Zhuge Liang is a well-known figure in our country, and there are many deeds, legends, and sayings about him. Collect information and use "My Comments on Zhuge Liang through the Ages" as the

Zhuge Liang, courtesy name Kongming, was a native of Nanyang in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. An outstanding statesman, military strategist and diplomat during the Three Kingdoms period. He left a glorious image of "wisdom" and "nobility of integrity" to future generations, and is a well-known historical figure in East Asia. He left behind many stories and famous sayings that have been passed down through the ages. Here, I would like to talk about my own insights on Zhuge Liang's "dedicate himself to death".

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) 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. This is the famous "Longzhong Dui": < /p>

"Since Dong Zhuo's rebellion, heroes have risen up together, and there are countless people who can connect counties across states. Compared with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao is less famous and outnumbered. However, Cao Cao was able to defeat Shao and use his weakness to become strong. It is not just the timing of heaven, but also the plan of man. Today, Cao has millions of people, holding the emperor to command the princes. This sincerity cannot be competed with. Sun Quan has occupied Jiangdong for three generations. The country is in danger and the people are attached to it. There are talents. Jingzhou can be used for reinforcements but cannot be used for military purposes. Jingzhou controls Han and Miang in the north, stretches out the South China Sea, connects Wuhui in the east, and connects Bashu in the west. This is a country that uses military force, but its master cannot defend it. This is why Tiantian has a general. Does the general have any intention? Yizhou is a dangerous place with thousands of miles of fertile land. It is because of this that Gaozu became an emperor. Liu Zhang was weak and Zhang Lu was in the north. The people were rich but they did not know how to care for them. The wise man wanted to have a wise king. He is loyal and loyal to the four seas. He takes charge of heroes and is thirsty for talents. If there are thorns and benefits across the road, he will protect the rocks and obstacles. He will make peace with the Rong in the west, pacify the Yiyue in the south, befriend Sun Quan externally, and cultivate political principles internally to treat the world. If there is a change, I will 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. Will the people dare to welcome the general without holding a pot of pulp? If this is the case, then the hegemony can be achieved? If it succeeds, the Han Dynasty can flourish."

The quote from "Longzhong Dui" 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 "farmed in Nanyang and did not seek to learn and reach the princes." According to the research, Zhuge Liang followed his uncle Zhuge Xuan to Xiangyang. After his uncle's death, from 197 AD to 207 AD, Zhuge Liang 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 defended his 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! ! !

Starting from Kong Ming’s "Three Cries"

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. Now the world is divided into three parts, and we are in a three-legged position. This is a good opportunity to develop agriculture, consolidate granaries, and recharge our batteries to defeat the enemy. After this battle, Yun Chang will become more loyal to Shu. This is my great plan!" From this point of view, it is absolutely impossible to let Cao Cao go! It was not accidental, nor was it Kong Ming's failure. It was actually forced by the situation and a helpless move.

Another example is Wei Yan. At that time, the three pillars stood in opposition, and the Shu Kingdom was relatively weak. Zhuge Liang was struggling to survive the crisis, so he naturally focused on recruiting talents. In addition to Guan, Zhang, Zhao and Mahuang, another famous general in Shu was Wei Yan. Zhuge Liang took great pains in using it. Wei Yan is also considered to be brave and good at fighting, and has repeatedly made meritorious deeds. However, this person has a "rebellion" behind his head and is not loyal enough. Zhuge Liang predicts that he will rebel in the future. However, the country is at a time when it is employing people, and this person cannot be used, especially after Guanzhang, Zhao, Mahuang and others have withered. Besides, if you don't use it, it may be used by the enemy. Zhuge Liang used him while guarding against him. When Zhuge Liang was overworked and critically ill, he secretly ordered Wei Yan to stop. That night, Wei Yan suddenly had a dream. He dreamed that two horns were growing on his head. Knowing that it was a sign of good luck, he launched an army to rebel, in line with Kong Ming's words. It was Zhuge Liang who had made arrangements and left behind a clever plan, so Ma Dai beheaded Wei Yan.

Knowing that he has the intention to rebel, he still wants to use it, just like walking on a tightrope. Zhuge Liang has a plan in mind. He has fear but does not dare to openly rebel while he is still alive. There is no need to regret it. Killing him before he rebelled again chilled the hearts of the soldiers. The only way to do this is to lay an ambush around him and kill him in one fell swoop when he turns back. Generally speaking, you don't have to trust the people you use, and you don't use the people you suspect. However, in a specific situation, how to flexibly achieve the best results is actually a great wisdom.

