A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 327 Between Games
To a certain extent, the success or failure of the crucial "Tsushima Sea Battle" in the Russo-Japanese War depended on the application of radio technology from the beginning.

Military fans who are familiar with the Russo-Japanese War do not know if they have paid attention to such a detail, and it is a very critical detail:

On May 1905, 5, the "Shinano Maru" of the Japanese Combined Fleet discovered the Russian fleet, and then used the Marconi radio equipment on board to send a brief message to the command:

"An enemy fleet has been found in Sea Area 203!"

It was this brief telegram that directly affected the outcome of the Tsushima naval battle.

Because the Russian Baltic Fleet at this time did not want to encounter the Japanese fleet, they were ordered to go to Vladivostok to rest and then try to compete with the Japanese Navy.

Because after more than a year of sailing, the Baltic Fleet was already exhausted.

Their voyage across more than half of the world was very difficult, because Britain had reached an "Anglo-Japanese Alliance" with Japan to jointly fight against Russia, so the Russian fleet was not allowed to pass through the Suez Canal.

The Russian fleet was forced to circle the distant Cape of Good Hope.

What's even more painful is that the British forbade the countries along the way to allow the Russian fleet to stop and rest, which was really fatal.

The so-called expeditions by teachers, sitting on the sidelines and waiting for rabbits, and waiting for work with ease are nothing more than that.

What's more, the Russian fleet had already learned a series of painful news during the journey, such as the fall of Lushun Port and the failure of the Fengtian Battle, and its morale was very low.

Coincidentally, the bottom of the boat was covered with barnacles and marine plants, which greatly slowed down the speed of the ship.

The British did not allow them to stop at the port along the way. The Russians had no choice but to load as much coal as possible on the ship, making the living conditions of the crew and soldiers very painful, and there was even a danger of mutiny.

So St. Petersburg's order is to let them go to Vladivostok to rest first, boost morale, and also allow the army assembled in Harbin to cooperate.

The goal of the Russian fleet is to not contact the Japanese fleet for the time being, and rush all the way to Vladivostok.

On the contrary, the Japanese fleet definitely wants to cut off the Hu.

But it is very difficult to intercept a fleet in the vast sea.

Just look at the map and you will know that the best place is the narrow Tsushima Strait.

If the Japanese can't stop the Baltic Fleet, I don't know how things will develop later.

Therefore, this telegram from "Shinano Maru" can be called the reminder of the Russian Baltic Fleet.

Originally, the Russian fleet also had radio equipment on board, but it was made in Germany and relied on technicians sent by Germany. Later, they withdrew, making the radio stations of the Russian fleet useless in an instant.

One careless move, and the whole game is lost.

It has to be said that Japan is much more prepared than the Russians in all aspects, and has considered everything that can be considered.

Even the army and navy, which have always been at odds, can cooperate in operations.This seems normal to us, but it is really very rare in Japan.Just look at how the Japanese navy and army pitted each other during World War II. At that time, the Guadalcanal naval battle almost completely ruined the last hope of the Japanese navy.

The army sent all kinds of wrong information to the navy, and the commander of the joint fleet, Yamamoto 56, was miserably cheated. He was so angry that he wanted to turn the muzzle of the gun first and shoot the army red deer on the shore first.

In the Russo-Japanese War, it is really rare for Japan to be able to cooperate with the navy and army, and the army and navy to win a big victory at the same time.

On the other hand, Russia, the entire war is completely unworthy of its status as a "European power", and all kinds of responses seem to be too hasty.

Of course Konoe Akiyuki was most concerned about the military, so he went to find Yasuya Uchida and Naniwa Kawashima the next day.

But she didn't see Xiao Zuo Xiang, and asked doubtfully, "Where is Xiao Zuo Jun?"

Naniwa Kawashima said indifferently: "To prevent his identity from being exposed, he is now temporarily transferred from the capital."

Jinwei Zhaoxue didn't dare to ask more questions, and then told them what he had heard from Li Yuna yesterday.

Uchida Yasuya thought for a while and said: "This is very important information, you should try to find out, it is best to know the arrival time of the radio equipment shipped from the United States. You know, Li Yu sold it to the Russians and improved it. radio equipment. So we should also have this new batch of radios that even the U.S. Navy greatly praises."

Konoe Zhaoyuki felt that the task was a bit heavy from Uchida Yasuya's tone, and said solemnly: "Zhaoyuki understands."

