After difficult preparations, Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu Han, finally encountered Sima Yi, a famous general of Cao Wei, in the Longxi region. The two sides engaged in a life-and-death battle, and in the end, Zhuge Liang actually won a big victory, while Sima Yi was greatly injured. Just when everyone thought that victory was in sight and Shu Han would completely control Longxi, Zhuge Liang suddenly ordered the withdrawal of troops and returned to the division. This move undoubtedly shocked all the soldiers and soldiers, and even more incomprehensible to countless descendants. What was the reason for Zhuge Liang to give up at the last moment of victory? What kind of workplace rules will the experience of Cao Wei's famous general Zhang He reveal? Let's find out.
First, the only fruits remain: Zhuge Liang has achieved a phased victory
In the spring of 224 in the lunar calendar, Zhuge Liang led hundreds of thousands of elite troops to Longxi after careful deployment. This is Zhuge Liang's fifth Northern Expedition, and the goal is to completely cut off Cao Wei's foundation in the northwest region. At the beginning of the division, the soldiers and horses were obstructed and long, and the mountains and rivers meandered, adding many obstacles to the march. However, Zhuge Liang was born in a famous family, and he was influenced by Confucianism, he was indifferent to fame and fortune, and he had no distractions, so he would not be troubled by the hardships on the road.
After months of marching, the Shu army finally arrived in Longxi. Sima Yi learned the news and personally led the Central Army to meet the battle. The two sides met on the avenue between Hanshui and Qishan, and a tragic battle began. Zhuge Liang adopted the strategy of dividing his troops into two routes, one with Wang Ping leading his troops to defend the southern siege, and the other with Wei Yan, Gao Xiang, and Wu Ban personally leading the main force to fight to the death with Sima Yi's central army.
At the beginning of the war, Cao Wei's general Zhang He suffered a setback. He led the army to the southern siege of the Shu army, but was stubbornly resisted by the Wudang Fei army led by Wang Ping and returned in vain. At the same time, the main force of the Shu army achieved great results. The three generals Wei Yan, Gao Xiang, and Wu Ban bravely killed the enemy and defeated Sima Yi's Central Army. According to historical records, in this battle, the Shu army killed more than 3,000 grassroots officers under Sima Yi, captured more than 5,000 armor, and captured more than 3,000 military bows and crossbows.
2. The intractable mystery: Zhuge Liang suddenly ordered the withdrawal of the army
For Zhuge Liang's staged victory, Cao Weijun's psychology will undoubtedly be hit hard. However, just when everyone thought that Shu Han would completely control Longxi, Zhuge Liang suddenly ordered the whole army to retreat, which was incomprehensible. In fact, after this decisive battle, Zhuge Liang faced a dilemma.
First, despite the defeat of Sima Yi's central army, the supplies of the Shu army were not enough to stay in Longxi for a long time. According to the history books, at that time, "King Xuan's grain was also exhausted". At that time, the logistics supply routes from Guanzhong were far away and could easily be cut off by the enemy. In order to continue to expand the results of the war, it must be backed by a steady supply of grain and grass, otherwise the Shu army will soon be exhausted.
Second, the situation in the rear also brought great resistance to Zhuge Liang. At that time, Li Yan, an important minister of the Shu Han Dynasty who was guarding the Han Dynasty, actually played the queen and asked Zhuge Liang to return to the court. Li Yan was not selfless, he not only wanted to cover up his dereliction of duty in the supply of military rations, but also intended to weaken Zhuge Liang's authoritative position and benefit his own fisherman. Although Zhuge Liang was extremely dissatisfied with this, he had to follow the orders of his superiors to avoid a mutiny.
Third, Zhuge Liang's decision to withdraw may have a deeper intention. According to historical records, he also "consulted to cut off his (Sima Yi's) back road" in an attempt to cut off the logistics line of the Wei army. Perhaps Zhuge Liang intended to retreat temporarily to fully prepare for the next greater action. However, this decision ultimately failed to materialize due to various reasons.
Zhuge Liang's decision to order the withdrawal of the army certainly made Cao Wei breathe, but Shu Han did pay a great price. Later, Sima Yi really sent people to pursue, resulting in the death of Zhang He, which was undoubtedly a great loss for Shu Han at that time. What considerations Zhuge Liang made this decision for has become an eternal mystery.
3. Life and death decision: There is no trivial matter under power
After Zhuge Liang ordered the withdrawal of the army, Zhang He, the general of Cao Wei, was sent to pursue the Shu army. As a famous general with a high reputation in Cao Wei's army at that time, Zhang He was reluctant to pursue. He believed that according to military discipline, after the siege of the city, it was necessary to leave a way to live, so as not to fight to the death in a desperate situation. However, Cao Wei's new commander, Sima Yi, had just inherited the throne and was wary of Zhang He's prestige. He insisted that Zhang He pursue the Shu army, otherwise it would be difficult to establish his authority.
In desperation, Zhang He had no choice but to take the order to go on the expedition. At the beginning of the pursuit, he only tried to slow down his pace and did not attack the Shu army with all his might. However, Zhuge Liang had already prepared, and he laid a large number of ambushes on the mountain road in Longxi, waiting for Cao Wei's army to be taken by surprise when he was wounded. Sure enough, Zhang He's army was sniped by the Shu army near Mumendao, and he himself was wounded by an arrow.
