List of The Story of Saiunkoku characters

The following is a list of characters from the light novel, anime and manga series, The Story of Saiunkoku.

The Hong clan
The Hong clan is the second most powerful clan in the fictional country of Saiunkoku. The clan's specialties are growing tangerines and creating special "seven-colored" ink. Their clan seal bears the emblems of a paulownia, bamboo, phoenix, and kirin.

Shuurei Hong
Shuurei Hong (紅 秀麗) is the daughter and only child of Kou Shouka . She is sixteen years old when the story begins. As a descendant of the direct line, she has the title hime, which means 'princess' or 'lady'.

Despite the high social status of her clan, Shuurei grew up in relatively impoverished circumstances. Her father's job brought little income, and most of his personal wealth was given to the needy during the devastating fight for the imperial succession eight years ago. Without domestic servants, Shuurei became adept at household chores such as needlework, cooking and cleaning, traits unusual in a lady of her theoretical rank. She has also held a number of odd jobs to earn money, such as professional erhu player, accountant at Kōchō's brothel in the Red Light District, and teacher at the local temple. She is the only person who can call Ryuuki by his first name. She also passed the Official Examinations with the rank "Tanka" the third best rank.

In the anime adaptation, she is voiced by Houko Kuwashima.

Seiran Shi
Seiran Shi (茈 静蘭) is the sole remaining retainer in the personal household of Shouka Hong, who took him in thirteen years ago. Since then, Seiran has repaid that kindness by protecting Shouka's family, performing repairs, and taking small outside jobs to earn money. He is a very skilled fighter and swordsman, and despite his amiable disposition, can be ruthless to those who endanger those he loves. He has known Shuurei since her childhood and is very protective of her, but prefers to watch and help from the shadows.

Seiran is later revealed to be Seien, Ryuuki's second-eldest brother, who had been known as the "flower" of the royal princes due to his physical and intellectual superiority as well as for his kind heart (he was the only brother who showed kindness to Ryuuki as a boy). This encouraged a conspiracy by Seien's maternal relatives to make him the next Emperor, but their plot failed. Seien was exiled with his unloving mother, Lady Suzuran, who was killed by the assassins sent after them by the other imperial concubines.

Left alone in distant Sa province, he joined Satsujinzoku, a murderous band of thieves who nicknamed him "The Little Whirlwind". Ensei Ro joined the group as well, and the two destroyed the band from within. Afterward, Shoka Hong found the young prince in the wilderness and took him in, giving him the new personal name 'Seiran', meaning 'Silent Orchid', as well as the surname 'Shi' ('Shi' in the original Japanese media, pronounced the same as the Emperor's family name but with different kanji).

Seiran has since embraced this new persona and does not discuss his past, although some characters become quietly aware of his former identity. Though he claims to be 21 years old, he is 26 years old at the start of the series.

He is voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa in the original Japanese language anime version of the series, and by Edward DeRuiter in the Animax English dubbed version.

Shouka Hong
Shouka Hong (紅 邵可) is Shuurei's father, Seiran's adoptive father and the oldest son of the Hong clan. After declining the clan leadership, he was expelled from the main estates. He then moved to the capital where his younger brother, Reishin, got him a respectable but low-paying job as the head of the Royal Archives. Ryuuki often visited Shouka in the palace library when he was young because Shouka was one of the few people who was kind to him.

On the surface, Shouka simply seems to be a gentle librarian who brews awful tea. But he is also a deadly fighter known as The Black Wolf, although the latter identity is secret from everyone, including Shuurei, except for Advisor Sho, Shusui, and Reishin. In the service of the previous Emperor, he once led the Wolves of the Wind, a group of expert assassins, but has since disbanded them. Shouka first met his wife when sent to kill her, but fell in love with her instead; he was also assigned to secretly protect Seien in exile.

In the anime adaptation, he is voiced by Shuuichi Ikeda.

Shokun
Shokun was the mother of Shuurei, adoptive mother of Seiran, and wife of Shouka. She was known as a legendary beauty with a kind heart to match. She taught Shuurei how to make manjuu buns (though later discovering that Shuurei was a much better cook than she was), how to pick tangerines from the trees, and how to behave like a lady. She also gave the name 'Seiran' to the boy she and Shoka found lying in the snow when the family traveled to Kiyō. The name meant 'Silent Orchid', and was given because the boy that they found never said a word and was presumed to be a mute. She grew very close to both Shuurei and Seiran, and encouraged Seiran to smile all the time to make Shurei happy.

About eight years ago, Shuurei was suffering from a long illness until Shokun died one stormy summer day, after which Shuurei mysteriously recovered and remained healthy ever afterward. Seiran promised at Shokun's deathbed that he would protect Shuurei until Shuurei could walk her own path. Shokun was perhaps the only person Seiran regarded as a mother figure, and her death devastated him. From time to time, he would visit her tomb on a hill facing the city. He also visited the tombstone alone before he left for Sa province to guard Shuurei and Eigetsu.

Shokun is later revealed as the Rose Princess (Bara-Hime) of the Hyo family. She had the ability to cure any illness and many men sought her hand in marriage. Her beauty even mesmerized the leader of the Hyo family, Riō, who locked her from the world. She was considered a threat by the previous Emperor and was targeted for assassination by a woman called The Black Wolf, who failed and died. To continue the job, the Emperor appointed a new Black Wolf, nicknamed Kaito: Shouka Hong, whose first meeting with the Bara-Hime made him fall madly in love, abandon his mission, and carry her away. After some time and difficulty, she returned his feelings. Later, she lost her powers of healing but retained the power of one wish, which she used to make Shuurei healthier at the cost of her own life.

In the anime adaptation, she is voiced by Sonozaki Mie.

Kouyuu Ri
Kouyuu Ri (李 絳攸) holds the rank of Vice-Secretary of the Civil Affairs department, serving beneath Reishin Hong, who is also his foster father.

According to the anime, Reishin adopted him thirteen years ago, when Kouyuu was an orphan living in the streets who survived by selling tickets to a simple street lottery of his own creation (the prizes included branches of plum blossoms and bags of salt). The novels give him a darker past: abandoned as a baby, he was re-orphaned a few years later when his first adopted parents were murdered; as a miserable child slave, he was sold from place to place until finally tied to a sacred tree as a sacrifice to the gods, from which Reishin rescued him and took him to Kiyou with Yuri-hime. After Reishin and Yuri-hime married, Kouyuu became their adopted child. In the novel, Kouyuu was originally named 'Kou' by the old couple who adopted him as a baby; Reishin insisted on keeping the original 'Kou' so the name was changed to Ri Kouyuu.

At age 16, Kouyuu became the youngest person ever to pass the official examinations, taking the top ranked "Jougen" spot. His reason for taking the Exams and climbing to the top was to stand by Reishin's side and repay his kindness. He also wanted to be acknowledged, having been frustrated by the older man's cool and callous exterior, but eventually realized that Reishin thinks of him as his own child and that the plum blossom, after which Kouyuu Ri is named, is Reishin's favourite.

