Huaiyuan Hall

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Huaiyuan Hall
Alias(es)	Huaiyuan Hall Zhang Family; Zhang Clan of Huaiyuan Hall; Sun River Zhang Clan
Founder	Zhang Huaiyuan, the first Earl Changfeng and ancestor of the clan 267
Affiliation	Originally one of the six great families of the Jin-Yun Kingdom; later re-established in Great Xia 271 823
Occupation/Role	Hua Clan great family; ruling house and military, industrial, and commercial power
Status	Active; led by Family Head Lan Yunxi in its later recorded period 1997
First Appearance	Chapter 267

Background / History

Huaiyuan Hall originated as a branch of the Zhang surname from Great Xia. Its founder, Zhang Huaiyuan, established the family’s foundations on the Weiyi Subcontinent after leaving Great Xia; the hall retained its Great Xia ties while becoming one of Jin-Yun Kingdom’s six great families. Its family head inherited the noble title of Earl Changfeng and was traditionally selected by the Council of Elders. 271 551

Duke Huaiyuan had eight wives and more than forty children. The descendants of those eight lines developed into the family’s eight principal branches, each centered on a city in Huaiyuan Prefecture. 273

Huaiyuan Hall operated a strict internal order. Its rules were credited with sustaining the clan’s rise, and its core principle was that “orders must be carried out without fail.” Even descendants of Earl Changfeng could be stripped of status and imprisoned for violating family rules. 386

During the Holy War, Huaiyuan Hall launched a surprise assault on Tianhan City against the Zhen Clan, whose links to the Devil Race’s Three-Eye Society made them a target. The Hall deployed war airships and 4,000 troops, including Hidden Dragon Hall students, to break into the Zhen Clan’s inner city. 374 379

The Hall had prepared for generations to return to Great Xia. It relocated most of Huaiyuan Prefecture’s Hua Clan population to You Province, where it had long held nearly one million square kilometers of land. Its eight branches built eight cities there, forming Sun River Prefecture and establishing the clan’s recognized ancestral prefecture in Great Xia. 727 823

Huaiyuan Hall later won the contest for the governorship of You Province, with Zhang Taixuan becoming provincial governor. This elevated the Hall into You Province’s foremost clan and gave it a formal foothold in Great Xia’s official structure. 862 1036

After Zhang Taixuan’s death, Huaiyuan Hall lost the governorship when Lu Dingzhi was appointed to replace him. Lan Yunxi subsequently became the Hall’s first female family head. 1535

Territories

Territory / City	Role	Notes
Huaiyuan Prefecture	Original overseas domain in Jin-Yun Kingdom	Huaiyuan Hall commanded eight cities and held ancestral lands extending over a thousand li. 271
Yiyang City	Original political, economic, and cultural center	Prefectural capital of Huaiyuan Prefecture and the center of the eldest branch. 273
Jinhai City	Original industrial and manufacturing base	One of the Hall’s last three coastal strongholds before its withdrawal from the Weiyi Subcontinent. 771
Star-Gazing City	Original northern gateway and military garrison	Garrison of the Hurricane Legion; one of the Hall’s last three coastal strongholds. 771
Tigerhold City	Great Xia headquarters in Sun River Prefecture	Built behind Tigerhold Harbor on land acquired in southeastern You Province. 823
Tiger-Embracing Mountain	Ancestral-shrine site in Great Xia	Site of the Hall’s ancestral shrine and major elders’ meetings. 1218
Golden Light City	Great Xia city of the former Jinhai City branch	Headquarters of the branch from which Zhang Tie’s family originated. 824 1227
Liyuan City	Great Xia city of the former Star-Gazing City branch	Located on Sun River Prefecture’s western edge. 829

Governance & Institutions

• Family Head and Earl Changfeng — The family head is chosen by the Council of Elders. Duke Huaiyuan’s ancestral precept holds that the positions of clan head and Earl Changfeng belong to the worthy rather than exclusively to the eldest branch. 271 1204
• Council of Elders — Family knights automatically hold elder status; elders participate in Huaiyuan Hall’s confidential decisions and long-term strategy. 727
• Eight Branches — The clan’s eight bloodline branches originated from Duke Huaiyuan’s eight wives and historically centered on Yiyang, Xince, Star-Gazing, Qihai, Wave-Subduing, Cloud Prefecture, Jinhai, and Tai’an Cities. 273
• Clan Affairs Pavilion — Handles family affairs, including marriage arrangements and management of clan descendants. 267 274
• Hidden Dragon Hall — Training institution for descendants who awaken ancestral bloodlines. Entry is compulsory for family-raised descendants with such awakenings, while Zhang Tie was granted a choice due to his circumstances. 274
• Criminal Law Pavilion — Oversees internal law enforcement through city Chief Justices, who can punish officials below city-lord rank and Zhang Clan descendants. 731

