The Three Kingdoms period, which we often talk about now, probably began with the "Yellow Turban Rebellion". In fact, the real Three Kingdoms period is very interesting, to get Cao Pi to be called emperor, after the fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Before this, there were a series of major wars: "Battle of Hanzhong", "Battle of Xiangfan", "Battle of Jiangling", "Battle of Yiling". The latter three are actually related back and forth, and in the end, they basically determine the strength and weakness of the three countries. These battles were launched by the Sun and Liu families, which eventually led to the rupture of the alliance between the two, the yuan qi was seriously injured, and they were even more unable to deal with Cao Wei. So were these strategies right or wrong in the historical context of the time?
"Battle of Xiangfan"
Not long after Liu Bei finished the "Battle of Hanzhong", Guan Yu made a northern expedition from Jingzhou and besieged Xiangfan. Many people believe that Guan Yu is fulfilling the "Longzhong Pair" formulated by Zhuge Liang, which is an echo of the "Battle of Hanzhong". But in fact,
Guan Yu and Sun Quan are more likely to fight together.
Although Liu Bei won the battle against Cao Cao, he himself reached the point of exhaustion, and Guan Yu should not be unaware of this; at that time, Sun Quan was beating Hefei, where he had been dreaming of all his life.
Moreover, Guan Yu's fight against Xiangfan is only a prerequisite for realizing the "Longzhong pair". After the "Battle of Hanzhong", Liu Bei had Liu Feng and Meng Da attack the "Three Eastern Counties", namely Shangyong, Xicheng, and Fangling. The "East Three Counties" are xiangyang, just in time to fight with Guan Yu in Gangneung. Therefore, in the "Battle of Xiangfan", Guan Yu also thought of using the power of the "Eastern Three Counties", but Liu Feng and Meng Da refused to obey the order.
Guan Yu's purpose was correct, to take Xiangyang and gain a foothold in Jingbei in order to realize the plan of the "Longzhong Pair" and the general to attack Wancheng and Luoyang. But there are two mistakes, or misconsidered.
The first is like the excuse of Liu Feng and Meng Da
"The first attachment of the mountain county", the people's hearts are shaken,
The "Eastern Three Counties" could not draw troops to assist Guan Yu at all (later Meng Da was driven away by Liu Feng and took some of his troops, and the "Eastern Three Counties" were immediately lost), and Guan Yu could actually wait for a while before acting.
The second Guan Yu despised Jiangdong. Sun Quan once wanted to form a family with Guan Yu to stabilize the alliance between the two families. In the end, sun quan showed sincerity and attitude. As a result, Guan Yu not only refused, but also insulted him, and his attitude was extremely bad. The regional governor of Jingzhou had this attitude towards Jiangdong, how could Sun Quan work with him. When the relationship between the two families is in jeopardy,
Guan Yu also had a contemptuous attitude toward Jiangdong, and dispatched the garrison troops of Nan County and The Public Security to the front.
"Battle of Gangneung"
During Guan Yu's Northern Expedition, Jiangdong was also active, but it was only a rush ally. Lü Meng first asked Guan Yu to despise Jiangdong and weaken Jingzhou's defenses, and then crossed the river in white and secretly attacked. The public security fu shiren and NanJun Mi Fang all fell, and the Jiangdong army was like a bamboo all the way, all of which were in Jingzhou, and Lu Xun was sent to occupy Yiling and cut off Guan Yu's way back. In the end, Guan Yushan was exhausted, and the soldiers were defeated and killed.
Many people believe that Sun Quan is a shameful act of betraying the alliance, and the rat's eyes are blind, losing a good opportunity to go north, giving the allies a big bloodletting, so that Cao Cao can reap the benefits of the fisherman. There is no problem with these views, but in any case, Sun Quan has indeed betrayed the alliance.
However, taking Jingzhou is very favorable for Jiangdong, and it is also a step that has to be taken.
