"It can also be called a gun, but it's a bit different from a gun. It can't be loaded with bullets, it can only be loaded with gunpowder, but fortunately it's quite powerful."

Three people, all looking completely bewildered.

Even the Right Chancellor pointed tremblingly at what Jin Shu was holding.

"Why is this thing so powerful?!"

Jin Shu handed the musket over directly.

"I won't explain the internal structure to you, but in short, it's a good thing. I've made some improvements. It can be operated with one hand and fires fifteen shots in a row. The recoil still needs to be modified, but the safety factor is also acceptable."

However, there are still many areas that need improvement, but it is more than enough for this era.

The Right Chancellor took it and weighed it in his hand; it was heavy, like a lump of iron.

Liu Lingzun couldn't wait to step forward, and his expression of wanting to touch but not daring to was rather comical.

"Touch it."

It's secured with a safety pin, so there's no danger.

"A musket! I definitely saw fire shoot out of it just now!"

Jin Shu nodded.

"I filled it with gunpowder and iron shot, so it has a wide firing range. You can take it back and practice on it today. Once you're proficient, you can lead a squad of soldiers and call it the Musketeer Corps."

"Me, practice on me? I can use this too?"

Liu Lingzun had never seen anything like this in his life. Such a simple iron rod could actually launch such powerful flints! Just thinking about trying it himself made him tremble with excitement.

Besides that, I was still a little scared. What if I made a mistake and hurt myself?

"I'll teach you how to do it, don't worry."

After speaking, Jin Shu looked at the two civil officials beside her who were still in shock, and asked with a smile.

"With this, what are you two still worried about?"

"Indeed... I'm not worried anymore."

Zhou Yinghuai's mind worked quickly, and he immediately looked at Jin Shu in surprise.

“Miss Jin, you did this because you were certain that the Qi and Yuan kingdoms would go back on their word and do something unjust, right?”

This gives our northern kingdom ample reason to drive them back!

With the help of the Qi and Yuan states, we can drive the Great Zhou back to its homeland, and then eliminate the Qi and Yuan states in one fell swoop. In this way, the coal mine will belong to the Northern Kingdom!

"Brilliant! That was a brilliant move!"

However, the main reason Jin Shu was able to make this decision was because she was confident enough to take back the coal yard!

Jin Shu nodded.

"Well, I was researching firearms before, but the firepower wasn't enough to deal with the 50,000 troops of the Great Zhou, so we still need to borrow the strength of the Qi and Yuan states."

Now that we've developed our firepower, it's perfect timing. The Qi and Yuan states went back on their word and were at fault first, so we can't just swallow this bitter pill, can we?

The three nodded in unison.

"Alright, get ready, let's go and take back the coal yard."

Half a month later, Liu Lingzun once again led his troops to the coal yard to demand coal.

The soldiers from Qi and Yuan, who were stationed in this area, became even more arrogant. At first, they could ask for money in a friendly manner, but now they directly pointed their bows and crossbows at Liu Lingzun and the soldiers behind him.

"Like I said before, if you want coal, pay up! But the price will definitely not be the same as before."

Liu Lingzun gave a cold laugh in anger.

What's the price?

"The ten thousand catties of coal and the box of gold before were given out of consideration for the friendship between our three kingdoms. But didn't you insult our king back then? Since you don't want this friendship anymore, there's nothing we can do."

"The current price is 10,000 catties of coal for three boxes of gold. Take it or leave it! Don't waste our time!"

"Ten thousand catties of coal for three boxes of gold? Hahahaha... Well, well, your emperor must have lost his mind, dreaming big but utterly useless!"

When we first started the cooperation, we agreed that all the coal would be divided into three parts so that they would not interfere with each other.

These old fogies are really something else. They think they're invincible just because they've figured out how to make a crossbow!

When Liu Lingzun publicly insulted the emperor, the soldiers stationed at Qiyuan Town immediately raised their crossbows and aimed them at his head, shouting at him.

"You audacious brute! How dare you spout such nonsense! You must have lost your mind to insult His Majesty!"

Liu Lingzun suddenly raised a hand with a cold smile.

"I was hoping to reason with you all, but now it seems like I was just wasting my time!"

The soldier in front of him was clearly enraged. He raised his crossbow and pressed it directly against Liu Lingzun's chest, raising his voice arrogantly.

"You haven't grasped the situation yet, have you? This tiny northern border country wants to come to our Central Plains and grab a share of the pie. Why don't you go back and let your Miss Jin look in the mirror and see if a woman can really ride on a man's head and do whatever she wants!"

A mere woman, yet she tramples and humiliates you men under her feet, and you don't dare utter a single utterance! Hahahaha, anyone who hears this will laugh their head off!

I'm telling you, go back and tell that woman that if she behaves herself and lives a quiet life, our Emperor might spare her life.

If she doesn't know what's good for her and pushes her luck, be careful, our Qi Yuan army will raze your Northern Kingdom to the ground tomorrow!

No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud "bang" was heard in the air.

With a splatter of blood, the soldier who had just been pointing a crossbow at Liu Lingzun and spouting arrogant words was shot through the head by a burst of fire. He stared wide-eyed in terror, not even realizing what had happened, before his body fell straight down.

Then a dozen more gunshots rang out, and the dozen or so soldiers in front of him fell one by one, without even having time to utter a single cry, their souls departing for the Western Paradise so cleanly and swiftly.

Liu Lingzun raised the gun in his hand, stepped on the corpse, and spat.

"Damn it, it's one thing to insult me, but to dare insult our Little Jin! Damn it, you're lucky to have been shot in the head!"

After saying that, he kicked the man again, continuing until his face was completely smashed to pieces.

The beginning is always the hardest. After the first shot, everyone's morale soared. They took advantage of the momentum and wiped out all of Qi Yuan's soldiers in the coal mine. Then, following Jin Shu's instructions, they quickly occupied all the important checkpoints in the coal mine, planted the flag of the Northern Kingdom, and tied up the captured Qi Yuan soldiers one by one, letting them run back to the two kingdoms of Qi and Yuan while they were tied up.

Soon, everyone in Qi and Yuan knew about the robbery of the coal mine. The two rulers were furious and immediately ordered their troops to attack.

Unfortunately, after the three troop convoys arrived one after another, they all disappeared without a trace.

Not long after the last wave was dispatched, an alarm sounded outside the gates of Qi.

"Report! The northern army is less than thirty li away from our country!!"

"Report! The rear gate has fallen! Our troops have suffered countless casualties!"