Chapter 7 Spoiler: Heaven's Festival Knife
The red leaves all over the mountain are like the sea of flowers blooming in April. In the chaotic world full of killing and blood, a newborn girl blooms her first smile in her life under the sunshine in the forest.
When the year enters September, Danfeng welcomes autumn.Thirty-seven years have passed since he was ordained and became a monk at the age of twenty-three.The ancients said: "Life is fifty years", Weicheng thought that he could be lucky enough to have more than ten years, and now he is sixty years old.The masters of the Chinese nationality inside and outside the capital are still so arrogant and despicable, and they are constantly disturbed by the worldly karma such as lust, fame and fortune.Now even the monks of the monastery are also affected, and all kinds of evil and evil deeds emerge one after another, which is really insulting to the pure land of Buddhism.The poor monk hated nuisances when he was in the secular world, and now he has the ambition to wash his ears, and he is afraid to avoid such materialistic people.So let the waves go, indulge in the mountains and rivers; board the song fairy, and devote yourself to the joy of waka.In a moment, time is wasted, and the eyebrows are completely white.Looking back on this life, I have no regrets about being alone, only one thing I always worry about, tossing and turning into a dream, not complaining.Although there are some weird and shocking words in it, the poor monk is already dying, and the dying generation should not care about the world's evaluation, so write down this matter today to prove the retribution in the future.
It was autumn ten years ago, and the maple leaves were as red as they are now.The poor monk returned from the Eastern Kingdom. He enjoyed the scenery all the way, traveled to the land of singing pillows, and finally crossed the sea to the Sanuki Kingdom. He set up a hut in the territory of Manozaka, and prepared to practice here for a period of time, so as to clarify his miscellaneous thoughts along the way. See, reflect on the fruit of Buddha.That day the mountain was clear and cloudy, and the poor monk saw the clouds and mist shrouded in the direction of Baifeng not far from Maozaka, the scenery was very strange, and remembered that there was the mausoleum of the person who died with hatred not long ago.In the past, the Lord of Ten Thousand Vehicles is now buried in this wilderness, which makes people feel emotional.When the poor monk was invited to the palace to participate in the Waka Concert, he had a relationship with the emperor, so he decided to go up the mountain to worship.
The mountain road of Baifeng is very steep, with verdant pines and cypresses and dense forests.Although the weather outside is sunny and sunny, once you step into the mountain, you will feel cold and quiet, and the cloudy air will be overwhelming.The poor monk walked through the thorns with a cane, and soon his body was covered with dew falling from the jungle. If there was no light from the sky occasionally leaking from the dense leaves, he would have thought it was a cloudy day with drizzling rain.After walking for some time, the poor monk finally reached the top of the mountain.I saw a solitary mound under a big rock in the shade of a pine tree. There was no monument or record on the mound, only clumps of grass and scattered stacked stones, and no sacrifices and fireworks.The poor monk imagined that this is the place where the emperor will rest forever. Back then, when the poor monk met the emperor in Da Nei, he was surrounded by officials and dressed in fine clothes and fine food. Who would have thought that he would be exiled here, with elks and swan geese as companions. It was such a bleak situation.Feeling deeply in his heart, the poor monk recalled the scene of the emperor and his ministers having fun together in the palace, singing and singing, so he composed a song:
After singing and singing, I became more and more sentimental, so I sat on the ground, closed my eyes and recited Buddhist scriptures silently, thinking that the emperor prayed for peace.Unknowingly, the red sun sank to the west, and the surrounding wind became tighter.I suddenly felt in a trance, sleepy, and dreamlike. At this time, I only heard someone call my Dharma name: "Yuanwei, Yuanwei".I opened my eyes, and saw a red light appearing above the mound, and a man walked out from the light, wearing a persimmon-colored court dress and a black crown, tall and thin, but his face seemed to be shrouded in a mist. Can't see clearly.The visitor took a step closer and said to me, "It's been a long time since anyone came to sacrifice and sweep the tomb. Fortunately, the master still remembers me. Just now I heard the master sing a waka, and I feel something in my heart. I wish a waka, so I come to see you."
After finishing speaking, the man shook his folding fan and recited a song:
After saying that, she burst into tears, showing a desolate look.I knew that this was the manifestation of the emperor's soul, so I quickly kowtowed and said: "The poor monk was received by His Majesty back then, so he formed a relationship with him, so he came here today to sacrifice and sweep. I just heard the meaning of His Majesty's song. There is an obsession, I don’t know why your Majesty has not passed away after three years of death, but went to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, instead wandering and suffering in this barren mountain?”
Hearing the words, the emperor closed his eyes in mourning, waved his sleeves, looked up to the sky and smiled: "Haha, I have passed away early? How can I go to become a Buddha if I have not avenged my great revenge? And now I have made a blood oath to become a demon king. Harm the country with wars, and still haunt the royal family after death! Just wait and see, I won't stop until my enemies are completely wiped out!"
Hearing the emperor's words, the poor monk couldn't help being startled, bowed his head and asked again: "I don't know who the enemy the emperor said is? Why are you willing to fall into the devil's way?"
After hearing this, the emperor's face changed suddenly, and he shouted sharply: "Listen carefully, I am not willing to fall into the trap, I am really deceiving others with the Ping family too much! Since I ascended the throne, I have been respectful and respectful all day and night, and I have not violated the norms, but because my father prefers The younger brother I gave birth to, I had no choice but to give up the throne to Tiren, who was only three years old in his prime! Tiren died young, and after his death, I should have been restored, or my prince Chongren would have taken the throne. Who would have thought that Meifumen The court once again got in the way, helping the fourth younger brother Yaren to become the king, regardless of his concubine and his concubine, and treating the government as a trifle! I am determined to restore the country and get back what originally belonged to me. What is wrong? After the death of my father, I ordered the left minister, Fujiwara Yorimaga, to summon famous generals to attack Yaren and Mifukumonin. Minamoto led Minagi Yoshi, Heike Hira Tadamasa, and others, and they all took orders to serve me. I only hate Minamoto Yoshitomo, the son of Minamoto Yoshito, and Hira Kiyomori, the son of Tata Masa. , not only did not respond to the invitation of the blood relatives of the same family, but turned to the enemy and abandoned righteousness, and the sword was directed at me! During the first battle of Baoyuan, the fellow of Yichao offered a plan to attack with fire, and our army was defeated. I was captured and exiled to this island. Hate, shame and humiliation, how can I forget it in my lifetime? However, I think of the brotherhood with Yaren, and to pray for the longevity of the country, I wrote the "Five Mahayana Sutras" in hand on this deserted island, and asked the messenger to take it to the capital and send it to Yu Yaren can understand the affection in it, and let me pay back. I don’t want to accept my words and slander, accuse me of hiding curses in the scriptures, and make my good intentions go to waste! Since then, I have made a blood oath: I will devote myself to three The evil way, with the power of the "Five Mahayana Sutras", became the great demon king of Japan! Let the untouchables be the emperor, and the emperor be the untouchables! Haha, now Minamoto, Shinsai, and Meifumen have all died one after another. My enemy Only Yaren and Peace Kiyomori remained. Yaren became a Taoist emperor. In his early years, Qingsheng received a sword from Itsukushima Daimyojin for his meritorious service in rebuilding the Koyasan Great Pagoda and the Itsukushima Shrine. This sword is the proof of the prosperity of the samurai family and the command of the world. Therefore With the protection of this divine sword and the assistance of the eldest son Shigemori, my envoys cannot get close to Qingsheng... Hateful, hateful! I hate that I will not see my enemies all go to hell in my lifetime! Sagami, Sagami! Why don't you go quickly , to confuse Qingsheng's heart, make him go crazy, and make a mess of Yaren's dynasty, so as to relieve the hatred in my heart!"
