Prince Kuramochi was a far-sighted man. He claimed he was going to the province of Tsukushi (Kyushu) to seek treatment for an illness and took leave, arriving at Princess Kaguya’s home. He told the servants, “I am now setting off to fetch the jade branch,” and headed towards Kyushu. His subordinates came to Naniwa Port to see him off. The prince told them, “This journey is highly secretive.” Thus, he did not bring attendants but only a few personal servants and departed. Those who saw him off returned to the capital, thinking he had gone to Tsukushi. Unbeknownst to them, three days later, the prince’s ship returned to Naniwa Port. He had painstakingly arranged everything in advance. Upon arrival, he immediately summoned the era’s top craftsmen, including Naimaru among six, to a secluded location to construct a fortified house where these six would reside. He also lived there and donated his sixteen estates to the gods, relying on divine aid to craft the jade branch. The branch was made exactly to Princess Kaguya’s specifications. Then, the prince secretly returned to Naniwa Port. He sat in the ship, sending word home, “I have returned today,” and put on an appearance of travel-weary exhaustion. Many came to welcome him.
The prince placed the jade branch in a long box covered with diamond-patterned brocade and carried it ashore. Soon, rumors spread: “Prince Kuramochi has brought back the auspicious lotus flower.” Everyone was in awe.
Hearing this news, Princess Kaguya thought, “Am I going to be outdone by this prince?” She felt uneasy and gloomy. Soon, there was a knock at the door; Prince Kuramochi had arrived, still dressed in his travel clothes. Traditionally, the old man went out to greet him.
The prince said, “I nearly lost my life but finally obtained the jade branch. Please quickly show it to Princess Kaguya!” The old man took it inside to Princess Kaguya, and attached was a poem:
“Through thousands of miles of arduous paths, I vowed not to return without the jade branch.”
Both the branch and the poem were genuine. Princess Kaguya, upon seeing them, was at a loss. The old man came in and said, “Look, you tasked the prince to fetch the jade branch from Penglai, and he has brought it exactly. What more is there to say now? The prince is still in his travel attire and hasn’t even been home; he came straight here. Come out quickly and meet him, and decide on the engagement.”
Princess Kaguya remained silent, supporting her cheek with one hand, sighing, lost in thought. Meanwhile, the prince thought he had left Princess Kaguya without room for objection and boldly walked onto the veranda. The old man felt this was appropriate and said to Princess Kaguya, “This jade branch is something not found in our country. You can’t refuse him now. Besides, this prince is quite outstanding in both character and appearance.”
Princess Kaguya felt cornered and replied, “I have always disobeyed my father, and I truly regret that. I intentionally asked him to fetch something unobtainable, and unexpectedly, he really did it, which was beyond my imagination. What should I do now?” However, the old man didn’t care about all that and quickly prepared the bridal chamber. He asked the prince, “Where exactly does this tree grow? It’s extremely precious and beautiful!”
The prince answered, “Listen, in February of the year before last, I set sail from Naniwa Port. At first, I had no idea which direction to take in the middle of the sea. But I resolved that without fulfilling this wish, I could not continue to exist. So I let my ship drift with the wind. I thought: if I die, then there’s nothing I can do; as long as I live, I will find Penglai. The ship drifted for a long time and eventually left our Japan, heading far away. Sometimes the storms were so fierce, the ship seemed about to sink to the ocean floor. Sometimes, we were blown to mysterious lands where ghosts and goblins nearly killed me. Sometimes, we completely lost our way and became wanderers of the sea. Sometimes, we ran out of food and had to eat grass roots. Sometimes, terrifying creatures tried to devour us. Sometimes, we foraged for sea shells to survive. Sometimes, I fell ill during the journey with no one to help, and I had to resign myself to fate. Thus, I lived on the ship, letting it drift for 500 days. On the morning of the 500th day (around 8 or 9 a.m.), I suddenly saw a mountain in the distance in the sea, and everyone was overjoy
ed. From the ship, I saw the mountain floating on the sea, large and high, beautifully shaped. I thought this must be the mountain I was seeking, and I was ecstatic. However, I felt somewhat terrified and sailed around the mountain for two or three days. Suddenly one day, a woman dressed as a celestial being came down from the mountain to draw water with a silver bowl. We also disembarked, approached the woman, and asked: What is this mountain called? The woman answered: This is Penglai Mountain. Ah! Hearing this, I was overjoyed. I asked for her name, and she said: My name is Baoguan Liuli, and she floated back into the mountain.
