Collect Erchuan, arrange eight formations, six out and seven captures, in front of the five-foot plain, light thirty-nine lanterns, just to reward the three visits.

Take Western Shu, determine the southern barbarians, and reject the east and north. In the central army tent, the golden, wood, earth, and divine hexagrams are transformed, and the water surface can be attacked with fire.

Zhuge Liang, also known as Kongming, was a politician and strategist of the Shu Han Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period. After Liu Bei became emperor, he served as the prime minister of the Shu Han Dynasty. He was later named the Marquis of Wuxiang and led the pastoral care of Yizhou. During his time in power, he worked hard to implement the farmland policy, improve relations with ethnic minorities in southwest China, and promote local economic and cultural development. He sent troops to attack Wei five times, intending to attack the Central Plains, but failed to do so. In the twelfth year of Jianxing (AD 234), he died of illness in the army in Wuzhangyuan (now Mian County, Shaanxi Province).

After Zhuge Liang's death, in order to commemorate his achievements, later generations built a Wuhou Ancestral Hall in the place where he lived as a memorial. Since the Western Jin Dynasty, literati from all dynasties have come here to pay their respects, leaving behind a pair of well-known couplets and couplets. Some of these couplets cleverly embed numbers into them, which is unique and original.

Wollongong, located in Nanyang City, Henan Province, is said to be the place where Zhuge Liang worked hard. It has elegant scenery and unique architecture. There is this couplet in the Wuhou Temple: "Take in the two rivers, set up eight formations, capture seven and six out, and originally set up forty-nine lanterns in the five feet, just to reward three people; take Western Shu, conquer the southern barbarians, reject the east and the north, The Chinese military tent is based on the hexagram of gold, earth, and wood, and the water surface can be attacked with fire." It is not difficult to see from this couplet that the numbers one to ten are embedded in the first couplet, and the "five directions" and "five elements" are embedded in the second couplet, which is very important to Zhuge Kongming. made a high-level summary of his life.

The Wuhou Temple in the southern suburbs of Chengdu, Sichuan, was built by Li Xiong of the Sixteen Kingdoms in the late Western Jin Dynasty to commemorate Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of the Shu Han Dynasty. The ancient cypresses in the temple are lush, and the palace is majestic. There is also a couplet here, which praises Zhuge Liang's merits in Sichuan: "I have been cautious in my life. I captured seven times to cross the south and six times to the north. How could five feet be destroyed and nine be defeated?" Zhi Neng respects the teachings and accepts them; ten times the praise and honor, eight formations, two rivers and quilts, combined with elites from all directions, three points of merit must be attributed to the heroes. "In addition, "two expressions reward three times, and a pair will make a difference." This couplet uses only ten short words to praise Zhuge Liang's great talent, wisdom, dedication, and lifelong achievements. The so-called "Two Biaos" refer to the first and last "Departure Biao" written by Zhuge Liang after he entered Sichuan for the great cause of the Shu Han Dynasty; and "One pair" refers to the "Longzhong Dui" written by Liu Bei when he visited the thatched cottage three times. In the article, Zhuge Liang has "three points" An incisive analysis of "The World".

In Dingjun Mountain, Mian County, Shaanxi Province, there is the mausoleum of Zhuge Liang, the "Marquis of Wuxiang". Zhuge Liang was buried here after he died of illness in Wuzhangyuan when he went to Sichuan to conquer Wei. The Wuhou Temple here has such a couplet, which can be said to be Zhuge Liang's life is sealed. The couplet says: "Being righteous and courageous and loyal to the liver are two manifestations since the Six Classics; entrusting an orphan to take care of one's life, one person will be born after three generations." (Excerpted from "Popular Science and Technology News" author: Wu Xu'an)

I think Zhuge Liang's "Dedicate yourself to death and die" And then”?

Author: Shimazu Yoshikazu Reposted from: Unify the Three Kingdoms Historical and Cultural Community

Zhuge Liang, courtesy name Kongming, was a native of Nanyang in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. An outstanding politician and military officer during the Three Kingdoms period He left behind a glorious image of "wisdom" and "nobility of integrity" to future generations, and was a well-known historical figure in East Asia. He left behind many stories and popular sayings that have been passed down through the ages. Here is Zhuge Liang. "Dedicate yourself to the end of your life" Let me talk about my own insights

Zhuge Liang was born in the fourth year of Emperor Guanghe of the Han Dynasty (AD 181) and died in the twelfth year of the establishment of the Shu Han Dynasty (AD 234). year) at the age of 54. In 207 AD, Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times to consult the thatched cottage. Zhuge Liang was 27 years old. He analyzed the general trend of the world incisively and proposed a three-point plan to unite Sun Yat-sen and resist Cao, and then unify the world, which is the famous path. "Longzhong Dui":

