Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

The craftsmen quickly adjusted their strategy. Some continued to dig while others concentrated on digging drainage ditches to divert the accumulated water out of the pit. However, the groundwater seemed to be endless and the drainage ditch was not very effective.

"Old Li, this is not a solution. We have to think of a more thorough solution." An old craftsman wiped his sweat and suggested.

Old Li pondered for a moment, and suddenly his eyes lit up. "Yes, we can build a cofferdam! Use wooden stakes and bamboo strips to weave a waterproof barrier to keep the groundwater out."

The craftsmen immediately split up to start working. Some people cut down trees and prepared wooden stakes, while others collected bamboo strips and soil to prepare for weaving.

"Everyone be careful, the wooden stakes must be driven firmly, otherwise once the cofferdam collapses, all previous efforts will be in vain." Old Li reminded while directing the driving of the wooden stakes.

The craftsmen carefully drove the wooden stakes into the ground one by one to ensure that they were stable and would not shake. Then, they tied the stakes tightly together with bamboo strips and filled the gaps with mud to form a solid waterproof wall.

"Note that the height of the cofferdam must be at least one foot higher than the current water level to ensure that groundwater does not seep in." Old Li kept patrolling back and forth on the construction site, directing the construction of the cofferdam.

After several hours of intense work, the cofferdam was finally built. Standing on the cofferdam, the craftsmen breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the water in the pit no longer accumulate rapidly.

"That's good, we can continue digging." Old Li wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled with satisfaction.

"Everybody, work harder!" Lao Li's voice penetrated the dust and noise, echoing inside and outside the pit, "Our goal today is to dig two feet deeper and lay a solid foundation for the Buddhist bell!" His voice was full of unquestionable power, inspiring every craftsman.

Hearing the call, the craftsmen responded one after another. The shovels and pickaxes in their hands seemed to have souls, and every swing was precise and powerful. "Okay, Lao Li!" A young craftsman wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled, "Our work is all for casting the huge bell that will ring loudly!"

Seeing this, Zhu Han smiled slightly, slowly walked down the high ground and stepped into the pit. He looked around, his eyes gentle but full of power. "Thank you for your hard work," he said, his voice steady and magnetic, "Every bit of your effort is for the glorious future of Ming Dynasty. I, Zhu Han, on behalf of His Majesty, pay my deepest respects to you."

Upon hearing this, the craftsmen stopped their work and looked up at the distinguished prince, with a hint of surprise and emotion in their eyes. "Your Majesty, you are too kind!" Old Li hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, "It is an honor for us, the rough men, to serve the Ming Dynasty."

"Old Li, how is the excavation of the pit going?" Zhu Han asked with concern. He glanced around the pit and noticed the groundwater that was constantly seeping out.

Old Li frowned slightly, but then relaxed. "Your Highness, the excavation of the pit went smoothly, but the groundwater is a bit tricky. However, we have built a cofferdam and strengthened the drainage work, so it should be fine."

"Very good," Zhu Han nodded in approval, "but remember, safety comes first. If you encounter any problems, be sure to report them in a timely manner and don't force yourself to do anything."

"Yes, Your Highness, rest assured. We will be very careful." Old Li promised solemnly, then turned around and continued to direct the craftsmen to reinforce the pit walls and deal with the water seepage problem.

"Here, it's a little loose!" A craftsman suddenly shouted, pointing to a weak spot on the pit wall. Lao Li quickly stepped forward to check, frowning, and then directed everyone to reinforce it.

"Come on, everyone, put this stone here and tamp it down!" Old Li shouted as he worked together with the craftsmen to move stones and fill the gaps in the pit wall.

Zhu Han looked at the tired but resolute faces of the craftsmen, and a warm feeling surged in his heart. "Everyone, take a break," he said softly.

Upon hearing this, the craftsmen put down their tools, sat together, took out their water bottles and dry food, and began to simply replenish their energy. Zhu Han also joined in and chatted with the craftsmen.

"Your Majesty, you really care about the people." An elderly craftsman said with emotion, "We are so lucky to have such concern from you, Your Majesty."

As Zhu Han's caring words spread among the craftsmen, the originally dull atmosphere in the pit instantly became lively. The craftsmen stopped their work, sat together, and their faces were filled with warm smiles of being valued.

