Chapter 492: Longmen Yellow River Bridge
Chapter 487 of "The Great Ming in the Box" opens with: Li Daoxuan and Shi Kefa walked onto the Longmen Bridge ahead of others.Li Daoxuan had... Find out what happens!
Li Daoxuan and Shi Kefa walked onto the Longmen Bridge ahead of others.Li Daoxuan had merely compressed the ground on both sides of the bridge head with his palm, without constructing supporting roads, elevated structures, or steps, so walking up was a bit troublesome.
Shi Kefa held up the hem of his official garments with one hand, struggling to climb the slope. The corners of his robe got stained with mud and dust, making him look a bit disheveled, but deep inside, he felt a trace of excitement.
A bridge! Such a big bridge!
Going up to this bridge and taking a few steps would feel great, right?
Sure enough, when he climbed onto Longmen Bridge and stood on its surface looking down, the sensation was truly exhilarating. The turbulent Yellow River flowed several zhang beneath his feet; the people on the riverbank looked tiny; the river winds howled and made his official garments flutter.
Actually, not just himâeven modern people might feel fantastic when occasionally going up on a bridge. How could an ancient person resist such an experience?
âAh, this bridge! This bridge is truly amazing,â Shi Kefa said excitedly.
âFrom now on, what was an impassable chasm becomes a thoroughfare. Transportation between Shanxi and Shaanxi will become much smoother,â he declared.
He, a civil official, ran on the bridge surface, uncaring about his dignity. After circling, he returned to Li Daoxuan. Pointing at the railing with both hands, he asked, âYou arenât mortalâyouâre a deity?â
Li Daoxuan smiled.
âActually, Iâve always avoided official matters and kept my existence hidden from the government,â he replied.
Once these words were spoken, Shi Kefaâs expression turned serious. He understood Li Daoxuanâs implication.
Li Daoxuan continued.
âSo why would I reveal myself before an Imperial Guard like you? Logically, I should conceal more when facing Imperial Guards,â he stated.
Shi Kefa looked solemn and bowed formally.
âWhatâs the explanation?â he inquired.
Li Daoxuan pointed toward the thirty thousand elderly, weak, women, and children.
âItâs because these people need to cross the river,â he said.
Shi Kefa reacted.
Li Daoxuan elaborated.
âThey arenât strong adultsâthey are elderly and weak. They canât easily cross the Yellow River on a swaying floating bridge. Iâm sure they endured misery earlier when crossing from Shaanxi to Shanxi; who knows how many fell into the river and died. Now, theyâll face that suffering again.â
Shi Kefa suddenly understood.
âThe Deity, even by revealing himself, didnât wish to see these elderly and weak, women and children stumble and drown. How kind the Deity is!â he exclaimed.
Li Daoxuan responded.
âHeaven has mercy on humansâcan humans show some mercy to their fellow beings?â he probed.
Shi Kefa responded.
Li Daoxuan advised.
âTake good care of these elderly and weak, women and children; ensure they reach Chengcheng County safely. Then, with your own eyes, observe Chengcheng County. After that, decide if youâll submit that secret letter hidden in your sleeve,â he instructed.
Shi Kefa reacted.
Li Daoxuan paid him no more mind. He went under the bridge and got several sturdy cloth ropes from Shi Jian. He twisted them into one large rope.
He tied one end to a bridge pillar and fastened the other around his own waist.
The crowd was confused and eager to ask the Deity what he was doing. But mortals canât just question a deityâs actions.
They saw the Deity secure the rope, then climb over the railing and jump down toward the Yellow River.
This terrified everyone. Tens of thousands of eyes watched the Deity âfree-fallingâ and âplunging from height,â while he emitted a weird âOh wahahaâ cry in mid-air.
Just as the Deity was about to hit the water, the rope snapped taut, halting him. He bounced back, rose, and fell several times until hanging suspended two zhang over the surface. He laughed heartily.
âShi Jian, pull me up,â he commanded.
Shi Jian hurriedly led Militia Soldiers onto the bridge. They hauled on the rope and brought the Deity up.
âDeity, what exactly was thatâŚâ Shi Jian uttered.
Li Daoxuan chuckled.
âThatâs called bungee jumping! An extreme sport that those above enjoy. Besides being dangerous and likely fatal, it has no downsides,â he explained.
The crowd remained silent.
They didnât grasp bungee jumping, but the Deityâs jump looked thrilling. Since the Deity liked it, surely they should imitate him.
This was an example of âthose above act, those below follow.â
Shi Jian said nothing. He wrapped a rope around his waist and, after testing it, leaped down too, screaming âWah aaaahâ through the air.
Next, the brave Militia Soldiersâ no, the idle Militia Soldiersâtook turns playing.
While everyone was wildly bungee jumping, Shi Kefa started shepherding the thirty thousand elderly, weak, women, and children across the bridge.
The elderly struggled to walk and had earlier feared death on the floating bridge. Now, striding on this wide, cozy bridge, with pleasant river winds blowing, their spirits soared.
âAfter crossing, weâll be in Shaanxi again,â an old woman remarked.
âWeâre going home!â another cheered.
âBut weâre captivesâeven back in Shaanxi, we wonât be treated like normal folk,â one cautioned.
âAi, whatever! Just go step by step,â someone sighed.
âAt least returning home is good,â another said resignedly.
Just then, music blared from the bridge head. This plastic bridge had a music feature, but its default songs were nursery rhymes.
Li Daoxuan replaced it with an MP3.
âThe clouds of my homeland drift across the sky, constantly beckoning to me. When a breeze gently stirs nearby, a voice calls outâCome back, oh wanderer roaming afar; come back, oh, cease your driftingâŚâ a nostalgic song played.
The crowd gasped in astonishment.
âWhere is that music coming from?â one cried.
âItâs an overwhelming sound!â another noted.
âAn immortal must be singing!â someone speculated.
âIt pleads for us to turn back,â a voice suggested.
âI donât know why, but listening made me tear upâŚâ a person confessed.
âWuwuwuâŚâ sobs emerged.
âOur childâs dad escaped in Hequ Countyâno idea if he lives. I wish heâd come with us,â a woman lamented.
âHe abandoned you and your kids to run with Wang Jiayin. Forget him,â another advised coldly.
Shi Kefa heaved a deep sigh. He wanted to speak but couldnât find the words.
He guided the group to the west bridge end and glanced back. He saw the Deity standing at the east end, not following them, waving from afar.
Shi Kefa bowed deeply to the Deity. He touched the secret letter in his sleeve, thinking:
No need to rush sending this letterâIâll go to Chengcheng County and see the truth with my own eyes.