The Gachiyaku mystery
The Medieval Musings CJ Sansom memorial event – 29th April 2025
Today’s post is very much a one-off: a piece of historical fiction by yours truly rather than a review of someone else’s much better novel. However, to mark the anniversary of the death of CJ Samsom,
of has organised a mass historical crime fiction writing event with the following prompt:“A protagonist and their assistant, located in a real historical time period and located in real historical events, investigate a crime that threatens to entangle them in the political and/or religious tensions of their day. Though the Shardlake series was set in Tudor England, you may choose any historical time or place prior to the year 2000. The crime does not have to be solved by the end of the piece, though it can be.”
So, dear readers, join me in the bustling port of Hakata, centre for Japan’s trade with China, Korea and the Ryukyu kingdom (modern day Okinawa), in the midst of a civil war. The city’s government is split between the Otomo family (Okino-hama) and the Ouchi family (Hakata-hama) who aren’t exactly best buddies in 1547…
She stood on the quayside. The large boat bobbed gently up and down and the wind tousled her hair. Gachiyaku Sato was late. She shifted slightly on her feet and continued waiting.
A flock of black tailed gulls were swooping around, calling “myaao” to each other.
“Mistress!” A servant from the house hurried towards her and bowed. “Bad news mistress. Gachiyaku Sato was found stabbed in an Ouchi office in Hakata-hama.”
“What? Who found the body? And when?
“The office clerk, this morning.”
“But why was he there?”
“Nobody knows, mistress. It does seem odd that our ward’s gachiyaku was found in the other half.”
“Indeed.” She pursed her lips and tapped her foot a few times. “Indeed. Well, we can’t load these goods today. Back to the warehouse with them.”
That evening, it rained. She sat on the engawa veranda looking out at their courtyard garden, drinking tea with her husband, Nishikawa Minato. Over the pitter-patter of raindrops, the snores of their 1 year old drifted down from the upper sleeping room, oddly soothing.
Nishikawa put his cup down. “It’s a bad business, Gachiyaku Sato…”
“Mmm, I heard. Why was he in an Ouchi office of all place? He’d always resented their takeover of Okino-hama.”
Nishikawa shook his head. “Beats me. The whole thing’s a mystery.”
“So what happens now?”
“The remaining 11 gachiyaku of the Egoshu council will investigate. Let’s just hope that they can conclude matters quickly so the tally ship can sail to China as scheduled. I hate to think what the Ouchi would do if it was late leaving.”
She nodded and sipped her tea, fragrant and light. An idea was forming. “My dear…”
Nishikawa turned quickly to look at her. “Oh no. I know that tone.”
She smiled up at him, her eyes widened.
He sighed and shook his head. “There’s no point in trying to stop you, is there?”
“You are such a kind husband.”
He laughed. “I just know when I’m beaten. But, seriously, you’re a mother now as well as a wife. Please don’t get hurt.”
“I’ll do my best. Besides, I practiced sparring with Hikari-sama when she visited and that warehouse intruder got more than he bargained for last week.”
“Mmm,” he smiled and refilled her tea cup. “How will you persuade the Egoshu to accept your assistance?”
So, what will happen next, why was Gachiyaku Sato where he shouldn’t have been, who’s the murderer and why? All suggestions welcome, particularly as I’ve not decided myself!
The next post will return to a standard book review post as we visit 1870s Japan and the Satsuma Rebellion in Poppy Kuroki’s Gate to Kagoshima.
What a wonderful little story! You really made me smile with the interaction between husband and wife towards the end; I loved their dynamic. Do you plan to write any more of the story?