As the series begins, Kouyuu has been assigned directly to the Emperor, a position that infuriates him because the wandering Emperor never carries out his duties and can rarely even be found. After agreeing to be tutored by Kouyuu and assuming a more active role in government, Ryuuki offers Kouyuu an iris flower as sign of trust. Kouyuu openly accepts the flower as a token of loyalty and his belief in Ryuuki as a worthy Emperor.

Despite his reputation as a genius, Kouyuu is notorious for having no sense of direction. He has a close relationship with Shuuei Ran, though he loudly denies being the latter's friend. He's easily annoyed and gets nervous speaking in public. He frequently states that women are nothing but trouble and refused all offers of marriage after he passed the official exam, despite receiving many proposals from politically ambitious families. He frequently tutors Shuurei, however, and appears to regard her as a friend. The Hong family (specifically Hong Kurou in episode 19) intends to marry Kouyuu to Shuurei to lead the Hong clan in the future.Kouyuu also admires Shouka to the point of being jealous of Ryuuki being tutored by Shouka himself.

In the 13th novel, Kouyuu is imprisoned under accusation of abusing his powers as Vice Chamberlain of Civil Administration department (because Reishin never did any work). He loses this position but remains an official.

In the anime adaptation, he is voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama.

Reishin Hong
Reishin Hong (紅 黎深) is in charge of the Civil/Public Administration Department, which makes him Kouyuu's bureaucratic superior as well as adoptive father. He finished second in the Imperial Exams, earning the title of Bougen. He is a good friend of his fellow official Kijin Ko, many of whose strange masks he makes despite being one of the few people who can withstand the sight of Kijin's bare face. Kijin describes him as being crafty and coldhearted, but Reishin usually seems very cheerful, easy-going, and even childish.

He often engages in devious and secretive behavior, especially regarding his family. He is the only member of the Hong clan who knows that Shouka is The Black Wolf. After Shouka left the main estates nearly fifteen years ago, Reishin became the head of the Hong clan, but most outsiders have been led to believe that the clan leadership belongs to Kuro Hong, their youngest brother. Despite Shouka's public estrangment from their clan, in private Reishin remains very respectful to his older brother, whom he has been trying to protect since learning Seiran's previous identity as the exiled prince Seien.

Reishin is overprotective of Shuurei, although he has gone to great lengths to keep her from learning about their kinship for fear that she might blame him for supplanting her father. He is reluctant to let her marry anyone else, and has even said that he wished he could marry her himself until Shoka pointed out that Reishin is already married. He secretly sponsors Shuurei to take the Official Exams; afterward, he is accused of manipulating the results and is sentenced to house arrest, outraging the Hong clan into a work stoppage that shuts down half of Saiunkoku. The charges are dropped after the arrest of the real criminal, who started the rumors and was involved in illegal activities.At the manga Reishin's hidden past was revealed(a few actually)that there is only him, his brother and his niece in this world.

The books mention that Reishin plays biwa, as do his brothers. In the 13th novel, Reishin is finally exposed to Shuurei as her uncle from her investigations on Kouyuu's behalf; stripped from his position as the Chamberlain of Civil Administration department, Reishin plans to return to Hong province.

In the anime adaptation, he is voiced by Mitsuaki Madono.

Yuri-hime
Yuri-hime (百合姫) is Reishin's wife. She has only appeared in the gaiden and the 13th novel, which have not been animated. Her age lies somewhere in the five-year gap between Shouka and Reishin.

Her mother was Gyokukan, the paternal great-aunt of Shouka, Reishin, and Kurou. Gyokukan had been a celebrated beauty in the imperial capital, but returned to Hong province where Yuri-hime was disguised for many years as a servant boy named Yuzuriha. Reishin knew that Yuri-hime was really a girl and fell in love with her while they were both children; he continued to treat her rudely, but she was the only person he allowed to touch and cut his hair.

When Reishin decided to leave Hong province to follow Shoka and take the Imperial Exams, Yuri-hime was the only person he took with him. After bringing Kouyuu into their family, she warned the boy from trying to escape, supposedly because the Hong manor was haunted. To make him believe this, she arranged for the furniture to be rearranged all the time so that he would always become lost, which eventually resulted in his lacking any sense of direction.

Yuri-hime had been intended as Shouka's bride, but Shouka showed no interest in her and broke off the engagement. She won the interest of Kijin Kou by being one of the few people who didn't faint on seeing his real face, which made him like her and ask her out on a date (via message to Reishin); at first she was uninterested, but Reishin persuaded her to go and then spied on them with the reluctant Yushun Tei.

Kouyuu wanted Yuri-hime to marry Reishin and become his mother; in turn, she was very fond of Kouyuu and thought of him as her own child. Kurou, whom she had helped to raise from childhood, sent her a letter encouraging her to marry Reishin, but the letter became blurred and Yuri-hime mistook the message as 'please find Reishin a bride', so she joined Kogarou to find an ideal wife for him. Reishin ransomed Yuri-hime from Kogarou and registered her as his wife while she was only half-conscious.

Afterward, she often traveled away from their home to perform Reishin's duties as head of the Hong clan. Kouyuu thought that Yuri-hime was an ideal partner for Reishin but that Reishin was not an ideal partner for her (since Reishin rarely shows his likes and dislikes), and he worried that Yuri-hime was unhappy. In response, Yuri-hime said that she was happy and would never leave them. Reishin has told her that she is the only person for whom he will play the biwa, and that since they already had a son (Kouyuu), they needn't have more children.

Unknown to most, she is the younger half-sister of the previous Emperor, Shi Senka, thus the title 'hime' or princess. She bears a strong resemblance to both Senka and Ryuki, which confused Seiran when he first met her a long time ago in the Hong residence. Her mother, Gyokukan, took Yuri-hime away to Hong province to avoid the traditional fate of the princesses of the Shi family, who were traditionally sent away to the Hyo clan. Gyokukan was later assassinated by Shouka on his first mission. Before Yuri-hime married Reishin, she managed to slip into the Palace and meet Senka, who expected her to kill him. When she didn't, Senka asked her to stay in the Inner Palace and care for Ryuuki, but at that moment Reishin burst in and dragged Yuri-hime back home.

She does not appear in the story until the 13th novel, when the news of Kouyuu's imprisonment makes her return to Kiyo and meet Shuurei and Ensei. She later reveals her identity to Shuurei as her aunt when visiting Kouyuu in jail. She plays biwa to Kouyuu, dissolving the trance cast by the Hyou clan. After her husband and child are stripped from their positions, many officials from the Hong clan decide to withdraw in sympathy. Reishin wants to return to Hong province, but to his dismay, Yuri-hime decides to remain in Kiyou with her son.

Kurou Hong
Kurou Hong (紅 玖琅), the youngest brother of Shouka and Reishin, acts as the proxy head of the Hong clan and many outsiders believe him to be the true leader. A man of traditions and family loyalty, Kurou urged their father to pass over Shouka (whom he viewed as useless) in favor of Reishin as the next clan leader. This did not prevent Kurou from avenging his despised brother's honor some years later, when Shokun's death stunned Shouka too much to notice when his servants stole all of his valuables. The proxy head issued orders to find the thieves and show them the tortures of Hell. Their severed ears and eyes were sent to their families to warn them against any such future behavior towards a member of the Hong family.

