Armies Gather by the Yellow River
(8)
When King Wu arrived at the bank of the Yellow River, he saw the troops entering their respective camps in an orderly manner under the guidance of the herald. Some of the troops who had arrived earlier had already set up their tents, while others had just begun to choose the foundation so that they could arrange the pillars for the tents. The servants did not stop moving. They moved firewood, carried pots, carried water, and cooked meat. In front of him was a scene of people setting up camp. Bi Gonggao was even busier. He stood on a high ground at the intersection, gesturing to the heralds. Uncle Guan was assisting him from the side. The horn continued to sound, and the sun that was about to set cast its faint light on the animation, adding a bit of charm to the color.
When Uncle Guan saw King Wu's carriage coming to the intersection, he patted Bi Gonggao to remind him before he ran over. "Big Brother, Father Shang, you're here too.”He led the Martial King and Lu Shang to the Duke of Bi's side. Standing on this high ground, one could look at the open land on the shore from three sides. He could clearly see the carriages and people moving about.
Bi Gonggao pointed to a flat ground not far from the shore and said,""The main tent of the Central Army is set up there. Big brother, what do you think?"
King Wu took a look and saw that the middle pillar of the tent had been erected. The soldiers were pulling up the tent curtain and said," Very good." He turned around and instructed Hu Sheng to make the necessary arrangements.
At this time, Uncle Cai rushed over and briefly reported their work over the past few days. They understood the surrounding terrain, explored the depth of the riverbed, and the speed of the water. Prepare the boat. Soon, Lei Zhen brought the old boatman to see King Wu.
King Wu happily bowed to the old boatman and said,""This time, the army has arrived. I have troubled the old boatman. Please help.”
The old boatman laughed and replied cheerfully,""Martial King, the state affairs are of utmost importance. Just like the last time he crossed the river, everything would be completed smoothly.”He turned around and greeted Lu Shang," State Preceptor is old but still strong. His body is still so strong and he can even fight with the army. It's really the blessing of Zhou Country.”
"Isn't it the same in your hometown?" Lu Shang replied with a smile. I see you again by the Yellow River. It's really fate to fight.”The old boatman was about the same age as Lu Shang. They were both old men, and their bodies had been tempered over the years. They were both strong and sturdy, and their auras were rosy and healthy. When they met today, Lu Shang recalled the past crossing the river. He couldn't help but add a few words," I didn't expect your old body to be as old as before. You don't look old at all." No wonder the Dragon King and the King of Hell didn't take you in.”
"Come in the wind, go in the waves, refine this pair of flesh and blood. He could still do this for a few years. The state preceptor has a heavy responsibility, working hard day and night, and he's still this young man, let alone me, haha…”He suddenly stopped laughing and put on a serious expression. He pointed at King Wen's carriage parked by the roadside and asked,""This is King Wen's carriage?"
King Wu hurriedly explained,"This time, we are going to the Eastern Expedition. We are requesting Father's tablet to lead the army and protect our army with the gods."”
" Oh." The old boatman seemed to understand and quickly walked down the slope to King Wen's carriage. He bowed respectfully to King Wen's memorial tablet and then turned to King Wu and Lu Shang, who had followed him, saying,""King Wen worked hard for the people before his death, and even after his death, he still showed his spirit and blessed them. King Wu was loyal and filial. He did not forget his father's will for his family and country. It could be seen that the foundation of the Zhou Country was strong and prosperous. I'll go back first and make some arrangements. What instructions does Martial King have?”
King Wu said to the old boatman,"Please come to the main tent tonight to discuss the matter of crossing the river tomorrow."”
"See you tonight." The old boatman bowed to Lu Shang." I'll take my leave."”
Lu Shang said,"Thank you for your trouble. I'll go to the ferry when I have time later."”
King Wu added," The boat is the key to crossing the river this time. Please take care of it."”
Everyone watched as the old boatman walked away. Then King Wu said to Uncle Guan,"Go and assist Duke Bi and arrange the rear troops. We will go to the main tent first and settle Father's memorial tablet." Then, he went to the shore to observe the terrain. Father Shang, look…"
"Alright, let Lei Zhen lead the way.”Everyone boarded the carriage and headed towards the newly erected tent.
