Soldiers stood all around, scattered like stars across the sky.
The wind lifted black cloaks. Yellow dust on the official road spiraled low in the wind. The Emperor's Guards stood in formation, Red Mountain pawed the ground, and Liang Qu gazed levelly at the ranks, clearly seeing the muscles ripple beneath the warhorses' hides, the wisps of white vapor from their nostrils, and the rise and fall of the armor plates worn by the soldiers.
An invisible pressure towered like mountains, rising from the earth and crashing down. The common people fell silent.
Eunuch Li waved his fly-whisk and proceeded slowly at the front. Meng Qiang, commander of the Heavenly Feather Army, accompanied him in the middle, while Heavenly Feather soldiers held the great banner bearing the character "Shun" level and followed respectfully behind.
"Wang Chao, Chai Shen."
"Present!"
Blood Dragon Horses leaped forth. The two riders' iron armor clanged, cold silver light flowing across their plates.
"Bear the banners."
"Yes!"
The commander of the Imperial Guard presented the yellow Da Shun banners. The Heavenly Feather Guards bent to receive them with both hands, one hand gripping the great pole and the other wrapping the banner around it, binding it upright before shouldering it at a slant and looking east.
"Li Bingzhong, Zhang Shaofan."
"Present."
"Bear the banners."
"Yes!"
"Shi Yao, Miao Kun."
"Present!"
"Bear the banners."
"Yes!"
At the Noon Gate of the Imperial City, the common people craned their necks.
Thirty-eight Heavenly Feather Guards, thirty-eight Da Shun Dragon Blood Horses, thirty-eight Da Shun banners—uniform and orderly—stepped out from the ranks. In two columns and nineteen rows, they took the central official road.
Their seams aligned with a clang; their straight ceremonial robes were squared.
Eunuch Li turned around, hurried to Liang Qu's horse, and bowed. "Reporting to the