Even after discovering Seiran's true identity, Ryūki harbors some jealousy that Seiran spends more time with Shūrei and is a closer confidant of hers. After she leaves the palace, Ryūki sends her many absurd gifts such as boiled eggs, blocks of ice, and even a straw voodoo doll. Before sending Shūrei to Sa province as co-governor, Ryūki privately tells her that she is the only woman he wants to marry. Ryūki eventually tells Shūrei that he cannot wait for her forever because part of his responsibilities as the Emperor requires him to marry. As a result, he extracts a promise from her that he can convince her to marry before a specified time, she will become his consort. After years of convincing Shūrei, he finally succeeded and Shūrei finally accepted Ryūki's marriage proposal. Shūrei eventually dies soon after she gives birth to her and Ryūki's daughter.   is the previous Emperor of Saiunkoku, and father to Ryūki, 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, Ryūki. 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 Ryūki as his designated successor. The novels reveal that Senka died from protecting his second son, Seien, from a deadly curse sent by the Hyō clan and Lady Suzuran.