Read Online The Dragon Scroll by I. J. Parker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: I. J. Parker
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holdings, incomes, and expenditures of Motosuke and his immediate family, they found nothing. The accounts were blameless and in perfect order. Not only had Motosuke not spent provincial funds for private use, he had drawn heavily on his private purse to improve the provincial headquarters and the governor’s residence.
“Well,” said Seimei, “at least you can return to the capital without having arrested your friend Kosehira’s cousin for fraud and treason.”
Akitada clenched his fists. “I have the feeling Motosuke is laughing at us. He knew all along we would not find anything. Any other man in his position would have been outraged when I demanded his private papers. I think the goods and the gold are hidden somewhere, and there is an accomplice. I’m convinced of it. Motosuke is too good to be true.”
“Let it go, sir,” Seimei pleaded. “It is hopeless. You can only hurt yourself and you may hurt an innocent man.”
“Remember the bribe!”
“If a man is truly guilty, his actions will return to him.”
Akitada shook his head and gave Seimei a crooked smile.
“You have a saying for everything, but I still have to find the missing taxes.”
“What about the local gentry? Owners of large estates keep small private armies to protect their holdings. Sometimes they turn to highway robbery or piracy.”
Akitada nodded and sent the servant for Akinobu.
“We have finished with these also,” he informed the secretary, pointing to the document boxes. “Perhaps you may know of landowners with large estates. Are they at all likely to keep armed retainers?”
Akinobu did not have to think at all. “We have only five families of the sort you mean, Excellency,” he said. “They are all absolutely loyal. The governor visited them personally after the first tax convoy disappeared to assure himself of their innocence. Four of them had sent their retainers to Hitachi province to quell a rebellion, and on the fifth estate, smallpox had broken out. Many people died, and so did the lord and his only son. His widow became a nun, and the estate went to a cousin.”
Apparently everyone had a blameless reputation in Kazusa province. “Tell me,” Akitada demanded, “what you think. Someone here is hiding an enormous amount of gold and valuable goods. Or do you also blame it on anonymous robbers in another province?”
Akinobu flushed. “No, Excellency,” he said miserably. “I think we overlooked something. The governor is really very distraught and hopes that you will succeed where we have failed.” Seeing Akitada’s disbelief, he knelt and said in a choking voice, “It has been a great shame to me that anyone should distrust my master, for it is I who bear the blame for not getting to the bottom of this. I am aware of my worthlessness and culpability, and shall so inform the authorities. Of course, my poor property will not make up the great sum, but I have begun to sell off my land, and by the time Your Excellency formally closes the case, I shall place all I own into your hands.” Before the surprised Akitada could find his tongue, he bowed, rose, and left the room.
“After him, Seimei,” cried Akitada. “Tell him to stop selling his land. Tell him we’ll try to find the culprit. Tell him ... Well, you’ll think of something.”
♦
The week after he finished inspecting the provincial accounts, Akitada paid visits to the lesser officials in the city. He went first to Captain Yukinari, the new commandant of the garrison. The young officer impressed him favorably. Yukinari quickly produced pertinent military records proving that all three shipments had left the province at the usual time of year and under guard. Yukinari’s predecessor had committed suicide after the second incident, and Yukinari had been sent as his replacement during the past summer. This fact and his subsequent efforts to clear up the mystery eliminated him as
“Well,” said Seimei, “at least you can return to the capital without having arrested your friend Kosehira’s cousin for fraud and treason.”
Akitada clenched his fists. “I have the feeling Motosuke is laughing at us. He knew all along we would not find anything. Any other man in his position would have been outraged when I demanded his private papers. I think the goods and the gold are hidden somewhere, and there is an accomplice. I’m convinced of it. Motosuke is too good to be true.”
“Let it go, sir,” Seimei pleaded. “It is hopeless. You can only hurt yourself and you may hurt an innocent man.”
“Remember the bribe!”
“If a man is truly guilty, his actions will return to him.”
Akitada shook his head and gave Seimei a crooked smile.
“You have a saying for everything, but I still have to find the missing taxes.”
“What about the local gentry? Owners of large estates keep small private armies to protect their holdings. Sometimes they turn to highway robbery or piracy.”
Akitada nodded and sent the servant for Akinobu.
“We have finished with these also,” he informed the secretary, pointing to the document boxes. “Perhaps you may know of landowners with large estates. Are they at all likely to keep armed retainers?”
Akinobu did not have to think at all. “We have only five families of the sort you mean, Excellency,” he said. “They are all absolutely loyal. The governor visited them personally after the first tax convoy disappeared to assure himself of their innocence. Four of them had sent their retainers to Hitachi province to quell a rebellion, and on the fifth estate, smallpox had broken out. Many people died, and so did the lord and his only son. His widow became a nun, and the estate went to a cousin.”
Apparently everyone had a blameless reputation in Kazusa province. “Tell me,” Akitada demanded, “what you think. Someone here is hiding an enormous amount of gold and valuable goods. Or do you also blame it on anonymous robbers in another province?”
Akinobu flushed. “No, Excellency,” he said miserably. “I think we overlooked something. The governor is really very distraught and hopes that you will succeed where we have failed.” Seeing Akitada’s disbelief, he knelt and said in a choking voice, “It has been a great shame to me that anyone should distrust my master, for it is I who bear the blame for not getting to the bottom of this. I am aware of my worthlessness and culpability, and shall so inform the authorities. Of course, my poor property will not make up the great sum, but I have begun to sell off my land, and by the time Your Excellency formally closes the case, I shall place all I own into your hands.” Before the surprised Akitada could find his tongue, he bowed, rose, and left the room.
“After him, Seimei,” cried Akitada. “Tell him to stop selling his land. Tell him we’ll try to find the culprit. Tell him ... Well, you’ll think of something.”
♦
The week after he finished inspecting the provincial accounts, Akitada paid visits to the lesser officials in the city. He went first to Captain Yukinari, the new commandant of the garrison. The young officer impressed him favorably. Yukinari quickly produced pertinent military records proving that all three shipments had left the province at the usual time of year and under guard. Yukinari’s predecessor had committed suicide after the second incident, and Yukinari had been sent as his replacement during the past summer. This fact and his subsequent efforts to clear up the mystery eliminated him as
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