Chapter 447 The Value of Loyalty
The strategy proposed by Zhang Hong is extremely clear.
In the current complex situation, due to the checks and balances of various forces and its own actual situation, it is obviously unrealistic to expand outward rashly.
Jiangdong cannot become a free thug for the Central Plains princes to fight against Tian Ze, wasting its own strength, but it also cannot cause trouble at this time.
Because once disputes arise among the princes in the Central Plains, Tian Ze will only reap the benefits, but he may also bring disaster to himself and bring devastating disaster to Jiangdong.
Therefore, the top priority is to focus on developing one's own strength, wait for Yuan Shao and Cao Cao to be finished, and after destroying Tian Ze's vitality, go north to compete with Tian Ze for territory.
Finally, he joined forces with Liu Bei to fight against Tian Ze and divided the world into three parts.
This strategy seems to coincide with Zhou Yu's.
However, although the strategic goals of the two are similar on the surface, they are actually fundamentally different.
Zhou Yu's strategic goal was based on weakening Tian Ze. He had ambitions for the world and longed to unify the country in this chaotic time.
Everything he planned was to buy time, try to bridge the huge gap between Jiangdong and Tianze, and then look for an opportunity to reverse the situation.
Zhang Hong, on the other hand, set his sights on seizing control of Jiangdong from the very beginning.
Although the ultimate goal was also to divide the world equally, Zhang Hong's strategy was obviously more prudent, focusing more on the internal stability and strength accumulation of Jiangdong, and avoiding excessive risk-taking and radicalism.
However, this strategy also has obvious drawbacks, which is that it will make Tian Ze become more powerful and his influence will continue to expand during this period.
This is the root cause of the conflict between Zhou Yu and Zhang Hong.
Zhou Yu, who had previously occupied the main position in the court, was replaced by Zhang Hong's voice at this moment.
This is not determined by the two of them, but by the situation.
Power flows from top to bottom, but also from bottom to top.
Even if Sun Ce and others wanted to fight again, the lower-level soldiers and civilians no longer wanted to fight. They simply could not see the meaning of fighting, nor could they see the dawn of victory.
Why fight a meaningless and fruitless battle?
Although Sun Ce seemed reckless, he was actually very careful and meticulous. He had already noticed the problem and at this critical moment, he decisively chose Zhang Hong.
The subtle changes in Jiangdong did not attract much attention from the princes in the Central Plains.
Everyone was busy preparing for the next war, unaware that one of their allies was ready to "back off".
Because there was no shortage of money and food under his rule and Sun Ce always kept his promises, the supplies sent to Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were not delayed at all and were not discounted at all.
However, no matter how deeply Sun Ce and others hid, they could not hide from the eyes of those who were interested.
After receiving some information about the deployment of civil and military officials and the mobilization of troops in Jiangdong, Jia Xu keenly perceived the subtle changes in Jiangdong's attitude through these clues.
"Your Majesty, according to intelligence from all sides, Jiangdong has lost its will to fight. The conservatives in the court have gradually overwhelmed the radicals, and the garrisons in various places have also been adjusted to the north."
When Tian Ze, who was fishing, heard the news from Jia Xu, he was overjoyed.
"Great! After putting out the bait for so long, I finally caught this fish." Tian Ze's face was full of excitement.
Everyone's actions have a purpose, and the same is true for war.
Tian Ze didn't want to face the princes of the world directly from the beginning, so he always hid his strength until there was nothing left to hide, and then he truly revealed everything.
But Tian Ze never gave up the idea of splitting up the princes in the Central Plains, making his own people more numerous and the enemies fewer.
Whether it is governing or going to war, this sentence is a wise saying.
There are no eternal enemies. As the situation changes, many people's attitudes will change and their identities will change accordingly.
In the past, the nobles and powerful families regarded Tianze as their mortal enemy and mobilized various princes to besiege and blockade Tianze. At that time, the princes did not completely regard Tianze as an enemy, but maintained a half-enemy and half-friend status.
Because of Tian Ze's existence, it is profitable for them.
But today, the various princes have become Tian Ze's mortal enemies, and the attitudes of the aristocratic families have changed.
When they realized that the trend of external expansion and internal reform was inevitable, and discovered that the aristocratic families and powerful people who were the first to try it out in the Northeast Plain were living very well, the aristocratic families and powerful people in the world no longer resisted Tian Ze.
Many have already sent their branches to establish forces under Tian Ze.
Now, although most of those who remain under the command of the various princes are wealthy and powerful and are reluctant to leave, they also want to bet on the various princes.
After all, Tian Ze also set up two examples, Lu Bu and Gongsun Zan, which to a great extent undermined the will of the various princes and their civil and military officials, and also eliminated the worries of the aristocratic families supporting them.
Some powerful families even worked even harder.
Anyway, it's no loss if they lose. On the contrary, they can be more deeply tied to Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and others. With the support of Tian Ze in the future, the external development of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and others will definitely not be bad.
What they paid will be returned tenfold or a hundredfold.
To some extent, loyalty also has a price.
When people realized that loyalty not only did not pose any risk but instead brought huge benefits, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and other princes had many loyal ministers who were willing to remain loyal until death.
"Sun Bofu and Zhou Gongjin are also two tough guys! It's rare that they can hold on until now." Cheng Yu sighed.
In fact, in his opinion, Sun Ce should have realized his mistake before the war in Central Plains.
Although it is inevitable to unite with the princes of the Central Plains, it is completely unnecessary to fight to the death with the princes of the Central Plains and Tian Ze.
"Not only that, Sun Bofu and Zhou Gongjin have almost relied on their own strength to hold on until now, suppressing countless aristocratic families and scholars in Jiangdong. This ability and means are also terrifying."
"Heroes create the times, but heroes can never defeat the times!" Tian Ze sighed.
"Even with the courage of a king and the ability of a military genius, he still cannot defeat the general trend, let alone Sun Ce and Zhou Yu."
The reason why Tian Ze was able to win battles time and time again was not only because he had elite soldiers and brave generals, but more importantly, it was because Tian Ze always had the upper hand.
The seemingly invisible and intangible trend is actually an extremely terrifying force, just like morale during a battle.
Ancient wars are never just arithmetic problems on paper. There are countless examples of the few defeating the many throughout history.
Each of Tian Ze’s victories was achieved after he had made countless preparations for failures.
"Your Majesty, now that Jiangdong has been disintegrated and the troops have been sent away, next year's war will surely be smoother, and the pressure on Gongtai can be reduced." After Cheng Yu finished speaking, he looked at Chen Gong on the side, his tone slightly flattering.
Although Chen Gong was quite happy in his heart, he still snorted disdainfully.
Seeing these two people acting so silly, Tian Ze couldn't help but smile knowingly.
(End of this chapter)
