Four to five

by 芥川龍之介

The man's character was stingy, greedy, shameless, lazy, and avaricious. What stood out the most was his arrogance and pride, as he always boasted that he was the best painter in the country. Not only did he look down on the art of painting, but he also despised the customs and traditions of society. This is the story of a man who had been a disciple of Ryoshū for many years. One day, at the residence of a certain person, when a famous priestess of Hinokagura was possessed by a spirit and delivered a terrifying oracle, he reportedly began to sketch the priestess's dreadful face with a brush and ink that were nearby, while pretending to hear voices. Perhaps to him, the spirit's curse seemed like child's play.

Given such a man, when he painted the goddess of good fortune, he would depict the face of a lowly puppet, and when he painted Fudō Myōō, he would illustrate the appearance of a rogue. He committed various acts of disrespect. Even so, when confronted, he calmly boasted, "I've never heard of a deity or Buddha painted by Ryoshū punishing Ryoshū." This left even his disciples astonished, and it seems that some, feeling the terror of the future, quickly took their leave. In short, he was a man whose arrogance compounded upon itself. In any case, he believed that there was no one as great as himself in the world at that time.

Therefore, it goes without saying how renowned Yoshihide was in the art world. However, because his brushwork and coloring were completely different from other painters, he was rumored among his unfriendly peers to be a "charlatan." Those individuals would spread elegant rumors about the works of past masters like Kawanari and Kinoka, claiming that the plum blossoms on the sliding doors would scent the air every moonlit night, and that one could even hear the sound of the courtier playing the flute on the folding screens. But when it came to Yoshihide's paintings, only strange and eerie rumors circulated. For instance, regarding the painting of the five aspects of life and death he created at Ryugai-ji Temple's gate, it was said that passing under the gate late at night, one could hear the sighs and sobs of celestial beings. Some even claimed to have smelled the stench of decaying corpses. Additionally, it was said that the likenesses of the ladies-in-waiting he painted on the order of the lord resulted in those depicted falling ill and dying, as if their souls had been drained, within three years. Detractors claimed this was evidence that Yoshihide's art had fallen into a wicked path.

However, as mentioned earlier, being a man of unconventional ways, this ironically became a source of pride for Yoshihide. At one point, when the lord jokingly remarked, "It seems you have a liking for the ugly," he replied with a creepy grin, his red lips not befitting his age, "That is indeed true. A painter cannot possibly understand the beauty of the ugly," answering arrogantly. How could he, being the foremost painter in the country, utter such lofty words in front of the lord? It is no wonder that the disciple mentioned earlier privately nicknamed him "Chira Eiju," mocking his arrogance. "Chira Eiju" is the name of a tengu that came from the distant land of Shindan.

However, even this Yoshihide, even he, who was an inexplicable wanderer, had just one human-like affection. That was the way Yoshihide doted on his only daughter, the little lady, as if he were crazy about her. As I mentioned earlier, the daughter was also a very kind-hearted and considerate girl, but that man's obsession with his daughter was by no means inferior. After all, when it came to the clothes and hair ornaments for his daughter, he, who had never given a donation to any temple, spared no expense and said he would prepare them, which felt almost unbelievable.

However, Yoshihide's affection for his daughter was merely that; he never dreamed of finding a good husband for her. Rather, if anyone were to approach his daughter with ill intentions, he would gather the street fighters and beat them up to such an extent that it was quite a sight. Therefore, when his daughter was summoned to become a little lady by the great lord, the old man was extremely dissatisfied and, for the time being, he was only bitter when he appeared before the lord. The rumor that the great lord was captivated by the daughter's beauty and summoned her without regard for her parents' disapproval likely stemmed from the speculation of those who witnessed such a scene.

However, even if that rumor was false, it is certain that Yoshihide was praying with all his heart for his daughter to be taken in. One time, when he was commanded by the lord to paint the child Monju, he captured the face of the beloved child, and because it was finished beautifully, the lord was greatly satisfied and said, "As a reward, you may take whatever you wish. Do not hesitate to ask." Then, Yoshihide humbly thought about what to say and boldly replied, "I humbly request that you take my daughter." It is hard to imagine someone serving the lord of Horikawa, no matter how beloved, asking for leave in such an impudent manner. This seemed to have displeased the lord a little, and for a while, he just stared silently at Yoshihide's face, but eventually,

he spat out, "That will not do." After saying this, he suddenly stood up. Was there such a thing happening four or five times back and forth? Now that I think about it, it seems that the lord's gaze upon Yoshihide grew colder each time.

On the other hand, perhaps the daughter was worried about her father's well-being, as she often bit the sleeves of her kimono and cried quietly when she was in the inner chambers. Amidst this, the rumor that the lord had fallen in love with Yoshihide's daughter began to spread even more. Some even claimed that the origin of the hell screen was because the daughter did not obey the lord's wishes, but such a thing could not possibly be true.

From our perspective, the reason the lord did not take Yoshihide's daughter was precisely because he felt pity for her situation. Rather than sending her to such a stubborn parent, it was a difficult kindness to allow her to live comfortably in the mansion without any inconvenience. It is undoubtedly true that the lord was fond of that originally gentle-natured girl. However, the notion that he favored her for her looks is likely a forced interpretation, or rather, it would be better to say it is a baseless lie.

That aside, around the time when Yoshihide's reputation had significantly worsened due to the matter concerning his daughter, the lord suddenly summoned Yoshihide and ordered him to paint the folding screen of the Hell Screen.