June 15, 1991, 5:40 PM.
Tokyo, Kasumi Kaikan.
Half an hour before the banquet officially started, more than half of the invitees had already gathered in the second-floor lounge.
The sky outside the window was still bright, and the trees in the courtyard were illuminated by the setting sun with a layer of pale gold.
The room always had sheer curtains drawn, and although it was nominally a banquet, few people touched the champagne brought by the waiters, while the "Prospectus for the Establishment of the Old Family Asset Preservation Mutual Aid Association" placed on several low tables was passed around from hand to hand over and over again.
Nine seals had already been affixed to the last page.
The person in charge of registration had just put the Kuga family's authorisation letter into a document bag, when a family head sitting next to him asked about the Konoe family's attitude.
The person sent in the afternoon did not get a clear reply, but the Konoe family did not express opposition either, which, in the view of several initiators, was enough to count as a kind of tacit approval.
However, the person in charge of registration did not take the opportunity to add the name, but only made a mark next to that column with a fountain pen.
"If the Konoe family is ready to participate, they will naturally send someone to deliver the seal. Promising for them now will make it harder to explain tonight."
The Head of the Hanazoin Family sitting in the middle of the sofa raised his eyes to look, and ultimately did not ask him to modify it.
Konoe, Takatsukasa, and the Kujo Family had still not stated their positions, but the Old Kazoku invited tonight were far more than these three families.
The nine families that had already signed, plus more than a dozen onlookers who clearly stated they were willing to listen to the conditions before deciding, were enough to give this prospectus, which originally consisted of only a few pages, real weight for the first time.
At least before entering Kasumi Kaikan, no one thought Satsuki would be willing to fall out with so many people at once.
The Saionji Family had indeed been strong in recent years, and the changes in Sumitomo and Seibu had also allowed many Old Kazoku to see the gap between the two sides for the first time.
However, one or two families falling into debt was ultimately not the same thing as a dozen old noble houses jointly making demands.
Behind them were also two trust banks, three cultural foundations, and the political guarantee given by Seiwakai through the "Research Association for Current Affairs and Traditional Systems."
The chairman of the research association sat a little far from the main seat, but people kept coming and going beside him.
He did not admit that he represented Seiwakai, nor did he deny it; he only took out an already compiled list when others asked about the House of Peers.
There were twenty-six members of parliament who were willing in principle to participate in joint coordination.
Among them, some only promised to re-deliberate, some were willing to raise objections in the committee, and several members had not yet explained how far they would go.
But placed in the lounge at this moment, the number twenty-six sounded good enough.
"If the political funds disclosure bill is returned once, the Kaifu Cabinet will have to reconsider its pace. No matter how capable Saionji Shuichi is, he cannot treat the House of Peers as his own conference room."
The speaker lowered his voice, but the few people nearby all heard it.
What they cared about was not entirely the same thing.
Some of Tokyo's old daimyo families only wanted to protect their ancestral homes and were unwilling to wake up one day to find that their family's forests, mountains, calligraphy, and paintings had already fallen under Saionji's banner.
Several old men who had long frequented the House of Peers cared more about who was qualified to decide the political stance for the Kazoku.
As for the people of the research association, what they cared about from beginning to end was not which warehouse the old documents should be placed in, but whether the autumn reforms could be passed on time.
These differences did not cause worry.
In their view, as long as Satsuki was forced to publicly acknowledge the power of the joint Kazoku institution for the first time tonight, the subsequent interests could naturally be distributed slowly.
Who would preside over the political coordination committee and which family's bank funds would be saved first could all be discussed after the charter was established.
Only the old marquis family head sitting near the door had never participated in these discussions.
Five days ago, he was still standing by the porch of his residence, watching the moving company load piece after piece of furniture onto trucks.
The family's heirloom calligraphy and paintings were sent to the bank's warehouse, the old documents were temporarily handed over to relatives, and even the family name that had hung in front of the door for many years was dismantled by workers.
When the Head of the Hanazoin Family talked about future committee seats, he finally put down his wine glass and walked over to the chairman of the research association.
"Can the first batch of funds promised by the bank arrive before the end of the month?"
The chairman of the research association was checking the list of members with someone else, and hearing the inquiry, he could only put the papers away first.
"The current progress is very smooth. After confirming the members tonight, the two trust banks will arrange the next step."
This sentence was not much different from the previous few days; before confirming the alliance, no one dared to give a positive guarantee.
The old marquis family head stood without leaving.
