After expressing his gratitude, Fan Wencheng exchanged greetings with Luo Xiujin before sitting down at the guest seat.

A servant brought tea. Huang Taiji nodded, then paused for a moment before asking, "Our army suffered a setback in the Battle of Ningyuan. However, I know that your proposals for building a trench bridge and burning the stakes were both successful. I invited you today to inquire about the details of the siege."

After a brief pause, Huang Taiji continued, "I have asked several people, and they all say that the Ming army's firearms are powerful. In particular, there is a type of cannon that can fire very far and is extremely powerful. Our army has suffered many casualties as a result of it. They speak of it with a certain fear."

"I believe you have also known some information. That kind of artillery was made by overseas red barbarians. The Ming court spent a lot of money to buy it and equip the troops." Huang Taiji shook his head helplessly.

From the "Da Ming Forum" newspaper sent through secret channels, the Later Jin finally knew where the cannons on Ningyuan City came from. This also put an end to their idea of ​​obtaining them, unless they were captured on the battlefield, which was unlikely.

The newspapers exaggerated the power and number of the Red Cannon, which made the Later Jin Dynasty more afraid of attacking.

Seeing Huang Taiji pause to drink from his cup, Fan Wencheng quickly composed his words, bowed slightly respectfully, and said, "Replying to Fourth Prince, I believe that the Ming army's artillery, while powerful, is not the greatest threat."

Oh, Huang Taiji raised his eyebrows, put down the teacup, and looked at Fan Wencheng.

"Why does Mr. Fan say that?" Luo Xiujin asked on behalf of her master, feeling very confused.

After the defeat at Ningyuan, the Later Jin army, both generals and soldiers, were still haunted by the Red Barbarian cannon. The tragic scene of a bloody alley was etched in their minds.

If it is a face-to-face bloody battle, no matter how brutal it is, it is a tactic that the Later Jin army is familiar with.

But now, it is really hard to accept that the invincible cavalry and the brave and skilled warriors died under the iron balls without even meeting the enemy.

It's like a soldier who is fully prepared to fight the enemy with real weapons, but is greeted with heavy bombardment; it's a similar feeling to a warrior who is swinging a sword and roaring, ready to duel with his opponent, but is shot down by his opponent who pulls out a pistol.

Artillery is sharp and powerful, which is almost the consensus of the Jin soldiers who participated in the war. But when Fan Wencheng said this, how could Huang Taiji and Luo Xiujin not be surprised and puzzled.

Fan Wencheng felt a little proud when he saw that he had successfully aroused the suspicion and interest of Huang Taiji and Luo Xiujin.

How could he demonstrate his talent by being like everyone else? Was it about being different? Not entirely. After returning, he thought about it carefully and actually had some unique insights of his own.

"Fourth Prince, have you calculated our casualties this time?" Fan Wencheng smiled, then quickly regained his serious demeanor and said sternly, "I'm not talking about the total number, but the exact number of artillery, muskets, and other factors."

Huang Taiji frowned slightly. Of course, he hadn't counted the casualties, and it wasn't a custom back then. The total number of casualties was all they looked at; no one cared whether you were killed by artillery fire or fell from your horse.

Fan Wencheng knew this was no time to keep the secret, so without waiting for Huang Taiji to respond, he continued, "Based on what I saw and estimated on the Ningyuan battlefield, while the Ming army's artillery was powerful, the number of casualties it caused to our army was far less than what we would have suffered from the Ming army's musketry outside the city."

Luo Xiujin said with a half-smile, "That's normal! How many cannons can there be? With tens of thousands of Ming troops defending the city, their firepower is naturally extremely dense."

Fan Wencheng nodded, seemingly agreeing with Luo Xiujin's opinion, but his words were different. "Although the Ming army's artillery is powerful, what really hinders our attack is the Ming army's large number of muskets, trenches, and fortifications."

"During the attack on Ningyuan, the artillery on the city walls bombarded our distant gathering forces from a high position. Although this caused many casualties, the greater impact was on our morale. The actual hindrance to our attack was not as great as we had imagined."

"Our troops, blocked by the trenches, were subjected to intensive enemy fire, close-range artillery fire, and exploding shells, causing a sudden increase in casualties."

"The Ming army's city defenses were bizarre and fierce. Their firearms attacked from all angles, making it nearly impossible to dodge."

"Although the artillery is powerful, it fires slowly. This is one of its weaknesses."

"The artillery is powerful, but it must also be very heavy and difficult to move. This is its second weakness."

"As for attacking fortified cities, throughout history, they have often involved fierce fighting and heavy casualties, even without artillery."

"Therefore, I believe that offensive attack is our army's weakness, while the Ming army is strong; in field battles, our army is invincible, while the Ming army has little chance of winning."

Fan Wencheng finished speaking in one breath, bowed to Huang Taiji, picked up the teacup and took a sip of water.

Huang Taiji and Luo Xiujin looked at each other with complicated expressions.

Luo Xiujin chuckled and said sarcastically, "If that's the case, then our army should avoid their weaknesses and exploit their strengths, and stop attacking the areas held by the Ming army."

Huang Taiji pursed his lips slightly, feeling somewhat dissatisfied.

I asked you to discuss your strategy for the offensive, but you seem to be resigned to the fact that you've given up. Everyone knows the Ming army isn't good at field battles, but they won't fight you. If we don't remove these few obstacles, the strategic situation will be difficult to reverse.

Fan Wencheng gave a wry smile and said, "Although my words may sound a bit discouraging, they come from the heart. If we want to attack the city, we must be on par with the Ming army in terms of weaponry and equipment, which is a difficult requirement to achieve."

After a pause, Fan Wencheng added, "But it won't be easy for the Ming army to advance by relying on fortresses. The cities along the way have all been demolished. Rebuilding them would be extremely expensive, and how long would it take? It would be best for our army to attack the enemy while they're still building and haven't completed their construction."

This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!