Chapter 171: Safe travels! (Bonus chapter for Silver Alliance Leader Nuan Yang 1314)

'Rumble rumble rumble~~~'

The engine roared with all its might, its thunderous sound even shaking the river surface on one side.

Shantui SD90C5, a colossal beast weighing over a hundred tons.

This giant bulldozer, now under Lin Dao's operation, was straining to push the boulder before its blade toward the breach in the great embankment.

What was being pushed was no ordinary boulder.

But several large stones connected by drilled rebar, joined together into a super boulder.

Only such a super boulder weighing over a hundred tons could be used to plug the breach without being swept away by the turbulent current.

This was just one piece.

In Lin Dao's warehouse, there were still many more pieces.

As for why he did not simply stand by the breach and drop the boulder to fill it.

That was because he was afraid of dying.

The constantly loosening and collapsing breach, the rushing turbulent river water, and even piping conditions appearing in many places along the great embankment.

The breach was constantly being widened, and approaching it was extremely dangerous.

Though he could run away instantly, coming back would still leave him in the same spot.

What to do then, wear a diving suit?

The river water, carrying mud, sand, and stones, surged over; getting hit on the head and knocked unconscious would mean certain death.

Lin Dao was willing to help the people of this world, but he was not willing to sacrifice himself for it.

Spending a huge sum to buy a super bulldozer to fill the breach was already his limit.

The super boulder fell into the breach, and indeed as imagined, it held the pressure and was not washed away.

Lin Dao was greatly satisfied, reversing the vehicle back to the safe zone.

Getting down again to fetch another boulder, he started the bulldozer and continued pushing boulders to fill the breach.

After filling two boulders, Lin Dao retreated back to the safe zone.

A large number of civilian laborers surged forward, carrying hemp bags filled with gravel and sand, desperately throwing them at the boulders.

Several upright steel bars on the boulders caught these bags to fill the gaps.

Below the dam, no one was idle either, as more civilian laborers desperately reinforced the river embankment.

These civilian laborers were not forcibly conscripted; they were all recruited.

Even many had heard that Lin Dao was recruiting manpower to fill the breach, and voluntarily brought their own dry rations to join.

They worked hard, reinforcing the river embankment and the boulders.

Lin Dao took the field again, continuing to push the boulders forward, bit by bit constantly filling and blocking.

At this time, the breaches in the river embankment dug separately by the Flash Army and the Ming Army had, under constant scouring, merged into a breach several miles long.

Lin Dao's side had spent over ten days of effort before gradually filling the breach, leaving only the last twenty or thirty meters.

The breach was smaller, but the current became increasingly turbulent, just like a fountain.

The super boulders went down, but were washed loose.

'Commander!'

A civilian laborer came to seek Lin Dao on his own initiative: 'The current is too fast.'

'We are willing to tie stones to our bodies, connect with ropes, and throw ourselves into the water from both sides of the breach to block it!'

Lin Dao was surprised: 'Aren't you afraid of dying?'

The leading civilian laborer smiled bitterly: 'My whole family drowned, I'm the only one left alive.'

'If this breach is not plugged, even if I die, I cannot rest in peace!'

The many civilian laborers who volunteered to throw themselves into the water to plug the breach all expressed their willingness to die for the blockage.

'What fine common people.'

Lin Dao felt heartbroken: 'Hardworking and enduring, suffering under the bone-sucking, marrow-draining exploitation.'

'Over eighty percent of the year's harvest is taken away, yet they still grit their teeth and persist, supporting those officials and nobles.'

'To fight against natural disasters and human calamities, they are even willing to sacrifice their own lives.'

'Only when they truly can no longer survive do they rise up to fight desperately.'

'From the Emperor down to the small clerks of the Great Ming, they truly deserve to die!'

He slowly shook his head: 'You have already done enough.'

'There is no need to fight so desperately; just live well from now on.'

'This chaotic era of natural disasters and human calamities will end soon.'

Seeing the civilian laborers still wanting to volunteer, Lin Dao waved his hand: 'I have my own way, believe me!'

The civilian laborers naturally believed Commander Lin.

Commander Lin, who could tame divine objects, was a God Person, and surely deserved belief.

In fact, during these past ten-plus days, having witnessed the terrifying breach being filled bit by bit with their own eyes, the civilian laborers who ate their fill, wore warm clothes, and even received wages every day had long been worshiping Commander Lin.

Commander Lin said he had a way, so he surely really had a way.

Yonghe Spacetime.

After eating and finishing his official duties, Lin Dao came to the side of the Xu Province DE400.

He walked around this super mining truck, patting and tapping it from time to time.

'Old buddy, I really can't bear to part with you.'

This Hundred-Ton King Mining Truck had accompanied him as he traveled between two worlds, defeated many enemy armies, and could be called illustrious in military exploits.

But, after all, it was a refurbished discarded vehicle.

After prolonged use, it was already overburdened and had long been on the replacement list.

Lin Dao originally intended to let this super mining truck retire with honor.

But now, plugging the Yellow River breach required it.

Patting the massive tire, Lin Dao calmed his breath. "In the Chongzhen Spacetime, a few hundred years from now, archaeologists will dig you up. One can imagine the expressions on those archaeologists' faces — they will surely be quite spectacular."

"Compared to quietly retiring, gradually rusting away into scrap."

"Perhaps you would prefer, at the final moment, to go out in a blaze of glory!"

"Do something meaningful, benefit countless people!"

"You will also have boundless merit; the local people will build statues for you, offer incense and worship."

Having made up his mind, Lin Dao set off and climbed onto the roof of the driver's cab.

