Castle of Black Iron

The atmosphere in the old mansion refreshed after last night…

What happened in the old mansion last night shocked Zhang disciples very much. On one hand, some disciples were promoted to manage the clan fund of hundreds of millions of gold coins, causing the others very jealous. On the other hand, Zhang Fan Zhang Tie’s 9th uncle and his three cousins were “banished” to Liaozhou Province before the funeral ceremony of the old man came to an end. They might not come back in dozens of years. The sharp difference between the two treatments immediately awakened all the Zhang disciples and relatives and reminded them that Zhang Clan had been different than before.

Additionally, “follow the starkest rules” had been born in mind by all the Zhang disciples overnight.

Someone had already exemplified the consequence of violating clan rules.

After knowing the reason that Zhang Fan and the others were banished to Liaozhou Province, many Zhang disciples felt shameless about them as they clapped their hands and spoke highly of Zhang Tie’s punishment. Very few of them felt sympathetic about them. Even idiots understood why the old mansion could receive so many monetary gifts. Before the old man’s funeral ceremony came to an end, someone had already wanted to instigate the others to share the money. Being so unscrupulous and shameless, these people must have been blinded by profit.

…

“Zhang Fan’s wife and the mothers of Zhang Zhukang, Zhang Zhufang and Zhang Lide were crying as they wanted to see you last night. However, my father had people take them away from the old mansion and monitor them. They’re not allowed to come back until the old man’s funeral ceremony comes to an end. Zhang Zhukang and Zhang Zhufang are sons of the 4th uncle of the 2nd wife of the old man; Zhang Lide is the son of the 5th aunt of the 3rd wife of the old man. 5th aunt married a man surnamed Zhang in Huaiyuan Palace in Goldensea City; therefore, she’s close to the side of the old mansion…” Zhang Su told Zhang Tie when they had porridge and pickles in the early morning. Zhang Tie nodded slightly.

Compared to Zhang Tie, Zhang Su drank porridge like drinking water. After finishing drinking it, he put down the chopsticks and started to talk about domestic affairs to Zhang Tie.

These two days, the family members ate simply due to the death of the old man according to the rule adopted by major clans in Taixia Country. Zhang family were not forbidden to eat meat in 49 days. It was called “filial food”. There were two explanations for “filial food”. First, after a senior passed away, it would be impolite for juniors to eat meat in near days. Second, “filial food” meant no kill. During the 49 days after the death of the senior, the juniors would save many fowls, poultry, fish and shrimps so that the late senior could ascend to heaven as soon as possible.

“Zhang Fan, Zhang Zhukang, Zhang Zhufang and Zhang Lide have been on the way. They’re not allowed to get off the airship until they arrive at Liaozhou Province. As for those who cried for them, they’ve been warned——if they continued to cry, they would also be banished to Liaozhou Province so as to reunite with their family members. Therefore, they all calm down. The 2nd wife and the 3rd wife of the old man remained silent. It would be ridiculous if the domestic rules could be amended casually because of someone’s cries. Fortunately, we got a chance to correct this evil wind at home this time.

After drinking it, Zhang Tie put down his bowl and chopsticks as he cleaned his mouth by a piece of napkin, saying, ” I made a rule for family members as an evil person. Elder cousin, you should be responsible for the side of this old mansion from now on. In the future, nobody would dare not follow your orders. Previously, it was a bit lenient at home and a lot of jokes have been made. Later on, you should deal with them right away if anyone dare violates domestic rules…”

“I see!” Zhang Su took in a deep breath as he nodded.

…

Like yesterday, the moment the day broke, the first guest had arrived. It was the head and two elders of Sun Clan of Guide Prefecture, Youzhou Province. As Sun Clan had no airboat, after getting orbituary, Sun representatives spent one day to arrive at GoldenLight City by airship. In order to express their sincerity, they had been waiting outside the old mansion in the early morning. The moment the sun rose, they had offered their condolence to the late old man.

Sun Clan 1 million gold coins.

After Sun representatives finished their condolence, Zhang Tie met them and had a short chat with them. After that, Sun Clan people left there satisfactorily.

After Sun Clan came people from all walks of life. Therefore, the drum outside the gate of the old mansion kept sounding.

When it was close to noon, the drum sounded once again while a distant and euphonious voice drifted into the backyard of the old mansion.

It sounded more like a roar.

