Text/Sue
In the three kingdoms of clouds and turmoil, the wars are raging, and countless heroes have composed a series of sad and weeping stories, such as the Battle of Guandu, the Battle of Chibi, and so on, which are familiar to us. When it comes to characters, there is a person who can never avoid the topic, and without him, history may have to be rewritten.
His influence was not at all under the three giants of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Liu Bei, with his assistance, had transformed from a so-called imperial uncle who wandered around and had nowhere to live, to a hegemon on the side. This man is Kong Ming Zhuge Liang.
Five into the Central Plains
Speaking of Zhuge Liang, we have to mention the story of the Six Qi Mountains. But that's in the rendition, only five times in history. There were only two times out of Qishan, which was the first and fourth Northern Expeditions, but Qishan became the symbol of the entire Northern Expedition. People who love the Three Kingdoms are curious why they chose Qishan as a major route in the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains.
Speaking of this, we must first understand Qishan, Qishan is located in the east of Li County, Gansu Province, where there is a Town of Qishan, the terrain is flat, nearby is the West Han River, very convenient for water transportation, which is also one of the reasons that attracted Zhuge Liang to qishan.
Zhuge Liang's strategy was to pacify longyou, and then use this as a basis to advance into Guanzhong and thus try to take the Central Plains. The Longyou region is located at the overlap of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Inner Mongolia Plateau and the Loess Plateau, and is an important strategic location. At that time, the State of Qin also used the Longyou region as a springboard to sweep away the Six Kingdoms, and Dinglongxi had to take the Qishan Road. From the Qishan Road, using the Water and Land of the Western Han Dynasty, the problem of transporting grain can be solved.
Of course, in addition to Qishan, there were several routes to enter the Central Plains, such as the Second Northern Expedition from Sanguan to encircle Chen Cang, and the Fifth Northern Expedition from Xiegu. Of course, these are no more convenient than taking the QiShan Mountains, first of all, grain and grass are a problem.
Most of the Chen Cang Road is a boardwalk, can not take the grain truck, can only rely on manpower shoulder and hand picking, the efficiency is very low, other large siege equipment is no way to pass. The purpose of taking Chen Cang was to surprise Cao Wei and quickly capture Chen Cang, not wanting Cao Zhen to send Hao Zhao to renovate Chen Cangcheng when Zhuge Liang's first Northern Expedition failed, resulting in the rapid failure of the Second Northern Expedition.
The fifth dispatch of troops to Xiegu also encountered difficulties in the transportation of grain and grass, so when they left The Xiegu Valley, they camped in Wuzhangyuan and fought a war of attrition with the State of Wei. Unfortunately, Zhuge Liang finally died of illness in Wuzhangyuan.
Tough Meridian Valley
Speaking of which, here is a special mention of a shortcut close to Cao Wei's important town of Chang'an, that is, the Meridian Valley, which is said to be less than ten days away from Chang'an. The meridian valley stretches for about 330 kilometers from north to south, from Qinling Mountain in the southwest of Chang'an County, Shaanxi Province, to Shiquan County in the south, and the north exit is called "Zikou" The south exit is called "Meridian" The four sides of the Meridian Valley are cliffs and cliffs, which are not conducive to marching operations. There are two clear examples to prove that Cao Zhen, a famous general of the Wei state, walked through the Meridian Valley.
In July 230, the Wei army divided into four roads to cut down Shu, one led by Cao Zhen, taking the Meridian Valley, when it encountered heavy rain, which fell for a month and destroyed the mountain road, with the result that less than half of the journey was walked in thirty days. It can be seen that the road is narrow and the road is difficult. There was also the famous general Huan Wen of the Eastern Jin Dynasty who attacked Former Qin to attack Chang'an, and it was also hanzhong who sent troops to take the Meridian Valley, and the result was that he was defeated by Former Qin before he could get out of the valley.
The famous Shu Han general Wei Yan also proposed to lead a group of soldiers and horses from Hanzhong directly through the Meridian Valley, and then directly to Chang'an. Of course, this road is the closest to Chang'an, and it can achieve the effect of surprise and attack.
However, as mentioned earlier, the narrow roads of meridian valley are not conducive to combat, and it is difficult to even retreat once they encounter ambushes. Zhuge Liang was proficient in the art of war, and of course he understood the importance of geography to war. The reason why Wei Yan's suggestion was not adopted, in fact, in addition to geographical problems, on the other hand, this plan was too risky, and once the soldiers were defeated, they would inevitably be buried in the Meridian Valley, even if it was only a group of Soldiers and Horses of Wei Yan, which would have a great political and military impact in the context of Wei Yan's strength and weakness at that time.
The great leader Chairman Mao, in his appraisal of the Meridian Valley Conspiracy, pointed out to the point the problems of Wei Yan's Conspiracy:
"This is too suspenseful."
Chairman Mao himself was a great military and strategic commander, who had read history and was well aware of the situation in the Shu state at that time, and from the perspective of his old man, Wei Yan's plan was too risky.
