Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 215 Combat Simulation

??

He surveyed everyone present and called out their names one by one: "Mr. Yan, Li Fei, and Liu Heizi will serve as temporary staff officers for this operation. Mr. Yan will be the lead officer, with Li Fei and others assisting. Li Fei's position as captain will remain unchanged, though it will be a temporary appointment. The other military officers will participate in the formulation of the operation plan, including Shi Ying and Gao Jie."

Those he called upon stepped forward and agreed, all declaring, "We will do our utmost."

Liu Ye smiled and said to Liang Xiaoming, "Now that the General Staff Department has been established, shouldn't we set up a General Logistics Department?"

Only the two of them understood what this meant. The General Staff was the General Staff Headquarters, and the General Logistics Department was the General Logistics Department; they were two of the most important departments in later generations. Given the current size of the Qiongzhou Camp, it naturally didn't need such a high-level organization. However, equipping it with dedicated operations staff and logistics personnel was a way of preparing for future expansion.

Liang Xiaoming nodded seriously and replied, "That's a good option."

Liu Ye then said to Sun Yuanhua, "In that case, please put in charge of the arsenal, shipyard, and clothing factory, and allocate resources according to the operational plans formulated by the staff officers to ensure the supply of weapons, ammunition, and equipment." In fact, Sun Yuanhua was originally in charge of this area, but at that time he was only an assistant in charge, and now he has become the official head.

Sun Yuanhua said solemnly, "I will obey the general's orders."

The next day, the appointed "temporary advisors" gathered in the east wing of the Nanyuan Council Hall, which served as a temporary "advisory office." A hand-drawn map was hung on the wall, a partial map of the Xiamen area in Fujian—naturally the masterpiece of the humanoid computer Liang Xiaoming—although there were still some errors in certain parts, the overall map was correct, and the harbors of Kinmen Island and Xiamen were basically close to the real terrain.

Liu Ye examined the layout and nodded in satisfaction: "The map is well drawn, it looks quite realistic. It would be perfect if there was a 1:500 scale model."

Liang Xiaoming chimed in, "There will be in the future, but this time there's no need for a landing operation. We'll just storm the port, fire our artillery, and then leave. The sand table won't be of much use."

Liu Ye said to Yan Guang, "Mr. Yan, begin."

Yan Guang bowed slightly to him, coughed, and pondered how to convene this "military simulation and operational planning meeting" that the general had mentioned.

Seeing his hesitation, Liu Ye encouraged him, "Just say whatever comes to mind, don't be bound by formalities. Actually, Mr. Liang and I are novices in this area, just messing around. Just remember, three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang. If everyone thinks of all the possibilities of the action together and makes a plan to deal with them, that's about it. I won't interfere with your discussion, Mr. Lin and I will just listen in."

Hearing this, Yan Guang felt much less stressed. He tapped the "marked" area on the map and said to everyone, "Gentlemen, this is the port we are going to attack. How to bypass the Kinmen fleet, go straight into the heartland, catch Zheng Zhilong off guard, create the illusion of a surprise attack by the red-haired fleet, and then withdraw smoothly is what we need to discuss today."

Shi Ying spoke first: "I'm not good at maritime matters, but some things are the same on land and sea. I think we must find an opportunity when Zheng Zhilong himself is not in Zhongzuo, and then rush into the port with lightning speed to avoid getting entangled with the Zheng family's fleet. Only in this way can we get out unscathed."

Li Fei agreed, saying, "Commander Shi is right. If Zheng Zhilong is at Zhongzuo, then the Zheng family's main fleet will also be there. We have a limited number of warships, and if it turns into a protracted battle, we'll be in grave danger. Not to mention our identities being exposed, it will be a question whether we can even escape unscathed."

Yan Guang asked Gao Jie, "Captain Gao, how many ships does the navy have available for combat right now?"

Gao Jie looked at Yan Guang and replied, "Ten 500-ton warships have already been launched. With the current number of sailors, all ten can be put into operation. However, to ensure sufficient personnel reserves and prevent ships from becoming unusable due to combat casualties, I can only send eight ships. If we switch to smaller 280-ton vessels, I can send thirteen."

“That won’t do.” Yan immediately rejected Gao Jie’s suggestion. “The old lock ship has too unique a shape. It has been seen in Zhongzuo. According to Master Liang, even the Red Hairs don’t have such a ship. Only the Qiongzhou Camp has one. If the Zheng family’s sailors see it, they will be exposed immediately.”

The section shrugs: "Sending eight ships to attack the lair of Zheng Yiguan, the biggest pirate leader in the Far East, without accurate intelligence, is, in my opinion, not a good idea; it's too risky."

Liu Heizi suggested, "Why don't we plant a mole in the Zheng family as well, so we can find out when Zheng Zhilong leaves Zhongzuo Institute?"

Yan Guang shook his head: "Without an inside man, even if we send someone to infiltrate right now, it will take a long time to gain the trust of the Zheng family and be able to accurately grasp Zheng Zhilong's movements. There probably won't be enough time."

Li Fei said regretfully, "It's a pity that Mr. Wang, who is good at infiltration, went to Liu Xiang's place. It would have been better if he had been sent to the Zheng family earlier."

Everyone agreed and agreed.

Liu Ye coughed twice and said, "Let me interject. Although Wang Qinian has other tasks, we are not without options—don't we still have Zhou Baihu of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? If the covert approach doesn't work, let's use the open one. Let Zhou Baihu go to Zhongzuo under the pretext of investigating a case and inquire about Zheng Zhilong's whereabouts through the local Embroidered Uniform Guard."

These words were like a wake-up call. Everyone suddenly realized that there was another card to play, yet no one had thought of it before – truly, they were blind to their own shortcomings. They had learned this after the last pursuit of the Guangzhou Imperial Guards; the Imperial Guards usually had spies planted in the homes of high-ranking officials. Although Zheng Zhilong's official rank wasn't high, his special status and immense naval power made him a target of the court's vigilance. He certainly had spies around him as well; Zhou Guoxin could easily find out by questioning him.

Yan Guang was deeply ashamed: "General, you have thought things through thoroughly. With that, the first problem is solved. The next question is when to launch the operation and where the fleet will depart from."

Li Fei suggested, "It would take at least ten days for the fleet to reach Zhongzuosuo from Bofu. Even if we get the news and set off immediately, it will be too late. By the time we reach Fujian, it will be too late. It would be better for the fleet to dock at a port on the border of Guangdong and Fujian first, so that we can arrive within three days and avoid missing the opportunity to fight."

Yan Guang agreed with his point of view: "That makes sense. So where would be a suitable location?"

Li Fei stood up and pointed to a place on the map: "In Shantou, there is an island that is not marked on this map. It is called Nan'ao Island. This island is located at the junction of Fujian, Guangdong and Dongfan Island. The closest point to Dongfan Island is less than 200 li away, and it is even closer to Xiamen, less than 100 li away. Its geographical location is very important. Our fleet can stop here."