The oldest of the Kou Family and Shuurei's father. He also took in Seiran into his home thirteen years ago. After turning down the position of being the head of the Kou family, he was kicked out of the main household. He then moved to the capital where his younger brother, Reishin, got him a job in the Palace. He works in the Palace as the head of the Royal Archives even though the pay is cheap. Ryuuki often visited Shouka in the Royal library when he was young because Shouka seemed to be one of the few people who treated him with kindness. His job is only that of a librarian, but he is highly respected by everyone.   In the English version, his name is Shoka Hong since Kou is another family name in the series. Kou has two kanji symbols in Japanese, one red the other Yellow, which explains why two families have the same romanised name. To avoid confusion,  'Hong' was given unto Shoka's family, the same as the Mandarin Chinese reading.   (Source: Wikipedia) 

Saiunkoku is a world of eight provinces or houses, each named after a different colour. The new Emperor, Shi Ryuuki, has gained 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. 
(Source: Anime News Network)

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Shurei Hong, destitute but of noble birth, has always dreamed of working as a civil servant in the imperial court of Saiunkoku, but women are barred from holding office. The emperor Ryuki, however, refuses to take command, leaving everything to his advisors. Shurei is asked to become a consort to the emperor to persuade the ne’er-do-well ruler to govern.
 
Shurei enters the palace as Ryuki’s consort, but he has yet to seek her out. It is rumored that men, not women, share the emperor’s bedchamber. Shurei must think of a way to stop the emperor from shirking his responsibilities, but she has to find him first!
 
(Source: Viz Media)

The story, which takes place in the fictional medieval empire of Saiunkoku, follows the adventures of Shuurei Kou, a descendant of a noble family that has fallen on hard times. 
Her father works as a librarian in the Imperial palace, a post which offers prestige and respect, but little compensation. Shuurei teaches in the temple school and works odd jobs to make ends meet, but her dream is to pass the imperial examinations and take a post in government, a path forbidden to women. 
Shuurei's plans come to an abrupt halt when the Emperor's Grand Advisor makes a startling offer, which is joining the imperial household for six months as the young Emperor's consort, and teach the Emperor to be a responsible ruler. If she succeeds, the financial reward will be great. 
The story details Shuurei's growing relationships with the Emperor and other members of the court, the intrigues that surround imperial politics, and her commitment to better herself and her country. 
Note: This entry consists of 18 regular volumes, 4 volumes consisting of side stories, and a single volume consisting of short stories.

Shuurei needs to deal with more obstacles in the new series. More danger comes her way but at the same time meeting friends who will help her with her work as an official. 
(Source: Anime News Network)

Shouka Kou