Volume 1 Chapter 48 Floating Bridge
A person's minor emotions in war may seem insignificant, especially when his position in the army seems so insignificant.
In fact, no matter what emotions and thoughts there were, they soon became unnoticed, because just one day later, the silence on the Huaihe River battlefield, or the previous flashy and seemingly fierce battle of hearts and minds, was completely over, and was replaced by a real military action - the Jin army began to build a pontoon bridge and tried to cross the Huai River!
Moreover, there is no doubt that almost everyone knows that over the past decade or so, the Jin people have risen to this point by relying on this trick... They are barbaric and rude, they are not as smart as their opponents, they do not have as many opponents as them, they do not understand what Sun Tzu's Art of War is, they only know how to use the methods used in hunting to deal with wild beasts, and even when necessary, they will only fight hard!
However, they are the winners every time!
All honor and morality, human calculations, strategies and equipment, even civilization and the system itself, were wiped out by the Jin people in the final showdown with real swords and guns!
In fact, compared with his predecessors, Zhao Jiu’s previous performances on both sides of the Huaihe River are really not worth mentioning. The key still lies in the military operations themselves.
This time, if the Jin army is really blocked at the Huai River line, no matter how badly the Song army is beaten, then Emperor Zhao's actions may still have the hope of becoming the prelude to a great era; but if Jin Wushu makes a fool of himself but finally succeeds in crossing the river and actually cuts off Zhao Jiu's head and leaves... then Emperor Zhao's previous performance can only become a joke.
"This must be because the emperor issued an order a few days ago that the envoys to Huaibei were robbed on both wings." On the Xiacai City, looking at the starting point of the floating bridge less than two miles east of the city, Tian Shizhong, who was fully armed, almost blurted out. "Jin Wushu is really capable in using troops. He tolerated then realized that there might be a righteous army coming to help, so he immediately crossed the river. It can be said that he acted decisively!"
However, General Zhang Jun, who was also wearing full armor, just looked in the direction of the pontoon bridge without saying a word and did not respond to his son-in-law's words.
"Captain." Another general of Zhang Jun's army, Liu Bao, could not help but grit his teeth and say more. "The morale of the people in the city is still high, and there is no obstruction along the Huai River embankment. Should we take the initiative to attack? If we can destroy the front foundation of the floating bridge, it will be a great achievement!"
"No!" Zhang Jun had a blank expression on his face and shook his head repeatedly. "The Jin army deliberately came so close and opened this road... It may seem like only two miles, but even if all the two or three thousand people in the city were sent away, they might not be able to pass through."
"What about a night attack?" Tian Shizhong lowered his head and thought for a moment, then asked again. "Wait until dusk, make a feint here, then hang more than a hundred death-defying warriors through the water gate and sneak along the river bank..."
"This plan might work." Zhang Jun shook his head. "But I'm afraid it won't be in time..."
"What do you mean?" Zhao Ding, who had been silent all along, nodded repeatedly, but was shocked when he heard this. "Could it be possible that this floating bridge can be completed in one day?"
"It won't be done in one day." Zhang Jun turned his head and replied seriously. "But it will probably take half a day. By the time the sun sets, thousands of elite soldiers will be able to cross!"
Zhao Ding was speechless in shock.
"What Zhao Damu doesn't know is that the Huai River is both wide and narrow. The Jin people cut down trees temporarily, and the wood was not polished and dried, so it was impossible to make a ferry. However, after drying, it can be made into safe things such as wooden boxes and cabins. Rafts are placed on them and connected with ropes. So if there is no obstacle, the floating bridge can be built at any time!" Tian Shizhong hurriedly explained. "And the Jin army's courage to fight is extraordinary. When I was fighting in Hebei that day, I saw with my own eyes that tens of thousands of Jin troops, led by the second prince of the Jin Kingdom, Wulibu, openly took off their armor in winter, rode on floating horses and waded through the river, without any regard for livestock, soldiers, and even the lives of the nobles of the Jin Kingdom..."
At this point, Tian Shizhong could not help but pause for a moment, and then he added one more sentence in Zhao Ding's astonished expression: "At that time, Liang Shicheng, one of the six thieves, was the commander. He originally thought that he could resist the Jin army across the river. However, when he saw that Wuliebu, one of the most powerful people in the Jin Kingdom, was the first to cross the river on horseback, he was so frightened that he fled without a fight, and the army of more than 100,000 people was defeated at the first blow! And the fourth prince of the Jin Kingdom, Wushu, who is outside the city today, was also a general under Wuliebu. I don't think that in just one year, he has lost the courage to cross the river on horseback himself. I am afraid that once the floating bridge is completed, he will force the entire army to cross the river at the risk of his life."
Zhao Ding's face turned pale when he heard this, but he was speechless.
Come to think of it, what could Zhao Yuanzhen and Zhao Damu say at this time? He knew that the foundation of this battle was the official of Bagong Mountain in Henan, and he also knew that the success or failure of this battle depended on whether the Jin army could successfully cross the Huai River. He also knew that even if it was to protect themselves in Caicheng, they should try their best to prevent the Jin army from crossing the Huai River... But the problem was, didn't Zhang Jun, Tian Shizhong, and Liu Bao know?
