In the second year of Taihe, after the Wei Dynasty seized Hanzhong from the Shu Han, the northernmost border defense area of the Shu Han was changed from Hanzhong to Yang'an Pass.
In April of the third year of Taihe, Zhuge Liang attacked Dazhong. In December of the year, he attacked Yangpingguan again. Each time, he dispatched around 20,000 elite troops.
Just as Cao Rui arrived in Yecheng and was educating his ministers on political ethics on the Bronze Sparrow Tower, the Prime Minister of Shu Han, Zhuge Kongming, was forced back to Yang'an Pass by the two generals Zhang He and Guo Huai.
If Yang'an Pass, Yangping Pass and Wuxing Pass are placed on a map, they form a triangle shape.
Wuxing Pass is in the northwest, Yang'an Pass is in the southwest, and Yangping Pass is in the west.
Both Wei and Shu were cautious and restrained in the fighting. The few small-scale engagements were mainly fought by scouts and vanguards, and there were no large-scale clashes involving the main forces.
In the eyes of scholars who do not know military affairs, Zhuge Liang was afraid to fight and retreated, almost like an armed parade. Guo Huai was afraid of the enemy like a tiger, and he did not dare to fight in the strong city, but just sent the enemy out of the country with courtesy.
Both of them are cowards.
But in fact, the actions of Zhuge Liang and Guo Huai were in line with each other's strategic considerations.
If we really compare them, it is hard to say which side has greater defensive pressure, Wei or Shu.
When Xin Pi was still at Yangping Pass, he discussed strategy with Guo Huai and Hao Zhao. The most important defenses in Guanxi of the Wei Dynasty were Hanzhong, Wudu and Dazhong.
The Shu Han's defense focus also lies in three locations.
General Wu Ban, who was in charge of suppressing the rebellion, was stationed in Yinping to deal with Lu Xun's army of the Wei army in Dazhong.
General Wei Yan, the Zhenbei General, was responsible for guarding Yang'an Pass and dealing with the Wei troops in Wudu and Hanzhong.
General Jianwu Wang Ping was stationed in Hanchang and was responsible for guarding the southern entrance of Micang Road to prevent the Wei army in Hanzhong from taking the opportunity to move south.
Three against three, no one has it much easier than anyone else.
After the defeat in the second year of Taihe, there was an uproar in the Shu Han court, as if Zhuge Liang had become a national sinner who was condemned by thousands of people.
But when Zhuge Liang himself returned to Chengdu, these rumors really disappeared like the wind. Those who had criticized Zhuge Liang in the past were reprimanded by Liu Chan.
Zhuge Liang submitted a letter to demote himself and was demoted to General of Cavalry and acting as Prime Minister, and the matter was then lightly covered.
The truth is self-evident.
If Prime Minister Zhuge Liang could do this against the Wei army, can you do better than him? If not, then don't say anything false in the court.
At the end of May in the third year of Taihe, Zhuge Liang returned from Dazhong with an army of 20,000. With his merit of beheading 1,500 people, Liu Chan hastily issued an imperial decree to restore him to the position of prime minister.
The Prime Minister's Mansion of Shu Han was located in Baishui of Zitong County, which was the Baishui Pass that Lu Xun had failed to capture in the past.
This winter march and then withdrawal was just a "training" move by Zhuge Liang with his own troops, and he did not call for a large-scale conscription in Shu.
Of course, due to the limitations of national strength, Zhuge Liang could not afford to recruit troops for the time being.
In the general's mansion inside Yang'an Pass, Zhuge Liang sat in the hall, with the generals and ministers from the prime minister's mansion standing on both sides.
The Prime Minister's Chief Secretary bowed to Lang and said, "I congratulate the Prime Minister on your successful return from this expedition! Generals Zhang He and Guo Huai were exactly as the Prime Minister had planned, not even a single mistake!"
Fei Yi also said: "Since the first month of last year, the Prime Minister has been training the army in Baishui. It has been less than a year, and the marching, battle formations, enemy fighting, and camp relocation are already completely different from the first Northern Expedition!"
In fact, Zhuge Liang had no intention of attacking the fortified city when he sent troops this time, which was consistent with Xin Pi's guess in Yangping Pass.
One is to train troops, and the other is to dispatch the Wei army.
Although the intended goal was achieved, Zhuge Liang showed no joy on his face. He said calmly, "Juda, Wenwei, the two of you should stop saying congratulations."
"Hanzhong was originally a national territory, but it has been occupied by the Wei thieves for more than a year and has not been recaptured. Although I have made great progress in training the troops, how can I be happy?"
Wei Yan nodded and said, "Prime Minister, please understand."
"The main force of the army is stationed in Baishui, which is not far from Yang'an Pass. Even if we send troops to Yangping Pass, there are roads and water transportation along the way that we can rely on."
"The Wei army came all the way from Chencang and Wudu, and after all the hard work and effort, there is absolutely no way they can defeat the royal army."
"The king's army can send troops repeatedly, but the Wei bandits have to travel a long way, and if this continues they will inevitably become tired and slack."
"Whether in the east or in the west, there is always a place that the imperial court can seize."
Zhuge Liang nodded: "What Wenchang said makes sense."
"If we send troops as we did these two times, the Wei army from Henan will not come to our aid, which will make it easier for the imperial court to capture the city. If Wu's Sun Quan can also send troops to help at the same time, our chances of victory will be even greater."
"Jiang Gongyan went south from Baishui at the end of the year, first returned to Chengdu, and then went east into Wu to meet Sun Quan in Wuchang. I think he should have arrived by now."
Yang Yi bowed and said, "Prime Minister, I still think that Sun Quan is indecisive and cannot be relied upon to send troops."
