Everyone in the world knows that Zhuge Liang did his best and died, but few people know his remorse before he died. Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu Han, had unparalleled wisdom in his life, why did he make such an astonishing statement at the last moment of his life? Who is the "he" in his mouth? Why can the existence of this person affect the success or failure of the Northern Expedition? What's even more puzzling is why Zhuge Liang personally killed this key figure who may determine the success or failure of the Northern Expedition? What are the twists and turns in this story? Let's travel through thousands of years of time and space to uncover this little-known historical mystery.
1. Liu Feng: Liu Bei's godson, Shu Han's hidden dragon
In the thirteenth year of Jian'an, when Liu Bei first arrived in Jingzhou, he was worried about having no way to make friends with the local scholars, and a young handsome man took the initiative to defect, and this person was Liu Feng, the future general of Shu Han.
Liu Feng's original surname is Kou, and he is the son of the Kou family in Jingzhou. The Kou clan is quite prestigious in Jingzhou, and many of the children in the clan are famous. Liu Feng has been practicing martial arts since he was a child, not only outstanding in martial arts, but also outstanding in military talent. At that time, Liu Bei was at the time of employing people, and when he saw Liu Feng's lofty spirit and extraordinary behavior, he gave birth to the intention of accepting him as a righteous son.
One day, Liu Bei set up a banquet to entertain the Jingzhou scholars, and the banquet was full of conversation and laughter. Liu Feng was invited, behaved decently, and spoke well. Seeing this, Liu Bei was secretly happy in his heart, so he proposed to everyone: "Gongzi Kou is talented, why don't you recognize me as your father?" As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked.
When Liu Feng heard this, he replied without humility or arrogance: "If the prince does not give up, he is willing to serve the work of dogs and horses." Liu Bei was overjoyed, and immediately worshiped Kou as his righteous son, gave him the surname Liu, and changed his name to Feng. This move not only allowed Liu Bei to gain a firm foothold in Jingzhou, but also got Shu Han a tiger general.
Since then, Liu Feng has followed Liu Bei to fight in the south and the north, and has made many achievements. After the Battle of Chibi, Liu Feng was able to take charge on his own. When Liu Bei marched into Yizhou, Liu Feng went out with the army, attacked the city and pulled out the village, and was invincible. In the Battle of Hanzhong, Liu Feng fought side by side with Zhang Fei and killed Cao Cao's general Xiahou Yuan, making great contributions to Shu Han.
Liu Bei was called the queen of Hanzhong, and especially valued Liu Feng's talent and appointed him as the superior Taishou. Shangyong is located in the north of Jingzhou, echoing the southern part of Jingzhou guarded by Guan Yu, and jointly guarding the national gate of Shu Han. Liu Feng governed carefully in Shangyong, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the army and the people were united, and soon Shangyong became an iron wall of Shu Han.
However, fate tricked people. Although Liu Feng is talented, he is also a little arrogant. He believed that he was Liu Bei's righteous son, and he had great military exploits, and gradually developed a dislike with other generals. Especially with Guan Yu, the contradiction between the two is deepening day by day.
In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an, Guan Yu defeated Maicheng and asked Liu Feng for help. Liu Feng had already sensed that the situation was not good at this time, and he was worried that he would also be involved in it. He hesitated again and again, and finally rejected Guan Yu's request on the grounds of insufficient troops. This decision not only buried Guan Yu's life, but also laid the root cause for Liu Feng himself.
When the news of Guan Yu being captured and killed by Sun Quan came, Liu Bei was furious. He originally had high hopes for Liu Feng, and even intended to make him the crown prince. But after this incident, Liu Bei's attitude towards Liu Feng suddenly turned cold. Although Liu Bei thought of the old relationship and wanted to just demote Liu Feng to a concubine, Zhuge Liang put forward a different opinion.
Zhuge Liang believes that Liu Feng has a stubborn personality, and if he does not get rid of it, it will become a big disaster in the future. So, he suggested that Liu Bei take this opportunity to get rid of Liu Feng. Liu Bei followed Zhuge Liang's advice and ordered Liu Feng to be killed.
In this way, a generation of Shu Han fierce generals fell. At that time, people may not have thought that this decision would bring such a heavy price to Shu Han in the future Northern Expedition. And Zhuge Liang would never have thought that he would deeply regret this decision at the last moment of his life.
