Huaiyang Village, the residence of Zhao Cheng, a Fifth Rank Grandee.
The twenty-five-zone mansion had now been built. Only a few finishing touches remained before it would be complete.
Village Head Zhang Yu ambled around the mansion, looking here and touching there, grinning from ear to ear with delight.
His aunt was busy tending to everything inside and out, never quite satisfied with the servants' work.
Just then, several villagers came hurrying over. They poked their heads in and called, "Zhang Yu! Zhang Yu!"
"Your Little Iron Man's been granted a peerage again! This time it's something big—the County Magistrate himself has come!"
"And they've got a big red box with them!"
"What a spectacle! Hurry to the open space in front of the ancestral hall!"
"What?" Zhang Yu gaped. He exchanged a look with his aunt, and the two of them hurried toward the open space in front of the ancestral hall.
Only when they arrived did they see just how grand the occasion was.
A Bronze Tripod stood in the middle of the open space, apparently just brought there.
Two ranks of armored soldiers from the County Court stood in formation before the ancestral hall. Between them was a red-draped table bearing a sizable Vermilion Lacquer Box, decorated with gold patterns. It looked like an exceptionally precious object, nothing like anything an ordinary family would own.
The County Magistrate and the County Commandant were standing in the open space, chatting with smiles on their faces. They showed no impatience at all about having to wait for Zhang Yu.
When they saw him, they even nodded in greeting.
Zhang Yu and his aunt were both somewhat overwhelmed by the honor.
Zhang Yu hurried forward, bowed, and apologized. "Sorry for keeping you waiting, my lords. I only just found out..."