Kyou's Secret is the 163rd chapter of the Kingdom manga, written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara.
Summary
Ou Ki and Hou Ken are in a standoff as they remember their last duel they had. Meanwhile in Qin's Royal Palace, Shou Bun Kun tells Sei the life story of Kyou and his history with her and Ou Ki. Years ago, a young Shou Bun Kun and his army meet up with Ou Ki and his army. The former then sees a young woman on a horse as then on of his soldiers say that is Kyou. He asks him if he heard the rumors of a female combatant that refuses to lose to any man. They thought that she has the be a beast of the women as they then see that she is pretty normal. As she is cute, the men are having ideas as then one soldier reminds them that one tried to flirt with her as he then died a terrible death caused by Ou Ki.
Kyou parents were servants in Ou Ki household. It seems like she grew up watching Ou Ki which is how she became such an accomplished warrior. However, some believe war should be fought by men and not by women as war is not a game. Suddenly they see the heads of the enemy general and vice general. Ou Ki says that she has done well. Shou Bun Kun then fights along Kyou as then she tells him to smash the right wing as he then tells Ei Sei, she was truly a prodigy of war. Two years later, the outbreak of the battle in Nanan in which Qin sacrificed many soldiers. Shou Bun Kun is being called by Ou Ki. telling each other it is one loss after another. Although neither Shou Bun Kun nor Ou Ki have lost as of yet.
The latter then tells that general Ki Riku has fallen. He then tells Shou Bun Kun that he is now Commander-in-Chief. He asks Shou Bun Kun to take his unit and accompany Kyou unit. He tells once he takes the mantle of chief, he won't be able to move around as easily as before. Ou Ki asks him to protect Kyou. He says that Kyou told him that the reason she can act so reckless is because you were there to follow up.
Then he tells there is another important matter to discuss. King Sho enjoys war so much that he often sets out to visit the front lines. This isn't anything new and has been going on for a while. When out men set out to wage war in the fields, there exists another fierce struggle hidden on the inside. He tells of the Royal Harem. A castle which houses the thousands of palace girls dedicated to serving our king. Inside the harem, there exist a constant power struggle over the issue of inheritance.
Especially due to out king's constant absence from the royal capital. The harem which is forbidden to all men apart from the king, has devolved completely into a hideous and lawless territory. Shou Bun Kun asks why he is talking about the harem. He tells that in the harem, powerless girls who have caught the Favour of the king are mercilessly slaughtered and their babies with them. One day, a beautiful palace girl who was favored by the king gave birth to a child. As she held the baby she birthed in her arms, she shed tears. Although these tears where not of joy, but of grief. As the daughter of a lowly soldier family, this woman had not a single supporter in the royal harem. She realized she couldn't protect that child.
She used a peddler to smuggle her baby to safety outside. That child was named Kyou. She ended up in Ou Ki household as apparently her mother happened to be the daughter of one of Ou Ki's father war buddies. Shou Bun Kun then realizes that she must be king Sho child. Kyou however doesn't know this either.
Characters
Qin
- Royal Palace
- King Shou (mentioned)
- Ei Sei Faction
- Royal Harem
- Unidentified concubines (corpses/flashback)
- Unidentified children (corpses/flashback)
- Kyou’s mother (flashback)
- Shou Bun Kun Unit
- Shou Bun Kun (flashback/story)
- Unidentified soldiers (flashback)
- Ki Riku Army
- Ki Riku (mentioned)
- Ou Family
- Ou Ki’s father (mentioned)
- Kyou’s adopted mother (flashback)
Zhao
- Hou Ken Army
- Hou Ken
- Unidentified soldiers
- Unidentified Army
- Unnamed general (flashback)
- Unnamed members (flashback)
Unidentified state
- Unidentified Army
- Chou Rai (flashback/death)
- Koku You (flashback/death)
High Points
- Kyou's history is shown.
- Kyou is one of Ou Ki retainers.
- Kyou's fosters parents were servants in Ou Ki household.
- Ou Ki talks about the Royal Harem.
- There is a power struggle in the Harem.
- Girls are being slaughtered in the harem along with their babies who have caught the king Favour.
- Kyou's father is revealed to be King Shou.
Trivia
- Koku You and Chou Rai are introduced. The chapter didn't make clear, which one of them is a general and which is vice general.
- General Ki Riku is mentioned for the first time.
- The Flashback shows, that in the past, most of Ou Ki's soldiers wore a distinguished armor, helmets and used a variety of weapons.
- While unconfirmed, a soldier with a distinguished mask and helmet is seen in the background. This soldier has been theorized of being Ou Sen by fans and readers.
- There is an editing glitch in page 11 (page 15 of the published manga) : Ou Ki and Shou Bun Kun are inverted in panel 1 : Ou Ki is to Shou Bun Kun's left, we can identify them thanks to Ou Ki's cape and to Shou Bun Kun's sword. Then in panel 4, 7 and for the rest of the scene in the next pages Ou Ki is to Shou Bun Kun's right.