Accompanied by the emperor's fury, the sky suddenly darkened, and there was a faint green will-o'-the-wisp rising among the gloomy clouds and mist.The emperor's royal clothes turned black, his complexion was red, his beard stretched out and his eyes dangled, and he changed into the terrifying appearance of a demon king.Seeing it with his own eyes, the poor monk couldn't help being frightened.At this time, another strange bird flew over, and fell down in front of the emperor with an "ah", and said: "Your Majesty, the emperor of Houbaihe recites Buddha and practices every day, and we have no opportunity to take advantage of it; Qingsheng has a saber, and his son Chongsheng He is also a well-known loyal and virtuous man in the country, and his strength is not exhausted, so we can't confuse Qingsheng's heart. However, we have already laid a trap to confuse the people around Qingsheng and steal the festival sword. In less than twelve years, after Chongsheng's death, The Heike family will naturally decline, and they will all be buried in the seabed, and the Emperor Goshirakawa will also suffer from being displaced, and there will be no peace. Please rest assured, Your Majesty!"
"Hahaha, those who betrayed me will never end well, and I will return to the land with the horror of the devil!" Emperor Chongde clapped his hands and laughed loudly when he heard the words, but pain appeared on his face, and flames spewed out of his mouth.Then the violent storm came suddenly, the valley responded, and the vegetation collapsed.I know in my heart that the emperor has deviated from the way of humanity, and the journey to the Buddha Land is tens of thousands of miles away, and I am afraid that it will be difficult to die again.However, recalling his generous appearance when he was a monarch, he still couldn't help but sigh, so he sang a short song, hoping that he would change his mind, and the song said:
The meaning of this song is that the dead have the same ending, regardless of whether they were rich or poor, high or low.Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression softened and he remained silent.At this time, there was a thunder explosion in the east, and the strange bird was startled, urging the emperor to leave.The emperor glanced at me, then turned into a red light and entered the mound again.The will-o'-the-wisp gradually disappeared, and the strange bird was nowhere to be found.I felt a wave of turmoil in my mind, and opened my eyes, but saw the silence around me, the vegetation and pine forests remained unchanged, but the twilight was getting dark, and the east was turning white.Although my knowledge was shallow, fortunately my mind was not lost, so I quickly returned to the hut and concentrated on reciting Buddha's name to resist demonic obstacles.
The next day, I recorded a volume of the "Diamond Sutra" in my hand, enshrined it in front of the emperor's mausoleum, and left the mountain.After ten years of cold and heat, in dreams and waking up, I have never seen the emperor again.However, there are rumors in Beijing that in recent years, Taoist Prime Minister Ping Qingsheng has been domineering and misbehaving.When I returned to Beijing this time, I even heard such crazy words as "Except for the Ping family minister, I don't see the Yun Shangren", which made people feel worried... Sigh, if the world is going to be chaotic again, it will be the common people who will suffer the most!There are still two years to go before the deadline predicted by the emperor, and I don't know whether Mr. Xiaosongdian Shigesheng can escape this calamity.Although I know the ending, I am powerless to stop it. I can only record the cause and effect of this ominous omen. If it comes true, I hope that future generations can build a shrine for the emperor and perform ritual sweeps to appease the emperor's grievances and comfort the distressed spirit. .
My lord, my lord was wronged, my lord!I am just an unknown person, Mr. Nayan Yalai of Meng Yuan Clan did not give up and accepted him as a party member, how could he make up lies and intend to threaten the Heike family?It's just because the dream was so weird that I can't bear it, and I can't help but tell my colleagues that I didn't expect it to cause such an uproar... It's just an unintentional mistake, and I have no intention of rebelling. My lord uses such a severe punishment It is unfair to blame me harshly!
My lord, I don't have the guts to spread rumors, but that dream...is really weird—even though it happened more than ten days ago, but thinking about it until now, it still seems to happen right before my eyes!That day I went out with the young master to play, shooting deer with horses in the mountains, and chasing rabbits with eagles. I didn't realize that after playing for a whole day, I was exhausted and fell asleep when I returned to the office.In a trance, I saw a boy in white clothes with a bun on his head push the door in. He pulled me up and walked out, saying: "My lord is calling urgently." Surrounded by a cloud of mist.A white ox cart with gold trim was parked in the middle of the clouds and mist. I thought it was the owner who was urgently called by the Emperor, so I didn't think much about it, and followed the ox cart as usual, acting as a guard.The car kept moving slowly in the clouds and fog. After walking for a while, I felt something was wrong—although Fukuhara Shinto was smaller than the old one, I had never walked such a long and steep uphill road!The more I walked, the more surprised I felt, but the colleagues around me all bowed their heads in silence, and I couldn't ask any more questions, so I had to follow the bullock cart along the way.
After walking for about half an hour, the ox cart stopped in front of a magnificent shrine-like building.At this moment, an old man in a white hunting suit and a black hat got out of the car and walked straight into the door.I was surprised to find that this old man was not the head of the family, not even any of the elders I knew in Beijing, but somehow, I followed him closely and walked into the building step by step... There were already three other elders in the hall waiting.I knelt and sat behind the old man in white, and saw a handsome man in red with a fair complexion on the opposite side; on both sides of the old man were an old man in navy blue court clothes and a Apricot-yellow middle-aged man.The four of them sat together, seeming to be arguing about something.During this period, the old man in white and the old man in blue severely reprimanded the handsome man in red. The man seemed ashamed, and quickly got up and retreated.Seeing this, the old man in white said to the other two people at the same table: "What was given to the Heike family earlier, it's time to give it to Yoritomo, a native of the Izu country class!" It will be kept by my grandchildren." After speaking, they looked at each other and smiled.
I was listening in the fog, when I suddenly saw the middle-aged man in apricot yellow waving slightly to me, as if signaling me to go over.I hurriedly walked behind him on my knees, and asked anxiously, "May I ask what your lords are called, and what are you discussing?" The man smiled and said kindly: "The one who left just now is the guardian of the Hei family, Itsukushima Daimyojin; The elder in white who wanted to bestow the sword on Minamoto Yoritomo was Hachiman Daibosatsu, the patriarchal deity of the Minamoto clan; the one who later claimed to let his grandchildren keep the sword was Kasuga Daimyojin, the ancestral god of the Fujiwara clan; and now to answer your question, It is Takeuchi Daimyojin." After finishing speaking, he closed the folding fan in his hand and pointed to a brocade box in the center of the hall.I followed his fan and saw a small long knife about three feet long with a silver sheath and silk border in the brocade box.However, before I could ask again, I felt pushed, and immediately fell from the clouds. When I got up in shock, I found that I was still in the prison, with the thread that my companion at my feet used to repel insects. Incense, this is only half burnt.Although he realized that it was just a dream, he still didn't feel the cold sweat dripping down, and his heart was jumping with fear, as if he had really fallen from a high altitude just now.
