Preface
In Chinese history, the Three Kingdoms period is regarded as the pinnacle of warfare and intrigue. In this era of war and strife, Liu Bei and Cao Cao are two high-profile characters, and they both share the same goal: to attack Eastern Wu.
In the pattern of the Three Kingdoms, Sun Quan is undoubtedly the weakest party. However, he was the only one who was able to get out of it all in one. However, why did Liu Bei want to destroy Wu first and then Wei, while Cao Cao wanted to destroy Wu first and then Shu?
First, Wu first and then Shu, Cao Cao's strategic layout
"Only by striking first can we take the initiative. This is Cao Cao's combat philosophy. In his opinion, although Sun Quan's strength is weak, he is an opponent that should not be underestimated. Therefore, he deployed his main forces on the front line of Hefei, preparing to strike first and annihilate Soochow in one fell swoop.
Cao Cao's strategic considerations
Cao Cao's evaluation of Sun Quan was not high: "It is my son who wants to be on my fire!" He thinks that Sun Quan is capricious and difficult to trust. Moreover, Sun Quan only fished out a little residue in the war at the end of the Han Dynasty, and his foundation was weak, and he would be able to win quickly if he was not prepared.
At the same time, Cao Cao did not have such determination towards Liu Bei. Although Liu Bei occupied some territory in Hanzhong, Cao Cao did not attack with all his might, but only sent his generals to deal with it. He was more on guard against Sun Quan's surprise attack.
It can be seen that in Cao Cao's strategic layout, Wu first and then Shu is his core idea. He was determined to avenge Chibi, and dealing with Liu Bei was only an expedient measure.
The reason why Cao Cao values Sun Quan so much, in addition to the weak strength of the other party, there is another important reason: revenge. In the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao suffered a heavy blow, which was a shame that he could not let go. Therefore, he was eager to destroy Soochow with his own hands and be ashamed of it.
As for Liu Bei, although Cao Cao also regarded him as a thorn in his side, he did not have that urgent sense of hatred. After all, Liu Bei is just a local divider, and compared to himself, he is still too far behind. Cao Cao preferred to focus on dealing with Sun Quan, first solving this thorn in the side, and then fighting Liu Bei.
The conquest of Soochow
In order to achieve the strategic goal of first Wu and then Shu, Cao Cao personally led his army to attack Eastern Wu many times. He not only launched attacks on land and water, but also personally supervised the battle. In the spring of the 14th year of Jian'an, Cao Cao "marched to the end of the army, made a light boat, and controlled the water army"; in the winter of the 17th year, he "publicly conscripted Sun Quan"; and in the spring of the 18th year, he "marched into the mouth of the river and broke through the camp in the west of Quanjiang......
The repeated pro-conquests fully illustrated Cao Cao's determination to eliminate Sun Quan. He was reluctant to hand over this task to his subordinates, but went into battle himself, which shows how seriously he took the matter.
If it weren't for his untimely death, Cao Cao would have gone all out until the fall of Eastern Wu. His military prowess and decisiveness were enough to make Sun Quan fearful. Unfortunately, fate made people, and Cao Cao failed to complete this grand plan in the end.
Second, Wu first and then Wei, Liu Bei's strategic choice
Unlike Cao Cao's strategic layout, Liu Bei was Wu first and then Wei. In his opinion, Sun Quan is an easier opponent to deal with.
Liu Bei's strategic considerations
After Liu Bei occupied most of Jingzhou, during the fourteenth to twenty-third years of Jian'an, there were basically no major wars on the Xiangfan front. It can be seen that he does not want to take the initiative to provoke Cao Cao.
On the contrary, he was not so polite to Sun Quan. When he learned that Guan Yu had been killed by Sun Quan, he was furious and decided to kill Sun Quan first and then deal with Cao Cao.
Among them, there are Liu Bei's considerations:
1. Sun Quan's strength is weak, so it is more convenient to strike first;
2. Only by avenging Guan Yu's revenge can he convince the public;
3. After destroying Wu, dealing with Cao Wei again has a better chance of winning.
The reason why Liu Bei listed Sun Quan as his primary target was mainly due to two considerations: first, Sun Quan's strength was weak and relatively easy to deal with, and second, he took revenge on Guan Yu's revenge in order to consolidate his position in Shu Han.
In contrast, although Cao Cao was strong, Liu Bei was not in a hurry to fight a decisive battle with him. He prefers to solve the immediate Sun Quan problem first, and then compete with Cao Cao. In this way, not only can you take revenge, but also accumulate strength for the final contest with Cao Cao.
The first battle of Wu was defeated
Liu Bei personally commanded the army and marched along the west. At first, his generals such as Wu Ban and Feng Xi fought vigorously and broke through the positions of Lu Yi, Li Yi and others. Even the barbarian tribes in the south also sent envoys to ask for troops, expressing their willingness to serve Liu Bei.
For a time, Sun Quan was worried about internal and external troubles, and the situation was extremely critical. If Cao Cao struck from behind at this time, Eastern Wu might not be able to escape destruction. Liu Bei's strategic choice can be said to be quite wise. He first solved the problem of Sun Quan in front of him, which could not only take revenge, but also accumulate strength for the final contest with Cao Cao.
