Seiran den, translated as blue legend, is the fushigi yugi novel where we get to learn about soi's past, how she came to be in kutou, and how she developed her feelings for nakago.
In the novel soi is first introduced as the brothel girl 'Haku Kaen'. We learn that her family sold her to the brothel at the age of ten because they were extremely poor and needed the money. We find Kaen finishing up her daily chores when the woman in charge calls her into her room. Kaen seats herself respectfully on the floor in front of the woman. The woman asks her how old she is, Kaen replies that she is twelve. The woman grabs kaens face, wipes it with a cloth and then combs her hair. She thinks to herself that Kaen has a pretty face and will only grow more beautiful. She realizes that Kaen could provide a big boost in her business and make her a lot of money. She tells Kaen that she no longer has to do chores and that she will now begin taking on customers. She begs her to reconsider, and tells her that she'll work harder than she ever has before. The woman declines and tells her she always made a lousy maid (she is constantly tripping, or spilling something) and with her new job she can make a living, and maybe one day possibly get herself out of debt. Kaen is distraught by this occurence, she muses over how much she misses her family, but then she tells herself that she needs to be strong and do her job to support them.
Kaen is expected to take her first customer the same day. The man in charge closes her into her room with the other man. He touches her, she is frightened, she slaps him and runs out of the room and outside. The man in charge chases after her. He catches her out front of the house, he catches her, slaps her, and tells her to take off her clothes. Before she does so the man falls over onto the ground next to her knocked out. Kaen looks up only to find a kutou soldier standing over her. She describes him as the most beautiful man she has ever seen. She thanks him, but the man just turns away telling her it was nothing that he just doesn't like that kind of jerk. He walks away leaving kaen staring, she hears one of the other men call his name, 'nakago'. She realizes that she has heard of him as one of the seiryuu seishi before. Before she can think of anything else the man next to her wakes up and recaptures her.
The next time she is mentioned another kutou soldier is sitting in his room counting his money, he is saving his money in order to set Kaen free. The mans name is Eichuu, he is nakago's rival for the position of shogun in the kutou military. He is in love with kaen and says that he will set her free no matter what.
Eichuu succeeds in setting her free, and Kaen comes to work in the palace as a servant girl. She sees tomo up on stage performing in a play, but then turns her attention to the emperor, it is now her job to serve him. She notices that sitting next to the emporer is Nakago, she still hasn't forgotten him and her heart begins to pound. She walks over to the emperor with the wine glasses. Noticing her the emperor looks her up and down lustfully. He asks her how old she is, she tells him eighteen. He says that she is a very innocent looking girl, then he also asks her if she is a virgin. He tells her that she should quit being a palace girl and join his harem. She asks him to stop and accidentally spills the wine all over him, she bows in front of him and asks him for forgiveness, he says she is forgiven, he understands that she was frightened. Kaen then excuses herself from the emperor.
The next day Eichuu is sitting in his room waiting for her to come there. She walks in and Eichuu takes her hand and tells her to sit down. Kaen tells him that she thanks him for saving her, and that she will work for the rest of her life to repay him. He tells her that it isn't necessary. Kaen then tells him that she is a dirty woman and that he could do a lot better than her. He tells her she is wrong and tries to embrace her but she uses the excuse that she must go apologize to the emperor to get away. She leaves the room and walks down the hallway, she plans to completely pass the emperor's room and head for nakago's but then she hears voices coming from inside. She hears nakago and the emperor having a conversation inside and listens in. After a while nakago leaves the room. Kaen watches him from the shadows and then without thinking jumps out in front of him. She asks him if he remembers saving her six years ago, he tells her no, she yells at him to wait and he tells her that thanking him once was good enough, and walks away. Kaen is disappointed that he didn't have much of a reaction to the situation, but she is somewhat hopeful because he seemed to remember her. Eichuu is watching also from the shadows and now realizes that nakago is the one that Kaen loves and came to kutou for. Tomo is also watching.