"My family's loan is due next month. Now the bank demands an additional 2.8 billion in margin first, otherwise the remaining things will also be moved away."
Speaking of this, his tone was already a bit anxious.
"My family really cannot wait much longer. When on earth will your so-called next step arrive?"
The conversation in the lounge gradually quietened down.
In the past few days, every family had been talking about jointly preserving their ancestral homes, and indeed no one was willing to watch another old family being driven out by the bank.
But when it was truly necessary to cough up 2.8 billion yen, those consolations seemed a bit weightless.
Just as the chairman of the research association was about to explain, the Head of the Hanazoin Family had already put down the list in his hand first.
"Everyone is clear about your situation."
He did not blame the old marquis family head for pressing at such a time, but his tone was a bit more solemn than before.
"Yet the bank is willing to talk with us precisely because this time it is no longer just your family alone."
"We must first settle the matter of the mutual aid association tonight, and then the remaining problems will have the basis for further discussion."
"If we lose our footing first, when Miss Saionji arrives, are we going to let her watch us quote prices individually?"
The old marquis family head was silent for a moment.
He obviously knew that this remark was not entirely unreasonable.
Over the past half year, he had gone to the bank alone more than once.
Every time he sat in the conference room, the people opposite would politely invite him to tea and patiently listen to his explanations about the ancestral home, family history, and collection value, but the final answer given was always just additional collateral and disposal within a time limit.
If a single family could solve it, there would not have been tonight's banquet.
"I understand."
He only said this sentence in the end and sat back in his original position.
The Head of the Hanazoin Family did not mention the funds again, and instead asked the person in charge of registration to re-verify the list of the nine families that had already been stamped.
The atmosphere in the lounge quickly recovered, as if that questioning just now was just a small episode before the official banquet.
At exactly six o'clock, the doors of the banquet hall opened from the inside.
The invitees entered one after another according to the seating arrangements made in advance.
The nine family heads who had already signed the prospectus were dispersed beside several main dining tables, which could both take care of the family status of each house and make it convenient to explain the bylaws of the mutual aid association in front of the onlookers.
Representatives of the Konoe and Takatsukasa families sat on the left side of the main table, while the Head of the Kujo Family sat on the right.
He arrived very early, but did not participate in the discussions in the second-floor lounge.
Several people in charge of communication had tried to start from the old Kyoto residence and cultural assets, but the Head of the Kujo Family only accompanied them to talk a few words about repairs, without giving any response related to the mutual aid association.
In the eyes of quite a few people, silence was at least not opposition.
As long as Satsuki could be made to accept those three conditions tonight, the Kujo Family probably would not insist on standing outside anymore.
At six-ten, the Director of the Kasumi Kaikan Affairs Bureau walked to the entrance.
"Representative of the Saionji Family, Miss Saionji Satsuki has arrived ——"
The conversation in the banquet hall that had not completely stopped earlier quickly quietened down.
Satsuki arrived according to the time on the invitation letter.
However, most other people came half an hour early in order to exchange opinions in advance. When she walked in from the end of the corridor, it still seemed as if she had deliberately left herself to appear last.
Tonight she was wearing a deep purple kimono, with very elegant hem and cuffs, and fine dark patterns only appeared under the light.
Her hair was coiled at the back of her head, there was a pair of pearls by her ears, and a family crest brooch of the Saionji Family was pinned to her chest.
The style of that brooch looked like it had been around for some years, yet it unexpectedly matched her dress very well.
After entering the banquet hall, Satsuki first greeted several elderly family heads according to etiquette.
She was not in a hurry to look at the prospectuses placed on the tables, and when passing by the Head of the Kujo Family, she only nodded to each other with him.
Shuichi was already sitting beside the main table.
Seeing his daughter approach, his gaze lingered on that brooch for a moment, and only when pulling out her chair for her did he ask in a low voice:
"How did you think to dig it out?"
"Chizuru felt that tonight's dress was too plain."
Satsuki lowered her head and glanced.
"What, did Mother wear it before?"
"She only wore it once, and always complained it was too heavy after going back. Afterwards I never saw her use it again."
Shuichi smiled and tidied up the back of her chair for her.
"However, wearing it tonight is just right."
Satsuki did not pursue what this sentence meant. After sitting down, the waiter quickly brought the appetisers.
The first half of the banquet proceeded very calmly.
After a round of drinks, several old men talked about the repairs of the old residence in Kyoto.