Lei Zhen led the Martial King, Lu Shang, and the others up the Yellow River embankment while giving them pointers excitedly. "There is a forest over there. It's a large area of pine trees. They grow tall and straight. It's as thick as a person hugging it." As he spoke, he even gestured. Looking in the direction of Lei Zhen's finger, a green patch covered a few small hills. Under the setting sun, it looked like a green ocean, green and sparkling. "This is the slope where we stopped just now. The big tent was over there. Behind them was the central camp. " There," Ray Zhen pointed to a nearby place," is the camp of our vanguard. It's close to the shore." Below the embankment was a large beach.”As he spoke, he led everyone up the slope by the shore.
What appeared in front of him was a large sandy beach spread out along the river. A figure flickered on the sandy beach. Rows of boats were docked near the bank of the river. The old boatman's fleet was anchored here.
King Wu looked around and could not help but say,"This place is well chosen. There are dangerous shoals and good harbors." He remembered that the last time he crossed the river, it was much more difficult than here. It was about thirty miles downstream from here. He looked at Lu Shang to confirm his memory.
"That's right." Lu Shang continued," The last time we crossed the river, we led the wrong way first. We were afraid of wasting time in a hurry, and the boatman didn't understand the requirements of our operation, so we crossed the river at that old ferry. He had no choice. It was exhausting, but in the end, they still wasted a few days to prepare for the enemy, causing the battle against Chongguo to be very fierce and cruel.”He turned around and asked Lei Zhen,"After crossing the river here, how far do we have to go to reach the main road to the east?"”
"Not far. It's only a few miles before we turn onto the main road. Moreover, the current here was milder, so it would be easier for the boat to cross.”Lei Zhen replied. Everyone could not help but look at the river. Although the water here was wide and the water flow was slow, from afar, they could see the waves rolling and the waves were quite high. His ears were filled with the sound of waves hitting the river bank or waves hitting waves.
"Let's go upstream and take a look." King Wu called out to everyone and walked upstream along the river bank.
The Yellow River, the proud dragon of nature, came from the north and rolled along the mountain range from west to east. A huge whirlpool was formed at the bend, slowing down the flow of the water. The clear river water spun around here, turning even more turbid green.
The Martial King and the others observed as they walked. The surging Yellow River water was beneath their feet. At this moment, they heard a loud and deep whistling sound, as if they were in the middle of it. The waves in their eyes gave people a feeling of surging. Lu Shang silently followed behind the Martial King, his heart filled with passion. Facing the surging Yellow River, one could appreciate the power of nature from the depths of one's soul.
"Father Shang, whenever I see the Yellow River, my heart will surge. I will think of the Yellow River that nurtures the people of the various races on both sides. They lived and reproduced in the Yellow River basin, using the superior conditions given by nature to survive, fighting against all kinds of disasters and beasts, living a difficult life. Where there was a river, there would be the survival of humans. If there were humans, there would be the source of the river.”The Martial King said to Lu Shang with a sigh.
"It's been two thousand years since the Yellow Emperor unified the Yellow River.”Lu Shang recalled history and replied with emotion,"The Yellow River is the cradle of mankind, the place where our ancestors developed. We inherited the grace of nature from our ancestors and carried forward the quality of diligence and bravery, but later generations expanded from the struggle for survival to the struggle between human races. Two thousand years had passed. History had been developing, and so had the lofty thoughts of mankind. However, the cruel struggle between humans had also been developing and evolving.”
"Although wars are frequent, larger in scale, and crueler in degree, humans have lived in peace for many, many years. The Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor defeated Chiyou. The descendants of the Yellow Emperor lived and developed on both sides of the Yellow River. There was a long period of peace. From Xia Qi's founding of the country to the destruction of Jie, there was a period of peace between the two dynasties. I believe that ever since humans started to form an organized society, society has been developing, and the organizational structure has been constantly improving. Humans have obtained the incomparable power to conquer nature. Only by relying on the organization of the country and uniting the people of all races can they have the strength to overcome the disasters of nature and obtain the results of nature's grace. However, if the country fell into the hands of inhumane people, it would become a shackle that harmed people. In the past two thousand years, the various races on both sides of the Yellow River had risen and fallen. How many memories were there that made people recall and how many lessons were painful?”Lu Shang spoke as he walked, sometimes pausing for a moment." But the country can be well managed in the hands of sages. Only then can the people live a stable life and the nation develop and prosper.”
