Well-known stories, such as Empty City Plan, Borrowing the East Wind, Borrowing an Arrow from a Grass Boat, and Capturing Meng Huo, are only deductive plots in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but Zhuge Liang in real history is equally brilliant, so it does not affect the world's love for him.
However, although Zhuge Liang fought like a god all his life, some people had some doubts about him. For example, in the Northern Expedition, he left Qishan five times for eight years, which caused great controversy in later generations. Many people could not understand why Zhuge Liang rashly launched such a war when Shu Han just recovered his national strength.
Everyone knows that the national strength of Shu Han at that time was too different from that of Cao Wei. Cao Wei not only owns twelve states in the world, but also occupies a place where horses are raised, while Zhuge Liang has only one state. In this state, Zhuge Liang launched the Northern Expedition, which was tantamount to throwing eggs at stones. Is this a revival of the Han Dynasty or self-destruction?
Of course, a simple problem that even ordinary people can see, with Zhuge Liang approaching the wisdom of the demon, can not be ignored. I have to say that it is naive to think that Zhuge Liang launched the Northern Expedition only to revive the Han Dynasty. In fact, "reviving the Han Dynasty" is just a reasonable excuse for Zhuge Liang to launch the Northern Expedition, and his real purpose is not limited to this.
Speaking of it, although Cao Wei's strength is the strongest among the three countries, due to the influence of years of war, the population in the Central Plains has lost a lot. An official once said that the total population of Cao Wei was only equivalent to that of a county in the Han Dynasty. Although this statement is somewhat exaggerated, it also shows that the economy and society of the Central Plains were severely damaged at that time, which is also an important reason why Shu Han was able to separate Yizhou.
However, once Cao Wei, who is in the north, is restored, even if the forces of the whole south unite, it may not be able to compete with it. As a far-sighted politician and strategist, Zhuge Liang must have known this for a long time. He knows very well that no matter how small profits develop, they will basically come to an end.
Therefore, what Zhuge Liang has to do is not to give Cao Wei a chance to breathe. Otherwise, when Cao Wei is restored, Shu Han, who is in a peaceful corner, will be in danger. So, how do we solve the crisis of Shu Han? Only the pressure brought by the war can prevent or delay the recovery of Cao Wei. If only a few counties were captured in the Northern Expedition in order to expand the territory of Shu Han.
In addition, the process of Liu Bei's entry into Yizhou was not glorious at first, and it was too much to say that it was another one. Since then, the local Yizhou faction has been crushed by Jingzhou faction, and the intrigue between factions is like the twist of a powder keg. No one can say which day it will be ignited. Zhuge Liang also saw this hidden danger clearly.
Launching a war under the slogan of "reviving the Han dynasty" can make several factions temporarily put aside their prejudices and unite with the outside world. Although everyone knows in their hearts that it is difficult to revive the glory of the Han Dynasty with the strength of Shu Han, what if it succeeds? Therefore, whether it is to slow down the recovery of Cao Wei or to ease internal contradictions, the Northern Expedition is the best solution.