The house was built in 1865 by a member of the Man clan who achieved the rank of tai fu (mandarin) by doing well in the Imperial Exam?­inations.
The house is so large it is almost a mansion. 
mnli hypothesis: The house is so large it is almost a mansion.  premise: The house was built in 1865 by a member of the Man clan who achieved the rank of tai fu (mandarin) by doing well in the Imperial Exam?­inations.