Brocade Fortress

In Chapter 7, Gao takes advantage of a truce obtained by military force and persuasive diplomacy to strengthen the defenses of Sichuan’s capital Chengdu. “Brocade Fortress” refers to his new engineering exploit, an outer rampart that encompassed Chengdu’s ancient citadel and an extended urban area, complementing his previous fortifications of river crossings and strategic passes in the southwestern frontier zone. The section “The Walls of Chengdu” sketches the history of the city’s fortifications under adverse conditions owing to its soil’s unsuitability for traditional tamped-earth constructions. In “The Will of Heaven,” Gao devises a novel technique adapted to this situation and raises the massive workforce and resources needed to complete the labor under the threat of renewed border incursions in record time. “Acclaimed by Ten Thousand Mouths” relates commendations of the completed construction by imperial decrees, inscriptions, and popular acclaim. The peace and security restored, in “Incomparable Topics for Poems” Gao finds recreation writing poetry inspired by the region’s celebrated scenery.