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Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
Preface
On the battlefield of history, a split second decision can often determine the balance of victory and defeat. Lu Xun, a famous general of Eastern Wu, had defeated Liu Bei in the Battle of Yiling and almost had a chance to capture the emperor of Shu Han alive.
However, when he faced Zhao Yun, he suddenly chose to retreat quickly. Why would a general with such great achievements make such a puzzling decision at a critical moment?
What is the hidden truth behind it? Could it be that Zhao Yun's prestige made Lu Xun fearful, or was Zhuge Liang planning some earth-shattering conspiracy behind his back?
1. Liu Bei's ambition: the dream of annexing Eastern Wu
In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an (219), Guan Yu flooded the Seventh Army and shocked China. This battle not only made Guan Yu famous all over the world, but also made Liu Bei see the hope of annexing Eastern Wu.
Liu Bei believed that as long as he could capture Eastern Wu, he could unify the south and then compete with Cao Wei for hegemony in the Central Plains. However, Liu Bei's idea was strongly opposed by Zhuge Liang.
Zhuge Liang believed that Shu Han should maintain an alliance with Eastern Wu and jointly fight against Cao Wei. He knew that Shu Han's strength was not enough to fight against both Eastern Wu and Cao Wei. But Liu Bei was already carried away by the victory at this time, and he insisted on attacking Eastern Wu.
Zhuge Liang had no choice but to reluctantly agree. But he was always worried in his heart, worried that Liu Bei would be in danger because of this risk. So, he secretly made some preparations just in case.
Liu Bei's decision was not only based on military considerations, but also out of political necessity. He needed a big victory to solidify his dominance, while also showing Cao Wei the strength of Shu Han.
However, this rush mentality became precisely his Achilles' heel. Although Zhuge Liang was against it, he also understood Liu Bei's thoughts.
He knew that as the ruler of an emerging regime, Liu Bei needed constant military victories to maintain his prestige. Therefore, while Zhuge Liang was opposing, he also began to prepare for the worst that could occur.
He sent spies to keep a close eye on the situation on the battlefield, and also placed some reserves in the rear to deal with possible crises.
2. Soochow's response: Lu Xun's calmness and strategy
In the face of Liu Bei's attack, Dongwu also fell into a panic. Although Sun Quan is also a generation of heroes, he also feels great pressure in the face of an old opponent like Liu Bei.
Just when the clouds were gloomy and bleak in Eastern Wu, a young general stood up - Lu Xun. Although Lu Xun was young, his military talent was highly recognized by Sun Quan.
In the face of Liu Bei's attack, Lu Xun did not panic, but calmly analyzed the situation. He found that although Liu Bei's army was huge, it had a fatal weakness - the dispersion of troops.
Lu Xun proposed a bold plan to Sun Quan: temporarily avoid his edge and wait for the enemy army to exhaust before launching a counterattack. Although Sun Quan was anxious, he still adopted Lu Xun's suggestion. In this way, the Soochow army began a planned retreat.
Lu Xun's decision not only reflects his military wisdom, but also shows his deep understanding of human nature. He knew that Liu Bei's dispatch of troops this time was largely out of a desire to make meritorious contributions.
Therefore, he decided to take advantage of Liu Bei's psychology to lure him deep into the hinterland of Eastern Wu. Lu Xun also deliberately arranged some "defeat" scenes to enhance Liu Bei's confidence.
At the same time, he is also secretly gathering forces, waiting for the best time to counterattack. This strategy of retreating as advance not only tested Lu Xun's patience, but also tested the discipline of the entire Eastern Wu army.
Through a series of exercises and training, Lu Xun ensured that every soldier could understand and implement this strategy.
3. Burning the company camp: Lu Xun's fatal blow
Liu Bei's army attacked all the way and encountered little decent resistance. This made Liu Bei even more confident, and he thought that Soochow was already vulnerable. So he ordered his army to continue and set up camps along the way, forming a line of defense that stretched for 700 miles.
When Lu Xun saw this scene, he was secretly happy in his heart. He knew his chance had come. On a windy and dark night, Lu Xun ordered the whole army to attack and launched a fierce fire attack on Liu Bei's military camp.
The fire was blazing and the smoke was filling. Liu Bei's army was completely taken by surprise. Due to the dispersion of the camps, they could not support each other in time, and soon fell into chaos. Liu Bei himself was almost trapped in the fire.
At this critical moment, a white-robed general suddenly appeared and led an elite army into the sea of fire, and this general was Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun single-handedly opened up a way to survive in the sea of fire and successfully rescued Liu Bei.
Lu Xun's fire attack was not only a military operation, but also a well-planned psychological warfare. He chose to attack at night, not only to take it by surprise, but also to use the darkness to increase the enemy's fear and confusion.