"Since Dong Zhuo's rebellion, heroes have risen together, and there are countless people who connect counties across states. Compared to Yuan Shao, Cao Cao was little famous and outnumbered. However, Cao Sui can overcome Shao and use the weak to become strong. This is not only due to the timing of the weather, but also due to man's plan. Today, Cao Cao has millions of people, holding the emperor hostage to command the princes. This sincerity cannot be competed with. Sun Quan has held Jiangdong for three generations. The country is in danger and the people are attached to it. The virtuous people can use it. This can be used as aid but cannot be used. Jingzhou controls Han and Mian to the north, and controls the entire South China Sea. It connects Wuhui to the east and Bashu to the west. This is a country that uses military force, but its owner cannot defend it. This country is almost destined to have a general. Does the general have any intention? Yizhou has dangerous fortresses, thousands of miles of fertile fields, and a land of abundant abundance. It is because of this that Gaozu became an emperor. Liu Zhang is weak, Zhang Lu is in the north, the people are prosperous and the country is rich but they don't know how to save money, and the wise people think clearly about the king. A general is a member of the emperor's family. He has integrity all over the world, takes charge of heroes, and is thirsty for talents. If there are thorns and benefits across the road, he will protect the rocks. He will make peace with the Rong in the west, appease the Yiyue in the south, befriend Sun Quan externally, and cultivate political principles internally. When there is a change in the world, order a general to lead the army of Jingzhou to Wan and Luo, and the general will lead the people of Yizhou out of Qinchuan. Who among the people dares to welcome the general without a pot of juice in his basket? If this is the case, hegemony can be achieved and the Han Dynasty can flourish. "

The quote from "Longzhong Dui" here mainly serves as evidence for this article. Let's first analyze why Zhuge Liang "dedicated himself to Liu Bei until he died." Zhuge Liang originally "worked hard in Nanyang and did not seek to be famous." "In the princes", according to the information, Zhuge Liang followed his uncle Zhuge Xuan to Xiangyang, and after his uncle's death, from 197 AD to 207 AD, he had lived in seclusion for ten years.

He no longer had any intention of serving as an official. When Xu Shu came to recommend Zhuge, Zhuge Liang heard this and said, "You consider me a sacrifice for your enjoyment." Because Liu Bei "does not think that my ministers are despicable, and he is in vain, and he cares about his ministers three times." In the thatched cottage, the counselors were grateful for the affairs of the world and followed Xu Xiandi to gallop." It can be seen that Zhuge Liang originally did not want to become an official, but he was moved by Liu Bei's sincerity and became an official. He dedicated his life to it and died. Liu Bei said, "Three invitations, two tears, and one mouth made Zhuge pay for his life."

Liu Bei, a weak Han clan member, successively sought refuge with Gongsun Zan, Tao Qian, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Liu Biao. He had no fixed abode and wandered around, panicking like a bereft dog. After getting Zhuge Liang, he relied on The Little Red Book's "Longzhong Dui" policy had just been established. According to the historical data of the Three Kingdoms, the Shu Han Dynasty was the smallest among the three kingdoms at that time, with the weakest national power, poor land and few people. The Shu Han Dynasty was located in a barbaric region, and only the Sichuan Plain and the Jianghan Plain were the granaries that could contribute to national strength. The Shu Han needed to make peace with the Rong in the west, pacify the Yi and Yue in the south, befriend Sun Quan externally, and cultivate political principles internally to wait for changes in the world. If the Shu Han wants to unify the world, they must order a general to lead the army of Jingzhou to Wan and Luo, and the general to lead the army of Yizhou to Qinchuan. It can be seen that Zhuge Liang's plan is to conquer the Central Plains with two armies.

According to Zhuge Liang's plan, the first step was to occupy Yizhou and Jingzhou, and then establish the country. Then the Shu Han needed to make peace with the Rong in the west, pacify the Yi and Yue in the south, befriend Sun Quan externally, and cultivate political principles internally to wait for changes in the world. Unfortunately, this plan was broken by Guan Yu's carelessness and lost Jingzhou. As a result, Zhuge Liang had no choice but to "dedicate himself to death." Liu Bei captured Liu Zhang's Yizhou but did not capture Hanzhong, but went east to fight against Soochow for the three counties in the south of the Yangtze River. He had conflicts with Sun Quan, and then got hot-headed and ordered Guan Yu to expedition north. As a result, Guan Yu stayed in the territory, was greedy and abandoned justice, was headstrong, and underestimated the east. Wu, showing off his bravery, finally defeated Maicheng. This caused Liu Bei to turn against Sun Quan out of his own whim. Losing Jingzhou and losing the alliance with Soochow. If you have a bad relationship with Soochow, you will be trapped in a two-front war, and you will be attacked from both sides. If you lose Jingzhou, you will lose a granary and lose the way to conquer the Central Plains on the eastern front. As a result, the soldiers were exhausted and the people were exhausted, their vitality was severely damaged, and the Shu Han lost the ability to unify the world.

