mandarin's

The cleverest man in Whitehall, they say, the mandarin's mandarin, the silken glove on the iron fist is now in the top job, working to a brief he almost certainly drafted for himself.

Civil service: all change in Whitehall | Editorial 2012

He's a master of guerrilla tactics, from elaborate telephone impersonations to making faces his "Edith Sitwell face," or his "Chinese mandarin's face" when his nemeses aren't looking.

Five Best 2010

The princess made a brief, rasping attempt to breathe, but the veins in her neck were being pinched shut by the mandarin's arm, causing her head to run out of blood long before her lungs ran out of air.

The Veiled Dragon Denning, Troy 1996

The prince hazarded a glance at his wife, whose face remained as unreadable as the mandarin's.

The Veiled Dragon Denning, Troy 1996

The witch was confused by the mandarin's misunderstanding — until she recalled that Hsieh had seen her destroy Cypress on the Dragonmere.

The Veiled Dragon Denning, Troy 1996

She was in a fair-sized room furnished only with kneeling mats, several low tables, and bookshelves, surrounded by a dozen more of the mandarin's guards, all with long, square-tipped swords in their hands.

The Veiled Dragon Denning, Troy 1996

The mandarin's tone was severe and impatient, as though he had expected her to say something else.

The Veiled Dragon Denning, Troy 1996

The knot in Tang's stomach tightened even further, but he forced himself to slacken his face muscles and meet the mandarin's eyes.

The Veiled Dragon Denning, Troy 1996

Ruha frowned, confused by the mandarin's implication and uncertain what he wanted from her.

The Veiled Dragon Denning, Troy 1996

A look of chagrin flashed across the mandarin's face.

The Veiled Dragon Denning, Troy 1996