Master Xiu-Yun Chen

Background
After Hisato Nayuki's tragic death at the hands of Saito Harizaki, the anime takes a 40 episode flashback detour to the tumultous life of Master Xiu-Yun Chen, a Chinese general during the final years of the Ming Dynasty, right before the conquest of Beijing, and the rise of the [https://www.history.com/topics/china/qing-dynasty#:~:text=The%20Qing%20Dynasty%20was%20the,ruled%20by%20the%20Han%20people. Qing Dynasty.]

Originally born in a Buddhist temple, Chen was forced to join the military, and abandon his pacifistic philosophy. He started playing chess as a pastime and to maintain his humanity, as he used to with the rest of the monks. Through hard work and his strong will to survive, he worked his way up to the rank of Chinese general.

His time as a military official strengthened his strategy and critical thinking skills, as he fought desperately to end the conflict with as few lives lost as possible. He studied Sun Tzu's Art of War and was inspired by his teaching, and revered Confucius' wisdom. He wrote down all his own ideas on military strategies expressed through the medium of chess, with his thinking influenced by the ideals of Tzu, Confucius, and his Buddhist upbringing. He hated the conflict between the Manchu and the Chinese, and sought to bring an end to it as quickly as possible, with as few casualties as possible. He disliked the idea that the emperor should be regarded as an absolute ruler, believing that the only way to progress would be through cooperation and teamwork.

Thinking that the best way to end the conflict and to stop the uprising in Beijing would be through civil dialogue, Chen went to speak with the leader of the rebel army. But it was too late, and Chen's pleas fell on deaf ears. The rebellion would turn out to be a success and in a cruel twist, Chen was found guilty of treason, and as a rebel sympathizer by the same people he sought to make peace with. He was put to death by decapation. Awaiting his execution, he wrote down his final words in the form of a Haiku:

A single pawn lies

in waiting, for the king's cruel

Hands to make a move