In the "Twenty-four Chapters of the Book of War", Zhuge Liang clearly pointed out his own importance to the righteous art of war.

Just like Zhuge Liang, who was also described in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", denied Wei Yan's strategy of entering the Meridian Valley, Zhuge Liang generally did not choose a way of fighting that was too risky.

As for how risky the strategy of entering the Meridian Valley was, this point was not clearly described in the Zhuge Liang period, but in the battle of Xingshi, it shows how uncertain this strategy is:

Geographically speaking, the three passages from Hanzhong to Guanzhong are all canyons in the Qinling Mountains.

The East Road is the longest, totaling more than 330km, with the northern end reaching the south of Chang'an, the southern section is called Zigu, and the northern section is called Wugu. The rugged terrain provides a large number of perfect ambushes from which the enemy forces in the valley can be easily annihilated, so this longest route is also the most dangerous. If Shu Han launched an offensive, Chang'an could be easily threatened through this road, which was also the path suggested by Wei Yan during Zhuge Liang's first northern expedition.

The west road is 235km long Bao slope road, the road condition is the best among the three, the northern section is called the slope valley, the south section is called the Bao valley, its southern end is about 25km in Hanzhong, and the north end is 15km south of Meixian County, Shaanxi today. In the center of the Bao Slope, another canyon, Keigu, runs westward, then turns northward, terminating near Chencang, a strategic point threatened by the Shu Han attack. If Wei took the initiative to meet the enemy on the offensive, good road conditions meant that the Shu army would be able to gather defenders more quickly and stop the Wei army from attacking before it left the valley.

The middle road is the 210km long Fu Luo Road, which is the shortest one, and is named after its two ends. The southern end is close to the Fushui River in present-day Yangxian County, Shaanxi, and the northern end is at Luoyu in the west of present-day Zhouzhi County, Shaanxi. Therefore, its southern section is called Fu Valley, and the northern section is called Luo Valley. Cao Shuang made a major strategic mistake. He chose to attack Shu from the middle, which was the shortest, but the worst. What's more, of the three roads, the section of Fu Luo Road without water sources is the longest. Therefore, the attacking Shu army was bound by logistics, and before the Wei army left the valley, a large number of cattle, horses, mules, donkeys and other pack animals responsible for transportation died of thirst due to lack of water. Cao Shuang had to recruit tens of thousands of servants to transport grain and grass for the coolies, and many of them also died of thirst. The morale of the Wei army plummeted, and the dissatisfaction with Cao Shuang's government in Cao Shuang's army and even Cao Wei himself spread rapidly.

In March 244, Cao Shuang promoted Xiahou Xuan to the general of the expedition to the west, and appointed Guo Huai, the assassin of Yongzhou, as the striker. They marched to Hanzhong through Fu Luo Road. Cao Shuang's protégés Deng Yang and Li Sheng participated in the war with the army as strategists. The basic goal of the Wei army was Yangping Pass. [2]

Wang Ping, the general of Shu Han Zhenbei, guarded Hanzhong, but the total army strength was less than 30,000. Faced with an absolute numerical inferiority, some Shu generals suggested concentrating their forces to defend Seoul and Lecheng. Wang Ping refused, because the reinforcements were far away, it would take time to arrive, and once the enemy army passed through Yangping Pass unimpeded, Shu Han would be in trouble, so he could only use the rugged terrain to stop the enemy. Liu Min, the general of the protector army, was ordered to set up camp in the Xingshi Mountain, with many banners and more than 100 miles, creating the illusion that there were more defenders than they actually were. Wang Ping personally led the army behind, in case the Wei army was divided into troops through the Golden Valley in Xingshi Shandong. As Wang Ping expected, in April, the Wei army was blocked at Xingshi Mountain. Due to the long supply lines, cattle, horses, mules, donkeys and other pack animals almost all died, and the supplies were exhausted. Fei Yi, the general of Shu Han, was rushing to Hanzhong with reinforcements from Chengdu. The Shu army prepared a counteroffensive against the overwhelmed invading Wei army.

Cao Shuang's army Yang Wei realized the danger and begged Cao Shuang to give up the action and withdraw immediately, but Deng Yang objected and argued with Yang Wei despite his lack of military knowledge. Yang Wei failed to convince them, and said angrily: "Deng Yang and Li Sheng have corrupted the country and can be beheaded." Cao Shuang was displeased and rejected the suggestion of the two. Taifu Sima Yi was initially opposed to the battle, and could no longer ignore such a dangerous situation, and wrote to Xiahou Xuan to inform him of the impending calamity, and warned that he should take note of the lesson that Cao Cao had almost completely defeated Liu Bei in the battle for Hanzhong. The Shu army firmly controlled Xingshi Mountain and stopped the Wei army from advancing. Once the other Shu army cut off its retreat, Cao Shuang and Xiahou Xuan were not responsible for this. Xiahou Xuan read the letter and realized that he was in danger, so he persuaded Cao Shuang to reluctantly order the withdrawal of the army. Guo Huai estimated that the situation was unfavorable, and led his headquarters to withdraw first to avoid a major defeat.