Unbeknownst to Shuurei, Kurou comes to the capital to extend the full protection of the Hong clan when she embarks on the path to become an Imperial official. When Reishin is accused of manipulating the exam results on her behalf, Kurou protests by ordering the Hong work stoppage that brings half of the country to a halt. Kurou also intervenes on Shuurei's behalf when she is appointed as the co-governor of Sa province; the travel pass for the journey bears the clan crest of Kijin Kou, as the minister who issues the pass, but in the special "seven-colored" ink that can only be made by the Hong clan and marks her as a person of importance to them.

Kuro intends Shuurei and Kouyuu to marry one another to lead the clan in the future.

In the anime adaptation, he is voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu.

The Shi clan
The imperial clan of Saiunkoku.

Ryuuki Shi
Shi Ryūki (紫 劉輝) is the reigning emperor of Saiunkoku, Ryuuki Shi is nineteen years old when the story begins. As the youngest of the previous Emperor's six sons, each from a different mother, he had been an unlikely candidate to ascend to the throne. In childhood, Ryuuki was badly treated by his mother and most of his half-brothers, who would beat him and lock him in a storage house for days in a row. Seien was the only member of the family who showed kindness to him. Ryuuki often took refuge in the garden or the imperial archives; in the latter location, he first encountered Shouka Hong, who tutored the young prince and encouraged War General Sou-Taifu to teach him swordsmanship.

Ryuuki ultimately rose to the throne due to his father's dying wish, after Seien was exiled for treason and the other four princes killed each other over the succession. Secretly hoping for many years that Seien would return and take his place as Emperor, Ryuuki avoided any involvement in politics or government, wandering the palace for hours so no one would be able to find him. He even spread rumours that he preferred the company of men to fuel speculation he could not produce an heir.

His avoidance of responsibility comes to an end when he meets Shuurei, who tells him of her dreams of making a better life for the nation's people. Charmed by her earnest and nurturing personality, he decides to undertake the task of becoming a respectable Emperor. After she returns home, he passes a law allowing women to take the official exams, which brings Shuurei back to the palace and enables her to pursue her dreams.

Ryuuki's devotion to Shuurei reveals a capacity for subterfuge and cunning that may have helped him survive the fight for the succession. He initially pretends ignorance of government in order to study in her company. Although he has a very real fear of darkness and solitude because of his childhood experiences, he also uses that fear as an excuse to sleep in her room at the palace. When someone tries to poison Shuurei, Ryuuki conceals the plot from her and even takes the poison in her place, as part of his plan to identify the culprit.

Ryuuki's romantic pursuit of Shuurei has been complicated by his lack of experience in courting women, as well as Shuurei's initial belief that he was homosexual and therefore more interested in Seiran. Even after discovering Seiran's true identity, Ryuuki harbors some jealousy that Seiran spends more time with Shuurei and is a closer confidant of hers. After she leaves the palace, Ryuuki sends her many absurd gifts such as boiled eggs, blocks of ice, and even a straw voodoo doll. Before sending Shuurei to Sa province as co-governor, Ryuuki privately tells her that she is the only woman he wants to marry. In the anime television series, Ryuuki is voiced by Tomokazu Seki

Senka Shi
The previous Emperor of Saiunkoku, and father to Ryuuki, Seiran, and the other four princes. During his lifetime, he loved only one woman but was unable to marry her. For political reasons, he ended up with six simultaneous concubines, each of whom bore him a son but whom he never visited again. The Sixth Consort was especially bitter about this abandonment and took out her anger on her son, Ryuuki.

Senka fell sick in his youth, causing chaos in the royal court, and died almost a decade later. During his reign, he used the Wolves of the Wind to assassinate some of the lesser noble clans for their misdeeds, but allowed the families of the Eight Colored Clans to remain unpunished for much worse crimes. He also came up with the Official Exam system to minimize the nobles' political influence and admit other social classes to participate in the government. For that reason, he was deeply disliked by the survivors of the minor noble families, but also highly respected and feared.

Three men accompanied Senka from the start of his coronation: Yosei Sho-Taishi (Advisor Sho), Sou-Taifu, and Enjun Sa-Taiho, all of whom bore the title of 'Choutei Sanshi' (three royal advisors) and later serve Ryuuki as his designated successor.

The novels reveal that Senka died from protecting his second son, Seien, from a deadly curse sent by the Hyou clan and Lady Suzuran. Before his illness, he entrusted both Ryuuki and Seien to Shouka's protection.

The Four Shi Princes
Sons of Senka, the previous Emperor of Saiunkoku. They were born from four different mothers and competed fiercely against each other, agreeing only in wanting to eliminate Seien (the most talented of all six princes) and bully Ryuuki (though they didn't dare touch him whenever Seien was around). After Seien's exile and their father's grave illness, the brothers' fight for the throne caused civil war in Saiunkoku, ending only with Advisor Sho's intervention. The four princes were executed and some of their followers were exiled. Ironically, it was their bullied youngest brother, Ryuuki, who survived them all and was crowned as Emperor.

The Ran clan
The most powerful clan in Saiunkoku, directly below that of the royal family. Their clan seal is described as "Twin Dragon Lotus Spring"[双龍蓮泉]. The specialty of the clan is producing salt from the water margins of Ran province. The Shiba are their main clan of retainers.

Shuuei Ran
Ran Shūei (藍 楸瑛)

The fourth oldest of the five sons of the Ran family, Shuuei Ran is the General of the Shaorin army. He has legendary fighting skills thanks to his training by the Shiba clan, retainers of the Ran clan who excel in swordsmanship; the only opponents who can beat him at full strength are Koku-Daishogun and Haku-Daishogun. He recognizes Seiran's past identity from his swordfighting techniques, and the novels call him and Seiran the greatest military officials of Ryuki's reign as Emperor.

Near the beginning of Ryuuki's reign, Shuuei briefly worked as a civil official until being disappointed that the new Emperor wasn't interested in politics and kept disappearing. Switching from the civil service to the military, Shuuei joined the Left Uringun army and rose to the position of Shogun.

Usually calm himself, Shuuei likes to tease others, and claims to be Kouyuu Ri's best friend though Kouyuu keeps denying it. Shuuei enjoys provoking Kouyuu by mentioning the latter's woman-hating ideals and lack of direction. Unlike Kouyuu, Shuuei often mentions how nice it is to spend time with women; he was surrounded by a horde of women after winning the fighting tournament, and often flirts and sleeps around with the palace ladies. He does this in the hope of attracting the attention of Shusui, who has been irritated by his behavior into saying that he treats the Imperial Harem like the Red Light District (where Shuuei is a regular visitor to the number one woman at the number one brothel). When Shusui helped him once in the past, it was love at first sight for him, but Shusui does not even remember the meeting. Seiran calls him 'saifu #1' (wallet #1) since he pays for the ingredients every time he dines at Shuurei's house.

Shuuei and Kouyuu met during the Imperial Exams, in which Shuuei took the second highest honor as Bōugen (the same title that his younger brother later earned). The two men become reacquainted after being assigned by his superior (Koku-Daishogun) as respectively the personal guard and advisor to Ryuuki-- who is nowhere to be found, leaving Shuuei and Kouyuu in the library for a month of boredom.

