Every Good Story Has a Hidden Side
8th April 2006A Frog in a Well Does Not Know the Great Ocean
15th April 2006The Talented Hawk Hides its Talons
22nd April 2006Casting Pearls Before Swine
29th April 2006There is no Genius Without Hard Work
6th May 2006Lacking the Finishing Touch
13th May 2006Even the Strongest Swimmer May Drown
20th May 2006Wanting to Borrow a Cat's Paws
27th May 2006The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step
3rd June 2006Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
10th June 2006There is no Cure for Lovesickness
17th June 2006Discretion is the Better Part of Valour
24th June 2006From a Gourd Comes a Horse
1st July 2006On a Rock for Three Years
8th July 2006Children Do Not Know Their Parents' Hearts
15th July 2006There are no Devils in the World
22nd July 2006Let Sleeping Dogs Lie or Poking a Bush Draws Out Snakes
26th August 2006You Can't Hide by Burying Your Head in the Sand
2nd September 2006If You Love Your Child, Send Her on a Journey
9th September 2006Flowers Blooming from Dead Wood
16th September 2006The Wise Know When to Approach Danger
23rd September 2006Where There is Life, There is Hope
30th September 2006It's the Company that Makes Travel Unpleasant
7th October 2006Water on a Sleeping Ear
14th October 2006An Accidental Resemblance
21st October 2006Ravens in the Moonless Night
28th October 2006The Prettier the Flower, the Higher the Branch
18th November 2006Worry Gives Small Things Large Shadows
25th November 2006Many Years' Worth of Thoughts in a Single Day
9th December 2006Women are Brave
16th December 2006A Diamond in the Rough
23rd December 2006A Woman's Word is Her Bond
6th January 2007No Use Crying Over Spilt Milk
13th January 2007Poison Gets the Better of Poison
20th January 2007Meeting is the Beginning of Parting
27th January 2007All is Right in the World
3rd February 2007Tears Fall Like Rain From Heaven
10th February 2007There is no Today After Today
17th February 2007Fate is an Inscrutable and Interesting Thing
24th February 2007Saiunkoku is a world of eight provinces or houses, each named after a different colour. The new Emperor, Shi Ryuuki, has gained for a reputation for being uninterested in courtly matters and for flaunting his love for men. Shuurei, although born of the important Kou family, has difficulty making ends meet. She easily accepts an invitation to be the Emperor's concubine in order to turn him into a good ruler. The mysterious Seiran, a young man who was adopted by her father, goes with her as Ryuuki's bodyguard. Entering the imperial palace revives Shuurei's dream of being a court official, and, together with the many companions she meets along the way, continues moving bravely forward while trying to fend off the Emperor's advances.