When Lu Xun evaluated Zhuge Liang, he thought he was too magical and almost a "demon". I cannot fully understand the previous comments. In my opinion, it is called "demon", which has a derogatory meaning. I think otherwise. Although Zhuge Liang's intelligence is almost mythical, it would be too harsh to call him a "demon". He is just a human being, a flesh-and-blood person, and a person who values ??friendship.

During the Battle of Jieting, Ma Su rushed to the front and kept talking wildly without attracting his attention. This was an oversight on his part. He sent Wang Ping, but he didn't know how Ma Su would listen to Wang Ping's words. This was another oversight. As a result, we lost our fighting opportunities, lost our territory, lost the victory we were about to win, lost our vigor, lost the great cause of destroying Wei and Xinghan, and lost the wisdom that politicians and military strategists should have. It can be said that "one mistake will lead to eternal hatred." This was a major failure in Kong Ming's life. Although there is some fault of Kong Ming's negligence in this, it is not entirely the case. You see, when Ma Su asked for troops, although Kong Ming had doubts, he had a good impression of him and could not save his face, so he entrusted him with an important task. The root cause is the word "love". Afterwards, Kong Ming shed tears and said, "You and I are just like brothers, and your son is my son. There is no need to ask for more advice." This cry, with a wave of his hand, expressed deep self-blame for wasting the opportunity to fight, improper employment, and also harmed Ma Su. , involving his whole family, which shows the depth of his "love". The placement and care of Ma Di's family shows the importance of his "righteousness". Kong Ming cried for the second time. When Jiang Wan joined the army to plead for mercy, Kong Ming shed tears and replied: "Unfortunately, the reason why Sun Wu can conquer the world is because of his clear method. Now the four parties are fighting, and the war has just begun. If the law is abolished, how can we fight against the thieves?" He should be killed. "There are so many emotions intertwined with this cry. Ma Su was about to behead him, but he couldn't bear it in his heart, but he enforced the law strictly, so he cried because he had to behead him, and he cried because he knew that he could not make good use of others. The street pavilion was lost, the situation of the war could not be reversed, and the prosperity of the Han Dynasty was slim. So I felt sad, how could I not shed tears? After Ma Su was beheaded, Kong Ming burst into tears again. Jiang Wan asked, "I often offend you today. Since I am enforcing military law, why is the prime minister crying?" Kongming said, "I am not crying for Ma Su. I think that when the late emperor was in danger in Baidi City, He once told me: "Ma Su exaggerated and was of no use." Now, in response to his words, he deeply regretted his ignorance and recalled the words of the late emperor, so he burst into tears. As I cried, so much sadness and indignation came to my mind. I could vividly remember the Maolin stream in front of me; the autumn soldiers on the battlefield; and the discussions about the past and the present with the late emperor riding horses and the vast fields and heaven and earth. I miss my old kindness and regret that I didn't 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 due to my ignorance, and I am sorry for the late emperor's kindness in knowing him. I am deeply affectionate, and there is another word "love".

To say that Kong Ming is not "intelligent", I think there is only one point. The late emperor once said when he was entrusting an orphan in Baidi City: "The young master Liu Chan is fatuous and incompetent, and he is greedy for pleasure. When absolutely necessary, the prime minister can take his place and establish the Han Dynasty." However, despite what the late emperor said, Kong Ming will never violate his "emotion" and commit any crime. He was loyal and dedicated his whole life to the Kingdom of Shu until he died. How can this be fully expressed by the word "affection"? "To end the world affairs of the king and gain fame both before and after his life, it was all in vain!" Later generations commented that Zhuge Liang said:

Three visits to the world frequently

The two dynasties opened the hearts of old ministers

He died before leaving the army

The hero burst into tears

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

Zhuge Liang’s Northern Expedition has always been controversial. So far, the mainstream view among scholars and amateurs is to hold an appreciative attitude. But at present, some innovative friends on the Internet have put forward various opinions, which can be summarized into two points: first, it will bring down the national power of Shu Han; second, Zhuge Liang will support his troops and respect 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. The main members of his cabinet, Jiang Wan, Fei Yi, Dong Yun, etc., 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 view 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.