My lord, everything I said below is true!Although this dream is real, but the dream is a dream after all, and what you see and hear are all illusory things. Throughout the ages, no matter whether it is our dynasty or China, there has never been a precedent for punishing crimes based on dreams.How can a grown-up convict me because of a dream?Ahhhhh!What are you going to do?Are you really going to kill me because of a dream?Ahh, stop!Unjust...
Hehe, hehehe... I understand, what I dreamed was not an ordinary dream, the Heike family... the knives that he received when he entered the Dao Xiangguo - the symbol of the hegemony of the samurai family, it seems that it has indeed been lost, so... so you guys That's why he is so frightened, afraid that the world will know the truth, afraid that all the big names will attach themselves to Genji and rise up to resist... Hehe, cough!
But...it's useless even if you kill me!Do you think you can continue to hide your eyes and ears?There are rumors in the new capital that there are various visions that happened recently: there are huge rats making a nest on the tail of the famous horse in Yuma Liao; after entering the Taoist country, you will see demons in a hundred days, and all the sand and stones in the courtyard will turn into skeletons... Ha ha ha ha!If you do many unrighteous deeds, you will die yourself. Relying on your ancestors' military achievements in the past, you humiliated the officials outside and deceived the sage at home. Before that, you even burned the famous temple Mijing Temple and committed heinous crimes. Now you are finally dying. ...Hehe, it's too late, the gods and Buddhas have already made a verdict, you just wait for the punishment from heaven!Hahaha... Woo...
Seven days have passed since I followed the lord to raise troops.Although it was only a short period of seven days, it seemed to be longer than seven years.In the past seven days, I have experienced false surrender to the enemy, lurking and stealing horses, chasing after the lord, collaborating at the mountain gate, and going to the Uji Bridge with many heroes to fight together, killing countless enemy troops.As a samurai, this life has no regrets.Even though Byodoin was defeated in the army, our army's prestige has been established, and the Ping family has been domineering all the year round, and the grievances have been deep, the day when the people of the world will rise up and crusade will not be long!As a witness to the whole process of Takakura Palace's rebellion, I wrote down the entire incident in this book, so that future generations can understand it, so that they will not mistakenly believe that we are reckless people who plotted rebellion for self-interest.
My name is Watanabe Genzo, and my lord, Genji three, have entered the Tao. They are the five generations of descendants of Settsu Shougen, who is known as the "General of Exorcism".My lord has been proficient in bow and horse since he was young, and has both civil and military skills. He participated in the suppression of the "Baoyuan Rebellion", and later served as the emperor's imperial guard. He shot down the giant bird monsters that caused chaos in the palace.Now he is seventy-five years old and is a monk. He is known as the three Taoists.However, the Ping family didn't know how to respect such a high-ranking veteran. On the contrary, relying on the influence of the court, they repeatedly insulted our lord, which is really unbearable.
The cause of the incident stems from the beloved horse of Izu Mori Nakazuna, the eldest son of my lord's three Taoists.Mr. Zhonggang is fond of riding and archery, and loves horses like crazy. This horse is named "Kinoshita", with deer hair and strong feet, and a peerless horse. By.Mr. Zhong Gang loves it very much, he doesn't show it easily, sometimes he even feeds and grooms it himself, treating it like his life.People all over the world have heard about Izumori's obsession with horses.At that time, Mr. Naka Tsuna, because of his meritorious service in guarding the inner garden, became the late eldest son of Prime Minister Kiyomori Komatsu, the Minister of Komatsu, and he specially presented Mr. Naka Tsuna with a famous horse.When the internal ministers were still around, although the Ping family's children were arrogant, they were not too much.
After the Minister of Internal Affairs died, his younger brother Hei Zongsheng heard that Nakazuna had a BMW "Kinoshita", so he sent people or letters to Izumori repeatedly to ask for it.The three masters of my lord weighed the pros and cons, summoned Mr. Zhong Gang, and persuaded: "Even if it is a golden horse, the Ping family will not be able to keep it if we want it. We should give the horse to them before angering Zong Sheng." Zhong Gang Mr. Tsuna had no choice but to bid farewell to his beloved horse with tears, and specially composed a waka, instructing his retainers to send them along with the BMW to the Ping family, hoping that Ping Zong Sheng could treat "Kinoshita" well. The song said:
However, after the horse and the song were sent to the Ping family's mansion, Ping Zongsheng did not return a return song according to the etiquette. Instead, he called his retainers and colleagues to watch "Kinoshita" together, and said arrogantly: "It really is a good horse. No wonder Zhong Gang is reluctant to bear it." , hehe, since that’s the case, let’s change its name to ‘Zhong Gang’!” After finishing speaking, he ordered someone to brand the word “Zhong Gang” on the horse.Whenever a guest came to ask for a view of a famous horse, Zong Sheng would shout: "Pull that bastard 'Zhong Gang' out!" Such rudeness and arrogance are really rare!It is even more puzzling that he and Minister Komatsu are blood brothers, but the siblings are as different as clouds and mud.
Later, these words spread to the ears of Izu Mamoru and the three priests. Izu Mamoru was unbearable and humiliated. He hated and was annoyed. He immediately put on his horse, carried a bow and arrow, and went to the Liuboluo Mansion where the Heira family lived to ask for an explanation. .The three Taoists who heard about it also changed their colors, but they still persuaded Mr. Zhong Gang: "The Ping family is so complacent that they think that people in the world can be trampled on by them. If this kind of humiliation is not reported, the old man will live in vain! However, the Ping family Today, there are still Taoist ministers in charge of the bureau, and they are still submissive to the Emperor of Japan. We have no reason to raise troops, so we should bear the power for a while and wait for the opportunity."
At the end of the third year of Zhicheng, there was a sudden storm in the Taoist country, and he ordered forty-three people from the following, the ministers of the Taizheng, the ministers of the palace, and the ministers, to suspend all their duties and close their homes; , Let your descendants take the place and fill the vacancy.In the fourth year of Jisei, Emperor Shirakawa was imprisoned, and Emperor Takakura was forced to abdicate. The daughter of Ripei Kiyomori and the son born to Kenreimon Institute became the emperor, and it was Emperor Antoku.At that time, Emperor Antoku had just turned three years old, and the political power was naturally controlled by the Prime Minister.Taira Kiyomi Moriki is the head of the country, and now he is the emperor's grandfather. The Taira family is even more unscrupulous. Almost all of them, inside and outside the court, are not the forces and minions of the Taira family;Such foreign relatives monopolizing power, ignoring the royal lord, and acting recklessly, can't be said to be shocking!
