Phan Đình Phùng towards the monarchy. According to Marr, "Phan Dinh Phung's reply was a classic in savage understatement, utilizing standard formalism in the interest of propaganda, with deft denigration of his opponent". Phan appealed to Vietnamese nationalist sentiment, recalling his country's stubborn resistance to Chinese aggression. He cited defensive wars against the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, asking why a country "a thousand times more powerful" could not annex Vietnam. Phan concluded that it was "because the destiny of our country has been willed by Heaven itself". Phan placed the responsibility for the suffering of the people at the feet
Pang Xi Zhang owed him a huge favour for saving his brothers' families in Chang'an and also because he thought that Liu Zhang deeply trusted him. It turned out that Liu Zhang gradually distrusted Pang Xi and began to alienate him. Around 211, when Liu Zhang's adviser Zhang Song urged his lord to invite another warlord Liu Bei into Yi Province to counter the threat posed by Zhang Lu, he warned Liu Zhang that Pang Xi might secretly harbour the intention of overthrowing him. In 214, after Liu Bei seized control of Yi Province from Liu Zhang, he appointed Pang Xi as