Sai

Located between Han and Sou, the kingdom of Sai is one of the four "middle" kingdoms and it borders the White Sea and Red Sea. The current Queen of Sai, Chuukin (中瑾, Chūkin), and her kirin, Sairin, have ruled for about 20 years. The kingdom's capital is Yuunei and its royal palace is known as the Longrest (Choukan) Palace.

Both monarch and kirin are both well-known for being kind-hearted and possessing great character; they are so beloved by their people that the king was given the regnal name of Kouko (黄姑, "the golden mother-in-law"), in recognition of her status as the previous king’s great-aunt and adopted mother, and Sairin has come to be known as Youran (揺籃, Yōran).

Kouko’s predecessor was her adopted son, Shishou (砥尚, Shishō), who climbed Mount Hou after the death of the king who preceded him and was selected to become the king of Sai by Sairin. During his twenty year reign, his actions caused Sairin to contract shitsudou. Realizing he had lost the way, Shishou ascended Mount Hou to abdicate the throne and took his life. Sairin chose Kouko as the next king and continues to always carry a branch with leaves on it, as a memento of the broken promise Shishou had made to her that he would govern his country well.

In Sai's history, a precedent was set for the defiance of one of the mandates accepted by a monarch upon ascending the throne. When the king Juntei deployed his army to stop the civil war in Han, he and the Sairin at the time were both instantly struck dead. As an indication that a grievous violation had been committed, the Royal Seal of Sai, inscribed with forename of Sai 斎 (meaning Purification), changed to Sai 采 (meaning Command or Dice). Since then, the event has served as a reminder that no matter how good a king's intentions may be, no matter how beneficial and compassionate his actions are, violating the precepts of the mandate of Heaven will not acceptable under any circumstances.