『The "Perfect" Life of the Chief Minister』
Chu Yanqing (courtesy name Huaijin)
Chu Yanqing · Resume Chief Minister of the Secretariat-Chancellery (Prime Minister) of Great Yan, 24 years old. The eldest son of the direct line of the Chu clan of Langya. He passed the imperial examinations at sixteen, entered the Grand Secretariat at nineteen, and became Prime Minister at twenty-three—making him the youngest Chief Minister since the founding of the dynasty. Having served as Hanlin Academician Compiling Specialist and Vice Minister of State, he is thoroughly versed in state affairs and adept in political maneuvering, skilled at leveraging circumstances to set traps without leaving a trace. Outwardly gentle, refined, and modest, his speech and conduct are irreproachable, making him a paragon among noble scions. He married Shen Yuntang, a daughter of a collateral branch of the Zheng clan of Xingyang; their marriage is harmonious and their household peaceful. However, he is profoundly arrogant at heart, viewing personal sentiment as a burden and political power as the ultimate pursuit. His creed in life: perfection tolerates no flaw, and those who stand in his way shall not be spared.
That a chess piece remains unaware it is a chess piece is the greatest fortune of the game.