Liang Qu dressed neatly, ascended to the deck, and gazed toward the island.
A clearing near the water's edge on the small island had been tidied up, with long tables connected together. On the tabletops, bronze censers were placed, reflecting a heavy golden light in the setting sun.
Xiang Fangsu hoisted the great flag into the ground, the horsehair on the long pole fluttered in the river breeze, and it took a long time to fall.
At a diagonal from the great flag, dozens of soldiers pulled iron chains, dragging iron cages from the ship to the side of the flag.
The square iron cage was exceptionally heavy; each iron bar was as thick as an ordinary person's wrist.
The starved mountain ox knelt on the ground, panting weakly.
Before the battle, a sacrifice is held to pray for the ancestors' blessings.
After the battle, a sacrifice is held to give thanks for the blessings bestowed by the ancestors.
