The trajectory of fifty-four years, a brief biography of Zhuge Liang's life
Zhuge Liang was born in 181 AD, the fourth year of Guanghe in the Eastern Han Dynasty, from Yangdu, Langya County. Also born in the same year was Emperor Xian, the last emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Yangdu is located in Yinan County, Shandong Province, which is equivalent to the interchange between Yishui River and Dongwen River. Linyi County, located fifty kilometers south of Yinan County, has many monuments about Zhuge Liang. There is a local Zhuge Town with a population of more than 1,000 people. Legend has it that Zhuge Liang once lived there when he was a boy. There is also an ancient tomb on the nearby hills, and the monument is engraved with "The Tomb of Zhuge Wuhou". Even after 1,800 years, Zhuge Liang's hometown still has many monuments about Zhuge Liang. Regardless of whether it is true or not, Zhuge Liang's charm is evident.
The Zhuge family did originally live in Zhuxian, a county called Gengdong (today's Zhucheng County). Their surname at that time should be Ge. Later they moved to Yangdu. Since there was also a Ge family in the local area, in order to distinguish , so they are called the Ge clan in various counties. Over time, he became the Zhuge family. The Zhuge family has gradually become a prominent family in Yangdu.
Zhuge Liang’s ancestor, Zhuge Feng, was a Sili officer during the reign of Emperor Yuan of the Han Dynasty and was famous for his uprightness. He also lost his official position and was demoted to a commoner because of his uprightness.
Zhuge Liang's father Gui once served as the Cheng of Taishan County (Kong Ming died when he was 12 years old), and his mother Zhang (Kong Ming died when he was 9 years old). Gui and Zhang had three sons and one daughter (some say it is two daughters), namely the elder brother Zhuge Jin (who served as an official in Wu, reaching the rank of general), and the younger brother Zhuge Jun (who followed the Liang Dynasty to Shu and became the captain of Changshui School). , and his sister (some say she is a sister) Pang Zhuge (married to Pang Shanmin, the son of Pang Gong, who served in the Wei Dynasty, and became a official in the Huangmen Libu Lang).
This is the environment of the Zhuge family and Zhuge Liang’s background.
(Ping said: It is not difficult to see that although the Zhuge family is a prominent family, the family has been in decline since Zhuge Feng. Perhaps it is this environment that allows Zhuge Liang to not lose the influence of the scholarly family, but also avoid He no longer has the aura of being a child of aristocratic family, but he is very pragmatic because he needs to take care of himself)
·Moved to Longzhong.
The Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out three years after Zhuge Liang was born (184 AD). When the Zhuge Liang brothers lost their parents one after another, the responsibility of taking care of them fell on their uncle Zhuge Xuan.
The person who controlled the Yangzhou region at that time was Yuan Shu. It happened that Yuzhang Taishou died of Zhou Shu. In order to maintain his power, Yuan Shu chose Zhuge Xuan as the new governor. The Zhuge family, a prominent family in Yangdu, seems to have had a relationship with the Yuan family a long time ago. It may be for this reason that Zhuge Xuan was appointed.
Zhuge Xuan then took Zhuge Liang and his younger siblings to his post, and entrusted the Yangdu family to Zhuge Jin. Soon after, Zhuge Jin and his stepmother went to Jiangdong to escape the war.
In this way, the Zhuge family completely left their hometown of Yangdu. Since then, no one has been able to return to their hometown alive. It can be said that the Zhuge family, which was displaced due to the war at that time, was in a very sad situation.
Zhuge Xuan, who went to Yuzhang, soon met Zhu Hao, the prefect of the county sent by the Eastern Han Dynasty, because his appointment was nothing more than Yuan Shu's arbitrary act. In the confrontation between the two, Zhuge Xuan was defeated and had no choice but to seek refuge with his old friend Liu Biao. Zhuge Liang was 15 years old at the time.
