Faced with this situation, Liu Pei could only hide his face and sigh. Even he couldn't come up with any good solutions. Modern science seems to have emerged under the guidance of inventions made by scientists. But in fact, there was a long period of exploration before that, and the foundation was laid by countless previous scientists, and then the inventions of later scientists appeared.

And Liu Pei is now in the desert of modern civilization, and he has to work hard to get anything! In other words, Liu Pei wants to eat peaches, but he only has a peach pit and a planting manual in his hand! Only when he planted the peach pit and waited for the peach tree to grow slowly would he have peaches to eat! And you have to worry about the peach tree growing crooked or being destroyed by external forces halfway through!

So Liu Pei could only use his right fist to vent his frustration on the palm of his left hand, and said, "Okay, since that's the case, I won't think about it too much." Anyway, now we have artillery! At least our artillery is ahead of the whole world! ”

Bao Dezhi said with a smile: "It's good that the handsome can think like this!" I can guarantee that the Academy of Sciences will do the groundwork as quickly as possible. ”

Then the two returned to the crowd to discuss the lethality of artillery with Liu Ning and others. Representatives of both the army and the navy took a keen interest in this large-caliber mortar. The army felt that this new artillery was useless, and it was not as good as a large-caliber mortar gun! One shot down, and the enemy's formation will be missing a corner! will greatly disrupt the enemy's formation and morale.

And the navy thinks that this kind of short-barreled cannon is the best, it is a sea weapon to sweep the deck and blast the enemy ship! As for the weight, the Navy said it didn't care. Anyway, we're pinning them to the boat, and we're not afraid of any heavier ones! So they ordered a large number of gunners from Liu Ning.

In the end, Liu Pei handed over the task of formulating the code of use and measuring the trajectory to Liu Ning. He brought people back to the Provincial Garrison to preside over the preparation of pre-war work. After hastily handling the few political tasks, in the following days, Liu Pei traveled between the test site and the cannon foundry, supervising and assisting them in the production of new guns and shells, and testing their performance.

I have to say that there is truth to the saying that there is strength in numbers. The things that those people in the Academy of Sciences have researched are all aimed at what Liu Pei lacks the most. For example, a new type of short-barreled cannon like this is something that Liu Pei urgently needs.

Liu Pei knew that he was far inferior to the ships that Zheng Zhilong had mastered in terms of the number of ships he had in the sea. Then he must overpower Zheng Zhilong in other aspects to have a chance to win. So Liu Pei chose to offset the gap with high-quality ships and more artillery.

In terms of ships, Liu Pei is not worried. General Wu They were already the top shipwrights of the Ming Dynasty. And Liu Pei provided them with the best materials. So the boat they built was definitely sturdy and durable, and it could stand the test.

As for artillery, Liu Pei's strength far exceeded that of his opponents. Liu Pei privately estimated that his artillery density was at least five times that of Zheng Zhilong. As for the quality of the artillery, that's not to mention! It must be much better than the old cannon that Zheng Zhilong and they bought.

After ten busy days, the officers of the General Staff sent three people to report to Liu Pei. This time, they brought three selected battle plans for Liu Pei to choose from.

After reading these three plans, Liu Pei said: "Why are these three plans all made around the new island? Is there no other way? You know, the new island has been emptied! ”

The officer at the head said, "Marshal, that's what we think. First of all, the commander strictly ordered us to start a war first, and then we must wait for the enemy to attack us. And the marshal also said that it is not good for us to prolong the war. Therefore, we must form a decisive battle situation as soon as possible! But we didn't expose anything to Zheng Zhilong, so it would be easy to form a guerrilla war at sea again! It's not good for us! ”

Liu Pei nodded and said with a smile: "If you can understand this, it means that you are really thinking!" Tell me why? ”