In the novel and drama CD, Shuuei's brother(s) Setsuna Ran sent him to Kiyou as a child to assist one of the princes (later identified as Prince Seien). He encountered the young prince under attack in an alley and tried to help him, but Shuuei's swordfighting skills weren't strong enough to defeat the assassins, and Seien told him that he was weak and useless. Seien even defeated Shuei in a sword battle in front of Setsuna Ran and Emperor Senka. Humiliated, Shuuei retreated back to Ran province and trained hard with his childhood best friend Jin Shiba. However, by the time Shuuei returned to the capital, the prince who mocked him had been banished for treason; his elder brothers ordered him to track down Prince Seien's whereabouts, but he was unable to do so.

Along with Kouyuu, Shuuei receives and accepts a flower (a purple iris which he later engraves on his sword) from Ryuuki, a symbol of steadfast trust that establishes the young emperor's reign with the support of the top two rising officials of the palace. Over time, Shuei's loyalties become increasingly torn between the emperor and the Ran clan, causing him to return the iris sword to Ryuuki and retire to Ran province. After being banished by the Ran clan, he returns to Ryuuki, convinced that the Emperor accepts his responsibilities and wants Shuuei's support for his own merits, not just for his family connections.

Ryuuren Ran
Ran Ryūren (藍 龍蓮)

He is eighteen years old when the story begins. Although the youngest of the five Ran brothers, he has been marked as the genius of their generation by the name/title "Ryuuren", which he received at age four and is only bestowed by the clan on rare, worthy individuals.

A lover of art and nature, Ryūren is also highly skilled in martial arts. His genius is matched only by his eccentricity. He plays the yokobue flute in a cacophonic style that can alter people's mental health and cause birds to fall from the sky. (In the novels, Ryuuren is actually very good at playing other musical instruments, so it surprised his brothers that he chose to play yokobue instead.) He also favors strange, flashy clothing that may include vegetables as fashion accessories, and his nickname for Shuuei is "silly older brother #4".

He earned the nickname ‘Ryuuteki tobaku-shi’ (龍笛賭博師/dragon flute gambling master) while wandering around the country and playing cards, which his family allowed on the condition that Ryuuren would take one of the top three places in the Official Exams. When he comes to the capital just before the exams, his dorm becomes known as the "Cursed 13th Building" because instead of studying, Ryuuren prefers to play his flute, driving other examinees insane. Seven officials resign after having incomprehensible conversations with him. The only person who can cope with his behavior is Shuurei, whom he promptly dubs his "Soul Friend #1". Eigetsu becomes his "Soul Friend #2", and Yogetsu is eventually counted as "Soul Friend #2.5".

Ryuuren takes the Official Exams with Shuurei and Eigetsu and passes with the second highest score, taking the "Bougen" spot, but then skips out on the Shinshi Ceremony that inducts the examinees as new officials. He claims that the wind called to him to start a new voyage, i.e. resume wandering because he has now fulfilled his promise to excel in the exams.

When Ryuuren wanders back to the capital, Ryuuki gives him the important task of delivering the governor's seal to Shuurei and Eigetsu in Sa province. Shuurei tells Ryuuren to stay clear of their dangerous political situation, but Ryuuren says that the danger is why he wanted to stay involved, and that his "Soul Friends" are the only people who can take advantage of him.

Ryuuren claims to have no interest in becoming an Imperial official or the head of the Ran clan. However, in season 2, Kurou Hong seriously weighs a proposal from the Ran clan to marry Ryuuren to Shuurei.

Setsuna Ran
The three oldest Ran brothers live in the water stronghold of Ran province and act as a single entity to lead the Ran clan. Ryuuki refers to them as the 'sleeping dragons'.

Episode 23 of Season 2 reveals them as triplets. They bear the collective name "Setsuna" but also have individual names: 'Yuki' (snow), 'Tsuki' (moon), and 'Hana' (flower). In Saiunkoku, multiple births were usually seen as bad luck, causing such infants to be killed at birth, but their father spared their lives and raised them to become indistinguishable from one another. They were taught by Shouka Hong in their childhood and grew close to him, but they still don't get along with Reishin.

Fourteen years before the story begins, the triplets lived in the capital and served as a government official (in their collective identity of "Setsuna Ran"). After Emperor Senka became ill and the succession dispute fell into chaos, the triplets returned to their home and never returned.

When their youngest brother was given the name Ryuuren at the age of four, the triplets took it upon themselves to let him grow without the influence of other clans. They assumed the leadership of the Ran clan, causing a stir in the country because for the first time more than one person was appointed as head of one of the Eight Honorable Clans. They sent Shuuei to the capital as a young boy, and later allowed Ryuuren to wander across the country on the condition that he would take one of the top three places in the Imperial Exams.

Only the oldest triplet, Yuki, is married; although his wife can recognize him, even she can't tell the other two apart. At the end of season 2, they banish Shuuei for successfully identifying them individually.

Gyokuka
The wife of Yuki Ran. She has a very cheerful, rational mindset. She loves the outdoors and is a great cook.

She first came to the Ran household as a potential concubine for the previous head of the Ran clan, and was excited by the prospect of becoming stepmother of the five Ran brothers. Although not a legendary beauty, she charmed Shuuei, but Gyokuka was oblivious to him and fell for Yuki instead, despite the latter's very cold and cynical attitude. Her marriage to the oldest triplet devastated Shuuei, causing him to flee from Ran province.

Jyūsan-hime Ran
Ran Jyūsan-hime (藍 十三姬)

Jyūsan-hime is the half-sister of the five Ran brothers. She was raised by her mother's family, the Shiba clan, who trained her as both a fighter and as a princess. The literal meaning of her name is "Thirteenth Princess", although she also had the childhood nickname "Hotaru" (firefly).

Setsuna Ran sends Jyūsan-hime to the imperial capital as a potential bride for either Ryuuki or Seiran. Because she looks very similar to Shuurei, the two women exchange places to avert an assassination plot from a rogue member of the Shiba clan. After Shusui resigns from the palace, Jyūsan-hime succeeds her as chief lady-in-waiting and is likely to become Ryuuki's consort if Shuurei continues to reject his proposal of marriage.

Kijin Kou
Kō Kijin (黄 奇人) The chief minister of the Department of Treasury and Taxation (Finances) is generally called Kijin Kou; almost no one knows his original personal name, Hōju (凤珠). Many people consider him mysterious and eccentric, especially for his unusual appearance. He leaves his hair loosely flowing instead of binding it up according to custom, and is almost never seen without one of the masks from his wide collection. These masks usually conceal his entire face, although they have a lower panel that can open to uncover his mouth when he eats or drinks in public. Many of the masks were made by Reishin Hong, who is one of his few close friends and with whom he often enjoys meaningless arguments.

