In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sima Hui, the water mirror master, once said to Liu Bei: Fu Long Feng chicks can be safe in the world. However, Liu Bei was fortunate to recruit these two top strategists to his side, but unexpectedly, just as he was preparing to show his fists, Pang Tong was shot to death by Liu Zhang's men in front of Luo Fengpo when he attacked Yizhou. In this way, Liu Bei changed from a dual-core drive to a single-core team. After Liu Bei's death, Zhuge Liang's military and political affairs shouldered shoulders, and several times went out to the Northern Expedition to prepare to restore the Han Dynasty, but all of them were fruitless, and finally died of illness in Wuzhangyuan.
Among them, during the First Northern Expedition, Wei Yan had proposed to Zhuge Liang the Meridian Valley Conspiracy, the core content of which was to lead a crack army to attack Chang'an through the Meridian Valley, when Chang'an's defender Xiahou Shu was a clumsy disciple, Wei Yan believed that Xiahou Shu would definitely surrender or abandon the city without a fight and flee. After he occupied Chang'an, with the cooperation of Zhuge Liang's army, he could take the entire Guanzhong in one fell swoop, so that the Shu army would occupy an extremely favorable position in the Northern Expedition.
However, Zhuge Liang refused on the grounds that this plan was too dangerous, which made Wei Yan feel very unhappy, and he also complained a few times, believing that Zhuge Liang was deliberately suppressing himself. So the question is, if it was Pang Tong instead of Zhuge Liang who was presiding over the Northern Expedition at this time, would he adopt Wei Yan's Meridian Valley strategy? Before answering this question, let's first look at the difference between Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang was cautious all his life and rarely made dangers, so the empty city plan frightened Sima Yi; while Pang Tong was the opposite, he liked to take risks and did not play cards according to common sense, and Pang Tong's characteristics were vividly expressed when he attacked Yizhou with Liu Bei.
In order to resist Zhang Lu, Liu Zhang, under the flicker of Zhang Song, insisted on inviting Liu Bei to enter the river despite the opposition of everyone. Pang Tong tried to persuade Liu Bei to take the opportunity to seize Yizhou, so Liu Bei left Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun to guard Jingzhou, and marched to Xichuan with Pang Tong, Wei Yan, and Huang Zhong. After Liu Zhang heard the news of Liu Bei's entry into Sichuan, he deliberately rushed from Chengdu to meet Liu Bei. At that time, Pang Tong suggested that Liu Bei imitate Xiang Yu to hold a Hongmen banquet, cut Liu Zhang down on the spot, and then lead a large army to take Chengdu directly. However, Liu Bei refused on the grounds that this move did not conform to his image of benevolence and righteousness.
A year later, Liu Bei finally decided to tear his face with Liu Zhang, at which time Pang Tong gave Liu Bei three strategies: only now select elite soldiers, day and night and road to attack Chengdu: this is the best plan. Yang Huai and Gao Pei were famous generals in Shu, and each of them resisted defending Guan pass; now the lord and duke pretended to return to Jingzhou in the name of returning to Jingzhou, and the second general heard about it and would come to send them; he sent them off, captured and killed them, took Guan Pass, first took Fucheng, and then went to Chengdu: this is also a plan. Returning to the White Emperor and returning to Jingzhou overnight, Xu Tu forged ahead: this is the next plan. Chengdu and Yemeng Pass are far apart, and Shu Dao is notoriously difficult to walk, but Pang Tong's best strategy is to send elite soldiers to attack Chengdu day and night. It is not difficult to see how much Pang Tong likes to take risks. If he had presided over the Northern Expedition, he would have adopted Wei Yan's Meridian Valley strategy. As for whether it will succeed, no one dares to say. Is it difficult for Deng Ai to smuggle yin ping? MacArthur's Plan for the Inchon Landing was widely opposed by U.S. generals, but he eventually succeeded. From this point of view, who dares to say that the Meridian Valley conspiracy will definitely fail?