Chapter 441: One Hundred Thousand Elite Cavalry
It’s still the same question, to defend Yizhou we must defend Hanzhong.
If Hanzhong was lost, Yizhou would always be under threat.
Therefore, Zhang Song invited Liu Bei to come, not only to defend Shuzhong, but also to wait for an opportunity to recapture Hanzhong after it was lost.
As long as Hanzhong is in his hands, even if it is in Liu Bei's hands, Liu Fan can rest assured at least in the short term.
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei agreed without hesitation.
Helping Liu Fan was Liu Bei's duty.
Moreover, it is impossible for Liu Bei to say that he is not interested in Yizhou.
If the Han Dynasty is to be restored, Yizhou must be taken.
However, with Tian Ze being a powerful enemy, it was impossible for Liu Bei to seize Yizhou by force. Liu Fan was not a coward and would not give up his throne to him unless he was in dire straits. Liu Bei could only slowly seize the opportunity to seize Yizhou through other means.
Pang Tong had a detailed discussion with Liu Bei about this matter early on.
It is not only through force that power can be seized. As long as Liu Bei can extend his hand to Yizhou, even if it is just a few cities, with Liu Bei's charm and ability, it is enough to slowly pry open the entire Yizhou and control it silently.
Yuan Shao and Cao Cao felt a pang in their hearts, but did not say anything to stop it.
They knew that although Liu Fan's actions solved the problem temporarily, it was tantamount to inviting a wolf into the house and handing over Yizhou to them.
But the overall situation is like this, and they have no better solution.
Compared with the threat from Tian Ze, Liu Bei's plan to become more powerful can only be put aside for the time being.
They can hardly protect themselves, so how can they interfere in such matters?
Sun Ce, on the other hand, took an indifferent attitude. His hand couldn't reach that far, so naturally he didn't consider these things.
With the tacit consent of the three parties, Pang Tong and Zhang Song discussed the garrison issues of both sides and gradually determined the defense plan for Yizhou.
"Okay, now that Yizhou's strategy has been finalized, let's discuss the issues in the Central Plains." Seeing that both parties had reached a consensus, Liu Bei continued to move forward the agenda.
Tian Ze's troops led two routes, one heading towards Yizhou and the other heading towards the Central Plains.
"Tian Chengshou moved a large number of cavalry from Liangzhou to Jizhou and trained them intensively. His purpose is self-evident. However, whether he is aiming at Yanzhou or Qingzhou remains to be discussed," said Pang Tong.
Yuan Shao and Cao Cao looked at each other and said in unison: "Qingzhou."
Having fought against Tian Ze many times, they know Tian Ze's thoughts and style best.
Compared with Yanzhou, which has no strategic location to defend, Qingzhou, which is blocked by Donglai and Mount Tai, is undoubtedly more in line with Tian Ze's "taste".
"But Yanzhou may also be the target." Mao Jie said with a sigh.
"Tian Ze has stationed nearly 100,000 elite cavalry in Jizhou, almost half of his cavalry."
"We all know very well what a hundred thousand elite cavalrymen means in a place like the Central Plains."
"And even if we add up our cavalry, I'm afraid we can't even gather 30,000."
Speaking of this, even Mao Jie, who was usually calm, couldn't help but frown.
There is no way to fight this situation.
I gambled too much in the past and lost almost all my chips. The remaining capital is so tight that I can't afford any more.
"Tian Ze's primary target must be Qingzhou, but it won't be difficult to attack Yanzhou as well. After all, Huangfu Song has come out..."
Hearing Mao Jie's words, everyone fell silent. Huangfu Song's coming out of seclusion not only affected the old officials of the Han Dynasty, but also dealt a heavy blow to them.
Cao Cao and Liu Bei both served under Huangfu Song and were very clear about his abilities.
Even though this big man declared that he would not participate in the war in Central Plains, his appearance undoubtedly freed up a lot of Tian Ze's energy.
Even though the appearance of Xu Rong was just one more person, the chain reaction it brought was something that Cao Cao and Yuan Shao could not bear.
Originally, the two of them were fighting against Guan Yu and Xu Huang's forces. Gan Ning's force was restrained by Sun Ce, Zang Ba's force was checked and balanced by Yuan Shu, and Zhang He's force in Sili was resisted by Liu Bei. The overall situation was maintained in a balanced state.
Because of the ties with Jizhou, Guan Yu and Xu Huang could not devote all their energy to attacking the Central Plains. Overall, it was two against one, and they even had a considerable advantage.
Now, with Xu Rong stationed in Jizhou, Guan Yu and Xu Huang were completely released, and the troops available for attack were even no less than theirs, and there were also a lot of cavalry.
As a result, they were completely screwed.
"General Huangfu, is there any possibility of fighting for it?" Liu Fan asked.
He didn't know much about Huangfu Song's character, but he admired Huangfu Song's deeds and achievements.
In his opinion, since this pillar of the Han Dynasty had once turned the tide, there might be a possibility for him to fight for it.
After all, the Han Dynasty has nurtured scholars for four hundred years, and countless people are grateful and want to repay their kindness.
Cao Cao shook his head: "Impossible."
"General Huangfu values his reputation the most and would never do such a thing. Since Tian Ze dared to invite him out of retirement and gave him the title of General of the Cavalry and the important task of commanding the north, he must have great trust in him."
Cao Cao's attitude towards Huangfu Song was actually quite complicated.
There is admiration, gratitude, and disdain.
Huangfu Song single-handedly pulled the Han Dynasty back from the brink of destruction, but when the Han Dynasty faced a crisis again, he clearly had the ability to resolve it, but he chose to stand by and watch, becoming a puppet of the aristocratic family.
After Cao Cao finished speaking, Liu Bei and Yuan Shao also nodded slightly.
Liu Bei was the best at judging people and had already seen through Huangfu Song's true nature.
As for Yuan Shao, Huangfu Song was the knife in the hands of the Yuan family, which was the leader of the aristocratic family at that time. How could he not know who Huangfu Song was?
Looking at the reactions of the crowd, Liu Fan sighed slightly, his eyes full of helplessness and disappointment. He originally thought that Huangfu Song might be the key person to break the deadlock, but now it seems that this is just an unrealistic fantasy.
Liu Bei coughed lightly, breaking the suffocating silence: "General Huangfu can't fight for it, we can only rely on ourselves."
"Guan Yu and Xu Huang's armies have at least 300,000 elite soldiers. With Benchu and I's strength, we can't confront them head-on. We can only defend the city." Cao Cao said in a deep voice.
"But how can we defend against those 100,000 elite cavalry? Besides, we are afraid that Tian Ze will fight a war of attrition with us."
Yuan Shao frowned and said solemnly: "One hundred thousand elite cavalry are galloping across the plains. Our infantry can hardly resist them."
"Moreover, the mobility of cavalry is far from comparable to that of infantry. The area we need to defend is too large. Once Guan Yu and Xu Huang attack with all their strength, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to hold our defense line."
"The cavalry and horses under Meng De and I are too few and cannot afford to suffer too great a loss."
How crazy it was back then, how embarrassing it is now.
In order to seize that glimmer of opportunity, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao almost spent all their assets. Although they did not lose all, there was not much left.
(End of this chapter)
