The Imperial Capital lay beneath a clear sky stretching ten thousand miles.
The area around Chaoyang Street had been renovated inside and out.
Two Great Confucians from the Works Department floated in the air, seated upon empty space. Foot-long beams of white light shone from their eyes as they chanted:
"Metal, stone, earth, and wood shall serve my will."
"Across heaven and earth, I roam without bounds."
Streams of bricks, stone, earth, and timber whirled around the two Great Confucians, rising in swathes from below before settling neatly back down to form an orderly pavement.
The commoners who had lived there-or rather, the poor-stood watching from the sidelines.
Simply put, their homes had been demolished!
But demolitions these days were nothing like those in later ages, when people received both new homes and money.
These days, they gave you a notice, and that was that. Why waste so much breath indulging you?
Of course, even so, the Works Department still built new homes for them.
With new homes to live in, they had far fewer complaints.
"This square is huge!"
"Yes! That platform in the middle must be where the two young masters will face off, right?"
"I can't wait! Look, there are seats over there too!"
"I heard those little benches were Young Master Lin Ke's suggestion! He said everyone should share in the fun!"
"The officials will sit up in the sky, while we can sit in those spots on the ground to watch."
"Just what you'd expect from Young Master Lin Ke!"
"Exactly! Our Young Master Lin Ke really is the best! He's always thinking of us lowly folk."
All around, the residents buzzed with discussion.
Adults and children, those of servile status and those on the noble registry, those in office and those outside it-everyone was