We continue with more Saiunkoku.


Shuurei comes flying to Shouka’s office. She asks him if it’s true that Reishin, the Civil Administration Secretary, is his younger brother, making Kouyuu Shuurei’s cousin. He confirms this, and says that to him Reishin is a dear younger brother, just as Kurou is. Shuurei does not ask why Shouka never enlightened her on this topic, and says nothing about the trouble Reishin and Kouyuu are in, because those are confidential Censorate matters and she doesn’t want to involve Shouka. As Shuurei leaves, Shouka sighs, because although he knows what’s going on, he can’t do anything to help Ryuuki or Shuurei because he has no power that way as an official.

Shuurei discusses the case with Ensei. She recalls how Kouyuu told her long ago that he became an official to help a certain person, but eventually Ensei says that no matter how much Kouyuu might have wanted to help, in the end this just led to Kouyuu getting into this situation, because he acted in cases that required the Civil Admin Secretary’s personal attention. Shuurei wants to see Reishin, but Ensei thinks that considering Shuurei’s relationship to him, it’s a dodgy situation. Shuurei also thinks that something has happened, considering last time it was Shuuei, and now it’s Kouyuu. No matter what happens, she has a feeling that things will not return to how they used to be.

Ryuuki goes to see Kouyuu in the jail. Riou is there, but so far there has been no change in Kouyuu’s condition. Riou is sorry, but Ryuuki says he has nothing to be sorry about, although Seiran doesn’t look like he agrees. Riou questions Ryuuki about how the sacred mirror broke when Ryuuki visited the shrine. As Ryuuki had altitude sickness and wasn’t even near the sacred mirror, he knows nothing about it. [Read the vol 12 summary to find out more].

Riou tells them that the mirror was a masterwork created by a previous head of the Heki clan, and while the Hyou have a deal with the Heki clan to replace the mirror every twenty years, this one has lasted for a hundred. The person who constructs the sacred mirror inevitably dies afterwards. Also, strangely, the previous head who constructed the mirror a hundred years ago was not a great artist, and undertook the job because he didn’t want to see more young Heki clan members die, but he managed to create a marvelous work of art. Neither Ryuuki nor Shuuei knew of this, and although they know nothing about how the mirror was broken, if they hadn’t gone there, probably it wouldn’t have been. They think that Riou was scolding them, but actually Riou has no such intention. They can’t avoid making a new mirror, because as Riou reminds them, a great earthquake would have started once it was broken, if not for Ryuuren’s intervention. The ‘contract,’ wherein the Hyou and Ran clans guard the shrine, and the Heki clan constructs the mirror, has been in effect since the first king.

The Heki clan has already decided who will construct the mirror. Heki Yuukoku, that is, Hakumei’s elder sister Karin, has volunteered. Ryuuki is even more horrified. Seeing this, Riou says that it is not his fault, but the responsibility of the Hyou clan. Riou guesses that they met his aunt there, and he understands that someone had to break it to protect Shuurei. Riou recalls when Heki Karin visited him. Although she was angry, she said she would fulfill the duty of the Heki clan, as one of the Eight Clans of Color. But, the Hyou clan needed to diligently fulfill its duties. Riou feels the impact of Karin’s words: he knows that this is a great dereliction of duty. His father, the head of his clan, has no interest in doing his work, or in restraining his aunt, and so for the first time, Riou is directly going against his aunt’s will.

Back to Kouyuu’s dream: Riou and Shuuei have come to temporarily speak through the birds. The Shuuei-bird is extremely annoying to Kouyuu, though, insisting on singing irritating songs to encourage him and remembering embarassing things. Shuuei tells Kouyuu that it has been fun since he received the flower, and that he does not wish to return to the time before Ryuuki gave it to him. Shuuei reminisces on the two years that they have spent with Ryuuki, and how Ryuuki never reproached them for failing to put him before their clans. Shuuei says that he has never met anyone who valued him as much as Ryuuki did, or went so far for him. Kouyuu says that he as well does not wish to return to the times before Ryuuki gave him the flower, and that he must speak to Ryuuki. Shuuei finally says that he does not want to let Ryuuki die.

