Biographies LIII: Fujiwara-no-Sonohito, Fujiwara-no-Otsugu, and Kiyohara-no-Natsuno

Fujiwara-no-Sonohito

¶Fujiwara-no-Sonohito was a grandson of Fujiwara-no-Fusasaki, Chūe-taishō, Grand General of the Middle Guards, and the eldest son of Fujiwara-no-Kaedemaro, Ōkura-kyō, Minister of the Treasury (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). In the last years of Hōki he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower and became Mino-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Mino. In the first year of Ten'ō (781) he was transferred to be Governor of Bitchū. In the early years of Enryaku he served in succession as Shōnagon, Junior Counsellor, Ushōben, Junior Controller of the Right, Governor of Aki, and Governor of Bingo, and became Dazai-no-shōni, Junior Vice-Governor-General of Dazaifu. Before long he became Governor of Bungo (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi), was transferred to be Governor of Yamato, and then entered the capital as Ukyō-daibu, Governor of the Right Capital District. In every post to which he was sent he achieved merit and was called a good official. The common people revered his virtue and built a shrine to him and worshipped him while he was still alive. Afterwards he served in succession as Jibu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Civil Administration, Udaiben, Senior Controller of the Right, and Ōkura-kyō, and concurrently served as Governor of Sagami. In the first year of Daidō (806) he was transferred to be Kunai-kyō, Minister of the Imperial Household, was appointed Gon-no-sangi, Provisional Counsellor, and before long became a regular Sangi, Counsellor. He also served as Fu, Tutor, to the Crown Prince, the emperor's younger brother, was advanced step by step in rank, and was granted Senior Fourth Rank Lower and the Fifth Order of Merit. He became Sanyōdō Kansatsushi, Inspector of the Sanyōdō Circuit (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin), and submitted the following memorial: "The number of miscellaneous couriers sent up to the capital each year from the Saikaidō is extremely large, and the exhaustion of that circuit is unlike that of any other region. When I inquire into the cause, it lies in the fact that they have no rest from escorting and receiving them and no leisure to look after their own affairs. I request that persons of Fifth Rank and above in the Saikaidō not be permitted to enter the capital at will unless they have been relieved of their posts at the end of their terms." An edict granted this (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Ruijū Sandai Kyaku).

¶In the second year (807) he again submitted a memorial: "According to a report from the province of Bizen, the clerks say that although they are commoners bearing taxes and labor service, they are engaged in public business for long periods and have no time to attend to their own work. Some remain in the capital for long periods, so that their farming is neglected; others travel about the province and use men and horses at their own expense. Their bodily toil is no different from that of the district magistrates, yet they receive none of the honors or stipends. They humbly request that the offices be specially ordered to lend them regular tax rice, so that each may be relieved of his want. The provincial governor examined the matter, judged that there were circumstances deserving pity, and has sought the Inspector's decision. It seems to me that people gather where there are rewards, and fish gather where there is bait. If they are not treated generously and shown compassion, to whom can the official documents of the province be entrusted? For the provinces of this circuit, according to the size of each province, I request that between twelve thousand and eight thousand bundles of regular tax rice be lent out each year, so as to incite them to apply themselves." An edict was issued: "Consider the circumstances well and make the grant. If there are arrears, have the provincial governor make them good, and make this the standing rule. Let the provinces of the Kinai and the seven circuits follow it." (Note: following the Ruijū Sandai Kyaku).

¶He also submitted a memorial: "Within the province of Harima there are an exceedingly large number of fief households. The labor of transporting the land tax is a burden on the people. Moreover, because the province is close to the capital, the monthly expenses for miscellaneous needs are great, and even when grain is constantly used it is still not enough. The fudōkoku (the reserve granaries for emergencies) hold only ninety thousand koku. If one traces the cause, it lies in the large number of fief households. I humbly request that five hundred fief households of the Crown Prince's Household and of the various temples be removed and reassigned to the eastern provinces, and that their land tax be collected and stored as a reserve. Then the burden on the people will cease and the reserves will naturally accumulate." This was granted (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

¶In the third year (808) he submitted a memorial: "In the five provinces of this circuit, Harima, Bitchū, Bingo, Aki, and Suō, for the twenty-four years from the fourth year of Enryaku (785) onward, arrears of the labor tax and miscellaneous grains and the like are not few, and this is due solely to successive bad harvests that have exhausted the people. If one now tries to collect these in the original goods, the provincial governors have in some cases died and in others been replaced, so that the matter is difficult to handle, and the common people suffer from sickness and hunger and delivery is extremely hard. I humbly request that the arrears be collected in the form of unhulled rice and handled by being added to the regular tax rice. In this way the state will suffer no loss and private persons will be accommodated. However, from the time of my appointment as Inspector, the original statutes shall be applied and payment and delivery made accordingly." This was granted (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Ruijū Kokushi).

