The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Cen Jiexiao put down her pen and her eyes fell on Liu Xiaoke. This boy, though not tall, stood straight as a poplar. It was hard to tell how much knowledge he possessed. She raised her eyebrows slightly, a barely perceptible smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

"Are you Liu Xiaoke?" Cen Jiexiao's voice was relaxed and normal, not so serious, with a hint of temptation.

Liu Xiaoke raised his head with a calm demeanor, meeting Cen Jiexiao's gaze. "Dean, I am Liu Xiaoke."

"I heard from A Yao that you have some good ideas for this floating bridge project?" Cen Jiexiao walked to the table, picked up a roll of drawings on the table, and slowly unfolded it.

"Yes, Dean." Liu Xiaoke replied.

"Do you know the importance of this floating bridge project?" Cen Jiexiao stared at Liu Xiaoke sharply, as if trying to see something from his face.

"I understand," Liu Xiaoke said firmly. "But I also appreciate the Dean's good intentions. He's using the court's money, combined with his wisdom and foresight, to benefit the people. The benefits of building this floating bridge outweigh the disadvantages. Although it's used for the Donghai sacrificial ceremony, it will connect the two sides of the Yuyang River, creating convenient transportation between the two sides. This will make it easier for ordinary people and merchants to work, live, and travel, and it will also promote trade in Linkang Prefecture."

"Oh? That makes sense." Cen Jiexiao put down the drawings in her hand and thought to herself, this young man has good emotional intelligence and professional knowledge, and is worth cultivating.

"Then tell me, how should this floating bridge be built? What materials should be used? How long will it take?"

Liu Xiaoke was well prepared. He pulled out several sheets of paper covered with various drawings, annotations, and numbers, and respectfully handed them to Cen Jiexiao. "Please review, Dean. These are my ideas and calculations."

Cen Jiexiao took the blueprint and examined it carefully. "Oh? Calculations and demonstrations? I'm all ears. If feasible, the entire academy will act on your proposal and complete this floating bridge project."

Liu Xiaoke had heard that President Cen was approachable, had a spontaneity in his thinking, always liked to find new ways, but was very rigorous in his approach to scholarship.

Liu Xiaoke pointed at the blueprint and explained clearly, "Please see, Dean, a traditional floating bridge is simply not viable in a place with turbulent currents like Qingfengdu, and a stone bridge would take too long to build, consuming enormous amounts of manpower and resources. The floating bridge conceived by our students uses a sturdy tree trunk as its foundation..."

"Oh? Tree trunk? What tree trunk? How thick should it be?" Dean Cen suddenly interrupted Liu Xiaoke's explanation.

Liu Xiaoke was startled by the sudden interruption, but quickly composed himself and replied calmly, "Dean, after calculations and field research, we've discovered that there are many century-old pines growing on both sides of Qingfeng Ferry. Their trunks are thick and their wood is tough, making them the best choice for building a floating bridge."

Dean Cen did not interrupt and gestured for Liu Xiaoke to continue.

"This floating bridge, conceived by the students, uses the trunks of these century-old pines as its foundation. Thick hemp ropes are woven into a mesh structure, and the bridge deck is paved with wooden planks. It's not only stable and durable, but also resistant to water impact..."

"Weaving with hemp rope? Are you sure?" Dean Cen interrupted Liu Xiaoke again and asked.

"Dean, my students have already tried it. They found that twisting dozens of hemp ropes into one rope has a toughness comparable to that of an iron rope and is sufficient to bear the weight of a floating bridge." Liu Xiaoke answered confidently.

As Cen Jiexiao listened, she carefully observed every detail on the blueprint, sometimes frowning, sometimes nodding, and occasionally asking pointed questions, trying to find loopholes in Liu Xiaoke's plan from all angles.

"You say this floating bridge can support thousands of troops, but is there any basis for that? The current in Qingfengdu is turbulent, how can you guarantee the stability of the floating bridge?"

Liu Xiaoke was well prepared. He calmly replied, "Dean, when designing the bridge, we've fully considered the hydrological conditions of Qingfeng Ferry and also drawn on the structural principles of ships. A large number of sealed wooden barrels will be tied to the bottom of the floating bridge to increase buoyancy. Multiple anchor points will also be set up, secured to the riverbed with iron cables to ensure its stability..."

The more Cen Jiexiao listened, the more alarmed she became. Liu Xiaoke, at such a young age, possessed such a profound understanding of architecture, mechanics, and even hydrology and geography—it was truly remarkable. She put down the blueprints and stared at him intently. "Your plan is indeed bold, but also very risky. If it fails, the consequences will be disastrous. Have you thought it through?"

Liu Xiaoke answered without hesitation: "Dean, I understand the risks involved, but I believe in my own judgment and am willing to take responsibility for my choices!"

Cen Jiexiao was silent for a moment. She walked to the window and looked at the shimmering Qingfengdu in the distance, her mind full of thoughts. This Liu Xiaoke did have some courage and boldness.

"Okay! I'll give you this opportunity! Just tell me what you need, I will fully support you!" Cen Jiexiao turned around, a decisive light flashing in her eyes.

Liu Xiaoke was delighted and quickly bowed. "Thank you, Dean! I will definitely live up to your high expectations!"

A Yao stood aside, watching the high-spirited Liu Xiaoke, and a sudden surge of excitement surged in her heart. Her intuition told her that the construction of this floating bridge must be an opportunity for Xiaoke, but she was also worried that this plan might not go smoothly.

Cen Jiexiao agreed to Liu Xiaoke's request, which caused an uproar in the academy. Some students mocked Liu Xiaoke for being from a poor family, and the students were dumbfounded, saying sourly that he was lucky to have won the favor of the dean.

"Tsk, it's just building a bridge, you really think you're such a big shot?"

"That's right, don't you consider your own background and what good things you can create!"

Liu Xiaoke turned a deaf ear to these rumors and devoted himself to the construction of the floating bridge. Cen Jiexiao assigned him the three most experienced craftsmen in the academy, who initially disagreed with the novel ideas proposed by Liu Xiaoke, a young man.

"Xiao Ke, I've been doing carpentry work for decades, but I've never seen this method of weaving hemp rope. Is it reliable?" Master Zhang glanced at Liu Xiaoke sideways while planing the wooden board.

"Yes, Xiao Ke, the water in Qingfeng Ferry is no joke. If the bridge collapses, people will die!" Master Li also echoed.

Only the youngest, Master Xiao, remained silent. He carefully studied the drawings drawn by Liu Xiaoke, sometimes frowning, sometimes nodding, and seemed to be lost in thought.

Liu Xiaoke knew that if he wanted to convince these veteran craftsmen, he needed more than just words; he had to show his true skills. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong arms, picked up a thick hemp rope, and began to demonstrate to the craftsmen.

"Master Zhang, Master Li, look carefully! This hemp rope is no ordinary hemp rope. It's twisted using a special method. One strand can withstand a hundred pounds of weight. Dozens of strands twisted together are even stronger than iron chains!"

As Liu Xiaoke spoke, he had horses perform a tensile test on the rope. The hemp rope stretched perfectly straight, lifting several large trees without breaking. Master Zhang and Master Li were stunned. In their entire lives, this was the first time they had witnessed such incredible feats.