Half the month has passed, and Shuurei and Ensei see Yuri-hime in the street, and Shuurei feels she’s somehow familiar. Later, Shuurei has come once again to seek out Reishin, who is hiding from her, and runs into Ouyou Gyoku, who is visiting the office. Ouyou Gyoku asks her what she things of You Shuu’s hair. After a long while, Shuurei decides to say that it is fashionable, and Gyoku reveals that he’s the one who cut it. [You Shuu: hair by Ouyou Gyoku. I guess if Gyoku really does resign, then he can always become a stylist or a fashion consultant.] Seeing You Shuu, Shuurei has a sense that she’s met him before, but he denies it.

Ouyou Gyoku tells You Shuu that he should apologize to Undersecretary Kei for upsetting him, and You Shuu does say that he regrets his actions. Then Gyoku asks about Kouyuu’s case, and that puts You Shuu in a bit of a spot because Gyoku is an old friend and can see through his lies. Gyoku says that he doesn’t think that You Shuu cut off Kouyuu just to make himself the undersecretary, considering he had deliberately pushed to give Kouyuu that post when You Shuu was considered the one most deserving of it. You Shuu says that he hoped that somethng would change, but in the end, nothing did. Finally, Gyoku mentions his cousin’s wife, that is, Hakumei’s elder sister Karin, and says that because the king did something unskillfully, she will pass away in the future. You Shuu is confused by this, but Gyoku just says that the Heki clan is angered, and so is Gyoku himself, and that he came to see what Hakumei was going to do: it seems that the Heki clan is recalling its officials, and Gyoku himself will probably leave as well. Gyoku finally urges You Shuu to go and see Kouyuu in jail.

Ensei and Shuurei once again discuss the case. Far from their investigations exonerating Kouyuu (as Shuurei is too easily recognizable, Ensei has been doing the interviewing), in fact, it just becomes harder and harder to speak for him. This is the meaning of Kouki’s words. Also, Shuurei is depressed because when she went to talk to Hakumei, he refused to speak to her and went away. Shuurei still won’t give up on finding the best path for Kouyuu though, but she really does need to remain an official for Ryuuki’s sake.

You Shuu has come to visit Kouyuu in jail. Although Shuurei met You Shuu in volume ten, when he was using the same name, she thinks it’s a different person who happens to have the same name, so completely thorough are his disguise skills. You Shuu decides to give Shuurei a hint, and says that what Seiga is actually after is not Kouyuu, and that she should think about what can still be preserved, and what can’t. This is the first and last time Kou Reishin is helping Ryuuki, just a little bit, but Kouyuu doesn’t recognize this all and seems about to let this opportunity slip by.

You Shuu watches the insensate Kouyuu. Whether awake or asleep, he’s lost in life, because he does everything for that one person. You Shuu is amazed that Kouyuu doesn’t realize the reasons behind Reishin’s actions, why he won’t meet Kouyuu, what he is hopping for. He says that Kouyuu has always been like this. No matter how much You Shuu recognized him, that had no meaning for Kouyuu. For children, the words of their parents are an absolute ’scale,’ and so it is for Kouyuu vis a vis Reishin, and he hasn’t learned how to decide things by his own standards, and thus he has been unable to become a true official because he can’t stop depending on Reishin in this way. Although You Shuu had hoped for another outcome, in the end Kouyuu was unable to become a true undersecretary, and just stayed as a protector for Reishin. [Maybe You Shuu is hammering this point in a bit much, but one can't blame him for being FRUSTRATED. XD] He muses that Reishin also bears some responsibility for Kouyuu remaining like a child like this, and so since waiting didn’t change anything, Reishin has finally chosen to do something. You Shuu tells Kouyuu to think about it, and find an answer to the mystery of Reishin’s actions, because he should realize it as the one closest to Reishin.