Zhuge Liang should retire to Sang at this time and live in peace all his life. However, Liu Bei left Baidi City alone on his deathbed, pitiful Wang Wang, and also proposed that his son could assist him, so he would assist him. If he was not talented, he could become the master of Chengdu. Liu Bei knew that Master Liu was a fatuous and evil person, so he brought it up first in a hypocritical manner, thus earning Zhuge Liang's loyalty. As a result, after Zhuge Liang heard this, coldness spread all over his body, his hands and feet were at a loss, and he cried and bowed to the ground, saying: "I dare to exert all my strength, show my loyalty, and then cry out for death." Liu Chan was weak and incompetent. , they could only retreat to central Sichuan in order to protect themselves, but Zhuge Liang promised Liu Bei that he must unify the Central Plains, so he had to continue the Northern Expedition and the Northern Expedition.

Zhuge Liang knew very well that "it may not be easy to repair the world, but it will be a waste of effort." However, I am grateful to the late Emperor for his kindness in knowing me and his love for being an orphan. Do it knowing you can’t do it! He knew that in the future Liu Chan would perish and his country would be destroyed, so he would do his best to be loyal every day. As the saying goes, "Dedicate yourself to death and die." Moreover, instead of just sitting there and waiting for death, it would be better to fight to the death to have a chance of survival. They had no choice but to encroach on Wei territory, which could stir up trouble and disintegrate the enemy's front.

Zhuge Liang's "dedicate himself to death" is also reflected in his deathbed killing of Wei Yan. Some people say that Wei Yan was such a talented person that Zhuge Liang killed him unreasonably and unnecessarily. I think Zhuge Liang would rather kill by mistake than miss a kill. It is true that Wei Yan is talented, but he is too ambitious. After Zhuge Liang's death, he will inevitably threaten the dominance of the mediocre Liu Chan. For the sake of Liu Chan, Zhuge Liang had no choice but to kill Wei Yan as an excuse.

Do it knowing you can’t do it! As the saying goes, "A scholar dies for a confidant." Everyone says that Guan Yu is the incarnation of "righteousness" in ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad. I think Zhuge Liang's "dedicate himself to death and die" is the incarnation of "righteousness" that has never been seen before or since. Zhuge Kongming will be famous throughout the ages and will be immortal! ! !

Zhuge Liang in my eyes - talking about Kong Ming's "Three Cries"

Author: Yang Fang

In 220 AD, the princes rose up and the world was in dispute . In the bamboo forest with beautiful mountains and clear waters, in the thatched cottage, a middle-aged man wearing a silk scarf on his head and holding a feather fan in his hand was sitting in the thatched cottage. His heart was concerned about the world, success or failure, and he had thousands of rivers and mountains in his mind. He said: "Those who have harmony will win the world." "So the story of visiting the thatched cottage three times created a generation of great men, outstanding politicians and military strategists - Zhuge Liang. With his outstanding political and military talents, Zhuge Kongming established the Shu Kingdom and prospered the Han Dynasty. He went through many attempts to govern and worked hard. With his wisdom, his affection, and his righteousness, he demonstrated the great ambition and courage of a generation of Shu Prime Ministers, which made people all over the world admire him, make me drunk, make me crazy, and make me crazy.

Zhuge Liang in Luo Guanzhong's works has extraordinary talents, profound foresight, and the power to turn things around and call for wind and rain. He has clever calculations and predicts events like a god. The straw boat borrows arrows, the three qi Zhou fishes, and the east wind borrows the battle of Chibi. They left Qishan six times and captured Meng Huo seven times. Sima placed an empty city in front of him. Powerful in all directions, "he is truly a man of God." He mobilizes troops and generals, knows people well and makes good use of them. During the Battle of Chibi, knowing that Guan Yu was a man of deep friendship and a man who knew his kindness would be repaid, he also sent him to guard the main road. As a result, Guan Yu on Huarong Road missed his old kindness and would rather sacrifice himself and let his powerful enemy Cao Cao go. Some people say that this was Kong Ming's fault and he missed a good opportunity. But that's not always the case. Look, when the lord Liu Bei was eager to stop him, he said: "Yun Chang is a man of temperament and will let Cao Cao go. How can a wise prime minister let him guard the important road?" After hearing this, Kong Ming sighed and said, "This is God's will. God's will." Immortal Cao. If Wei falls, Soochow is bound to rise. This is a powerful enemy, and it occupies a favorable position. It will be difficult for Shu to compete with it, and it is bound to perish.

