"What a beautiful day! We don't write novels, we're just online text re-uploaders."

Wei Yue sat in the courtyard, dressed in a Republic-era long gown, with a cup of tea beside him, looking just like any of the old gentlemen in Beijing back then. He sat there drinking tea, gazing up at the drifting clouds, watching the white birds flying from the direction of the Imperial Palace. From the angle from which the birds took flight, one could even see the upturned eaves of the Imperial Palace.

"Young Master Yuan, when will you be departing for Senso-ji Temple? I need to inform people to prepare the necessary etiquette in advance." A middle-aged man in a tailcoat walked in and bowed respectfully to Wei Yue.

"Let me finish this cup of tea first," Wei Yue said, casually setting the teacup aside, clearly not intending to drink any more. The visitor was an official from the Imperial Household Agency, a retainer of His Majesty the Emperor. All Japanese nobles, including the Genji clan, disliked dealing with people from the Imperial Household Agency; compared to them, the cabinet members were quite agreeable.

The Imperial Household Agency is a secretive government body that assists the Imperial Family, handling all matters concerning members of the Japanese Imperial Family, large and small. It even controls the channels through which members of the Imperial Family communicate with the outside world, holds a firm grip on the official version of Japanese Imperial history, and even the Prime Minister must obtain permission from the Imperial Household Agency to enter the palace and meet with the Emperor.

They controlled every word and action of all members of the royal family. The dignity of the royal family was meaningless to them. They only cared about the survival of the monarchy, just as the scholar-officials of the Ming Dynasty believed that the emperor should not concern himself with anything except having children.

Wei Yue's actions clearly caught the attention of the palace official, who frowned in displeasure. He said coldly, "Princess Kako will be arriving at Senso-ji Temple at 1:30 this afternoon. I hope to see Prince Minamoto's welcoming ceremony then." He bowed again and left the courtyard.

"It really is a ghost," Wei Yue sighed softly.

“Who says otherwise?” Minamoto no Yoshimune walked in from outside the courtyard. He had been outside the whole time, but hadn’t come over because he saw the people from the Imperial Household Agency. He really didn’t want to run into those single-minded people. “The people from the Imperial Household Agency are a bunch of ghosts. They are the biggest failure of the Meiji Restoration. Without a doubt! I heard from your grandfather that they were even more arrogant a hundred years ago. They didn’t even respect the Cabinet and the military. It made Lord Ito Hirobumi so angry that he almost committed seppuku in front of His Majesty the Emperor.”

“They won’t be arrogant for long.” Wei Yue stood up and offered her father the rattan chair as he entered. “I heard that Crown Prince Naruhito is also very dissatisfied with them. I’m sure His Highness will implement some inspiring reforms after he ascends the throne. In name only, they are just retainers of the Imperial Family. The Cabinet will not help them, or rather, the Cabinet dislikes them even more.”

“They even dared to stop the Prime Minister from having an audience with the Emperor; they're simply courting death.” Minamoto no Yoshimune sat down in a rattan chair. “Tell me, what do they want from you? The cherry blossom season is over; they can't possibly be inviting you noble young masters to the palace to see the withered cherry blossoms, can they?”

"If only that were the case, I could easily find an excuse to avoid going." Wei Yue gave a helpless bitter smile. "But this matter... can't be avoided."

"Oh." Minamoto no Yoshimune seemed to understand what was so funny. "Is it about Princess Kako? If you ask me, it's nothing. Men should marry when they come of age. If you really don't like her, you can just bear with it."

"Endure it? For how long? A day or two, or a lifetime?"

“Of course, it’s for a lifetime,” Minamoto no Yoshimune said with a touch of roguishness.

Wei Yue was choked and speechless.

"In short, you handle this matter yourself!" Minamoto no Yoshimune stood up and left, saying as he walked away. "Don't even think about escaping. I'll have my retainers keep an eye on you. I'll keep your passport for now, and return it to you after things are settled. Then you can go wherever you want, even if you go to the Sahara Desert, I won't care! Let Yoshiko handle it!"

"That shameless 'old thief'..." Wei Yue curled her lips.

"Oh, right." Minamoto no Yoshimune suddenly turned around. "What are you wearing today? Go change quickly. Don't give those 'ghosts' in the Imperial Household Agency an excuse to cause trouble for our Minamoto family. Even for ordinary families, matchmaking is a very serious matter, let alone for a family like ours. Remember, don't be impolite!"

...

...

Senso-ji Temple, located in Taito Ward, Tokyo, is the oldest temple in Tokyo. Legend has it that in the 36th year of Empress Suiko's reign, two fishermen were fishing in the Miyato River when they caught a 5.5-centimeter-tall golden statue of Kannon (Avalokitesvara). The local people then raised funds to build a temple to enshrine the statue, which became Senso-ji Temple, also known as Asakusa Kaminarimon Kannon-ji Temple.

Senso-ji Temple has a long and tumultuous history, suffering repeated destruction from war and fire. It wasn't until the early Edo period that Tokugawa Ieyasu rebuilt it, transforming it into a large temple complex. Besides the main temple, Senso-ji boasts numerous famous buildings, historical sites, and scenic spots, including the five-story pagoda. Around New Year's Day each year, the temple is packed with worshippers.

It's currently the off-season at Senso-ji Temple. Since it's neither a holiday nor a festival, and tourists from various countries who came to Japan to see the cherry blossoms have mostly returned home, there aren't many worshippers there. Only some local Tokyo residents come to pray.

As a noble young master of the Yuan family, Wei Yue was respectable and dignified. This time, he came here to "meet" Princess Jiazi, so the treatment he received was naturally different from that of ordinary people. As soon as he stepped out of the car, a monk dressed in white stood in front of him with a smile, ready to lead the way for the distinguished guest.

"This is 'Kaminarimon,' its official name is 'Kaminarimon' (Gate of Thunder and Lightning)." The white-robed monk pointed to the huge lantern hanging in front of the gate, on which the words "Kaminarimon" were prominently displayed in black with a white border. "Kaminarimon was commissioned by Emperor Suzaku in 942 AD to pray for peace and abundant harvests. It is the symbol of Senso-ji Temple. The statue on the left side of the gate is of the wind god, and the statue on the right is of the thunder god. Kaminarimon was destroyed by fire during World War II, and the current Kaminarimon was rebuilt by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 1960."

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