¶In this year he was transferred to be Minbu-kyō, Minister of Popular Affairs, and also took charge of the affairs of the Hokurikudō (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin).

¶In the fourth year (809) he submitted a memorial: "I respectfully observe that the edict of the twenty-eighth day of the fourth month of last year states: 'From death sentences downward, regardless of the gravity of the offense, all shall be pardoned, including those who cannot be forgiven under an ordinary amnesty.' This extraordinary grace was shared equally by the whole country, and all, great and small, were moistened by it. Yet the provinces of this circuit have long been exhausted, and the handling of public business is difficult. Among the officials of that time are some still holding arrears and other miscellaneous goods. If one examines the neglect, the offense is pardoned by the amnesty; if one examines the goods, the reality lies in the poor people. If this is handed down to the successors, it would merely transfer the blame of the predecessors to them. Demands are repeated one after another and the shipments never cease. In view of how these matters arose, they were certainly not tainted by private motives, and if they are compared with acts that bend the law, the difference in gravity is clear of itself. I humbly request that, as to the arrears of tribute, labor tax, miscellaneous rice, and the like since the first year of Daidō (806), collection be continued in the amounts due only for those goods which are limited in official use and hard to dispense with. As for miscellaneous arrears of other kinds that date from before the amnesty edict, I request that all be remitted. Then the impoverished people will forever forget the reproach of the years, and the present governors will be freed from the burden of their predecessors' neglect." This was granted, and the capital region and the other provinces followed it (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

¶He rose step by step to Senior Third Rank and Chūnagon, Middle Counsellor. In the first year of Kōnin (810) he was transferred to be Dainagon, Major Counsellor (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). He submitted a memorial: "I respectfully observe that the edict of the first day of the intercalary seventh month of the fourteenth year of Enryaku (795) says: 'The interest on the regular tax rice lent out as suiko in the provinces is to be reduced to three bundles per ten.' This was out of pity for the want of the common people and regret for the decline of the populace. But at the beginning of Daidō this rule was altered and the interest was once again set at five bundles per ten. From then until today the exhaustion has grown ever worse, and floods, droughts, and epidemics have followed one another in recent years. It is only through this year's good harvest that the hungry faces of the past have been somewhat eased. Yet the destitute people have not yet recovered, and the burden of repayment should be lightened. I humbly request that, in setting the interest on the suiko of the kugeitō and the miscellaneous rice, the edict of the fourteenth year of Enryaku be followed from this year. In this way a heavy burden would be turned into a light one, and harm would be relieved and benefit brought." An edict granted this.

¶In the second year (811) he submitted a memorial: "The district magistrates are descendants of families of meritorious service, and have held their positions by succession through the generations. The common people of the district, old and young, look to their magistrates in their hearts. In accomplishing things when an affair arises, the district magistrates are truly different from others. Yet recently only talent and practical ability have been valued, and the system of succession by hereditary families has been cut off. As a result, base and mediocre persons are employed and men of distinguished families are put beneath them. When they govern, the people's hearts do not follow, and when they hear lawsuits, the people are not satisfied with their judgments. There is much harm both to the public and to private persons. I humbly request that in appointing district magistrates, the hereditary families be exhausted first, and that only when none among them is suitable should selection by talent be made." An edict was issued: "To establish teaching in accordance with the changes of the times is the essence of government, and to fix institutions in accordance with the current of the age is the fundamental duty of relieving the people. For this reason Yao and Shun followed different ways, yet the whole realm turned to benevolence; Tang and Wu governed differently, yet the people rejoiced in their kindness. My intention to restore the customs of a simple age has not yet spread widely, and my wish to revive and continue families that have lapsed is always in my heart. Now as to the district magistracies: since the court of Naniwa established these offices, descendants of men of merit have succeeded to them generation after generation. But in the Enryaku years talented persons alone were employed, and the system of succession by hereditary families was abolished. Having examined the memorial of Fujiwara-no-Ason Sonohito, Dainagon of Senior Third Rank, I find it truly accords with reason. Let it therefore be done as memorialized."

