12dz Chapter 861 The Power of Firearms
Chapter 861 The Power of Firearms
Lin Ping's tense mood suddenly made a 180-degree turn, and he became playful: "General, you are too hasty. I never thought of confronting His Majesty. The reason I took out the pistol was to demonstrate its powerful lethality. As for the wounds of these guards, I will treat them later and make sure they do not leave any lasting damage."
"Is this little thing called a pistol? Its power is terrifying." The officials, both civil and military, began to gasp in astonishment.
They weren't stupid; of course they could see the power of the pistol.
Both in terms of speed and lethality, it far surpasses bows and crossbows.
If the empire could build such an army, it would be able to take on a hundred men single-handedly.
"With the Empire's strength, we might be able to destroy several major vassal states, but it would come at a terrible cost. If the Empire's army were equipped with these pistols, its strength would increase exponentially, allowing it to destroy several major vassal states effortlessly," Lin Ping explained step by step.
"Moreover, with this pistol, the empire can sweep across the barbarian kingdoms of the northern deserts, fulfilling the empire's long-cherished wish of hundreds of years, and Your Majesty will become an emperor for all ages!"
The mere mention of the words "barbarian kingdom" silenced everyone present; it was practically the empire's nightmare.
Even though the empire sent millions of soldiers to guard the border, it did not gain any advantage from the barbarian kingdom and barely managed to maintain its defenses from being breached.
These million-strong army consumes a huge amount of military funds every year, which has become a major burden on the empire.
Putting aside the ultimate goal of unification, even just to resolve the current unfavorable situation, the empire should take the initiative to attack the barbarian kingdoms. Unfortunately, the empire's strength is limited.
They were no match for the barbarian cavalry.
Therefore, Lin Ping's words caused a great shock. Even the emperor was deeply shocked. In front of everyone, he stared at Lin Ping's pistol without moving, and a ripple of emotion stirred in his heart.
"What a fine pistol! It might fool those who don't know anything about pistols, but don't think the Empire is full of fools," Bai Tiantian said sarcastically.
Lin Ping thought the appearance of the pistol could solve the current crisis, but he didn't expect Bai Tiantian to step forward again.
Clearly, he had already decided to kill Lin Ping and regarded him as his greatest enemy.
"Does the General think all the ministers present are fools?" Lin Ping said with ulterior motives. "Since you are so disdainful of pistols, then please bring out a more powerful weapon."
Bai Tiantian clapped her hands with a cold laugh, and then two guards entered the hall, each holding a pistol, except that there was a long fuse at the trigger.
"What you call a pistol is originally called a matchlock gun. It relies on a fuse to ignite the fuse, and the gun is fired from the barrel to kill the enemy." Bai Tiantian explained slowly, "The matchlock gun is indeed more powerful than a crossbow and has a longer range, but it has a fatal flaw: it requires two people to operate!"
To convince everyone, Bai Tiantian ordered the two guards to give a demonstration.
One of them aimed at the target outside the hall, while the other lit the fire.
Bang!
When the fuse burned out, the bullet was fired from the barrel and penetrated the bullseye, which was 300 meters away.
Seeing this amazing scene, many people cheered, seemingly understanding why Bai Tiantian was invincible.
I'm afraid they're not just relying on the Black Iron Guards, but also on a constant stream of advanced weapons.
The successful demonstration of the matchlock gun proved once again that Lin Ping was utterly worthless.
Faced with Bai Tiantian's overwhelming murderous aura, Lin Ping suddenly laughed, and in a very arrogant way.
"I'm afraid the general's arquebus can only be used for defense, since it's difficult for the two of them to keep up with each other, let alone charge on the same horse."
Bai Tiantian nodded in agreement: "This is precisely the biggest flaw of the matchlock gun. Otherwise, how could a mere vassal state have survived until now?"
Without a word, Lin Ping walked menacingly to the two guards and snatched the matchlock gun with lightning speed.
"A desperate struggle." Bai Tiantian snorted coldly, not believing that the matchlock gun in Lin Ping's hand could pose a threat.
He tore his wide sleeves into a long strip, tied the two ends to the matchlock gun, and then draped it across his neck.
Using the strength of his neck, Lin Ping could hold the gun with one hand and light the fuse with the other.
It was also aimed at the target outside the hall, only one further away.
Bang!
With a muffled thud, the bullseye, five hundred meters away, was pierced. Without a doubt, Lin Ping's marksmanship far surpassed that of the two soldiers.
Most people were amazed by Lin Ping's superb archery skills, but Bai Tiantian was speechless at the changes in the matchlock gun.
"I'm sure the general has already grasped the essence of this. As long as you hang the matchlock gun around your neck, you can operate it alone, which can then be used in cavalry charges, multiplying your strength," Lin Ping explained.
Bai Tiantian nodded repeatedly, then shook her head repeatedly: "You are still the Lin Ping who can amaze me. It's just a pity that you have already revealed the true meaning of the matchlock gun, and you are no longer of any use to me."
As the Grand General of the Empire, he had a reason not to kill Lin Ping, but as Bai Tiantian, who cherished talented generals, he was also reluctant to kill Lin Ping.
After weighing the pros and cons, he still made a ruthless choice.
"The secrets of the matchlock gun? Bai Tiantian, you underestimate firearms far too much." Lin Ping said sarcastically, then pulled out his flintlock pistol again and shot through the bullseye in an instant.
There were many intelligent people in the hall who immediately saw the secret: "His matchlock gun doesn't need to have its fuse lit, it fires almost instantly, and it can be controlled with one hand!"
These words caused an uproar, and everyone realized the problem.
What Lin Ping was holding was not a matchlock gun at all; if one had to make a connection, it could only be described as an upgraded version of the matchlock gun.
"I'm sorry, but what I have is a flintlock pistol, which is five times more powerful than a matchlock gun!" Lin Ping said confidently, certain that Bai Tiantian would change her mind.
"Your Majesty, this man is truly a genius; he must not live in this world!" Bai Tiantian knelt on both knees, her hard armor slamming against the ground.
Lin Ping's eyes widened in shock; he was completely panicked.
Inside the main hall, Bai Tiantian was undoubtedly the one who understood the importance of the flintlock pistol the most, and he was also the only one who could plead for Lin Ping.
However, he was the one who most wanted to kill Lin Ping, so the emperor would definitely have to take action against Lin Ping.
It was precisely because Bai Tiantian admired him so much, even to the point of fear, that she had the idea that she had to kill him.
As a result, Lin Ping was in a very passive position, and he never dared to hope that the emperor would appreciate his talent.
Left with no other choice, Lin Ping activated his X-ray capabilities to the fullest extent, seizing every opportunity to attack the emperor.
"Enough!" The emperor's expression grew even colder, but the murderous intent from before was gone.
Everyone's attention was focused on Lin Ping, and no one paid any attention to the emperor's expression.
The moment Lin Ping pulled out his flintlock pistol, the emperor was not only surprised but also fell into deep thought. If Bai Tiantian hadn't knelt on the ground and kowtowed, he probably wouldn't have been awakened.