The next day Kaen is wandering the halls and goes to knock on nakago's door. She knocks and no one seems to hear it so she opens the door. Inside tomo is using his shin to show nakago his childhood, all Kaen can do is stare at the events she is witnessing. She is snapped back to reality by Eichuu pulling on her arm. He looks angry and commands her to come with him, kaen, still in awe from what she has seen cannot say anything. Her pushes her onto the floor, Kaen says that she wants to tell him something. Eichuu insults her by asking if she went into nakago's room to sell herself to him, he says that she's a pro when it comes to manipulating men. He also tells her that nakago will never take a woman partner because of what happened between him and the emperor. Kaen tells him that he is wrong, adn that nakago is not dirty. In anger Eichuu picks her up and slams her into the bed pinning her down, he tells her that he will not allow her to betray him. She asks him to stop but he keeps screaming at her. Suddenly she feels some kind of power flow through her body, Eichuu's eyes glazed over and he fell asleep with a peaceful expression on his face.
Kaen gazes down at her kimono that is lying open on her leg and sees the character "fusa" glowing on her thigh. Discovering her power she says 'I am seiryuu seishi soi'. She forgets Eichuu continues staring at the symbol on her body.
The next day Kaen is walking through the halls, she notices tomo signing autographs for the palace women. Once the women clear away from him he comes over to speak to her. He says that he knows she saw the vision in nakago's room the night before and then says that it seems she is falling in love with nakago and that its really just sympathy. She tells tomo to mind his own business, Insults him, and walks away. She continues on down the hall and knocks on Eichuu's door. He invites her in and she charms him into telling her some of his plans. He tells her about his and the shougun of Kutou's plan to kill nakago. After hearing the whole plan she leaves Eichuu sleeping in his bed, she goes and changes into her armor (the soi costume we all know so well) and heads to nakago's room. She knocks and then he tells her to enter. She tells nakago that she is the seiryuu seishi called soi, and that she awoke seven days ago. Nakago grins pleased but tells her that there is no need for them to see eachother since there is not a miko yet. But she tells him she has important information and explains Eichuu's plan to kill him. Noticing nakago's injured arm Soi (I will now refer to Kaen as Soi) slips off her armor and tells nakago to sleep with her, because she can increase his power through her seishi power bouchuu magic. She tries to talk to him afterwards but he tells her to return to her room, that he wanted to rest, he closes his eyes and goes to sleep. She stares at the sleeping nakago and begins to cry. She remarks that nakago has closed his heart off, she looks down and notices nakago is crying in his sleep. She tells him to sleep well, and that no matter what she will always be watching over him.
Later that day soi is out in the courtyard hanging up laundry. She hears tomo calling out the name Kaen and then he asks if instead he should call her soi. He insults her, and she insults him back. Tomo tells her that her seishi magic is vulgar, and she asks him if he saw. He insults her again, she calls him a homo. Tomo tells her that she will never be able to get nakago and then leaves. Next Gi Koyuu, the shougun of kutou and man working with eichuu to kill nakago, appears. He asks her if she is a seiryuu seishi and if she used her powers to manipulate Eichuu. He tells her he knows she told nakago. She begs him not to fight nakago because he is really a good man but has just closed his heart off, he says he knows this also. Koyuu then makes her swear that she will take care of nakago if he loses to him in battle.
The next morning Soi wakes up and sees all the soldiers lined up out front. She rushes to nakago's room but he is gone, a soldier tells her that he has already left. She runs outside where she finds Eichuu, she begs him not to fight nakago, and then tells him how she betrayed him. Tomo then appears and then tells Eichuu that the woman he has been keeping company with is really soi and that she used her magic on him for nakagos sake. Eichuu enraged tells her that he will bring her back nakago's head. The soldiers leave and soi remains standing outside.
Soi returns to her senses and goes inside to the emperor's quarters. He asks who she is and she tells him that she is the one who spilled the wine on him and she had come to apologize. She takes off her clothes and tells him to come and accept it. She leaves the emperor in a deep sleep and returns to her room to change into her armor. She runs to the stables, chooses a horse and jumps on it. She heads to the village that the emperor told her of when she manipulated him with her magic. The skys began to light up with lightning. She finally arrives and see's koyuu and Nakago fighting, Nakago finds out that Koyuu is his dad when he slays him. He wins the battle Killing Eichuu and the Shougun. He walks over to Soi and asks her if the storm before was her power, he says her powers still need to mature. He tells her that she should leave the palace until the miko appears, but she tells him she wants to stay and that the Koyuu made her promise to stay with him. Nakago replies that it is meaningless for her to stay. Soi looks on as nakago mounts his horse and rides away.
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