¶The following year (812) he again submitted a memorial: "To weigh ability in conferring office is first to be valued in the instruction of the state, and the guidance of customs is entrusted precisely to the district magistrates. For this reason, when appointments suit the capacity of the office, all affairs of government are well ordered, and when the right talent is not obtained, government falls into disorder of itself. Moreover, the system of honoring hereditary families has already been restored to the old precedent, and by succession through the generations there is meaning in continuing the worthiness of the former holder. For that reason the provincial governors make the selection and report the result to the court. But among unreliable persons there are some who do not even qualify for this selection, yet who, while remaining in the capital, contend over the ranking of their families and bring suits, causing the governors' selection to be rejected and seizing the position. One who cannot make even a single person's heart submit, how can he be equal to the charge of governing a hundred ri square? It is like facing a wall without understanding anything when matters arise, or like taking a blade in hand and cutting brocade. This harm is the same from ancient times to the present. I humbly request that the selection of district magistrates rest solely on the governors' decision, and that if the one chosen is unfit and his administration shows no effect, all the officials who signed the selection be dismissed from their present posts and never again employed, as a warning for later times." The edict said, "Let it be as memorialized. However, this does not apply to the registers of the Shushō, the district secretaries." (Note: following the Ruijū Sandai Kyaku).

¶In the third year (812) he became Udaijin, Minister of the Right (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). In the fourth year (813) he submitted a memorial: "To remember former kindness and repay labor is a teaching left by the worthy, and to value life and cherish living beings is not a matter of high or low rank. Now the people of the realm each keep servants and slaves. In ordinary times they work them cruelly, but when they fall ill they abandon them by the roadside, with no one to tend them, and let them starve to death. The harm of this cannot be put in words. I humbly request that the capital region be ordered to prohibit this at once. Then there will be no spirits of those who met a violent end by the roadside, and in the realm there will be more people who live out their natural span." The edict said, "A prohibition should be imposed. If there are still violators, then for those of Fifth Rank and above, record their names and report them; for those of Sixth Rank and below, regardless of the privileges of hereditary rank or redemption, impose one hundred strokes of the staff. If the Danjōdai, the Board of Censors, or the offices, or the provincial governors knew of it and did not correct it, or if the officials of the regulations and the ward heads, the provinces and districts, and the neighborhood groups shield one another and do not denounce, all shall be punished equally. Set up notice boards at the main roads, so that it is made clearly known." (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

¶In the fifth year (814) he was advanced to Junior Second Rank (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). He submitted a memorial: "In the second year of Daidō (807) the two seasonal banquets of the first month were suspended, and in the third year (808) the banquet of the third month was abolished as well. All this was in order to economize on expenses. Now the two banquets of the first month have been restored to the old precedent, and the banquet of the ninth month is made to follow that of the third month. Since the third year of Kōnin (812) the Flower Banquet has been added as well, so that, compared with the Enryaku period, only the Flower Banquet remains, and compared with the Daidō period, four banquets have newly arisen. If one looks at the payment of stipends for these, the stores of the treasury are exhausted. I humbly request that the ninth day of the ninth month not be counted among the banquets, and that persons capable in literary talent be selected on each occasion and the responsible office so ordered. In this way the expectations of others will be cut off and the loss to the Ōkura-shō, the Ministry of the Treasury, will be spared." He also submitted a memorial: "In the tenth year of Enryaku (791), when the emperor's carriage made a progress to Katano, the provincial governors of the Kinai provinces were forbidden to present goods. But in recent years this prohibition has not been observed at all. The officials of the provinces and districts are not always suitable persons, and under pretext of offering tribute they only trouble the common people. Disquieting rumors do not cease. I humbly request that this be prohibited absolutely from now on. However, when subjects present gifts out of their own private good will, this prohibition does not apply." (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

¶He also submitted a memorial: "As to the official goods collected by the provinces, the items of the original storehouses are recorded in detail in the tax registers. But the provincial governors are not always suitable persons; seeking convenience for the district rice, they assign it to the kugai, and do not pay it to the local common people but have it fetched from distant, other districts, needlessly multiplying the labor of coming and going. As a result surpluses of goods arise in inconvenient places, and at the time of handover, when the districts are totaled together, there seems on paper to be no shortage, but in fact it does not agree with the registers. This bad practice has taken root and the harm is not corrected. Cases of this kind are found most of all in Izumo province. For example, goods that should have been stored in district A were placed in district B, and thieves raised a disturbance that led to a fire, so that the storehouses recorded in the registers were wholly reduced to ashes. For the imperial house there is no loss greater than this. I humbly request that the provinces henceforth be ordered to store goods according to the registers and that totaling between district A and district B not be permitted. If there is any discrepancy with the original storehouse, I request that punishment be imposed according to the circumstances. In this way the loss to the government will be small and the people will receive the benefit." All of these were granted (Note: following the Nihon Kōki, the Ruijū Kokushi, and the Ruijū Sandai Kyaku).