His figure disappeared, returning to the warehouse in the Modern World.

Bringing those large stones that had long been prepared, he transmigrated back.

Numerous heavy stones fell into the truck bed.

Amidst the rumbling sound, this mining truck that had originally been abandoned in a South African waste mine trembled slightly, as if excited for its final fate.

Lin Dao brought the Hundred-Ton King Mining Truck to the Yellow River Embankment in the Chongzhen Spacetime.

A hundred-odd meters ahead was the final twenty-odd meter breach.

Lin Dao greeted the bodyguards to come over and instructed them a few words.

Before long, the bodyguards found red silk and hung and wrapped it on the Hundred-Ton King Mining Truck.

This divine object, the bodyguards were all familiar with it.

In two battles against the Tartars, it was this divine object that deployed, shattering the Tartars' morale and combat will; it could be called the guarantee of victory.

Now learning that this divine object was about to be sacrificed to the River God, asking the River God to give face and completely seal the breach, the bodyguards also sighed endlessly.

The Marshal has paid far too much for the common people.

"Alright."

Lin Dao, having climbed the ladder, called out: "If you really want to see it off, light the firecrackers."

This Xu Province DE400 started up again, the engine's roar deafening.

The crackling sound of firecrackers also rang out along with it.

Inside the driver's cab, Lin Dao adjusted the gear, locked the steering wheel with iron wire.

The last step was to press down the accelerator.

Finishing these, Lin Dao patted the steering wheel, pressed an iron block onto the horn.

Amidst the horn's blaring, Lin Dao moved down from the continuously accelerating Hundred-Ton King Mining Truck.

Standing on the embankment, watching the Hundred-Ton King draped in red silk, charging straight into the breach amidst the blaring.

The roaring torrents instantly engulfed most of it.

Firecracker noise deafening, Lin Dao suddenly waved his hand.

Large batches of civilian laborers carrying hemp cloth bags surged up, throwing bags filled with stones and mud toward the Hundred-Ton King Mining Truck.

The Hundred-Ton King's massive body was gradually submerged by the bags.

Cheers rose everywhere; the breach was finally filled and blocked!

More civilian laborers surged up, continuously reinforcing the embankment breach.

Stones, mud, wooden stakes — the entire scene was bustling with activity.

Lin Dao raised his hand, saluting in the direction of the Hundred-Ton King.

"The people of the Huangpu Area will thank you."

"If there truly is a River God, you shall be his mount."

"Safe journey!"

The previously excavated breach was finally plugged.

The subsequent reinforcement work continued for several more days.

Lin Dao left behind a battalion of troops, responsible for protecting the civilian laborers continuously reinforcing the river embankment.

Setting off to return to Linqingzhou, bringing the army to begin marching northward.

Passing Dezhou, entering Hejian Prefecture, the first stop was Wu Bridge.

"Wu Bridge."

Arriving here, Lin Dao's first thought was not the hometown of folk arts, but the Wu Bridge Mutiny of that year.

That was a dozen-odd years ago.

Kong Youde, stationed at Dengzhou, brought troops northward to respond to Huang Taiji besieging Daling River City.

When passing Wu Bridge, the locals closed their doors and boycotted the market, refusing to do business with these Liao people.

A soldier from Kong's unit robbed a chicken.

For the army of this era, robbery was not a big deal, let alone just a chicken.

But the problem lay in the fact that the owner of this chicken had a different identity.

The chicken's owner was the household servant of the famous Donglin Party member, Wang Xiangchun, nicknamed "Lang Li Bai Tiao" in the "Donglin Dian Jiang Lu"!

That's right, it wasn't this Lang Li Bai Tiao himself, but one of his powerful slaves.

The powerful slave, relying on Wang Xiangchun's power, forced Kong Youde to severely punish.

Kong Youde had no choice but to subject the soldier who robbed the chicken to the Arrow-Dragging Parade Punishment.

The humiliated soldiers were furious, sneaking into the Wang household and beheading that servant.

The Wang household refused to let it rest, insistently demanding the truth be investigated and the murderer severely punished, forcing Kong Youde to execute the soldier.

Without question, this matter greatly infuriated all the soldiers.

The mutiny broke out accordingly.

It can be said that the subsequent Deng Lai tragedy, Sun Yuanhua's death, Kong Youde and others bringing advanced firearms across the sea to surrender to the Tartars, the Tartars formally overwhelming the Ming Army in firearms, and so on, all stemmed from this chicken.

Put another way, it stemmed from Wang Xiangchun's arrogance and tyranny!

Saying the Donglin Party destroyed the Great Ming would meet with no opposition.

In the "Donglin General Register," pick anyone at random, and their household servants could strike a heavy blow against the Great Ming Dynasty.

"Donglin."

"Hey."

Lin Dao, riding a horse, looked down from above at the kneeling county magistrate and others: "In Wang Xiangchun's home, is there anyone else here?"

The county magistrate, forehead pressed to the ground, replied in a trembling voice.

"Replying to the Great King."

"The Wang family still has one son."

"Oh." Lin Dao smiled. "Then does his household still raise chickens?"

Asked this way, the county magistrate did not know what to say.

Although the Wang family suffered a heavy blow during the Wu Bridge Mutiny, with many of their children killed,

more than ten years have passed, and relying on their status as local gentry, their family has once again flourished locally, continuing to act as Brahmins of the county city.

As for the harm done to the people of Deng Lai and to everyone afterward, it was as if it had never happened.

"Lead the team over."

Lin Dao instructed Liu San Dao: "All males and servants of the Wang family, high and low, Arrow-Dragging Parade Punishment, all beheaded!"

End of Chapter