Second son of a minor noble family notable for their magical lineage. Well-known scholar, poet, and eligible bachelor.

• 5'8''
• Long black hair, generally worn half down with a simple ornament
• Dark brown eyes
• Slender with a trim waist, not muscular, a scholar's build
• Very upright, proper posture
• Wears a lot of greens, blues, whites, in various shades
• Of delicate constitution; gets cold easily and often in furs
• Often carries a fan he painted himself
• Carries an umbrella at even the hint of rain; catches chill easily
• Generally looks elegant and a bit unapproachable
• Quite expressive in private but generally wears a polite mask

• Has the image of a proper gentleman, an exceptional scholar
• In actuality quite hot-blooded but has great restraint
• Extremely stubborn but strives to be gentle about his opinions in public settings
• Academic and well-read, gets excited about esoteric subjects
• Curious and quick witted, ambitious
• Quite competitive and likes to win
• Unhappy about the family's magic aptitude skipping him, but tries to make up for it with theorycrafting and academic study
• Shrewd and can be calculating, though he struggles sometimes with keeping his emotions in check
• Adept at networking and social relationships regardless of his personal feelings
• Has many acquaintances and contacts but not many friends
• Secretly a little bit of a daydreamer
• Has a childish, petulant side, but only shows it to those he's very close to, which currently amounts to his family and Tingsheng

• Baseline human, not particularly strong or fast
• Skilled in the four arts
• An accomplished poet
• Common magic to an average degree
• Herbology and basic medical knowledge
• Familiar with various poisons and cures

• Second son of a minor noble family
• His family is known to be talented magic users, but the talent this generation has manifested mainly in his older brother and, to an extent, his younger sister
• This dashed his youthful dreams of one day being State Magister
• Set about making up for his magical deficiencies by studying hard, first in magical craft and theory, and then in both general and esoteric subjects when that didn't make his casting any better
• Cultivated his talent in academics and poetry instead and became well-known in the capital for both as he matured
• His family didn't push him, content to have a talented first son to carry on the family's magical legacy, which he was both grateful for and a bit disappointed about
• Decided to take on the task of making contacts and networking instead, since he couldn't be useful magically and his brother was often occupied with his magical studies to the exclusion of all else; thus more likely to take on a ministerial position like his father
• His brother has been engaged to a girl from another noble family with a magical heritage since he was a teenager; they are of a higher rank than Minze's family but are thrilled to make an alliance with such a strong talent. The wedding is delayed until Minchi finishes his current apprenticeship
• Minze has thus far managed to dodge any arrangements on his own behalf, despite his popularity in social circles, demurring that he cannot get married until after his older brother; since this is a sound argument his parents have allowed it
• In recent years has become one of the front runners for the upcoming Imperial Exams, with aspirations for imperial service
• Has been careful to maintain his image as a gentleman scholar, upright and proper, reasonably charming while being appropriately distant to the other eligible prospects in his social circles
• Intends to make his name as a righteous official as his new goal

• Jiang Boxuan (姜博煊 ): Father; generally quite indulgent with him but has high standards
• Li Ningyao (李宁瑶): Mother; strict but fair. Less tolerance for his occasional shenanigans than his father but ultimately caring
• Li Ningwen (李宁纹): Aunt, mother's younger sister; an eccentric who has taken a liking to Minze and has been teaching him about various herbs and medicines since he was a child, including some taboo poison knowledge
• Jiang Minchi (姜敏驰 ): Older brother who is a first-rate magic user; Minze envies and looks up to him in equal measure. Currently away studying with a famous magister
• Jiang Lingfei (姜玲飞): Younger sister who specializes in weaving and protective magic; closer to her than his brother, sometimes they get involved in each other's business
• Luo Tingsheng (罗庭升): Personal guard and page; grew up together, very loyal and can be a bit overprotective. A serious and competent man with a dry and sneaky sense of humor
• Hao Guojun (郝国郡): ???