"The 24th year of the Yuanxi reign was a year of great bounty. The late rice yielded a bumper harvest, with a dou of rice costing three fen. On the ninth day of the ninth month, between the Shen and You hours, auspicious clouds were seen—a sign of great prosperity." — *Annals of Yan Province*.
In the inner city of Yongning, Yan Province, a horse-drawn carriage slowly stopped before an imposing mansion.
The carriage drew to a stop. A man in his thirties wearing crimson official robes stepped out. He narrowed his crescent-shaped eyes and gazed at the plaque above the entrance, which read "Zhao Mansion." His expression was grave.
"And where might you be from, my lord?" a gatekeeper asked as he came out.
"My surname is Liu. I've come from Ying Province," the official replied, handing over a visiting card.
"Please wait a moment, my lord."
The gatekeeper accepted the card and disappeared into the mansion.
