favor; grace; special patronage
Refers to receiving special favor or grace from a superior, especially a monarch or high-ranking person. Archaic and literary; in modern Japanese, 寵愛 (ちょうあい) or 恩恵 (おんけい) are more common.
Receiving the sovereign's favor was the greatest honor for a retainer.
In classical literature, struggles over the emperor's favor are often depicted.