Shoutaishi, formally Sho Yosei, holds the prestigious position of Taishi, one of the Emperor of Saiunkoku's three highest advisors. A former Prime Minister, he commands the covert assassin group the Wolves of the Wind. Operatives like Kou Shouka and Hyou Shusui served under him, with Shusui acting as a double agent within Sa Enjun's ranks on his orders. His political strategies embraced calculated chaos for long-term stability. During the power vacuum after the previous Emperor's reign, he deliberately withheld intervention as princes battled in a civil war. This resulted in the deaths of four princes and the exile of the second prince, Shi Seien, enabling the youngest, Shi Ryuuki, to ascend the throne. Sho Yosei framed this inaction as a necessary lesson on strong governance, despite causing widespread famine and unrest. He orchestrated the exposure of Sa Enjun's coup against Emperor Ryuuki, using it to purge corruption within the Sa clan and central government. This act fit his pattern of employing extreme measures like assassinations and engineered rebellions to "purify" the nobility. His involvement included stealing Enjun's gold ring, a symbol of Sa clan authority, hinting it would resurface later. Thirteen years before the main events, he sanctioned the massacre of Ki clan vassals under Emperor Senka's orders. Tei Yuushun, the sole survivor, became a high-ranking official while secretly opposing Ryuuki. This event exemplified Sho Yosei's readiness to eliminate perceived imperial threats through brutal means. In Sa Province, he secretly met Lady Eiki, Enjun's widow, offering her freedom from confinement. She refused, prioritizing the recovery of Enjun's ring. These interactions revealed his lingering influence over unresolved political legacies, with ambiguous motivations. His actions consistently reflected a philosophy justifying short-term suffering for long-term imperial security, forcing allies and subordinates to confront the moral consequences of his schemes. His backstory involves ties to figures like Kou Gyokukan and Ki-hime, a former Wolves leader.