Xiangyang, ruled by Liu Biao, was not affected by the war at that time, so the Zhuge family also settled here. Zhuge Liang's study tour should also be during this period. During this period, Zhuge Liang's sister (some say she was an elder sister) married Pang Shanmin, the son of the Pang family.
When Zhuge Liang was 17 years old, his uncle Zhuge Xuan also passed away. Zhuge Liang and his younger brother Jun later moved to Longzhong on the outskirts of Xiangyang, where they lived for ten years.
·The pair in Longzhong.
During Zhuge Liang’s 10 years in Longzhong, the official history records are as follows:
“Xuanzu, Liang worked hard to cultivate Longmu, so as to write the song "Liang Fu Yin". He was eight feet tall, and every time he came from Compared with Guan Zhong and Le Yi, no one at that time agreed. Only Boling Cui Zhouping and Yingchuan Xu Shu Yuanzhi were friendly to Liang and said they were Xinran. "
Liang Fu wrote a folk song in Shandong. The story of two peaches killing three men.
Zhuge Liang liked this ballad when he was a boy, probably because he missed his hometown and thought about how to survive in the machinations.
In the past ten years, Zhuge Liang has continuously worked hard to improve himself through interactions with local celebrities. In other words, Zhuge Liang's life's wisdom was achieved within these ten years.
In the 12th year of Jian'an (207 AD), 47-year-old Liu Bei came to Longzhong and visited Zhuge Liang, who was only 27 years old at the time. The official history has the following record:
"At that time, the first master was stationed in Xinye. When Xu Shu saw the first master, he mastered the weapons and said to the first master: 'Zhuge Kongming is a crouching dragon. How can the general want to see him?' The First Lord said: "You are here with me." The common man said: "This person can be seen, but it is not appropriate to surrender." Therefore, the First Lord came to see him three times. Ping Ren said: "The Han Dynasty is in ruins, the imperial ministers have stolen their lives, and the Lord is in the dust. He does not know how to measure his virtue, but he wants to believe in the greatness of heaven, but his wisdom is too short and shallow, so his ambition is still unresolved." Do you think the plan will be safe? Liang replied: "Since Dong Zhuo came, there have been countless heroes who have joined forces across the state. Compared with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao was a little famous and outnumbered. However, Cao Cao was able to defeat Shao. To use weakness to become strong is not only due to the timing of the day, but also due to human conspiracy. Today, Cao has millions of people, holding the emperor to command the princes. This sincerity cannot be competed with. Sun Quan has held Jiangdong for three generations, and the country is in danger and the people are in danger. Attachment, if the virtuous can be used for it, it can be used as reinforcement but cannot be exploited. Jingzhou controls Han and Mian in the north, benefits from the South China Sea, connects Wuhui in the east, and connects Ba and Shu in the west. This is a country that uses military force, but its master cannot defend it. The general is so talented that he doesn't care about it. Yizhou is a dangerous place with thousands of miles of fertile fields. It is the land of Tianfu. Liu Zhang is weak, Zhang Lu is in the north, the people are rich and the country is rich, but they don't know how to care. "De Mingjun."
Zhuge Liang's analysis of the general trend of the world in this paragraph does have his own unique insights, and he can know the general trend of the world without leaving home.
"'The general is the king of the emperor's family, his faith is spread all over the world, he takes charge of heroes, and he is thirsty for talents. If there are thorns and benefits across the road, he will protect the rocks and obstacles, and he will unite with the Rong in the west and the Yiyue in the south. Make good friends with Sun Quan on the outside and cultivate political principles on the inside. If there is a change in the world, order a general to lead the army of Jingzhou to Wan and Luo. The general will lead the people of Yizhou out of Qinchuan. Who of the people dares not to eat the pulp from the pot? Are you going to welcome the general? If so, hegemony will be achieved and the Han Dynasty will be prosperous. 'The First Lord said: 'Good! It was basically developed based on this strategic policy, and this strategic policy largely contributed to the rise of Liu Bei and the formation of the three-part world.