Naniwa Kawashima asked: "In this incident, we originally wanted to gain Li Yu's favor by creating difficulties and then rescuing him. But now things have backfired. Will Li Yu feel resentment towards us?"

Konoe Zhaoxue said: "I have reported Li Yu's attitude. He seems to be unfriendly to our Great Japanese Empire and Russia. Even... I even feel that he wants Russia to lose."

This is a key point, and Uchida Yasuya immediately asked: "He wants our Great Japanese Empire to win?"

Konoe Akiyuki said: "There is a difference between wishing Russia to lose and wishing us to win."

Uchida Yasuya figured out the meaning of the words: "Anyway, this attitude is a very crucial point! In espionage work, knowing the other party's intentions is the most difficult and most valuable task, so you are still very successful .”

Konoe Zhaoxue said: "It's just my feeling, I don't know if it's right."

Naniwa Kawashima smiled and said, "Is it the feeling of a woman? Sometimes it is very accurate."

Konoe Zhaoxue said: "So I think we shouldn't take aggressive actions against him. If we really irritate him, it would be... not good."

Saying so is somewhat blaming Naniwa Kawashima.

Naniwa Kawashima raised his eyebrows, and said immediately: "Of course we won't provoke him. The original intention was to win him over by beating him, and the ultimate goal is to make him a pro-Japanese faction."

Uchida Yasuya said again: "If Li Yu has a safe, you'd better find a way to get the password. Although it is difficult, I think you can do it."

Konoe Zhaoyuki said: "It is indeed difficult, Zhaoyuki will try her best."

After leaving the Aoki mansion, Konoe Zhaoxue breathed a sigh of relief, the tasks they assigned became more and more difficult, and they couldn't think of any good way.

Let's take a step by step.

At night, Jinwei Zhaoxue sneaked into Li Yu's study through the window. After a while of groping, she found a thick envelope.

After opening it, there were various calculations and blueprints. She was at a loss to read them, but when she read the phrase "radio navigation system" at the end, Konoe Zhaoxue's eyes lit up, perhaps it was the core point.

She immediately thought that Li Yu had received a letter from Count Zeppelin about airships, which might be related to airship technology.

Things that can go to the sky today are undoubtedly high-tech, and Konoe Zhaoyuki certainly knows that the Japanese Army has observation balloons.

I was overjoyed, and I got important information.

For spies, this is the happiest.

She dared not take the letter away, and slipped away immediately after putting it back as it was.

Back in the bedroom, her heart was still beating, and Minister Uchida and Mr. Kawashima would definitely praise her even more.

But thinking about it sideways, this Li Yu is really different from the people he usually sees:
He has such a scary mind, but he is also very kind-hearted. Although he is well-known all over the world, he doesn't have any pretensions, and his thinking is so open-minded that she can't understand it.

I really don't understand how there are such people in the world!
Pulling myself that day was actually saving myself. In such a dangerous situation, I can still be like that...

Konoe Zhaoxue quickly interrupted his thoughts, perhaps, he is just a kind person.

But kind people are much easier to deal with!So your task shouldn't be too difficult.

-

After Li Yu came back the next day, he came to the laboratory with the letter and the glass from that night.

He fumigated it with iodine vapors and quickly saw the fingerprints.

Then I picked up a magnifying glass and compared it carefully, and it was indeed Konoe Akiyuki!
Li Yu sighed, this woman.

Many thoughts flashed through his mind, but at the end it suddenly occurred to him: The best way to deal with it is to pretend not to know.

Because even if she is taken away, the Japanese will definitely send others.

Now it is the best choice to have a "spy" who already knows his identity by his side.

So Li Yu chose to remain silent, and let's see how Konoe Zhaoxue will perform next.

When he returned to the main hall, Uncle Wang immediately told him that Yuan Shikai, the governor of Zhili, had come again.

Li Yu knew that he would come. After all, the incident happened suddenly and the Yuan brothers were also in his house.

Li Yu went out to greet him, and Yuan Shikai asked, "Brother Emperor, it's good to see that you are fine! I just returned to Tianjin, and something happened. Are my two sons okay?"

Li Yu said: "They are very nice, the Japanese are only aiming at me."

After entering the house, seeing that his two sons were intact, Yuan Shikai was completely relieved.

Then he said to Li Yu: "I said long ago that the behavior of the Japanese is the most difficult to guess. Although this kind of thing is accidental, it seems inevitable."

Yuan Shikai looked at problems with a certain perspective, and Li Yu said with a smile: "Unexpectedly, the master of Taiwan knows a little bit about probability theory."

