24. Conspiracy of King Saho-biko and the Empress Saho-bime

1When this Heavenly Sovereign made Sabo-bime his Empress, Her, Augustness Sabo-bime’s elder brother, King Saho-biko, asked his younger sister, saying: “Which is dearer [to thee], thine elder brother or thy husband?” She replied, saying: “Mine elder brother is dearer.” Then King Saho-biko conspired, saying: “If I be truly the dearer to thee, let me and thee rule the empire,” and forthwith he made an eight times tempered stiletto, and handed it to his younger sister, saying: “Slay the Heavenly Sovereign in his sleep with this small knife.” So the Heavenly Sovereign, not knowing of this conspiracy, was augustly sleeping, with the Empress’s august knees as his pillow. Then the Empress tried to cut his august throat with the stiletto; but though she lifted it thrice, she could not cut the throat for an irrepressible feeling of sadness, and she wept tears, which fell overflowing onto [the Heavenly Sovereign’s] august face. Straightway the Heavenly Sovereign started up, and asked the Empress, saying: “I have had a strange dream: a violent shower came from the direction of Saho and suddenly wetted my face; again a small damask-coloured snake coiled itself round my neck. Of what may such a dream be the omen?” Then the Empress, thinking it improper to dispute, forthwith informed the Heavenly Sovereign, saying: “Mine elder brother King Saho-biko asked me, saying, ‘Which is dearer [to thee], thy husband or thine elder brother?’ So, as I was embarrassed by [this] direct question, I replied, saying, ‘Oh! mine elder brother is the dearer.’ Then he charged me, saying: ‘I and thou will together rule the Empire; so the Heavenly Sovereign must be slain;’—and so saying, he made an eight times tempered stiletto, and handed it to me. Therefore I wanted to cut thine august throat; but though I thrice lifted [the weapon], a feeling of regret suddenly arose, so that I could not cut thy throat, and the tears that I wept fell and wetted thine august face. [The dream] was surely the omen of this.” Then the Heavenly Sovereign said: “How nearly have I been betrayed!—and forthwith he raised an army to smite King Saho-biko, whereupon the King made a rice-castle to await the fray. At this time Her Augustness Saho-bime, unable to forget her elder brother, fled out through the back-gate [of the palace], and came into the rice-castle.