Chapter 501 Find a new way
"My lord, we must be prepared to dissolve the alliance and fight against Qi alone." Pang Tong also agreed.
It’s not that they are not strong enough, it’s just that the enemy is too powerful and the situation deteriorates too quickly.
The alliance of the past was real, and the trust and support among the princes in the Central Plains even exceeded his imagination.
But the general trend cannot be reversed by just the unity of these people.
At this time, even the strongest alliances can no longer be maintained.
Even Yuan Shao has not surrendered yet, which Pang Tong thinks is already very considerate.
If Liu Fan were in the other place, I'm afraid Xuzhou would have been in the hands of Tian Ze now.
Yuan Shao was doomed, Cao Cao was alone and helpless, and defeat was imminent.
Even believing that Cao Cao could fight Tian Ze in the end was based on Pang Tong's understanding of Cao Cao's character. If it was Liu Fan...
It’s no wonder that Pang Tong always dragged Liu Fan out and whipped his corpse. After the battle of Yizhou, Pang Tong’s resentment towards Liu Fan was too deep.
You both have the blood of the Liu family. Look at Liu Bei and then look at you, Liu Fan. Why is there such a big difference between them?
The situation deteriorated so quickly, and Liu Fan’s role was “indispensable”.
If he had a little more skill and courage and could have held on for another half a month, he would not have surrendered so immediately and the situation would not be like this now.
But it's too late to say anything now.
"Cao and Yuan in the Central Plains are no longer able to resist. I'm afraid they won't be able to hold out until next year."
"As for Yangzhou. According to the information I have, when Sun Bofu sent troops to Qingzhou, the Qi army dispatched a large navy to Jiangdong, and Sun Ce was unaware of it."
"The Qi army has the ability to fight across the sea, which is something that Sun Ce's side, who can only march and fight reluctantly near the sea, cannot do."
"If Sun Ce hadn't deployed troops to defend the coast, and if Tian Ze hadn't had other ideas, I'm afraid Yangzhou might have been lost, or at least one or two counties."
"After suffering this loss, Sun Bofu will not dare to send a large-scale navy to aid us easily, even if he still has the will to fight." Pang Tong said with a sigh.
In fact, he was still conservative. In his opinion, the three allies all had the possibility of surrendering directly.
The reason why he hasn't voted yet is that Tian Ze is considering the situation and holding back.
Now they are on their own.
"The three allies are in trouble, and we are unable to support them."
"Now that Tianze has occupied Yizhou, the areas of Nanyang, Nanjun, and Wuling have all become border areas. I'm afraid the battle in the Central Plains won't be too large-scale."
"Tian Ze can spare at least 200,000 to 300,000 troops to deal with us."
"My lord, we must prepare early." Chen Qun said with a double meaning.
Pang Tong looked at Chen Qun with complicated eyes, feeling mixed emotions.
As the situation has developed to this point, it is not just the civil and military officials under Cao and Yuan who have changed. How could it be possible that the people under Sun and Liu did not feel anything?
There was no need for Tian Ze to intervene, as Liu Bei's subordinates had secretly split into two factions.
Led by Chen Qun and Pang Tong respectively, the Central Plains faction represented by Chen Qun quickly turned from radical to conservative, tending to retain strength and surrender when it was time to do so.
The Jingzhou faction represented by Pang Tong quickly turned from conservative to radical, and was inclined to defend Jingzhou to the death, and surrender if it could not be defended.
Pang Tong sometimes feels a little dreamy when he thinks about it.
It's only been two years, and the two factions have become like each other. It's ridiculous.
But now, as the leaders of the two factions, their ideas are in conflict with their own factions.
Pang Tong remained radical, while Chen Qun remained conservative.
"My lord, you are a descendant of the Han Dynasty. How can you surrender without fighting to the last moment? My lord, we should quickly reorganize the troops, strengthen the defense of the western front, and be prepared to fight Tian Ze alone." Pang Tong said bluntly.
He naturally understood Chen Qun's idea. Preserving his strength would facilitate his conquests in the Western Regions and other places in the future. Moreover, if he surrendered early and got Tian Ze's support, he would not fall behind other princes too much. The situation before and after surrender was completely different.
Look at Lu Bu and Gongsun Zan. The civil and military officials under their command are far inferior to them, and their power in the past was far less than theirs. But now they have grown to a level that they can't match.
There is no need to worry about the threat from Tian Ze, and they can also get Tian Ze's strong support. The development of these two forces is now in full swing.
Except for the smaller population, the level in all aspects is directly approaching that of Da Qi, and even leaving them behind.
How many years has it been?
The world has been turned upside down into something they no longer recognize.
The powerful families under Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were all eager to surrender, and some were even anxious to tie the two men up and bring them directly to Tian Ze.
It’s okay if you have a backbone, but don’t affect everyone’s wealth!
Looking at the powerful people under Lü Bu and Gongsun Zan, what level are they at? In the past, they looked down on them and didn't even have a decent family.
It's only been a few years? They are about to be overtaken.
In terms of hard power, they may not be able to compare with these small shrimps.
Where does this make sense?
It is for this reason that Chen Qun has always maintained a conservative attitude.
Surrender early and develop early, and don't fall too far behind other princes.
But Pang Tong thought differently.
We haven’t lost yet. Who knows what the outcome will be if we don’t fight to the end?
Of course, taking a step back.
Since you're already "behind", don't dwell on it too much. It can't be made up for anyway.
It is better to find another way and overtake others.
What is Liu Bei’s biggest advantage now?
Descendants of the Han Dynasty!
And it is the last pillar.
As the saying goes, the Han Dynasty has nurtured scholars for four hundred years, and a lean camel is bigger than a horse.
Tian Ze has already made it clear how to develop correctly, and they just have to copy his homework.
The most important of these are talent and population.
With the support of the big tree of Da Qi, there is no need to worry about food and supplies.
Only these two are the most important to them.
They don’t have a good solution for the population, but they can find a way to deal with the talents!
Liu Bei’s current identity is his best weapon.
The more straightforward Liu Fan's surrender was, the more majestic and noble Liu Bei's resistance would appear.
It has only been more than ten years since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and less than ten years since the Dong Zhuo Rebellion.
Although the tremendous changes brought about by Tianze have changed a lot.
But after all, the time is too short, and many people's concepts have not been completely changed.
The orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty and the grace of the Liu family have not completely disappeared.
After all, it is the legacy of an empire. Even if it is only eight out of ten times better, it is still unimaginable for ordinary princes.
As long as Liu Bei's "defeat" is tragic and tragic enough, it will be enough to resonate with a large number of people who are loyal to the Han Dynasty.
With these people around, their future development speed will definitely be able to surpass that of other princes.
It takes ten years to grow a tree and a hundred years to cultivate a person. This group of people alone is incomparable to other princes.
(End of this chapter)