¶In the eighth year (817) he submitted a memorial: "The directive of the Daijōkan of the thirteenth day of the fourth month of the eighteenth year of Enryaku (799) (Note: some manuscripts of the original give the twenty-eighth day) states: 'The district magistrates of the five Kinai provinces all undergo the naikō, the evaluation of service in the capital, and because they are close to the capital they are worked harder than those of other provinces and cannot be discussed on the same footing.' Yet now persons of this kind, before they have even taken up office, throng together like a forest and compete, and after obtaining the naikō they pretend illness and request leave. This does not merely abandon district business; it is truly deceiving the regulations of the court. I humbly request that from now on, if there are any such persons, the provincial governor verify the facts and send them all back to their original posts. If a governor, yielding to their request, carelessly dismisses one, I request that he be punished according to the circumstances, with no lenient measure applied. In this way the root of wrongdoing will be cut off and later aspirants will be encouraged." An edict followed this (Note: following the Ruijū Sandai Kyaku).

¶In the ninth year (818) he died, at the age of sixty-three (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku and the Kugyō Bunin). The emperor grieved and regretted deeply, and sent envoys to oversee the funeral (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). He was posthumously granted Senior First Rank and the office of Sadaijin, Minister of the Left (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku and the Kugyō Bunin), and was called the Yamashina Minister (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). Earlier, by imperial command, he had compiled the Shinsen Shōjiroku together with Imperial Prince Manda (Note: following the preface of the Shōjiroku and the Nihon Kiryaku). His son was Hamanushi (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku), of Junior Fourth Rank Upper and Governor of Aki (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

Fujiwara-no-Otsugu

¶Fujiwara-no-Otsugu was the eldest son of Fujiwara-no-Momokawa, Shikibu-kyō, Minister of Ceremonial. In the seventh year of Enryaku (788) the ceremony of capping at his coming of age was held in the palace hall. For the koji, the hair-holder of his cap, an item for the emperor's own use was bestowed on him. At the same time he was granted Senior Sixth Rank Upper and appointed Uchitoneri, Palace Attendant, and was given a sword, and an edict said: "This was presented by your father. I have not yet forgotten the time when your father offered his congratulatory words. Whenever I think of it, tears fall unbidden. Now I bestow it on you, and you must not lose it." Soon afterwards he was granted a fief of one hundred and fifty households. Before long he advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Lower, was appointed Jijū, Chamberlain, and became Chūe-shōshō, Junior Captain of the Middle Guards (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

¶In the fifteenth year (796) he concurrently served as Hitachi-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Hitachi, and Uchi-no-mumaya-no-kami, Director of the Inner Stables, and before long was transferred to be Emon-no-suke, Assistant Captain of the Gate Guards. The following year (797) he concurrently served as Kura-no-kami, Director of the Imperial Storehouse Bureau (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin), was transferred to be Emon-no-kami, Captain of the Gate Guards, and, concurrently serving as Governor of Izumo, became Ueji-no-kami, Commander of the Right Guards. In the twenty-first year (802), when he attended the emperor on a progress to the Shinsen'en garden, at the height of the banquet the emperor had Otsugu play the wagon, the Japanese zither. The emperor summoned Kan-no-ō, Minister of the Right, whispered to him for some time, and then wept. He further summoned the Crown Prince and the imperial princes to take their places in the palace hall, and issued an edict: "Had it not been for Otsugu's father, how could I have come to the throne? I know that Otsugu is young and that my ministers regard this with misgiving, but I have not yet forgotten his father's service. Let him be appointed Sangi, Counsellor, and so repay that long-standing debt." Kan-no-ō received the command and, standing on the spot, proclaimed the appointment (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). Thus Otsugu was appointed Sangi and, as a special favor, was granted a separate fief of one hundred households.

¶In the twenty-third year (804) (Note: the source reads "thirteenth year," but since the following year, the twenty-fourth, is the year of the debate described next, this is evidently a slip) he concurrently served as Governor of Yamashiro (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). The following year (805), by edict, he was made to discuss the merits and failings of government with Sugano-no-Mamichi. Otsugu said, "What is making the realm suffer now is military campaigns and construction works. If these two are stopped, the common people will be able to rest." The emperor judged this to be right (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku).

¶In the Daidō era (806-810) he became Sanindō Kansatsushi, Inspector of the Sanindō Circuit (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). Before long he was transferred to be Inspector of the Kinai (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin) and concurrently served as Sadaiben, Senior Controller of the Left. Next he concurrently served as Gyōbu-kyō, Minister of Justice, was transferred to be Inspector of the Tōsandō Circuit, and concurrently became Azechi, Inspector, of Mutsu and Dewa (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). He submitted the following memorial: "The state takes the people as its foundation, and the people take food as their life. Yet the food for a single year for the three thousand eight hundred garrison troops amounts to more than five hundred thousand bundles, and because of this the common people are exhausted and the storehouses are empty. Without reserves, how can we prepare for the unforeseen? Moreover, up to now, whenever a campaign was mounted, military provisions were always levied on Bandō, the eastern provinces. I humbly request that the official rice of Bandō be assigned to the kugai of Mutsu, and that the kugai of Mutsu be kept and stored in the government storehouses. In this way it will suit both public and private interests, and be truly convenient."

