Chen Qingwan was still in shock.
She stared at the broken target for a long time.
The wisps of gunpowder smoke filled her nostrils, giving her a strange sense of excitement.
Trying to calm her excitement, she turned her head and stared intently at Lu Yan:
"Lord Lu, could these muskets... be equipped for the army of my Great Tong Dynasty?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yan put away his previous smugness.
He adopted a troubled expression and scratched his head:
"Miss Chen, this... I'm afraid it won't work."
Chen Qingwan frowned slightly:
"Why? Does Lord Lu not wish to serve the imperial court?"
Lu Yan quickly waved his hand:
"Miss Chen, you have misunderstood! My loyalty to His Majesty is as clear as day!"
"However, the manufacturing process of these muskets is complex and costly, and they also require a high level of skill from the user,"
"It is not something that ordinary soldiers can handle."
He paused, then added:
"Besides, the production of these muskets is currently limited. Even if we mobilized all the resources of Shannan Prefecture, we could only equip a decent army."
Chen Qingwan naturally didn't believe his nonsense; Lu Yan clearly didn't want to hand over the method for manufacturing muskets.
She sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly composed:
"Lord Lu, I know this matter is not easy, but it concerns the safety of the nation. I hope you will consider the bigger picture."
Lu Yan sighed, putting on a heartbroken expression:
"Miss Chen, it's not that I'm unwilling, but my abilities are truly limited!"
"The manufacture of this musket requires a special ore, which is only found in Shannan Prefecture, and its production is extremely low..."
Chen Qingwan interrupted him:
"Lord Lu, the imperial court will send people to assist in the mining of the ore; you need not worry about it."
Seeing her pressing him relentlessly, Lu Yan cursed inwardly at how troublesome this woman was, and had no choice but to continue fabricating reasons:
“Miss Chen, you may not know this, but this musket requires a special gunpowder formula. This formula is my personal secret, and if it were to be leaked…”
"The matter of the formula can be personally handled by Lord Lu, and the imperial court will never disclose it to outsiders."
Chen Qingwan seemed to have anticipated his words and was prepared.
Lu Yan saw that she had blocked all his escape routes.
Speechless for a moment, he could only manage two dry laughs:
"Miss Chen is truly insightful and far-sighted; I admire you! But... this..."
He deliberately stammered, pretending to be embarrassed to talk about it.
Chen Qingwan couldn't help but find his comical appearance amusing.
This man really doesn't act until he sees the benefit.
"Lord Lu, please speak freely."
Lu Yan's eyes darted around, then he suddenly leaned closer to Chen Qingwan and whispered:
"Miss Chen, to be honest, there's one crucial element missing from the manufacture of this musket..."
Chen Qingwan looked at his face so close to hers, and her breath hitched slightly.
He cursed the lecher inwardly, but kept a straight face.
What is it?
Lu Yan said mysteriously, "It's money!"
Chen Qingwan: "..."
She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and gritted her teeth, saying:
"Lord Lu, are you toying with me?"
Lu Yan quickly waved his hand:
"No, no, Miss Chen, think about it. Manufacturing muskets requires a lot of manpower, material resources, and financial resources. Without money, even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice!"
He paused, then added:
"My prefecture in Shannan is already dirt poor, where would I find the extra money to manufacture muskets?"
Chen Qingwan sneered:
"Lord Lu, your Shannan Prefecture is now bustling with merchants, making a fortune every day. How could you possibly lack money?"
Lu Yan looked aggrieved:
“Miss Chen, you are mistaken! Although I have earned some money, it has all been used for the construction of Shannan Prefecture. Now the treasury is empty, truly…”
As he spoke, he deliberately put on a pitiful look.
Chen Qingwan felt both annoyed and amused by his shameless behavior.
This man is really a money-grubber!
“Miss Chen, how about this, I can provide the imperial court with a certain number of muskets every month, but the number is limited.”
Chen Qingwan was incredibly clever and immediately understood Lu Yan's intention.
She looked at Lu Yan with a half-smile, her tone tinged with mockery:
"Lord Lu, your scheme is so well-thought-out that I can hear it all over the capital."
Lu Yan chuckled and didn't deny it.
“Miss Chen, this is called mutual benefit, we each get what we need.”
"With these muskets, the fighting strength of the imperial army will surely be enhanced,"
"And I can earn a little money to supplement the finances of Shannan Prefecture. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"
Chen Qingwan cursed Lu Yan inwardly for his insatiable greed, but her face remained impassive.
"Okay, I agree to this. We can discuss the specific quantity and price later."
As soon as Lu Yan finished speaking, Li Kui came running over excitedly.
Upon seeing Chen Qingwan, he immediately adopted a respectful demeanor.
"Greetings, Miss Chen!"
After saying that, she winked at Lu Yan and then added to Chen Qingwan:
"Miss Chen, you and my master look so well-matched! A perfect couple, a match made in heaven!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yan's eyelids twitched, and he cursed irritably:
"Get lost! If you have something to say, say it. If not, get lost!"
Although he said that, Lu Yan thought to himself...
Miss Chen has a beautiful face and a fantastic figure.
If you were to marry her, you'd probably have to carry around two tons of dark circles under your eyes every morning.
The bed is about to collapse into a time tunnel!
Thinking of this, Lu Yan couldn't help but steal a glance at Chen Qingwan.
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