Someone said that this year's plum rain came early, and the roof would probably have to be checked again; someone else complained that the young people at home preferred to squeeze into apartments in Tokyo rather than return to Kyoto to look after that house which could not be lived in for a few days a year.
"The tiles were replaced once last year, and they are leaking again this year."
The old man from the Takatsukasa Family spoke of this matter with a deep sense of helplessness.
"The artisan also told me it was because the trees in the yard grew too tall. According to him, if I do not cut down the pine tree my grandfather planted, I can forget about the roof ever being secure in the future."
Shuichi let out a chuckle upon hearing this.
"That is probably because he does not want to climb the roof a second time."
"That is what I thought too, so I did not agree."
"And then?"
"Then he raised his price by twenty percent."
A burst of laughter erupted from the main table, and the previously somewhat reserved atmosphere relaxed considerably as a result.
Satsuki listened for a while, occasionally chiming in with a few words, but she never once brought up the statement of intent on the table. It was not until the topic shifted from the roof to the restoration of old books that she suddenly asked the Head of the Kujo Family whether that old edition of Guji Genzen she had seen in the study last time had already been sent out for restoration.
"Not yet."
The Head of the Kujo Family glanced at the documents placed in front of Kazanin.
"I originally planned to wait a bit longer. If the Mutual Aid Association can be established, similar items should have a unified destination in the future."
"The insect damage on that set of books is already quite severe."
Satsuki lowered her head to cut the fish on her plate, her tone very calm.
"I am afraid the paper cannot wait for the bank to finish holding its meetings."
A few people near the main table paused slightly in their movements.
The Head of the Kujo Family gave a small smile, offering no explanation for either side.
"That is why I invited you here. At least tonight, we should make everything clear."
The Head of the Kazanin Family placed his wine glass back on the table, his gaze falling upon Satsuki with no discernible emotion.
"Miss Satsuki does not seem very optimistic about the Mutual Aid Association."
Satsuki put down her cutlery, looked back at the Head of the Kazanin Family, and smiled faintly.
"Please forgive me, but I have not read the new charter yet."
"Miss, you need not worry about that. How could we 'arbitrarily' modify the charter without your presence?" The Head of the Kazanin Family also laughed. "Naturally, the current charter is much the same as the one the Kujo Family gave you, and there will not be any major changes."
Satsuki's expression changed, as if she were somewhat surprised.
"That is strange then. Since there are no changes, why was I needed here today?"
The expression of the Head of the Kazanin Family remained unchanged.
An old man sitting on the other side took over the conversation.
"Everyone simply wants to hear the Saionji Family's stance. After all, over the years, Miss Satsuki has helped quite a few old families." He looked towards the heads of the various families around, his smile very amiable. "Now that the various families are preparing to establish a system of our own, it would not do not to consult you at all, would it?"
"Indeed, indeed. We naturally value the Saionji Family's stance."
"Miss Satsuki is truly a model for the Kazoku world..."
The various families chimed in one after another, and the atmosphere at the table suddenly became lively.
"Help?"
Satsuki thought about it seriously for a moment, looking genuinely puzzled.
"I had assumed everyone privately preferred to use the term 'takeover'."
The smile on the old man's face instantly faded a bit, and the laughter of those around them froze mid-air.
Although Sumitomo still retained its original name, actual control had already fallen into Saionji's hands. Other families that had received assistance had also, to varying degrees, surrendered a portion of their industries, political connections, or internal decision-making power.
The reason that statement of intent appeared here in the first place was precisely because they worried they would become the next one.
The Head of the Kazanin Family remained silent for a moment, but a smile returned to his face instead.
"The word 'takeover' indeed does not sound very pleasant."
He was in no hurry to defend Saionji, nor did he deny that the families present had said similar things in private. He merely gave the wine glass at his side a gentle half-turn.
"However, since Miss Satsuki is willing to lay things out in the open, we will not need to beat around the bush tonight."
The atmosphere that had just livened up at the table failed to recover.
The old man who had stepped in to smooth things over earlier picked up his wine glass and took a sip, as if trying to swallow the recent awkwardness along with it. The others also put away their smiles, waiting for Kazanin to continue.
The Head of the Kazanin Family did not immediately pick up the statement of intent.
He first brought up an auction held in Kyoto a few days ago.
A batch of old documents that had been preserved in the same family for hundreds of years was split into more than twenty portions by the auction house according to age and signature.
The highest-bidding buyers came from different places. Once the transactions were completed, that batch of genealogies, letters, and territorial records—which were originally able to corroborate one another—would probably never have the chance to be gathered together again.