2. Guan Yu's defeat: Liu Feng's fatal choice
In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an, Guan Yu took advantage of the civil strife in Wei and led his army north, aiming to capture Fancheng and Xiangyang. This move was supposed to be an important step in the Northern Expedition of Shu Han, but it turned into a catastrophic failure for various reasons.
Guan Yu won the first battle, and marched all the way, even down several cities. The Wei general Cao Ren was trapped in Fancheng and was in critical condition. However, Guan Yu made a fatal strategic mistake at this time. He was too focused on attacking Fancheng and neglected the rear defenses, giving Eastern Wu an opportunity.
Sun Quan saw that the main force of the Shu Han army was heading north and the rear was empty, so he sent generals such as Lü Meng and Lu Xun to attack Jingzhou. The Wu army was taken by surprise and soon captured Guan Yu's base areas of Gong'an, Nanjun and other places. At the same time, Cao Cao sent Xu Huang to lead an army to reinforce Fancheng, forming a north-south flank attack on Guan Yu.
Guan Yu was attacked by the enemy on his back and was in a difficult situation. He urgently ordered Maicheng to guard Mifang and Jiangling to guard Fu Shiren to hold the city, and he led his army back to help. However, Mi Fang and Fu Shiren surrendered because they were afraid of the Wu army, making Guan Yu lose his way out.
At this time, Guan Yu had already realized that the situation was critical. He sent people to ask Liu Feng for help, hoping to get the support of Shangyong's army. When Liu Feng received the letter for help, he was watching the soldiers' drills in Shangyong City. He immediately summoned the generals to discuss countermeasures.
At the meeting, opinions were divided into two factions. One faction advocated immediately sending troops to rescue each other, believing that Guan Yu was an important minister of the Shu Han Dynasty, and if he did not save him when he saw death, it would be against the righteousness of the monarch and ministers. The other faction believes that the situation is clear, and that rushing to send troops will only put themselves in danger.
Liu Feng listened to the opinions of both sides and pondered for a long time. He was well aware of Guan Yu's status in Shu Han, and he also understood that if he did not rescue, he might cause Liu Bei's dissatisfaction. However, he is more aware that the current situation is irreparable. The Eastern Wu army was in full swing, and Shangyong's troops were limited, and it was likely that the entire army would be wiped out if he rashly sent troops.
In the end, Liu Feng made a difficult decision. He sent someone to reply to Guan Yu, saying that Shangyong's troops were insufficient and could not provide assistance. This decision not only ruined Guan Yu's last hope, but also planted a bane for Liu Feng himself.
Guan Yu learned that Liu Feng refused to rescue, and his heart was like ashes. He broke through with the remnants of his army, but was besieged by the Wu army at Maicheng. In the end, Guan Yu's father and son were captured and killed.
Guan Yu's death was a huge blow to Shu Han. Not only lost a general, but also lost Jingzhou, an important strategic location. Liu Bei was furious when he heard the news, and immediately began to plan a crusade against Eastern Wu.
However, Liu Bei's anger was not directed at Soochow only. He was equally angry at Liu Feng's behavior of not saving him. In Liu Bei's view, Liu Feng, as his own righteous son, should have worked together with Guan Yu to serve Shu Han. But Liu Feng's actions made Liu Bei feel deeply disappointed.
After Zhuge Liang learned of this, he also expressed dissatisfaction with Liu Feng's behavior. He believes that Liu Feng's move not only violated the military order, but also betrayed the interests of Shu Han. In Zhuge Liang's opinion, even if the rescue fails, Liu Feng should try his best, instead of sitting back and watching Guan Yu fall into a desperate situation.
Liu Feng's decision not only led to Guan Yu's defeat, but also completely changed the pattern of the Three Kingdoms. Shu Han lost Jingzhou, an important strategic location, which greatly weakened the strength of the Northern Expedition. Soochow took this opportunity to consolidate its position in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
For Liu Feng personally, this decision was even more devastating. His actions aroused strong dissatisfaction from Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, and laid the groundwork for his execution in the future. And the impact of this decision even extended to Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition many years later.
3. Zhuge Liang's choice: Liu Feng's death
In the first year of Jianxing, Liu Bei died, and he was lonely with Zhuge Liang on his deathbed. Zhuge Liang shouldered the rise and fall of the Shu Han Dynasty and faced many thorny problems. Among them, the most difficult thing is how to deal with Liu Feng.
Although Liu Feng is Liu Bei's righteous son, he did not save Guan Yu when he was defeated, which has caused dissatisfaction among the government and the opposition. What's more serious is that Liu Feng's power in Shangyong is growing day by day, and there is a faint tendency to be uncontrolled by the imperial court. This is undoubtedly a potential threat to the newly enthroned Liu Chan and Zhuge Liang, who has just come to power.