"The prince really cares about us laborers. We are tired digging this pit, but our hearts are warmed when we think about being able to cast such a large bell for the Ming Dynasty." A middle-aged craftsman said with emotion while chewing on dry food.

Old Li smiled and took over the conversation: "Yes, our work, although not as spectacular as fighting in the battlefield, is also contributing to the Ming Dynasty, and the merits are immeasurable!"

Zhu Han smiled and nodded, his eyes full of praise: "Thank you for your hard work, masters. Your work is equally important. Without your solid foundation, how can there be such a loud bell?"

At this time, a young craftsman wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked curiously: "Your Majesty, how big will this bell be after it is cast? Can the pit we dug really hold such a big bell?"

Zhu Han heard this, a hint of pride flashed in his eyes: "This bell will be unprecedentedly large, and its sound can be heard dozens of miles away, implying the prosperity of our Ming Dynasty and the blessing of all people. As for this pit, you can rest assured, according to the design, it is large enough to accommodate the giant bell."

Upon hearing this, the craftsmen were all amazed and full of anticipation for the upcoming bell. After a short rest, Lao Li stood up, dusted himself off, and shouted, "Okay, everyone, it's almost time to rest, let's get back to work! Let's finish digging this pit as soon as possible so that the prince can see our craftsmanship!"

The craftsmen stood up and picked up their tools to start digging. As time went by, the sun gradually set and the light in the pit became dimmer and dimmer.

"Why is this stone so hard?" A craftsman frowned and swung the pickaxe in his hand hard, but only a few sparks flew.

Old Li squatted down and carefully examined the texture of the rock, frowning: "This is granite, no wonder it is so difficult to dig. We have to change tools."

Zhu Han also came over to check the situation. After a moment's hesitation, he said to Lao Li, "This rock is really hard and cannot be moved with ordinary tools. We need to find a way to get some professional rock drilling tools."

Old Li nodded in agreement. "Your Highness is right. I will send someone to the city to get some rock hammers and chisels."

Following Zhu Han's instructions, Lao Li acted quickly and sent several strong craftsmen to the city to purchase rock drilling tools. Soon, they returned to the construction site with heavy rock hammers and sharp steel chisels.

"Everyone, watch out. When drilling rocks, you must first find the correct position, and then smash the rock hammer against the steel chisel with force, so that the steel chisel is deeply embedded in the rock." Old Li said as he did it. Every time the rock hammer fell, it was accompanied by a dull and powerful sound, and cracks gradually appeared on the rock.

The craftsmen followed suit and took turns to try. Although they seemed a little unfamiliar at first, they gradually mastered the skills as time went on, and the speed of rock drilling also increased significantly. The sound of chiseling echoed in the pit, like an exciting hymn to labor. However, even with professional tools, excavation work is much more difficult than imagined. The hardness of granite is beyond imagination, and each blow requires the craftsmen to go all out. Their sweat soaked their clothes and their faces were covered with dust, but no one complained, and no one backed down.

"Everyone, it's getting dark. Let's take a break, eat something and replenish our energy." Old Li said with concern as he looked at the exhausted craftsmen.

Upon hearing this, the craftsmen put down their tools, sat together, and took out the dry food and water bottles they brought with them. Although the food was simple and rough, it seemed particularly delicious at this moment.

"What do you think? Once this bell is finished, will we be able to leave our names on it?" a young craftsman asked with anticipation.

"Haha, that depends on whether our craftsmanship can catch the prince's eye." Old Li joked with a smile.

Hearing this, the craftsmen burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became relaxed and pleasant for a moment.

After a short rest, the craftsmen picked up their tools again and devoted themselves to the intense excavation work.

Suddenly, a dark river appeared at the bottom of the pit, with fast-flowing and unfathomable water. The appearance of this dark river made the already difficult excavation work even more complicated.

"What should we do? We can't dig a hole in the river, right?" a craftsman asked anxiously.

Old Li frowned and squatted down to observe the situation of the underground river carefully. He stretched out his hand to test the water temperature and felt it was freezing cold. "The water is too fast. We have to find a way to divert the water."

