"When the Gentian of the Phoenix Chick Blooms" Chapter 7: The Young Lord's Sudden Illness
Chapter 7:
"1" Unknown Symptoms
Last night, the Shogun's son suddenly collapsed, foaming at the mouth. Although the court physicians rushed to his side, they could not determine the cause and were at a loss for what to do.
Because court physicians only attend to the Shogun's family and high-ranking samurai, the cases they handle are limited. Having few opportunities to encounter the diverse illnesses of the townspeople, they were vulnerable to unknown symptoms.
On the other hand, Man-an-do has its own private archives— Chirakuan—which exists.
Specialized books on herbalism
Vast medical records collected from town doctors
Journals from medicinal herb gardens and medicinal animal gardens
A "practical knowledge" rare even in Edo had been accumulated there.
That knowledge was finally sought by the Shogunate.
Yataro immediately gave instructions to Yasuke.
"Gather everything you need. Hurry."
Yasuke headed to Chirakuan without hesitation and called out to Fumika, the head of the medicinal archives.
Fumika flipped through the records, searching for similar cases. Eventually, one record was found.
Not an exact match
But similar symptoms
Recovered with medication
However, the patient was a three-year-old girl
This time, it is a twenty-year-old young lord
And above all— At that time, Hasu was there.
It was that gifted girl who discerned the differences in symptoms, sniffed out the properties of the medicinal herbs, and derived the optimal prescription.
But now, Hasu is in prison.
The people of Man-an-do felt something cold spreading deep in their chests.
"2" Purple Gentian and Hidden Dragon Lily
Fumika said quietly.
"There is a case involving Purple Gentian and Hidden Dragon Lily. However, in the end... we have no choice but to have Hasu-san decide with her nose."
Yasuke nodded deeply.
"Understood. We will grind them at the castle and wait. For Hasu-san to come."
Around that time, Hasu was engrossed in reading books on herbalism in her cell. Without knowing what was happening outside.
Inside the inner chambers of Edo Castle, people with pained expressions had gathered. Yataro, Yasuke, Fumika, and Chobei—the members of Man-an-do were also there.
Chobei was trembling.
"If Hasu doesn't make it in time, I'll have to decide with my own nose..."
But he could not serve as a substitute for that gifted girl. Yataro and Yasuke were supporting him from both sides.
Then, Hasu was brought in.
Yataro spoke first.
"The young lord is suddenly ill. Even the court physicians are helpless. Hasu-san... there is only you."
Yasuke continued.
"We cannot be certain if the Hidden Dragon Lily is correct. Hasu-san, please decide with your nose."
The only thing they could rely on was— Hasu's sense of smell.
"3" A Faintly Sweet Scent Tickling the Nasal Cavity
Hasu turned pale. The life of the Shogun's son was at stake.
Suppressing her trembling fingertips, she made up her mind.
The Purple Gentian and Hidden Dragon Lily that Yasuke and the others had ground up. Hasu checked the scent of each one while changing the mixing ratio.
What she was looking for was—
A faint, sweet scent that only emerges after smelling the Purple Gentian.
Eventually.
"Found it... this is it."
Hidden Dragon Lily. No mistake.
But at that moment, Hasu's complexion changed.
"...This is trouble."
Her sense of smell had weakened from extreme concentration, making it difficult to distinguish the nuances of the scent.
"My nose... is tired..."
Just then.
The black cat, Sumino, jumped softly onto Fumika's lap. It held its tail straight up.
Fumika shouted.
"Hasu-san, pickled plums! Remember the pickled plums!"
Chobei also raised his voice.
"The large pickled plums from Kishu!"
Hasu remembered the pickled plums she had seen in the Man-an-do kitchen. Saliva began to seep out.
"...I can do it."
Hasu used her last bit of strength to distinguish the scent.
"This is it. The ratio is... this will work."
She ground the Purple Gentian and Hidden Dragon Lily and dissolved them in lukewarm water. The head court physician fed it to the young lord with trembling hands.
A long, long time passed.
The young lord's eyelids slowly opened.
The physician took his pulse, and a look of relief spread across his face.
"...He is saved."
They had escaped the crisis.
"4" The Lady's Brush
The Lady (Midaidokoro) spoke quietly.
"Hasu, did you say? What a coincidence. I was writing a poem praying for my son's recovery with my favorite brush—Renka (Lotus Flower)."
On the paper presented, a Chinese poem was written in elegant calligraphy.
Code
A loving mother's sad voice, unable to sleep at night,
Tears fill her handkerchief at the groans of her sick child.
Entrusting the shadow of a lotus to the tip of the brush,
I pray for divine grace to save my dear child.
[Reading]
A loving mother's sad voice, unable to sleep at night; tears fill her handkerchief at the groans of her sick child. Entrusting the shadow of a lotus to the tip of the brush, I pray for divine grace to save my dear child.
Everyone looked at each other.
A girl with the name "Lotus" (Hasu) appeared as if to answer a prayer written with a "Lotus Flower" (Renka) brush, and saved the young lord.
It was too perfect to be a coincidence. But no one could deny it.
■ Fumika's Records and the Bond Formed
Fumika stood by quietly. Behind her, the archive keepers were meticulously running their brushes.
When they returned to Man-an-do, they would cross-reference everything from the wind direction of the route to the young lord's symptoms, and store it in Chirakuan as a complete medical record.
Fumika, head of the medicinal archives—she is a fountain of wisdom sometimes called the "Medicine Buddha."
The moment the Lady's poem was read aloud, it felt as if the air had trembled slightly.
The Renka brush. The girl with the name Hasu. The moment she saved the young lord's life.
It seemed as if everything was connected by a single thread.
The archive keepers whispered.
"...This turn of events should be left for future generations." "The Renka brush and the Lotus girl. It sounds like a story, but it is reality."
Fumika nodded quietly.
"Facts sometimes hold deeper meaning than stories."
The Lady turned her eyes toward Hasu.
Her gaze was as soft as a mother looking at her child, yet it carried the quiet strength of someone who could see into the future.
"Hasu. You may not realize it yet... but this meeting is likely a bond bestowed by Heaven."
Hasu bowed deeply. Deep inside her chest, something had begun to move quietly.