They also knew it, and they had made efforts in the past few days, and they also had some ideas now, but the Jin people ignored them before and did not give them a chance now... Or, Zhao Ding himself knew very well that with Xiacai City and Huainan Camp separated, since the Jin army chose to cross the Huai River instead of attacking the city, the pressure should have been borne by the Huainan Camp, and Xiacai City could not do much.
Zhang Jun looked at it for a while, then turned back with an unchanged expression, and asked another question: "How is the renovation of Neidu going?"
"It's still very slow!" Tian Shizhong quickly replied. "The key is that there are too many debris deposited in the water, which is extremely difficult to salvage, and there is a shortage of staff..."
"Send more manpower, work day and night... the artillery vehicles can slow down a bit; in addition, the entire army must be on guard and not go into battle without my personal order!" After Zhang Jun gave all the instructions he could, he immediately turned around and went down the city.
Zhao Ding sighed. Although he did not go down the city with Zhang Jun, he could only stand on the city wall and watch in vain, and occasionally look at the dragon flag that was visible in the distance on the other side of the river.
As Zhao Ding turned his gaze to the south bank of the Huai River, on the northern cliffs of Bagua Mountain, under the Jinwu flag, as the place with the widest view on the entire battlefield, he saw the Jin army begin to build a pontoon bridge in an orderly and smooth manner under his nose. The atmosphere here may also be the worst place on the entire battlefield... The reason is simple, this place may gather all the military idiots on the entire battlefield!
"Your Majesty!" After watching for a while, Zhang Jun, the Imperial Censor, saw a large banner being raised on the other side of the river, and then countless armored cavalrymen carrying several people onto the levee. He couldn't help but ask, "Should we send someone down to urge King Yaksha? Ask him to send troops to stop the floating bridge as soon as possible?"
"No!" Emperor Zhao, who was sitting still, gritted his teeth and responded.
"Your Majesty!" After a while, Wang Boyan couldn't help but speak up when he saw the Jin army's floating bridge rising up and then extending. "Instead of going to Wang De, should we take this opportunity to send an edict to Xia Cai?"
Zhao Jiu finally got furious: "We have all the ships, big or small, and the Jin army is abandoning the advantages of war horses and armor to cross the natural dangers. Zhang Jun and Wang De are both veterans in the army. Wasn't it appropriate when they discussed it before? What are you panicking about?!"
There was an instant silence under the dragon banner, and it lasted for a while.
However, as the sun gradually rose higher and the Huaihe River Floating Bridge was almost half built, some people could no longer bear it.
"Your Majesty," Lü Haowen said cautiously, with sweat on his forehead. "The Jin army built the bridge so quickly, and the bridge is stable, with no signs of being washed away by the water... Let's not talk about this for now... The key point is that our army has not made any moves yet. Is it because the generals in the army down the mountain are dissatisfied with Wang De and have some disputes? Should we send an envoy with a gold medal to ask?"
Seeing that it was Lu Haowen, Zhao Jiu gave this most important official some face, but turned to look at the trembling head of the eunuch department, Lan Gui, and said, "Go and give each of Lu Xianggong and Wang Xianggong a chair, and have someone make a few cups of tea. I want to drink tea with the two gentlemen!"
Lan Gui accepted the order and left in a panic… Besides, Bagua Mountain is located on the main road in Huainan, and had received the southeastern offerings early on, so naturally there was nothing missing. Soon, several tables and high stools were set out, and tea was served… To be fair, if the eunuch who came to pour tea had not seen the Jin army's floating bridge on the opposite bank and dropped the teapot in shock, this place would have been like a reenactment of the Battle of Feishui!
After a while, almost at noon, when the Jin army's pontoon bridge had progressed to three-quarters, they saw the water fort on the west passage of the Baguashan camp wide open, and more than a hundred large and small boats poured out and lined up upstream of the pontoon bridge. Most people breathed a sigh of relief.
"Officials!"
At this moment, someone couldn't help but speak again. Everyone turned around and saw that it was Hu Yin, the most fiercely angry young man in the world, Hu Mingzhong. They couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"Your Majesty," Hu Mingzhong said, his face flushed, and he faced him proudly. "Since our army is going to fight, why don't you move your imperial carriage to the Dongdao Ferry at the foot of the mountain, and then have your Majesty personally beat the drum to cheer us on and boost our morale?"
"I'll help you..."
After hearing this, Zhao Jiu was stunned for a long while before he realized what the other party meant, and he almost wanted to curse.
"Mr. Hu is confused!" Yang Yizhong, who shouldn't have interrupted, couldn't stand it any longer, so he interrupted despite the world's disapproval. "It's not impossible to beat the drums to cheer at the Dongdao Ferry, but if so, it should have been decided earlier. If we move now, the soldiers in the river might think the emperor has escaped if they see the noise from afar!"
Hu Yin was stunned for a moment, then shut up obediently.
