Keep in mind that I CANNOT personally confirm any of this information, as I do not have the book yet. ALL information below in this post (which will be continually updated, until I can get the novel myself and write my own summary) is at your own risk, and the blogger assumes no responsibility for any liability which might occur. :P
EDIT: I now have the book, and am reading it. So far all of the spoilers seem to be generally correct. I will try to write a summary soon.

According to this board, the illustrations are:

Ou Ki and Kouki, Shuurei and Ensei, Ryuuki + Shuuei + Kouyuu + Uu Uu+Riou, Houju and Undersecretary Kei (I think that’s what they mean), Shuuei and Kouyuu, You Shuu (poster says he “looks young”), Shuurei and Kouyuu, and Reishin and Yuri (the poster says that this is very raburabu).

If this is correct, this means there’s a high possibility that Yuri will show up! And I’m excited that there will be an illustration of You Shuu as well, because I wonder if there will be any differences from his chara design in the anime.

More: Someone on the board published a summary.

Book begins with the scene where Reishin found Kouyuu. Kouyuu had been abandoned as a scapegoat/?sacrifice.

The scene then shifts to where Seiga and You Shuu arrest and improsion Kouyuu (this is during the events of book 12).

Ryuuki returns to the palace, and apologizes to Ou Ki and the others for not being a good king. He doesn’t reveal that the Hyou clan was trying to kill him, thus protecting Riou and Uu Uu. Shuurei receives permission from Kouki to defend Kouyuu.

The Hyou clan has placed a spell on Kouyuu, causing him to fall into a trance. Shuurei looks for materials to defend Kouyuu with, and she learns that her uncle is the Civil Secretary.

Kou Kijin is very angry with Reishin, but his anger seems to have no effect on him. There’s something about a promise Yuushun made (or was made to him?) when he went to Sa Province.

Yuri applies to visit Kouyuu in jail. She plays the biwa to him, and Kouyuu remembers when Reishin named him. Realizing that Reishin is waiting for him, he awakens.

Both Shuurei and Kouyuu have realized that Seiga’s true aim is Reishin’s dismissal. So, they decide to call for his dismissal under Kouyuu’s name. Shuurei uses her authority as a censorate official to bring this to Ryuuki, and Ryuuki and Yuushun are able to dismiss Reishin. By doing this, although Kouyuu has lost his position, he is still considered an official.

In the epilogue, Yuushun shows his dark side, Shuurei and Ensei have perhaps discovered past corruption in the Gyoshidai/Censorate (?), Ryuuki learns about the succession and the Hyou clan from Uu Uu (YES), and it seems that Reishin is returning to Kou Province while Yuri is staying in the capital(?). Shuurei tells Seiran that she cannot be empress because she cannot have children.

EDIT: Another person popped up and said something about whether Undersecretary Ouyou implied that the Heki clan was going to withdraw their officials. The way it’s stated is kind of unclear. Oh, also, I didn’t mention it before, but Shuuei also got demoted (he’s now working under Seiran? Heh) when he tried to re-enlist, so people are wondering if he and Kouyuu are going to have to work their way up again.

EDIT 2: From another blog, very short, but the new ones are, Heki Karin (Hakumei’s elder sister) is hired to make a sacred mirror to replace the one Shouka broke, but it seems that if she creates it, she’ll die. [Huh... the other spoilers didn't mention this. Upcoming plot featuring the Heki clan in more detail?]

YET ANOTHER EDIT: Someone on the Japanese board asked about the cover, and another person answered. The keys Shuurei is holding on the cover is the key to Kouyuu’s jail. Kouyuu is holding the haigyoku carved with the iris that Ryuuki gave him. (Haigyoku=that carved orb worn as an ornament). As for Reishin’s clothes, nothing is mentioned in the book on that point… It’s probably artistic license. [Possibly the author is attempting to show that it's dark, and in the dark colors lose their brightness?]

The Java finches (文鳥) appear in Kouyuu’s dream, guiding him.

MINOR NOTE: There is no bookmark.

MORE: Shuurei and Reishin don’t meet in this book, apparently.

MORE2: Someone else says that You Shuu is very impressive in this book, and that he’s kind of different from how he is in the anime.[EDIT: Confirmed. Character design looks quite different. He's wearing glasses. ] Seiga comes down with some kind of illness. Nothing more is clarified about Yuushun’s past. There’s something about how the Seven Houses are becoming more and more alienated from the capital. … I managed to find more impression posts, but most of them don’t give many concrete details besides things like “I loved the scene where chara A and chara B were talking!” or “Kouki is TEH HAWT.”

Commentary: If this is correct, WOW. I never would have suspected that Kouyuu would go so far as to call for Reishin’s dismissal, but I’m actually pleased to see that the books take Reishin’s being a bad official seriously. Now I really wonder what is going to happen in the next book.

The finches puzzle me. These birds haven’t shown up in the novels before, IIRC. Do they have some significance in Chinese culture? Or is it just an annoying joke? (文鳥=Java finch, 文官=civil official) Also, if there are Java finches in the Saiunkoku verse, does that mean that there’s a Java equivalent?

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