"But the river is so big, how can we divert the water?" The craftsmen looked at each other, their hearts filled with helplessness and anxiety.

At this moment, Zhu Han's voice suddenly sounded: "Perhaps, we can try to find a water source upstream and then build a dam there to intercept the flow."

Upon hearing this, the craftsmen turned to look at Zhu Han. He was standing at the edge of the pit, his eyes firm and deep. "However, this requires more manpower and tools. Lao Li, send someone to the city to mobilize supplies and manpower immediately."

Upon hearing this, Lao Li immediately nodded in agreement and quickly arranged for the craftsmen to split up. Some people stayed in the pit to continue digging, while others went upstream to find water sources and prepare to build a dam.

Old Li led several strong craftsmen upstream along the winding stream. The stream water was gurgling and clear, but in their eyes, this clear water became a major obstacle to the excavation work.

"Everyone, look carefully to see where is suitable for building a dam." As Lao Li walked, he used a wooden stick to push away the weeds on the shore and carefully surveyed the terrain.

"Master, look over there!" A young craftsman pointed to a huge rock not far away and shouted, "The water flow slows down there and the banks are wide. It's a perfect place to build a dam!"

Old Li walked over quickly, took a closer look, and nodded with satisfaction: "Yes, this is it. Everyone, get started immediately, clear the weeds, and prepare to build the dam."

The craftsmen responded one after another. Some used sickles to cut grass, some carried stones, and some were responsible for digging the soil. The scene was busy and orderly.

"Pay attention, when building a dam, the stones must be stacked in an alternating manner to ensure the stability of the dam." While giving instructions, Lao Li personally demonstrated how to place the stones.

After several hours of hard work, a simple but solid earth dam gradually took shape. The craftsmen stood on the dam, looking at the creek that had been successfully intercepted, with tired but satisfied smiles on their faces.

"Okay, now the water should be successfully diverted." Old Li wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned around and said to the craftsman beside him, "Let's go back quickly and tell the prince the good news."

At the same time, the excavation work in the pit was also in full swing. The craftsmen carefully dug above the underground river, fearing that they would accidentally touch the river water. However, even with such caution, the excavation work still progressed slowly.

"This granite is so hard that our rock drilling tools are almost blunted." A craftsman stopped his work and complained.

"Yes, if we keep digging like this, our hands will be crippled," another craftsman echoed.

Old Li rushed over after hearing the news, and seeing the exhausted looks of the craftsmen, he couldn't help feeling sad.

"Everyone, I know you have worked hard. But we can't give up halfway. The prince and His Majesty are waiting for our good news." Lao Li encouraged, "How about this, let's take turns to rest and conserve our energy. At the same time, I will send someone to the city to buy more rock drilling tools."

Soon after, new rock drilling tools were delivered to the pit, and the craftsmen replaced them with sharp rock hammers and steel chisels and started digging again.

However, just when the excavation work was about to make a breakthrough, there was a slight tremor in the pit. The craftsmen stopped their work and looked around in horror.

"What happened? Was it an earthquake?" a craftsman asked in horror.

Old Li quickly calmed down and carefully observed the walls and top of the pit, and found no obvious cracks or signs of collapse. He realized that this might be caused by the change in water flow caused by the construction of a dam upstream.

"Don't be afraid, this shouldn't be an earthquake," Lao Li comforted. "Let's continue digging, but be careful and pay attention to safety."

"Brothers, we have to come up with a strategy. Those who are going to drill the rocks, let's divide into two groups and take turns to conserve our strength. Those who are going to clean up the rocks, please be quick and don't let the rubble pile up into a mountain." Lao Li's words were filled with unquestionable determination, and the craftsmen responded one after another and quickly adjusted their formation.

The young craftsman Xiao Chen's hands were shaking from holding the rock hammer for so long. He looked up at Lao Li with a hint of frustration in his eyes: "Master Li, this rock is as hard as a lump of iron. Can we really dig it out?"

Old Li came over, his eyes full of understanding and encouragement: "Xiao Chen, when we cast the bell, we are not only casting copper and iron, but also our hard work and hope. This stone is hard, but our hearts are even harder! Come, let me show you. (End of this chapter)