Zhuge Liang's last Northern Expedition, why did he choose Wuzhangyuan to camp? Behind this problem is the difficult predicament of the Shu Han Dynasty and Zhuge Liang's desperate determination. As a military strategist and politician of the Shu Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang repeatedly made northern expeditions throughout his life, trying to defeat Cao Wei to revive the Han dynasty, but failed each time. Until the last time, he chose the remote Wuzhang Plains as a base, what is the meaning behind this? Is it the need for strategic layout, or is there something else hidden? Today, we let history clear the fog for us and unveil the veil of this last battle.
Background: Shu Han's difficult predicament
Back in 231 AD, Zhuge Liang had just finished the Fourth Northern Expedition. That dismal battle not only consumed a lot of Shu Han's military strength in vain, but also made Zhuge Liang recognize the difficult situation faced by Shu Han.
First, Shu Han was surrounded by the Qinling Mountains, with a small territory, and its territory was less than a quarter of that of Cao Wei. Even the Sichuan Basin, the heartland of Shu and Han, covers an area of only 260,000 square kilometers. Although it is located in a fertile field and rich in products, it is far from meeting the needs of the Shu army. Once the war starts, logistics become a huge problem.
Second, the total population of Shu Han has always been disputed. Even according to the highest estimates, it is only a few million. Compared with Cao Wei, who occupied the vast territory of the Central Plains, the population base of Shu Han was too thin. Zhuge Liang worked hard to recuperate, but it was difficult to reverse the current situation of population depression in a short period of time.
What's even more tricky is that Shu Han has every opportunity, and eating is naturally the top priority. Every year, Shu Han had to allocate a large amount of food from the limited rations before he could supply the army and the people. If we want to sustain long-term operations, logistics and supply are simply an unsolvable knot.
Faced with such a difficult predicament, Zhuge Liang naturally suffered. He knew very well that the survival of Shu Han depended on this Northern Expedition. Once lost, the Han family's qi will come to an end. So when preparing for the Fifth Northern Expedition, Zhuge Liang made an extremely difficult choice - to use Wuzhang Plain as a base.
Zhuge Liang's strategic considerations
The choice of Wuzhangyuan as a base was by no means a whim of Zhuge Liang. Behind this is his well-thought-out strategic deployment.
First of all, Zhuge Liang realized that it would be difficult for Shu Han to defeat the powerful Cao Wei with the power of Shu Han alone. Therefore, when planning the Fifth Northern Expedition, he put forward the strategy of "uniting Wu to resist Wei". He managed to convince Sun Quan of Eastern Wu that both sides would simultaneously send troops to attack Wei and disperse Cao Wei's forces. Although Sun Quan had reservations, he was finally moved by Zhuge Liang's sincerity and agreed to serve his life.
In addition, Zhuge Liang knew that the choice of grain transportation routes was directly related to the success or failure of the campaign. In the past few Northern Expeditions, they all advanced along the land route Yongliang Road and other routes, and the bottleneck of grain and grass seriously restricted the army's march. This time, Zhuge Liang changed to the Bao ramp and used the rivers along the way to transport grain and grass, which greatly eased the logistical pressure.
What is even more unprecedented is that Zhuge Liang planted in the tuntian on the Wuzhang Plain. This practice stems from the wisdom of "eating the enemy" in the Art of War, and aims to solve the need for food and grass in a long war. The Shu army has always been known for its strict discipline, and naturally did not hurt the local people during the Tuntian period, but won the foundation of the people's hearts.
It is not difficult to see that Zhuge Liang is diligently pursuing this Northern Expedition. Whether it is the alliance strategy, the way of transporting grain, or the measures to govern the occupied areas, Zhuge Liang has no intention of planning. Wuzhangyuan is not only blessed with a unique geographical location, but also an important part of Zhuge Liang's plan to help the world.
The reason why Gojogahara camped
The choice of Wuzhangyuan as the camping place was really Zhuge Liang's thoughtful choice. This area not only has unique geographical advantages, but also an important chess piece for Zhuge Liang to further develop his strategic layout.
Wuzhangyuan is backed by the Qinling Mountains, east of Xieshui, north of Weishui, the geographical situation is dangerous. Not only is the surrounding environment conducive to defense, but also the entire Guanzhong Corridor can be controlled by virtue of this high ground. Once occupying Wuzhangyuan, the Shu army would be able to cut off the connection between Cao Wei's army and Longxi and Hexi, leaving it without logistical supplies.
However, Zhuge Liang did not just aim at this. What he values more is that Wuzhangyuan is extremely close to the hinterland of Guanzhong, and it can be half a step away in one fell swoop. Compared with distant places such as Chencang, Wuzhangyuan undoubtedly provides a more convenient way to attack.
