Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 303 Enemy ~ Towards ~ This?
Those who had previously been jeering and grabbing for meat were now terrified.

They pleaded, "We just want a bite of meat!"

It's at most stealing.

It's just stealing; it's not a capital offense.
Unfortunately, Lin Dao, with a solemn expression, completely ignored him.

If they dare to rob today, they dare to kill and set fires tomorrow!
Once a leading example is set, the entire city will be plunged into chaos and turmoil within a few days.

This is the consequence of the law losing its deterrent effect.

Especially now that enemy troops are pressing in from outside the city, if chaos breaks out within the city, it could lead to the city's fall.

Everyone except Lin Dao will die!
Chang Yuchun immediately led his men forward and pinned dozens of people to the ground.

"King Ming~~~"

Only then did the old men who had been hiding behind the women and children finally come out, calling out.

"We beg Your Majesty for mercy!"

"We're willing to pay compensation~~"

Lin Dao's gaze calmly swept over the village elders. "The reason why the law is the law is that if it is violated, it will be enforced."

"If paying money can solve everything, what's the point of having laws!"

Throughout history, imperial power has never extended to the countryside.

Below the county seat, everything is controlled by these local elders and gentry.

For the sake of peace and stability, the rulers also cooperated with them.

As long as there's no trouble and taxes are collected steadily, that's fine.

For thousands of years, it has become a tradition and a habit.

However, these traditions and customs do not work here in the forest trails.

If one were to follow the rules blindly and blindly adhere to established practices, then one would truly be wasting their ability to time travel.

Lin Dao knew very well what kind of people these so-called village elders were.

Many of the folk tragedies recorded in history books actually originated in cities.

Compared to the tragic stories in the village, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The perpetrators of these tragedies are either these village elders or local bullies.

Compared to these elders, the village chiefs of later generations were nothing but insignificant juniors.

"King Ming."

The village elders were still pleading, "They are the pillars of their families. If they die, what will happen to their wives, children, and elderly parents?"

The previous village bully and impoverished household was one thing, but they were also disliked in the village.

But these men who snatched the meat were no good; they were the main force in the village's work, fighting, and water-grabbing.

They are their nephews and grandnephews, so of course they can't be killed.

As for the laws that King Ming mentioned...
Since ancient times, imperial power has never extended to the countryside!
"How to do?"

"Cold salad!"

Lin Dao frowned. "When you entered the city, I had already arranged for people to repeatedly inform you of the law."

"Knowing it and still doing it, you only have yourself to blame!"

"As for their wives and children, they are free to remarry."

"I don't have any chastity arches here."

The village elders frowned deeply, and some secretly gave the old women meaningful glances.

Several old women immediately rushed out, crying and wailing.

They danced wildly and shouted deafeningly.

This is the traditional way of crying, making a scene, and acting like a rogue, using old age as an excuse to take advantage of others.

If this were Lin Dao, who had just transmigrated, he might have been flustered and even felt sympathy.

But that's no longer possible; Lin Dao's heart has long been hardened into iron.

He had witnessed far too many human tragedies.

These underhanded tactics are utterly unacceptable.

With a calm expression, Lin Dao raised his hand and then suddenly brought it down.

Dozens of knives also fell to the ground.

The crying stopped abruptly.

Lin Dao raised his hand and pointed at the women, but his gaze was fixed on Ma Xiuying. "You should set up a matchmaking agency to introduce these women to men in the military."

"It's okay if you bring your child; I don't think the soldiers will mind."

For soldiers who walk the line between life and death, they don't mind women taking care of children.

After all, going to the battlefield could mean dying in battle, which could lead to the extinction of the family line.

Bring your child directly to the family line; they can then carry on the family tradition.

Moreover, according to the rules of the Red Turban Army, if someone died in battle, their son could inherit their right to enlist.

If you don't have a son, you can adopt one.

Of course, you can't change your surname, otherwise you'll be disqualified.

As for how to arrange things after having one's own biological children, that's a matter for the family to handle internally.

Ma Xiuying hurriedly bowed and said, "I accept the order."

Among the terrified elderly women, one cried out in despair, "My son~~~"

They even lunged at the executioners and grabbed at the guards.

Once someone takes the lead, others will also be eager to follow suit.

The village elders pointed at Lin Dao and began to curse him.

This is an emotional breakdown; after all, they are their nephews and grandnephews.

"Charging into the military is suicidal!"

Before Lin Dao could speak, Chang Yuchun swung his knife and slashed at the old woman who was scratching the soldiers.

The old man who insulted the Ming King was naturally not spared either.

Chang Yuchun was already short-tempered, and he had been on the battlefield and experienced the baptism of life and death.

How could someone like him possibly have any thoughts of respecting the elderly and caring for the young?

If you commit a crime, no matter who you are, you'll be dealt with immediately!

This time, everyone fell silent.

Even if a child wanted to cry, their mother would cover their mouth tightly.

After consulting with Wang Meng, Lin Dao already had a plan in mind regarding the rural revitalization project.

He planned to recruit soldiers in each village.

If these soldiers survive to retirement, returning to their hometowns will naturally become their most direct connection.

