Meanwhile, Kashiwagi, who has married Ochiba no miya, Onna Sannomiya's older sister, unsatisfied with his marriage, takes the opportunity to commit adultery with Onna Sannomiya with the help of Kojiju, menotogo (the son of a menoto, a woman providing breast-feed to a highborn baby) while Genji is busy staying by Murasaki no ue's side to take care of her.
一方、柏木は女三宮の姉落葉の宮と結婚するが満足できず、源氏が紫の上につきっきりで手薄になっていた隙をついて、乳母子の小侍従の手引きで女三宮と密通した。