kibi no makibi and genbō were promoted to important posts, despite lacking prestigious family backgrounds. both had spent 17 years in tang china and returned to japan in 735. makibi who had brought several important confucian texts to japan would advise the emperor on the latest continental developments in legal codes, warfare and music. he was promoted to a higher rank and became imperial professor ("daigaku no suke") at court. in 736, 2nd month (march/april), the monk genbō who had returned with more than 5000 buddhist scrolls and commentaries was given a large plot of land, eight servants and a purple "kesa" by the court. when the plague reached the court in 737, he was asked to perform healing rituals for the imperial family; and his activities were thought to actually heal the emperor's mother, fujiwara no miyako. consequently, his influence at court increased and in 737, 8th month (august/september) genbō became chief priest of kōfuku-ji, head of the northern branch of the hossō sect of buddhism, and he gained the highest monastic rank "sōjō" (primary prelate).