Zhuge Liang camped in Wuzhangyuan, not the only reason. This choice also allowed him to get in touch with Sun Quan's coalition forces. From a geographical point of view, Wuzhangyuan is connected to the northward route of the Soochow army in the south, and once the alliance army is assembled, it will be able to exert the greatest synergy.
What's more, Wuzhang Yuan is located in the south of Weishui, and one path can control the north bank to rush to the North Plains. Beiyuan is an important hub for Longxi to supply Guanzhong, and once it is defended by the Shu army, it will directly cut off the inland passage of Cao Wei.
It can be seen that Zhuge Liang's choice of Wuzhangyuan is really a plan to kill three birds with one stone. On the one hand, it can control Cao Wei's key points and contain his troops; On the other hand, it has also created extremely favorable conditions for the coalition forces to fight. Wuzhang Yuan can be described as a strategic place in Zhuge Liang's last battle.
Wei Jun's reaction and response
The Shu army's move to garrison Wuzhangyuan immediately aroused great attention from Cao Wei's side. As the overlord of the Central Plains at that time, Cao Wei naturally would not turn a blind eye.
As soon as the news reached Luoyang, Emperor Wei Ming immediately ordered Qin Lang to lead 20,000 elites back to the division and wait for Sima Yi's dispatch. The current situation is dangerous, and the Wei Dynasty certainly can't afford to ignore it. However, in the face of Zhuge Liang's careful layout, Sima Yi did not take it by surprise as usual and counterattacked quickly.
In fact, Sima Yi has a unique view of Zhuge Liang's intention to camp in Wuzhangyuan. He understood that the reason why the Shu army chose this place was to cut off the inland passage of Cao Wei and control the throat of Guanzhong. Therefore, if they rashly crossed the Weishui River and stationed on the north bank, they would lose all the wealth of the people, and the troops would be defeated and retreated, which would inevitably weaken the morale of the army.
In view of this, Sima Yi immediately vetoed the suggestions of many generals to cross the Weishui River, and instead stayed on the south bank of the Weishui River. At the same time, he sent an envoy to lobby Zhuge Liang's class, and promised that both sides would take a step back to resolve the confrontation between the fronts. It can be seen that in the face of Zhuge Liang's attack, Sima Yi actually chose an extremely rare cautious response.
However, Sima Yi is not cowardly. On the contrary, he had already seen through Zhuge Liang's actual intention of hiberning in Wuzhang Yuan and accumulating grain in Tuntian. He knew that Shu Han was weakening and gradually losing, and Zhuge Liang's move was just an expedient measure. Therefore, instead of fighting a frontal battle, he secretly ordered Guo Huai to lead the army to make a detour through Shaanzhou and cut off the rear transportation line of the Shu army, in order to besiege Zhuge Liang in one fell swoop.
It can be seen that although the two sides of Shu and Wei are holding each other's positions, the undercurrent is surging, and a decisive battle is already brewing.
The end of Zhuge Liang's ambition was unpaid
Zhuge Liang camped in Wuzhang Plain, hiding his lofty ambition to revive the Han dynasty. However, the heavens did not follow people's wishes, and in the end, this wise and brave military strategist still died unpaid.
Since the encampment of Wuzhangyuan, Zhuge Liang began to supervise the war collection and train strictly. He dispatched all the living forces of Shu Han, plus the disabled soldiers and the old and weak, totaling hundreds of thousands of horses. The army is highly disciplined, morale is high, and the momentum of being ready to go is gratifying.
However, due to long-term fatigue and advanced age, Zhuge Liang's physical condition gradually deteriorated. In the spring of 234 C.E., he fell into a coma for several days. Although he recovered temporarily, he still instructed his subordinates to prepare for the future. It can be seen that Zhuge Liang already knew that the deadline was coming.
On May 8 of the same year, Zhuge Liang died of illness in the army at the age of 54. Upon learning of this bad news, the whole army wept, and Cao Wei's side also expressed deep condolences. In order to commemorate this famous general who opened up the territory, the Shu Han regime built a mummy for Zhuge Liang in Wuzhangyuan, and the pro-monarch and courtiers were buried on the spot.
Zhuge Liang experienced ups and downs in his life, and several unsuccessful Northern Expeditions, and finally became famous. He devoted his life to serving the country loyally, and was praised as "a great politician, military strategist and writer". Later generations tried their best to correct his name and praised him for his "dedication and death".
In the final analysis, Zhuge Liang's choice to camp in Wuzhangyuan was actually the last resort for him to make a fight. He made a desperate bet, willing to use this final blow to achieve his great ambition and live up to the expectations of the people. Although it is a pity that he could not witness the revival of the Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang's perseverance and spiritual concept has been transformed into an eternal spiritual force that inspires future generations of heroes.