Seeing that the time was ripe, the three priests prepared to support the second prince of Empress Hou Baihe. At the age of 30, he took Renwang Gaocang Palace as his lord, and raised a flag to call on the world to raise troops to crusade against the rebellious Ping clan.Unexpectedly, the news leaked out, and the Ping family acted preemptively, sending heavy troops to the palace to search for Takakura Palace.Under the cover of guards, Gaocang Palace disguised itself as a woman and escaped from the palace. He escaped overnight.After a difficult journey, he came to Mijing Temple and was welcomed by the monks.The monks at Mitsui Temple sympathized with what happened to Takakura Palace, and resented the Heike's dictatorship, which disturbed the world. They sent an ultimatum to Enryaku Temple in the northern capital and Kofuku Temple in Nara in the southern capital, asking for the support of the monks and soldiers to discuss the Heike's rebellion.Enli Temple was bought by Xiaohui, the Taoist minister, and disappeared behind closed doors; the southern capital of Nara promised to send troops to help.In Mitsui Temple, the monks gathered together, together with the soldiers and horses summoned by the three priests, the whole army was near the Uji bridge, ready to retreat to Nara.
Due to the haste of raising troops, many situations were not considered in time. The lord rushed to Uji, but he forgot to send someone to inform his subordinates to evacuate together.Although Jing was left behind, his heart of repaying the Lord never extinguished.Ping Zongsheng sent people to persuade me to surrender, and I pretended to surrender. After that, I followed Ping Zongsheng respectfully and gradually gained his trust. Later, he asked Zongsheng for a horse on the grounds that his war horse had been stolen.Sure enough, Zong Sheng was fooled and gave me the famous horse "Nuan Ting" and asked me to make military exploits early.I rode "Nanting", hid my wife and children, set fire to the house, and went straight to Uji River without hesitation.
In Mitsui Temple, I caught up with the army and was able to rendezvous with the lord, and Izumori was among them.I presented the "Nuan Ting" that I rode under my crotch, and said to Naka Tsuna: "Although it is difficult to take back the 'Kinoshita' of Izu Shouden, I have captured Zongsheng's 'Nan Ting', and now I will present it to the lord." Izu Mamoru Hearing the words, he and the three priests were overjoyed, and ordered people to cut off the ponytail and mane of "Nuanting", and branded the word "Zongsheng" in the same way, and released them back to Liuboluo at night.I really want to see Ping Zongsheng's contemptuous face of a villain, and what kind of expression he will have when he sees "Nuan Ting".
During Liuboluo's feint-surrender period, he won another treasure--I didn't intend to praise my merits, but this treasure is even better than "Nuanting".According to legend, in the early years of Taoism, Xiangguo contributed to the rebuilding of Koyasan Great Pagoda and Itsukushima Shrine. He dreamed that Itsukushima Daimyojin bestowed a precious sword, and when he woke up, he saw a small silver long sword lying beside his pillow.Therefore, with the protection of the precious sword, the Ping family was able to rise to the top and sit on the power of the world.It is said that this saber entered Daoist Xiangguo and planned to pass it on to Lord Chongsheng. After Chongsheng died, he had to hand it over to Zongsheng for safekeeping.I joined Zongsheng's mansion as an attendant, one to wait for an opportunity to avenge my lord's shame, and the other to steal this precious sword!
Since I took refuge in Zong Sheng, I have been paying attention to his daily activities, and I have taken the initiative to ask for the post of night guard in the mansion to stay on duty outside Zong Sheng's bedroom at night.The hard work paid off, and after three consecutive nights on duty, I finally discovered that Zong Sheng had hidden a brocade box in his pillow.When no one was there, I sneaked into it, opened the brocade box, and saw inside was a gorgeous short knife with a black handle and silver sheath.The scabbard is wrapped with a layer of brocade, which looks extraordinarily precious.I guessed that this was undoubtedly the treasured sword handed down from the Heike era, so I hid it in my bosom, put the brocade box back as it was, and asked Zong Sheng for a horse that day, and ran back to the lord overnight.
After chasing to Mijing Temple, I presented the treasured sword to the lord, and the three Taoist masters were really refreshed. They took the treasured sword and rubbed it repeatedly, carefully put it in their arms, and said: "Jing, you are worthy of being my confidant, Wan Li No one warrior! Not to mention how you used your resourcefulness to steal this treasure from the Ping family, just being able to dedicate this important treasure of the samurai family that commanded the world to the loyal heart of the lord, even ten thousand gold is hard to buy! With this treasured sword, you don’t have to worry about our army being unable to win the battle! Haha, Kiyomori Hira, your good days are finally coming to an end, and the next one will be the world of the three laizhengs of my Genji family!"
After getting the treasured sword, the three priests gave up their decision to withdraw to Nara, but camped in Byodo-in Temple near Uji Bridge, waiting for the arrival of the Heike army.At noon on May 23, the Heike army of more than 38,000 riders crossed Mount Muban and rushed to the head of the Uji Bridge.The three Daoists ordered people to remove the bridge slab of Uji Bridge. The two armies faced each other across the river, the horses neighing, and the sound of killing shook the sky.Seeing that he couldn't get close, the Heike ordered the archers to step forward and shoot arrows towards the main formation where the lord and Izumori were.Our samurai Wuzhiyuan Danma saw this and slapped his horse forward. He swung his long sword and cut off the random arrows one after another. Unscathed.The warriors of the Heike family were amazed to see this scene, and called it "cutting arrows but horses".
In troubled times, heroes emerge in large numbers.Seeing that the Ping family was too late to march, one of the monks and soldiers walked out and reported his name: "I am a bright scholar from the Jingmiaofang of Mijing Temple. A monk should not kill indiscriminately, but the Ping family deceived the king and made trouble. Chao Gang is now facing the royal nobles with swords. I believe that even the gods and Buddhas will not sit idly by such evil deeds! Today, I will fight against you and other rebels on behalf of the gods and Buddhas. If you are not convinced, just come up and compete!" Standing up and holding the bow, looking proudly.
Jingmiaofang is a well-known sharpshooter in Mijing Temple. The Heike warriors have heard for a long time that his arrows never fail. At this moment, out of fear, no one dares to go forward first.Jingmiaofang yelled three times in a row, and seeing that no one came out to fight, he roared and fired arrows like rain. With the twenty-four black-feathered arrows on his back, twelve people were killed one after another, eleven were injured, and only the last one was left. When he shot an arrow, Jing Miaofang threw away the bow and arrow, took off his shoes and socks, stepped barefoot on the beams of the Uji Bridge without a bridge, and brandished a long sword to charge towards the enemy soldiers on the opposite side.The beams were slippery and narrow, and the rush of the river below was dizzying to look at.However, Jingmiaofang, like walking on flat ground, hacked and slashed, killing five enemies.When chopping down the sixth person, the long knife hit the hard armor, breaking it in half from the middle.Immediately, he threw away the long sword and drew out the Taidao to fight again.The shadow of the knife fluttered and killed eight more people in an instant. When cutting down the ninth person, the Taidao broke again. Jing Miaofang pulled out the short knife left at his waist and fought hand-to-hand with the enemy!There is such a powerful mage in Mijing Temple, which is really admirable.