In his official capacity, Kijin tends to be very strict, but he is gracious to Shuurei when she begins to work for him. Although she is disguised as a man, he already knows that she is Reishin's niece but does not identify her to the rest of his department, and he comforts her when she is upset by a violent thunderstorm. When she falls ill, he brings flowers to her: tsubaki (camellias) in the anime, orchids in the novel. He also teases Reishin into a rage by claiming he is thinking about marrying her.

Although his masks are widely assumed to conceal a deformed or hideous appearance, in fact they serve the opposite function by concealing a face of such dazzling beauty that it can drive people insane. The masks also muffle the true sound of his voice, which is as silky and beautiful as his hair. When he took the imperial examinations as a young man, his beauty caused the legendary occasion of "The Nightmare Exam" by distracting everyone else in the hall so much that thirty officials had to be sacked and only two other candidates, Reishin and Yushin, passed the exams at all; he won third place, receiving the title of Tanka.

After proposing to the woman he loved, he received the rejection message "I can't stand beside someone with a face like yours." However, the message had really been sent by Reishin, who loved the same woman and eventually married her. On Reishin's wedding night, Houju changed his name to Kijin (which everyone else already called him, as a nickname meaning "weirdo") and began to wear masks, which he has continued to do by official sanction.

During Reishin Hong's trial for malfeasance, Kijin removes his mask in front of the court to confront a corrupt official, who nearly loses his mind as a result; the other officials are warned to look away but some of them forget to plug their ears, causing them to faint or go into hysterics.

Hakumei Heki
Heki Hakumei (碧 珀明)

Passed fourth in the Official Examinations and the one who helped Eigetsu and Shuurei during their harsh training. He admires Kouyuu and claims proudly that he even wants to be him. Hakumei helped Shuurei identify the forgeries during the counter-feiting incident.

Karin Heki
Heki Karin (碧 歌梨)

Elder-sister of Hakumei and mother of Banri Heki.Her pseudonym is Yukoku Heki. Hakumei stated that their clan protects Yukoku because she may be the next clan leader.

Banri Heki
Heki Banri (碧 万里)

Son of Karin and Hakumei's nephew. He was used during the counter-feiting case by making forgeries of paintings and made him carve counterfeit coins.

Enjun Sa (Sa-Taiho)
Sa Enjun (茶 鴛洵)

As one of the three Grand Officials of the Palace, Sa Enjun has the title of Taiho. He also has a long history of frustrated ambition, especially since the Sa clan has the least respect among the Eight Colored Clans. He never manages to surpass Advisor Sho, his longtime friend and fellow Grand Official.

Most of Enjun's family lives in Sa province, including his wife and granddaughter. Enjun maintains a small household for himself in the imperial capital; after the young girl Kourin collapsed in front of his residence eight years ago, he took her in and found her a position in the palace as a lady-in-waiting.

Enjun offers his granddaughter, Shunki, as a prospective bride for Ryuuki; when she is rejected, Enjun plots to overthrow Ryuuki and replace him with Seiran as a puppet emperor. Unfortunately, Seiran is unwilling to cooperate, leading to a confrontation in which Seiran fatally wounds Enjun just before being knocked unconscious. Enjun's dying moments are tended by Advisor Sho, who discovered the conspiracy.

Enjun's actions are eventually revealed as a deliberate campaign to destroy the corrupt and power-hungry members of his own family, whose infighting killed his only son nine years ago. His treason further undermines the prestige and power of the Sa clan, and also encourages the emperor to move against its seat of power in Sa province.

Kourin
Kōrin (香鈴) Introduced as Shuurei's young lady-in-waiting at the palace, Kourin retains a deep loyalty to her adoptive father, Enjun Sa. After Ryuuki rejects Enjun's granddaughter as an imperial consort while apparently favoring Shuurei, Kourin tries to poison both Shuurei (to avenge the insult to the Sa clan) and herself (to protect Enjun).

Upon Enjun's death, she is sent to live with his widow Eiki in Sa province. She returns to the capital with Ensei to deliver information about the developing crisis there.

While traveling back to Sa province with Ensei, Seiran, and the two newly-appointed co-governors Eigetsu and Shuurei, Kourin is mistaken for Shuurei and thus kidnapped and imprisoned with Eigetsu. When her captors Meisho and Sōjun start to doubt her identity, she convinces them that she is indeed Shuurei by accepting their challenge to re-write the poem which made the poet Mei Senshi famous. Kourin and Eigetsu later escape to Kinka with the help of Sōjun's youngest brother, Kokujun.

Reunited with Ensei, Seiran, and Shuurei in Kinka, Kourin shows some signs of romantic feelings for Eigetsu, although her manner towards him is a mixture of concern, annoyance, and often exasperation.

When Eigetsu's bond to Yōgetsu weakens, he leaves Kourin by telling her that he loves her and finally kisses her. They reunite after Yōgetsu voluntarily enters a state of hibernation in order for Eigetsu to be with her. After that, she decides to stay in Sa province serving Eigetsu.

Eiki Hyou
Hyō Eiki (縹 英姫)

As Enjun's consort, Eiki remained in Sa province to act on his behalf as clan head while he carried out his duties as Taiho in the imperial capital. Much of their long marriage was spent separated in this fashion. After Enjun's death, his ambitious younger brother Chuusho imprisons her and Shunki.

Eiki was born to the Hyou clan, the mysterious shadow lineage of Saiunkoku. As such, she would not have normally married outside her family, but she fell in love with Enjun and pursued him until he gave in. She retained some of the supernatural powers of the Hyou women, such as the precognition which turned her against Advisor Sho because she always knew that he would be involved in Enjun's death. She also sealed off the powers and voice of their granddaughter Shunki during the girl's childhood.

Shunki Sa
Sa Shunki (茶 春姫)

The granddaughter of Enjun (Sa-Taihō), her father and mother were murdered nine years ago by her cousin, Sakujun Sa, though that fact is unknown to her. Her ability to speak was sealed by her grandmother, Eiki, when she was a child, and so she communicates primarily through writing.

Because she is of the main Sa line of descent through Enjun, she is a threat to Chūshō and other branch family members during their power struggle. For her own protection, she is hidden away and watched over by Shōrin and Yōshun, under orders from Ensei Rou.

Later, she uses her strange power to rescue Kokujun together with Shuurei. When Kokujun accepts the burden of leading the Sa clan, she vows to be always by his side.

Chūshō Sa
Sa Chūshō (茶 仲障)

After Enjun's death, his younger brother Chuusho seizes power in Sa province by imprisoning Eiki and the acting imperial governor. Disregarding the cost and chaos involved, he orders a search for the seals of the previous governor and orders the Satsujinzoku to intercept the new co-governors, Shuurei Hong and Eigetsu Tou. He plans to force the Hong clan into an alliance by marrying Shuurei to one of his grandsons, whom he views as pawns for his ambition.

Sōjun Sa
Sa Sōjun (茶 草洵)

Soujun Sa is the eldest grandson of Chuusho and matches him in blind ambition. He works with the Satsujinzoku to kidnap Eigetsu Tou and Kourin (whom they had mistaken for Shuurei); believing that the group is under his grandfather's control, he attempts to shift their allegiance of their leader, Meishō, and gain their support for himself.

Soujun is eventually killed by Sakujun, his next youngest brother, although he blames their third brother Kokujun for it.