Zhuge Liang knew that if Liu Feng was not dealt with in time, it would become a big disaster in the future. However, Liu Feng is the son of the first emperor after all, and his rash disposal may cause dissatisfaction among other ministers in the court. More importantly, Liu Feng has been operating in Shangyong for many years and already has considerable military strength. If it is not handled properly, it is likely to cause civil strife and shake the foundation of Shu Han.
Faced with this thorny situation, Zhuge Liang decided to go to Shangyong in person, in the name of inspecting the military situation, but in fact, he wanted to personally deal with the Liu Feng issue.
In the spring of the second year of Jianxing, Zhuge Liang led an elite army and marched towards the mediocrity. Everywhere he passed along the way, Zhuge Liang carefully inspected the terrain, understood the people's conditions, and prepared for the Northern Expedition in the future.
When Liu Feng learned that Zhuge Liang was coming, he immediately ordered the city to be strictly guarded. He sent his confidant general Ma Liang to meet Zhuge Liang ten miles outside the city. When Ma Liang saw Zhuge Liang, he said respectfully: "The prime minister has come from afar, and Duke Feng has prepared a banquet in the city to wait for the prime minister." "
Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and said, "There is no need to be so grand, I am just here for a routine inspection to see the situation of the army's drills." "
When Ma Liang heard this, he couldn't help but be secretly frightened. He knew that Zhuge Liang's visit was by no means good, so he hurriedly flew back to the city and reported to Liu Feng.
When Liu Feng heard Zhuge Liang's answer, he immediately felt that the situation was not good. He summoned his henchmen to discuss countermeasures, and some people suggested that the city gates be closed and refused to receive them. But Liu Feng vetoed this proposal, saying: "Prime Minister Zhuge represents the imperial court, if I refuse to meet with him, wouldn't it be a blatant rebellion?" "
In the end, Liu Feng decided to go out of the city to greet Zhuge Liang in person. When Zhuge Liang's car came to the gate of the city, Liu Feng led the generals out of the city to greet him. He saluted Zhuge Liang and said, "The prime minister is here, and it is an honor." "
Zhuge Liang said expressionlessly: "General Liu doesn't have to be polite. I was ordered by the emperor to inspect the military situation and asked the general to cooperate. "
Liu Feng heard the coldness in Zhuge Liang's words, but at this time there was no way out, so he had to say respectfully: "Prime Minister please come in, Feng must do his best to cooperate with the Prime Minister to inspect." "
After entering the city, Zhuge Liang did not immediately move, but carefully inspected Shangyong's defense and armament. He found that Liu Feng had indeed managed Shangyong as solid as gold over the years, and the soldiers were full of food. This strengthened Zhuge Liang's determination to get rid of Liu Feng.
That night, Liu Feng set up a banquet to entertain Zhuge Liang. During the banquet, Zhuge Liang asked seemingly casually: "General Liu, when General Guan Yu was defeated, why didn't he send troops to rescue him?" "
When Liu Feng heard this, his face suddenly turned pale. He replied calmly: "At that time, the troops of Shangyong were insufficient, and if we rashly sent troops, I am afraid that the whole army will be annihilated." "
Zhuge Liang was noncommittal, but said lightly: "Really? Is there enough of a mediocre army now? "
Liu Feng heard the threat in Zhuge Liang's words, but he was powerless to recover. Early the next morning, Zhuge Liang ordered Liu Feng to be taken down. Liu Feng's subordinates wanted to resist, but under the deterrence of Zhuge Liang, they finally chose to surrender.
Zhuge Liang was charged with "not saving him when he saw death, and delaying the military plane", and escorted Liu Feng back to Chengdu. Soon after, Liu Feng was executed, and Shangyong was brought under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court.
Liu Feng's death caused a lot of shock in the Shu Han dynasty and the opposition. Some people think that Zhuge Liang's move is too harsh and goes against the last wishes of the first emperor. But more people believe that Zhuge Liang's move is to stabilize the situation and clear the way for the Northern Expedition.
However, Zhuge Liang may not have thought that his decision would bring such a heavy price to Shu Han in the future Northern Expedition. Liu Feng's talent and the foundation of his many years of operation in Shangyong could have become a strong support for the Northern Expedition. But now, all of this has vanished with Liu Feng's death.