"In fact, everyone knows those papers are not worth much money."
Speaking up to this point, the Head of the Kazanin Family sighed softly.
"Banks do not care whether they should be kept together, and auction houses are only responsible for fetching a good price."
"Yet once these things are scattered, even if someone is willing to pay ten times the price in the future, they might not be able to find them back."
Several family heads from Kyoto wore darkened expressions as they listened.
The gaze of the Head of the Kazanin Family fell once more upon the head of the former marquis family a little further away.
"And there are others whose residences have yet to be listed for sale, yet the things inside the house have already been moved away first."
"Today it is a folding screen, tomorrow it is a cabinet. When the bank truly takes over, all that might be left is an empty house."
The former marquis family head kept his head lowered, the napkin clenched in his hand twisted into a deep crease.
"Is this not a disgrace to us Kazoku?"
His tone grew impassioned.
"If these things only happened to a single family, outsiders could certainly say it was poor management, or that the bank was merely acting according to contract."
"Yet when such things happen one family after another, you all surely cannot wait until the moving company steps through the door every single time before remembering to go over and take a look."
Having finished speaking, he then picked up that statement of intent.
The public charter in the front had already been read more than once by everyone present. Kazanin did not explain it item by item again, merely resting his finger on the supplementary rules at the back.
"As for what is written here, Miss Satsuki must already be very clear. The various families are not asking Saionji to close its doors from now on and stop 'helping' anyone."
He pushed the document a little towards Satsuki.
"This time, we simply hope that whenever someone walks before Saionji in the future, they will at least retain a little leeway for choice."
"What price can be negotiated, and what things cannot be handed over all at once just because of rushing to repay debts—there ought to be a boundary."
The words of the Head of the Kazanin Family were spoken fairly gently.
Yet everyone present understood precisely whom those few supplementary rules were restricting.
This time, Satsuki did not avoid the document.
She reached out to take the statement of intent before her, casually flipped past the charter in the front, and then looked directly at the final page.
"Have nine families already signed?"
Her voice was not loud, but several people who were drinking at the table all stopped.
"At present, the ones who have officially affixed their seals are indeed nine families."
The Head of the Kazanin Family followed her gaze.
"In addition, more than a dozen families want to hear the outcome of tonight first, and both the Konoe and Takatsukasa families are still considering."
Saying this, he paused slightly.
"Although the Kujo Family has not yet affixed its seal, surely Your Excellency Kujo would not oppose protecting the assets of old families, would you?"
Everyone at the table turned to look at the Head of the Kujo Family.
The Kujo Family and the Saionji Family were the closest. Now that the Head of the Kazanin Family wanted to take the opportunity to incorporate the Kujo Family into the alliance, the hope was probably slim.
"Protecting the assets of old families—of course I would not oppose that."
The Head of the Kujo Family picked up his wine glass, his tone sounding very amiable.
"However."
Sure enough, his words took a turn.
"If Your Excellency Kazanin intends to use this statement to count the Kujo Family in as well, then I can only offer my apologies in advance."
More people around looked over.
Yet the Head of the Kujo Family paid it no mind, merely lowering his head to glance at the document in Satsuki's hands.
"As for the contents on this, the Kujo Family has not agreed to a single sentence."
"Observing is fine, but affixing seals is still far off."
"When Your Excellency Kazanin counts the number of people, it would be safer to temporarily count one less family."
The smile on the face of the Head of the Kazanin Family faded slightly.
The representative of the Konoe Family did not utter a sound, as if they had not heard their own family name at all. Meanwhile, the old man from the Takatsukasa Family reached out to move the statement of intent in front of him aside, leaving a clear distance between it and his dining plate.
"It seems Your Excellency Kujo is even more cautious than I imagined."
The Head of the Kazanin Family raised his wine glass, his words carrying more than a hint of displeasure.
"However, the nine families that have already signed are also sufficient to show that tonight's concerns were not a temporary whim of anyone."
"Mm-hmm, Your Excellency Kazanin is quite right about that." Satsuki looked at the document in her hands and nodded slightly. "Nine families is indeed quite a lot."
She looked over the names on the final page once more, her fingertips brushing gently past those seals that had already dried completely.
"To be able to gather nine families together in five days and have everyone affix their seals on the same sheet of paper is already no easy feat."
For a moment, the Head of the Kazanin Family could not tell whether she was praising or mocking, and could only watch as she closed the document.
"In that case, tonight I shall treat these nine families as a single entity."