In his dream, Kouyuu remembers how You Shuu watched over him and taught him everything about being an official. Although You Shuu was severe with him, he taught him well and sometimes even praised him. Kouyuu was surprised that You Shuu recommended him to be undersecretary, but You Shuu told him that he hoped he would surpass, and that You Shuu has done all he can to make that happen. After that it’s up to Kouyuu. You Shuu had acknowledged Kouyuu, and unlike Reishin, hoped for something from him. Kouyuu had wanted to answer to those expectations, but in the end, he had not been able to live up them. Then You Shuu’s last words come from the bird.

Days continue to pass without any change in Kouyuu’s condition. Ensei reads Seiga’s accusations against Kouyuu. They are very thorough, but Shuurei realizes that it’s odd that Seiga really has never had any interest at all in interviewing Kouyuu. So what is he so busy doing? Seiga may have been waiting for Reishin to visit Kouyuu, because he is really looking into Reishin’s case. Ensei muses that first it was the Ran clan, now it’s the Kou clan. He asks Shuurei if the one she wants to save is the Undersecretary, or Li Kouyuu.

Then, Yuri comes to visit Kouyuu. Shuurei is amazed to meet her aunt, and she goes to see Shouka. In response to her question, Shouka tells her that Reishin considers Kouyuu much as Shouka himself does Shuurei. Shuurei then questions Ryuuki and Shuuei about Reishin. They confirm that Reishin’s behavior recently has been strange. Before he used to wander around visiting his friends [as always, Reishin is employee of the month. Ah well, if he stayed in the job for a friend's sake, maybe it's unsurprising that he seems to do an awful large amount of socializing], but now he just sits in his office. They wonder why Reishin doesn’t just quit if he hates his job so much. However, thinking about what she’s found out about Reishin, and what Ensei said, Shuurei begins to have some idea.

Reishin has come to visit Yuushun, who is about to fall down trying to get some books, so Reishin stops him from falling and helps him get the volumes he needs. As You Shuu earlier suggested, he massages Yuushun’s shoulders, but he’s really bad at it. Reishin again asks Yuushun to quit, Yuushun refuses. Reishin then says he’s quitting his job, and returning to Kou province. Yuushun is not surprised. Yuushun thanks Reishin. Then, Reishin asks Yuushun hat he was doing before he took the exam, alluding to his conversation with Anju in book 12 [see the translation I did of that]. However, although Reishin, unlike his niece, knows how to cut to the chase and ask direct questions in a normal way, Yuushun refuses to tell him anything, because he doesn’t want Reishin to know. Yuushun says the Kou clan didn’t do anything to him, and it really has nothing to do with Reishin. So in the end Yuushun is completely uninformative.

Yuri is in Kouyuu’s cell. Riou sees her biwa, and thinks that it will be very helpful in helping Kouyuu out. Seeing Kouyuu, she remarks that Kouyuu has found many important things… enough so he was confused about whether to choose between them and Reishin. She apologizes to Kouyuu, because she and Reishin weren’t raised in a proper family, they weren’t able to play the parts of parents well. They unintentionally wounded him, such a the time where Reishin named him, and for the first time he cried in Yuri’s lap.

In his dream, Kouyuu has a flashback to that time. He was about ten, and when he heard new name, he burst into tears. He didn’t understand why Reishin didn’t give him the Kou name, and wondered if it was because he was incompetent and useless. Yuri was shocked that he thinks such a thing, because they keep on telling him he doesn’t need to do anything, and says that he is a wonderful son. Kouyuu asked why Reishin gave him a name that has nothing to do with him (Kouyuu reflects that in the past he just said whatever he wanted to say). Yuri tried to laugh it off, saying that Kouyuu should just think of it as one of the crazy things Reishin does, but realizing herself this is inadequate, she told Kouyuu of Reishin dislikes the burden of the Kou name, but if he wants it when he’s in adult, they’ll give it to him. Kouyuu realizes he has totally forgotten this conversation. Yuri said that Reishin was up all night looking in dictionaries for the right name, that would preserve the original Kou, and embraces Kouyuu. Kouyuu, seeing Yuri now, realizes that he’s now around the same age Yuri, and that he’s always been depending on both of them. Yuri told Kouyuu then that they don’t need anything from him, and that since he’s come, the house has become brighter, and that all he needs to do is smile, and live freely as he wishes. But Kouyuu did not understand that. Then suddenly Reishin hit Kouyuu on the back of his head with his fan, and Yuri yelled at him for it, and complained that even if he likes the plum tree, he shouldn’t have given Kouyuu such a common name, but named him something like Kurikara Kouyuu. Reishin thought for a moment and said if the number of brushstrokes is good, he’ll change it to that. Kouyuu, aghast at the prospect of going thorough life with such an absurd name, then insisted that he liked Li Kouyuu as a name, so they stuck with it. Then they go out to do various heart-warming family activities.

