Chapter 1 Summary

At an indeterminate time in Japan's history, an unnamed emperor is in love with a lady of lesser rank much to the chagrin of the grand ladies at court. Although this unnamed lady is very beautiful and is a member of the upper classes, she is not fully highborn and is something of a dirty little secret for the emperor. However, the secret is not well-kept, and everyone at court knows that this lady is the emperor's favorite. This frustrates the other royal wives, who are of higher social station, so they routinely speak against this upstart woman who holds the emperor's affections.

As time goes on and the lady frequently spends her evenings with the emperor, she becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son she names Genji. Just like the mother, Genji becomes the emperor's favorite, more favored than the crown...