(Many people have cited that the plan of dividing the world into three parts is not unique to Zhuge Liang’s family, such as Lu Su, etc. have also proposed this plan. Therefore, Zhuge Liang’s talent is not great. I foolishly think that this is The heroes have similar views. At that time, Zhuge Liang was still white, but Lu Su was already an important figure in Soochow. Zhuge Liang, who was white, could not but be said to be talented. It is completely inappropriate. I foolishly think that since Zhuge Liang's plan was very successful in the later period, then the three-thirds strategy is not out of place. Some people also say that Zhuge's three-thirds strategy has become a thing of the past in the later period, but Zhuge still uses it. As a strategic policy, it is inevitable that it will be out of date. From the perspective of the Shu Kingdom who lost Jingzhou, the only way out is the Northern Expedition. Therefore, Zhuge did not adapt to the situation, but followed the three-point policy, which was the only way out for the Shu Kingdom.
"So we had a good relationship with Liang. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others were displeased. The late master explained it and said: 'There is a hole in a solitary place, just like a fish has water. I hope you will not say anything more." "Yu, Fei Naizhi."
It can be seen from this paragraph that Liu Bei trusts Zhuge Liang, and Zhuge Liang's position as military advisor has been consolidated. Not only did Liu Bei trust Zhuge Liang, Liu Qi also respected Zhuge Liang. There is this record in the official history:
"Liu Biao's eldest son, Qi, was also deeply interested in Liang. Biao was told by his second wife that he loved his younger son Cong and was displeased with Qi. Every time Qi wanted to plan a way for himself with Liang, Liang often Rejecting the barrier, Qi took Liang to visit the back garden and went up to a high building. During the banquet, he asked people to go up the stairs, so he said to Liang: "Today, I can't go up to the sky, and I can't go down to the earth." Can the words come out of Zi's mouth and into my ears? "Liang replied: "Don't you see that Shen Sheng is in danger and Chong'er is in danger outside?" Qi Yi realized that Huang Zu died. After that, he became the governor of Jiangxia."
·The Battle of Chibi.
In the thirteenth year of Jian'an (AD 208), Cao Cao sent his army to the south after pacifying the north, targeting Liu Biao in Jingzhou and Sun Quan in Jiangdong.
"The Russian soldiers came to the table, and Cong heard that Duke Cao was coming to fight, so he sent an envoy to ask for surrender. The former master was in Fan Wenzhi, and led his troops to the south. Liang and Xu Shu followed together. They were chased by Duke Cao and captured his concubine's mother. Concubine's words The First Master pointed to his heart and said: "I originally wanted to fight against the general and those who seek hegemony, so this is just an inch of land. Now that I have lost my mother, she is in a state of chaos and is of no use. Please say goodbye from now on. "Then he went to Duke Cao."
Later, Liu Biao died and Liu Cong surrendered. After Liu Bei rejected Zhuge Liang's plan to attack Xiangyang and defend it, he was pursued by Cao Cao. After being defeated, he fled to Xiakou.
At that time, Jingzhou had been basically controlled by Cao Cao, and the only resistance forces were the troops of Liu Bei and Liu Qi in Jiangxia and Xiakou. Facing Cao Cao's approaching army, it was Zhuge Liang who reversed the crisis.
(Zhuge Liang did not use his ability to reverse the defeat when Liu Bei was defeated. However, when Cao Cao approached and Liu Cong surrendered, Zhuge Liang suggested a sneak attack on Xiangyang. However, Liu Bei did not adopt it and was left alone and helpless. And retreated. Therefore, it was not that Zhuge Liang failed to show his ability, but that Zhuge Liang was unable to recover despite Liu Bei's failure to adopt Zhuge Liang's strategy and Cao's army was strong at that time. This is not because Zhuge did not want to do it, but because things did not work as he wished.)
