Chapter 445: Jiangdong Situation
Neither the civil nor the military officials under Tian Ze like to fight wars of attrition or siege warfare because those kinds of battles are not cost-effective.
Especially in the case of a civil war in the Central Plains, it was completely consuming the strength of both sides.
After switching from the defensive to the offensive side, the civil and military officials under Tian Ze had already adjusted their fighting style, changing from the original defensive strategy to surprise attacks and quick decisions.
Of course, if we could take Qingzhou without bloodshed through a war of attrition, that would be the best strategy.
But now it seems that this strategy is difficult to implement.
The deep union and resource sharing among the princes in the Central Plains have already provided them with the capital to compete with Tian Ze.
The princes in the Central Plains have no shortage of wise and heroic leaders, brave generals and virtuous ministers, money, food, soldiers and horses, elite cavalry, infantry, archers and navy. It’s just that they belong to different groups and have their own shortcomings.
If they were really deeply united, it would be a huge empire with a population of tens of millions, a million armored soldiers, countless money and food, many war horses, and a lineup of civil and military officials that would be no less than Tian Ze's.
If he was facing such a complete enemy, Tian Ze would also have a headache. After all, with such a huge strategic depth and many geographical advantages, it would not be difficult for him to win, but it would be difficult to take it down.
Therefore, he never pushed too hard, for fear that the various princes would unite.
But now it seems that they are starting to take this step.
"Zhongde, are you sure?" Tian Ze asked in a deep voice.
Hearing Tian Ze's words, Chen Gong couldn't help but sigh.
Sure enough, His Majesty also supports this war.
Cheng Yu glanced at Jia Xu and Guo Jia calmly.
Seeing Jia Xu's lowered head move slightly, Guo Jia's unruly smile never faded, and he immediately said confidently: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I am willing to issue a military order!"
"If you follow my plan, Yizhou and Qingzhou will be conquered in just three months!"
Tian Ze smiled and nodded, then turned to look at Chen Gong: "Gongtai, can you guarantee the money and food logistics for three months?"
"It's all up to your majesty." Chen Gong looked at the group of people unhappily, and then said.
Cheng Yu and a group of generals all showed joy on their faces.
"Okay, if that's the case, then it's settled. In the early spring of next year, the entire army will march south!" Tian Ze said solemnly.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
……
Following Tian Ze's order, the entire Qi State suddenly turned into a sophisticated military machine and began to operate at high speed.
Generals at all levels received orders and went to prepare for the upcoming large-scale military operation.
The preparation of food and supplies, the deployment of troops, the inspection and replenishment of weapons and equipment, every link is carried out in a tense and orderly manner.
In the martial arts hall, military meetings were held one after another. The generals sat together, facing the huge sand table, and repeatedly rehearsed the battle plans, striving to make them foolproof.
At the same time, the southern princes were also making intensive preparations for defense.
Apart from the four protagonists, Sun Ce, the only one who could be considered to be out of the matter, had a deep talk with Zhou Yu and Zhang Hong.
Unlike the princes in the Central Plains, Sun Ce, who was isolated in Jiangdong, was extremely stable. No matter which route Tian Ze attacked from, he could not reach Jiangdong.
However, the restless Sun Ce never became complacent about this. Instead, he became more anxious and nervous.
Not having to face Tian Ze's threat directly is both an advantage and a disadvantage.
Compared with other princes, Sun Ce had no room for expansion, as he was surrounded by allies. The conditions for opening up islands and Lingnan regions in the south were not fully met, and even if they were developed, it would take at least several decades to recover the cost, which was a completely losing business.
Sun Ce was on the training ground, brandishing his Overlord Spear while saying, "Gongjin, Zigang, the situation in the Central Plains is changing rapidly. Tian Ze is about to lead his troops south, and all the princes are actively preparing for war."
"In this battle, what position should Jiangdong take and what direction should it take in the future? I would like to hear your opinions."
Zhou Yu nodded slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "My lord, let's talk about the future later, let's talk about the battle at hand first."
"In this battle, we have a lot of room to maneuver. Whether to help with all our strength or to provide support from the sidelines is the most critical choice."
Zhang Hong said: "Hong believes that for the long term, we should retain our strength and just provide support."
Sun Ce's movements paused slightly: "Why?"
"Because we are not strong enough." Zhang Hong said bluntly, not caring about Sun Ce's displeasure.
"Tian Ze is indeed a great threat to us, and it is imperative to unite the princes of the Central Plains. However, is it really worth it for us to give our all to help him?"
"In other words, what can we gain by defeating Tian Ze's attack?"
"You can get a stable space for development." Zhou Yu said in a deep voice.
Zhang Hong smiled faintly: "We have it now."
"That's different. From a long-term perspective, if Yuan and Cao are defeated, Tian Ze will eventually fight to the vicinity of Jiangdong." Zhou Yu said.
Now Zhou Yu had completely given up the idea of counterattacking Tian Ze, and instead began to ponder the strategy of dividing the world into three or even two parts.
"That's right." Zhang Hong agreed, "So the key is how we can improve our strength as much as possible and stabilize our allies before Tian Ze reaches Jiangdong."
"That's something we'll talk about later."
"No, it's one thing."
Under Sun Ce's command, Zhou Yu was in charge of external affairs and Zhang Hong was in charge of internal affairs.
Naturally, a war faction and a conservative faction formed with the two of them as the core.
The former naturally aimed to unite the princes in the Central Plains to resist Tian Ze and advocated doing so with all their strength.
The latter, on the other hand, advocated uniting with the princes in the Central Plains to resist Tian Ze on the basis of preserving Jiangdong's strength and interests.
Before the Central Plains War, the latter's voice was extremely small. Zhang Hong didn't even bother to interfere in Jiangdong's strategy, and only obeyed Zhou Yu's orders.
But after the Battle of Central Plains, the situation changed and Zhang Hong had to stand up.
"First of all, the Five-Party Alliance has dispersed resources, too many hidden dangers, and is not stable. If Jiangdong wants long-term stability, it cannot have so many allies." Zhang Hong said incisively.
"Secondly, Jiangdong needs to develop. Jiangdong today is not short of money and food, but it lacks population, soldiers, and war horses, and these are things that other princes cannot give us."
"This kind of alliance is inherently disadvantageous to Jiangdong," Zhang Hong said bluntly.
"So, you plan to give up the Central Plains?" Zhou Yu said in a deep voice.
"Gongjin, you should know very well that the Central Plains cannot be defended at all. Since it cannot be defended, the sooner we lose it, the better. We can not only lose fewer soldiers and horses, but also seize some territory and population in the chaos." Zhang Hong said.
"But that will only make Tian Ze more powerful again!"
"In the past, when Yuan Shao and Cao Cao fought against Tian Ze in Hebei, we watched with indifference. Later, when Tian Ze went south to Sili, we watched with indifference. Now, when Tian Ze wants to conquer the Central Plains, can we still watch with indifference?"
(End of this chapter)
