In the fourth year of Taihe (230), Cao Wei was led by the great Sima Cao Zhen, including the great general Sima Yi and others, led several large armies to attack, captured Hanzhong, and crusaded against Zhuge Liang, but this battle ended in nothing, and Cao Zhen was forced to retreat without seeing Zhuge Liang after rushing for a month. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

In terms of Shu Han, Zhuge Liang sent Wei Yan, Wu Yi and others to the north again, and defeated Guo Huai, Fei Yao and others of the Wei army, which was also the fourth northern expedition of Shu Han in the Zhuge Liang era, in which Zhuge Liang himself did not go north in person.

【Cao Zhen is coming】

Judging from the records of Cao Wei's side in history, Cao Zhen's direction of sending troops should be from the Meridian Valley to attack Hanzhong, but there are other records in the "Shu Zhi", which are not consistent with the "Wei Zhi".

In the autumn of the eighth year, Wei envoy Sima Yi from Xicheng, Zhang He from Ziwu, and Cao Zhen from Xiegu. Want to attack Hanzhong. - "Romance of the Three Kingdoms: The Later Lord"

It really sent Chang'an in August and entered from the south of the meridian road. Sima Xuanwang traced the Han River and met Nanzheng. The armies either entered from the valley road or from Wuwei. - "Romance of the Three Kingdoms: The Biography of Cao Zhen"

"Shu Zhi" supported Cao Zhen's crusade against Hanzhong from the Xiegu route, and Cao Wei was divided into three armies to crusade, led by Cao Zhen, Sima Yi, and Zhang He. And "Wei Zhi" believes that Cao Zhen sent troops from the Meridian Valley, Cao Zhen led the way, Sima Yi led the way, and other generals sent troops from Xiegu Road or Wuwei to attack Zhuge Liang, which means that Cao Wei at least divided his troops into four ways to crusade. As for what the situation was like at that time, it is difficult to confirm at this time.

However, one thing is very clear, Cao Zhen's dispatch of troops this time is very large, and the military commanders Cao Zhen and Sima Yi are both personally out, and the Cao Wei group can be said to have poured out of their pockets.

In Shu Han, Zhuge Liang was as early as the winter of the seventh year of Jianxing (229), that is, not long after the success of the Third Northern Expedition, before Cao Zhen returned to Luoyang, Zhuge Liang began to move the camp to the plain under the South Mountain, built the two cities of Han and Le, and strengthened the defense of Hanzhong. This also means that Zhuge Liang may have anticipated Cao Wei's possible counterattack and made corresponding precautions.

After learning that Cao Wei sent troops on a large scale, Zhuge Liang immediately strengthened the defense of Chenggu, Chihan and other important places on the one hand, and on the other hand, Li Yanzi Li Feng was the governor of Jiangzhou to defend the rear, and asked Li Yan to lead 20,000 men to Hanzhong to block the enemy and ask for support.

[Forced to retreat]

For various reasons, although Cao Wei crusaded against Hanzhong many ways, in fact, the number of confrontations between the two sides was not much, and the record was relatively clear only that of Cao Wei's pioneer Xiahou Ba.

According to the record of "Wei Luo", because Xiahou Ba's father Xiahou Yuan was killed by Shu Han, Xiahou Ba often gritted his teeth and was determined to avenge his father Xiahou Yuan. At that time, Cao Wei's army set out from the Meridian Valley, with Xiahou Ba as the vanguard. Xiahou Ba led the army to advance to Xingshiwei (place name). When Xiahou Ba encamped in Qugu, Shu Han learned that Xiahou Ba was the vanguard of Wei and quickly sent troops to attack him. Xiahouba's first independent battle was unfavorable, but fortunately, Xiahouba was still a little calm, and went to the antlers to command, actively defended and waited for reinforcements to arrive, and finally broke the siege.

After Cao Zhen led the army to send troops, because of the hardships and dangers in Hanzhong, it will be the rainy season, the plank road was washed and cut off by the rain, Cao Zhen took a month, only walked half the way, the ministers of the central government Chen Qun, Hua Xin, Yang Fu and Wang Su all persuaded Emperor Wei Ming to withdraw the army, to September, Cao Zhen had to be ordered to retreat, Sima Yi dug the mountain from the west city to open the road, water and land marched together, along the water, arrived at the moon to forbear, and laid down Xinfeng County. The army was stationed in Dankou and returned to the division in the rain. Other generals also retreated, and the military operation ended in vain.

At that time, the voices within the Cao Wei group against Cao Zhen's continued fight were rising higher and higher. Not only did Sikong Chen Qun, who had earlier dissuade Cao Zhen from sending troops, write again thinking that it was appropriate to edict Cao Zhen to return to the division, but Shaofu Yang Fu, Taiwei Hua Xin (Note 1) and others also opposed the continuation of the Northern Expedition, and Emperor Cao Rui of the Ming Dynasty saw that Cao Zhen was stagnant and thought that the general trend had gone, so he gave up the plan to continue the war and ordered Cao Zhen and others to return to the court.

At that time, the reason why there was such a big wave of opposition within the imperial court was because Cao Zhen's army could not continue to move forward due to heavy rain, and the future was unknown. On the other hand, it is mainly related to Cao Zhen's arbitrariness in sending troops this time, after all, Cao Zhen's dispatch of troops was not recognized by the imperial court at the beginning, in essence, Cao Zhen sent troops privately, if Cao Zhen fought smoothly, it is good to say, once something goes wrong, it is easy to encounter a backlash.

[Shu Han's counterattack]

Zhuge Liang faced Cao Wei's large-scale attack, on the one hand, he actively prepared for defense, and on the other hand, he ordered Wei Yan and others to take the initiative to attack and break the enemy Yongzhou assassin Shi Guo Huai and the later general Fei Yao.