The mountain was extremely steep, virtually unclimbable. I walked around the mountain, saw many unusual flowers and plants not seen in our world, and streams of gold and silver-colored water flowed from the mountain. Small bridges over the streams were made from various beautiful gems. The surrounding trees all emitted light. I plucked one branch, which wasn’t particularly outstanding, but it exactly matched what Princess Kaguya had asked for, so I took it back. Speaking of the scenery on that mountain, it truly was incomparable. I wanted to stay there longer to enjoy the beautiful views, but since I had obtained the flower, I was no longer inclined to stay and hurried back by ship. Fortunately, the return journey was with the wind, and it took over 400 days to get home. This is entirely due to the vast merit of my earnest wish. I returned to Naniwa Port yesterday. My clothes were wet from the tide and have not been changed, so I came directly here.”
The old man was deeply moved by this story, repeatedly sighing and reciting a poem for him:
“I often enter the wild mountains to gather fresh bamboo; I have never experienced such hardship in my life.”
The prince, hearing this, said, “The worries and bitterness in my heart over the years have finally settled down today,” and he replied with a poem:
“For years, my green robe has been wet with the longing; today, as my efforts succeed, my tears finally dry.”
It seemed that the prince’s plan had smoothly succeeded. However, suddenly six men walked into Princess Kaguya’s yard. One of them carried a stick with a petition attached. He said, “The leader of the craftsmen, Kanbu Naimaru, states: We six have toiled to the point of bone-breaking to craft the jade branch for over a thousand days, enduring extreme hardship, and we are all exhausted. Yet, we have not received a single penny in wages. Please pay us immediately so we can distribute it.”
The old man was shocked and asked, “What exactly is this about with the craftsmen?” At this moment, the prince was extremely embarrassed and speechless. Princess Kaguya heard this and said, “Please show me their petition.” The petition read: “The prince and we, humble craftsmen, have lived together in seclusion for over a thousand days, and he commanded us to craft this exquisite jade branch. At that time, it was promised that upon successful completion, not only would we be well-compensated, but also awarded official ranks. We thought that since this is an item required by the prince’s wife, Princess Kaguya, we should receive our reward from this place. We kindly request that it be granted today.”
Princess Kaguya read the petition, her brow furrowed in worry, but then she suddenly burst into laughter and called the old man in, saying, “I thought this truly was the jade branch of Penglai and was worried, but it turns out to be a fake. I am really glad! Such an annoying fake, he dared to bring it here. Quickly send him away!”
The old man also nodded in agreement, saying, “It is clearly a fake, he should be kicked out.”
Princess Kaguya’s mood brightened, and she wrote a poem in reply to the prince:
“Flattering words truly shameless, who do you think you can deceive with a forged jade branch?”
She sent this poem and the forged jade branch back to him.
The old man, who had been talking amiably with the prince, now felt disheartened and pretended to doze off. The prince wanted to get up and go home, feeling it was inappropriate to stay; sitting as usual, he felt very embarrassed. So, he just hung his head and hid. Until dusk gradually fell, he secretly slipped out of Princess Kaguya’s house.
Princess Kaguya called the six craftsmen who had come to petition earlier. She thanked them and gave them a lot of money. The six men were very happy, “Ah, today is truly satisfying!” They took the money and went home. Unbeknownst to them, they were severely beaten by people sent by Prince Kuramochi on the way, leaving them bloodied and their money stolen, forcing them to flee in all directions.
At this point, Prince Kuramochi sighed, “The greatest shame of my life is not only that I couldn’t obtain the woman I loved but also that I am ridiculed by everyone.” He then fled alone into the deep mountains. His retainers brought many people to search everywhere, but eventually, there was no trace of him, and he was presumed dead.
Considering the prince’s feelings, he could not face his peers, nor could he face his retainers without shame, so he had to disappear without a trace. From then on, such behavior came to be called “dispirited.”
