"Move faster."
"Giving me that look? Come on, beat him! You bastard, you think you can rebel against me?"
Outside Jingcheng's eastern gate, a scene unfolded that saddened all who saw it and brought tears to all who heard of it.
The soldiers of the Capital Battalion wore armor. Some held whips, some rested their hands on their sabers, while others groomed horses nearby.
Before these soldiers stood a group of sturdy men dressed in coarse linen clothes full of holes. They wielded tools, digging pits, pushing carts loaded with sand and gravel, leveling the ground, and repairing the road.
The soldiers watched these men to keep them from running away or gathering to cause trouble. Anyone who misbehaved received a whipping without warning. If anyone dared incite trouble and use their work tools to resist, they were in for a miserable time—perhaps beaten until their bones broke and tendons tore. If the matter grew serious, even a quick death would be beyond reach.
As for anyone thinking of escaping, the cavalrymen gathered behind them, laughing as they washed and groomed their horses, were not there merely to stand around. Who could possibly get away?
At night, the men were kept under temporary, crude sheds erected nearby, with low walls built around them. At least they could shelter from the wind and rain. In short, they were treated no differently from livestock.
Surrounding the laborers were common people pointing and commenting, passing merchants, and people of every rank, whether powerful or not, all watching the spectacle.
But Wang Yan believed only the common people were truly happy. He had no way of knowing what the others thought, but one thing was certain: after thinking it over, they would all secretly curse Wang Yan for being a bastard...
"Look at