"When the Han and Wei fought the year before last, Sun Quan sat in Jingzhou and watched the outcome, with no intention of moving. And I heard from the returning envoys that Sun Quan's daughter, Sun Luban, gave birth to a son for that little Cao thief."
As he spoke, Yang Yi shook his head and sighed, "Although the two countries are allies at the moment, I am still worried about Sun Quan's position."
Fei Yi also bowed and said, "Prime Minister, when Jiang Gongyan went south, the Prime Minister's Office decided to let Jiang Gongyan persuade Sun Quan to attack Huainan first and Jingzhou second."
"From the perspective of the Han Dynasty, if Sun Quan marches to Huainan and the Han Dynasty marches to Dazhong, one is the easternmost and the other is the westernmost, they can complement each other and make the Wei army exhausted." "But Sun Quan has taken Xiangyang in Jingzhou, but every time he went to Hefei, he was in vain. How can we persuade Sun Quan to attack Huainan?"
Zhuge Liang glanced at everyone in the hall and sighed softly, "Now that things have come to this, there is something I want to discuss with you."
"Last autumn, when I returned to Chengdu, I had a deep discussion with Your Majesty about the Han-Wu alliance. Now that Wei is so powerful, if the two countries cannot put aside their past grudges and join forces to resist the north, I am afraid the situation will be unsustainable."
"Your Majesty is also aware of the situation. I have agreed with Your Majesty that if Sun Quan is afraid of Wei or is reluctant to send troops because of his daughter's marriage, then Jiang Gongyan can be allowed to make an offer that Sun Quan cannot refuse."
"What conditions?" Yang Yi, who was the most impatient, asked without hesitation.
Zhuge Liang said slowly: "The Han Dynasty can support Sun Quan's enthronement."
For a moment, everyone in the hall was speechless, and anger was revealed on everyone's face.
Among them, Wei Yan and Yang Yi had the most radical personalities.
Wei Yan stood there with his fists clenched, his tiger eyes staring at the ground, with such anger that he seemed to want to tear Sun Quan to pieces.
Yang Yi also frowned, clenched the muscles on his cheeks, and tried hard to restrain himself from speaking.
Zhuge Liang saw all the expressions of his subordinates. Although Zhuge Liang himself was calm, he also sighed in his mind.
The Wei State was the enemy of the Han Dynasty, and they would fight to the death on the battlefield.
Although Sun Quan was an ally in name, the word "alliance" was not much better than a piece of paper, which made people feel more resentful and resentful.
The former emperor had a difficult time starting his business and wandered for half his life before he established his empire.
They have been constantly displaced from north to south. If one calculates the accounts of these years one by one, I'm afraid their hatred for the State of Wu is even higher than that for Cao Wei!
Needless to say, the two generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, the late Emperor Liu Bei himself camped in Baidi after the Battle of Yiling and eventually died.
The Battle of Yiling wiped out all the elite troops of the Han army. How many of the old friends, relatives, colleagues and good friends of all those present today died in Yiling?
It’s hard to calculate, and it’s impossible to calculate.
Now they want to support Sun Quan's enthronement? ?
Emotionally speaking, everyone present, including Zhuge Liang himself, had a very bad impression of Sun Quan.
But rationally speaking, linking up with Sun Quan to attack from the east and the west became the only chance for the Han Dynasty to survive.
The game between emotion and reason is the most difficult thing to accept.
After a long time, Zhuge Liang sighed and said, "This is my idea and your Majesty's will. I have already discussed this with Jiang Gongyan."
"Sun Quan has been ruling for nearly thirty years. If he still has a trace of ambition, he should not refuse this offer. His vassal states of Jing, Yang, and Jiao will not allow him to refuse."
Yang Yi cupped his hands and said, "The court's major policies and national policies are not something that subordinates can discuss. Since the Prime Minister has made up his mind, we will wait for good news from Jiang Gongyan in Baishui."
The others spoke in different tones, but they all meant the same thing.
Ideals still have to give way to reality.
It is a blessing to have room for compromise.
Zhuge Liang said: "The Wei army is now stationed 20 miles outside the pass. I estimate that they will withdraw by the end of February at the latest."
"After the Wei thieves withdraw, the army will return to Baishui Camp and resolve the deployment and drill issues encountered during this expedition."
"If Sun Quan agrees, next autumn or winter, or at the latest the year after, the Han and Wu will send out troops at the same time!"
"We will follow the Prime Minister's orders." Everyone bowed in unison.
……
As Zhuge Liang expected, Jiang Wan, a military officer of the Prime Minister's Office, had already arrived in Wuchang.
When Zhuge Liang launched his first northern expedition to Longyou, Jiang Wan stayed behind as an envoy and became a bridge of communication between Han and Wu.
For the next year and a half, Jiang Wan was solely responsible for the relations between the imperial court and Wu, traveling between Chengdu and Wuchang twice a year.
With such frequent official missions, even the clerk in charge of the post station outside the city of Wuchang knew this military officer Jiang from the west.
However, when Jiang Wan arrived in Wuchang this time, he was not summoned by Sun Quan immediately, but stayed in an inn outside the city for three days.
"Brother Wei Ze," Jiang Wan bowed slightly to Hu Zong who came to greet him in the afternoon, "I have been in Wuchang for three days. I wonder when I can be received by the King of Wu?"
Hu Zong smiled apologetically and said, "Don't worry, Gongyan. My King Wu has caught a cold these past two days and is feeling unwell. He cannot be exposed to the wind or sunlight, so he is just resting in the palace."
"I didn't mean to neglect you. If Gongyan is upset, I will apologize to him here."
After saying this, Hu Zong bowed slightly and saluted.
Jiang Wan sighed, "Brother Wei Ze, when will the King of Wu's health get better?" (End of this chapter)