Seeing that Jingmiaofang had entered the battle and killed dozens of people, and had already achieved great success, all the warriors and monk soldiers were gearing up and eager to try.There is also a mage named Yilai in Mijing Temple, whose bravery is not inferior to Jingmiaofang. At this time, seeing Jingmiaofang fighting with the enemy with a short knife, the short knife is weak, and he can't help feeling anxious.However, the trusses are narrow, so the mage couldn't get around Jingmiaofang, and couldn't step forward to help, so in desperation, he put his hand on Jingmiaofang's shoulder, jumped up with his strength, jumped to the middle, and said: "Excuse me, Jingmiaofang house." Then he fought with fifteen Heike warriors with a big long sword, hacked several of them, and died on the spot because he was outnumbered.But Jing Miaofang was able to get a respite and was injured and retreated.During the post-battle inspection, there were as many as 63 arrow holes and knife marks on Jingmiaofang's armor, five of which were pierced, but fortunately none of them were serious.Jing Miaofang simply treated the wound by himself. Knowing that he could no longer fight, he changed into a monk's robe, folded his bow into a staff, chanted the Buddha's name, and went to Nara.When everyone saw this, they were all amazed.
Inspired by Jingmiaofang and a mage who came, all the monks, soldiers and warriors followed suit one after another, standing on the bridge truss to block the enemy.Those who died in battle rolled into the river, and the latecomers followed closely behind, fighting bravely to be the first.The Uji Bridge could not be attacked for a long time, but the Ping family lost troops and generals.Just when the lord thought that the first battle was about to be so victorious, there was a sudden cry of killing from the direction of Byodoin Temple at the side and rear. It turned out that a wise general in the Heike formation, Adachi Mataro, saw that the two armies were at a stalemate. There was no chance of winning, so he led more than 300 riders to detour to the lower reaches of the Uji River, and took a risky swim.Under his calm and calm command, more than 300 riders finally managed to cross the river, none of them were washed away, and then they went back to the rear of our army and entered Byodoin.
Our army was attacked from both sides, and the formation immediately changed.The lord was worried about the safety of Takakura Palace who was staying in Byodoin, so he rushed back to rescue him.Losing the command of the general before the battle, he lost power immediately. The Heike army saw the opportunity and immediately shot back the people on the bridge. They ordered the soldiers to demolish the nearby houses and pave the bridge slabs. , Hundreds of riders were washed away, but most of the more than 28,000 riders were able to go ashore.When the army landed, it was unstoppable, and our army fell into a passive state.The battle situation reversed, and the lord found Takakura Palace from Byodoin, helped him mount the horse, and said goodbye: "Today is outnumbered, and the situation is unpredictable. I am afraid that we will bid farewell to Your Highness forever. Your Highness, please take care of yourself. You can quickly go to Nara to gather reinforcements, or It is possible to reverse the situation and make a comeback!" Takakura Palace sobbed and rode his horse, fled Byodoin Temple, and ran towards Nara.The lord stayed behind with his family and generals, and opened fire to cover Gaocang Palace.
The battle situation in the Court of Equality can be said to be tragic and abnormal!The lord’s second son, the judge Kantsuna, the adopted son Rokujo Tibetan Nakaya and his son Nakamitsu were killed in battle; Izu Mori Nakatsuna was seriously injured and committed seppuku; at this time, there was another bad news from behind: Takakura Palace was bypassed by the Heike warriors who were chasing by Byodoin Temple When he caught up, he fell off the horse with an arrow and was beheaded.More than 30 heroes of the world who followed him on the front and rear of the saddle - Oni Sado, Ara Tosa, Jinguangin Rokutengu, etc., all died in battle.
The lord heard the news and knew that the situation was over, so he retreated into the back garden in despair and prepared to commit suicide.He summoned me and my trusted vassal Watanabe Chang Qichang, as intermediaries, and sighed: "I am determined to avenge my shame, and to raise troops to revive the imperial court. I have the prestige of Takakura Palace, and your loyalty has won me again." Why is the sword of the Wu family's world still defeated here? Sigh, is it true that the sword bestowed by Itsukushima Daimyo can only protect the descendants of the Heike family?" After saying that, he pulled out the precious sword that was close to him, and drew it to kill himself.Unexpectedly, the blade came out of the sheath and touched the flesh without any damage.The lord was shocked and raised the knife to check. It turned out that the knife looked exquisite, but in fact there was a layer of silver foil on the knife body, and under the silver foil was just a wooden knife!
"Takiguchi Jing, you..." Seeing that the "treasure sword" turned into a wooden sword in a blink of an eye, Watanabe Chang Qichang immediately drew the sword and looked at me angrily, thinking that I had exchanged the treasure sword and hid it privately, which actually harmed the lord.When I was at a loss for words, the lord suddenly smiled wryly and stopped Chang Qi from singing: "I heard that when Qingsheng's father, Ping Zhongsheng, was an official, he was envied by the courtiers because of his favor, and was even worried about being assassinated by the court. To frighten all the officials away and not to offend the palace taboo, Zhongsheng made a fake wooden knife with silver foil for self-defense. After Zhongsheng died, the descendants of the Heing family used this knife as a treasure to protect peace. I have never doubted your loyalty to me for a moment, but this time... it is bad luck, and the doom of the three of my Genji who entered Dao Laizheng is coming, that's all."
When I heard the words of my lord, I was heartbroken and in pain.Originally as a retainer, it was already a felony to die for the lord's defeat by mistakenly stealing the "treasure sword", but now he still has to rely on the lord's words to wash away the stigma and prove his innocence, which is even more embarrassing.So that the hand can't hold the knife, and the tears can't stop overflowing.Before leaving, the lord recited the Buddha ten times aloud, and composed a death song, which said:
Yongba cited self-cutting, the point of the knife pierced out of the abdomen, Watanabe Changqichang shed tears for the Lord's fault, wrapped the head with the lapel, broke out, and sank the head into the Uji River.In order to prevent the head from being captured by the enemy, it will be humiliated again.
The lord, the young master, Takakura Palace, and all my colleagues have all left before me.Jing has no more thoughts about life, but if he falls into the hands of Heike soldiers, he is afraid that he will be humiliated and tortured again.After the lord died, I guarded his body, took off my armor and bowed down, took out the knife in his belly, and placed it under my ribs... Recalling the decades of military service, it was as dazzling and short as the cherry blossoms in March, and like Empty and empty like a drunken dream.The sound of shouting and killing outside the corridor is approaching, the deadline has come, and I can no longer write.I hope that this hand scroll will be picked up by someone with predestined relationship in the future, and it will be worthy of the mighty name of my Minamoto Raisa monarch and minister.In my life, I have been unparalleled in loyalty and bravery, and I have killed countless enemies. There is only one thing to regret-if the real treasured sword was stolen from the Ping family at that time, could the master's ending not be so bleak?