¶He also submitted a memorial: "The provincial governors and garrison officials of Mutsu province each, by the allocation of the kugai, have more than four thousand koku of rice pounded, hire people to transport it, and use it for their yearly provisions. Although this has been the custom for many years, the law has no basis for it. But the circumstances of an important frontier region are quite different from those of the interior. For the rice of the nearby districts north of Karita is assigned to military provisions, while the rice of the distant districts south of Shinobu is assigned to the kugai. These districts lie two or three hundred ri from the provincial office and seven or eight hundred ri from the fortified stockades, and in a situation of scarce labor and goods it cannot be pounded and carried. If this were abandoned, famine would surely follow. I request that wages for the pounding and carrying be paid and that this be made the standing rule." Both were granted (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

¶He was transferred to be Uhyōe-no-kami, Commander of the Right Military Guards, and Uemon-no-kami, Captain of the Right Gate Guards, was relieved of his post as Inspector, served in succession as Governor of Ōmi and Governor of Mino, and was transferred to be Kunai-kyō, Minister of the Imperial Household, concurrently serving as Governor of Kawachi. In the eighth year of Kōnin (817) he was appointed Chūnagon, and advanced in rank to Senior Third Rank and Minbu-kyō. In the twelfth year (821) he was transferred to be Dainagon. In the thirteenth year (822) he submitted a memorial: "I once had the honor of serving as Inspector of Mutsu and Dewa, and when I passed along the Tōsandō I inquired in some detail into the sufferings of the common people. In the realm there is no heavier labor than that of the post-station households. In summer they drink the water of the rivers and have no time to look after their livelihood; in winter they tread the frost and are constantly on duty relaying transport. Although they are exempted from the labor tax and corvée, their toil is double that of ordinary commoners. I humbly request that for the station attendants of the provinces, following the precedent of the clerks, two hundred bundles of rice be lent to each household, and that good fields near the stations be selected and granted to them together." This was granted (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi and the Ruijū Sandai Kyaku).

¶The following year (823) he was granted Junior Second Rank and concurrently served as Tutor to the Crown Prince (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki and the Kugyō Bunin). When Emperor Junna was to perform the Daijōe, the great thanksgiving ceremony of accession, Otsugu attended in the Seiryōden together with Fujiwara-no-Fuyutsugu, Minister of the Right, and others, and submitted the following memorial: "Successive Sons of Heaven have ascended the throne one after another, and the Daijōe has been held repeatedly. Each time the whole realm is thrown into commotion and many of the people are exhausted. Yet the rites for the gods cannot be abandoned. The Daijōe of this year should do away with ornament and reduce the harm." The emperor praised this. Fuyutsugu asked that Otsugu be made to supervise the matter, and this was granted. Otsugu in turn asked that Yoshimine-no-Yasuyo, Chūnagon, and Tomo-no-Kunimichi, Sangi, and others serve as supervisors, and that the offices of the Ministry of Ceremonial be used as the place for the proceedings. Only at the Saiin, the place of purification, it was determined by divination that "the Ministry of the Imperial Household shall be the place of the Yuki, and the Ministry of Central Affairs shall be the place of the Suki." Temporary buildings were constructed and used for this. The ceremonial ground was set up at Kitano according to precedent, but no ornaments of any kind were used, neither toys nor carvings of gold and silver; the boundary markers were made of sakaki branches, and mandarin oranges and cotton and the like were used. The words Yuki and Suki were hung at the tips of trees, and the ceremony was offered to the gods in a pure and plain manner. The regular tax rice to be used was one hundred thousand bundles each for Yuki and Suki, but at the request of the provincial governors it was reduced by fifty thousand bundles each, so as to follow simplicity. Furthermore, the porters who carried miscellaneous goods from the two provinces of Yuki and Suki were each given provisions for the journey (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

¶In the second year of Tenchō (825) he became Minister of the Right, and returned a thousand fief households to add to the state's expenses. In the ninth year (832) he became Sadaijin, Minister of the Left (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki and the Nihon Kiryaku). On the accession of Emperor Ninmyō (833) he was advanced to Senior Second Rank. From the Kōnin years onward he submitted petitions asking to resign more than ten times, but the emperors of three reigns each refused with gracious edicts. By this time he firmly asked to resign on grounds of old age and decline, unable to bear his duties, and offered to return the five hundred households of his office fief, but this too was not permitted. In the second year of Jōwa (835) he was granted three chō of waste fields in Shimagami district, Settsu province. The following year (836) he asked to resign and offered to return his office land, attendants, servants, evaluation staff, and guardsmen to add to the state's expenses, but this was not permitted.