Today, the world is divided into three parts, showing the potential of three pillars. We will take advantage of this opportunity to develop agriculture, consolidate granaries, and recharge our batteries, so that we can defeat the enemy. And Yun Chang will be more loyal to Shu after this battle. This is my great plan! "From this point of view, letting Cao Cao go is no accident, nor is it Kong Ming's failure. It is actually forced by the situation and a helpless move.

Another example is using Wei Yan. At that time, the three pillars stood together, and the power of Shu was relatively strong. Being weak, Zhuge Liang naturally focused on recruiting talents. In addition to Guan Zhang, Zhao Mahuang, and Wei Yan, Zhuge Liang took great pains in using him. Wei Yan was also brave and accomplished many feats. This person has a "rebellion" behind his head and is not loyal enough. Zhuge Liang predicts that he will rebel in the future, but the country is in a period of employment, and this person cannot be used, especially after Guanzhang, Zhao, Mahuang and others have withered. Besides, if you don't use it, you will have trouble. He might be used by the enemy. Zhuge Liang was using him while guarding against him. When Zhuge Liang was overworked and critically ill, he secretly ordered Wei Yan to stop him. That night, Wei Yan suddenly had a dream about two horns growing on his head. Ma Dai knew that he had the intention to rebel, but he still used it like walking on a tightrope. Generally speaking, Zhuge Liang is well prepared and would not dare to openly rebel while he was still alive, so there is no need to pity him. Killing him before he rebels will also chill the soldiers. He can only lay an ambush around him and kill him when he rebels. Generally speaking, don't trust people when you employ them, and don't use people when you are suspicious. However, in a specific situation, how to achieve the best effect through flexibility is actually a great wisdom.

When Lu Xun evaluated Zhuge Liang, he thought he was too brilliant. It's close to "demon". In my opinion, it means "demon", which means it is derogatory. Although Zhuge Liang's intelligence is almost mythical, he calls it "demon". "It's too harsh and harsh. He is just a person, a person of flesh and blood, a person who values ??friendship.

During the battle of Jieting, Ma Di rushed to the front and kept talking arrogantly without attracting his attention. This is He made a mistake and sent Wang Ping. How could Ma Su listen to Wang Ping? This was another mistake. As a result, he lost his opportunity, lost his position, lost his victory, lost his vigor, and lost his great cause of destroying Wei Xinghan. Losing the wisdom that a politician and military strategist should have can be said to be "a mistake that will lead to eternal regrets." This was a major failure of Kong Ming's life, but it was not necessarily the case. Although Kong Ming had doubts when he asked for troops, he had a good impression of him and could not save his face, so he entrusted him with an important task. The root cause was the word "love". Afterwards, Kong Ming shed tears and said, "I and you are like brothers, your son." He is my son, so there is no need to give him any more advice. "This cry, with a wave of his hand, expresses deep self-blame, which has wasted the opportunity to fight, improper employment, harmed Ma Di and affected his whole family, which shows the depth of his "love". The placement and care of Ma Di's family also shows his "love". The importance of "righteousness". Kong Ming cried for the second time. When Jiang Wan joined the army to plead for mercy, Kong Ming burst into tears and replied: "I cherish Sun Wu. The reason why he can conquer the world is because he uses his method clearly." Nowadays, the four parties are fighting, and the war has just begun. If the law is abolished, how can we fight against the thieves? Together they should be beheaded. "This cry is intertwined with so many emotions. Although Ma Di was about to be executed, although he couldn't bear it in his heart, he enforced the law strictly, so he cried because he had to be executed. He hated himself for crying because he knew that people could not be used well. The street pavilion was lost, the war situation could not be reversed, and the prosperity of the Han Dynasty was slim. , so the sadness came from it, why didn't he shed tears? After Ma Su was killed, Kong Ming burst into tears again. Jiang Wan asked, "You are often offended now. Since you are enforcing military law, why are you crying?" "Kong Ming said: "I am not crying for Ma Su. I think the late emperor once told me when he was in danger in Baidi City: "Ma Su exaggerates and cannot be of great use." ’ Now, in response to his words, he deeply hates his ignorance and recalls the words of the late emperor, so he weeps bitterly! "Every soldier, big or small, shed tears. With this cry, much sadness and anger came to his heart. The Maolin stream in front of him; the autumn soldiers on the battlefield; and the ancient discussions with the late emperor between the vast fields and heaven and earth were vividly in his mind. . I miss my old kindness and regret that I did not listen to the late emperor's words and wasted all his hard work. I deeply regret that I have lost my great cause of prospering the Han Dynasty and I am sorry for the kindness of the late emperor.