Moreover, the situation at that time was indeed favorable to Liu Bei. Sun Quan is worried about internal and external troubles, and if Cao Cao can take the opportunity to make a move, Eastern Wu will not be able to escape. Unfortunately, Cao Cao died young and missed this opportunity.
3. Cao Pi missed the opportunity
Unfortunately, Cao Cao died young, and his successor Cao Pi does not seem to have fully inherited his strategic vision and courage. It was this flaw that made him miss the opportunity to intervene when Liu Bei attacked Wu.
Liu Ye's exhortation
At that time, Liu Ye, a strategist of Cao Wei, clearly pointed out this good opportunity to Cao Pi: "Shu attacked outside, I attacked inside, and Wu's death will not be in the end." He tried his best to persuade Cao Pi to take advantage of Liu Bei's misfortune and join forces to eliminate Sun Quan. Moreover, he also asserted that Liu Bei must have been happy to divide Sun Quan's territory with Cao Wei.
Liu Ye's words can be said to be quite accurate and profound. He had an insight into the situation at that time and believed that it was the best time to eliminate Sun Quan. If Cao Pi can make a timely move, Soochow will inevitably escape.
What's more, Liu Ye also predicted Liu Bei's reaction. He believed that Liu Bei would inevitably be happy to divide the territory of Eastern Wu with Cao Wei, because this would not only take revenge, but also strengthen his own strength. It's undoubtedly a win-win situation.
Cao Pi's hesitation
However, Cao Pi was hesitant about this. It wasn't until the fire of Yiling had been extinguished and the Sun-Liu Alliance showed signs of recovery that he came to his senses and ordered the generals to go to Nanjun. Unfortunately, it was too late. Liu Bei's main force has been annihilated, and Sun Quan has withdrawn his troops and returned to the camp. Cao Pi's actions are like the cucumber vegetables are cold when it is too late.
Cao Pi missed this opportunity mainly because he lacked Cao Cao's foresight and determination. In the face of Liu Ye's advice, he hesitated and failed to act in time. By the time he finally came to his senses, it was too late.
This was a big mistake by Cao Pi. If he can strike in time and join forces to eliminate Sun Quan, he can not only take revenge, but also greatly enhance his strength. But unfortunately, he missed this opportunity, and in the end he could only watch Sun Quan escape.
Fourth, Zhuge Liang's grandson resisted Cao
In the process of Liu Bei's attack on Wu, Zhuge Liang, Zhao Yun and others were staunch "Liansun anti-Cao faction". Although Sun Quan had treacherously killed Guan Yu, they still fantasized about reuniting with Sun Quan.
Zhao Yun's wishful thinking
Zhao Yun once tried his best to dissuade Liu Bei from attacking Wu, and he believed that "the national thief is Cao Cao, not Sun Quanye". He advocated destroying Cao Wei first, and then "Wu self-serving". However, Zhao Yun's idea was too naïve. At that time, Liu Bei had only half of the country left, how could he compete with Cao Wei? What's more, Sun Quan had already betrayed Liu Bei, how could his revenge be extinguished?
Zhao Yun's words can be said to be quite idealistic. He thought that if Cao Cao, the "national thief", was destroyed first, Soochow would automatically submit to Liu Bei. But this is clearly an overly optimistic idea.
At that time, the situation was that Liu Bei had lost Jingzhou and his strength was greatly weakened. And although Cao Wei also has some internal worries, he is still the most powerful party in the Three Kingdoms. In this case, it is almost impossible for Liu Bei to compete with Cao Wei alone.
What's more, Sun Quan had already betrayed Liu Bei and killed Guan Yu. How could Liu Bei join forces with him again to fight against Cao? This is undoubtedly a kind of fantasy. Zhao Yun's words can be said to be completely out of touch with reality.
Zhuge Liang's Longzhong is right
Zhuge Liang's "Longzhong pair" strategy can also be said to be an idealized idea. He hoped to use the power of the southern barbarians to flank Sun Quan. But this apparently ignored the reality of the time.
Guan Yu's murder is undoubtedly a major blow. This not only greatly weakened Liu Bei's strength, but also made it difficult to implement the strategy of "Longzhong Pair". After all, without Guan Yu as an important pillar, Liu Bei's military strength is not as good as before.
Therefore, Zhuge Liang's strategy can only become an idealized assumption. It's so far from reality that it's hard to really put it into practice. This is also one of the important reasons why Liu Bei did not reuse Zhuge Liang in the end.
epilogue
Sun Quan was able to get out of the way, and there was indeed some luck involved. But on a deeper level, this is actually the result of the short-sightedness of Cao Pi and Liu Bei's successors.
This is undoubtedly a pity. If Cao Cao and Liu Bei can join forces to attack, Sun Quan will definitely be killed. But the reality is often cruel, and heroes are not always useful. This also makes people have to sigh: the heroes of the world are the only ones who make the king and the ear.