The head of the United States Department of State, responsible for foreign affairs; equivalent to a foreign minister in other countries.

to whisper sweet nothings to one another; to be very much in love and display great affection

A famous calligrapher and high-ranking official of the Tang Dynasty known for his upright character and bold, vigorous calligraphic style; his work is often mentioned alongside that of [[柳公权|柳公權|liu3 gong1 quan2]] as the [[颜柳|顏柳|yan2 liu3]] style.

Guan Hanqing (c. 1235-c. 1300), a renowned Yuan dynasty dramatist often called the "Saint of Drama"; he is considered the lead of the Four Great Yuan Dramatists [[元曲四大家|元曲四大家|yuan2 qu3 si4 da4 jia1]] and is famous for works such as [[窦娥冤|竇娥冤|dou4 e2 yuan1]].

a person from one feudal state serving as a high official in another; (by extension) an outsider serving as an official or a guest worker in an organization

(literary) high officials in ancient China; later used more generally to refer to the nobility or the ruling class; a combination of two ancient ranks, [[卿|卿|qing1]] and [[大夫|大夫|da4 fu1]]

A high-ranking minister or government official in ancient China.

A low-ranking official from the Eastern Han dynasty who is a central character in the famous narrative poem [[孔雀東南飛|孔雀東南飛|kong3 que4 dong1 nan2 fei1]]; he committed suicide after his wife, [[刘兰芝|劉蘭芝|liu2 lan2 zhi1]], was forced into a second marriage by their family.

Liu Changqing (c. 709–786), a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty known for his five-character poetry; he styled himself the "Great Wall of five-character verse" and served as a government official before being twice exiled.

Xun Kuang, a famous Confucian philosopher and rhapsody writer from the Warring States period

(historical) The highest-ranking officials in the imperial government, consisting of the Three Ducal Ministers [[三公|三公|san1 gong1]] and the Nine Ministers [[九卿|九卿|jiu3 qing1]]

Yan Gaoqing (692–756), a loyal official of the Tang Dynasty known for his integrity and his resistance against the An Lushan Rebellion; after being captured, he famously continued to curse the rebels until his execution.

(historical) honorific name for the philosopher Xunzi, a prominent Confucian thinker of the late Warring States period

(idiom) what has this to do with you; used to reproach someone for meddling in things that do not concern them. This phrase comes from a story in the [[南唐书|南唐書|nan2 tang2 shu1]] where a king teases a poet by asking why the wind blowing on the water is any of his business.

What has this to do with you; used to rebuke someone for meddling or being nosy.

Xu Zhenqing (1479-1511), a noted Ming dynasty writer and poet from Suzhou; one of the Four Great Talents of Wu alongside [[祝允明|祝允明|zhu4 yun3 ming2]], [[唐寅|唐寅|tang2 yin2]], and [[文征明|文徵明|wen2 zheng1 ming2]]

Courtesy name of the Han Dynasty general Ren An

(historical) High official in the central government during ancient dynasties.

(historical) The nine high-ranking ministers or top officials in the central government of imperial China; specifically refers to the nine ministerial roles established in the [[周|周|zhou1]] dynasty and later used as a general term for high executive positions across various dynasties.

(literary) minister of the imperial stud, an official originally in charge of horse breeding

Deputy Secretary of State or Undersecretary of State, specifically within the United States Department of State

(literary) auspicious or propitious clouds, historically seen as an omen of prosperity and good fortune

(literary) an affectionate term of address used between spouses or very close friends in ancient China; my dear

Under Secretary of State; a high-ranking official in the United States Department of State or similar governmental foreign affairs department

(historical) Chief Justice or President of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review, the highest legal authority in imperial China

High official in imperial China originally in charge of horse breeding and stable management for the emperor

Commoners who rise to high government positions by virtue of their own talent or merit, rather than through aristocratic birth.

If one is too calculating, it will lead to one's own undoing. This is a famous line from the novel [[红楼梦|紅樓夢|hong2 lou2 meng4]].

(archaic) a term of endearment used by an emperor for a close or favored official

the high-ranking nobility; aristocracy; high officials in feudal society

Cochin (city and port in south India)

(literary) lover; sweetheart; a term of endearment used for a person one loves