The drainage outlet in question refers to the section of the river that passes through the outer city walls of the capital. To prevent enemies from sneaking in via the river, iron bars were installed beneath the city walls. The gaps in the bars are too narrow for anyone to pass through, so if there are bodies in the river, they should eventually be caught by these bars unless they are lodged somewhere.

Although the capital doesn’t prohibit residents from dumping trash into the river, there are regulations on the size of the waste.

“Moreover, they won’t concern themselves with this,” Simon said. “Apart from the lower district, every other...