¶In the fourth year (837), a year of famine, Otsugu presented the following petition: "I am old and gravely ill, and can no longer hope to go out. My days lying in bed have already passed twelve years. I secretly observe that the government storehouses of the realm are empty and the state's expenses are insufficient. Moreover this year the harvest has failed, and both clothing and food are lacking. If the granaries are not full, how can people know ceremony and restraint? At the beginning of Tenchō I had already submitted my opinion and said, 'Unnecessary offices should be abolished and extravagant expenses cut off.' Yet I am now lying ill and have simply let the years pile up. The blame for holding an office without performing its duties is rightly mine above all. Written words are things that do not decay through the generations. How can one who merely states opinions with his mouth remain long in this post? In addition, the disorder of the harmony of yin and yang is also the fault of ministers like myself. I humbly request that offices unsuited to their holders be abolished, and that the road for the employment of the worthy and virtuous be opened. Then there will be no calamity in the way of Heaven and a restoration will come of itself. I do not presume to shirk the honor and renown of Heaven's favor for the sake of any gain." This was not permitted. Soon afterwards he was granted some public fields in Uji district, Yamashiro province.

¶In the tenth year (843) he repeatedly submitted petitions to resign. An edict said: "I have read your petition and am deeply moved. I am in mourning for the late emperor and my heart is disordered and unsettled. Though pressed by my father's last instructions, I am unable to rouse myself. For this reason I entrust affairs of government, great and small, to the chief minister. This being so, the duty to repay your kindness is heavier than at ordinary times, and my thought of entrusting matters to you should be directed at just this moment. Yet you have resolved to take off your official garments and sincerely ask to retire, and have repeated your petitions many times before and after, and your will is firm and unmoved. If I were to follow your request, the country would lose the one on whom ten thousand look up in reliance. Yet if I do not let you fulfill your wish, I would harm your hope of caring for your old age. Day by day I am troubled, and I have thought through the night to the point of becoming ill. But principle does not lie in form, and a sincere heart finally returns to sincerity. If I keep suppressing your modest wish, I will in the end wound your heart for long. Therefore I bend my own earnest feeling and grant your request to withdraw in modesty. The first seat of the court will be empty, and dust will gather on the minister's place. When I think over this matter, my heart finds no place to rest. However, the supreme Way has no limit, and great loyalty has no end. As to the condition of the state and the benefits and harms of the court, I would have you speak without reserve and give your full opinion. There will still be matters on which to consult you hereafter, so please do not begrudge your precious words. This is my great hope that we may be together from beginning to end. The spring is still cold, so make an effort to take your meals. I will not say more." (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

¶Thus Otsugu retired from office. Before long he died, at the age of seventy (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki, the Kugyō Bunin, and the Ichidai Yōki). He was called the Yamamoto Minister. The emperor wished to send envoys to oversee the funeral, but he did not accept this, in accordance with Otsugu's last wishes. An edict said: "My thought of his achievements is truly deep, and my longing for his virtue has lasted long. He governed the essentials of the affairs of the realm and was a subject held in high regard. Moreover, since my childhood he supported and sustained the royal house. His purpose was as keen as a hawk or falcon, and his integrity as firm as pine and bamboo. Now it is fitting to mourn the dead with grief and adorn their end with honor. Let him be generously granted a rank, so as to illumine the shadowy realm. Let him be granted Junior First Rank." Otsugu was versed in the arts of government and reported all he knew of the benefits and harms of the state. However, he tended to believe only the first opinion he heard and to refuse later dissenting views, and he sometimes drew criticism for this (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). He once took part in the compilation of the Shinsen Shōjiroku (Note: following the preface of the Shōjiroku) and also took part in the editing of the Nihon Kōki. His sons were Ieo (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi) and Harutsu (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

¶Ieo was of Junior Fourth Rank Upper and Saeji-no-kami, Commander of the Left Guards, and died during the Tenchō years. He died at the age of thirty-four. He was of honest and spirited character and carried on the family tradition. He loved books and was also skilled at archery and horsemanship. People regretted that he died young before reaching the rank of minister (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

