Ran Shuuei

Ran Shuuei (藍 楸瑛 Ran Shūei) is a former General of the Left Habayashi Army, one of Shi Ryuuki's valets and the husband of Hyou Shusui.

Appearance
Shuuei is a very handsome man and a lady-killer. He often gets his way with women with his looks.

Personality & Characteristics
Shuuei is a usually calm man who likes to tease others, and claims to be Li Kouyuu's best friend though Kouyuu keeps denying it. Shuuei enjoys provoking Kouyuu by mentioning the latter's woman-hating ideals and lack of direction. Shuuei is a big womanizer but he develops this habit in order to forget his former love.

Plot
When Shuuei was a child, his brother(s) Ran Setsuna sent him to Kiyou as a child to assist one of the princes (later identified as Prince Seien). He encountered the young prince under attack in an alley and tried to help him, but Shuuei's swordfighting skills weren't strong enough to defeat the assassins, and Seien told him that he was weak and useless. Seien even defeated Shuuei in a sword battle in front of Setsuna and Emperor Senka. Humiliated, Shuuei retreated back to Ran province and trained hard with his childhood best friend Jin Shiba. However, by the time Shuuei returned to the capital, the prince who mocked him had been banished for treason; his elder brothers ordered him to track down Prince Seien's whereabouts, but he was unable to do so.

Shuuei and Kouyuu met during the Imperial Exams, in which Shuuei took the second highest honor as Bōugen (the same title that his younger brother later earned). Near the beginning of Ryuuki's reign, Shuuei briefly worked as a civil official until being disappointed that the new Emperor wasn't interested in politics and kept disappearing. Switching from the civil service to the military, Shuuei joined the Left Uringun army and rose to the position of Shogun (general). Shuuei and Kouyuu become reacquainted after being assigned by his superior Grand General Koku Yousei as the personal guard and Kouyuu as advisor to Ryuuki-- who is nowhere to be found, leaving Shuuei and Kouyuu in the library for a month of boredom.

Along with Kouyuu, Shuuei receives and accepts a flower (a purple iris which he later engraves on his sword) from Ryuuki, a symbol of steadfast trust that establishes the young emperor's reign with the support of the top two rising officials of the palace. Over time, Shuuei's loyalties become increasingly torn between the emperor and the Ran clan, causing him to return the iris sword to Ryuuki and retire to Ran province. After being banished by the Ran clan, he returns to Ryuuki, convinced that the Emperor accepts his responsibilities and wants Shuuei's support for his own merits, not just for his family connections. However, at this point he was powerless and due to the plotting and scheming of the Noble Faction, Shuuei lost his position as a general and was assigned as Seiran's subordinate much to Shuuei's chagrin. After Kou Shuurei disappeared, he secretly overheard Ki Kouki's criticism of Ryuuki and his personal advisors (Seiran, Kouyuu and himself) and came to the realization that after Shuuei and Koyuu's fall, the only person who could protect the emperor and provide a way out from the Noble Faction's trap was Shuurei however, they themselves selfishly threw her away just to ease the emperor's loneliness by advising the king to make her his wife. As it was too late to regret, he took the risk of entering the Hyou clan in order to confirm Shuurei's state and to find out Hyou Shusui's whereabouts. He saved Shusui's life and helped Shuurei with her works during his stay there. After returning, he faced Ou Ki and his 50,000 soldiers alone with Ryuuki.

After the revolt was over, he was reinstated as a Ran clan member as Setsuna finally acknowledged the emperor and stayed by Ryuuki's side for a long time and died to protect him. At some point, he had married Shusui and sired three sons with her, the eldest one being called Ran Shijaku.

Swordsmanship
He has legendary fighting skills thanks to his training by the Shiba clan, retainers of the Ran clan who excel in swordsmanship; the only opponents who can beat him at full strength are Grand General Koku and Grand General Haku. He recognizes Seiran's past identity from his swordfighting techniques. He and Seiran were called the greatest military officials of Ryuuki's reign as Emperor.

Hyou Shusui
When Shusui helped him once in the past, it was love at first sight for him, but sadly, Shusui does not even remember the meeting. He later rescues Shusui from the prison of time and earn her respect. At a later point he married her and had three sons with her.

Shi Seiran
Seiran calls him 'saifu #1' (wallet #1) since he pays for the ingredients every time he has dinner at Shuurei's house. He alongside Seiran were Ryuuki's personal guards.

Ran Gyokuka

When Gyokuka and Shuuei were young she always bring shuuei with her outside on a nice day. She didn't that Shueei was in love with her, but Shueei sibling knows he was in love with her. So shuuei try to forget about his feeling her but can't escape his feeling for her.