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Wang He, fully aware that there must be some unexpected developments, quickly understood the situation. He ordered his personal guards to head to the incident site to investigate the cause. Once he learned the specifics, he realized that this matter needed to be kept strictly confidential. If word got out, they would lose the element of surprise.
He informed the generals that someone was deliberately causing trouble and that the river crossing operation was temporarily halted. As for when they would launch another attack, they should just wait for further instructions. Meanwhile, he secretly instructed his men to prepare some evidence to make a seemingly normal situation appear very suspicious.
With the secret unit returning to protect the craftsmen, Wang He, who had learned the truth from Sun Thirteen, was deeply moved. To show his respect, he personally went out to welcome everyone and assured them that he would report this matter directly to King Qin to ensure the safety of the artisans. Once the artisans were properly arranged, he invited Master Lu Chu to inspect suitable locations for bridge construction along the riverbank.
Coincidentally, Lu Chu chose the same spot for constructing the Floating Bridge where Luzi had crossed the Dan River days earlier. The reason was that the water flow here was relatively gentle, capable of supporting a nearly hundred-meter-long bridge span. Additionally, directly across was a ferry point, and the sedimentation height formed by the river could adequately protect crossing soldiers.
One must trust experts!
Feeling pleased with himself, Wang He expressed deep respect on behalf of the entire army towards Master Lu and casually inquired what assistance he needed from the troops.
Lu Chu nodded gratefully and looked at the Zhao Army's position across the river. He replied, "Arrow Formation! Three hundred soldiers!"
Perfect! This task was simple! Wang He confidently patted his chest and promised to select the best archers for the team. As for assisting soldiers, five hundred would suffice!
Building a bridge was indeed labor-intensive; more hands made lighter work! Lu Chu nodded and did not refuse Old General's goodwill. With protection for the Arrow Formation secured and no issues with workers, he then asked Old General to send people to gather plenty of ropes and large stones to help stabilize the rafts. Just because the water flow was gentle did not mean it was still; these stone anchors were necessary to hold down the Floating Bridge.
Wang He agreed to all of this and transformed these preliminary plans into orders that were put into action.
While Lu Chu led the artisans officially starting their work, Old General began executing his part based on discussions with Master Lu. He considered how to divert Zhao Army's attention so it wouldn't all focus on one point.
At Yin hour, he convened a pre-battle meeting with the generals and informed all units that upon hearing drum signals, they should feign an attack without crossing the river. Then he instructed Dong Qing and Meng Wu to lead Qin Army's Elite Cavalry in ambush positions on both flanks of the riverbank where the Floating Bridge would be constructed, ready to cross once it was completed and seize a foothold on land.
Once everything was arranged, Wang He arrived at the river crossing point to see how the Artisans were setting up the Floating Bridge. The first thing that caught his eye was a flat-bottomed boat, approximately five meters high and six meters wide, along with hundreds of soldiers carrying wooden beams and a large number of rafts.
Lu Chu, who hadn't slept all night, saw the Commander personally present and quickly led the craftsmen in two shifts to kneel and pay their respects. Wang He dismounted from his warhorse and allowed everyone to rise while also conducting a pre-battle mobilization. He emphasized that if they successfully crossed the river this time, the Artisans would be rewarded!
The so-called reward would come with titles and honors!
Hearing this news, the craftsmen were overjoyed, and all their fatigue seemed to vanish. They collectively thanked the Left Minister, expressing their determination to do their utmost to ensure the Army crossed the river!
...
Wang He, fully aware that success or failure hinged on this operation, did not dare to be careless. He ordered several generals involved in the actual attack and cover to report on the situation. Upon receiving confirmation that everything was ready, he felt a bit more at ease.
To ensure the smooth execution of this bridge-building operation, members of the Arrow Formation stationed near the banks of the Dan Shui River included some of the best Crossbowmen in the army. Special personnel were also assigned to transport arrows continuously, ensuring that the Arrow Formation could fire uninterrupted until the Floating Bridge was completed.
As the rooster crowed, a white light appeared in the eastern sky. At that moment, everything fell silent; even the flow of the river ceased to make a sound.
Wang He, back on his warhorse, squinted at the East Bank of the river and nodded toward the trees behind him. The War Drum then thundered loudly, beginning to extend along both sides of the Dan Shui River bank. Rows of arrows soared into the sky with the sound of drums, tracing beautiful arcs before plunging down to the ground.
The drumbeats were a signal for attack!
The Qin Army, already prepared, raised their rafts and surged out from the trees toward the riverbank less than thirty meters ahead. However, anyone paying attention would notice that their pace was not hurried. This was because the Commander had ordered them to create immense psychological pressure on the Zhao Army across the river.
Upon hearing the drumbeats, Lu Chu knew it was time to begin constructing the bridge. He bowed respectfully to the Commander and waved his hand to everyone. "Start!"
As logs were rolled onto the Bridge Ship hastily crafted by the Artisans overnight, the tall Raft let out a rumbling sound as it quickly slid into the riverbed. It was called a Bridge Ship because it was a double-deck Flat-bottomed Boat that could float on the water's surface. The lower deck was filled with logs to construct a wooden bridge, while the upper deck was open and equipped with Defenders to protect the Flat-bottomed Boat. It had no propulsion of its own and relied entirely on the bridge foundation set up behind it for support.
Due to its rushed construction, its appearance was rough and unrefined. However, its combat effectiveness remained largely intact; the thick and rugged logs could easily withstand arrows shot from the opposite bank.
The design of the boat was broad enough to ensure the safety of the personnel working behind it. Pre-prepared rafts were gradually placed in the water, and several Soldiers who had been arranged in advance jumped onto the rafts. They pushed large stones placed on these makeshift boats into the water, waiting for the ropes binding these stones to stop sinking before tying the remaining ropes to secure them to the boat. Once this process was completed, these Soldiers would squat down to keep watch. At the same time, they raised Square Shields to protect themselves from arrows fired by the Zhao Army.
Behind them, Soldiers carrying logs helped each other, placing sections of wood onto the rafts. Under the cover of the tall Flat-bottomed Boat, they tied these logs to the rafts in the water with ropes to prevent them from falling into the river. Once this task was completed, the Flat-bottomed Boat would move forward again to release more rafts or allow personnel behind to carry rafts over.
While this might sound slow and cumbersome, it was quite efficient in practice. Participants followed their roles step by step, which allowed for quick progress. The perceived slowness stemmed from a lack of an efficient operational mechanism. Once a reasonable system was in place, the entire project would enter a positive cycle. Everyone would know what they needed to do and focus on their tasks.
As the Flat-bottomed Boat slowly approached the middle of Dan Shui River, everyone instinctively looked up at the blue sky.
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