The Three Kingdoms began with island farming

Chapter 704 Raising the Flag
Forming cliques and fighting amongst themselves are both human instincts; they are simply two sides of the same coin.

In a large group, to live better and gain more benefits, it is often necessary to unite more forces.

It would be good if the cake could continue to grow rapidly.

But if the cake is limited, then the only way to get more is to suppress those who are not in one's own group.

With the Great Qi now at peace internally, some conflicts naturally arise.

However, external conflicts have never ceased either.

Under Tianze's guidance, Rome and Parthia became targets.

No matter how Tianze tried to guide them, the seven kings, who were so close at hand, became an even greater threat in the hearts of the ministers.

The principle of "befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones" is something everyone understands.

No matter how strong Parthia and Rome were, no one in the Great Qi believed they would attack.

After all, the distance between the two sides is simply too great.

The productivity and supply lines of that era were simply incapable of supporting such long-distance operations.

Therefore, the threat from both sides is actually implicit.

This is also why Rome, Parthia, and even the Kushan Empire consistently misjudged Tazawa.

It's like if you're a landlord in a village, you'll worry about landlords from neighboring villages coming to seize your land, but you won't worry about landlords from other counties coming to seize your land.

It's too expensive and difficult to achieve.

Sima Yi's move subtly garnered the support of the entire Qi state.

Even if this support was not overt and not substantial, it was a crucial step for Sima Yi.

This will lay a solid foundation for his future return to the imperial court.

As expected, with Sima Yi's antics, the relationship between the seven kingdoms began to become somewhat delicate, and a certain rift also began to develop with the Great Qi.

Faced with this situation, Chen Gong and the others had very mixed feelings, but they did not blame Sima Yi.

The conflicts between the seven kings and between the seven kings and the Great Qi were inevitable; they were simply suppressed.

This rift isn't new; it's just that it's been revealed a little.

As long as Tian Ze is alive, this delicate state will continue to exist between the seven kings and between the seven kings and the Great Qi.

This is advantageous for Daqi.

This subtle state, in turn, subtly confirms the idea of ​​peace.

As for how to deal with Anxi, Jia Xu and others had begun planning early on. Their general direction was similar to Sima Yi's guess, but there were also some deviations.

With Jia Xu's deliberate guidance and the Seven Kings' half-truthful cooperation, the Seven Kings' "situation" was quickly brought to the forefront of Anxi's agenda.

After confirming his guess, Vologus V was overjoyed.

As the king of Parthia, Vologus V had previously suffered a defeat at the hands of Rome, losing Mesopotamia and even Ctesiphon, the center of the empire, was once again captured. This was undoubtedly a huge blow to him.

Although the Parthian Empire had not been conquered by Rome and still possessed some strength, it was in a state of near collapse.

Rome no longer had the ability to initiate a war, nor did it have any chance of reclaiming Mesopotamia.

If this continues, Parthia will inevitably lose control over the various tribes, gradually decline, and eventually be overthrown.

Compared to the predicament faced by the former Kushan king Bodhi, Vologius V's current situation is not much better.

It's just that there are fewer internal problems, but the external problems are more serious.

Parthia did not have a relatively stable ruling system like the Kushan Empire.

As an empire with the nature of a tribal alliance, Parthia was the one that couldn't afford to lose. Once defeated, the chain reaction could very well destroy it.

Because he was using a small force to influence numerous tribes.

The most obvious characteristic of tribal-like forces is their ability to win battles when they have the upper hand.

It's fine to follow the plunder and share the spoils, but once the winds turn against you, you're likely to scatter with the wind, or even turn the tables on those in power.

Vologis V was well aware of this.

Even with the support of the council of nobles, Parthia is still on the verge of danger.

To break this deadlock, we must rely on external forces.

And for this external force, the Seven Kings are undoubtedly the best choice.

How familiar this plot is.

However, unlike the Kushan Empire, which sought to use the seven kings as a whetstone, Parthia hoped to raise the banner of the seven kings.

Only in this way can we subdue the many tribes under our command and concentrate our strength to launch another attack on Mesopotamia.

Compared to the Roman King Septimius Severus, Vologius V was a more competent politician.

Mesopotamia was arguably the lifeblood of the Parthian Empire.

The vast and fertile land formed the agricultural foundation of the Parthian Empire, and was also the artery of its trade, making it the most prosperous region in Parthia.

It was no surprise that such fertile land aroused the covetousness of Rome, which led to Rome's numerous eastern expeditions.

But just as Sima Yi saw the current crisis in Rome, Vologus V also sensed the hidden dangers facing Rome.

Rome is out of money.

Although Mesopotamia was wealthy, Vologus V could not allow it to develop unchecked after it fell into Roman hands.

The local population and garrison were simply not strong enough to sustain themselves on their own, and they needed constant support from Rome.

The Parthian Empire's advantages as an alliance of many nomadic peoples were once again demonstrated.

They could attack or defend at will, fight or flee at will, and the cost of fighting was far lower than that of Rome.

As long as Rome continues to erode the Mesopotamian plain and then forcibly reclaims it, it will face a difficult choice.

Should they continue their endless struggle for this land, resulting in mutual destruction, or should they simply give up?

This was a difficult decision, and even knowing the character of the current Roman King Severus, Vologius V was somewhat confident.

Because if you persist for a certain period of time, even if Severus is incredibly stubborn, he will have to consider the cost.
This situation is similar to that in Liaodong at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

Even with continuous support, Liaodong will never be at peace, let alone eliminate foreign enemies; it can only maintain this unhealthy balance with difficulty.

Moreover, if this continues for a long time, it could even lead to local areas becoming too powerful or even becoming independent.

As it turned out, Mesopotamia under Roman rule later began to fragment into separate kingdoms.

The reason why Vologius V had no intention of engaging with Rome again was because his resources were too weak and he could not afford to lose.

The brave wins when we meet on a narrow road.

Both Rome and Parthia were on the verge of collapse, but Volognes V "wisely" chose to back down in the face of the reckless Severus.

Being clever can often lead to mistakes.

Vologis V also hated this, but he was powerless to change the outcome.

But now, a new opportunity has emerged.

(End of this chapter)