The people of that time said of them to one another:—"The wife of Soga no Oho-omi is the younger sister of the Ohomuraji Mononobe no Moriya, and the Oho-omi, injudiciously acting on his wife's advice, slew the Ohomuraji."[1]
When the civil troubles had been quieted, a Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings[2] was built in the province of Settsu. Half of the Ohomuraji's slaves, together with his house, were constituted the slaves and farm-house of the Great Temple, and ten thousand shiro[3] of rice-land were given to Ichihi, Tomi (XXI. 11.) no Obito. Moreover, Soga no Oho-omi, in fulfilment of his vow, erected the Temple of Hōkōji[4] in Asuka. A dependant of the Ohomuraji Mononobe no Moriya named Yorodzu, [the personal name], of the Tottori-be, in command of one hundred men, guarded the house[5] at Naniha, but hearing of the Ohomuraji's downfall, he urged his horse into a gallop, and made his escape by night in the direction of the village of Arimaka in the district of Chinu, where, having passed his wife's house, he at length concealed himself among the hills. The Court took counsel together, saying:—"Yorodzu cherishes traitorous feelings, and therefore has concealed himself among these hills. Let his kindred be extirpated promptly, and no remissness shown." Yorodzu, in tattered and filthy raiment, and with a wretched countenance, came forth alone, of his own accord, bow in hand and girt with a sword. The officials sent several hundred guardsmen to surround him. Yorodzu, accordingly, was afraid, and hid himself in a bamboo thicket, where he tied cords to the bamboos and pulled them so as to shake the bamboos, and thus make the people to doubt where he had gone in. The guardsmen were deceived, and pointing to the quivering bamboos, ran forward, saying:—"Yorodzu is here!" Yorodzu forthwith shot his arrows, not one of which missed its mark, so that the guardsmen were afraid, and did not dare to approach. Yorodzu then unstrung his bow, and
- ↑ She wished to appropriate to herself his property.
- ↑ At Osaka. Still known as Tennōji. Vide "Murray's Handbook of Japan," 3rd ed. p. 285.
- ↑ The 頃 (shiro) is equal 100 畝 or mow, a measure which, according to present Chinese reckoning, is equal to 15.13 acres. Vide Giles.
- ↑ Near Nara. It is no longer in existence.
- ↑ Of the Ohomuraji.
