184話 彼女の疑惑
彼女の才能が開花したのならば喜ばしいことだ。
何故なら、彼女の琵琶は他の琵琶師のものと比べて綺麗だったからだ。
「琵琶っていうのは、使えば使うほど傷が増えるものさ。
そう述べる徐によると、腕の良い琵琶師の琵琶は、傷の補修のために磨きを重ねて色合いが変わっているらしい。
しかし彼女の琵琶は、その段階に至っているような見た目をしていないのだそうだ。
未だに弦が切れないように上手く弾くのが苦手な彼女に、果たしてあのような音が奏でられるのか? と不思議に思ったという。
はこれを聞いて感心した風に漏らす。
思えば楽器を弾く宮妓にとって楽器は己を証明するものだ。
楽器によって自身の未来が決まるのだから、手入れも念入りになろうというもの。
その点、彼女はまだ「お嬢様の習い事」の感覚が抜けてなかったということかもしれない。
それでもお膳立てがあったとしても、独奏を任せられるほどの才能があったのだろう。
しかしその腕を生かすも殺すも、本人次第なのだ。
そんな習い事の琵琶を持っている彼女が突然熟練の琵琶弾きのような音を出せば、怪しむのも無理はない。
「けれど、その疑問をアタシは一旦飲み込んだ。
そう告げる徐は、宮妓になってから幾人もそうした者を見てきたという。
――まあ楽師としての腕が一流なのと、心が強いのは別問題だものね。
誰かが病気や怪我で楽師の頂点から脱落したら、その頂点に他者が代わりに上ることになる。
楽師の腕が身を立てる唯一の手段である宮妓に、他者の不幸を望まない気持ちを持ち続けることは、おそらくは大変な苦労を伴うに違いない。
そして徐がその不幸の泥沼に堕ちなかったのは、徐の目的が宮妓としての出世ではなく、あくまで恋人の戻りを待つことだったからなのかもしれない。
そんな徐の気持ちをよそに、彼女はやがてその琵琶の音で、再び独奏を任される琵琶師になった。
しかし徐と同じような疑問を抱いた他の宮妓から、彼女に対しての不満が出てくる。
「あの子の琵琶が上達しただけなら、そこまで問題なかったんだよ。
一体どうしたのか、急に練習をし過ぎておかしくなったのか?
アレが独奏を任される琵琶師の頂点だなんて、教坊の恥ではないか、などと噂が飛び交う中、徐は気になる話を聞いたという。
「あの娘と部屋が近い娘から聞いたんだけど、最近見慣れない商人が頻繁に顔を見せていたそうなんだ」
徐が告げた話に、男が「なに?」と声を上げる。
「教坊の出入り商なら、決まった店しか許可されていないはずだが」
「そうなんですか?」
男の言った内容に雨妹が問うのに、徐からの解説が入る。
曰く、宮妓は楽器の手入れ道具やら、歌手であれば喉を守るためのアレコレやら、宴に出る際の衣装やら、それなりに金をかける必要がある。
もちろんこれらは教坊から経費として出るもので、つまり商人からすると宮妓とは取り損ねのない客なのだ。
そして当然、一流の大店ばかりが出入りを許されていた。
しかしある時から聞き慣れない店の商人が混じるようになり、その商人を彼女が懇意にしているのだという。
「聞こえた話によると、どこかの宮から紹介された商人みたいだけど、どこの店から来たのかアタシには聞き覚えがないんだ」
かつては大店の娘であった徐であるので、宮城に出入りする店のことは当然全て知っていた。
なのにその商人が名乗る店に聞き覚えがない。
そして耳を澄ませて話を集めた結果、どうやらその商人はどこぞの大店に頼んで、よその店の者が紛れ込んだらしいとわかったという。
Chapter 184: Her Suspicions
That woman's skills blossoming should be something to be happy about
As for the reason, it was because that woman's lute's state was far more pristine compared to the lutes of the other musicians.
"The more you use the lute, the more scratches it will have. You will break a lot of strings at first while checking how much strength you need to put so that the sound will come out nicely, and you have to repair the scratches that result from that."
According to Xu, the lutes of skill musicians will change colors as part of polishing and covering the scratches.
However, that woman's lute didn't look like it reached that level.
It had been hard for her to play well without breaking a string, and yet she was able to produce such wonderful music? --
Yui Mei muttered, impressed with what she heard.
Thinking about it, these musical instruments also represented the courtesans that played them.
Their future would change depending on their instruments, so they would also put a lot of effort in maintaining them.
Perhaps, that fact still hadn't sinked into that woman, who still hadn't grasped that sense that it was no longer a mere lesson that a noble young lady would receive.
Still, despite that shortcoming, she was probably talented enough to be entrusted with a solo performance.
However, it was also up to the person herself whether she would hone this talent, or just let it rot.
It wasn't odd then that Xu found it suspicious. That such a woman, who was still at the level of a pampered miss, could play such captivating music that had seemed like it was produced by a professional.
"But still, I swallowed all suspicions for a time. I can't doubt the talents of others, it will be the start of my downfall."
It seemed that Xu witnessed some people experience that after she became a palace courtesan.
'Well, being a top-notch musician is a separate matter from having a strong heart, right?'
If a musician had fallen from the top ranks because of an injury or an illness, someone else would have to take their place.
It must be very difficult for palace courtesans, whose could only rely on their talent and skills for a living not to harbor any feelings of resentment and wishes of misfortune on others.
Perhaps, Xu didn't fall into this quagmire of misfortune because she wasn't focused on advancing her career, because her goal was to wait for her lover's return.
And yet, despite of her personal wish, she still returned to being the solo performer because of the sound of her lute.
However, the other musicians, who also had doubts about the other woman, started to grumble about it.
"It would have been fine if the only thing that happened was that girl's improvement with the lute. However, from then on, her emotions started to become unstable, and the occasions when her actions and words became strange increased."
What on earth happened to her? Did she practice too much that she went crazy?
It was when the rumors started to spread, saying it was a disgrace for that kind of lute musician, that Xu heard something that bothered her.
"I heard it from the girl that stays in a room near that girl, but it seemed an unfamiliar merchant had been constantly visiting her recently."
The man shouted when he heard what Xu said.
"Only authorized merchants can enter and leave Jiaofang."
"Really?"
Yui Mei asked when the man said that, so Xu further explained.
According to her, palace courtesans would need to spend money on things like maintenance tools for the instruments, and if they were singers, they would buy various stuff to protect their throats. They also needed to buy the clothes they would wear to the banquets.
Of course, the expenses would be shouldered by the Jiaofang, so normally, palace courtesans wouldn't have the chance to interact with such merchant guests..
Of course, only the first-class stores were permitted to enter.
However, since that day, it seemed that the unfamiliar merchant started to blend with those stores, and he showered that woman with kindness, apparently.
"According to what I heard, it's a merchant introduced by somebody in the palace, but I've never heard of that store before."
Xu was once a daughter of a prestigious merchant, so it was only natural that she knew all the stores that entered the palace.
And yet, the name of the store that the merchant gave was unfamiliar to her.
After gathering more information, she found out that the merchant had requested a different large-scale store to let him blend with them, apparently.
Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace
百花宮のお掃除係～転生した新米宮女、後宮のお悩み解決します。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/housekeeper-of-the-hundred-blossom-palace/
Fantasy Romance Shoujo Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Ancient China Complex Family Relationships Different Social Status Female Protagonist Imperial Harem Love Interest Falls in Love First Reincarnated in Another World Royalty
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4104ev/
黒辺あゆみ