Before the fire attack, Lu Xun also deliberately arranged some small-scale harassment actions to make the Shu army relax their vigilance. After the fire attack began, Lu Xun sent a special "shouting team" to create noise around the fire ground, further aggravating the chaos of the Shu army.
These details reflect Lu Xun's deep understanding of the psychology of war. And the appearance of Zhao Yun is an unexpected variable.
This battle-hardened veteran, with his rich combat experience and calm judgment, successfully found a breakthrough in the chaos and saved Liu Bei from danger.
Fourth, Zhuge Liang's layout: far-sightedness to protect the overall situation
In fact, Zhao Yun's timely appearance was not accidental. As early as when Liu Bei decided to attack Wu, Zhuge Liang had a premonition that there might be danger. Although he couldn't change Liu Bei's decision, he still made some preparations.
First, he sent Ma Liang to Liu Bei's army to persuade Liu Bei to change the deployment of the army. Although this suggestion was not adopted, it at least gave Liu Bei's army some vigilance.
Secondly, Zhuge Liang secretly mobilized Zhao Yun's troops. He put Zhao Yun in charge of escorting the grain and grass in the rear, which actually put Zhao Yun's troops in a position where they could rush to the aid at any time.
When Lu Xun launched a fire attack, Zhuge Liang's layout played a key role. After Zhao Yun received the order, he immediately led his army to help, and finally rescued Liu Bei.
Zhuge Liang's layout shows his overall view and foresight as a military advisor. He took into account not only direct confrontation on the battlefield, but also the importance of logistics and reserves.
Zhuge Liang put Zhao Yun in charge of logistics, which was an ordinary arrangement on the surface, but in fact it was a delicate move. This not only ensured the supply lines of the army, but also planted a strong reserve in key positions.
Zhuge Liang also deliberately chose Zhao Yun, because he knew that Zhao Yun was not only brave, but more importantly, he was loyal to Liu Bei.
In a critical moment, only such a general can charge into battle and save the situation desperately. This kind of insight into human nature and control of the battle situation is exactly what Zhuge Liang excels as a military advisor.
5. Lu Xun's choice: the contest between prudence and foresight
When Zhao Yun appeared on the battlefield, Lu Xun was faced with a difficult choice. On the one hand, he had the opportunity to completely wipe out Liu Bei's army and even capture Liu Bei himself alive. It would be a big win that will go down in history.
But on the other hand, the appearance of Zhao Yun also made Lu Xun vigilant. He realized that Zhao Yun's appearance might mean that Shu Han had more reinforcements coming. If you continue to pursue, you may fall into Zhuge Liang's trap.
After careful consideration, Lu Xun finally made a decision that surprised many people - to retreat. He chose to give up his immediate victory in favor of consolidating the gains he had made.
Although this decision puzzled some generals, Lu Xun insisted on his judgment. He believes that instead of taking risks to pursue temporary glory, it is better to work steadily and win long-term benefits for Soochow.
Facts have proved that Lu Xun's decision was correct. Although Liu Bei escaped, the Shu Han army had already suffered huge losses. More importantly, the battle greatly weakened the strength of Shu Han and won a respite for Eastern Wu.
Later, when Lu Xun learned that Zhuge Liang had indeed set up eight formations in the rear, he was even more convinced that his decision was correct. If you rashly pursued at that time, you would probably fall into Zhuge Liang's trap and lead to the loss of your previous achievements.
Lu Xun's decision not only reflects his military wisdom, but also shows his political vision as a commander-in-chief. He knew very well that under the situation of the Three Kingdoms, the way of survival of Soochow was not to blindly pursue military victory, but to survive in the cracks.
Therefore, he chose a relatively conservative but more prudent strategy. This decision also reflects Lu Xun's deep understanding of the entire war situation. He realized that even if he could capture Liu Bei alive, he would not be able to completely eliminate Shu Han.
On the contrary, if Liu Bei dies in battle, it may stimulate the whole country of Shu Han to be soldiers, but it will be detrimental to Eastern Wu. In addition, Lu Xun also took into account Cao Wei in the north.
He was worried that if both Eastern Wu and Shu Han were defeated, it might be Cao Wei who was eyeing Cao Wei in the end. This kind of overall strategic thinking is the key to Lu Xun's ability to become a generation of famous generals.
epilogue
The Battle of Yiling was not only a military contest, but also a game of wisdom. Zhuge Liang's foresight, Lu Xun's prudence, and Liu Bei's bravery were all fully reflected in this battle.
This battle not only changed the pattern of the Three Kingdoms, but also left valuable military and political wisdom for future generations. It teaches us that calm thinking and long-term thinking are often more important than impulses at critical moments.