Kouyuu remembers the many good memories he has of his life with Reishin and Yuri. But despite how kind they were to him, and in fact, the kinder they were to him, the more frightened he became. He was so happy he became nervous, fearing that he would lose something irreplacable. Kouyuu couldn’t understand this concept of unconditional love, and would have been happier if something had been expected of him. Therefore, when Yuri set off for Kou Province, she had casually told Kouyuu to look after the house and Reishin until she returned, and Kouyuu had thrown himself upon those words. Then he hears Yuri’s apology.

In the cell, Yuri is playing the biwa for Kouyuu. She says although she knew Kouyuu did not understand what she meant, she turned it into a joke, or obscured the issue, and before she knew it, Kouyuu was an adult, and she shouldn’t have left Reishin to him. She says that she loves Kouyuu. Although Reishin and Yuri knew Kouyuu was dependent on them, they did not know how to resolve the problem, whatever they did, they failed. So Kouyuu stopped asking them what they wanted and tried to become what he thought they wanted. She says that Kouyuu has now found other people important to him, and tells him that Reishin is waiting for him. Hearing this in his dream, Kouyuu finally awakens. Riou notes that the biwa was able to show Kouyuu the way, and that the biwa of the Kou clan, like the dragon flute of the Ran clan or the erhu of the Hyou clan, can be used in spiritual matters.

Kouyuu awakens, but Shuurei is the one he looks to, and Shuurei suddenly tells him the news that he must act, because there are only five days left. Although Kouyuu has become very weak from his unconsciousness, he starts right in on the task. He says that he is the king’s official, but that he is not fit to be Shuurei’s teacher. However, Shuurei says that the one to decide that is not him, but her, and that her teacher is Kouyuu. Shuurei says to Yuri that she is glad her aunt is happy to see her, because it seems her uncle dislikes her. [Yet again Reishin ends up doing something he'll regret.] We then learn that four days later, Kou Reishin was dismissed from his post.

After this, Shuurei is called to see Kouki. Shuurei used her authority as a Censorate official to send the request for Reishin’s dismissal directly to Ryuuki and Yuushun. Censorate officials don’t need to have the chief’s permission, because there might be a time when they must accuse the chief himself. So Ryuuki and Yuushun dismissed Reishin. Kouki asks why she didn’t tell him, but Shuurei claims it was just to save time, and asks whether Kouki disagrees with her act. But Kouki appears amused and says that Shuurei has done well. He then asks her if she now understands the difference between a politician and a bureaucrat, and if she does, she should know what must happen to Kouyuu.

Shuurei was unable to stop Kouyuu from losing his position as undersecretary, but Kouyuu was able to remain an official. Because Kouyuu wrote the petition for Reishin’s dismissal denouncing him as the true cause of the problem, he was able to avoid being totally dismissed. Kouyuu reflects on how You Shuu’s judgment of him was correct. For a lower level official, it’s enough to just keep turning the gears of government without thinking about the country as a whole. But a higher level official is also a politician, and is required to have a political vision. Reishin didn’t have this at all, and that’s why it was Kouyuu’s duty to see this and get rid of him, and Reishin actually wished for this too, but Kouyuu did not understand his will. Anyway, Kouyuu resolves to continue as an official, working for the king.

Kouki notes later that Shuurei put one over Seiga by saving Kouyuu. If Reishin had visited Kouyuu, they would have definitely been able to get rid of both of them, because it would have been just obvious that Reishin told Kouyuu to accuse him. However, even if what they planned didn’t come totally to pass, the fact is that Reishin has been chased out of office, and thus the Kou officials will begin to turn against Ryuuki.