At that time, Liu Bei gathered troops in Jiangxia and Xiakou, with only two thousand troops left, and Guan Yu's navy and Liu Qi's troops were no more than ten thousand. It was really impossible to resist Cao Cao's next fierce attack. At this moment, Zhuge Liang immediately proposed the idea of ????Lian Wu and personally served as the envoy.
The official history has the following record:
“The First Lord came to Xiakou and said brightly: “The matter is urgent. Please be ordered to seek help from General Sun.” At that time, Quan supported his army in Chaisang, watching the success or failure. Liang said to Quan: "There was great chaos in the sea. The general raised troops to occupy Jiangdong. Liu Yuzhou also gathered all Hannan to compete with Cao Cao for the world." Today, the great calamity of Cao Yi has been calmed down, and Jingzhou has been defeated, which has shocked the world. The hero has no use for force, so Yuzhou fled here. The general will deal with it according to his ability: if the Wu and Yue people can compete with China, it is better to defeat them as soon as possible; if they cannot, why not put up their armor and attack from the north! Today, the general relies on the name of obedience, but he has hesitant plans on the inside. Things are urgent and constant, and the disaster will never end! Quan said, "As you say, why doesn't Liu Yuzhou do what he says?" "Liang said: "Tian Heng, a strong man in Qi, still upholds his righteousness and does not disgrace him. What's more, Liu Yuzhou's royal family is extremely talented and admired by all the people. If water returns to the sea, if things don't work, this is heaven. An Neng It’s too late! Quan Boran said: "I can't take the whole land of Wu. One hundred thousand people are under the control of others." My plan is decided! No one but Liu Yuzhou can be Cao Cao, but after Yuzhou's new defeat, how can he resist this difficulty? Liang said: "Although the Yuzhou army was defeated at Changban, the number of soldiers who have returned today is as high as 10,000 from Guan Yu's naval force, and there are no less than 10,000 soldiers from Liu Qi and Jiangxia." Cao Cao's troops, tired from afar, heard that they were pursuing Yuzhou, and their light cavalry traveled more than three hundred miles in a day and a night. This is what is said, "At the end of the strong slave period, the force cannot penetrate Lu Zun." Therefore, it is taboo in the art of war, saying, "You must defeat the general." Moreover, the people in the north are not used to water warfare; and the people in Jingzhou are so adept at fighting that they can force their troops to defeat them, but they are not convinced. Today, the general can sincerely command tens of thousands of strong generals to lead an army. If he cooperates with Yuzhou, he will defeat Cao Cao's army. If Cao's army is defeated, it must return to the north. In this way, the power of Jing and Wu will be strong, and a tripod will be formed. The chance of success or failure lies today. "Quan Dayue immediately sent Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, Lu Su and other 30,000 naval troops to follow Liang to visit the former lord and vigorously resist Cao Gong."
At this moment, Zhuge Liang gave full play to his ability as a diplomat. True character, after having an eloquent debate with Sun Quan and even the entire Wu Jun think tank, successfully used the strategy of provoking the generals, Wu Jun was finally prompted to join the battle group.
With the departure of the Wu army, Zhuge Liang's mission in the Battle of Chibi also came to an end.
"Gong Cao was defeated at Chibi and led his army back to Ye. The First Lord then took over the south of the Yangtze River and appointed Liang as military advisor Zhonglang General. He was envoy to oversee the three counties of Lingling, Guiyang and Changsha, and adjusted their taxes. The army is strong."
Then there was a battle between Wu's army of 30,000 and Cao's army of more than 200,000, which ended with the success of Zhou Yu's burning plan and Cao Cao's defeat. At this moment, Zhuge Liang was more watching from behind with Liu Bei. According to historical records, Liu Bei "made plans to advance and retreat." He did not unfold exciting stories such as borrowing the east wind as the novel said.