Lu Shang paused and sighed at the Yellow River for a while before saying to King Wu,""From Houji to Taigong Liu, your clan had suffered many setbacks before you conquered the barren land of the Western Regions. How much blood and sweat did you have to shed to defeat the invasion of the barbarians? It was not until King Wen of Zhou that he unified the tribes on both sides of the Yellow River. In the history of human development, there were ups and downs, strong and weak, just like the Yellow River, there were straight curves, fast and slow. The Yellow River water was condensed with the blood and sweat of the people of all races on both sides of the river. Time passed, and the past vanished. Only the Yellow River continued to flow, silently enduring the continuation of the Spring and Autumn Period. The Yellow River was the best witness to the development of human history.”
"Father Shang, you are truly a wise old man. You must know a lot about the Yellow River. Please tell us more about the Yellow River when you have time. When I return from the Eastern Expedition, I'll definitely ask you to talk for three days and three nights.”Lei Zhen asked excitedly when he heard Lu Shang's sigh of recalling history when he saw the Yellow River.
"Alright, I'll definitely talk about it for a few days and nights. Three months will do. "The wish of the older generation who are still alive is to do our best to let you know more about the history of the Yellow River and the past of mankind. We encourage you to pursue a bright future tomorrow.”Lu Shang agreed happily." The most important thing now is the Eastern Expedition. We have to defeat the cruel King Zhou of Shang, eliminate the evil for the people, and build a peaceful and prosperous Zhou Dynasty where the people live and work in peace. Lu Shang pointed at the Yellow River and said,""Nature really doesn't have eyes. It can devote itself to nurturing humans, watering fertile fields for the benefit of the people, and can also help Zhou commit crimes and endanger the people's lives. It became the first great difficulty we encountered in the Eastern Expedition.”
"We must conquer it, cross the river as soon as possible, defeat King Zhou of Shang, and save the people of the world.”Lei Zhen was young and vigorous, and he shouted loudly.
"Brother, we can cross the river, and we have already crossed the river, but this time is different. In order to cross the river smoothly for the second time, they had to rely on everyone's collective efforts.”The Martial King turned around and said to Lei Zhen," It's up to you guys tomorrow.”
The group continued walking forward. On the bank of the river ahead, a few people were jumping and shouting excitedly. Facing the rolling water of the Yellow River, they danced and danced to their hearts 'content. The Martial King walked to their side, but they did not notice at all.
"Chen Zhuhou, stay here and watch the Yellow River.”The Martial King asked first.
"Ah, it's the Martial King and the Imperial Advisor.”Chen Zhuhou turned around and saw King Wu and the others. His face lit up as he pointed at the Yellow River excitedly and said,""This is my first time seeing the Yellow River. It was such a big river, and the water was deep and rapid. When he thought of the small river water in his house, it was simply not worth mentioning. I opened the world this time." Looking at the smiling and silent crowd, he said,"It would have been great if I could have come with my father to attack Chong Country the last time. I could have seen the Yellow River a few years earlier. "What a pity. If I hadn't injured my arm when I was fighting the tiger that year, sigh," he said with a look of pity.
King Wu patted his shoulder and said,"It's not too late to see it today." Young man, there is still a long way to go. After crossing the Yellow River, there is still a tough battle waiting for you to fight.”
Lu Shang continued,"The fathers had their fathers 'careers, and your generation also has your generation's pursuits. First, he would continue his father's ambition and complete the career of his predecessors. Then, he would carry it forward and build his own greater career. Chen Zhuhou followed King Wu to do something and make contributions. The older generation is happy to see your growth.”Lu Shang stroked his beard and put on the airs of an older generation. He smiled and encouraged,"The Eastern Expedition is still fought by ferocious tigers. When that time comes, I'm afraid that you won't be able to fight the tiger and will be hurt by the tiger instead.”
"If I encounter tigers again, I already know how to deal with these stupid and fierce guys.”Chen Zhuhou didn't understand what Lu Shang meant. He pounded his left arm and said,""Look, I've benefited from this disaster. My arms have grown stronger, and I've gained experience. I now know how to coordinate my attacks.”As he spoke, he even smiled proudly.
"Good job." King Wu praised him and asked,"Has your tribe's camp been arranged?"”
"Everything has been arranged. They crossed the river quickly, their morale high. When I think about going out to war, I feel energized.”
"Tomorrow, we are preparing to cross the river. I want everyone to do a good job to prevent things from dropping in the river.”the Martial King reminded.
Lei Zhen walked up unwillingly and pulled Chen Zhuhou's arm. Seeing that it was as strong as his own, he lifted his shawl with concern and looked at the scar. Then he said,"It's good that it's good. When we reach the battlefield, we'll compete.”