Sakujun Sa
Sa Sakujun (茶 朔洵)

The middle grandson, Sakujun finds the world very boring and seeks to amuse himself without regard for morals. To relieve his boredom, Sakujun became involved with the Satsujinzoku when he was a teenager. Fourteen years ago, he found and recognized the young prince Seien (later Seiran) collapsed in the snow and brought him into the gang. Nine years ago, when his great-uncle Enjun Sa tried to rein in Sakujun's behavior from a distance, Sakujun covertly retaliated by killing Enjun's son and daughter-in-law because they were available and vulnerable to him.

When his grandfather Chusho tells him to marry the Hong princess, Sakujun assumes an alias as Lin Senya, a merchant's son, and arranges to meet Shuurei in person. Although she is twelve years younger than him and has a very different personality, he becomes sufficiently intrigued by her to arrange the murder of his older brother, Soujun; this places Sakujun as the next in succession to become the Sa clan head, giving him more power to resist the Hong clan if he marries Shuurei against their wishes.

With his typical devious perversity, he eventually allows Shuurei to poison him without her knowledge. He is later assumed to be dead, although his body is never found. In the second series, he makes a dreamlike appearance to one of the characters (presumably as a spirit).

Kokujun Sa
Sa Kokujun (茶 克洵)

The youngest of the three brothers. He is kind, but is considered the weakest because of it. He reminds Lady Eiki and Sakujun of the young Enjun.

Kokujun is fond of his cousin Shunki, and he releases Seiran and Ensei from confinement so they can rescue her. Ensei lectures him harshly instead, encouraging Kokujun to take action himself by safely bringing Eigetsu and Kourin to Kinka, concealing his knowledge that Kourin is not really the female co-governor.

When the ring of the Sa clan is recovered, Kokujun takes on the leadership of the Sa clan with Shunki's support. He is close friends with Ryuren Ran also the same age as him and admires him very much.

The Hyou clan
Although not one of the fabled Eight Colored Clans of Saiunkoku, the Hyou clan nevertheless holds an important position. It was founded by the first Emperor's sister, Sou Youki, and the daughters of the imperial Shi clan are still routinely sent to them to be trained as priestesses or married. Otherwise, the Hyou clan almost never marries outside itself although there have been a few rare exceptions such as Eiki Hyou, who chose to marry Enjun Sa.

Many members of the Hyo clan have supernatural powers, especially the women. Their founder sealed off 108 spirits into a mirror by playing the erhu; after Shouka Hong frees the spirits by deliberately shattering the mirror, Shusui is able to pacify them by playing the erhu herself.

Riō Hyou
Hyō Riō (縹 璃櫻)

He is the head of the Hyou clan and maintains a youthful appearance, despite being about eighty years old. He accuses Shoka of stealing Shokun and Shusui from him, and is eager to meet Shuurei because she looks like his lost Bara-hime.

Riō
Riō (璃櫻)

Riō's son has exactly the same name (both pronunciation and kanji) as his father. First seen during the plague in Sa province, he follows his father's orders and goes on missions for him. Ryuuki often confides his feelings for Shuurei to him. Riō currently works in Kiyō as the Head of Sentoshō (Department of the Cave of Immortals).

Ruka Hyou
Hyō Ruka (縹 瑠花)

The older sister of Riō (senior). She is just as obsessed with him as he is with Bara-hime, so that she even wants to take over Shuurei's body so her brother will finally look at her in that way. Unlike her brother, her physical appearance reflects her true age, although in the anime she projects the apparition of a younger woman when speaking to others. Her son Ren is the real mastermind of Jyasenkyō, which started the problems in Sa province during Shuurei and Eigetsu's time as governor.

Shusui
Shusui (珠翠) She is Shuurei's main lady-in-waiting and a well-known beauty of the Imperial Harem. Her beauty is said by Ryuuki to be comparable only to Kocho, the famous courtesan in the Red Light District. She is deeply attached to Shouka, although he doesn't return her feelings, and is the only person who says that his tea is delicious. She is terribly bad at embroidery (which Ryuuki likes to tease her about); when she attempts to make a sunflower-like floral pattern, Shouka mistakes it for a lion. Shusui appears kind and caring to Shuurei and Ryuuki, although Ryuuren is suspicious of her swift agility in dealing with Kourin's clumsiness.

She is actually from the Hyou clan. When Shouka took Shokun away from the clan, he also brought Shusui, whom he adopted and sent to the palace. She became an assassin as part of the Wolves of the Wind. Sa-Taihō believes that she is an assassin loyal to him, but she is actually a double agent under the orders of Advisor Sho, the real master of the Black Wolf and Wolves of the Wind.

In the second season of the anime, Shusui starts to hear sounds in her head; fearing to fall back into the control of the Hyou clan, she attempts suicide. When she passes out in Shuuei's arms, she breaks his heart by calling out Shouka's name instead. He later uses Shouka's name to snap her out of a hypnotic trance. Afterward, she insists on remaining in Ran province to face the Hyou clan, leaving her position as head lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Harem. She is deemed officially missing (though the Emperor knows where she is) and her position has been filled by Jyuusan-hime Ran.

Hien-hime
Hien-hime (飛燕姫)

The mother of Rio (junior).

Yuushun Tei
One of Shuurei's and Eigetsu's assistant officials. First seen in Sa province, but permanently moves to the capital with his appointment as Prime Minister.

He is a mild-mannered man in his late thirties, and walks with a cane. In the anime, Ryou Anjuu says that Yuushun is from a very noble family that even surpasses the power of both the Ran and Hong clans. Despite his gentle exterior, Yuushun is considered to be dangerous and very powerful. Yuushun is an effective politician who can accurately predict the current situation, and can be so persuasive in debate that the Merchant Alliance was reluctant to even enter negotiations with him.

During Ensei's term as governor of Sa province, Yuushun serves as his assistant. When Ensei resigns the position and leaves, Yuushun remains there as the temporary governor, performing his duties while voluntarily locked into a tower to protect him from the Sa clan. Yuushun loses his official status and is left in a dangerous position when Shuurei and Eigetsu are appointed as co-governors of Sa province, but Ensei assures them that Yuushun will be entirely safe, even from Sakujun Sa.

Yuushun first appears in the 28th episode of the anime's first season as an official sent from Koren to help Shuurei and Eigetsu, who had just arrived in Kinka. Under the alias of Official Yū Jun, he readily gives advice to the young co-governors. Only Ensei knows his identity, and the two men work closely together to support Shuurei and Eigetsu. Yuushun orders the military forces throughout the province to quell the riots instigated by Chuusho Sa, and to capture the corrupt members of the Sa clan. When Shuurei and Eigetsu find out that "his" tower has burned down, he reveals his real identity as Yuushun Tei and says that he was rescued by Ensei's master, who extracted him from the locked tower and left him on the streets of Kinka, where he revived the next day.

Yuushun is a very good friend of Kijin and Reishin, who both took the official exams with him. In the trio, he is older by a few years. He passed first in the Exams (with the title Jogen), with Reishin passing second (Bogen) and Kijin third (Tanka). A side story of the manga shows that he first met Shuurei during her childhood, when she gave him some of her homemade buns.

