Within three months, it's clear that she's pregnant. Genji takes the opportunity to visit her and forces Fujitsubo to have sex with him. Genji unwillingly returns to the city and sees Aoi, but he spends most of his time thinking of Murasaki.įujitsubo becomes ill and leaves to spend time with her family. The nun, Murasaki's grandmother, won't allow it either. Genji begins to plan how he can take the child, but the bishop, who explains that Murasaki is Prince Hyōbu's daughter, won't allow Genji to have her. Inside, he sees a beautiful ten-year-old girl who resembles Fujitsubo named Murasaki. In the evening, Genji goes with his personal attendant Koremitsu to spy on the house. Near the sage's cave is a house where a bishop lives with several women and children. In the spring, Genji begins suffering from malaria, so he goes to the mountains to see a renowned sage. Past midnight, Genji sees an apparition of a woman near his pillow and when he wakes, the Lady of the Evening Faces is dead. In the fall, he decides to take her away to a deserted house for a night. Genji begins visiting the lady in disguise and doesn't reveal to her who he is. He eventually discovers that the Lady of the Evening Faces is a former lover of his brother-in-law, Tō no Chūjō. He also begins neglecting another lover, the Rokujō Lady. He begins corresponding with the Lady of the Evening Faces and spends little time with Aoi, which angers her. Later, Genji finds his interest piqued by the poem written on the fan. One evening Genji passes a house with white flowers on it, which he learns are called 'evening faces.' An intriguing young girl gives Genji's attendant a scented fan on which to place a flower. This angers the Minister of the Right and Kokiden, though Genji is also unhappy in his marriage. When Genji comes of age, his father arranges for him to marry the Minister of the Left's daughter, Aoi, instead of letting Suzaku marry her. The Emperor, still grieving the Lady of the Paulownia Court, hears of a young woman named Fujitsubo who resembles his dead lover and summons her to court.įujitsubo is almost more perfect than the Paulownia Lady and because of the resemblance, Genji begins to fall in love with her. She complains so much that the Emperor decides to not name Genji a crown prince, making him a commoner instead. This makes Suzaku's mother, Kokiden, very nervous. Genji is magnificent, even more so than his older half-brother Suzaku, the crown prince. This causes the lady to become very ill, though she soon gives birth to a baby boy: Genji. They find her presumptuous and torment her incessantly.

The Emperor's concubines are disgruntled to discover that he favors a woman known as the Lady of the Paulownia Court more than them.

Murasaki the tale of genji