Fujiwara-no-Harutsu

¶Fujiwara-no-Harutsu was handsome in form and appearance, and intelligent and generous in character. In the Tenchō years he was promoted to be Sakonoe-no-shōgen, Captain of the Left Palace Guards, and was transferred to be Kōtaigōgū-no-daishin, Senior Secretary of the Empress Dowager's Household (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). In the Jōwa years he became Jijū, Chamberlain, and was appointed Uma-no-kami, Director of the Right Stables. When his father Otsugu retired from office, it was Harutsu who, as envoy, presented his father's third petition. An edict said: "The Sajōshō, Minister of the Left, Fujiwara-no-Ason (Otsugu), was a great meritorious subject of the previous reign and is a man of long-standing virtue to me. Recently, having completed his achievements and made his name, he seeks to withdraw to his residence. That I treat him generously with the armrest and staff is not in order to go against the favor due to a lord. But for government to rely on a wise chief minister is like waiting for a good physician in sickness. The more I think of this, the deeper my longing grows. Moreover, if spirits and gods have knowledge, then one who keeps himself pure and careful will live long, and though none will monopolize good fortune and stipends, the descendants of those who pile up loyalty and filial piety will flourish. Fujiwara-no-Ason Harutsu, of Senior Fifth Rank Lower and Director of the Right Stables, is a filial son of the minister. Let him be specially granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower, as a consolation for the present." (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

¶At the end of Kashō (850) he left office to observe mourning for his mother. Before long he was recalled to service with the mourning period shortened, and was appointed Uhyōe-no-kami, Commander of the Right Military Guards. Between Ninju and Saikō (851-857) he was transferred to be Gyōbu-kyō, Minister of Justice (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku), rose to Junior Fourth Rank Upper, and concurrently served as Governor of Tajima (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). In the first year of Jōgan (859) he became Governor of Bizen, but did not go to take up either post. In this year he died, at the age of fifty-two. The house of Harutsu was noble and distinguished, and its wealth was very great, and the construction of his residence was exceptionally lavish. But he himself had few desires and did not covet wealth or profit. He only loved horses, and now and then watched them for his pleasure. He lived in a quiet residence and only rarely attended the court. Emperor Seiwa once remarked jokingly to those about him, "Harutsu is like the dark leopard of the Southern Mountains, hidden away deep in the hills." (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Kiyohara-no-Natsuno

¶Kiyohara-no-Natsuno was first named Shigeno (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). He was a grandson of Imperial Prince Mihara and the fifth son of Imperial Prince Ogura (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). In the twenty-third year of Enryaku (804) he became Uchitoneri, Palace Attendant. Prince Ogura submitted a petition: "I request that Shigeno, and Yamakawa, Uchitoneri, a grandson of a separate prince of the Ogura line, and others be granted, following the precedent of Imperial Prince Inukami, the family name of Kiyohara-no-Mahito. Also, since the name Shigeno conflicts with the personal name of an imperial prince, I request that Shige be changed to Natsu." This was granted. In the Daidō era (806-810) he served in succession as Chū-kenmotsu, Middle Inspector of Stores, and was transferred to be Ōtoneri-no-daijō, Senior Secretary of the Great Attendants. In the Kōnin years he was appointed Kurōdo, Chamberlain, was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, became Kunai-no-shōfu, Junior Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household, and Tōgū-no-daishin, Senior Secretary of the Crown Prince's Household, was transferred to be Tōgū-no-suke, Assistant Chief of that Household, concurrently served as Governor of Sanuki, Hōki, Shimōsa, and other provinces, was appointed Kurōdo-no-tō, Chief Chamberlain, concurrently served as Sakonoe-no-chūjō, Middle Captain of the Left Palace Guards, and Provisional Governor of Ōmi (Note: the original text lacks the character for "provisional," but it has been supplied from the Ruijū Sandai Kyaku), and was appointed Sangi. In the first year of Tenchō (824) he was advanced in rank to Junior Fourth Rank Upper (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin).

¶He submitted the following memorial: "The affairs of government in the provinces ought to be reported by the Chōshūshi, the envoys who come to court, but in some cases this is left wholly to clerks. When they are asked about the affairs of government, they cannot answer anything, as if facing a wall. I humbly request that the head of each province dispatch an envoy accompanied by one clerk, who shall report the outstanding business of that province in person before the imperial steps and then withdraw. However, if there is a matter that must be reported before the steps, I request that entry to the capital be permitted even to one who is not a Chōshūshi, and that, if there is no matter to report, it not be permitted even to a Chōshūshi."

¶He also submitted a memorial: "Apart from land unfit for cultivation, there are also jōkōden, fields constantly lying waste. When the common people cultivate them, the provincial governors levy land tax on them. The people fear this and hesitate to cultivate them to obtain food. I humbly request that the persons concerned be permitted to cultivate them permanently during their own lifetimes. However, after six years, the tax is to be collected in accordance with the law." By edict both were granted (Note: following the Ruijū Sandai Kyaku).

