After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Upon hearing Da Chun's undisguised and domineering threat, the envoys from various countries slowly lost their smiles, their eyes shifting inscrutable. A glance at the crown prince, who was about to ascend the throne, caught their eye.

The beaded curtain swayed gently in the wind, but Prince Xin remained silent, his face ashen.

The Southern Dynasty officials stared at the muskets on the backs of the Northern Dynasty soldiers, their pupils shrinking slightly.

Marquis Li Chunge of Jinxi, who was experienced in military affairs, narrowed his eyes, turned his head, and exchanged a glance with Marquis Zhang Yanzang of Mingzhong. Their expressions both became slightly solemn.

The most famous firearm of the Liang Dynasty was the Hongyi cannon. Today, eighty cannons are set up along the Yangtze River outside Nanjing to lock the river surface.

Among them were cannons captured from Westerners, thirty cannons purchased from Portuguese, and the remaining forty or so cannons were made by Liang craftsmen.

In addition to Nanjing, major towns and naval forces along the Yangtze River were also equipped with several or even dozens of Hongyi cannons or tiger-squatting cannons.

The Great Liang Dynasty has always been superior to the Northern Dynasties in terms of artillery, and its advantage in artillery is no less than the natural barrier of the Yangtze River.

However... the musket is indeed somewhat different.

Historically, the differences between the Northern and Southern Dynasties in terms of firearms were not significant.

The Northern Dynasties inherited the legacy of the Former Liang Dynasty and had a large number of Han Chinese artisans. Like the Southern Liang Dynasty, their armies were often equipped with three-barreled guns and arquebuses, which could penetrate armor but were difficult to penetrate heavy armor.

The three-eyed gun could only penetrate armor at around eight zhang (approximately 33 meters). Beyond that, the bullets became inaccurate. More often than not, it was used by cavalry as a blunt weapon after firing a single shot.

The arquebus is a bit better; it can be aimed and hit even at a distance of thirty or forty feet. However, it can only penetrate light armor. If it is heavy armor weighing thirty or forty pounds, it would probably be difficult to penetrate it within twenty feet.

Li Chunge's son, the young marquis Li Hanchen, sneered:

"Your Excellency's words are rather exaggerated. Fifty feet to penetrate heavy armor? Whether you can even hit someone at fifty feet is questionable, let alone penetrate heavy armor. Even cotton armor would be difficult to penetrate!"

"Moreover!" Li Hanchen, who had grown up in the military and knew a great deal about firearms, pointed to the musket on the back of the Northern Dynasty soldier and laughed, "This musket doesn't even have a match cord, so how can it ignite the powder box? How can it fire the bullets?"

Li Hanchen spoke lightly, but his pupils kept contracting. The matchlock could be installed later, which was a minor matter. If the enemy really had such powerful firearms, the two cities north of the Yangtze River would be really hard to defend.

Upon hearing Li Hanchen's words, the tense expressions of the Southern Dynasty officials relaxed, and they breathed a sigh of relief. Many people cast admiring glances at the young marquis. Although the young marquis was young, he was neither humble nor arrogant, and he was highly skilled and bold. In just a few words, he revealed some key points.

Da Chun stroked his beard and chuckled, "Young Marquis, don't be impatient. Since this gun is a musket that our dynasty gifted to your Prince Xin, we naturally wouldn't send just any old thing. Your humble servant will soon show you... how to fire this matchlock gun." Da Chun's smile held a hint of amusement.

Li Hanchen's eyes widened immediately... A musket without a match? It really is a musket without a match?

Just as he was about to get up, Li Chunge, who was next to him, pressed his hand down, signaling his son not to move.

Li Chunge narrowed his eyes slightly. Whether they were nobles who had long been involved in military affairs, or civil officials from the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, or those who knew about firearms, their eyes were filled with doubt and a strange heaviness, and their hearts began to beat faster.

A gun without a match?

Since the people of the Northern Dynasties said this, they certainly wouldn't have made a baseless accusation, nor would they have come to the South to make a fool of themselves. Perhaps... it's true.