"Alright." Chen Zhuhou and Lei Zhen clapped their hands and laughed heartily.
The Martial King and the others continued to walk forward. They heard Chen Zhuhou chanting behind them. His voice was high and muffled," Ah, the Yellow River…"”
King Wu and his party had been observing the situation on the two banks upstream before turning back. They then went to the ferry to check on the preparations of the boats. The beach was bustling with activity. Looking at the beach, it was actually a gravel beach. There were fist-sized oval-shaped stone eggs everywhere, squeezed together and arranged. It was really tiring to walk on it. King Wu walked up the gravel beach. The group of people stepped on the stone eggs with their powerful feet, causing them to collide with each other, making a cracking sound.
When the old boatman saw King Wu walking up the gravel beach from afar, he immediately came up to him with a loud laugh and waved his hands like he was clapping.
"Haha, the old boatman is really a straightforward person.”King Wu walked towards the boatman.
The boatman had a strong body, but his face was full of deep and dense wrinkles, which made his skin thick and tough. His puffy eyes were often narrowed, but his eyes were bright. He clasped his hands in front of King Wu and bowed. He paused and said,"Back then, King Duwen's troops didn't have this kind of grandeur. Today's army was really powerful. There were many people and many chariots. According to Lei Zhen, there were tens of thousands of troops in the eastern expedition this time.”
"There are indeed so many. Today, there are so many. There will be more coming in the future." King Wu replied," That's why I'll have to trouble you.”
"A little hardship is nothing. With so many people, our fifty ships will take a few days to sail. Back then, there were only about thirty big ships.”The boatman had always been proud of his act of ferrying King Wen across the river to battle. He would often compare the past with the past. When he saw the military situation today, he became even more proud. He even unconsciously raised his voice, and everyone laughed along. "Let's go over there and take a look." He held Lu Shang's hand and the two of them followed behind the Martial King.
Martial King and the others followed the boatman to the water's edge, and the boatmen surrounded them. Everyone excitedly asked King Wu if he would start crossing the river tomorrow, how many troops and chariots would come, and if he would go east to destroy King Zhou of Shang after crossing the river. At the mention of King Zhou of Shang, everyone said angrily that he had to filter the Yellow River three times, increase tribute every year, and levy taxes endlessly. Some even suggested giving up their boats and following King Wu to the east. For a time, there was a heated discussion. The boatman quickly stopped everyone." Alright, everyone, calm down. Let's talk about crossing the river first. This is the most important thing. If Martial King has any questions, he can tell everyone." Everyone quieted down. The boatman said to King Wu,""Martial King, everyone will listen to your orders.”
King Wu looked at the boatmen and saw that many of them had helped him cross the river during the war against Chongguo. There were also many unfamiliar faces. Most of these people were young men.
"The army needs to cross the river quickly to save time. Time is life. One day in advance will give you a chance of victory.”King Wu encouraged,"People like you who often deal with water will always have a way to deal with the problem of crossing the river." Let's discuss and see if there are any good methods that are safe, feasible, and can speed up the crossing of the river. Tomorrow, we'll cross the river. Let's see how to arrange it."
As soon as King Wu stopped talking, the boatmen began to discuss. Some said that increasing the number of people rowing could speed up the boat. Some objected to this, because increasing manpower would increase the burden on the ship, and the current was fast, which would easily lead to danger. Some even suggested using a rope to pull across the river and using people to forcefully cross it. Those who opposed it said that it was too dangerous to forcefully cross it. The boatmen had different opinions and it was difficult to unify them. They all held their own opinions and started to argue. However, the more they discussed, the more ideas they had. In the end, everyone unanimously asked the old boatman to make a decision. The boatman thought for a moment and coughed heavily.""Every time we cross it, the current will always float us two to three li down, then pull us along the shore to the upstream, and then float us back. Increasing manpower was one way, but not too many people, in case they were too heavy, so as to save weight and try to transport more troops. Pulling the rope horizontally might not work. My opinion is that we boatmen will take care of the water kungfu, and…”The boatman stopped and turned to King Wu." Send more people to help pull the boat upstream. In addition,"the boatman said thoughtfully."I remember the last time we crossed the river, the troops wasted too much time getting on and off the ship. I think we should pay attention to this issue first. I'm not very knowledgeable in this area. King Wu can send someone to command the troops on the shore. He wants the troops to board and disembark in an orderly manner so as to avoid being delayed for too long. This way, he might be able to save some time. With so many boats, they could send more troops across the river in a day. As long as we work hard, we will definitely be able to complete the task of crossing the river ahead of time. State Preceptor, is this okay?" The boatman turned around to ask for Lu Shang's opinion.