Jingzhou is a place of great strategic value, which is true for Liu Bei and Sun Quan. But there is a major and secondary issue.
Jingzhou was far more important to Sun Quan than Liu Bei.
For Liu Bei, Jingzhou was a springboard for entering Shu (it had already been jumped), and it was also a point of attack on Sizhou, and it was a prerequisite for completing the "Longzhong Pair", which was very important; but for Sun Quan, it was "the time of life and death", a territory that must be held in his hand to fall asleep.
When Liu Biao entered Jingzhou, Ku Yue said to him: "According to Jiangling in the south, Xiangyang in the north, the eight counties of Jingzhou can be passed on." And Guan Yu already had Nan Commandery (Jiangling) in his hands, and then took Xiangyang and Fancheng, and the power of going down the river was too great.
If Liu Bei rested for a few years, gained a foothold in Hanzhong and Jingbei at the same time, and became a situation where Liu Qiang and Sun were weak, Xiao Bian thought that at that time, Liu Bei would first attack Sun Quan and then fight with Cao Cao.
Therefore, taking advantage of Liu Bei's failure to become bigger, Sun Quan taking Jingzhou was a hundred percent correct thing for Jiangdong.
"Battle of Yiling"
Guan Yu was defeated, Liu Bei and Sun Quan were torn apart, and Cao Wei suddenly became a person who sat on the mountain and watched the tiger fight. Liu Bei did not heed the dissuasion of his ministers and raised troops to attack Wu, only to be beaten by Lu Xun and lose his armor and armor, losing a large number of troops and generals, and returning in ashes. After that, Liu Bei fell ill and died, and handed over a mess and Liu Chan, who was barely able to support him, to Zhuge Liang. At this point, the situation in the three kingdoms of Wei Shu and Wu was basically formed. After that, Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition for many years did not have much success (the first time he was most likely to get Liangzhou, but unfortunately he was mixed up by Ma Mo).
Regarding Liu Bei's motives for attacking Wu, many people tended to retake Jingzhou in order to continue the cause of "Longzhong". On this point, Xiaobian can't make a judgment, or even think
Zhuge Liang, the second in command of the Shu Han Dynasty, may himself have supported Liu Bei's conquest of Wu
(The post-defeat argument is not exactly how it is, and it cannot be used as conclusive evidence of Zhuge Liang's opposition to Wu), it has its own reason; but another reason cannot be ignored, and it is more accurate than retaking Jingzhou, that is, to avenge Guan Yu.
That's right, it's to avenge Guan Yu, which is the reason on the table. Among the Three Kingdoms, the weakest is shu han, but Xiaobian also likes Shu han the most. Liu Bei played the cards of benevolence, dreams, and feelings, and the whole Shu Han Dynasty had a romantic color and human touch (of course, there are actually many dirty things, and it is certainly unrealistic to talk about morality with warlords). Liu Bei and Guan Yu were as close as brothers and as fathers and sons, and as a result you killed him, Liu Bei did not act, and nestled in Yizhou pretending to be dead, which made the old brothers who were united around Liu Bei and unswervingly adhered to the guiding ideology and policy line of "Longzhong" think; what would the people of the Jingzhou clique think if Liu Bei did not come up with a tough attitude; his brother, the commander of the Jingzhou Army, was killed, and Liu Bei did nothing, so where did the state power of the newly established Shu Han regime exist, did it not become a soft persimmon for others to pinch?
Therefore, after Sun Quan sneaked into Jingzhou and killed Guan Yu, he was bound to be met with Liu Bei's "anger" from the military side, which was irreconcilable.
As for the extent of Liu Bei's "anger", whether to retake Jingzhou and dissipate his anger, or to destroy Jiangdong (which this editor thought was unlikely), or whether the two sides would return to the negotiating table after a fight, there was still room for discussion. But Liu Bei had no problem launching a war against Jiangdong, the question was only whether the war was good or not.
References: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zizhi Tongjian