(In the Battle of Chibi, Zhuge Liang’s performance was only better than that of Lianwu. Although he did not perform much, Zhuge Liang’s accurate judgment of the Lianwu battle before the Battle of Chibi was very important in the battle between Wu and Wei. The strategy of waiting and watching at this time also fully demonstrated Zhuge Liang's extraordinary military accomplishments. These strategies pushed the then weak Liu Bei group to the edge of the whirlpool as much as possible in the Battle of Chibi, so as to avoid being damaged in the battle. He was preparing to make profits after the war. After Red Cliff, Liu Bei's military operations were indeed very active, entering Nanjun, conquering four counties in the south, etc.)
After Redbill, Sun and Liu allied forces attacked Nanjun. Later, Liu Bei followed Zhuge Liang's suggestion and led his army to march south to pacify the four counties. When Zhuge Liang received Zhou Yu's understanding to station in the public security and temporarily borrowed money from Jingzhou, he became a military general and was responsible for governing the three counties of Lingling, Guiyang and Changsha. Zhuge Liang set up a base camp in Linzheng and ruled the three counties. His task was to "adjust taxes to strengthen the army." Liu Bei handed over the management of the rear area to Zhuge Liang, and Zhuge Liang also gave full play to his political ability and adopted tactful political tactics. The tactics provided Liu Bei with a solid rear and an endless supply of supplies.
And he himself has held this job for nearly five years.
·Head of Internal Affairs.
In the 16th year of Jian'an (AD 211), Yizhou Shepherd Liu Zhang asked Liu Bei for help and asked Liu Bei to send his army to conquer the Five Dou Rice Sect in Hanzhong. Liu Bei then led the troops with Pang Tong, Huang Zhong and others as the main generals into Xichuan. At that time, Zhuge Liang still stayed in Jingzhou and was responsible for internal affairs.
Liu Bei officially broke with Liu Zhang in the second year and marched towards Chengdu. However, the military operation did not go smoothly. It encountered stubborn resistance from Liu Zhang's general Zhang Ren and others, and military advisor Pang Tong was killed in battle. At this time, it was under this situation that Zhuge Liang led his army to Shu for assistance for the first time.
Afterwards, he surrendered Liu Zhang and pacified Shu. Zhuge Liang's plan to divide the world into three parts is also beginning to take shape.
Zhuge Liang was 34 years old at the time and served as military advisor general, becoming the highest military and political auxiliary official.
"In the 16th year of Jian'an, Liu Zhang, the herdsman of Yizhou, sent Fa Zheng to greet the late lord and attack Zhang Lu. Liang and Guan Yu suppressed Jingzhou. The former lord returned from Jiameng to attack Zhang, and Liang, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun He led his troops up the river, divided the counties, and surrounded Chengdu. When Chengdu was leveled, Liang was appointed as the military adviser and general, and he was in charge of the affairs of General Zuo. When the First Lord was away, Liang always guarded Chengdu and had enough food and troops. "
It is not difficult to see from the official history records that Zhuge Liang's roles from Jingzhou to Yizhou were mainly chiefs of internal affairs. This aspect fully demonstrates Zhuge Liang's strengths in domestic affairs.
In the 20th year of Jian'an (AD 215), Sun Quan requested the return of Jingzhou from Shu on the grounds that Liu Bei had occupied Yizhou. For the Wu State, Jingzhou should be the territory of Soochow, and for the Shu State, Jingzhou is not only the birthplace of the Shu Army, but also an important stronghold of the Three-Third Plan. So when Liu Bei's prevarication angered Sun Quan. Sun Quan attempted to use force to enter the three counties of Changsha, Lingling and Guiyang. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang also led 50,000 troops to garrison the public security.
And just when the relationship between the two parties had developed to the point of breaking out, things ushered in an opportunity for change. At this time, Cao Cao led his army to conquer the Hanzhong area and threatened Yizhou.
In desperation, Liu Bei had to give in and sent Zhuge Liang to meet with Wu representative Zhuge Jin and reached a reconciliation agreement. The Jingzhou problem was finally temporarily resolved.
