Zhang Song's surrender was an unexpected surprise for Sun Ce. He was not stingy about the courtesy to talents, but Zhang Song refused. Zhang Song's plan was to return to Shu as a secret agent and deliver the secret for the Chu army to conquer Shu. A crucial blow.
Sun Ce watched Zhang Song leave the hall, and after a long time he looked back and asked in a deep voice.
"Tell me, what do you think of Zhang Song and Fazheng?"
The impact of this incident is by no means small. The weight of this chess piece may affect the chess game in the world.
Seeing everyone's silence, Sun Ce couldn't help but look at Ji Shu.
"Zi Yuan, you introduced me, so you go ahead and tell me."
Ji Shu didn't have any special views. After all, he knew that Zhang Song and Fa Zheng had secretly taken refuge with Liu Bei in history. All he did was follow Liu Bei's example.
"The king of Shu is weak. Now that the situation in the world is becoming clearer and clearer, any knowledgeable person can probably see that the one who will unify the world in the future will be the eldest brother and Cao Cao. It is not surprising that some ministers of Shu have begun to make plans for the future. Strange, although surrendering to the enemy and betraying the traitor is a villain's behavior, I think Zhang Song and Fa Zheng are still trustworthy and can be used to gain access to Shu."
Sun Ce touched his chin and nodded, looking at Pang Tong.
There seemed to be a trace of hesitation on Pang Tong's face. He frowned and asked Zhou Yu first.
"Gong Jin, the news sent back by the spies is that Fa Zheng encouraged Zhang Ren to attack Jingzhou?"
Zhou Yu was in charge of Chu State's intelligence organization and answered without hesitation when he heard this.
"Yes, it was Fazheng. I also asked Sun Qian about it, and it was Fazheng who handed the forged edict to Sun Qian and took him to Yong'an."
After confirming this information again, Pang Tong finally let go of any doubts in his heart and said.
"Your Majesty, Zhang Song can be trusted, but Fazheng is definitely not sincere in his service!"
"It is extremely bold to forge the king's order and lead troops to go on an expedition. Zhang Ren is loyal to the king of Shu. He trusts Fa Zheng so much, which shows that Fa Zheng's methods are not weak. Looking at Zhang Song's confession before going out as an envoy, Fazheng's confession becomes even more suspicious. ”
Having said this, Pang Tong looked at Ji Shu with a hint of apology in his eyes. Ji Shu's face was also slightly red, firstly because he was the one who falsely passed on the king's orders, and secondly because Pang Tong refuted his point of view in person.
Embarrassing was a bit embarrassing. Ji Shu didn't blame Pang Tong. It should even be said that this was the way it should be before the king's discussion, so he only listened carefully to Pang Tong's analysis.
"Our army's two expeditions to the north, although it intimidated the Qin and Wei dynasties with great victory, were actually broken. Excluding the defenders, the four states could not muster 50,000 soldiers and horses. The richest Jing and Wei in the world Yang and Liangzhou cannot raise enough food and grass for 50,000 soldiers to go out for a year."
"Although the prospects planned by Zhang Song and Fazheng are bright, I would like to ask you to imagine that if you listen to Fazheng's words and raise a strong army, when tens of thousands of troops arrive at Yong'an City, Zhang Ren has been released and Zhang Song has been beheaded. How to advance or retreat in such a situation?"
Enter? General Zhang Ren has returned to the army and is in charge. The Shu army is waiting in full formation, and the internal support has been eliminated. Can an army of tens of thousands really conquer Shu?
retreat? If an army of tens of thousands retreats without a fight, the morale of the army will inevitably be unstable, and food, grass and baggage will be wasted in vain. If the war goes unfavorably, the entire army may even be annihilated.
When Ji Shu heard this, he suddenly broke into a cold sweat!
He couldn't help but doubt the history he knew. Could all of this really be a trap for Fa Zheng?
"So, that picture?"
Pang Tong gently touched the map Sun Ce distributed to everyone for review, and answered slowly.
"The pen and ink on this picture are of varying degrees of newness, and the handwriting also has traces of writing on different terrains. I agree with the king on this point. This should be an authentic picture. Perhaps this is the only one that is beyond the scope of Fa Zheng. Calculating stuff.”
Zhou Yu touched the map in his hand with a serious expression and said.
"Fa Zheng, this person's strategy is not inferior to that of Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang, so it should not be underestimated. I agree with Shi Yuan's point of view that the Chu State should recuperate and recuperate at the moment. As for Zhang Song, he is quite talented, and Bo Fu can keep him to handle government affairs. "
After listening to the speeches of the three people, Sun Ce obviously had a clearer understanding of the current situation. Although Shu State has many hidden dangers, the current Chu State is also weak. Facing an enemy like Fazheng, he really should not advance rashly.
After pondering for a while, Sun Ce nodded.
"I understand everyone's intention. The Chu State still prioritizes recuperation and recuperation. Since Zhang Song sincerely surrenders to me, I will just keep him here. Let's all be separated."