At this moment, a breeze blew the dragon flag, but it was actually a southeast wind. Zhao Jiu's heart moved slightly, and he actually gained a little more confidence. Then he wanted to take this opportunity to say a few polite words and put on a show.
But before he could speak, Hu Yin frowned again and said, "If that's the case, why was it that when the military discussed the issue of dealing with the floating bridge several days ago, none of the generals asked the emperor to come to Huai River to supervise the battle?"
Zhao Jiu was about to laugh and answer, but unexpectedly, Xiao Lin Xueshi suddenly spoke nervously: "Sir, your Majesty, Wang De has just been promoted to commander, and I am afraid that other generals in the army will not accept it. Should we send someone to check on them to prevent any disputes between them and delay the military operation?"
Zhao Jiu was startled at first, then became furious . He ignored the fact that the floating bridge had been built to the shallow water area on the south bank, the drums on the other side of the river were beating, and the entire Jin army was in high spirits. He pointed directly at Lin Jingmo and said angrily to Hu Yin:
"Mr. Hu, do you know now why the other generals don't want me to supervise the battle at the ferry? Because today, if I sit still under the Northern Mountain Dragon Banner, I will have two great achievements... One is to boost morale in the river, and the other is to help them tie down those of you who only talk about war on paper!"
Before he finished speaking, the civil servants under the dragon banner had no time to feel insulted, before drums suddenly sounded on both sides of the river. Even the people in Xiacai City on the opposite bank beat drums to cheer. It turned out that the Jin army saw that the pontoon bridge was about to be completed, but the Song army's boats were about to move, so they simply urged the armored archers to force a crossing on the pontoon bridge. The Song army's navy no longer hesitated, and under the leadership of two veteran generals Qiao Zhongfu and Zhang Jing, they rowed eastward from upstream and went straight to the pontoon bridge!
Zhao Jiu did not have time to talk to the pale-faced officials behind him, and hurriedly turned around to look. He saw that in just a moment, the vanguard of the Song army's navy had rushed to the front, and there were seven or eight small boats... However, when he wanted to take a closer look, he could not see clearly because they were too far away.
One could only vaguely guess, based on what one had heard from the previous military meeting, that these ships must have been carrying incendiary devices… However, although it was not clear, it was obvious that these ships failed immediately after a moment—the fire was not set, and the people on the boats could not see clearly, but they should have been either dead or injured, because these seven or eight small boats quickly lost control and were carried to the floating bridge by the current, becoming the spoils of the Jin army.
In fact, this was indeed the case. Out of Zhao Jiu's sight, almost none of these ships reached the pontoon bridge and were defeated by the Jin army's powerful bows and crossbows!
On the floating bridge, there were mostly Jin and Han troops. The former used bows, which was their main field combat tactic. The range of the bows was not far, but the arrows were very long, with the arrowheads being as long as five or six inches, so powerful that they could break armor. The latter mostly used powerful crossbows captured from the Song army, needless to say!
The small force tried to set fire to the pontoon bridge with minimal consumption but failed. The Song army was indeed frustrated, but the morale of the army was not shaken. Under the personal leadership of two generals, the second wave of main offensive of the Song army's navy almost followed, but there were several larger ships in the front and dozens of small boats in support. They went downstream from the center of the river and struggled to crash into the pontoon bridge!
This time, the Jin army seemed to have no way of stopping the offensive by shooting at the enemy, but was hit head-on by several large ships. Then, countless sections of the floating bridge were overturned, and countless Jin soldiers and crossbowmen fell directly into the water! At a certain point in the back half of the floating bridge, perhaps because the current was the strongest there, it was directly hit in two by a large ship!
After this round of collision, the floating bridge that had originally connected to the shallow water area on the south bank of the Huai River was reduced by one-third! The Jin army on the bridge was instantly reduced by more than half!
Zhao Jiu and others could see it clearly from afar on the steep cliffs of the northern ridge of Bagua Mountain facing the Huai River. Almost everyone was relieved and only then did they feel sweating profusely. The soldiers in the two camps on the left and right sides of the mountain and the soldiers on the top of Caicheng on the opposite bank were all cheering.
"The fighter plane has arrived!"
However, Jin Wushu, who was standing on the north bank of the Huai River, was not angry but happy when he saw this. He raised his whip and swung it vigorously while laughing. "Where is Puluhun? Don't worry about anything else. Take this opportunity to lead your troops to fight and seize the boats along the floating bridge... If we can get these boats wrapped by the floating bridge, what's the point of the floating bridge?!"
"The Fourth Prince had already made plans?" As the Puluhun tribe jumped out from the river bank with hooks, Ali, the captain of ten thousand men standing on horseback beside Jin Wushu, couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly. "No wonder he repeatedly ordered the floating bridge to be as strong as possible, instead of asking for it to be built quickly? It seems that he also wrapped as much fishing net as possible on the west side of the floating bridge?"
"Yes, but my plan today is more than that!" Jin Wushu just glanced at him, and then he responded in a loud voice with heroic spirit. "General Ali, just stand here on the dike and watch me achieve the same great feat as my second brother!"
