The Ming Dynasty started with caution

"Gentlemen, do you want to fight or not?"

Shang Zhen took a deep breath and left the decision in the hands of the minister.

Ministers, look at me and look at you. Ryukyu has been resting and recuperating for many years, and it has only raised more than 10,000 troops. We dare not take risks.

"Your Majesty, why not test Wang Shouren's strength first?"

"Although doing so will offend, I also believe that he will not fight."

Doctor Yonglu and Doctor Longde bowed and said.

Shang Zhen is not sure whether Wang Shouren will fight.

I only heard that he helped Xu Jinzhong pacify the Li rebellion and was the son of Wang Hua, the teacher of the Ming Emperor.

He held his breath and thought for a moment: "According to your words, if Wang Shouren has generals, Ryukyu will send troops?"

"If Wang Shouren had the talent as a general, he would be more confident in attacking Satsuma."

"And if the defeat will damage the majesty of Ming Dynasty, the Emperor of Ming Dynasty will not sit idly by and ignore it."

Dr. Yonglu analyzed everything in an orderly manner and was an old counselor in the court.

If Wang Shouren loses, he will borrow troops from the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty will not watch Ryukyu collapse, right?

Ministers also think it makes sense.

With the Ming Dynasty as the backing, even if the army marching north is exhausted, it is not a bad idea to send troops to the capital to ask for reinforcements.

Shang Zhen decided to meet Wang Shouren in person and took him to the shooting range: "Master Wang, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I don't know if Master Wang has any generals. He is the best archer under our command."

The burly bodyguard saluted Wang Shouren slightly.

Wang Shouren glanced at the bow and arrow next to him: "Your Majesty, do you want to compete with arrows?"

"Um!"

Wang Shouren picked up a large bow with one stone, plucked the bowstring with his fingers, and tested the tightness.

Then, he attached a long arrow, his eyes were as sharp as the eyes of an eagle.

Whoosh!

King Shang Zhen and the ministers held their breath.

Eighty paces away, the long arrow sank into the grass target, and the tail of the arrow shook violently.

The soldier trotted over: "Report to the king, it hit the bull's-eye."

It takes a lot of strength to draw a one-stone bow. It is extremely difficult to maintain accuracy while maintaining such strength.

Besides, it's a full eighty paces away.

And hit the bullseye!

While speaking, Wang Shouren pulled up his bow again, and shot three arrows in succession.

"Your Majesty, all three targets are bull's-eyes."

King Shang Zhen stared at Wang Shouren's bow in stunned silence.

The ministers looked surprised. They didn't expect that the thin scholar was so skilled with bow and horse that he could hit the target with one arrow at eighty paces.

The personal guard who was about to compete with Wang Shouren became guilty: "Why don't we compete on horseback?"

King Shangzhen ordered two horses to be brought in. The two of them held the same bow, got on the horse's back, and galloped quickly.

Wang Shouren took off the reins with both hands, holding the bow and arrow, and pedaled his legs on the stirrups. Despite the bumps and ups and downs, it felt like walking on flat ground.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow shot out and hit the bull's-eye of the target.

Doctors Shang Zhen and Yonglu were stunned, feeling a little unfinished.

Wang Shouren clasped his fists and said, "I give in!"

"I know the art of war, swords, guns and sticks. If King Shang Zhen still wants to believe it, I will return to the Ming Dynasty."

Don't be suspicious when you employ people, don't use people when you are suspicious.

The purpose of convincing King Shojin was to better control the Ryukyu soldiers.

If the Ryukyu officials cannot work together as one, the battle will be lost before it even begins.

Wang Shouren is studying the study of mind, so he pays more attention to military morale than before.

There is nothing outside the heart.

Only when the generals have expectations in their hearts and believe that they will definitely win, will their morale be invincible.

If even King Shang Zhen doesn't believe him, then what's the point of morale?

King Shang Zhen took a deep breath and seemed to have made a difficult decision: "Bring the sand table! The lives of these ten thousand soldiers are in the hands of Lord Wang."

The minister's eyes wandered and he sighed helplessly.

Wang Shouren looked at the terrain in the sand table.

Satsuma is located on the land of the island country and occupies the southern part of the island country.

The current king is Shimazu Tadamasa, an extremely powerful civil and military general who commands Qingshui City, Sashu Island, and many other territories.

His ancestor was once a daimyo of the island country during the Edo period.

