In July 1171, Kiyomori succeeds in marrying off his daughter, Tokuko, to Emperor Takakura, thanks to the hospitality he offered to the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa and Shigeko (Empress Dowager Kenshun). The Taira family enjoys the pinnacle of their prosperity. On the other hand, Tokitada, who serves as a chief prosecutor, sends spies throughout the town to monitor against people who would speak ill of the Taira family. Around the same time, Oniwaka, a Buddhist warrior monk, meets a boy in Kyoto who had deep involvement with Oniwaka in the past.