Besides, this was Zhuge Liang's first Northern Expedition, and if it failed in this way, would people still have the confidence to support the next few Northern Expeditions? The first battle is not to be won, but it is also necessary to get some political capital back to let the Shu kingdom see some hope.
On the other hand, this is contrary to Zhuge Liang's strategy, after all, Zhuge Liang's goal is in Longyou, and the whole set of operational plans has actually been drawn up in Zhuge Liang's mind, and if it were not for the loss of the street pavilion by Ma Mo later, the hope of controlling Longyou to try to achieve zhongyuan would still be possible. Therefore, whether from the geographical or political and military point of view, the strategic objectives do not support the dispatch of troops to meridian valley.
Looking back at the timing chosen by Zhuge Liang's first Northern Expedition to the Central Plains, it was precisely when Cao Pi failed to conquer Wu in the south of the Jiangsu Province three times, and later died of illness and Cao Rui succeeded to the throne, at this time, Cao Wei's morale was bound to be lost. Just think who would want to miss this great opportunity, Zhuge Liang's Longzhong also mentioned, "If there is a change in the world, then order a general to take the army of Jingzhou to Xiangwan and Luo, and the general to lead the people of Yizhou out of Qinchuan, and the people dare not eat pot pulp to welcome the general?" If so, then hegemony can be achieved, and the Han room can be prosperous. ”
It is a pity to lose Jingzhou, otherwise, the hope of success in the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains would be greater. So whether it is the timing chosen or the route of the march, it is well thought out. It can be seen how much Zhuge Liang attached importance to the first Northern Expedition. In addition, Kong Ming was cautious all his life and refused to take risks, whether it was to take the Qi Mountains or out of the valley, the main purpose was to control the important strategic area of Longyou, and then Xu Tu gradually, steadily and steadily, step by step. The so-called caution makes the ten thousand year ship. This is also one of the reasons why you do not choose to go to Meridian Valley.
Wei Shu environment
Of course, there is also an important reason is that Zhuge Liang does not have many cards in his hand, and one less card is one, after all, risking requires capital, and it is not possible to solve the problem by relying on a moment's courage. At that time, the State of Shu had just experienced the great defeat of Yiling, and although it had recovered a little after Zhuge Liang's efforts to govern, it was still much worse than that of the State of Wei.
One of the most intuitive problems, in terms of military strength, at that time, the State of Wei had about 70,000 troops in the Yongliang area of the western front, which were to defend Shu Han and Qiang Hu, and Jingzhou on the southern front had about 100,000 troops, which were used to guard against Eastern Wu. There are also xuzhou also has a force of about 100,000 troops, Xuchang Luoyang also has a standing army of more than 100,000, and many prefectures and counties also have troops. That adds up to more than half a million is more than enough.
By 263, when Sima Zhao's army was conquering Shu, there were more troops, which is a later story. On the other hand, the situation in the Shu state was different, Liu Bei had more than 30,000 troops when he entered Sichuan, Guan Yu also had about 30,000 troops in Jingzhou, and later after the army of Xichuan was absorbed and conquered southern Man, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses were obtained, and the Shu Han had more than 100,000 troops at its peak.
After the defeat of Yiling, it was even more seriously injured. Some people say that Liu Beifei Wu did not dispatch an army of 750,000 troops, sorry, that is a deduction. According to the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, there were only 40,000 or 50,000 soldiers and horses in this crusade against Eastern Wu, far less than one-tenth of the former. Zhuge Liang's troops in the Qi Mountains were at most 100,000.
Later, when the Shu Han Dynasty destroyed the country, the shu state army recorded in the Wei state book was 12,000. Therefore, when Kong Ming cut down the Central Plains at that time, the national military strength was about 150,000, which was not at the same level as the State of Wei at all.
Zhong will cut shu
Let's talk about the place of Meridian Valley, as mentioned earlier, there are several famous generals who have planted their heads on this road, which is an almost impassable road, but in the end, has anyone successfully completed the goal through here? That was the famous general Zhong Hui of the State of Wei. Zhong Hui zi Shi Ji, a native of Yingchuan Changshe County, is knowledgeable from an early age and proficient in the study of name and reason. Of course, being able to safely pass through the Meridian Valley doesn't mean how powerful he is, and how powerful he is, can be stronger than Kong Ming, who has experienced hundreds of battles. This is determined by the whole environment, not by his ability alone.
In the winter of 262, the State of Wei sent an army of 180,000 troops, divided into three roads, to go south to attack the State of Shu, and the general Deng Ai led 30,000 troops from Di Dao to Kill Xiang Qizhong, where Jiang Wei was at the time, and it was obvious that the purpose of this road was to defeat him, even if it could not be defeated, it was a great success. Yongzhou assassin Zhuge Xu led 30,000 troops to attack from Qishan to Wudu and Yinping Bridgehead, with the purpose of cutting off Jiang Wei's retreat. The Zhenxi general Zhong Hui would lead more than 100,000 troops by himself, and at the same time cross the Qin Mountains from the Chu Chu Dao, The Luo Dao, and the Meridian Road into Hanzhong.
