Reizei Character Analysis

Reizei is Genji and Fujitsubo's son, though he's conceived through secret rape and therefore grows up believing that the Emperor is his father. Though the novel never notes that Reizei is told outright that Genji is his biological father, the way that Reizei talks and writes suggests that he is eventually made aware of this fact. Reizei is, like Genji, a beautiful baby and child, and he's skilled like his father in music and language. This is a major source of anxiety for Fujitsubo, as she fears that the resemblance will out the secret of Reizei's paternity. The Emperor is so taken with Reizei, he names him crown prince when he's still an infant and never appears to suspect that Reizei isn't his child. When Suzaku takes the throne and the Emperor dies, the conflict between Fujitsubo and Genji comes to a head and Genji begins to ignore Reizei as a way to punish Fujitsubo. However, he soon abandons this route, and the two agree to make peace for their child’s sake. At age eleven, Reizei comes of age and becomes emperor. His grandfather, the Minister of the Left, acts as his regent. Reizei is a great art lover and so the two ladies competing for his hand, the Kokiden girl and Akikonomu, do whatever they can in order to have the most and the best art. Akikonomu has a special advantage, as she's a painter. She's also several years older than Reizei. When she wins the competition and presumably goes on to marry Reizei, the adults hope that her maturity will help her guide Reizei and solidify his position.