"Fine, since you're so confident, you do it yourself."
Lu Qingwan crossed her arms and stepped aside. "Turn the outer layer seven gears to the left, quickly."
Chen Tianhe didn't say a word, grabbed the handle, and gave it a push. As expected, it didn't move.
Because he didn't use much force, he didn't feel embarrassed even though it didn't move. He added some strength and continued to push, but the rudder lock remained unmoved.
This was embarrassing!
Chen Tianhe instinctively looked at Lu Qingwan, only to see her watching him with amusement, as if she had already known he wouldn't be able to move it.
How could he stand for this?
He immediately summoned all his strength, gritted his teeth, and pushed hard, making his face turn red and his body sweat profusely. Yet, the lock remained unmoved.
Chen Tianhe was embarrassed. "Your Highness?!"
His tone was sheepish, and he felt a sting of humiliation.
Han Tongguang was also a bit awkward. "Why are you calling her Highness? Let me!"
Saying so, he stepped forward alone, just like Chen Tianhe had before. However, he knew Chen Tianhe was quite strong, and since Chen Tianhe couldn't move it, he didn't underestimate the task.
From the start, he used all his might. Naturally, he still couldn't move it.
The two stood there awkwardly, looking pleadingly at Lu Qingwan. "Your Highness?"
"I told you to do it together, but you insisted on embarrassing yourselves before admitting defeat."
Lu Qingwan openly mocked them and then instructed the remaining two, "All of you, go together."
This time, no one dared to be stubborn. The four of them worked together, and only then was the tightly fitted gear of the rudder lock slowly moved.
After turning the seven gears Lu Qingwan had specified, the four grown men were all panting for breath.
Lu Qingwan, however, spoke again. "The inner gear, turn it three times to the right."
The four could only resignedly continue to move the gears. After much effort, the rudder lock finally opened, and they all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Lu Qingwan watched them with amusement. "Alright, guard this place.
Twelve Month, come guard the door. Anyone bold enough to try and force their way in, kill them on sight."
After speaking, she turned and entered the armory's treasury.
Her eyes fell on boxes upon boxes of pills. Lu Qingwan glanced outside, then without a word, began a storm-like absorption.
Lan An was plotting rebellion, the King of Qingzhou was watching from outside the city, and it was unclear whether the King of Ji had friendly or hostile intentions. These items in anyone's hands were a disaster, so it was better for her to take them.
Besides, the commander of the armory had died in the chaos. No one knew the situation in this treasury, and she could find a way to move the items out later.
The entire treasury of pills, along with some semi-finished products and even raw materials, were all absorbed into Lu Qingwan's spatial laboratory. It only took a moment.
She turned to leave, intending to instruct Chen Tianhe and the others to lock up, but she heard a sound of fighting.
As Lu Qingwan stepped out, Ru Yue immediately greeted her. Lu Qingwan raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?
Where did these men in black come from?"
"Imperial Guards, they're after the armory."
Ru Yue replied smoothly. "Your subordinate just discovered that the Level Seven martial artist who assassinated you at the Regent's mansion was the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, Black Eagle.
The firearm camp is exclusive to the Imperial Guard. They're probably afraid you'll use the firearm camp for other purposes.
After Li Yang reported to the Prince that you were at the armory, these Imperial Guards rushed over."
Lu Qingwan raised an eyebrow. "These Imperial Guards didn't show up when I was using acupuncture to interrogate Emperor Gengshi, but now they've appeared.
Who do the Imperial Guards actually serve?"
Ru Yue remained silent but handed Lu Qingwan an envelope.
Lu Qingwan opened the envelope with suspicion and instantly understood. "I knew it. For the Imperial Guard, what could be more important than the Emperor's life? So, our Empress also harbors ambitions to be a hero!
This murky water in Zhongzhou is getting murkier by the day."
She casually put the item into her spatial laboratory and asked Ru Yue, "I'll give you seven days. Find the Reincarnation Hall or the Shadow Mist, and kill all the Imperial Guards. Can you do it?"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Ru Yue cupped his fist in response but did not leave immediately. "The Prince has already led his troops out of the city. does Your Highness wish to enter the palace or go out to support the Prince?
Your subordinate will escort you to a safe place before carrying out your orders."
Lu Qingwan did not answer him but called out to Li Qing. "How many of our men know how to use firearms?"
Li Qing was taken aback. "Fewer than a hundred know how to use firearms, but nearly three hundred know how to use cannons."
When Lu Qingwan was in the Black Armored Army, the first firearms she introduced were cannons. Most of the soldiers in the Heaven Battalion of the Black Armored Army had received training.
However, long spears were also a new thing in the Black Armored Army, and they hadn't had time to equip them widely before they arrived here. Firearms, on the other hand, were completely unfamiliar.
Those hundred people were only able to come into contact with them through Si Fengming's connections.
Lu Qingwan also knew that it was not easy to have a hundred people who knew how to use firearms in such a short period.
After thinking for a moment, she simply said, "Gather everyone who knows how to use gunpowder packets, and then select about a hundred skilled brothers to go with me."
Having long grown accustomed to Lu Qingwan's occasional brilliant ideas, Li Qing left without a word.
Lu Qingwan turned to Ru Yue. "Do you have a carriage?"
Ru Yue pointed to the horse stable of the Grand Tutor's mansion. "Will the Grand Tutor's mansion's carriage do?"
"Bring it over."
As Lu Qingwan spoke, she retreated into the armory's treasury. With a thought, the now-empty armory treasury was filled with simple explosives that she had used in the Black Armored Army.
They were placed in boxes as if they had always belonged to the armory.
When the soldiers of the Black Armored Army entered, they were momentarily stunned by the familiar packaging, but not a single person spoke. They picked up the boxes and began loading them onto the carriages.
Over there, the Imperial Guards who were fighting with Twelve Month and the hidden guards seemed to sense something. One by one, they rushed towards them, with some even raising their firearms to shoot.
Lu Qingwan was terrified. She scattered bags of her enhanced tranquilizing powder, and white dust spread across half the courtyard, knocking out both the Imperial Guards and the Black Armored Army soldiers.
Lu Qingwan clutched her chest and gasped for breath. "My goodness, if that scoundrel had actually fired, we would all have died here today!"
After speaking, she kicked the Imperial Guard who had his gun half-raised before being knocked out by the tranquilizer. "Idiot, you don't even have this basic common sense, and you dare to play with firearms!"
She kicked him a few more times to vent her anger, then shouted, "Military doctor, wake up our own brothers. Give them the firearms from the Imperial Guards and tell them it's compensation for accidentally injuring them."
After she finished speaking, Li Qing had also finished loading the carriages.
Lu Qingwan mounted her horse. "Contact the Crown Prince and Young Master Gu, and find a batch of catapults. Get them to Ziyang Pass as soon as possible, no delays!"
Li Qing, who was supposed to follow Lu Qingwan to Ziyang Pass, was stunned upon hearing this.
Ru Yue quickly said, "I have to go to the palace anyway. You hurry and follow your master to Ziyang Pass. I'll arrange for the catapults."
"Thanks!"
Li Qing, who was eager to fight on the battlefield and did not want to be separated from Lu Qingwan, was greatly helped by Ru Yue's words.