I think there is only one point in saying that Kong Ming is not "intelligent". When the late Emperor Baidi was entrusting his son, he once said: "The young master Liu Chan is fatuous and incompetent, and he is greedy for pleasure. When absolutely necessary, the prime minister can replace him and establish the Han Dynasty. "However, despite what the late emperor said, Kong Ming will never violate his "love" and remain loyal. He will devote his whole life to the Kingdom of Shu and die. How can this be expressed in the words of "love and justice"? "Finish the affairs of the king and the world. , won fame both before and after death, but misfortune happened in vain! " Later generations commented that Zhuge Liang said:

Three visits to the world's plans

Two dynasties opened the hearts of the veterans

He died before he left the army and did not show himself

The feelings of Zhuge Wuhou of the generation can be expressed by the sky; the earth is moved by his righteousness; his wisdom has been passed down for thousands of years; his loyalty is admired by future generations. , it can be said that a ray of pure soul passed away in the sky, leaving a pure soul in the world!

I think Zhuge Liang

Author: Zhang Wenxiang

Zhuge Liang’s Northern Expedition has always been controversial. So far, the mainstream opinions of both scholars and amateurs are appreciative. However, at present, some innovative friends on the Internet have put forward various opinions, which can be summarized in two points: first, it will bring down the national power of Shu Han; 2. Zhuge Liang supports his troops and respects himself.

MQ is not talented, let’s talk about some personal opinions

First of all, let’s talk about the second opinion-Zhuge Liang’s self-respect in supporting troops. I think that's half true. Zhuge Liang originally supported the army (controlling the military power of the world, not the modern "supporting the army and supporting the subordinates"). He not only supported the army but also had power, but I think when it comes to "self-respect", it is definitely not the case, both in terms of Zhuge Liang's personality and actual history. Look, Zhuge Liang did not split the political power and dominate one side.

Speaking of the first question, I think friends who hold the above view may attribute Jiang Wei's accounts to Zhuge Liang, because some friends often say this when writing posts: "Jiang Wei's nine expeditions to the Central Plains reduced the national power of Shu Han." Completely defeated, in fact, he was just following Zhuge Liang's old path. The cause of Shu Han's demise had already begun since Zhuge Liang's time." In this regard, my point of view is that I disagree with this similar statement. Because judging whether a country's national strength has been dragged down depends on several hard indicators, such as: 1. Whether the government or cabinet (not the regime) collapses; 2. Whether the economy collapses; 3. Whether the people's living standards are low; 4. Whether the country is divided . This correspondence, when applied to ancient society, is: 1. The cabinet was deposed; 2. Financial expenditures were insufficient; 3. The land was filled with mourning and starvation; 4. Peasants revolted and political power was divided. Using these indicators to measure Zhuge Liang's rule, it is obviously neither. The reasons are as follows:

1. Zhuge Liang was not impeached until his death, and the main members of his cabinet, Jiang Wan, Fei Yi, and Dong Yun, continued to be in power and continued Zhuge's old system; in terms of the army, Jiang Wei, Liao Hua, and Dong Jue et al. are still the main commanders of the Shu Han army. The politics are clear and clear, and there is no situation where loyal ministers are avoiding trouble and villains are in charge. In the struggle with the treacherous representative Huang Hao, Dong Xiang still had a clear upper hand, which was not the case in the government after Jiang Xiang.

2. During the "Four British Prime Ministers" period, there was no record of fiscal insufficiency in the Shu Han Dynasty, and it was still able to maintain the country's operations.

3. Under the "Four British Prime Ministers" such as Prime Minister Chiang Kai-shek and Prime Minister Fei Fei, the common people did not have enough food to eat. The population statistics during Liu Bei's and Zhangwu's reign were roughly equivalent to the registered population at the time of Liu Chan's surrender.

4. Peasant uprisings have not been recorded.

It can be seen that Zhuge Liang’s Northern Expedition (at least until the early Jiang Wei period) did not seriously weaken the national power of Shu Han. The chaotic political situation in Jiang Wei's later period cannot be traced to Zhuge Liang. In addition, we can see that Zhuge Liang's retreat was basically due to the lack of food and grass. Among them, the second attack on the city took the initiative to withdraw from the siege within twenty days, indicating that Zhuge Liang's military operations were based on actual support from the rear. Once there was a problem with logistical supplies, Zhuge Liang took the initiative to withdraw his troops. He took the entire economy into consideration and would not blindly increase military expenditures regardless of the consequences. This was qualitatively different from Jiang Wei's Northern Expedition. Jiang Wei basically resorted to military aggression and was defeated. Naigui.

I think Zhuge Liang’s Northern Expedition was a struggle for the Shu Han to gain international status (the Three Kingdoms Confrontation and some ethnic minority regimes), and it was a military action with the certain goal of scoring political and diplomatic points on the international stage.