Fourth, the price of the Northern Expedition: the failure of the mean
In the fifth year of Jianxing, Zhuge Liang began his first Northern Expedition. The goal of this Northern Expedition was to recover Hanzhong, Longyou and other places and lay the foundation for the unification of the Central Plains. However, Zhuge Liang may not have imagined that his previous decision to dispose of Liu Feng would bring such a heavy price to this Northern Expedition.
At the beginning of the Northern Expedition, Zhuge Liang encountered unexpected difficulties. Due to Liu Feng's death, Shangyong lost its original ruling core, and the local military power was greatly weakened. This caused Shu Han to lose an important strategic fulcrum when advancing northward.
Zhuge Liang led his army out of Hanzhong and marched north along the Baoxie Valley. According to the original plan, Shangyong should be used as a rear supply base, providing a steady stream of food, grass and soldiers for the front line. However, due to Liu Feng's execution, Shangyong's military power was greatly weakened and he was unable to effectively support the front.
At this time, Cao Zhen, the general of Wei, learned the news of the Northern Expedition of the Shu army and immediately gathered a large army and prepared to meet it. Cao Zhen was well aware of the strategic importance of Shangyong and decided to cut off the back road of the Shu army first. He sent Zhang He to lead an army to attack Shangyong, intending to cut off the supply lines of the Shu army.
Zhang He led his army to Shangyong City, thinking that he would encounter strong resistance. However, the mediocre defenders were surprisingly vulnerable. Without Liu Feng's leadership, the morale of the Shangyong army was low and its combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. It took only three days for Zhang He to break through Shangyong City and cut off the back road of the Shu army.
Zhuge Liang learned the news of the fall of Shangyong at the front line, and immediately felt that the situation was critical. He immediately summoned the generals to discuss countermeasures. Some generals suggested that they immediately return to Shiqin Wang and recapture Shangyong. However, Zhuge Liang vetoed this proposal, believing that returning to the army at this time would only fall into passivity, but would give the Wei army an opportunity.
Zhuge Liang decided to make a desperate gamble and speed up the pace of his advance northward. He hoped to capture some important cities before the main force of the Wei army arrived, so as to win the initiative for the next battle.
However, with the loss of Shangyong, an important supply base, the speed of the Shu army's march was greatly reduced. The lack of food and grass supplies made the soldiers exhausted. To make matters worse, due to the cutting off of the back route, the Shu army was unable to obtain timely intelligence and knew nothing about the enemy's movements.
At this moment, the main force of the Wei army, under the leadership of Cao Zhen, fought out from the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains. The Shu army was exhausted and lacked intelligence, and was caught off guard and defeated by the Wei army. Zhuge Liang had to order a retreat, and the First Northern Expedition ended in failure.
During the retreat, Zhuge Liang constantly reflected on the reasons for this failure. He realized that the fall of Shangyong was a key factor in the failure of the Northern Expedition. If Liu Feng was still there, Shangyong would definitely not be so easily attacked. Liu Feng has been operating in Shangyong for many years, not only has a strong city defense, but also has a loyal army. This force could have been an important backing for the Northern Expedition.
After returning to Chengdu, Zhuge Liang immediately set about rebuilding Shangyong's defense system. He sent his right-hand man, Jiang Wei, to Shangyong to redeploy defense. After Jiang Wei arrived in Shangyong, he found that the local soldiers and civilians still had deep feelings for Liu Feng. They believed that if Liu Feng was still there, Shangyong would not have fallen into the hands of the Wei army.
Jiang Wei realized that the difficulty of rebuilding Shangyong's defense was far greater than he imagined. Without Liu Feng as the core figure, the mediocre military and civilians lack cohesion. Jiang Wei had to spend a lot of time and energy to reluctantly rebuild Shangyong's defense system.
The failure of this Northern Expedition made Zhuge Liang deeply realize the strategic importance of Shangyong. He began to reflect on whether the decision to dispose of Liu Feng was appropriate. Although Liu Feng is indeed at fault, his business results in Shangyong are undeniable. If the Liu Feng issue can be properly handled, perhaps it will not lead to the fall of Shangyong, and then affect the entire process of the Northern Expedition.
However, history has no ifs. Zhuge Liang could only learn from this failure and make better preparations for the next Northern Expedition. He knew very well that in order for the Northern Expedition to succeed, it was necessary to first ensure the stability of the rear. As a strategic place connecting Bashu and the Central Plains, Shangyong's importance is self-evident.