The flowers of Mount Saga are blooming again, and the originally barren mountains and plains, because of the embellishment of these nameless flowers, have some intoxicating spring scenery.Today is the death anniversary of my wife's passing away. I specially prepared incense candle offerings, picked a bunch of wild flowers, and went to my wife's tomb to sprinkle and sweep.
I am Xiaojing, a nun from Qingjian Temple. I was originally a maidservant in front of Emperor Takakura's favorite concubine Duyu. Several years ago, I was forced to become a monk together with my wife. Today, several years have passed.The lady who was once as charming and charming as flowers has now been buried in the ground, and the short spring in the mountains will never be seen again.And all I can do is to sweep this lonely tomb for her every year and pray for her and Emperor Takakura, that's all.
I think that before my wife left the cabinet, she was the beloved daughter of Nayan Chengfan in Yingcho. She was beautiful and virtuous, and she played a good piano.At that time, being in the middle palace, because he was competing for favor with Kui Yuqian, he ordered his wife to be brought into the palace and dedicated to the Holy One, and I also entered the palace with my wife.Madam was a little scared at the beginning, but fortunately His Majesty the Emperor is a gentle and kind person, within a few days, the two became harmonious, held hands to reward the silver man, and made vows of eternal love with two fingers.I was young at the time, but I always felt joy in my heart when I saw my wife and the emperor always smiling at each other, singing and playing happily.
It's just that at the beginning, we didn't know anything about the dark things in the palace.Seeing that his wife was getting more and more favored, the Jianli Gate courtyard surpassed Kui Yuqian's limelight, and sent female officials several times to reprimand and warn his wife.Madam came from a famous family, so she naturally knew how to advance and retreat, so she immediately prepared the ceremony and went to the central palace to make amends.Jianli Menyuan greeted them with a smile, and offered a plate of seasonal fruits as a gift in return.I returned to the imperial palace with the fruit in my hands, but my wife was still depressed, and ordered me to crush the fruit and feed it to the squirrel in the cage.I was just surprised, but Madam seemed to understand it, and let out a long sigh. Since then, it is hard to hear that wonderful piano sound in the imperial palace.
夫人尚未入宫前，曾被冷泉大纳言隆房猛烈追求过。彼时隆房尚是少将，风姿倜傥，与夫人倒也算门户相当。然而少将不久后为求取功名，娶了平清盛的长女为正妻，当今中宫建礼门院亦是平清盛之女，少将作为国戚，得以在大内时常走动。一日与夫人在御园赏花，不意正撞见了少将。夫人暗忖如今已是圣上之宠姬，不可再与其他男子有所纠葛，便转身退回御所。不料少将一见夫人，却旧情萌发，写下一封情笺投入御所帘中。夫人不愿再起事端，便命我将未启封的情笺依样丢回院子里。少将满面羞愤，收起信匆匆离去。我隔着帘子偷偷松一口气，却不承想之后竟闹出了更加不成体统之事。
原来少将回去后，心中郁闷难平，竟留下和歌打算自尽！歌中写道：
