"Mostly the fathers. And mostly the head of the family," Seimei answers. "But women had more influence at court than was generally acknowledged. They stoked their husbands' ambitions, oversaw their sons' education, and did all sorts of subtle things to advance the men they favored or embarrass the ones they didn't. I owe much of my success to my first wife, her keen grasp of politics, and her network of friends in palace service."