With the Redface Pox running rampant and no male heir to the shogunate, despite Iemitsu and Arikoto's best efforts, it is becoming obvious that Japan must break from its centuries-old traditions if the country is to have a future.
Shogun Tsunayoshi must name an heir to take her place, but her senile father prefers a young, inexperienced lord to be appointed instead of the most likely candidate.
After Gyokuei rises to become an advisor to shogun Tsunayoshi, the intrigues of the Inner Chamber and the shogun herself, push Gyokuei to the breaking point.
Female shogun Iemitsu and her lover, Arikoto, try to conceive a male child in a land where much of the male population has died. After some time with no success, they decide they must betray their love for their country's sake.
Hoping to discover why female lords must take on male names, Yoshimune digs through the archives of the last eighty years and finds the rise of the Redface Pox, as well as the death of the last male shogun.
Harutaro has recovered his health and, along with his friend Shota, is considering becoming a professional manga artist, but the revelation of a family secret puts his plans for the future in doubt.
When he lands a part in the school play, Haru's classmates realize he is a very bad actor and seek the help of Majima, who charges a high price for his services.
When a strange disease called the Red Pox preys on the men of Edo-period Japan, the male population falls drastically, causing women to take on traditional male roles, including that of Shogun, to whom the most beautiful men are sent to serve.