Zhuge Liang's slogan of restoring the Han Dynasty actually did not have any influence. The chaos in the world at the end of the Han Dynasty made the people of the Central Plains hate this decadent dynasty. Starting from Emperor Wen of Cao Pi, Cao Wei began to weaken the royal family, support large landowners, and make the landlord class support its regime. The common people also long for peace. To them, Zhuge Liang is not a righteous master, and Cao Wei is not a traitor. Both sides are rival regimes that split from the Han Dynasty as a legal regime, so there is no such thing as justice or evil. Whoever finally unifies the world and allows the people to recuperate and recuperate will be a political power supported and accepted by the people. Therefore, Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition was not just, and certainly not evil.

As we all know, Shu Han is the weakest political power among the Three Kingdoms. Except for the Central Shu Plain, most of the territory is undeveloped and very barren and backward. Therefore, both Cao Wei and Sun Wu want to annex it and then the two countries will compete. . If the Shu Han wants to rise from a third-rate country and win the respect of the "international community", it must expand its international influence. Therefore, strengthening its alliance with the second-rate country Sun Wu is the way to ensure that the two weak fight against one strong international situation and win a place. Basic national policy.

In diplomacy with Soochow, Zhuge Liang must ensure that his ally Soochow is not distracted and will work together to fight against Cao. Therefore, he must adopt the posture of "encouraging friends and deterring enemies", so he must be powerful and self-reliant to attack and survive. If you show weakness, you will be the first victim of the jungle. Therefore, although the Shu Han was weak, it did not experience the situation of "a weak country without diplomacy".

Another important point is that Zhuge Liang’s Northern Expedition was a competition with Cao Wei for influence in the Greater Central Asia region.

Under the situation where Cao Wei established the Governor of the Western Regions, Shu Han, as the successor state of Han (actually Shu Han was called Han in history), must take a preemptive strike in competing for influence in Central Asia. Obtain benefits and replenish national strength to fight against the Central Plains dynasty. Therefore, considering this strategic direction, Zhuge Liang also had to expedition north. This is why Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wei fought for Longshang and cut off the connection between Cao Wei's Longyou and the Central Plains.

During the Fifth Expedition, Zhuge Liang went west to Wuzhangyuan. Sima Yi expected that Zhugeliang would leave Wuzhangyuan and take the lead in occupying the terrain on the east bank of the Wei River. When his generals were rejoicing, only Guo Huaiming checked Kong Ming's heart and believed that Zhuge Liang's move was truly ambitious. Intention, the Han army planned to go north instead of east, and advance its operational bases in Chencang, Tianshui, Qishan and other places west of Wuzhangyuan, so the Han army must attack Beiyuan (today's north of Meixian County, Shaanxi Province, and the north bank of the Weishui River).

Guo Huai said to Sima Yi: "If Liang crosses the Wei River and climbs the plains, and joins the troops in the northern mountains, blocking the Long Road and destabilizing the people and barbarians, this is not in the interest of the country." ("Three Kingdoms, Volume 26"). Please note that in this sentence, Guo Huai clearly pointed out Zhuge Liang's strategic intention to cut off the Long Road and split the "people and barbarians" under Cao Wei's rule. Zhuge Liang wanted to separate the ethnic minority regimes and the local Han people in the Duhufu area of ??the Western Regions from Cao Wei. Vassalize Shu Han to shake Cao Wei's interests in the west. Later, the two sides did have a fierce battle in Beiyuan. As a result, Guo Huai's army, who had sent troops to Beiyuan in advance, defeated the Shu Han vanguard troops who robbed Beiyuan, and Zhuge Liang also drove back Sima Yi's 10,000 cavalry (see Zhuge Liang's military exploits in "Shui Jing Zhu" for details), and the two sides formed a strategic stalemate. Not long after, Zhuge Liang passed away. He was a talented man who had no talent at the right time. He hated the Wei River. From then on, the Shu Han had no chance to make a comeback. Sima Yi also sincerely lamented that he was a "wonder in the world".

I am a commoner, plowing the land in Nanyang, trying to survive in troubled times, and not seeking to gain knowledge and reach the princes. The late emperor did not think that his ministers were despicable, and he was in vain. He paid three visits to his ministers in the thatched cottage, and consulted them about the affairs of the world. He was so grateful that he allowed the late emperor to drive away. Later, when the army was overthrown, he was appointed to the position when the army was defeated, and he was ordered to be in danger: You have been twenty and one year. The late emperor was cautious in informing his ministers, so he sent his ministers important information when he was about to die. Since receiving the order, I have been worried day and night, fearing that the entrustment would not be effective and would damage the late emperor's wisdom. Therefore, I crossed Lu in the fifth month and reached a barren depth. Now that the south has been secured, and the armor and troops are sufficient, it is time to reward the three armies, and to the north to secure the central plains, to exhaust the common people and the dull, to drive out the traitors, to revive the Han Dynasty, and to return to the old capital: This is why I repay the late emperor and serve your majesty loyally. As for considering profits and losses, and giving good advice, then you, yi, yun, etc. are all responsible. May your Majesty ask his ministers to bring the thief back to life, and if it fails, he will be punished, so as to report the spirit of the late emperor. If there is no word of revival, blame You, Yi, Yun, etc., to show his slowness. It is also advisable for Your Majesty to make your own plans, consult the good people, listen to the elegant words, and follow the late emperor's edict deeply. I am extremely grateful! Now I should stay away from you, crying in front of my face, not knowing what I mean.