所幸发现及时，被人所救，但自尽之事与和歌还是传到了入道相国平清盛耳中。得知少将自杀源于夫人，清盛大怒，当众下令：“中宫乃吾女，皇上系吾女婿，冷泉少将亦为吾女婿，小督一女占吾二婿之心，大为可恶，必须早日处置以绝后患！”夫人闻言大骇，连忙制备行囊，改换仆役服装，带着我趁夜色混在出宫的大人牛车队伍里，私逃出宫。
夫人出宫后隐居于嵯峨郊外，时光倏忽，转眼几个月过去，已到了仲秋时节。遥想起往年此时，与天皇携手赏月的良辰美景，夫人不由得心生凄楚，遂取下封藏已久之琴，鼓起唐人乐府调一首《想夫恋》。
哪承想一曲未终，茅舍门外却响起了敲门之声。夫人一惊，嘱我去应门。我微微开启门扉，屋外站着的是一名面熟的武士。来者自报姓名道：“吾乃源氏仲国，受皇命所差，前来找一位失踪的宫中贵人，请开门。”
我心中一沉，慌忙答道：“阁下敲错门了，宫中的贵人是不可能住在这种地方的。”说罢便想将门掩上。不料对方猛力将门推开，直入屋中，对夫人道：“您为何要不辞而别，孤身躲到这种地方？若不是仲国曾与您有过合奏之缘，今日恐怕也要错过了。如今陛下思念成疾，恐有性命之忧，这里有陛下的手书，您请自阅吧。”说罢便呈上一封书信，原来自夫人离开以来，天皇茶饭不思，卧病已久，暗中下令派遣仲国前来寻找夫人下落。仲国已在京都四周寻访了一个多月，杳无音信，眼看打算放弃时，忽然听见山中传来非同寻常的琴艺。仲国大人精通笛艺，曾在宫中与夫人为圣上共同演奏过，故而听音了然，循着琴声找到了夫人的所在。
夫人读罢圣上手书，泪如泉涌，哽咽道：“非小督狠心，抛下皇上龙体于不顾，只是平清盛相国因冷泉少将及中宫失宠一事迁怒于我，如在宫中恐遭不测，反为陛下之累。如今陛下龙体抱恙，我却不能亲身侍奉，该如何是好呢？”仲国闻言，连忙好言宽慰道：“清盛相国虽手眼通天，但他毕竟身为人臣，不可能悖逆主上，作出逆乱无礼之事。仲国今日愿做陛下与您的信使，请您至少先修书一封回于陛下，让他知道您尚在世间，以慰相思之苦吧！”
夫人听罢，即刻复信一封，又交给仲国一套女官宫装作为信物，一并交由其连夜带回京都。数日后仲国带着牛车与仆从，再度来迎。夫人起先不肯回去。但仲国声称天皇已在大内以外为夫人备下住所，绝不会为入道相国察觉，又一再相劝，夫人才点头上车，还返京都。
夫人回到京都后，与皇上度过了一段你侬我侬的平安岁月，期间诞下了一名公主。入道相国虽在朝中翻云覆雨，甚至强迫高仓天皇退位，让位于建礼门院所生的三岁稚子，但皇上因有夫人，聊相慰藉，便也渐渐释然了。圣上不在夫人身边时，也常常派遣仲国前来探望。一日，仲国如往常一般带来了圣上的恩赐，临行前忽然对夫人下跪请求道：“仲国有一事，除夫人外无人得以相助，请求夫人施以援手！”
夫人吓了一跳，连忙扶起仲国道：“大人与我及圣上有大恩，有什么请求尽管直说便是，何出此言？”仲国大人低头沉默许久，才堪堪道出事由：“不知夫人是否有所耳闻，平家之所以如此嚣张跋扈，是因为清盛早年曾从严岛大明神处获得了一把宝刀。此刀目前尚在六波罗内，但无人知道其具体下落。我听闻您曾与清盛长婿冷泉少将有过交往，请您魅惑少将，让他潜入府中，盗出宝刀，将霸权归回皇家所有！”
夫人一听大惊失色，连忙回绝。仲国大人继续恳请：“非仲国异想天开，竟然胆敢唆使主上的爱姬去勾引敌人，但现在事情已到了非同小可的地步。清盛那厮在朝中任意胡为，内宫之中则是建礼门院大权独揽，国中上下，俱是平家子弟斗富弄权的所在！如今上皇被废，法皇又遭幽禁，长此以往，恐怕之子嗣江山都要易主！仲国斗胆，请督御前以皇家江山社稷为重，姑且抛开身家名节，为上皇窃取宝刀，重夺王权！倘若此事能够成功，想必陛下也是会谅解的！”
夫人听罢，左右为难，但拗不过仲国大人的苦苦请求，最终答应冒险一试。一日黄昏，夫人差我去向已升任大纳言的冷泉少将送信。我将夫人表达旧情的信笺交由冷泉大纳言，大纳言见信，果然欣喜若狂。原来他自尽未遂后受到入道相国训斥，又得知夫人失踪，心下黯然，早已对夫人不再抱有希望。今日得见手书，又是情笺，怎不是喜上眉梢，恨不得即刻相见。待到晚间，大纳言瞒着家人骑马出门，由我带路，寻到了上皇为夫人置下的处所。夫人虽答应仲国大人魅惑一事，但仍然谨记妇道之礼，隔帘与大纳言相见，共叙旧情，按下不表。
大纳言如此这般，与夫人私下幽会了数次，一日抚琴过后，夫人对其说道：“你如今虽身为大纳言，但实际上仍只是平清盛的一个傀儡。他平家满门如此专横，清盛过世后，难保他的子孙不会嫉妒你的高位，到时想取你这外姓之人而代之，便再没有人能够阻止了。你身居高位，如何能不为将来的前途和子孙的未来着想呢？”
一番话果然打动了大纳言的心思，夫人见大纳言沉默不语，继续劝诱：“妾身曾在大内听建礼门院说：'平家的权势，俱是严岛大明神所赐，入道相国的宝刀便是信物。'倘若真是如此，不如将这把宝刀据为己有，这样平家所拥有的一切，便是你的了，而今后再没有人可以对你颐指气使，你也再不用寄人篱下，仰人鼻息了。”
大纳言听后无话，与夫人闲谈几句后，便匆匆告辞。夫人等了十数天，再未见到大纳言来访，却等来了六波罗的兵马。夫人知道事发，沉着打扮后跟随官差前往六波罗平家府上，面见平清盛。我跟随牛车前往，一问之下，果然是大纳言窃刀未遂，反而告发了夫人，入道相国大怒，发兵前来捉拿夫人，一并问罪。
后来之事，我因不得进入平家府邸，故而只是听说——传闻入道相国一见夫人便惊为天人，色迷心窍，许下不追究不问罪之承诺，只要求夫人答应改嫁，成为清盛之妾。夫人严词拒绝，不惜犯相国一怒。后被迫前往清间寺削发为尼，再不得踏入京城半步。
闻之夫人遭遇不幸后，高仓上皇再度病重，很快撒手人寰。夫人得知，悲哀欲绝，也绝食诵经十数日，一瞑不起。我追随夫人落发，苦劝无果，只能为其料理后事。伉俪情深，本是一桩千古流传的美谈，然而在这朝不保夕的乱世之中，也只是徒余一声叹息罢了。
常思人世，如仲夏之花，烂漫而无常。虽有盖世功名、倾城容貌，仍逃不过六道轮回之宿命。纵有“明眸祸水”、“京都第一美人”之名，但当适逢乱世之际，对于自身的命运依然如流水浮萍，难以把握。
妾身之名为常盘，源氏左马头义朝之妾，判官大夫源义经之生母。想当年，初入宫闱之际，正值豆蔻年华，虽只是九条院陛下的侍婢，但美名早已如宫墙边生长的樱花一般遍传大内。殿上人争相书写情笺，请求一近芳泽；云中卿驻足路上等待牛车经过，只为风过帘时能够一睹仙颜。无奈近卫天皇早逝，妾身未及临沐恩宠便遇上了保元之乱。到了如今，青丝白发，早已是红颜不在的垂暮之年。于月色凄清时回首往事，偶尔也曾抱怨天不作美，明珠遭弃。但一想到当年的种种不如意，俱是为了与他相遇，那即便再苦上三生三世，也是值得的了。
那一日，战乱初平，后白河天皇于内苑宴之松原中为凯旋的尊王义士们赐宴洗尘。吾等宫女侍婢，也得以在廊间帘下，偷偷一窥这些当世豪杰之风采。妾身躲在一株紫藤树下，手持小扇，远远便瞥见一众粗豪武夫中，唯有一人与众不同——那位大人身穿白色朝服，头戴折乌帽子，眉目清俊，似有郁结之色。此时正好身旁有人劝酒，他举杯之时，目光恰好扫见了站在远处的妾身。四目相投之时，妾身几乎感到心跳漏了一拍，连忙持扇掩面，匆匆退下。
