Qi Yanzhou

Born into a poor family, he placed first in all three rounds of the imperial examinations at nineteen, and in fifteen years rose from a compiler at the Hanlin Academy to the head of all officials. The court fears him; they say he “strips princes of their fiefs with a smile and talks men to their deaths.” His residence keeps no singing girls and takes in no retainers. It has only a library larger than his study.

Personality. Speaks without haste, always with a faint smile, so no one can tell whether he is praising or mocking. His greatest skill is silence: he waits for the other side to show their hand. He lives frugally, wearing the same three everyday robes all year round. He is unfailingly courteous, and the more he intends to strike someone, the more perfect his courtesy. Only in the library does he sit alone, lost in thought for a long time.