The Taiheiki is a chronicle (gunki monogatari) detailing events in medieval Japan. Although around forty chapters long, only the first twelve chapters have been translated into English. (They have also been abridged, because according to the translator, there was a lot of extraneous local history) Anyway, the record opens during the Kamakura period. As in much of Japanese history, the emperor is a puppet controlled by a powerful clan, in this case, the Hojo family, descendants of the Taira, who are based out of Kamakura, meaning it’s quite a commute from there to the capital. Go-Daigo, the emperor, is tired of this, and with the help of his son, the Tendai abbot, loyal retainers, and various opportunists, attempts to strike down the Hojo shogun and take up the reins of the state. After quite a few setbacks, he succeeds in restoring himself to the throne. But, this is only the first twelve chapters. Much of the later story, involving the activity of Ashigaka, a Minamoto descendant who betrays the Hojo to aid the emperor, then turns against the emperor, initiating a split of the Imperial house into Northern and Southern Courts, is missing. In many ways, the story is difficult to follow for those who are not well versed in the history of this time, and unless you’re a Japanese history major, that’s probably you. It’s certainly me.

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What if there were tabloids in Saiunkoku? (some of these I posted somewhere else before, some are new)

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Quite a mysterious conversation….

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A short scene occurring early in the books.

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The first scene.

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Can there be a third season after these last two books?

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We continue with more Saiunkoku.

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BTW, according to some Japanese bloggers, “kohaku” can take on the meaning of “ripe/matured plum,” therefore an obvious allusion. Anyway, onto the summary.
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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.
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.
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Part 2

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EDIT: Title of the new Saiunkoku book is Reimei ni Kohaku wa Kirameku (Rough translation: In the Dawn Amber Sparkles）.

(supposed) Title in Japanese: 黎明に琥珀はきらめく

The rei part of remei is the same rei which is in Reishin. So we can make some guesses there. (黎=dark, black) The second kanji in kohaku is the haku in Hakumei. So maybe Hakumei will finally do something important in the storyline (hopes)? Pure speculation. Anyway, Seiga is trying to get Kouyuu fired. (No idea how he’s doing this). Shuurei wants to save Kouyuu and speak for him.

Further speculation: So perhaps we shall see the judicial department? So far they’ve been entirely absent from the story.

Just finished A Canticle for Leibowitz, for the Bibliophages comm. Truly a powerful work. Shall have more to say when discussion week comes. I kind of feel like I should read another book, especially because this time there are so few participants.

Am also reading more Kindaichi Shounen Jikenbo (The Case Files of the Young Kindaichi), which is a mystery manga. I’ve read the first ten or so volumes in English, but the translations started to get really slow. Anyhow, it’s fairly simple to read in Japanese, except for the discussions of the mechanics of the case (to be honest, I like mysteries more for the psychology than for the puzzles. So I read for characterization and suspense, and sometimes I kind of uh… (don’t tell anyone) skim over the details, especially if a timetable is involved, or a cipher), where I sometimes have to look up vocab. Kindaichi is especially good if you like super angst and melodrama, because in every crime, it’s an elaborate plot conceived to take REVENGE for an even earlier crime by the now-victims. And so therefore the villains always have a semi-sympathetic sob story, and like most of the time, they commit suicide or die dramatically. Well, except for the recurring villain, who is an unrepentant psychopath. Anyhow, reading Kindaichi, although because of the nature of the plot (Kindaichi goes somewhere, and then there is KILLING, or Kindaichi is called in to investigate some mysterious case, or Kindaichi goes to a fun mystery event and then it suddenly turns into KILLING) is kind of repetitive, is pretty fun.