The winding Heaven-Reaching River made a great bend in Yi Province, curving from the province's west to its south before turning east again. Like a dragon sleeping with its head cocked to one side, it was a peculiar sight.
At that great bend in southern Yi Province stood a suspension bridge made of iron chains and wooden planks. Spanning both banks of the river, it was one of the most important overland routes between central and southern Yi Province.
To travel from central Yi Province to the south, you either took a ferry or crossed that bridge.
So the town south of the bridge was called "Qiaonan Town."
On the Great Xia Dynasty's official maps, of course, it had a different name. But the people of Yi Province hadn't cared a fig for the dynasty's opinion in years—decades, even. Who cared what the Imperial Court called the town?
The town stood south of the most important bridge under heaven—no arguments accepted. If it wasn't called Qiaonan Town, what else could it be called?
At any rate, everyone who knew the town called it Qiaonan Town.
Even officials called it Qiaonan Town most of the time. The name was simple, easy to understand, and tied neatly to the terrain. It was much easier to remember than something like "Heaven-Reaching Third Bridge South Station."
What kind of name was "Heaven-Reaching Third Bridge," anyway? Every bridge over the Heaven-Reaching River had a name. This iron-chain bridge was called "Heavenly Fortune."
They said Lord Wenchao had named it back in the day. The old gentleman truly had learning—even his names sounded good. It was leagues better than His Majesty Di Jiazi's "Heaven-Reaching Third Bridge"!
His Majesty Di Jiazi was a capable man. He just liked to run his mouth and point fingers at every