The Story of Saiunkoku

Shurei Hong is a young woman of noble lineage, though her family has long since fallen into poverty. Her greatest ambition is to serve as a civil official in the imperial court of Saiunkoku—yet the path is closed to her, as women are forbidden from holding government posts. Compounding the realm’s troubles, the young emperor, Ryuki, shows no interest in ruling, leaving all matters of state to his advisers. In a desperate bid to spur the indolent monarch into action, Shurei is approached with an unusual proposition: enter the palace as the emperor’s consort and persuade him to take up his duties. She accepts and takes up residence in the inner court, but Ryuki remains conspicuously absent from her chambers. Whispers abound that the emperor prefers the company of men in his bedchamber, not women. Now, Shurei faces a daunting challenge—she must find a way to compel the wayward sovereign to fulfill his obligations, but first, she has to actually find him.