¶The following year (825) he was advanced to Junior Third Rank, was appointed Chūnagon, and concurrently served as Sahyōe-no-kami, Commander of the Left Military Guards. In the third year (826) he was transferred to be Sakonoe-taishō, Grand General of the Left Palace Guards, and Minbu-kyō (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). He submitted the following memorial: "The eight ministries were established to govern the offices and bureaus, and when the hundred officials each keep to their duties, all affairs of government are accomplished. If one matter is defective, all matters are obstructed. Now imperial princes serve as heads of the eight ministries, but these persons are by nature high in rank and family and do not take up practical duties or become versed in detailed business. As a result the work of the offices is naturally neglected and administrative achievement decays day by day. This is not the result of mediocre persons; it comes about of itself because of their position. In general, when officials are replaced, they always sign the geyujō, the certificate of release, and if there are missing goods they cannot avoid making them good. I humbly request that several provinces be chosen and designated as the provinces of the imperial princes, and that the officials' postings be sent to those provinces while the princes themselves remain in Kyoto. As for those who wish to take posts in the capital offices, I request that only one or two be permitted. If there are any waiting for a vacancy, I request that no one else be appointed to it. I request that the stipends in goods be stored in a separate storehouse and used to meet the expenses of imperial princes who hold no rank." It was decided to follow this (Note: following the Ruijū Sandai Kyaku).

¶In the seventh year (830) he became Dainagon (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). Emperor Junna made a progress to Natsuno's mountain villa at Narabigaoka, selected thirty men of letters, and had them compose poems. Natsuno's wife, Fujii-no-Niwako, was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi and the Nihon Kiryaku). In the eighth year (831) he was granted Senior Third Rank. In the ninth year (832) he became Minister of the Right, retaining his post as General as before (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin).

¶Ever since Fujiwara-no-Fuhito compiled the Ryō, the administrative statutes, they had been handed down for a long time, and the scholars of the day had each produced differing interpretations. Therefore an edict commanded Natsuno to put in order the interpretations that had stagnated and to clarify the meaning of the provisions. Natsuno, discussing and reconciling the views together with Minabuchi-no-Hirosada, Sangi, Fujiwara-no-Tsunetsugu, and Sugawara-no-Kiyokimi, Monjō-hakase, Professor of Literature, and others, composed the Ryō no Gige in ten volumes. In the tenth year (833) the work was completed and presented, and the court at last put it into effect (Note: following the Ryō no Gige).

¶On the accession of Emperor Ninmyō he was granted Junior Second Rank. In the first year of Jōwa (834) the Retired Emperor Saga made a progress to the Narabigaoka villa and advanced the ranks of Natsuno's three sons, Takio, Sawao, and Akio. Natsuno repeatedly asked to resign as General, but this was not permitted. In the fourth year (837) he again submitted a petition to resign (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). Only his post as General was dismissed, but he was not permitted to return his fief households (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). Before long he died, at the age of fifty-six (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). He was posthumously granted Senior Second Rank and was called the Narabigaoka Minister. Because he founded the Hieiji temple, he was also called the Hi Minister (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). His sons were Takio, Sawao, and Akio.

Kiyohara-no-Takio

¶Kiyohara-no-Takio was appointed Uhyōe-no-shōjō, Junior Secretary of the Right Military Guards, in the Tenchō years, and rose in rank, being transferred to be Utamai-no-kami, Director of the Bureau of Music. When he observed mourning for his father, he grieved so much that he became emaciated beyond the bounds of propriety. The court had the mourning period shortened and recalled him to his former post (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). At the end of Kashō (850) he was advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Upper, and before long became Governor of Aki and was transferred to be Nakatsukasa-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Central Affairs (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku and the Sandai Jitsuroku). In the Jōgan years he left office to observe mourning for his mother, but was recalled by edict. In the fifth year (863) he died in office, at the age of sixty-five (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Kiyohara-no-Akio

¶Kiyohara-no-Akio was skilled in archery and excelled at drawing a strong bow (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). In the early years of Jōwa he became Jijū, Chamberlain (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki and the Sandai Jitsuroku), but on the death of his father he left office. The following year he was recalled by edict to his former post (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku). When Tomo-no-Kowamine and others plotted rebellion, Akio was sent to guard the Ōe road (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). In the Jōgan years he rose to Junior Fourth Rank Upper and Uhyōe-no-kami. Akio was not careful in small conduct and often drank too much, especially in his later years. In the sixteenth year (874) he died, at the age of sixty-three (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).