47: The True Story of the Vendetta of the 47 Ronin from Akô by Thomas Harper

Author:Thomas Harper
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Leete’s Island Books
Published: 2019-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

With this brief missive, I take the liberty to convey to you my most respectful greetings. Above all, I delight to think that Yōzei’in Sama enjoys ever increasing good health and spirits. I can well imagine how distressing she must find the removal of Daigaku Sama to Hiroshima. That was a matter quite beyond our control. Since then, I have purposely refrained from asking after him, even by letter. I am pleased, though, that all remains well with your good self as you carry on with your duties.

Item. As I mentioned when we met last winter, the uses to which I have put the funds that I assumed control of last spring in Akō, and have since used to further our cause, are recorded in detail in the enclosed account books. From the 19th of the Third Month of last year, all such disbursements—in gold, silver, or rice—were verified and recorded by our Financial Officer Yatō Chōsuke, and are accompanied by receipts signed by their recipients. All of these I hereby enclose and submit to you.

Item. Those funds that remained I myself took possession of on the 4th Day of the Sixth Month, carried them with me to Yamashina, disbursed them bit by bit, and recorded their use in an account book. Not the slightest portion of them was used to cover any of my personal expenses. Kindly check the account book carefully against the receipts, all of which are enclosed with it. If all seems in order, might I ask that you bring these details to the attention of Yōzei’in Sama whenever you have an opportunity? I also submit to you various other documents, as I promised I would do last year. By rights, I should submit these to Daigaku Sama as well, but purposely have refrained from doing so. If in your opinion it would be best to apprise Hiroshima of their contents, then I beg to avail myself of your good offices in doing so.

Item. Among the aforementioned funds were some 5 kanme [= 90 ryō] of interest on money belonging to Yōzei’in Sama that had been collected in Akō. As I said when we met last winter, if Daigaku Sama had been free, I should by rights have reported this and returned the money to him; but since he now has been removed to Hiroshima, I have not done so. Moreover, I have since disbursed this money to make up deficiencies in the funding of our cause. Reluctant though I am to do so, might I trouble you to seek Her Ladyship’s acquiescence to my appropriation of these funds, regarding them as a grant to be distributed among all concerned? Details of these expenditures are recorded in the account book; if you will kindly compare them with the accounts kept by Chōsuke, you will see clearly to what uses they have been put.

Item. In addition to the accounts and receipts, I submit documents of various other sorts, such as maps and plans, that I have thought might be of some use.

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