Military & Economic Assets

Hurricane Legion

• Huaiyuan Hall’s principal force left behind on the Weiyi Subcontinent during the Great Xia migration.
• An elder remained as its commander to protect the Hall’s interests in Huaiyuan Prefecture until the Devil Race army’s arrival. 727
• Star-Gazing City served as the legion’s garrison before the Hall’s full withdrawal. 771

Airship Manufacturing

• Huaiyuan Hall manufactured the Furywind-class Rigid War Airship in Yiyang City.
• Furywind airships served both military and civilian roles; production orders had reportedly been booked five years ahead, prompting plans for an additional production base in Jinhai City. 460
• The Hall considered airship production strategically indispensable during the Holy War, even if maintaining the industry required losses. 1206

Rune Equipment

• Rune weapons and equipment were among Huaiyuan Hall’s most valuable products and were consistently in demand. 865
• Production was limited by the small number of Rune Refiners, whose manual work was essential to the key manufacturing stages. 865
• Huaiyuan Hall’s heavy chain plate armor was regarded as exceptionally refined non-rune equipment, combining defense with flexibility. 378

Hidden Dragon Hall Training System

• The Hall required young descendants to undertake training and internships after graduation, combining family service with practical skill development. 273 274
• Hidden Dragon Hall maintained wealth, combat power, family contribution, and craftsmanship rankings for its students. 303
• Students paid for living costs and could earn family contribution points by completing missions. 293

Major Arcs

Tianhan City Operation

Huaiyuan Hall acted decisively against the Zhen Clan after learning of its connections to the Devil Race’s Three-Eye Society. Its airships eliminated Tianhan City’s anti-aircraft defenses, while airborne troops rapidly breached the Zhen Clan’s inner-city walls. 370 374

Return to Great Xia

The Hall’s century-long plan culminated in a large-scale relocation from Huaiyuan Prefecture to You Province. It sold several former cities, retained Yiyang, Jinhai, and Star-Gazing Cities as final coastal supports, and concentrated its long-term development in Sun River Prefecture. 727 771 823

Contest for You Province

Winning the governorship was central to Huaiyuan Hall’s effort to become a fully established Great Xia power. Success would allow the clan to enter You Province City, gain official standing, and extend its influence throughout the province. 830

Zhang Tie’s Rise

Zhang Tie became a family elder after advancing to Knight, later returned as an Earth Knight, and was formally recognized through a second Wheel-Turning Ceremony intended to clear his name. He subsequently became Huaiyuan Hall’s Supreme Elder. 727 1203 1205 1227

Split from Golden Crow Hall

Huaiyuan Hall and Golden Crow Hall eventually became separate halls. Despite limited public contact, their lower-ranking members retained extensive personal and business ties, while Golden Crow Hall continued to support Huaiyuan Hall privately. 1997

Relationships

• Zhang Huaiyuan — Founder and ancestral figure; his bloodline, precepts, achievements, and old grudges continued to shape the Hall’s identity and politics. 267 868 869
• Zhang Taixuan — Family head and later Governor of You Province; led the Hall’s political rise in Great Xia before his sudden death. 862 1036 1535
• Lan Yunxi — Zhang Taixuan’s daughter and Huaiyuan Hall’s first female family head; later ruled with formidable authority from Tiger-Embracing Mountain. 1535 1997
• Zhang Tie — Direct descendant of the Jinhai/Golden Light City branch; family elder, later Supreme Elder, and one of the Hall’s greatest sources of prestige. 727 1227
• Golden Crow Hall — A separate but blood-related Zhang hall that continued to provide Huaiyuan Hall private support after their split. 1997
• Taiyi Mystical Sect — Longstanding ally whose connection to Huaiyuan Hall originated with Duke Huaiyuan’s friendship with a sect member. 1222