Da Chun glanced at the expressions of the southern officials, smiled slightly, turned around, bowed to Prince Xin, and said with a smile:

"Your Highness, this is merely self-praise by a foreign subject, which might mislead your officials and envoys from other countries into thinking that I am simply seeking to please them. Perhaps... Your Highness could arrange a contest, allowing our muskets to compete against those of your dynasty. Only after a clear winner is determined will Your Highness and your esteemed officials truly understand the significance of our gift..."

The competition... Zhu Cuiwei's eyes changed slightly.

Before a reply could be given, Cao Du, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, suddenly stood up and said:

"Since the envoy's gift is so generous, how could our dynasty not accept it? In my opinion, a contest is unnecessary. Weapons are inauspicious instruments, and on this Mid-Autumn Festival, they would likely spoil the festive atmosphere tonight."

The officials of the Southern Dynasty nodded in agreement, saying, "Minister Cao is absolutely right," "How can we wage war on Mid-Autumn Festival?" and "Since it is such a generous gift, we shall accept it."

As the Southern Dynasty officials spoke, a chorus of clearly mocking laughter erupted from the Northern Dynasty delegation. Nilon stood up and chuckled:

"Your Highness, gentlemen, I have heard that during the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, there was a tradition of practicing martial arts for entertainment. During festivals in our dynasty, His Majesty would watch wrestling, football, and archery competitions to see if the bravery of our Eight Banners descendants was as strong as ever. His Majesty would also reward the winners handsomely and praise their bravery."

"Even your dynasty's founding emperor, who conquered the world on horseback, never stopped practicing archery and horsemanship even after dismounting... Who would have thought that hundreds of years later, your dynasty would celebrate a festival..."

Nylon raised his eyes and looked at the assembled ministers opposite him.

"So all we can do now is look at beautiful women."

Nilong's sarcastic remarks not only angered the Southern Dynasty officials, but also greatly surprised them... Nilong had actually torn off all pretense of civility.

A commotion arose in the room. The young nobles and princes showed resentment on their faces, their eyes wide with anger. Even some of the older officials had grim expressions.

Cao Du's eyes widened, and he slammed his hand on the table, shouting:

"Your Excellency's words are utterly unreasonable! Your dynasty has presented gifts, and our dynasty has reciprocated with courtesy. We have no intention of waging war on this auspicious occasion. How can you say that we only care about beautiful women? Do you mean that fighting to the death is the way you want to treat your guests?..." The ministers immediately exclaimed in agreement.

Marquis Feng Xi, the young master of the Loyal Marquis, added in a sinister tone: "Antelopes fight with their horns, beasts fight with their claws... Your dynasty likes it, but my dynasty does not... China is a land of etiquette, valuing the beauty of clothing and manners, and it is not your place to discuss the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors with us..."

As soon as Feng Xi said this, an uproar erupted on the Northern side. Many people stood up and cursed, "If you dare not, then you dare not," "You've got plenty of excuses," "Your muskets are indeed not suitable for showing off"...

For a moment, the two seemed on the verge of starting a heated argument.

Da Chun raised his left hand and pressed it to the left. When the Northern Chao people saw this, although they were still cursing and their faces were full of sarcasm, their cursing gradually subsided.

On the Southern Dynasty side, Cao Xi also stood up and said, "Gentlemen, you are indeed distinguished guests." Out of respect for Chief Minister Qin, everyone lowered their voices, but the atmosphere remained tense, with many people turning red with anger.

The old eunuch lowered his eyelids, sighed softly, and coughed slightly. Everyone present knew that Prince Xin was about to speak, and his voice finally quieted down.

Zhu Cuiwei pursed her lips, her posture upright, and through the beaded curtain, she spoke softly to Da Chun in front of her:

"May I ask what kind of prize you would like, Your Excellency?"

Da Chun seemed to have thought this through long ago, and at this moment he bowed slightly and smiled, saying:

"Your Highness, to be honest, our dynasty has suffered a disaster this year, and famine has broken out in the capital region. Perhaps Your Highness could offer 100,000 dan of grain as a prize?"

"If your dynasty's firearms are slightly inferior, Da Chun will gift my dynasty's firearms to your dynasty and take 100,000 dan of grain back with him to spread the word of Your Highness's benevolence and righteousness," he said with a slight bow and a smile.