Tale of Saiunkoku – ep 08
The anime is starting to draw humor from the rest of the characters, rather then being dependant on shuurei, as such, it’s becoming a lot nicer to watch. A nice lighthearted show.
It’s a month later. Summer time, and the scorching sun is making people collapse. In the imperial court, Ryukki is trying to get female candidates admitted for the imperial exams.
Back at shuurei’s house, she recieves many gifts from a “mr anonymous.” There’s ice (i think), a big pile of equinox flowers (usually used to put on graves), a big pile of boiled eggs, a straw man. (huh??)
Ryukki dreams of shuurei marrying seiran instead. When he shares his dream with shuuhei and kouyuu, he invokes much laughter from shuuhei instead. We learn that Ryukki has been sending gifts to Shuurei just like Shuuhei advised, but has been sending the wrong gifts after misunderstanding advice from different people like Shou.
So far he hasn’t gotten a single reply from shuurei, and Ryukki thinks that the problems lies with the fact that he has been signing off as “anonymous”
Back at shuurei’s house, she meets a vagrant at the door of her house. When Seiran returns home, he realises that the guy is Ensei, and drags him to a corner to question him. For some reason, Seiran wants to kick him out immediately. But in front of shuurei, Ensei claims to be seiran’s friend, and shuurei lets him stay. There was something he needed to do in Kiyou.
Shusui comes to meet shouka, bringing manjuu buns. Shouka compliments the tasty manjuu buns. Shusui also says tea is delicious, even though it’s obviously horrible.
sou meets with shuuhei regarding sending the plume army to catch thieves in violet province. There’s a lack of manpower, but sou seems very enthusiastic to go out to fight. But he brings up the topic of bringing seiran back into the army, instead of working at the rice granary.
Shuuhei and kouyuu are going to attend a festival at shuurei’s house. Somehow they meet while going in opposite directions though. (obviously kouyuu’s lost again). Shuurei’s house is run down as usual, with all 500 ryou of gold spent already. But the money was used to maintain the temple school as well as donated to the town’s doctor.
Ensei is at the dinner as well, where everybody calls the empereror an airhead. Coming from brown province, Shuuhei discusses the situation of the bandits with ensei, as well as bringing up the topic of seiran helping out. Shuurei however has her objections.
Taking the opportunity, seiran suggests that ensei be employed instead. However the invitation still stands, and seriran takes up the job, while asking ensei to take over his own responsibilities. Kouyuu then invites shuurei to work in the imperial council for a mth.
It’s a job as a misc assistant to the chamberlain of treasury. But shuurei is hesistant. But ensei persuades her to take up the job. After seiran and her dad speaks up as well, she agrees. However, she’ll have to dress up as a man, since women are not allowed. Kyoyuu makes the mistake of saying that with her figure, there’s no way shuurei will be found out.
(of course, as usual, kouyuu gets desperately lost bringing them to the department of treasury)
I can’t wait to find out who ensei is, and what kind of person the chamberlaine is.
