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墨書 Inktalez
"Is the enemy at Honnoji?"
The short man looked at the last sentence of this passage. "Are you referring to the famous 'Honnoji Incident' in Japanese Warring States history?"
"Yes," the woman nodded. "The Honnoji Incident occurred on June 2, 1582, in the tenth year of the Tenshō era. Akechi Mitsuhide, one of Oda Nobunaga's trusted generals and known as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, rebelled and launched a surprise attack on his lord, Oda Nobunaga, who was staying at Honnoji in Kyoto.
This event led to the death of Oda Nobunaga, who was close to unifying Japan and ending the Warring States period, thus rewriting Japanese history. This is a point that historians love to elaborate on."
"When I saw the character's name as Shichiba, I thought it sounded very Japanese, like Yamamoto Isoroku or Matsushita Seventy-One. But don't Japanese names usually have four or five characters?" the man asked curiously.
The woman covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "Japan was also adapting to international trends at that time. In terms of names, Japan was quite similar to our own Yuan Dynasty in China. Lowly farmers were not entitled to surnames; they only had given names.
Even those names couldn't be formally chosen; they often just used a number instead. The father of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, was called Zhu Wusi."
"Isn't that emperor named Zhu Yuanzhang? Who is this Zhu Chongba? Oh, right, his surname is Zhu, given name is Yuanzhang, and his courtesy name is Chongba," he replied, his face turning red—he really knew nothing beyond solving cases. So he quickly changed the subject. "Here, I find something very strange that doesn't make sense."
"Where?" The woman leaned in curiously, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
A faint fragrance wafted into the man's nose, making him shiver involuntarily as he straightened up. "It's here; you see, it's obvious this group is heading to Honnoji to ambush Lord Oda Nobunaga. That general on horseback must be Akechi Mitsuhide, one of Oda's Four Heavenly Kings."
“Hmm.” The woman nodded slightly.
“They use bitless bridles and padded hooves, which is understandable for a stealthy march that doesn’t disturb others. But not displaying flags or insignias, and killing witnesses—this is beyond reason. It raises even more suspicion,” he said.
“Why is that?” The woman’s tone held a hint of confusion.
“Because Mitsuhide Akechi is a traitor, not an ambusher. To conceal one’s identity while moving through one’s own territory is illogical—it draws more attention from those who don’t recognize the army. It would be better to reveal their identity—of course, without making a grand display. Even if someone sees them, they would interpret it as their own army on a mission. Even if no one knows they are Mitsuhide Akechi’s forces, they are still going to kill Lord. How long can they keep up the disguise?”
“How strange,” the woman chuckled lightly. “I thought you would find the dragon head appearing in the sky illogical.”
“Well…” The man instinctively stroked his chin, a gesture he often made when pondering. “The appearance of a dragon head in the sky isn’t actually illogical. You mentioned that this event likely occurred around three or four in the morning—that’s Twilight.”
“Twilight? I never expected someone like you, who adheres to materialism, would use such an idealistic term,” she raised an eyebrow, teasingly.
“I’m just stating it; I don’t believe in it—there’s nothing wrong with that.”
He smiled and continued, “As for Twilight, I know a bit about it. It refers to the time of day when one is most likely to encounter ‘supernatural’ or ‘mysterious phenomena,’ and it’s also when the Yokai Night Parade is most likely to occur.
It originates from the Japanese concept of Yin Yang Dao, indicating specific moments when day transitions to night and vice versa. There are two such times in a day: once between 5 PM and 7 PM at dusk; and again before dawn, from 3 AM to 5 AM, which is when yokai are most active.
During this time, human presence diminishes while yokai energy prevails. Most calamities, monsters, and diseases arise during this period. Thus, it’s also referred to as ‘the birth of a hundred demons,’ meaning the time when countless spirits emerge. It’s said that it’s very taboo to take infants outside during this time, and elderly people must also be cautious.
I’ve seen works by the famous Japanese yokai painter Toriyama Sekien depicting Feng Mo Ke. In his painting, the sun hangs motionless on the horizon, unsure whether it will rise or set. The streets below are devoid of pedestrians, only birds flit about in a panic. Dominating the scene is an oppressive mass of dark clouds. The edges of the clouds vaguely reveal the shapes of monsters—it's truly a suffocating image.”
"Actually, there is another interpretation," the woman added. "Twilight also refers to the period of Wang Mang in ancient China. Wang Mang usurped the Han dynasty's power and soon established the Xin Dynasty. The transition between the two Han dynasties was akin to the alternation of day and night. From the perspective of Confucianism, which dominated the ideology at that time, such acts of usurpation were considered heinous crimes, often attributed to some malevolent force causing chaos, leading to a reversal of yin and yang, and thus some viewed the historical changes of the Han dynasties as Twilight.
At that time, it was indeed a period rife with calamities. For the common people, it was an era of chaos, akin to a Yokai Night Parade! Ironically, it was during this very time that Akechi Mitsuhide decided to rebel against his lord and initiated the Honnoji Incident, killing his own lord, Oda Nobunaga. He dragged out what should have been the end of the Warring States period for several more decades."
"From a physical standpoint, the concept of Feng Mo Ke also has its material reasons. There is nothing in this world that cannot be understood or explained; while this may seem one-sided, it holds some truth. The two segments of time during twilight are both moments when daylight is dim and unclear, making it difficult for people to discern things clearly.
Moreover, dusk is when the body is fatigued and prone to hallucinations. Dawn, particularly between three and five o'clock, is when people are in their deepest sleep and consciousness is at its weakest. It’s quite normal to think one has seen or encountered something strange during these times.
Most people are aware of this, especially thieves. Many burglary cases occur during these hours."
Finally returning to his area of expertise, the man spoke more fluently. "In ancient warfare, many night raids were conducted during this time; therefore, it was quite normal for Akechi Mitsuhide to choose Feng Mo Ke to launch the Honnoji Incident, as it aligns with physical common sense."
"Then explain this dragon issue to me and see how it aligns with physical common sense. I have reviewed firsthand reliable original documents that confirm this record," she said, tilting her chin as if challenging him while also seeking something.
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