Fei Yi was unwilling to let Cao Shuang withdraw his troops easily, and led his army to attack the flank of the Wei army and cut off his retreat. The Shu army encamped in Luogu Sanling, which enjoyed an absolute geographical advantage over the Wei army. Cao Shuang and his army reluctantly fled back to Guanzhong after suffering heavy casualties from hunger, thirst, and disease during the march.

Although the Wei army in the battle of Xingshi did not take the Meridian Valley, it did not mean that the situation in the Meridian Valley was superior to that of the Fu Luo Road, and the distance of more than 110 kilometers may have sufficient resources in terms of water sources, but in terms of grain transportation, this is a very difficult situation. Especially for this extra part of the journey, once Wei Yanjun and Wei Jun are deadlocked in the northern section of the Meridian Valley, then what awaits Wei Yan will be a dilemma of running out of food and retreating.

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There are three ways to march the army: one is the sky, the second is the earth, and the third is the people. Those who are in the sky, the sun and the moon are clear, the five stars are combined, the comet is not harmful, and the wind is harmonious; the terrain is the one who is steep and steep in the city, the flood waves are thousands of miles, the stone gate is secluded, and the sheep intestines are Quwo; the people are powerful, the main saint and the sage, the three armies are courteous, the soldiers use their lives, and the food and armor are strong. Those who are good generals, because of the time of the sky, the situation of the place, according to the interests of people, the invincible one, and the one who hits is perfect.

The translation is roughly as follows:

When a general or commander leads his troops to go on an expedition, he should pay attention to three situations: the right time, the right place, and the right people, which are the basic factors and conditions for winning the war. The time of day means that the weather is clear, the climate is mild and moderate, the cold and heat are not intense, there is no drought or famine, the sky is normal, and there are no ominous signs, which is a natural factor that is beneficial to us. The geographical advantage refers to the fact that our city wall is high on the steep terrain, there are deep ditches and big rivers as natural barriers, the terrain is complex and unfathomable, and there is the only sheep intestine path that is still tortuous and circuitous. Harmony is the monarch and the sage of the generals, the three armies are courteous and law-abiding, neat and unified, all the soldiers can serve on the battlefield, the food is sufficient, and the weapons are strong. If the outstanding generals can rely on the time, the location, and the people, they can be invincible and win a big victory.

The virtuous are on top, the unscrupulous are on the bottom, the three armies are happy, the soldiers are afraid to obey, they discuss each other to fight bravely, look at each other with might, and persuade each other to reward each other with punishment, this must win the battle. The soldiers are lazy and slow, the three armies are frightened, they are rude to the letter, people are not afraid of the law, they are afraid of the enemy, they talk to each other for profit, they ask each other for good and evil, and they are confused with evil words, and this is a sign of defeat.

The translation is roughly as follows:

The conditions for the army to win when it comes out of the army are: people with genuine talent and virtue hold important posts, and those who do not have talent and virtue are relegated to the lowest position, the officers and men of the three armies are in high spirits, they are united and united, the relationship between the upper and lower levels is harmonious, the soldiers obey orders, they are brave and good at fighting, the army is majestic and majestic, and the law and discipline are strict. The following signs are inevitably accompanied by the following signs when the army is unfavorable: the soldiers are lazy and careless, do not abide by military discipline, the officers and men of the whole army are very afraid of fighting against the enemy, the soldiers do not pay attention to faith and righteousness, they are not afraid of punishment, they overestimate the strength of the enemy's army, they are not united internally, the usual topics among themselves are things related to interests, they like to speculate on the good fortune and misfortune of things, they are attached to all kinds of nonsense, gossip is rife in the army, and the morale of the army is disheartened.

The husband and the general are the county where human life is, the success or failure is also related, and the blessing and misfortune are relied on. And the reward and punishment without pretense is like binding the hand of the ape, and the responsibility is to Tengjie; glue away from Lou's eyes, and make it distinguish between green and yellow, and it cannot be obtained. If the reward is transferred to the ministers, the punishment is not up to the main general, and the people are self-interested, who has a fighting heart? Although Yi and Lu are plotting and Han Bai are meritorious, they cannot defend themselves. Therefore, Sun Wu said: "If you take it out, the king's order will not be affected." Yafu said: "The army hears the general's order, but does not hear the edict of the Son of Heaven." ”

Generals are the key in the army. He hangs on the lives of tens of millions of soldiers, the outcome of the war, and the rise and fall of the country's fate. It is not feasible for a monarch not to give full authority to his generals to command his army, as if he had ropes tied to the ape's hands and feet and ordered him to climb trees and leap and gallop quickly, or as if he had tape to his eyes and asked him to distinguish colors. If the power of reward and punishment is manipulated by the powerful, the Lord will not have any power that can be autonomous, and the upper and lower levels will inevitably be shrouded in selfishness and profit. Then, even if you have outstanding talents like Yi Yin and Lü Buwei, and you have the merits of Han Xin and Bai Qi, you can't protect yourself. Therefore, Sun Wu said: "Once a general leads the troops to fight, he will not obey the king's orders." Yafu also said: "In the army, only the orders of the generals can be heard, and the edicts of the monarch are not heard."

