Above the great river, waves surged and roared, the waters rolling endlessly in a terrifying spectacle.
Railings had been set up along both banks. The current was swift, its roar like thunder; get too close, and no one could hear a word anyone said.
Today, on both banks!
The people of Yuetang River had all come flooding over. Tens of thousands of them—seen from above, heads bobbed and clustered, packed as densely as a forest.
What a bustling sight!
At the river crossing, an enormous pontoon bridge was slowly being raised. Eighty or ninety zhang long, it was being hauled with all the strength of several thousand laborers. They gritted their teeth, sweat soaking through their clothes, their mouths calling out deep, resounding work chants.
"One—"
"Two—"
"Lift—"
Watching the pontoon bridge rise, the people cried out in amazement.
Some men were filled with regret. They had signed up too late; the pay for hauling the bridge today was simply too high. Ten taels of patterned silver for one day—an astronomical sum.
Excited children rode on the shoulders of adults, peering over the crowd ahead. Through the gaps between countless heads, they saw gilded and silver-inlaid modao blades gleaming with icy chill.
At the bridge entrance.
Three thousand armored guards holding blades stood on either side, leaving a path leading to the pontoon bridge.
A few fools who did not know the height of heaven or depth of earth had tried to squeeze into the side passage to "show off their might." But the moment they stepped in, the guards seized them with their gleaming broadswords. Terror covered their faces as they were shoved into prison carts on either side.
Some people clapped and cheered instead!
The passing commoners all speculated about today's extraordinary spectacle.
What exactly was going on!