The officer straightened his chest and said: "Because once the strength of the Second Fleet is exposed, and if Zheng Yiguan cannot be defeated in a short period of time, it is very likely that he will use the slogan of shipbuilding methods to call on the people at sea to deal with us together!" At that time, we will not be able to win with our current strength! Therefore, we must give Zheng Yiguan a target to strike, so that he feels that this goal is something we cannot give up and must fight him in a decisive battle. So that he can come out and fight us with all his might! ”

Liu Pei put away his smile and was silent after hearing this. In fact, he had already approved of the plan of the General Staff in his heart. But he hesitated, once he did, then those who had been assigned to the new island would be victims! Although it is estimated according to the plan, Zheng Zhilong may be surrounded but not fought. But it is also possible to directly capture the new island. So he's in a dilemma at this time.

The officer who took the lead could also see Liu Pei's hesitation, and he said softly: "Marshal, don't hesitate at this time!" If Zheng Yiguan finds out that the new island is very empty, he probably won't bite the hook easily! So we must hurry up and prepare for the defense of the new island! Also, I'm willing to lead a team to Niijima! ”

Liu Pei raised his head and glanced deeply at the officer and said, "Then how many people do you think is appropriate to garrison Xindao?" ”

The officer hesitated for a moment and said, "First of all, the battery can't be used, so it can only be made like a show." We can't really throw a few cannons to Zheng Zhilong. And the fort is easy to be divided and surrounded by the enemy, so you can only defend the cottage! If you stick to the cottage, you need at least 400 people! ”

Liu Pei said solemnly: "Then do you know the fate of these four hundred people?" ”

The officer stood up and said, "I know, big handsome! It is very likely that these 400 people will be wiped out! But the marshal should know that the so-called mercy is not in charge of the army! We can't hesitate when it's time to sacrifice! ”

Liu Pei leaned back and leaned back on the chair, his fingers were always tapping on the battle plan on the table, and after half a ring, he said, "You go back and continue to make the battle plan." To be open-minded, no matter how outrageous the plan is, it can be put forward for discussion and improvement. As for who is going to garrison the new island, I will seriously consider it. ”

Liu Pei is actually very reluctant to these officers in the General Staff! These people are all literate and hyphenated people, and they are all selected as the best in the army! The future is bright for them! In Liu Pei's opinion, in the future, they will all be one-sided generals, and it is a pity to waste it on the new island! Liu Pei once jokingly said to them: "If you can't earn the position of an earl in the future, it is definitely your own problem!" ”

Seeing off the three officers, Liu Pei was silent for a long time at the plan on the table. Then he instructed the guards to call Qi Qitao and Wu Yizhou. When the two of them finished reading the plan, they were both excited!

Qi Qitao raised the opportunity for the army to finally participate in this war, so he very much agreed with the idea of the General Staff. And Wu Yizhou also thinks the plan is very good! Because it has a lot in common with the plan they made themselves. It's just that their plan is to lure out Zheng Zhilong's main force with a small fleet, and then use the second fleet to take charge of the strike force. Now this plan is more in line with the needs of both parties, so both people are very sympathetic to this plan.

Liu Pei waited for the two of them to finish their expressions and said, "Since you all agree to this plan, then the army will be responsible for guarding the new island this time." Qi Qitao, you go and send men, and allow you to actually have six hundred people on the island, but the number you can detect by the enemy cannot exceed four hundred. ”

Qi Qitao said: "Dashuai, the cottage in Xindao is too small. Six hundred people can't fit at all. It's better to do this, just give me 400 people! But I need to prepare more supplies. Especially cement, I need a lot. In addition, I will send a few people from the Academy of Sciences who know how to operate with me to Niijima. ”

Liu Pei said: "You can't go to Xindao in person, choose another person." Before that, let's talk about your defense plan. Just a word of caution, if Niijima's defenses are in trouble, it could become a flesh slaughterhouse! I don't want my soldiers to sacrifice worthlessly! ”

After so many years, Qi Qitao has already been honed and is no longer a farmer in that village. Under the urging of Liu Pei and his father, he read military books and war strategies, and he has already undergone a radical change!