后来之事，发生得如此顺其自然——妾身在宫中听闻讨逆功臣源义朝向主上请求九条院之侍婢作为赏赐，心中忐忑地从牛车上踱下，见到的却正是那个朝思暮想的人影……宫中的荣华、曾经受封女院、宠冠后宫之类的梦想，此刻都不重要了。从此以后，妾身就只想着与眼前之人宿夜厮守，为其生儿育女，荣辱不离，直到白头。
可惜天不遂人愿，不久之后，夫君因为天皇封赏不均，又逼迫他杀死亲父及同族，举兵反乱。夫君战败被杀的消息随着隆冬的寒风一并传来，妾身虽肝肠寸断，但彼时吾已为亡夫诞下三子。长子今若刚刚七岁，幼子牛若尚在襁褓中。听闻帮助天皇平叛的平清盛正在大肆搜捕亡夫遗族，妾身不得不忍住眼泪，带着三个孩子逃入深山之中。
大和山的风真是冷啊，往日的仆役成群早已四散逃遁，唯有我孤儿寡母四人在皑皑白雪中艰难行进。双足都冻裂了，洁白的雪地中留下了一行行鲜红的足迹；两个长子都走不动了，幼子牛若更是啼哭不止，让人心烦意乱。勉强拖起三个孩子，几乎是在半昏迷的状态下抵达了宇多郡，藏匿于亲戚家中。如今想来，这大雪中连夜翻山的不可思议之举，仿佛是有神佛在暗中护佑，令妾身得以保留下源氏一脉。
只是祸事并未就此远离：平清盛那个卑鄙狠毒的小人，见搜捕不到我们母子，竟拘捕了妾身的母亲，想拷问她来得到吾等的下落！为使老母免于受苦，妾身不得不主动现身。然而面敌之际，妾身也并不是万念俱灰——那一日，妾身身穿绛紫宫衣，手抱琵琶，双目垂泪面见仇敌，婉转哀求留我骨肉一条生路。果然，平清盛这个好色之徒亦被妾身之容貌所惑，答应不杀吾等母子四人，但妾身需入六波罗侍其为夫，三子必须分开抚养，且必须出家。为了延续义朝之血脉，吾强忍心中之愤恨与嫌恶，一一答应下来，委身于敌，但立誓心中之贞节只为一人，一定要寻找机会，为夫报仇！
时光荏苒，转眼妾身在六波罗中便度过了十余年的岁月，期间虽为平清盛诞下一女廊下姬，但心中的复仇之火一日未曾熄灭。于适逢清盛期间，妾身从平家人那里得到了一个了不得的传闻：相传平清盛之所以能获得如今的高位大权，全是仰仗当年从严岛大明神那里获赐的一把宝刀。此刀我于侍寝时曾经见过，是一把银色丝边的小长刀。为了避免打草惊蛇，妾身当时并没有去触动宝刀，而是暗暗记下了宝刀的样子，暗中用积攒的首饰财产请刀匠打了一把相似的小长刀，再伺机偷入清盛卧室，换出了那把宝刀。
宝刀既已到手，妾身便将其藏在盛放米饭的竹筒内，托人带给了在鞍马山中修行的幼子牛若——三子之中唯有其坚持不肯削发，妾身虽不能亲自抚养他，但从传信的鞍马山寺僧口中隐隐感知，此子言行颇有其父当年之风。为恐牛若之异状为清盛所觉，妾身私下授意寺僧禀报清盛：牛若也已出家，法名遮那王，正在山中安详修持，并无二心。
牛若长到16岁时，在化身黄金商人的义朝旧部帮助下，逃入陆奥，投身藤原秀衡帐下，行了元服之礼，得名义经。彼时妾身已年老色衰，被清盛厌弃，赐予家臣藤原长成。昔日名动京都的美人，如今被人当做随手抛弃的玩物，心下虽有不忿，但比起日日铭记的深仇大恨来，这些屈辱已无足挂怀。妾身日日祈祷，吾子义经能为父报仇，肃清平家满门，重振源氏之威风！
战事初期，的确如我所祈求一般，义经与其异母兄长源赖朝结盟，集结奥州勇士，响应已故高仓宫与源氏三位入道赖政之令旨，起兵讨伐平家。养和元年，清盛病死，义经率兵突入一之谷、攻下屋岛，势如破竹；最后更是在坛之浦覆灭平家满门，报了先父血仇！常盘此时虽是飘零之身，但也深感快慰，哪怕即刻横死入灭，也无愧于夫君所托了。
然而妾身未曾想到的是，吾儿义经的战功与人望，竟然会引来其兄长赖朝的嫉妒！平家覆灭后不久，赖朝便以义经私自受封官职，拥兵自重为由，要求法皇下旨追讨义经！同时，从九州方面又传出挑拨离间的谣言，说义经藏匿有平清盛掌握武家天下霸权之宝刀，更是坐实了其叛逆罪名！吾子年仅而立，便被亲兄逼迫自尽，吾作为娘亲费尽心机为他夺来的宝刀，却成了促使他被害的凶器！造化弄人也！神佛在上，为何要如此折磨妾身呢！
忆往昔亡父在时，时常引用我朝与唐土史料，告诫吾与众兄弟不可骄横；须时刻谨记万物不可过茂，过茂遭损；万事不可盛极，盛极必衰。当时尚自懵懂，只是付诸一笑，今日想来，悔不曾谨遵亡父教诲，以至今日也。
在下小松三位中将、平氏维盛，已故内大臣重盛长子，已故入道相国清盛之孙，如今只是一介亡命天涯的行脚僧，孑然一身，飘零海上，空茫无寄。往昔平家权倾朝野之际，吾与诸兄弟帽簪樱花，足踏青海波舞，仆役簇拥，高朋满座，真有如一场幻梦一般。
自祖父亡殁之后，平家的祸事便一件接着一件发生——先是领兵叛乱，占领京都；平家人被迫西迁，后又在一之谷接连遭遇源赖朝、源义经奇袭，兵败如山倒，如今只剩下屋岛一处苟且存身。逃离京都之际，我因不忍妻儿同遭流离之苦，故而将他们留在了京都，未承想今日却遭来同族的猜忌，疑我早有二心，打算投奔源氏。维盛左右遭忌，百口莫辩，索性带着三名亲信，逃出屋岛，幸得故人泷口入道时赖相助，出家为僧，翻越重重关卡，今日来到那智海上，行将自沉。
遥想当年，亡父尚在时，曾有一日急召我入内，摆下酒宴，又命家臣捧出一把长刀，郑重交付于我。我初时以为是家传重宝、朱雀天皇所赐的，没想到接过细看，却是大臣殡葬时佩戴的无文太刀。我当时心中愕然，还以为是家臣送错，不料父亲含泪命我收下，沉声道：“没有拿错，这就是大臣入葬时子息佩戴的无文太刀，此刀本来打算在入道相国辞世时为父自用，如今为父要走在入道公前面了，此刀便先传给你吧。”
我闻言大惊，连忙追问父亲何出此不吉之言。原来日前，父亲前往熊野神社参拜时，曾在神宫前如此祷告：“今观吾父入道相国之言行，愈发狂态毕露，偏离正道日远。吾身为人子，不能说服父亲收敛暴戾；身为人臣，不能扳正倾斜之朝纲，实在左右为难，竭思苦虑。请求神佛能止入道相国之邪心，还社稷朝纲之清明；如若不然，则减去重盛之性命，以救平家子孙来世苦难。”说罢忽感体内有灯火般的物事从中飞出，隐入神宫中猝然不见。父亲明白神明所指，心中黯然，回到家中便染病不起，心知时日无多了。
我哭泣着接过无文太刀回到卧室中，心中郁结，却无可奈何，正想将刀交给家臣收纳，未承想却在刀鞘和刀身间发现一片绢角。我诧异起身，拔刀出鞘，只见太刀刀鞘内不是精铁刀身，居然是一把木刀！木刀之内嵌藏着一把银色小长刀，刀身上绑着一卷帛书。我展开帛书，竟是父亲写下的遗嘱——原来太刀中的银色小刀就是祖父当年从严岛大明神那里得到的宝刀“武家之节刀”！祖父年迈后将其交由父亲保管，父亲自知将不久于人世，心知自己过世后，叔父宗盛一定会来讨要这把宝刀，而宗盛父子又缺乏德才，没有统领武家之气魄。父亲唯恐我年幼，无法保住节刀，故而将刀藏入无文太刀内，秘密传授于我。手持着这一件武家重宝，我心中久久难平，泣不成声。父亲为国为族所留下的种种良苦用心，吾等实在是难以企及。
父亲过世后，遗物中因寻不见节刀，着实在平家乃至整个京都掀起了一场轩然大波。种种谣言喧嚣尘上。祖父虽然骇怒，好歹还沉得住脾气暗中搜查，宗盛叔父果不其然大为惊惶，举家上下闹得不得安宁，甚至杀害了传闻梦见节刀丢失的源中纳言雅赖大人的郎党。紧接着，战乱随之而来，高仓宫、木曾义仲、源赖朝、源义经先后举兵，平家一夕之间从国之栋梁沦落为朝敌逆党，人人得