“Yan Feiqing the head of Fantasy Women Palace, CloudyDream Mountain, Wuzhou Province and Guo Hongyi, the head of Guo Clan, ThreeSpring Prefecture, Youzhou Province are coming…”

After hearing this voice, all the people in the old mansion were shocked, including Zhang Tie who was in the mourning hall. After being stunned for a second, Zhang Tie paced up towards the ante-court.

Soon, Zhang Tie saw Yan Feiqing and Guo Hongyi.

In white longuette and simple make-up, the two people looked like brilliant twins; instead of master and apprentice. The moment they entered the old mansion, they had won the attention of many people, including Zhang servants, relatives and guests.

Yan Feiqing looked calm while Guo Hongyi looked a bit embarrassed. Watching Zhang Tie coming over here, Yan Feiqing revealed a smile. After throwing a glance at Zhang Tie, Guo Hongyi lowered her head as her ear roots and neck turned faintly rosy.

Watching the two people, Zhang Tie finally let out a sigh of relief. Although he wondered how they communicated with each other this period, he realized that the two people would really call each other sisters in front of him later on.

“Feiqing, Hongyi.” Zhang Tie opened his mouth.

“Hmm!” Yan Feiqing answered.

“Go light some incenses for my grandpa!” Zhang Tie said as he led them towards the mourning hall.

After Yan Feiqing and Guo Hongyi entered the mourning hall, Zhang juniors and the wives of the old man instantly fixated onto them. Yan Feiqing remained calm as usual while Guo Hongyi’s face turned redder.

“Wait a moment!” Zhang Tie told Yan Feiqing and Guo Hongyi. After that, he told a butler in the mourning hall, “Go fetch two linen belts…”

After hearing Zhang Tie’s order, that butler was shocked for a second. Closely after that, he understood Zhang Tie’s meaning as he rushed into the rear court at the fastest speed and brought Zhang Tie two white linen belts in a split second.

Under the gaze of everyone else, Zhang Tie gave a linen belt to Yan Feiqing and Guo Hongyi respectively, “Fasten it…”

To wear a linen belt in this case meant that they were the late old man’s granddaughters-in-law. All the women with linen belts were the wives of Zhang Tie’s cousins.

The two linen belts were more persuasive than any swears.

Yan Feiqing took the linen belt and fastened it. Guo Hongyi also imitated Yan Feiqing as she took Zhang Tie’s linen belt and fastened it.

After they fastened the linen belts to their own waists, Zhang family members in the mourning hall instantly looked at them with different eye light. Zhang Tie also let out a sigh of relief outright. After something became a fact, it would not haunt people anymore.

From then on, Guo Hongyi had become Zhang Tie’s woman officially. As for whether the fact that he married Yan Feiqing and Guo Hongyi would incur him some dissolute gossips and the reproaches of some traditionalists or not, it was out of Zhang Tie’s concern.

Yan Feiqing and Guo Hongyi then knelt down, kowtowed and served incenses in the mourning hall according to the rules of granddaughters-in-law…

After their sacrifice, Zhang Tie introduced Yan Feiqing and Guo Hongyi to the wives of the old man. After that, he led the two women to the rear court to meet his parents, mainly Guo Hongyi.

…

In the following days, more and more guests with increasingly higher social status arrived to offer their condolences to Zhang Haitian, including representatives of Gold and Power Law and Lord Guangnan’s Mansion, elders of Heavenly Fortune Sect, Cheng Honglie the commander of Northeast Military Region. Even Lord Xuanwu, Lord Jingtian, Lord Dingxi and Lord Yian had assigned representatives here with great monetary gifts.

Watching so many dignitaries converging Golden Light City for the sake of the death of the old man, even the servants in the old man had been downright spirited these days, not to mention Zhang Tie’s uncles and cousins.

On the 5th day, the crown prince assigned representatives to offer his condolence with a great monetary gift. Additionally, His Majesty granted the late old man with the title of posthumous count.

According to the rule in the black iron age, only those who killed demons could be granted with the title of nobility. However, imperial dignitaries in Taixia Country were entitled to grant late people with posthumous titles, which couldn’t be inherited and were exclusive to the late ones.

Because of Zhang Tie, Zhang Tie’s dad was granted with the title “lord” while Zhang Tie’s grandpa was granted with the title of posthumous count. Therefore, everyone across Taixia Country knew how much the crown prince valued Zhang Tie.