Yuan Shikai also laughed and said, "I'm a person who can't even pass the imperial examination, so I don't know any advanced Western learning."

Li Yu said: "Western learning is not all difficult and obscure, there is a strong progression from the simple to the deep, and there are many benefits to learning some elementary content."

Yuan Shikai said: "I agree with this point, that's why I let my two sons learn some Western learning from the brothers and sisters of the emperor."

Li Yu asked: "Master Taiwan should have other things to do when he comes to Beijing this time, right?"

Yuan Shikai said: "I thought it was just a matter of abolishing the imperial examination. But I also thought that there were still many resistances in the court, and I was somewhat troubled. If we push forward the abolition of the imperial examination, I am afraid it will attract a lot of opposition."

Li Yu is a time traveler, knowing that this year's imperial examination must be the last year, and the abolition of the imperial examination has been brewing for a long time, so he said: "The resistance should not be so great, right?"

Yuan Shikai said: "The cabinet scholars and most of the governors from all walks of life have agreed to abolish the scientific examination, but there are still some people who will obstruct it."

The end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China were very turbulent times, and Li Yu knew it in his heart.

He thought for a while and said, "Your Excellency, you can read the game theory book I wrote, it is also of reference significance for national affairs."

"I've heard of your theory, and it seems that foreigners hold it in high esteem. But at my age and being so busy, I'm afraid I can't understand it anymore," Yuan Shikai said.

Li Yu said: "It's not that difficult. Many experts in Taiwan who make equilibrium models can definitely refer to one or two."

"Equilibrium model?" Yuan Shikai didn't know why.

Li Yu said, "For example, the smart pig game."

"Smart pig?" Yuan Shikai became interested when he heard the name, "Teacher, tell me in detail."

Li Yu took out a pen and paper and began to explain to him.

Not a very complex game theory model.

To put it simply, there is a big pig and a little pig.

They lived in the same pen, and they both lived next to the same trough at first.

On the opposite side of the trough, at a farther position, there is a button, and the trough will put down the food after being pressed.

But this back and forth process consumes energy, which can be compared to the consumption of food.

In addition, big pigs must be more edible than small pigs.

Under this model, it is easy to see after analysis that Piggy's strategy is 100% to wait in place.

On the premise of knowing that the little pig will not go, the big pig can only choose to go.Because if he doesn't go, his own income is 0; if he goes, the income is at least positive.

In other words, the equilibrium point is "the big pig presses the button, and the little pig waits in place".

In other words, this model can explain some phenomena very well.

For example, high-tech industries such as chips that have received a lot of attention.

Everyone should know that the investment in technology research and development is very, very high, and it is frighteningly high.

In the 1990s, US scientific research expenditures reached tens of billions of dollars.

What is the concept of tens of billions of dollars in that era!

Few countries have the financial resources.After all, people's livelihood must be guaranteed first.

So not only us, but most countries adopt the piggy strategy in the smart pig game.

It is because of this that we did not invest too much in industries that rely heavily on capital, such as semiconductors.

But now Laomei is too bad, and she wants to get stuck with this.

The reason, of course, is that we grow up too fast, and Laomei is afraid that we will also become "big pigs".

So in fact, it does not violate the game theory, because if the piggy is no longer a piggy, it does not constitute a smart pig game.

Yuan Shikai feels that mathematics can still be so interesting, and he can understand one of the most popular mathematical theories today.

"Interesting, the emperor's teacher is indeed the emperor's teacher! You mean that the few opponents in the cabinet, such as Wang Wenshao, are already considered piglets."

Li Yu nodded: "It can be understood in this way, so if the master of Taiwan chooses to wait, the benefits are definitely not as good as going further."

Yuan Shikai pondered for a while: "It's so interesting, if I don't know how to express it, I even want to write your theory into the memorial."

Li Yu said with a smile: "If you want to write it, you can change it to 'Wisdom Tiger Game' or 'Wisdom Dragon Game', otherwise I am afraid that the ministers will take their anger out on me."

Yuan Shikai laughed loudly: "I know how to measure, but it still sounds more like a pig."

Li Yu could hear what Yuan Shikai meant, and knew that in his eyes, many court ministers were really like a herd of pigs.

Yuan Shikai prided himself quite highly on himself, otherwise he would never have thought of proclaiming himself emperor.Because he really felt that he was qualified to be an emperor, but it was obvious that he was really too inflated at that time, and he was a little confused.

In Li Yu's view, some princes and nobles are actually worse than pigs.

(End of this chapter)