(Ping said: This meeting between Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jin due to official business should be the first meeting after Chibi, and both parties were just bargaining over the Jingzhou issue for their own purposes, but privately There was no meeting. It was enough to show that Kong Ming and his brother had good moral character and political consciousness, and they could distinguish between public and private affairs.)
Within four years after the Jingzhou issue was temporarily resolved, Liu Bei competed with Cao Cao for the ownership of Hanzhong and finally defeated him. And he ascended the throne as King of Hanzhong. Zhuge Liang stayed in Chengdu during this period, and his contribution was to replenish food and soldiers.
(Zhuge Liang mostly stayed behind before Liu Bei's death, as in the story of Xiao He. His political ability was fully demonstrated during this period, establishing his status as a statesman.)
·Shu Prime Minister of the country.
After Guan Yu lost Jingzhou and was killed by Soochow, Cao Cao died in Luoyang in the 25th year of Jian'an (AD 220), and his son Pi succeeded him. In October of the same year, Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor, established the Wei Dynasty, and abolished the Han Dynasty.
In April of the following year, Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor at the request of his ministers and reestablished the Han Dynasty. And Zhuge Liang naturally became the founding prime minister at the age of 41.
"In the twenty-sixth year, the group persuaded the late master to give him the title of honor, but the late master refused, so Liang said: "In the past, Wu Han, Geng Jian and others first persuaded Shizu to ascend the throne, but Shizu resigned, and he counted four , Geng Chun said: "The heroes of the world are chattering and hoping for something." If they do not follow the discussion, the scholar-bureaucrats will all turn to the Lord and seek help from the Lord, and they will do nothing to obey the public. ’ Shizu felt so deeply about Chun Yan that he promised it. Today, the Cao family has usurped the Han Dynasty, leaving the world without a master. The great king, the Liu family and the Miao people, rose up in the Shao Dynasty and is now the emperor. This is appropriate. The scholar-bureaucrats who have followed the great king and worked hard for a long time also hope that their merits will be as great as those of pure speech. The former Lord then ascended the throne, and Ce Liang became the prime minister and said: "I am not a good person for my family. I flatter the general government and work conscientiously. I do not seek peace and tranquility. I want to appease the people, but I am afraid that I will not be able to appease the emperor." Yu Xi! The Prime Minister has made it clear that he understands my intentions, and he has not been idle in assisting me, helping to spread the light and illuminating the world. What do you do! "It is a holiday for the prime minister to record affairs. After Zhang Fei's death, he took charge of the Sili Xiaowei."
The prime minister recorded affairs and was the political leader. The holiday is the supreme authority, which also gives Zhuge Liang the right to cut first and then report later. Later, he was promoted to Sili Xiaowei, and he even had the authority to impeach hundreds of officials. It can be said that after Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor, Zhuge Liang became a person inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people.
Despite having such supreme power, Zhuge Liang must have felt uncomfortable. The loss of Jingzhou almost completely failed Zhuge Liang's strategy of the Second Route Northern Expedition. The only way to repair it is to stabilize the Sun family. This may allow Soochow to make up for Jingzhou and try to restore the blueprint of the three-point world plan.
However, things were not as Zhuge Liang expected. During the period after Guan Yu was killed, the thought of revenge for Guan Yu was indelible in Liu Bei's mind. In July of the same year as Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor, he launched an army to attack Wu despite Zhuge Liang's objections. They were defeated in the battle of Yiling, and the Shu army suffered heavy losses in their savings over the years.
The loss of Jingzhou made the three-point strategy almost useless. Now the Shu army that he and Liu Bei had worked hard for many years was lost in Yiling. The national power of Shu suddenly fell to its lowest point. At this time, although Zhuge Liang had supreme power in domestic affairs, he had never had military power in the military. Coupled with Liu Bei's arbitrariness and the intervention of external forces. Zhuge Liang is like a lonely boat in the sea, drifting with the wind and waves.