Later, he rose up with force and talent, occupied the southwest of the island country, and established the Satsuma Kingdom.

Dong Min explained to Wang Shouren, and Wang Shouren nodded: "You can tell by looking at the map that there will be a naval battle. How many big ships are there in Ryukyu?"

"There are seven six-masted ships, ten three-masted ships, and fifty small warships. If we requisition fishermen's ships, we can make a hundred ships."

Wang Shouren looked at Shang Zhen: "Do you have any firearms?"

"Yes, but the firearm is very crude. It is an imitation of the Ming Dynasty's bowl-mouth cannon."

Dong Wen informed in detail.

Ryukyu is located overseas, far away from the Ming Dynasty, and the imperial court prohibits the sale of strategic materials to outsiders.

The bowl-mouth cannon was a firearm from the early Ming Dynasty.

Wang Shouren had already guessed that he should bring Brother Song with him on this trip.

With Brother Song here, General Hongyi can be built in less than half a month.

"Does Satsuma country have artillery?"

Dong Min's eyes showed a bit of helplessness: "Pirates trade a lot of Frangji firearms in the Satsuma Kingdom. I don't know where they got the artillery and sold it to the Satsuma Kingdom."

Ryukyu also wants to buy it, but artillery is in hot demand.

There was a civil war on the island, and the daimyo continued to fight. It was the time when firearms were needed, and the supply exceeded demand.

The Japanese pirates not only sold them, but also kept them on the ship as weapons, and were not willing to sell them at all.

Therefore, Ryukyu has never been able to buy it.

Wang Shouren thought for a moment and said, "You can borrow cannon from a straw boat."

Borrowing cannon from a straw boat?

Shang Zhen and the ministers widened their eyes, what are you talking about? That thing is called straw boat borrowing arrows!

"Sir, I like to read the classics of the Ming Dynasty. Did you use the classics incorrectly when you quoted them just now?"

Doctor Bingxian felt that his IQ was insulted and said angrily.

The ministers nodded in agreement.

Wang Shouren said seriously: "Ryukyu has only 17 warships, and Satsuma may have twice as many. If we can't seize the firearms, we will definitely lose."

There are almost no terrain advantages that can be used in the battle at sea.

If the ship is sunk, we will definitely lose!

Shang Zhen understood the importance of what Wang Shouren said, but it is not so easy to seize the artillery.

"Sir, it's easy for you to say that. Satsuma was safe and sound during the civil war on the island, which shows that Shimazu Tadamasa is a talented person."

"And he sent troops to the islands around Ryukyu twice, and both times he returned with great victories."

Although he had never really met Shimazu Tadamasa, he speculated from the rumors about him that he was a man of both civil and military talents.

The ministers were a little afraid of him.

Shang Zhen's face was serious, revealing a bit of majesty: "Lord Wang wants to use soldiers as cannon fodder?"

"Just use straw men. It's hard to see clearly when sailing at night." Wang Shouren quickly came up with a plan in his mind: "Are there any sailors who can dive?"

"Ryukyu fishermen are good at swimming."

Wang Shouren looked at the sand table again and said: "King Shang Zhen ordered people to place firearms in Sanchong City and Yarazamori City to prevent the enemy from landing. This is the first step."

Sanchong City and Yarazamori City are in Naha Port.

This port is the life port of Ryukyu. From here, you can go south and cross Ryukyu.

If this place is lost, it will be the same as the loss of Xuanfu in the Ming Dynasty.

And if the Satsuma people landed from the middle of the island, they would be attacked from both the north and south and quickly defeated.

Wang Shouren guessed that Shimazu Tadamasa was a smart man and would not do this.

Therefore, it is extremely important to defend Naha Port!

King Shang Zhen nodded, showing a somewhat convinced look: "What about the second step?"

"Order the able-bodied men in the southern part of Ryukyu to gather north and join the army. Issue a decree that those who behead the enemy will be rewarded with land and silver."

The southern part of Ryukyu is Hainan, and there is no external threat.

The war will be concentrated in the north. If the troops of Ryukyu are transferred, the island will be empty and people will be needed to guard the city.

The minister was very distressed. It would be fine if they won the war and plundered the supplies: "What if they lose, where will the silver reward come from?"

Wang Shouren said: "The country is gone, why do we need rewards?"

King Shang Zhen nodded again: "I will give an order in a moment, is there a third point?"