Although Cao Wei's rescue troops arrived, Zhang He's injuries could no longer be treated. Just when all thoughts were lost, Zhang He suddenly remembered the past when he betrayed his old master Yuan Shao and took refuge in Cao Cao. It was his rebellion that led to the victory of Cao's army in the Battle of Guandu, and Yuan Shao suffered a catastrophe. Now, on his deathbed, he seems to have recognized the cruel truth that there are no trivial matters under power.
Zhang He eventually died of his injuries and died in Mumendao. His death brought a heavy blow to Wei Guojun's heart, and also made all the parties involved sigh. Zhang He's last words before his death are regarded by later generations as the wise words of loyalty and reason, which can be called an unforgettable motto in the workplace.
Coincidentally, in this campaign, Wang Shuang, another general of the Wei army, was also killed for disobeying Sima Yi's orders. Even these two powerful generals could not escape the hands of power, which shows that once they deviate from the will of the commander, the end will be unimaginable. This cruel reality has taught all soldiers a painful lesson.
4. Workplace motto: There are no small things under power
Zhang He's tragic experience reveals a clear principle in the workplace: in the face of power, there must not be the slightest carelessness and sloppiness. Whether it is a new leader or an experienced subordinate, we must always maintain a high degree of vigilance and caution.
At that time, Sima Yi inherited the throne, and although his status rose by waiting, he was wary of Zhang He and other highly meritorious veterans. As a newcomer, he was anxious to establish his prestige and authority in the old ministry, so he was particularly harsh and ruthless in his treatment of Zhang He. Although Zhang He had many concerns when he went into battle, he was finally forced to follow the will of the emperor to pursue Zhuge Liang, which resulted in a catastrophe.
This contains an iron rule in the workplace: at the beginning of the new leader's arrival, the subordinates must give enough face and respect, and must not be rebellious or neglectful, otherwise it will only arouse the vigilance and suspicion of the other party, and eventually both will lose. Although Zhang He was in a high position, he failed to understand the general situation and take the overall situation into account when facing the new master, and finally paid the price of his life.
On the contrary, although Sima Yi was rude, he adhered to the basic principles of respecting authority and obeying orders, which can be said to demonstrate a unique commanding style. As the supreme commander, he consciously or unconsciously established in the hearts of his subordinates the image of his domineering and autocratic but brave and responsible. It was this hard-line style that enabled Sima Yi to be at ease when he later took power, and never suffered serious infighting and rebellion.
However, Sima Yi's actions have also triggered another profound reflection: is blind dictatorship higher than omnipotence? In today's world, if we blindly reject dissidents and kill fellow citizens, will it also lead to the scourge of blocking the overall situation?
As the saying goes, "a king can only prosper without selfishness", in addition to having a firm and decisive will, Wang Ba should also have an open-minded and wise mind. Otherwise, they will only fall into the predicament of being alone, which will eventually lead to the discouragement of the military and the division of the country. The reason why Sima Yi was finally able to unify the world was largely due to the fact that after the bloody suppression in the early stage, he gradually absorbed more wise men and slowly formed a collective wisdom. This style of brainstorming is the only way for a generation of prosperity.
5. Reflection on the ending: Zhuge Liang is too benevolent in employing people
Although Zhuge Liang captured Longxi on his deathbed, the entire Northern Expedition was difficult step by step. One of the important reasons is that he is too kind and generous, and too trusting and conniving with his cronies and subordinates.
At the critical moment of withdrawing from Longxi, Zhuge Liang had to obey Li Yan's unreasonable demands, which was undoubtedly his biggest weakness. As a highly prestigious minister in the Shu Han army, Li Yan made many derelictions of duty in military affairs, but Zhuge Liang never really punished him severely. Zhuge Liang knew that Li Yan had always been very happy, so he hoped to take this opportunity to take revenge, so as not to continue to disturb the army's heart in the future. However, it backfired, and Zhuge Liang's benevolence instead fueled Li Yan's arrogance. Later generations commented that if Zhuge Liang had been ruthless in dealing with Li Yan at that time, perhaps Shu Han would have been able to completely control Longxi and rewrite the course of history.
Zhuge Liang was not only lenient with his courtiers, but also quite soft on his enemies. At that time, he could have continued to sweep and pursue after Zhang He was wounded, and completely defeated Cao's army. But he defied common sense and let go of the remnants of Zhang He's troops. From a military point of view, this is undoubtedly a serious misstep. However, judging from Zhuge Liang's way of dealing with the world, he is deliberately giving his opponent a glimmer of life, in the hope that the two sides can "go and return" and reconcile and stop fighting. It's a pity that this kind of well-intentioned effort was not responded to and understood by Sima Yi in the end.
Zhuge Liang's compassion and benevolence also extended to the treatment of captives. According to historical records, in the Battle of Longxi, he not only did not abuse and hurt the captives, but even placed them in the Guanzhong area and took good care of them. In the brutal environment of the melee at that time, Zhuge Liang's approach was undoubtedly an "immortal move". He hoped to use his benevolence to influence the enemy, so that they would eventually turn to goodness and turn hostility into peace. Unfortunately, in the end, this vision did not come true.
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In general, Zhuge Liang's benevolent and generous way of employing people is commendable, but he is also too soft-hearted and indecisive in dealing with thorny issues such as Li Yan. In contrast, Sima Yi, although brutal, was able to demonstrate Wang Ba's ruthless ruling philosophy and embody a tough leadership style. In the end, although Zhuge Liang was brilliant, he was too indecisive and missed the last great opportunity to capture Longxi. This undoubtedly gave Cao Wei the foundation to continue to rule the northwest region, thus ultimately changing the historical pattern of the annexation of the Three Kingdoms.