(Although Kong Ming ascended to the high position of Prime Minister in just a few years, Kong Ming in these few years must be the most unsatisfactory Kong Ming since he came out of the mountain. What a pity, Zhuge Liang's mood at that moment will be How heavy? The feeling of standing aside and watching things that you can't change step by step must be very bad)
After Liu Bei's defeat, Zhuge Liang had to shoulder the lifeblood of the entire Shu country. It can be said that Zhuge Liang really broke through the political gap and got involved in the military of Shu. The price he paid was losing Jingzhou and losing a large number of elite troops. This was definitely not worth it. But no matter what, Zhuge Liang had to accept this mission with a heavy heart.
"In the spring of the third year of Zhangwu's reign, the late emperor died of illness in Yong'an. He summoned Liang to Chengdu, which was a later matter. He said to Liang: "Your talent is ten times that of Cao Pi, and you will surely be able to secure the country and resolve major events." If the heir can assist, then assist him; if he is not talented, you can take it yourself. Liang burst into tears and said, "I dare to exert all my strength and loyalty to my chastity, and then die!" The first master also issued an edict to the later master, saying: "You will work with the prime minister, just like your father." "In the first year of Jianxing, he was granted the title of Marquis of Wuxiang in Liang and established a government to manage affairs. After a while, he was also appointed as the pastor of Yizhou. Government affairs were not big or small, and Xian decided with Liang. All the counties in the south were in rebellion, and Liang Yixin suffered a great loss. , so he did not add troops, but sent envoys to hire Wu, and because of the marriage, he became the country's leader."
After Liu Bei's death, Zhuge Liang took over the position of Yizhou Mu, which gave him power. The central government implements it to the local governments. At this moment, Zhuge Liang immediately started substantive work. While restoring the alliance with Wu, he adopted a strategy of resting with the people at home.
Although Liu Chan, who succeeded him, was mediocre, he abided by his father's last words and left all matters to Zhuge Liang. The policies advocated by Zhuge Liang have now been developed more comprehensively than during Liu Bei's period.
(This is when Zhuge Liang truly stepped onto the big stage of the world. If the first half of Zhuge Liang’s official career established his status as a statesman, then the subsequent southern and northern expeditions fully demonstrated his status as a statesman. The quality of a military strategist established his status as a military strategist in one fell swoop)
·Conquered the South and the North.
The Southern Expedition and the Northern Expedition can be said to be Zhuge Liang's most eye-catching time. The following is a brief summary of Zhuge Liang's trajectory from the first year of Jianxing when he actually took charge of the country to his death in Wuzhangyuan in the twelfth year of Jianxing.
In the first year of Jianxing (AD 223), Deng Zhi was sent to repair the alliance with Wu, and also used this to repair the blueprint of the three-thirds strategy.
In the second year of Jianxing (AD 224), he engaged in farming and grain cultivation, and rested with the people in seclusion. In the same year, Wei attacked Wu but failed.
In March of the third year of Jianxing (AD 225), Zhuge Liang led his army to the south, and Meng Huo of the Southern Barbarians surrendered. Returned to Chengdu in December of this year. In the same year, Wei again attacked Wu, but still stopped at Guangling.
In the fourth year of Jianxing (226 AD), he organized military affairs and military affairs, actively prepared materials, and prepared for the Northern Expedition. In this year, Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi died, and Emperor Ming Rui came to power. Wu Xing's troops attacked Wei but failed.
Kong Ming, who had made complete preparations in the fifth year of Jianxing (AD 227), submitted the "Execution Order" to his lord Liu Chan in March of that year and embarked on the Northern Expedition. The Shu army gathered near Yangping Pass in Hanzhong, waiting for the opportunity to attack. In the same year, Sima Yi was appointed to garrison in Yuwan and command the troops on the border with Wu.