The rationality of Zhuge Liang's empty city plan?

To simply regard it as a gamble between Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi would be to underestimate the rationality of the empty city plan.

Not much consideration is given to the arrangements beforehand and the changes afterward. They are taken out of context and only rely on the calmness of burning incense and playing the piano. Looking at the sky through a tube or sitting in a well, the knowledge is like a blind man touching an elephant, and it is difficult to see the whole picture. From the 95th chapter of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" "Ma Di refused to admonish and lost his place in the street pavilion, Wu Hou played the piano and retreated to Zhongda." Carefully read the previous and later chapters, and narrate the time background and detailed process, so that we can find out the truth. Facts speak louder than words. Instead of guessing what it might be, or what it should feel like.

When Zhuge Liang learned that Jieting and Liliucheng had been lost, he was making arrangements for the withdrawal of the Northern Expeditionary Army: so from the beginning, he arranged for Guan Xing and Zhang Bao to each lead 3,000 elite troops to Wugong Mountain, and then Zhang Yi was ordered to send Jiangge in advance to prepare a safe return route, and then ordered Ma Dai and Jiang Wei to prepare for an ambush. Finally, officials, soldiers and civilians from three counties including Tianshui, Nan'an and Anding were immigrated to Hanzhong. Zhuge Liang personally led 5,000 soldiers and horses to transport grain. These distribution arrangements were the beginning of the sequence of dispatching troops.

Unfortunately, some people always mistakenly believe that Zhuge Liang only used an empty city to fight against Sima Yi, or falsely believe that he was unprepared and forced to fight. In fact, few people know Zhuge Liang's prior arrangements. There is an ambush beforehand, so you dare to lay out a plan to raise suspicion. This is completely different from the situation of not preparing in advance and gambling on luck. We always speculate on Sima Yi's "nurturing the enemy to protect himself" or Zhuge Liang's "sweating and taking risks". It is better to carefully implement the "causes and consequences" of the incident and have more concrete basis to avoid falling into fantasy and confusion.

In their minds, the Wei officers and soldiers who were frightened and defeated repeatedly, starting from the burning of Xinye and the use of water in Bowang, believed that Zhuge Liang was an expert in using decoys to lure troops. Moreover, the Wei army has always been good at using decoys, such as luring Lu Bu in the Battle of Puyang in the early years, and luring Wen Chou to death in the Battle of Guandu. The Wei army had long known the consequences of greedy bait and temptation - a heroic death and serious injuries. Zhuge Liang held high the banner of the Northern Expedition and gathered a large army to attack. Whether it was moving the residents of the three counties or controlling the Shu soldiers and generals, it would not be a small activity that went unnoticed. Even if Sima Yi did not know the strength of the Shu soldiers, he could still know about it. Shu soldiers once had large-scale movements. However, the Shu troops that Sima Yi and other Wei troops saw in front of Xicheng did not have any large-scale troops. How could these Shu troops disappear? Where are the Shu soldiers who moved the defense? Could it be an ambush and preparation for an attack? Did Zhuge Liang plan to use a small number of decoy troops to lead the Wei army into the city to die? With Zhuge Liang as the top leader of the Shu army, who dares to take it lightly?

No matter how reckless Sima Yi is, he still has to figure out whether Zhuge Liang’s generals, such as Guan Xing, Zhang Bao, Ma Dai, Wei Yan and other Shu soldiers, will all gather in the west city to die, or whether they will hide in the side and watch eagerly. Waiting for an opportunity? Or it may be that all the Shu soldiers have fled, and only Zhuge Liang is left alone. There are no Shu soldiers in sight, unless Sima Yi is proud of his gamble and thinks he has caught the group leader without an escort. Either he is very lucky, or Zhuge Liang is. Set a trap to lure the soldiers into the urn. Sima Yi originally didn't believe the sentry's information. After personally visiting the enemy for verification, he took cautious measures. Advance and retreat first, then slow down: if there is an ambush, retreat; if there is no ambush, start fighting again. From the fact that Sima Yi returned to Xicheng soon and interrogated the local residents about the actual status of the Shu army, we can know that Sima Yi did have a comeback military operation, and it was not like "the Wei soldiers were scared all the way back to Chang'an" as some people said. Take a step back, maintain a safe distance, and then think of another idea instead of running away in terror.

