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been particularly intimidated by the imprecations and reproaches of other evil spirits, was deeply shaken by the specter of the third princess. The young court noble most like Kaneie in temperament was his own youngest son, the lesser commander of the guards (Michinaga), whom Kaneie is said to have warned sternly: “There are all kinds of transgressions in this world, but make sure you are never guilty of giving a woman cause for resentment. At first it may remain unexpressed, and you will put it out of your mind with no thought of consequences. But I’m afraid that even if I tell you how horrible those unexpressed resentments can become, someone your age would probably not understand.”
    Under these circumstances, Kaneie’s daughter (the emperor’s mother) and sons repeatedly urged him to change residences.
    He obliged and moved to the Higashisanjò mansion, but the evil spirits followed him there and his condition only grew worse. On the fifth day of the fifth month he resigned from the positions of chancellor and regent, and a few days later took religious orders. An imperial proclamation was immediately issued appointing the palace minister, Michitaka, as regent.
    Though it was perhaps only natural for Kaneie’s eldest son to 18 c A Tale of False Fortunes receive such an appointment, news of it pitched the Higashisanjò mansion into such a state of agitation that it seemed almost as if Kaneie’s illness had been forgotten. Those of that household as well as people in other prominent families naturally watched with raised brows as Michitaka’s father-in-law and brothers-in-law—men who were not even of Fujiwara lineage—
    went swaggering about as if they owned the place. The new regent himself seemed to go along with the inveigling of those around him who wanted his daughter to be elevated from junior consort to empress as soon as possible. This was accomplished on the first day of the sixth month. There was gossip about the new regent: he was able to steer everything to his advantage, but his actions were unfeeling and indiscreet in light of his father’s grave illness. Furthermore, what did he have in mind by appointing the lesser commander of the guards, an uncle to the empress, as steward of the empress’ household? Did he think Michinaga’s broad-mindedness about everything would afford the right protection for his daughter? If that was what Michitaka was thinking, then he was an unusually gullible sort of person, unable to see the bold ambition lurking behind his youngest brother’s magnanimous demeanor.
    As might be expected, the position of steward of the empress’
    household seemed of little interest to Michinaga, and he had not even properly paid his respects at the palace before Kaneie passed away on the second day of the seventh month. It appeared that matters of government would now proceed exactly as the new regent desired, and that the other nobles would have no recourse but to follow his directives. Michinaga could not go on indefinitely neglecting his duties as steward of the empress’ household, so he would occasionally make an appearance and offer some solicitous advice, all the while keeping a keenly observant eye on the condition of the empress and the deportment of the ladies-in-waiting.
    Now this Michinaga, the most handsome in his family, was highly regarded among the ladies-in-waiting, who were wont to say that his combination of masculine manners and refinement was unusual even among the young nobles. Of all his brothers, Michinaga was also the favorite of the emperor’s mother. It was Chapter One c 19

    only natural, then, that he should come to be on familiar terms with some of the ladies-in-waiting as he frequented the palace of the new empress, and he paid close attention to her manners and appearance as he disported himself with her women. Michinaga himself had a beautiful daughter who, though still young, showed much promise. Not too many years hence, she would arrive at an