In the spring of the sixth year of Jianxing (AD 228), they attacked Qishan, but the vanguard force led by Ma Di violated Kongming's combat policy and was defeated in Jieting. Kong Ming had to retreat. Back in Hanzhong, Kong Ming "killed Ma Su with tears" and asked for instructions to demote himself to the right general and perform the duties of the prime minister to show his responsibility. In Xia, Wu defeated the Wei army and Hefei general Cao Xiu. Zhuge Liang then read the "Later Departure of the Teachers" and launched the Northern Expedition. In the twelfth month of winter, Kong Ming crossed the pass and surrounded Chencang for more than 20 days. Due to the tight defense of Chencang guard Hao Zhao and the arrival of Wei reinforcements, the Shu army ran out of food and retreated. Defeated the pursuing Wei army and killed the enemy general Wang Shuang.
In the spring of the seventh year of Jianxing (AD 229), General Chen Shi was ordered to pacify Wudu and Yinping counties. In order to contain the enemy Yongzhou governor Guo Huai, Kong Ming personally left Jianwei and returned after achieving the strategic purpose. In April of the same year, Sun Quan proclaimed himself emperor.
In the spring of the eighth year of Jianxing (AD 230), Wei launched an offensive. Sima Yi attacked Hanzhong in three directions from Xicheng along the Han River, Zhang He from Ziwu Valley, and Cao Zhen from Xie Valley. Kongming deployed formations in Chenggu and Akasaka to strengthen preparations for the battle. Wei gave up the attack because of continuous heavy rain and road blockage, which hindered his attack. Wu attacked Wei and Hefei, but failed.
In the spring and February of the ninth year of Jianxing (AD 231), Kong Ming personally led his army to attack Qishan again. Wei Tiao Wancheng defender Sima Yi was responsible for resisting the Shu army. Kong Ming was blocked by Zhongda's solid defense. In June of Xia, the Shu army ran out of supplies and had to withdraw, during which Zhang He was killed.
In the 10th year of Jianxing (AD 232), soldiers were allowed to recuperate in Hanzhong, agriculture was rewarded, military rations were stored, transportation tools such as "wooden oxen" and "streaming horses" were made, and soldiers were trained to prepare for expeditions. Wu Mou attacked Lujiang and retreated.
In the winter of the 11th year of Jianxing (AD 233), military supplies were stored at the entrance of Xiegu on the expedition route and the post station was renovated. In the same year, Wu Mou attacked Hefei Xincheng, but was defeated and retreated.
In the spring and February of the twelfth year of Jianxing (AD 234), he led an army of 100,000 to attack from Xiegu. For the first time, "wooden oxen" and "liquid horses" were used to transport military supplies. After leaving the south bank of the Wei River, we set up formations at Wuzhangyuan and established garrison operations in preparation for a protracted war. The stalemate with Sima Yi lasted for more than a hundred days. In autumn and August, he became ill and died in the army. It is worth mentioning that Emperor Xian of Han also died in the same year. Zhuge and Emperor Xian of Han were born and died in the same year, both at the age of fifty-four.
(Whether it is seen from the correct strategy of the Southern Expedition or from the situation of the Northern Expedition, although Zhuge Liang's military attainments have not reached the pinnacle, they are still powerful. "Prudent" is Zhuge's policy in using troops. To sum up, it is most appropriate. When he died in the army, he could only sigh: "He died before he left the army, which made the hero burst into tears." In addition, articles criticizing Zhuge repeatedly mentioned that Zhuge Liang frequently used troops against Wei and consumed national power. However, it can be seen from the above data that the battles between Wu and Wei were more frequent and more intense than those between Shu and Wei.
Are the critics nitpicking? Since Zhuge Liang was summed up by the word "prudent" in his military use in later generations, I believe he would definitely aim for invincibility. At that time, the national strength of the Shu Kingdom was more than enough to cope with the Northern Expedition, not to mention that Zhuge Bibi tried every means to solve the food and grass problem on his own. )