Here is the main analysis of why the bell will take the meridian valley this road. As mentioned earlier, Chang'an is very close to Hanzhong, and Chang'an is also an important town in Guanzhong in the State of Wei, which is very convenient for supply. The so-called three armies have not moved, and the grain and grass have gone first. Logistics is the most important thing for marching and fighting, without food and grass, it is useless to give you thousands of troops and horses. It's not good to make your counter directly. One of the key problems of Zhuge Liang's failure in the Five Central Plains is that he cannot avoid the problem of grain and grass.
Zhong Hui also saw this and regarded the Meridian Valley as one of the marching routes. Of course, aside from the army led by other generals, Zhong Hui's own army of more than 100,000 people did not all come from the Meridian Valley, and the army in the Meridian Valley was still mainly escorting grain and grass, and the main force would still take the other two roads.
However, some people will ask, if there is an ambush in the Meridian Valley of the Shu Kingdom, it will not be dangerous for grain and grass, of course, grain and grass can also go in many ways. In fact, at that time, Sima Zhao mainly saw the entire strategic environment of the Shu state at that time.
Jiang Wei can be said to be Zhuge Liang's successor, but also a very talented and capable person, both literary and martial. He inherited Zhuge Liang's legacy and attacked the Central Plains many times, and all along Jiang Wei was either in the Northern Expedition or on the way to the Northern Expedition, and the State of Wei was very jealous of him.
In 262, Jiang Wei made another Northern Expedition, which was his eleventh and final Northern Expedition. However, the result was still defeated, but there is a more serious problem to be faced than the military defeat. That was the problem within the Shu Han.
Since Zhuge Liang's illness and death in Wuzhangyuan, the dprk and the chinese traitors were in charge, and although Jiang Wei inherited Zhuge Liang's mantle, his position in the DPRK could not be compared with Zhuge Liang's, plus he had been leading troops to fight for many years, and there was no opportunity to participate in political affairs, and there was no network in the DPRK.
During Jiang Wei's last Northern Expedition, he once went to Liu Chan and sued the traitorous minister Huang Hao, but Liu Chan did not pay any attention to it. This offended the traitor. After Jiang Wei returned from the defeat of the Northern Expedition, those traitors took the opportunity to fall into the well and accuse Jiang Wei of being warlike and causing the Shu state to wither, and the people were not happy, demanding that the military power be stripped away.
Jiang Wei realized that Huang Hao's position in the DPRK was no longer something that anyone could shake. So he asked to plant wheat in The Middle, but did not dare to return to Chang'an. Saying that it is a tuntian is actually a refuge from disasters.
Yuzhong had already moved away from Hanzhong and Longyou, and Jiang Wei's departure just gave Sima Zhao this opportunity. Moreover, at that time, Jiang Wei adopted the strategy of "gathering troops and gathering valleys", the defenders in the Hanzhong area were very few, and the main force was in the hands of Jiang Wei, but he was far away in Puzhong and could not support. In such an environment, the probability of arranging an ambush in the Meridian Valley is very low.
Zhong Hui may have also seen this before he dared to use troops from the Meridian Valley. The convenience of logistics coupled with the gap in the defense of the Shu state is backed by a strong comprehensive national strength. Taking ten thousand steps back, even if you lose all the people and horses in the Meridian Valley, a team of grain and grass will not have much impact on the overall situation. This was the strength of the State of Wei at that time.
Then analyze Zhuge Liang and Zhong Hui from the strategic direction, Zhuge Liang did not go to the Meridian Valley, in addition to danger, is the problem of strategic direction, at that time Zhuge Liang wanted to first recover Longxi as the starting point for the conquest of the Central Plains. Guanzhong is only the goal of the next stage, so it is not within the scope of consideration to walk the Meridian Valley.
As for Zhong Hui, Sima Zhao's goal at that time was Chengdu, and with the strength of the State of Wei, he would directly fight a battle at the first opportunity. I don't want to spend time with you Shu at all, so there is no need to occupy a county first, and then a city after a while, which is not necessary for the Wei state, after all, the strength is there. The Shu state itself was also the weakest of the Three Kingdoms, and with the internal contradictions and the traitors in charge, these Sima Zhao were all in the eyes.
With these factors in it, are you still afraid that you can't eliminate the Shu Han in one fell swoop? When the clock will also want to fight quickly and make a quick decision, so it will directly cut the short road and take Hanzhong directly. As a result, Hanzhong was quickly breached and did not encounter any decent resistance.
On the whole, whether it was necessary to walk in the Meridian Valley or not, mainly depended on the overall strategic environment at that time and the respective campaign objectives, as well as the overall strength of the Shu and Wei states at that time, whether it was necessary, whether it could take this risk, whether it violated its own strategic intentions, this will test the wisdom of the commanders, the so-called benevolent people see the wisdom, the wise people see the wisdom.