After the Battle of Chibi, Sun Liu's two major military cliques were anxious to seize the fruits of victory, and judging from Zhuge Liang's carefully drawn political blueprint for Liu Bei, "Longzhong Pair", the strategic plan of Liu Bei's clique after the burning of Chibi was
"If there is Jing Yi across, BaoQi Rock Obstruction, West and Zhu Rong, South Fu Yi Yue, Outer Alliance Sun Quan, Internal Repair Political Theory"
。
Jingzhou was called by Zhuge Liang as the "Country of Wu" and was a frontline base for future counter-attacks against Cao Cao. Liu Bei borrowed The Southern Counties of Jingzhou from Sun Quan, plus the Jiangxia Commandery and the Four Counties of Jiangnan that he already had. These 6 counties accounted for most of Jingzhou's territory. After arranging for Guan Yu to defend Jingzhou, Liu Bei and his military division hurriedly entered Shu to prepare to realize the plan of capturing Yizhou in the Longzhong Pair.
The second master did not live up to Liu Bei's trust, and in 219 (that is, the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an), Guan Yu flooded the Seventh Army at Fancheng, and almost at the same time, Liu Bei and Cao Cao's Battle of Hanzhong was also victorious. Hanzhong was incorporated into Liu Bei's political territory, and Liu Bei's hegemony entered its heyday. However, at the end of this year, Jingzhou was attacked by Lü Meng, and Guan Yu was defeated and killed in Maicheng. Later generations were very puzzled before the mighty Huaxia, why guan Yu, who was sharp and sharp, would be defeated so suddenly? Although Eastern Wu played an important role in stabbing the knife in the back when people were not prepared, there were other factors that created a good opportunity for Lü Meng's stab.
1. Insufficient troops
Even after the Battle of Chibi, Emperor Liu did not suddenly fight with Sun Quan and Cao Cao. There was also a long process of development, when Liu Bei's power was undoubtedly the weakest compared to Cao Cao and others. Therefore, although Jingzhou was very important, there were still not many soldiers and horses left for Guan Yu.
According to later speculations, there were about 30,000 soldiers and horses. The counties needed to stay behind, but also to be wary of Sun Quan, and the troops that Guan Yu could call on when he attacked Fancheng were between 10,000 and 20,000 people. However, the second master relied on this meager resource to fight with Cao Ren of Xiangyang for several months. Cao Ren could also get strong support from Cao Cao in terms of troops and logistics (which also showed that Guan Erye was indeed capable). The long protracted battle depleted Guan Yu's already small number of soldiers, and Guan Yu could only draw some of the troops from the defense against Eastern Wu to replenish the Xiangyang front-line troops, at this time Lü Meng did not sneak attack or his brain entered the Yangtze River.
2. Internal discord
Even if Guan Yu's troops were scarce, it did not mean that there were none, and in several counties in the rear, there were generals stationed in the town. Lü Meng was only a sneak attack, and if the garrison could resist Lü Meng's surprise first, then Guan Yu could still have a certain strategic room for maneuver. However, the generals of these troops unanimously chose to surrender to the Wu army. Among them, there is also Mi Fang, who has followed Liu Bei for a long time, and it is Guan Yu himself who has caused this disgusting situation. The second master had never looked up to anyone in his life, and the book "Spring and Autumn" was a special reading material that he used to distinguish him from those rough warriors.
At first, Sun Zhongmou wanted to strengthen the connection with Liu Bei's group through the marriage of his son and Guan Yu's daughter, but he was attacked by the second master
"Inuyasha can match the tiger girl"
The remarks punched the face. Sun Quan was also a person who wanted face, and Sun Quan, who was embarrassed and angry, was even more determined not to fight with Liu Bei for political taiji, and to use force to resolve the territorial dispute in Jingzhou. Second Master Guan was still so contemptuous of the noble Sun Quan, so it was self-evident whether his unknown generals had dignity in front of Guan Yu. Therefore, most of the garrison generals in Jingzhou were separated from Guan Yu, and they only numbly completed the task. Having lost the sense of honor and belonging that he once had, he would not and did not want to understand the importance of Jingzhou in Longzhong. In the face of the sudden appearance of Wu Jun, it is not so surprising to choose to surrender.
3. Liu Bei's haste
While Guan Yu was at war with Cao Jun in the Xiangfan area, Liu Bei's fierce battle with Cao Cao in Hanzhong had just ended. Although Liu Bei obtained the strategic location of Hanzhong, which was full of materials, he also lost a lot of his own strength, and it can be said that the outcome of the battle for Hanzhong was a "fierce victory" for Liu Bei. Two important battles were fought almost simultaneously, and after the Battle of Hanzhong, Liu Bei's troops were also stretched. This can explain why The Yizhou side did not send reinforcements to meet Guan Yu after being secretly attacked in the rear, there was really no more troops, and the military strength of Yizhou could only be used to protect itself. Coupled with the fact that Guan Yu usually does not maintain the interpersonal relationship between colleagues, it is not reliable to expect neighboring troops (such as Liu Feng) to actively rescue Guan Yu.
Guan Yu's defeat in the Jingzhou war, and even the eventual loss of his life, from the above reasons, there is a certain inevitability. Even if Guan Yu could escape, Jingzhou would eventually be lost. Liu Bei's military campaigns in Yizhou and Jingzhou not only targeted Cao Cao in the north, but his aggressive arrogance also gave Sun Quan a strong sense of crisis in the east.
Jingzhou is located in the upper yangtze River basin, and if Liu Beizhen picks up Cao Cao, then from Jingzhou shipbuilding down the river, Jiangdong is within reach, and the same crisis prompts Sun Quan and Cao Cao to begin to approach. At this time, in Jingzhou, Guan Erye, who only had tens of thousands of troops, was surrounded by strong enemies, and his situation was already precarious. After the loss of Jingzhou, the military division's Longzhong strategic plan has since become a flower in the water and a moon in the mirror.