Lu Shang nodded." The boatman is right. I think we can do this." However, we have many chariots and horses to cross the river this time. These were not there last time, and it was easy to cause chaos if one did not pay attention. The boatman's suggestion was very good. Therefore, King Wu had to study the specific deployment of the troops at night and arrange and cooperate with the boatmen to cross the river to avoid mistakes.”Lu Shang affirmed the boatman's opinion and added his own.
King Wu said to the boatmen,""I'll let you boatmen handle the water matters. You should seriously discuss the location of the ship's dock and the route of crossing. The old boatman is in charge of these things."
"No problem, we will complete the mission.”The boatman added and changed the topic."Martial King, building a raft is also a method. The troops who came first have already built a few rafts there. I think they can still be used. Each raft should be equipped with two boatmen to steer the boat and use the soldiers to paddle. I just haven't tried it yet." The old boatman pointed to a beach far upstream where dozens of soldiers were building rafts." Are we going to take a look?"”
"Let's go take a look." This was something new, so it naturally piqued the Martial King's interest. He said decisively. The group of people walked towards the place where the raft was built.
Lei Zhen said to King Wu as he walked,"This was also the old boatman's idea." We thought we could give it a try, so we sent a hundred people to cut down the trees. It was the forest that he had seen earlier that had pulled the wood here to make a fork. They had only started their operation yesterday afternoon. I've worked on it for another day and have made five rafts. I'm going to give it a try tomorrow after asking you tonight.”
The soldiers dragged the pine trees that had been cut down to the beach one by one, lined them up, and then tied them up with bamboo ropes and hemp ropes. Each raft had two layers of pine wood, each pine wood was as thick as a person's arm. The upper layer was made of forty feet long logs, and the lower layer was made of twenty feet long logs arranged horizontally. The two layers of rafts were tied together to form a large and solid raft that could carry weight. Five such rafts were lined up near the water's edge, and the soldiers were still reinforcing the ropes. They were so engrossed in their work that they did not notice that the Martial King and his group had arrived. When a centurion saw the Martial King, the Imperial Advisor, and the boatman, he immediately ran over to report. After listening to the brief report, King Wu began to carefully observe the raft. He and Lu Shang chatted softly as they watched. Lei Zhen followed behind the Martial King silently. The centurion would occasionally explain to the Martial King.
Lu Shang walked up to King Wu and pointed at the raft.""Martial King, I think these rafts can be used. Each raft can carry two war chariots. The raft was flat and the chariot could be pulled up and down easily. This was also an advantage. However, he had to prepare the materials beforehand to build the raft, so it was too late this time. He could consider using this plan in the future.”
The old boatman also said,"We'll try crossing it tomorrow to see if it works. There are some places that need to be perfected."”
Lu Shang added," If building a raft is feasible, it'll be faster than collecting ships. It'll only take some effort and avoid leaking the news.”
"It's indeed a good idea." King Wu said," It's settled then. It's getting dark. We should go back to camp. We'll discuss it again tonight." King Wu turned around and said to the old boatman,"Make arrangements tonight. We'll start crossing the river tomorrow morning." It was transported by existing ships. Pick a few experienced boatmen to help test the raft. Come to the main tent again tonight."
"I'll definitely come and listen to your orders." The old boatman replied," We've already arranged for more than 50 people on our ships. We're just waiting for the Martial King's orders.”
After hearing this, King Wu happily bowed to the old boatman. With Lü Shang's consent, he ordered Lei Zhen to gather the soldiers who built the raft back to the camp and bid farewell to the old boatman.
When King Wu and his party passed through the camp, they saw that all the tents had been set up. The soldiers were busy tidying up the remaining affairs, and some were busy preparing dinner. He walked happily and said to Lu Shang,"There are too many advantages to equipping a chariot. When shrinking the camp, it is fast and convenient to pull the tent onto the chariot.”
Lu Shang smiled and silently moved his feet.
The evening mist thickened, and night fell slowly. Bonfires were lit on the banks of the Yellow River. People flashed, and commands were given. The rhythmic sound of horns and drums alternated. This area was no longer peaceful. The ferocious beasts all hid far away and peeked at the sparks by the river.
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