Legend of Ieyasu in the Phantom Country

Author: Fu Liangju
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: A prince, a believer, a hidden past life, a love spanning two lifetimes. Fantasy Kingdom uses the blended identity of Prince Ikkyu and a revered monk to narrate his legendary life story. The book primarily depicts his entanglement with the Ashikaga clan, as historical records indicate that Ikkyu did not become a king due to the persecution by the Ashikaga general. In this novel, the focus highlights Ikkyu's royal image under profound Buddhist wisdom, while also incorporating his emotional entanglement with a commoner, Yasuko, and later with Morihara (who appeared after Yasuko's death and can be seen as an extension of Yasuko's emotions). Thus, this manuscript portrays the ordinary emotional life of Ikkyu after his transformation into a "Buddha-king." These aspects are also beyond the reach of everyday understanding, despite the existence of The Smart Ikkyu and related biographies, as they differ in nature.