The bridge must be destroyed before the hour of Shen, but more than a hundred people are still on it.
The moment Cheng Ye opens his eyes, he has gone from being a bridge engineer to a squad leader in the border army of Great Yong. He delays raising the flag to destroy the bridge by half an hour, saving the people, but earns himself a military report: "Abandoned post in the face of the enemy. Awaiting trial."
That night, an order to retreat arrives in Lin Du City. Its final eight characters read: "All other soldiers and civilians, fend for yourselves."
The army has withdrawn, and the grain has been taken away. More than two thousand people remain in the city, with food supplies that won't last until the Winter Solstice.
The garrison commander asks him, "If I leave and you stay, then the charge of abandoning your post will be true."
Cheng Ye says, "Then let it be true."
A map that draws itself has appeared in his mind, and he has gained a set of spear techniques passed down from who knows where.
The imperial court doesn't want this city. He does.