Everyone was about to get up and leave when suddenly.
"Wait a moment!"
Everyone couldn't help but look at Ji Shu in astonishment.
Ji Shu was sweating slightly on his forehead. What he originally planned was Zhang Song's Shuchuan map, but he didn't expect that Zhang Song was really a great talent and everyone saw through Fa Zheng's trap. The development of the situation was beyond Ji Shu's expectation, but he had something to say on a whim.
"Brother, wait a moment! I have something else to say, and I would like to ask you to listen to it."
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu looked at Ji Shu, their faces seemed a little surprised, but they didn't say anything, they just smiled and sat down again. When Pang Tong saw this, he followed the crowd.
"Zi Yuan, tell me."
Hearing Sun Ce's words, Ji Shu's face turned slightly red. He had not seen through the possible dangers of Fa Zheng before, but now he felt like regaining his position. However, if he didn't say something now, he would really miss it.
"The crisis mentioned by Shi Yuan and the second brother is indeed something I have not considered before. The decision made by the eldest brother just now is also in line with the national conditions of Chu. But there are two countries in the world today, and I hope that the eldest brother will consider it."
"Let's talk about Wei first. Cao Cao didn't have the idea of attacking Chu before because there was Liu Bei in the middle, and he didn't have a strong navy to attack the hinterland of Chu, so Wei's main target was Qin in the west. But it’s different now. Qin’s strength skyrocketed after taking Hanzhong’s granary, and Liu Bei was destroyed by our army. Xuzhou is a land of mountains and plains, and Wei’s strong cavalry advantage can be used. He can weaken Chu’s power by attacking Xuzhou. , and began to use Xuzhou waters to train naval forces."
"Let's talk about the Qin State. Before, everyone said that the only advantage of the barbaric land of Xiliang is the cavalry. The Qin State's cavalry can't break through the dangerous passes like Hanzhong, but what is the result? Now the Qin State has not continued southward, it's not that he doesn't He covets the land of Shuchuan, but he is overeating. Since everyone agrees with what Zhang Song said just now that Shu is already strong on the outside but in the middle, if Chu does not take it now, Qin will take it in the future!"
Hearing this, everyone's expressions turned ugly.
It is not that Zhou Yu and Pang Tong did not expect this. In fact, the two Northern Expeditions had already hollowed out the Chu State, and they were very busy just dealing with the aftermath. They really did not want to think about sending troops anymore.
But at this moment, they had to admit that the victory in the Battle of Xuzhou had slightly paralyzed them, preventing them from noticing the crisis brought about by the fall of Lu and Han. They always subconsciously believe that once the powerful Chu State regains its breath, it is only a matter of time before it unifies the world.
Although Liu Bei was strong, his generals were no more than Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and his advisers were no more than Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang. He was far from being able to compare with the powerful Cao Cao.
And once Ji Shu's prediction comes true, after two or three years have passed, even if the Chu State has restored its strength before the Northern Expedition, will it really be able to defeat Cao Wei and Dong Qin?
Sun Ce stood up and paced back and forth.
"Ziyuan, keep talking, I'm listening."
Ji Shu said immediately.
"Right now, we have a chance to swallow up the Kingdom of Shu!"
"In this war between kings, Chu, Wei, and Qin all need to recuperate, and they do not have the ability to launch large-scale operations in a short period of time. Chu State can send a small group of elites to attack Yong'an, with the intention of retaliating against Shu State. It looks like cutting off Yong'an County, and once we get it, we will drive straight in and quickly capture Chengdu."
"Although Fazheng is powerful, he does not cover the sky with just one hand in the Shu Kingdom! The status of Zhang Song and Fa Zheng in the Shu Kingdom is actually similar to the status of my second brother and I in the Chu Kingdom. If they were prepared, how could Zhang Song give in so easily? Fazheng succeeds? Not to mention, the mastermind behind the false edict is Fazheng. If you are prepared, you can completely drive a wedge between Fazheng and the King of Shu. If the elder brother dares to gamble, he can recruit Zhang Song to come over another day and complain in detail. Among them, it is powerful. With him acting as an internal agent beside the King of Shu and influencing the actions of the Shu army, there should be a 50% chance of winning this battle."
"If this opportunity to swallow up Shu is missed, the war for world hegemony may continue for twenty or thirty years, until our sons and grandsons. And if Chu can take over Shu this time, With the troops, food, grass, and wealth of Shu, Chu will be fully capable of dealing with the threats of Qin and Wei at the same time, and will surely be able to unify the world within ten years!"
"The risk is worth taking!"
Sun Ce turned around and returned to his seat and sat down slowly.
"Let me think about it carefully, you can leave first."
Ji Shu, Zhou Yu, and Pang Tong all understood that the success or failure of this matter would have a great impact on the foundation of Chu State, and they could only let Sun Ce make this decision. Everyone said no more, stood up and left together.