In the eighth year of Jianxing (230), Zhuge Liang sent Wei Yan to lead a partial division west into Qiangzhong and attack the Yongliang area of Cao Wei, Wei Yan led the army to the Yangxi area, and encountered the army of Cao Wei's general Fei Yao and Yongzhou Assassin Guo Huai, the two armies fought, and Wei Yan broke Fei Yao and Guo Huai. Wei Yan, who won a great victory, was also promoted to the former military division and the general of the expedition to the west, and was awarded the false festival and was named the Marquis of Southern Zheng.

At that time, Wu Yi also went out with the army, entered Nan'an County of Wei State, and defeated the Wei general Fei Yao. Wu Yi was awarded the title of Marquis of Xiting, entered the Marquis of Gaoyang Township, and was promoted to General Zuo.

However, this battle of Shu Han was not recorded as a territory, and although it defeated the Wei army, it failed to expand its territory.

Because of the lack of information now, it is not possible to determine the specific time when Wei Yan and others sent troops, so it is possible that Wei Yan and others sent troops after Cao Zhen and others withdrew.

【Ending】

Since then the fourth confrontation between Shu Han and Cao Wei in the Zhuge Liang period came to an end, ending with a complete victory for Shu Han, this duel, Cao Wei sent troops in many ways and basically returned in vain, and the main force led by Cao Zhen was basically forced to retreat without even touching the battlefield, and the Shu Han army not only defeated the vanguard of the Cao army, Xiahou Ba, but also took the initiative to defeat Cao Wei's general Fei Yao and Yongzhou Assassin Guo Huai, and won the battle.

But although Cao Wei was defeated in this battle, he did not break his muscles and bones, and the main force was basically preserved, so Zhuge Liang did not take advantage of this victory to reverse the stalemate against Cao Wei.

In history, Cao Zhen lost this battle, first of all, because the weather was unfavorable, after Cao Zhen sent his troops, it can be said that the basic heavy rain continued, and his troops even had a problem advancing, and the battle was over before it began. However, this can also be said to be because Cao Zhen chose the wrong time, like Zhuge Liang's previous Northern Expeditions, except for the second time because of unexpected circumstances and this time in order to counterattack Cao Wei, he basically sent troops in the spring and never launched a battle in the autumn, which is honestly Cao Zhen's own responsibility.

Secondly, because Zhuge Liang had prepared in advance, and Cao Wei was in endless internal disputes, and the army was slow because of the rainy season, so the Wei army did not come, and the Shu army had waited for a long time, and Cao Zhen had no chance.

Finally, the geographical conditions of Hanzhong are superior, easy to defend and difficult to attack, whether it is from the meridian road or the slope valley road, it is not easy to walk.

Note 1: Later moved to Shaofu. It was the time when the great Sima Cao really cut down Shu, and he didn't enter when it rained. Fushang Shu said: "King Xiwen has a red black talisman, and he has no time to eat; The white fish of the warrior king entered the boat, and the monarch and the minister changed color. And Jirui, who moves, is still afraid, and there is a disaster and does not fight? Now Wu and Shu are not peaceful, and the sky has changed repeatedly, Your Majesty should respond with expertise, sit on the side seat, think far away to virtue, and be thrifty. As soon as the armies entered, there was the trouble of rain, and the mountains were dangerous, so as to accumulate the sun. The labor of transshipment, the hardship of bearing, and the cost are too much, if there is no continuation, it will be contrary to this map. It is said: 'When you see that you can advance, you can retreat when you know the difficulties, and the good governance of the army is also.'" 'The six armies were trapped in the valleys, and there was no way to advance, and there was no way to retreat, and it was not the way of the main army. King Wu returned to his teacher, died of Yin, and knew the heavenly period. This year, the people are hungry, and it is advisable to invent edicts to reduce food and clothing, and to use treasures and tricks. In the past, Shao Xinchen played a floating meal for the sake of Shaofu in a world of nothing; Today's military is insufficient, and it is advisable to be modest. "The emperor immediately summoned the troops to return.

In Taihezhong, Cao Zhen was sent to cut down Shu from the Meridian Road, and the car drove to Xuchang. Xin Shang Shu said: "Since the rebellion, more than two epochs have passed. Great Wei Chengtian was ordered, and His Majesty regarded Shengde as the dragon of Kang, the rule of the Yihong generation, and the traces of the three kings of Shao. Although there are two thieves who are in danger to prolong their lives, Gou Sanctification is becoming a day, and people from afar are Huaide, and they will be burdened. The soldiers had to use it as a last resort, so they moved from time to time. His Majesty Cheng Yuan first paid attention to the governance of the road, and took the conquest as the aftermath. And transporting grain for thousands of miles is not the benefit of using soldiers; The more dangerous it is, the more difficult it is. If you hear that this year's conscription, you will lose your farming business. Those who serve the country are based on the people, and the people are based on food and clothing. So that China does not suffer from hunger and cold, and the people have no heart to leave the land, then the world is very fortunate, and the provocation of the two thieves can sit and wait. The prime minister is the prime minister, the old man is sick, the life of the dog and the horse is about to end, I am afraid that I will no longer be able to serve the Luan Gai, and I dare not exhaust the arms of the courtiers, only His Majesty will judge! The emperor said: "You are deeply concerned about the national plan, and I am very pleasing to you." The thief relied on the mountains and rivers, and the two ancestors worked hard in the previous life, and they were still not peaceful, how dare I dare to be more, and it is said that I will be destroyed! The generals thought that if they did not explore, they would have no reason to harm themselves, and they would provoke them by watching the troops. If the time has not come, Zhou Wu will return to the teacher, which is a lesson from the past, and I will not forget the precepts. "When it rained heavily in autumn, Zhao Zhen led the army back.