Later on the path of Wugong Mountain, Guan Xing and Zhang Bao were heard killing each other, which made the Wei army suspicious and they did not dare to stop for a long time.

Cao Zhen originally wanted to chase after him, but unexpectedly he ambushed halfway and was intercepted by Jiang Wei and Ma Dai who had been arranged by Zhuge Liang in advance. He had to lead his troops to flee. If Sima Yi had not left early, he would have almost ended up like Cao Zhen. As Sima Yi withdrew his troops temporarily, Zhuge Liang took the opportunity to retreat to Hanzhong. There were "distribution arrangements" beforehand and "ambushes and battles" afterwards, so Zhuge Liang used the roaring silence to cleverly set up an empty city to trap Sima Yi.

The official history cited Guo Chong's three incidents in Pei's Note, discussing Zhuge Liang's empty city plan.

Pei Songzhi has already refuted the time, geographical location, offensive and defensive situation, and the lack of respect for etiquette of the Empty City Strategy, so what Guo Chong said is not true. Sima Yi was still the governor of Jingzhou (a position that Zhou Yu could not hold for his generation). He was in Wancheng and had no time to go north to the street pavilion to confront Zhuge Liang. The time and space no longer match. Guo Chong said that Sima Yi led 200,000 troops, while Zhuge Liang only left 10,000 soldiers in Shu, and the rest of the army was handed over to Wei Yan. With an advantage of 20 to 1, Sima Yi had no need to be afraid. However, "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" said that the Wei army only had 150,000 troops. Zhuge Liang himself had 2,500 troops, and another 2,500 Shu troops were sent out temporarily. Guan Xing and Zhang Bao each led 3,000 troops, and there were already 10,000 troops here. One thousand, Zhang Yi, Jiang Wei and Ma Dai's troops are not counted. If Wang Ping, Wei Yan, Gao Xiang, Shen Dan and Shen Yi on the Jieting battlefield are included, there are also Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi. If the suspected troops in Jigu are combined, I am afraid that those with fewer soldiers are not Shu soldiers. According to "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Zhuge Liang led more than 300,000 troops at the beginning. The Northern Expeditionary Army of Shu soldiers was able to alert Emperor Wei Ming to personally march. The size and strength of the army should not be underestimated.

According to "Han, Jin, Spring and Autumn", Zhuge Liang claimed: "The army is more numerous than thieves in Qishan and Jigu, but cannot defeat the thieves. If the thieves defeat them, then the disease is not caused by the few soldiers, but by one person's ear." ." That is to say, there are more Shu soldiers than Wei soldiers, but not more Wei soldiers than Shu soldiers. If Sima Yi's large army overwhelms the few with their numbers, why should he care about a mere 10,000 Shu soldiers? In fact, Zhuge Liang did not dare to lead the Northern Expedition with only ten thousand people. He even used ten thousand people to conquer the southern barbarians, so how could he only use ten thousand people for the Northern Expedition? Sima Yi's target was not only Zhuge Liang's direct troops, but also the entire Northern Expedition army. No matter how many people there are, they are not afraid of traps. In the Battle of Changping during the Warring States Period, although Zhao soldiers numbered more than 400,000, they were still surrounded by the Qin army and starved. In the end, they were forced to surrender and be killed. The mountainous terrain in the Hanzhong area is full of dangerous places such as patios, heavenly prisons, heavenly traps, heavenly traps, and heavenly gaps. There are also obstacles such as stone caves and jungles. The most fearful thing is that you will be trapped in a dead end without any room for escape. The mountains and forests are not conducive to the galloping of the Wei army's cavalry. The passes in the valleys are also dangerous and "one man can guard the pass, and ten thousand men are invincible." Although there are many soldiers, it would be careless to ignore the restrictions of the terrain.

Zhuge Liang already had a large army and good geographical advantages. As Guo Chong said, although Sima Yi had 200,000 troops, he still did not necessarily have the upper hand. Moreover, Guo Chong's biggest mistake was to ignore the existence of the Shu generals. Sima Yi could only count the locations of the Northern Expedition generals. Facing an army with only Zhuge Liang left, unless Sima Yi was arrogant and could not see the Shu generals Wei Yan, Gao Xiang, Zhao Yun and Wang Ping. . Otherwise, Sima Yi should consider whether these Shu soldiers were ambushing and waiting for him. Zhuge Liang later used decoy troops to kill Zhang He, Wang Shuang and others, which further proved that the Wei soldiers would end up rushing forward and would suffer the consequences of underestimating the enemy. Will face death and defeat.

Zhuge Liang’s empty city plan first appeared not in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" after the Ming and Qing Dynasties, but in the notes (Guo Chong Sanshi) from the "Three Kingdoms" written by the official historian Chen Shou, and the latter also More unreasonable than the former. This is ironic. The explanatory notes from official history are not credible, but the fictional story is comprehensive.