Meanwhile, Yuushun thinks about the situation. Now the posts of Civil Admin Secretary and Undersecretary are open. Ryuuki asks if truly nothing else could have been done, but Yuushun asks what the true aim of the noble faction was? They really were not after Kouyuu and Reishin, because Reishin was so indifferent to politics, but now that Ryuuki has personally dismissed Reishin, rather than letting the Censorate deal with him, the Kou officials will turn against him. Ryuuki wonders if he should have tried to keep Reishin, but if he had, more people would be against Ryuuki for showing favoritism to the Kou clan. So in the end Ryuuki could only choose from the best of the worst options. However, Yuushun says that before the Kou officials are members of the clan, they should be officials, and if things continued as they had been, the Kou clan would be able to manipulate the government. So in the end, both Yuushun and Kouki feel the same way, and Ryuuki thinks of how Ou Ki helped Yuushun with his work. Yuushun says that he must take some action regarding the Kou officials. Ryuuki wonders if there had been a better say, but decides to trust Yuushun, and tells him to do it.

Later, Shuurei talks to Ensei about Kouki. Ensei says that thanks to Kouki, Shuurei has grown more flexible in her thought. Before Shuurei only believed in her own righteousness/justice, and focused on just doing whatever she could to bring it about. Shuurei says that she can’t say that Kouki is necessarily correct, and his principles are difficult to understand. She now realizes there are other types of “righteousness” in the world besides hers, even if she can’t respect all the things he does and says, she believes he is an amazing person, and wishes to be recognized by him. Ensei asks her if it is the duty of a Censorate official to expose wrongdoing by all officials, even the Chief.. Shuurei agrees that it is. Shuurei knows that Kouki has somehow been preventing her from drawing connections between all of the recent incidents. However, she does not at all understand why is is doing that. However much she respects Kouki, and however much she wants to learn from him, the Censorate officials are the king’s officials, and must carry out his wishes, so if the opponent is Kouki, she won’t hesitate to pursue him.

Finally, Ryuuki, Yuushun, and Seiran go to visit the Sendoushou [Department of the Cave of the Immortals] to talk to Riou and Uu Uu about the Hyou clan. Uu Uu says their duty is to protect the bloodline of King Sougen, and if there is no one left with the Shi name, someone else with the blood may become the king. He also says that if the king can’t, or doesn’t want to have children, they can depose him. Uu Uu says that since the Hyou clan descends from Sougen’s sister, Sou Youki, in times of great emergency, a king can come from the Hyou clan. Thus, in that way the Shi and Hyou clans are two sides of the same clan. Ruka looks down on the Shi clan (and on men) because of all the wars that have been caused by them, and for that reason she insists that all the men in the Hyou clan must study politics, which is why Riou is so knowledgeable. Uu Uu urges Ryuuki to marry, because then he can protect him. Ryuuki realizes that he hasn’t noticed how Uu Uu has been suppressing the dissatisfaction within the Sendoushou for him. They discuss how Ruka doesn’t represent the entire Hyou clan. Afterwards, Ryuuki tells Seiran to go to Shuurei.

Ryuuki enters the Inner Palace and meets Jyuusan-hime. She encourages him in his efforts at ruling. Ryuuki says he might not be able to marry Shuurei. Jyuusan-hime says that if Ryuuki totally fails and can no longer go on, she’ll escape with him, and then tries to cheer him up in other ways.

Kouyuu is cleaning out his office. Shuuei has shown up, even though Kouyuu didn’t call him. Then You Shuu walks by, and although Kouyuu bows to him, You Shuu ignores him. However, in the end, You Shuu did come to visit Kouyuu. Kouyuu resolves to gain back You Shuu’s respect. Shuuei and Kouyuu reflect on how the balance between the exam and noble factions is crumbling.

