Heaven Dou City flourished to the utmost. Four rivers flowed through it, and roads stretched in every direction, making it the nation's hub for land and water transport. Its commerce ranked first in the country. With two million permanent residents and a transient population exceeding ten million, it was the nation's most populous city.
The city boasted many bustling markets lined with all manner of shops, and even night markets had sprung up. During festivals, Heaven Dou City grew livelier still. Its center consisted of an arched bridge and Bridgehead Avenue, where heads crowded together and people streamed past without end. Vendors stood along the bridge's western side, their stalls displaying sabers, swords, and sundries. Some sold tea, while others read faces and told fortunes. Many visitors leaned against the bridge railings, pointing things out or watching the boats passing along the river.
The walkway down the middle of the bridge carried a bustling stream of people: some rode in sedan chairs, others on horseback; some carried shoulder poles, drove donkeys laden with goods, or pushed wheelbarrows...
The southern end of the bridge connected to the main street. Teahouses, taverns, pawnshops, and workshops lined both sides. Vendors sheltered beneath large umbrellas in the open spaces along the street, which stretched east and west all the way to the quieter outskirts beyond the city.
Boats traveled up and down the river in great numbers—a thousand sails racing forward, a hundred vessels vying with the current. Some lay moored near the docks, while others sailed along the river. Some large boats carried such heavy loads that their owners hired many trackers to haul them forward. One cargo boat had already reached the underside of the bridge and was about to pass through its arch. Its boatmen suddenly became frantic. Some stood atop