I can only imagine how crestfallen he was.
No. Not at all.
He gave a response instantly
with a smile on his face.
Understood, makes sense.
I'll comply with the request you've made,
and will start using
the language of the samurai.
He shifted his speech almost immediately.
There was not a trace
of the court language still there.
Hmph.
That brings us to the present.
I have been brought here
to serve as a stallion,
in the hopes that my seed might be able
to help save the Tokugawa clan
from going fully extinct.
I have no doubt that this story
is hard to fathom...
No, Master Arikoto would make a
perfect consort for the shogun's daughter.
That's what she was doing.
Why the Honored Kasuga
urged him to lie with a courtesan.
She needed to know if Master Arikoto
could handle a woman's body.
Gyokuei.
What pains me the most is that
I dragged you into this situation.
You share my sorry fate.
Your life path is set.
You may never again
take a single step out of this Ōoku,
nor may you ever return to Kyoto.
Gyokuei, I'm so sorry.
You are truly mistaken.
It could seem strange to you,
but I was actually surprised
by how lucky everything turned out.
Huh?
I know this to be true.
If you hadn't brought me
to the Inner Chambers alongside you,
I would have been killed immediately.
I have no desire to die yet.
I will follow you wherever you decide
to go, Master Arikoto.
That is the only true path
my life will ever follow.
Gyokuei...
Huh?
What is it, my liege?
Take it.
Uh...
Huh?
It was mewling outside of my bedchamber,
and so I give it to you.
Take it.
THE CHRONICLE OF THE DYING DAY
THE CHRONICLE OF THE DYING DAY