Yuri and Rieshin finally meet. Reishin says that it’s been one hundred and ninety-two days since they’ve last seen each other. Reishin is dissatisfied that Yuri saw Kouyuu before he did. They discuss Reishin’s dismissal, and Yuri praises Reishin for finding the resolution to make Kouyuu separate himself from him. However, because of his esteem for officialdom, Kouyuu felt Reishin would hate him for dismissing him, no matter how much Reishin himself showed his disdain for his job. Reishin says it’s because Yuri spoiled him, but Yuri fires back that it was Reishin who wasn’t able to separate himself from Kouyuu for all this time.

Then, Yuri asks where Reishin found Kouyuu in the first place, an odd question considering how Kouyuu has been living with them. When Yuri had fallen sick in the carriage on the way to Kiyou [see third gaiden summary], two little birds came and stole the handkerchief Reishin had been using to wipe her forehead (I think). So he ran after him up the mountains, and the birds led him to Kouyuu. When he saw the boy, Reishin thought that his eyes resembled his own, looking somewhere far off as he waited for his brother. But the boy was even sadder than Reishin had been, not even knowing who he was waiting for, and no one coming, so he decided to take him with him, even though he had to drag Kouyuu away against his will. Kouyuu only calmed down once he saw Yuri, and started to look after her. So, Reishin decided to adopt Kouyuu because he reminded him of his old self. Thinking of this, Yuri says that she is there for Reishin, but Reishin says that he hasn’t seen her for 192 days (Yuri does not mention that this is because Reishin isn’t working as the head of the clan). She says that she’ll promise to not go if he tells her not to. But then Reishin says that he’s returning to Kou Province, because he has many things to do, and something to seek. Yuri says that she’ll remain in Kiyou, to be close to Kouyuu, but also because she wants to help Ryuuki. She says that adults like themselves have caused problems for the young people, and that the Kou clan has put themselves first, not extending a hand to anyone… but the Kou clan should change. Reishin looks dissatisfied, but he doesn’t ask her to come back with him.

Seiran comes home and meets Shuurei. He says he knows of Ryuuki’s wager. He asks if she was not moved by it, but Shuurei says it is useless, because she is like her mother. It was considered a miracle that Shuurei was born because her mother was supposed to be infertile. However, Ryuuki is not in a position to wait for a miracle. Shuurei says that she’s happy, to follow her dreams, and that she is 99% sure she doesn’t want to marry, and only one percent is the feeling that she’d like to get married and be together until death, like her parents were. However, she can’t say this to Ryuuki, so she must continue to run away.

Epilogue: The white and the pied finches fly back into the depths of Kouyuu’s memory, to the field where he first found himself.

There was an old farmer couple, who lived happily in a little village in the mountains. One day, they found a baby in the field. They were overjoyed to raise the child, but one day the child became sick, so they went on a jouney to see the doctor. The child’s illness was not serious, so they went back after he was treated. They told the doctor how happy they were to live with the child, and they said they named him Kou [kanji: 光. This means light or shining], because he was a child of fortune who had seemingly dropped from the sky. However, a man there heard them, and believed that the child would bring money and luck.

The old couple and the child returned home, but on the way it began to rain. Since the child was recovering from sickness, they put him under a large tree and told him to wait there. Kou did what they asked, but in the end, they didn’t come back. He went back to the road, and founded that the cart was in pieces, and his parents had been slaughtered by the greedy slave trader.

They became the two birds. They apologize, saying to Kouyuu that they couldn’t keep their promise, and thank him for waiting, even after he had forgotten for who, and that they don’t mind being forgotten, because their time together was truly happy. With this, the two birds once again go to sleep within Kouyuu.

Commentary:
….. That was cheerful. 0_o Of all the characters with especially horrible pasts, (Ensei, Eigetsu, Jyuusan-hime, Ryuuki, Shouka), Kouyuu seems to be the one so far whose problems are the most psychological, or this may be a function of the writer’s development, because Kouyuu’s conflict in this book is as internal as one can get. XD

Wow. I complained before about how no one seems to take Reishin’s malfeasance as an official seriously, but the books have like… totally exceeded all of my expectations, by having Reishin fired as an official, Kouyuu recognizing how he failed by refusing to try to get Reishin fired, and You Shuu and Kouki laying down the law on this issue, as well as Ryuuki acknowledging his responsibility in the whole affair.