Therefore, in the following years, Zhuge Liang invested a lot of energy in strengthening Shangyong's defenses. Not only did he increase his troops, but he also personally designed new fortifications. Zhuge Liang hoped that through these efforts, he could make up for the loss of the strategic value of Liu Fenghou and lay a solid foundation for the next Northern Expedition.
5. Reflections on History: The Impact of Liu Feng's Death on Shu Han
Liu Feng's death was not only the end of a person's life, but also a turning point in the fate of the Shu Han Dynasty. The impact of this decision far exceeded Zhuge Liang's expectations, and it can even be said that it hastened the decline of the Shu Han Dynasty to some extent.
First of all, Liu Feng's death dealt a major blow to Shu Han's military strength. Liu Feng has been operating in Shangyong for many years, not only cultivating an elite division, but also accumulating a large number of military resources. These could have been a strong support for the Northern Expedition of Shu Han, but with the death of Liu Feng, these advantages were lost. The military power of the mediocre declined sharply, turning from an impregnable fortress into a weak line of defense. This directly led to the repeated setbacks of Shu Han in the subsequent Northern Expedition and was unable to effectively resist the attack of Wei.
Second, Liu Feng's death shook the political foundation of Shu Han. As Liu Bei's adopted son, Liu Feng had a wide range of supporters in the Shu Han dynasty and the opposition. His death not only aroused the dissatisfaction of some ministers, but also caused a series of questions in the army. Many generals began to doubt Zhuge Liang's decision-making, and this suspicion gradually spread, eventually affecting the military operations of the entire Shu Han. In the subsequent Northern Expedition, we can see that the morale and cohesion of the Shu Han army have declined, which is not unrelated to the political turmoil caused by Liu Feng's death.
Moreover, Liu Feng's death also had a negative impact on the economic development of Shu Han. As an important hub connecting Bashu and the Central Plains, Shangyong was not only strong in military strength but also very prosperous in economy under the governance of Liu Feng. However, after Liu Feng's death, Shangyong's economy declined rapidly. The decrease in trade and tax revenue directly affected the national strength of Shu Han. In the subsequent Northern Expedition, Shu Han often faced the dilemma of insufficient grain and grass, which was directly related to the decline of the Shangyong economy.
What's more serious is that Liu Feng's death dealt a huge blow to the hearts of the people of Shu Han. Liu Feng, as Liu Bei's righteous son, enjoys a high reputation among the people. His death caused many to question the legitimacy and benevolence of the Shu Han regime. This suspicion gradually spread, eventually affecting the entire ruling base of Shu Han. In the later history, we can see that the legitimacy and ruling strength of the Shu Han regime declined, which was not unrelated to the vacillation of the people's will caused by Liu Feng's death.
Liu Feng's death also indirectly affected the relationship between Shu Han and Eastern Wu. Liu Feng's mother was Sun Quan's younger sister, and his presence could have been a link between the Shu-Wu Alliance. However, Liu Feng's death not only severed this bond, but also caused Sun Quan's displeasure. This directly led to the deterioration of Shu-Wu relations, which eventually caused Shu Han to lose important allies in their fight against Wei.
In terms of military strategy, Liu Feng's death also brought huge losses to Shu Han. Liu Feng's defense in Shangyong was aimed at the northern Wei State, and he was familiar with the local terrain and understood the enemy's situation, which were all valuable strategic resources. However, with Liu Feng's death, these advantages were lost. In the subsequent Northern Expedition, the Shu Han army often fell into passivity because of unfamiliar terrain and insufficient intelligence, which was directly related to the loss of Liu Feng, an important strategic resource.
In the long run, Liu Feng's death also affected the cultivation of talents in Shu Han. As Liu Bei's adopted son, Liu Feng could have become an important leader of Shu Han in the future. His death not only directly lost a capable general, but also cut off an important way for Shu Han to train the next generation of leaders. This led to a serious talent gap in the later period of the Shu Han, which ultimately accelerated the decline of the dynasty.
Zhuge Liang lamented the failures of the Northern Expedition many times in his later years, but he may not have realized that these defeats were closely related to his decision to dispose of Liu Feng in his early years. Liu Feng's death is not only a tragedy for one person, but also a tragedy for the entire Shu Han Dynasty. It was like a hidden seed that eventually grew into the last straw that crushed Shu Han.
However, history has no ifs. Liu Feng's fate is sealed, and all we can do is learn from this history and think about the complex relationship between power, loyalty, and national interests. Liu Feng's death may be a mirror that reflects the cruelty and ruthlessness of politics during the Three Kingdoms period.