"General, why don't you come over and see it with your own eyes?"

"good."

The two walked into the woods, but Nangong Jingzhi felt something was wrong, so he walked away from the camp, walked to the riverside, and chose a relatively open place.

Guarded by the royal guards around, Nangong Jingzhi followed Nan Wu. Nan Wu opened the wooden box without his instructions.

Xie Zhen looked at the black ball in Nan Wu's hand with inquiry and curiosity.

"Let's start." Nangong Jing gave an order, Nan Wu lit the fuse, and then threw the gunpowder ball to the other side.

As soon as the black fireball fell, there was a loud bang, which made Xie Zhen and all the guards feel nervous.

The royal guards looked at Nangong Jingzhi and the other man warily.

After Xie Zhen was shocked, he was surprised. "What is this?"

"Gunpowder ball." Nangong Jingzhi said with a smile, "What do you think will happen if this thing is used on the battlefield, General?"

The most powerful force of the Darong army is the cavalry, and since ancient times the cavalry has been the most important team in the army. Often a strong cavalry can lead the entire army to be invincible.

Once this gunpowder ball was used on the battlefield, the loud bang of the explosion would explode among the cavalry, and the horses would naturally be frightened.

The frightened horses would charge forward recklessly, and the cavalry, as sharp as sickles, would be routed.

When he thought of this scene, Xie Zhen's breathing became rapid.

"How many do you have?"

"Ten thousand."

"I want them all. How much money will it cost?" Xie Zhen felt a little nervous when he asked that question.

Nangong Jingzhi waved his hand, "No need. Miss Song Yin asked me to give this item to the general for free. As a member of Dayong, it is her responsibility to provide some help to the army."

Nangong Jingzhi repeated exactly what Su Yin had written to him.

"I really want to meet this Miss Song Yin."

Although they had never met, he was deeply impressed by her broad-mindedness and the several times they met remotely.

If she were a man, she would definitely be a great leader.

With this magical weapon, plus his grandson's crossbow, Xie Zhen felt more confident about the attack on Darong.

These two things can completely minimize the casualties of their soldiers.

Shangjing City

Su Yin had read the news from the Northwest Army and knew that her father had already persuaded Duke Su. According to the time calculation, Nangong Jingzhi should have met Duke Su with the gunpowder ball.

Next, the Northwestern Army needs an unprecedented crushing victory to make the young master and Nangong Jingzhi famous.

By then, Nangong Jingzhi will have enough confidence to return to Shangjing City and be won over by the four kings.

All of this was going according to their plan, step by step.

Now it's time to prepare for the next step.

"Xinguang, how are the preparations at the palace?"

"I have already activated the chess piece hidden deepest in the palace. I am just waiting for the news from the other party." Su Xinguang thought for a while, "If the other party fails, I have prepared a second plan. Don't believe the old witch, don't fall for it."

Cining Palace

The afternoon sun shone through the clouds and fell on a corner of the magnificent palace wall. Palace servants of all sizes were walking around in the magnificent palace. Every palace servant who walked or worked walked very carefully for fear of making any noise.

“Pah.”

Suddenly, a palace maid who was delivering a flower pot outside the courtyard was accidentally tripped by the broom used by the cleaning maid. She lost her balance and fell forward, with the flower pot in her hand falling to the ground and breaking.

This sound made all the palace servants, big and small, in the courtyard look at the palace maid.

The maid realized that she was in trouble and tears of fear flowed out.

"I, I didn't mean it." The little maid looked at the maid who was cleaning. "It was her. The broom tripped me, and I just... "

At this moment, Queen Mother Jiang, who was resting on the couch in the hall, was startled by the noise and frowned slightly.

Eunuch Li, who was serving on the side, noticed that Empress Dowager Jiang frowned slightly and winked at the senior palace maid Liuli beside her.

The head maid Liuli understood what she meant and walked out of the palace, casting cold eyes at the shivering little maid and the cleaning maid.

"Drag her out and beat her to death!" the head maid said coldly.

The little maid was terrified, "No, please forgive me this time, aunt. I didn't mean to do it. She was the one who tripped me up on purpose."

The maid who was called out hurriedly knelt down and cried out in a low voice, "Aunt Liuli, she is lying. How dare I do this?"

Liuli glanced at her coldly, "Drag him out and give him twenty beatings with the cane."

The palace maid who was sweeping the floor was about to protest her injustice, but when she thought of Queen Mother Jiang in the palace, she shut her mouth silently.

Liuli glanced coldly at the palace maids and eunuchs present, "Behave yourself. If what happened today happens again, none of you will be able to escape."

The entire Cining Palace was silent, no one dared to say a word.

The most important people in the entire Cining Palace were Eunuch Li and Aunt Liuli. They were the right-hand men of Empress Dowager Jiang and were deeply trusted by her. No one dared to disobey her.

After Liuli finished dealing with the matter, she walked into the hall.

Eunuch Li was helping Queen Mother Jiang wash up, and Liuli quietly walked to her side and helped.

Queen Mother Jiang did not even raise her eyelids, and said lazily, "Have you dealt with everything?"

"My Lord, he has been dragged out and beaten to death."

Queen Mother Jiang looked at Liuli through the bronze mirror and said, "You are too kind. It would be too easy for her to be beaten to death."

Liuli knelt down hurriedly and apologized, "Master, it was my fault for not doing the right thing. Please punish me."

Queen Mother Jiang turned around and looked at the servant who had been with her for many years. Ever since the death of the slave Lian Qiao, she had been following her side. She was good in everything except that she was too soft-hearted.

"I just said that. I didn't blame you. Get up!"

Liuli kowtowed in thanks, "Thank you, Master."

She stood up and walked forward again.

During the whole process, Eunuch Li kept his eyes on the nose and his nose on the heart, without saying a single unnecessary word.

Queen Mother Jiang held her forehead with her hand, a trace of fatigue between her brows, "I have been having a dull pain in my head these past few days."

Liuli was about to speak when Eunuch Li spoke first, "Master, I will ask the judge to come over and take a look at you. When you have a headache, I feel uncomfortable in my heart."

"Yeah." Queen Mother Jiang responded lightly.

Eunuch Li went to call for help happily, and this man even went to the Imperial Hospital himself.

Liuli saw all this and sneered in her heart.

After an incense stick of time, the judge made a diagnosis, "Empress Dowager Jiang may have been too stressed out recently, which led to a relapse of her headache. I will prescribe a medicine to calm her nerves. After taking it for a few days, she will feel better."

At nightfall, Liuli entered the palace carrying the medicine. Eunuch Li took the medicine directly from her and walked towards Queen Mother Jiang with a smile.

"Master, I have tested the temperature. It is neither too hot nor too cold. It is just right for eating."

Eunuch Li handed the medicine to her attentively.