I also liked how the books continued with the thread of Kouyuu’s passivity and refusal to make a decision and choose. It also laid bare the love, but also the problems within the relationship between Kouyuu and Reishin. Kouyuu was already a deeply damaged person, and so is Reishin (although Kouyuu is much worse), and Yuri herself… she’s a lot more functional, but as she herself admits, she wasn’t raised in a normal situation. Anyhow, they just didn’t know how to deal with Kouyuu’s dependence and the whole situation, so Reishin as par his usual course, ended up taking a drastic, near-disastrous course to resolve it. So he ended up putting Kouyuu through a lot of mental distress and making Houju cry. Eh, I agree with You Shuu. Reishin is probably a person full of regrets, because there probably was a better way to handle both of these situations, but Reishin was incapable of handling it because he always waits too long, then ends up having to make the best of a bad situation.

So I’m glad to see that Kouyuu has achieved some perspective on his relationship with Reishin, no longer being so insecure about it, which is a huge, drastic change, as previously his relationship with Reishin was defined by his desperate wish that Reishin approve of him. So like Shuuei, Kouyuu now has a new start.

So, just what the heck is Reishin doing now in Kou Province? I think it has something to do with Yuushun’s plot against plot against the Kou officials, but why would he need to go back for that?

As for Shuurei: Shuurei actually didn’t get much development in this volume, except that her naivete was further underscored, with her not understanding why Kouyuu needed to be dismissed, at first. However, she even managed to be praised by Kouki. Shuurei’s resolve to be Ryuuki’s official has only strengthened, and at the same time, though, we also learn why she feels she cannot ever become queen.

The whole Heki clan developments were rather unexpected, so I’m wondring whether it will be the plot of the next book?

Then, we have Yuushun, whose mysteriousness has been noticed by Ryuuki and Shuuei, and nearly everyone. Riou doesn’t know who he is either. While the books often give hints in some mysteries, like the question of who Jin’s master is, here the evidence regarding Yuushun is so nil. -_- Like Ryuuki, I guess I largely trust Yuushun to be ultimately on Ryuuki’s side, and think that he’s teaming with Ou Ki now in order to get rid of the undutiful Kou clan officials.

About the next book: Actually, it’s really hard to tell what the plot of the next book is going to be. The most obvious thread is the Heki clan crisis, but it’s hard to see how Shuurei would be involved in those issues. Then, there’s the question of what Reishin went off to do, and what Yuushun is plotting. My personal wish is for the author to throw us a bone on the Yuushun thing already. It’s just getting rather maddening. Then, there’s the issue of whether Shuurei will end up running Kouki in. As I like Kouki, I don’t want to see him come to a bad end, but if he does, I want him to go out with a bang and a huge revelation of what he’s all about and his brand of “seigi.” (This kind of reminds me of Son Ryouou’s attitude towards Shuuei. He likes Shuuei, but at the same time, he is intending to destroy him, for a greater good, as he sees it. If Ryuuki finds out about Ou Ki’s plot, he and Shuuei will have to deal with Ou Ki and Ryouou in the same way. However, neither Ou Ki or Ryouou are depicted as entirely evil or unrighteous. Similarly, Shuurei fully suspects that Kouki is involved in some conspiracy. Yet, she also believes that he has his own righteousness, and she respects him. So there ends up being a potential note of political tragedy, where it’s not good vs. evil, but where people with good in them end up being destroyed.)

More annoying notes:
YOU SHUU: I liked You Shuu before, but I was… vindicated to see him become even more awesome than I thought he was. I think he’s going to be Undersecretary or even Secretary? But I wonder about his loyalties now. Is he a full-blown member of the noble faction? Does he have any relation to Ou Ki’s plot? And what does he think of Ryuuki?

Houju: T_T Poor Houju. Frankly, you can’t say that he doesn’t try to talk to Reishin and resolve things, and if it weren’t for the fact that Reishin seems incapable of communicating or explaining his actions, I’d find it hard to forgive him for making Houju cry.

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