Chapter 446 Zhang Hong’s Strategy
Zhou Yu's words were deafening, but Zhang Hong remained calm and his eyes were as steady as water.
"Gongjin, I admit that you are right. We have indeed missed many opportunities and made many wrong judgments in the past." Zhang Hong said in a deep voice.
"But because of this, we don't have many options left, so we have to be cautious."
"Missed opportunities are like flowing water, which can never be recovered. Times have changed, and it is impossible for us to make up for the regrets we made back then. Blindly insisting on doing so will only lead to repeated mistakes, which will go against our original intentions."
Zhang Hong has always presented himself as a gentle and kind person, but at this moment, he stood tall, showed no intention of retreating, and looked directly at Sun Ce and Zhou Yu with a firm gaze.
He knew in his heart that Jiangdong was now standing at a crossroads of life and death, and he could not afford to hesitate or stand by and watch.
"Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei have trapped us in the middle, and we can't move. How can we have room for expansion now? Even Jiaozhou has been secretly intervened by Liu Bei." At this point, Zhang Hong's tone revealed a hint of helplessness and unwillingness.
"In this situation, whether the coalition forces win or lose, we cannot expand. What's the difference between this and waiting to die?"
He paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and continued, "Let's take a step back. Even if the coalition forces win, how many times can they win? By the time the coalition forces have a chance to counterattack, I'm afraid it will take several years."
"In the past few years, whenever Tian Ze went south, should we support him with all our strength? How many troops and horses does Jiangdong have to support the princes in the Central Plains?"
Zhang Hong, who was usually taciturn, fired a series of questions like a machine gun. Every word hit the nail on the head, leaving Sun Ce and Zhou Yu speechless for a moment.
The training ground instantly fell into a suffocating silence, as if the air had solidified, making it hard to breathe.
"Mr. Zigang, you are right."
After a long while, Zhou Yu sighed softly and said in a deep voice.
He knew in his heart that the court of Jiangdong was about to undergo a change. Zhang Hong's rebuttal was just superficial. The real reason was that the aristocratic families in Jiangdong no longer wanted to continue fighting endlessly like this.
Even Zhou Yu admired Zhang Hong's character from the bottom of his heart, but at this moment he actually said such words. It is conceivable that the undercurrent surging in Jiangdong has become difficult to contain.
"What if I insist on fighting?" Sun Ce held the Overlord Spear and swung it violently. A flash of cold light shot out like lightning and pierced through the giant tree in front of him. He had his back to Zhang Hong and his voice was calm, but it faintly revealed an unquestionable domineering aura.
"Then please dismiss Hong from his post, my lord." Zhang Hong responded without hesitation. Although his voice was not loud, it revealed a sense of determination.
He slowly took a few steps forward, and after he stood still, he stared at Sun Ce's back, bowed deeply and said, "My Lord, I have followed you for many years and I know your ambitions. But the situation in Jiangdong can no longer withstand any more turmoil."
Sun Ce turned around slowly, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes, including anger, unwillingness, but more of it was relief.
Using both hands to thrust the Overlord Spear into the ground, Sun Ce lifted Zhang Hong up with both hands and sighed, "You are truly my Fan Zeng!"
Jiangdong is Sun Ce’s Jiangdong, but it is not entirely Sun Ce’s Jiangdong.
Sun Ce was very clear about this.
Although he was known as the Little Overlord of Jiangdong, Sun Ce could not be as invincible and powerful as Xiang Yu.
There are many heroes emerging in this world, and there are also many people who are no less capable than him.
Moreover, the enemy he faced was Tian Ze, who was much stronger than Liu Bang during the Chu-Han Contention.
If he could keep winning, even if he only won more than he lost, the powerful families in Jiangdong might support him. But the current situation is that the chances of winning are slim, and there is only loss and no gain.
This kind of war is totally not worth the cost. Who among the powerful families in Jiangdong would be willing to be the scapegoat?
Don’t talk about long-term planning and the overall situation. Most people in this world can talk about it very well, but when it comes to their immediate interests, how many people can really give it up?
There are so many people who need to be sacrificed, why can't I be one less? My power is so small, my absence is insignificant.
If more people have this kind of thinking, Jiangdong will be difficult to control.
Simply raising the butcher knife will not solve the current problem, because the Jiangdong families cannot see the benefits that Sun Ce can bring to them.
Going south to Yizhou is both a backup plan and a form of helplessness.
If Sun Ce attacks Yuan Shao, almost all of them will support him, but if he joins other princes to fight Tian Ze, everyone should just forget about it and let Sun Bofu fight on his own.
They have already done their best by playing with you a few times. If you continue like this, they will not stop even with a knife on their necks.
It's death either way, the worst that can happen is that both sides will be destroyed and we can go to Izu to wait for the times to change.
As a conservative, Zhang Hong has always advocated focusing on developing Jiangdong and reducing attacks, which is undoubtedly in line with the interests of the vast majority of Jiangdong aristocratic families.
Therefore, as one of “his own people”, Zhang Hong knew best the psychological dynamics of these powerful families.
If possible, he didn't want to force Sun Ce like this, but the situation didn't allow it.
Seeing that Sun Ce had changed his mind and treated him with such great courtesy, Zhang Hong was extremely moved: "Thank you, my lord!"
"Zi Gang, what do you think we should do in the current situation?" Sun Ce asked humbly.
He did not have Xiang Yu's unparalleled martial arts, but he was also not as stubborn as Xiang Yu and listened to the advice of his subjects.
Zhang Hong stroked his beard and said slowly, "My lord, Hong believes that uniting the princes, accumulating strength, delaying the dispatch of troops, and looking for good opportunities are the key strategies to break the current situation."
"Why?"
"Alliance with the princes. Continue to maintain a close alliance with the princes of the Central Plains and share what we have. After all, Tianze is powerful, and the alliance of the princes is inevitable. We must not do anything treacherous, lest the people lose their support and the princes turn against each other."
"Build up strength. Jiangdong has gone through years of war, and the people are tired and resentful. We should speed up reforms, develop the people's livelihood, and encourage childbirth to build up strength."
"At the same time, we must speed up the construction of warships and weapons, and strengthen the training of soldiers, especially infantry and cavalry. This is the shortcoming of Jiangdong and must be made up."
"Send troops slowly. Jiangdong is far away from the Central Plains, and the local people and the powerful families are now tired of the war and are unwilling to participate. Once Cao Cao or Yuan Shao and others come to ask for help, we can use this as an excuse to delay the troops."
"Tian Ze has always been calm in his use of troops. He either fights quickly and decisively, or uses the general trend to suppress the enemy. As long as we wait and see for a while, the situation will become clear. If we participate in it, we won't suffer too much loss."
"As for finding a good opportunity." Zhang Hong's eyes narrowed slightly.
"We must always pay attention to the developments in the Central Plains, wait for the news of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao's complete defeat, and then march north as soon as possible to seize the land of Lianghuai and plunder the population."
(End of this chapter)