Whether it's various propaganda campaigns or leading rural reconstruction efforts, there are now direct implementers. Of course, the most important thing now is to eliminate the Yuan court's fighting force.

Rural revitalization can wait until later.

"Disqualify them from entering the soup kitchen."

"Women and children can stay and be arranged by the matchmaker."

"The rest of you, wait until the Yuan army retreats, then drive them out of the city."

Lin Dao left to inspect the other soup kitchens.

Chang Yuchun left behind a group of men to clean up the scene and also to guard the porridge kitchen.

He never spoke a word to his wife from beginning to end.

Public is public, private is private.

Chang Yuchun did a good job of not discussing personal matters while at work.

After Lin Dao and the others left, Lan Shi finally patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was so scared! Mingwang is terrifying when he's angry!"

Ma Xiuying, turning her gaze away, smiled and replied, "King Ming is quite kind."

These words stunned Lan Shi. "Kindness?"

She lowered her voice and whispered, "Didn't you see? So many people are dead~~"

“The wise king acted in accordance with the law.”

Ma Xiuying explained, "The food in the soup kitchen is all military rations. These people who steal military rations are committing a capital offense."

There's something I didn't say: 'The truly terrifying person is your husband; even old men and women can be ruthless.'

"You haven't seen true terror."

Ma Xiuying recalled the night they broke out of Haozhou City, her expression somber. "The Yuan army killed everyone they saw, dragging away any young women they encountered. The streets were littered with corpses; when you stepped on one, the blood reached your feet."

"do not talk."

Lan covered her mouth, "The King of Ming will definitely avenge them!"

"Yes." Ma Xiuying nodded vigorously. "I believe you!"

After waiting for several days, a night finally arrived with dim starlight and a crescent moon without light.

Thousands of elite troops selected from various departments quietly surged toward Gaoyou City under the cover of night.

The warrior leading the team was the deputy general, Harada.

Carrying ropes with throwing hooks and long ladders in sections, they moved forward like a swarm of ants.

The main target remains the east gate.

In order to achieve the goal of creating a diversion, they even moved their camp to the north gate a few days ago.

The remains of the siege equipment that were destroyed earlier are still in the same place.

As for the soldiers and civilians who died in battle, they had already been buried in pits dug by the defenders who had been lowered down the city walls by ropes.

This is what must be done.

If corpses are not disposed of in a timely manner during hot weather, it can easily lead to an outbreak of plague.

Moreover, the Mongols had a tradition of attacking cities with plague.

Of course, when burying the corpses, these soldiers who had received personal training from Lin Dao also left behind quite a few small items outside the city.

On a moonless night, the sky was very dark.

At regular intervals along the city wall, a brazier was lit.

From an optical perspective, it is difficult to detect any activity outside the city walls when looking out from the city walls.

As they drew closer, the Yuan army's movements during the night raid slowed down.

When they could see the Red Turban Army patrolling back and forth by the light of the braziers on the city wall, Harada stopped and gestured with his hands to press down.

The Yuan soldiers all lay down on the ground and crawled towards the city wall.

They were getting closer and closer, almost reaching the edge of the previously filled-in moat.

One of the Yuan soldiers crawling ahead suddenly saw a silk thread appear before him.

The silk thread was about a hand's width above the ground, with both ends attached to thin sticks inserted into the soil.

The Yuan soldiers were puzzled, but instead of touching it, they tried to go around it.

Unexpectedly, there were also such thin lines on the side.

Before he could figure it out, a bright light suddenly flashed in the distance, followed by a deafening explosion.

Accompanying the explosions were the mournful screams of the Yuan soldiers.

Such a commotion in the quiet night naturally alerted the guards on the city wall.

Soon, beams of bright light from flashlights shone down from the city wall.

The sneak attack had failed, yet the distance was so close.

Harada, who was leading the group, suddenly stood up.

He brandished his sword and shouted loudly.

"Warriors, charge!"

Thousands of elite soldiers rose to their feet and charged toward the base of the city wall with shouts.

The next moment, a series of explosions and dazzling flashes of light appeared one after another.

In the firelight, countless tiny beads flew everywhere.

These small beads don't fly very high; they mainly concentrate on the lower three paths.

As a result, the mortality rate is not high, but the disability rate has skyrocketed.

The closer they got to the city wall, the more frequent the explosions became.

The elite Yuan army fell in droves, their cries of agony echoing through the land.

In other words, due to poor visibility, most of the Yuan soldiers were unaware of their casualties, yet they still maintained their morale and continued to charge forward.

Harada was blinded by rage; he had suffered such a great loss that he couldn't explain it to the nobles.

At this point, the only way to atone for our mistakes is to fight to the death and capture the city walls.

As he charged forward, he bumped into a wounded soldier rolling on the ground.

He stumbled and fell to the ground.

Just as he was about to struggle to get up, he was surprised to see a strange little iron block in front of him, with writing on it.

He looked closer, puzzled.

"The enemy is facing this direction?"

"What does 'vernacular Chinese' mean?"

He subconsciously reached out and took out the small iron block that was half-buried in the ground.

The next moment~
"boom!"

(End of this chapter)