Year of the Boar, Thirteenth Month, Day 22.

 I spent several sticks in the library today. I had not intended to spend that long in there but once I started reading, I found that the sticks just melted away and all of a sudden, it was time for the evening meal. I have learnt much today; I was astonished to discover that for all of my education and all my own research, there is much about which I had no idea.

It seems that Silent Thunder gained its prominence by forcibly buying up small-holdings around its borders. Once it had swallowed those up, it continued to force small holders to sell up until the Lord at the time owned most of the Middle Kingdom. The papers do not explicitly say there was bloodshed or violence but what farmer voluntarily sells their farm and then pays rent to stay on the land ...? I cannot imagine that the House holds such records; it is hardly a good look for a House which is now known for its just and benevolent approach. 

Of course the other more prominent land owners at the time were not at all happy and there were skirmishes which led to borders changing and some sort of subterfuge which resulted in White Lake taking a large amount of land. Eventually, the landowners settled for what they had and in time, the Houses were formed. 

I am certain that this is not what I learnt at school but short of going home and looking in our own library for my tutor's scrolls, I have no way to check. I wonder if Kaede knows. I am sure she believes the same story we were all told about one of her ancestors arriving in the middle of some fertile land and being given a sign by the skies that this was the place he should start farming. Perhaps that is even partially true but that is certainly not all he did..

Why I find this so interesting, I have no idea. It does however, throw doubt on the origins of the rest of the Houses. I have never believed that Crying Orchid was founded on the site of a garden where some sort of petulant heroine despaired over the colour of the orchids and demanded that they were all changed. It seems too ridiculous for words. That said, I do wonder whether it is the type of thing Mother might have done in her youth so perhaps it is not entirely without the realms of possibility.

I should probably offer to be of some help with the solstice preparations for the next few days but hiding in the library is a much more enticing idea and I am not averse to avoiding Kaede or Sasanuma so I may stay in here and see what else I can discover instead.