In the novels, he was in love with Rin Sai, Sho Sai's twin sister, even before Rin proposed to him, but he never thought that he had a chance because of the age gap. He kept rejecting her proposal year after year because he didn't want her to get involved in the Sa conflict. This made him very depressed, and also caused much drama for Ensei and Sai Sho. When Sa province is finally under control, he accepts Rin's proposal in the Autumn Festival and they are married. They are referred to as newlyweds in episode 38 of the first season anime.

Ryuuki promotes Yuushun to Prime Minister, giving him a feathered fan as a sign of office. Yuushun's political actions disturb the noble families enough to potentially endanger his life; despite his protests that he does not need protection, Seiran is assigned as his personal guard.

Yosei Sho
Seiyū - Kōji Ishii As one of the three Grand Officials of the Palace, he is generally referred to as "Advisor Sho" or "Sho-Taishi"; Taishi (太師) is his title, not his name. Sho-Taishi's personal name is revealed as Yosei by Eiki Hyou (Sa) in episode 36. He is close friends with his fellow Grand Officials, Sa-Taiho and Sou-Taifu, all of whom also served Ryuuki's father, the previous Emperor.

Advisor Sho does not serve the country for its own sake. He is only loyal to a worthy Emperor, whose life he will do his best to protect. During the battle for the imperial succession eight years ago, he refused to support any one of the battling princes, and since then he has done the bare minimum to ensure the country's survival while waiting for a worthy ruler to appear.

When he realises that Ryuuki has the right potential, he makes sure that no one threatens Ryuuki's place on the throne. He persuades Shuurei to come to the palace as a temporary Imperial consort, which motivates Ryuuki to become worthy and exposes Enjun Sa-Taiho's assassination plot. Although saddened by Enjun's death, he considers it necessary. Advisor Sho also controls the Black Wolf and the Wolves of the Wind, but after he endangers the lives of Shuurei and Seiran, Shouka stops obeying his orders and vows to kill him someday.

When comforting the last moments of his friend Enjun, Advisor Sho takes on the supernatural appearance of a young man surrounded by a white aura. Later, he is able to summon Enjun's spirit. In fact, he is the Sage of Shi (Purple), one of the immortal Eight Sages who served the first Emperor.

Taifū-Sō
Seiyū - Mitsuru Ogata One of the three Grand Officials of the Palace and a War Hero. Taifu is his title, not his name. He is a fighting master and served the previous emperor. He is great friends with Advisor Sho, and has taught swordsmanship to both Ryuuki and Seien (Seiran).

He knows of the actual existence of the Eight Sages, and is often aware of Advisor Sho's plans.

Kochou
Kochō (蝴蝶)

Kochou is the mistress of Kougaro, the most prestigious pleasure house in the red-light district. She is fond of Shuurei, who worked as her accountant for many years. Not only is she one of the most sought-after courtesans, she is also the underground boss in charge of the region. She bestows Shuurei with a makeup set, with the lesson to use it for strength and support.

Dr. Tō
An old doctor who works in the Imperial Palace. At one point he is seen treating Ryuuki. When Shurei asks the Palace's doctors to help treat the plague in Sa province, Dr. Tō convinces the other doctors to join Shuurei's cause and learn surgery.

Suou (Tan-tan) Shin
Shin Suou (榛　蘇芳)

Works in the persecution department. From the middle-high class, he proposes to Shuurei under his father's orders despite his lack of personal interest in her. When he first appears, he is bearing many tanuki-themed accessories including a golden statue, causing Seiran to nickname him 'Tan-tan'.

He does not like putting effort into anything and thus is both intrigued and annoyed by Shuurei's continual determination to do her best. However, Tan-tan can clearly perceive a situation's complete context or a person's true character, making him a valuable asset to his department, and he tries to lessen Shuurei's naiveté by showing her the evils of the world.

Seiran considers Tan-tan to be a practical influence on Shuurei and is unusually willing to engage him in conversation. Nevertheless, Seiran also likes to pelt Suou with bamboo shoots and make him pay for random purchases, calling him 'saifu #2' (wallet #2, after Ensei as #1)

Tan-tan is roped into the counterfeit paintings investigation by Shuurei and ends up arresting his father, who was used in a larger plot. He saves Shuurei from being fired when Riku Seiga steals her research proposal. Since then, Tan-tan has followed Shuurei and re-entered the persecution department as her assistant.

Seiga Riku
Riku Seiga (陸 清雅)

Ki Ou
Ou Ki (旺 季)

Anju Ryo
Ryo Anju (凌 晏樹)

Ensei Rō
Rō Ensei (浪 燕青) Ensei makes his first appearance as a half-starved man lying in front of Shuurei's estate. Seiran somewhat dislikes him because of their shared past in the Satsujinzoku gang in Sa province, when Ensei earned the nickname of "Little Staff King" for his prowess in using a pole or staff as a weapon, although Ensei's true specialty is close-range unarmed combat. He has a cross-shaped scar under his left eye and initially sports a bushy beard which irritates Shuurei and makes many people describe him as a bear, which finally convinces him to shave it off and remain clean-shaven.

Ensei was formerly the governor of Sa province. Before his term, officials in Sa province were often assassinated or bribed, reducing the quality of candidates willing to accept those positions. In an unprecedented move, Enjun Sa-Taiho announced that whoever could turn the tables on an assassin would be made provincial governor. Ensei was appointed as temporary governor at age 17 and was able to competently foil assassination attempts as well as maintain order.

The death of Enjun, Ensei's primary political backer, reduces the acceptance of Ensei as the legitimate governor. To ward off political upheaval, Ensei leaves to determine the new Emperor's political personality and to request replacement by a new governor. On his journey, he is targeted by thieves and assassins because of the high bounty placed on his head by the Sa family.

After Shuurei's term as governor of Sa province is suspended, Ensei continues to help her out because he admires her. Though he does not intend to let Shuurei know about his feelings towards her.

Eigetsu/Yougetsu To
To Eigetsu/Yōgetsu (杜 影月/阳月)

Eigetsu is a shy, intelligent thirteen-year-old boy. He was born in Seika village, Koku province, but the rest of the village was wiped out by plague; he was raised by a doctor, Doshuu, who found him as a child on the brink of death. After Eigetsu passed the Provincial Exams at the age of twelve, their entire community contributed money to send him to take the Imperial Exams. He turns up in Kougaro, Kochou's pleasure house, with no memory of how he got there and without his valuable Exam Token.

Eigetsu does not like to consume alcohol or even smell it, because it literally turns him into another person: Yougetsu, who is brash, arrogant, and an excellent fighter. When Eigetsu first arrives in the capital, Yougetsu takes over; after winning a drinking contest in the Red Light District, he beats up three gang members, steals their money, and spends most of it on premium sake.

Yougetsu is also very intelligent, in a calculating and strategic way; although he often refers to Eigetsu as a dim-witted fool, he also looks out for him. Thinking that Eigetsu might lose the Exam Token in all the commotion, he gives it for safekeeping to the sake merchant and tells him to deliver it with the expensive sake to the best brothel in the city. Before passing out, Yougetsu also tells Shuuei Ran to take him to the same destination, which is how Eigetsu ended up in Kogaro.

Eigetsu befriends Shuurei and becomes the youngest person in history to win the position of Jougen (top score for the year), beating the previous record set by Kouyuu Ri. Initially, he is deluged by proposals by ambitious officials who want him to marry their daughters, but he refuses them all and they turn against him as he starts his career, assigning him petty duties like shining their shoes and then "accidentally" kicking him.

When Ryuuki appoints him and Shuurei as the new governors of Sa province, Eigetsu is again the youngest person to ever win that position, as well as one of the first set of co-governors to share such an office. When they enter the province, Eigetsu is captured by the Satsujinzoku along with Kourin, who is pretending to be Shuurei. Eventually they are saved by Seiran, Ensei, and Ryuuren (as well as Yougetsu) and finally reunite with Shuurei in the provincial capital.

The anime's second season reveals that Yougetsu is actually another one of the Eight Sages, Byakuya (the Sage of Haku/white). When Doshuu found Eigetsu, Yougetsu saved the child's life by strengthening his dying soul and granting him twenty more years of life, but after that, Eigetsu himself would die and Yougetsu would live on in his body. Later, Doshuu became gravely ill, so that Eigetsu willingly surrendered ten of those years to Yougetsu in order to extend his foster-father's life.

When Eigetsu has only one month left to live, Sa province is plagued by an epidemic which he recognizes as the same disease that wiped out his native village. He tells Kourin about his imminent fate and confesse his feelings to her, then sets out by himself to the affected area in the hope of directly helping some people before his death. But when Eigetsu's life is due to end, Yougetsu decides to go into a deep sleep to let Eigetsu keep living.

Though Eigetsu has a great part in handling the unrest in Sa province, his actions are considered reckless by the central government. He is demoted and is made the assistant to Yuu Kai, the new governor of Sa province and the former governor of Koku province.

Yū Kai
The Governor of Koku province and a renowned ladies' man. He is said to be the oldest man to ever hold the position of governor in Saiunkoku. He asked the previous Emperor to appoint him as the governors of both Koku and Sa provinces, but was refused because of his old age. Kai was the guardian of Eigetsu when he applied for the ministerial exams, and passed Shin Ka's medical documents on to Shuurei.

When Shuurei and Eigetsu are appointed as the co-governors of Sa province, they ask Kai to succeed them as governor in the event of their deaths. When they are dismissed from those positions, he does succeed them and gives up Koku province to govern Sa province and become Eigetsu's mentor.

Meishō
Meishō (瞑祥)

Meishō is the leader of the Satsujinzoku, the Killing-Blade Outlaws, which is supported by Sakujun Sa. He takes advantage of the instability of Sa Province and gains control of certain major cities, working with Chūshō Sa and the Sa clan. Though he works with them, Meishō conceals Sakujun's involvement, allowing Soujun to believe that the Satsujinzoku answers to Chūshō.

Meishō has a past with both Seiran and Ensei, but does not know that both of them were involved in wiping out the Satsujinzoku over a decade ago. In the end, he loses his life to Seiran in combat.

Shōrin and Yōshun
Seiyū - Noriaki Sugiyama

Shōrin is the leader of a group in Sa province called the Condors. He and his younger brother Yōshun are entrusted by Ensei to look after Shunki.

His father incurred a great debt of gratitude from Shouka Hong in their past. Though only thirteen, Shōrin is quite skilled as a tracker, with acrobatic skills and good endurance. At Shunki's request, he takes her to Kinka in order to help Kokujun.

Sho Sai
Sai Shō (柴 彰)

Sho is the head of the merchant guild in Kinka, second largest city in Sa province. He decides to help the new governors of Sa, Shuurei and Eigetsu, in exchange for peace within the province. He is the younger twin of Rin Sai.

Though his father is the head of the military of Kinka, he and his sister opt for the merchant life instead. He repeatedly promotes the idea of using eight-tenths of his power to help, saving two-tenths for emergencies.

Shin Sai
Sai Shin (柴 進)

The military commander of the city of Kinka in Sa Province, Shin is mistaken by Shuurei for the head of the merchant guild when they first meet. He is the father of the twins Sho and Rin Sai, and was angered when the two chose to pursue the merchant's path.

Rin Sai
Sai Rin (柴 凛)

Rin is Sho's twin sister, and renowned as the "manliest woman in Sa province." When first encountered, she is the head of the Merchant Guild in Koren. After her term of guild leadership expires, she becomes an inventor. When Shuurei calls doctors to treat the disease in Sa province, Rin designs a smooth knife suited to surgical operations; Rin later designs a centrifuge-like device to separate out sand from adulterated salt.

She fell in love with Yuushun Tei when he was still Ensei's assistant and repeatedly proposed to Yuushun on the Autumn Festival (an event similar to Valentine's Day, when girls give handmade gifts to someone they like). For years, Yuushun had always rejected her.

When the Sa conflict ends, Rin announces her last attempt to propose to Yuushun: if he rejected her again, she would give up and wish for his happiness when he returned to Shi province. When Rin approaches Yuushun, he seems to be asleep, so Rin just gives her gift, wishes for his happiness, and turns to leave-- but suddenly Yuushun grabs her wrist. They are described as newlyweds when they go to Shi province for the New Year's celebrations.

Dōshu
Dōshu (堂主) A kind doctor who found and saved Eigetsu in Koku Province, later becoming his adopted father and mentor. His real name is Ka Shin(華真), revealed in episode 6 of the second season. It was thanks to his previous research that the epidemic in season 2 was solved. He treated both Eigetsu and Yougetsu as his beloved children, even though Yogetsu was much, much older than Ka Shin and therefore very irritated by this. He taught Eigetsu to smile and live life to the fullest, and also passed on his medical knowledge to Shuurei before he died.

Dr. Yō
Dr. Shikō Yō took care of Shuurei when she was young and sickly. He is a renowned doctor who lives outside the capital, but his old friend Advisor Sho calls him to the capital to consult about the plague in Sa province. Dr. Yō teaches the imperial doctors how to surgically remove the worms that cause the disease. Later, he is revealed as another of the Eight Sages (the Sage of Ko/Yellow). Like Advisor Sho, he looks much younger in his sage form.

Jin Shiba
Shiba Jin (司馬迅) Also known as Shun (隼). He was a prisoner on death row for patricide and is Jyusan-hime's ex-fiance. Jin is one of the many assassins sent after her and Shuurei Hong after he was released from prison and being pardoned by the three oldest Ran brothers.

He was a childhood friend of Shuuei Ran and Jyūsan-hime Ran (it is revealed he was the one who gave her the nickname "Hotaru"). He is from the Shiba clan, a subsidiary clan of the Ran clan. He met Jyūsan-hime when he was 11 years old, shortly after Jyūsan-hime's mother was murdered by his own father, he had been sent to the house to kill her but could not bring himself to do so. The 3 year old Jyūsan-hime sat by her mother's corpse and stared at Jin for three days and nights. He cut out his eye when Jyūsan-hime said he can come closer to her when he gives her his eyes.