The good generals of the ancients raised others as if they were their own sons, and when they were in trouble, they took the lead in their lives, and if they had merit, they were behind them, and the wounded were wept and caressed, and the dead were buried in mourning, and the hungry were given up and fed, and the cold were undressed and clothed, and the wise were courteous and honored, and the brave were rewarded and persuaded. It will be able to do so, and it will be successful.

The translation is roughly as follows:

In ancient times, all outstanding generals treated their subordinates as if they were their own children, and when difficulties came, they took the lead and bore the brunt of the attack, standing at the forefront, in front of merit and honor, and their subordinates were humble, and the merits, When the subordinates sacrificed their lives for the country, they could bury them thickly, and properly arrange the aftermath, when the food was not enough to eat, take the initiative to give their own food to their subordinates, and when the weather was cold, give their own clothes to the soldiers to wear, treat the talented people with courtesy, and entrust them to high-ranking officials, and treat the brave subordinates who are good at fighting, he will give appropriate and timely rewards and encourage him to make new contributions. As a general, if you do the above things, you will be invincible and win all battles.

During the trip of the three armies, there will be guests to discuss the gains and losses, so as to use the resources. There are words such as the county stream, the plot is unpredictable, well-informed, versatile, this hope of ten thousand people, can be cited as a guest; there are fierce like a bear and a tiger, if the ape, just like an iron stone, if the dragon spring, this moment of the male, can be a guest; there are many words or medium, thin skills, ordinary people's ability, this can be cited as a guest.

The translation is roughly as follows:

Whenever the three armed forces go out to fight, the generals must have all kinds of staff personnel to plan and staff for themselves, discuss the pros and cons together, and assist the generals at their disposal. Some people are as brave as a tiger and as agile as an ape, and their personalities are as fierce as iron and stone, and their combat is as sharp as a dragon in Chudi, and these people are a generation of heroes and can become the general's middle-level staff. Some people like to make speeches, but their abilities are average, they are just ordinary people, and they can become the subordinate staff of the general.

If it is difficult or easy, it is greater than fine, move first and then use, and punish without punishment, and the wisdom of this soldier is also. The master and apprentice have been listed, the horses are galloping, the strong crossbow is coming, the short soldiers are connected, and the enemy is in a hurry, and the ability to use the soldiers is also. The body rushed to the arrow, won for a while, success or failure was not divided, I was injured and died, and this soldier was also used.

The translation is roughly as follows:

A leader who can turn a dangerous situation into an easy one, prepare for it before it becomes complicated, take countermeasures before it becomes out of control, and set up strict punishments in the army without using punishment as the ultimate goal, is a wise man. In battle with the enemy, the soldiers have been arranged in formation, the soldiers and horses of both sides are staggered, and the soldiers and horses are close to each other, at this time, if the commander can take the opportunity to expand his influence with all kinds of might, so that the enemy army is confused and lost, this can be regarded as a capable man with soldiers. On the battlefield, the generals braved the rain of bullets and bullets to charge, but it was only a temporary ability, and the losses of both sides were huge, but there was no difference between victory and defeat, which was the best strategy in the use of troops.

The grass and trees are gathered, which is beneficial to swim and escape; the mountains and forests are heavily plugged, and the benefits are unexpected; there is no hidden forest in front of the forest, and it is beneficial to lurk; to attack the crowd with less, and the benefit is to fight the day; to attack the widow with the crowd, and to benefit the early morning; to strengthen the crossbow and long soldiers, to benefit the shortcut; to cross the abyss and across the water, the wind is strong and dark, and it is beneficial to fight before and after.

The translation is roughly as follows:

In areas with dense vegetation and vegetation, guerrilla tactics can be adopted; in operations in dense mountainous and forested areas, we can use the method of surprise attack to surprise the enemy; when fighting on the plains without any concealment, we can adopt trench tactics; when the enemy is outnumbered, we should attack the enemy at dusk; when we are outnumbered, we should attack the enemy in the early morning; if we are well-armed and strong, we should quickly defeat the enemy; and if we are facing each other across the bank, there is wind and sand, and the line of sight is not clear, we should adopt the tactic of flanking the front and rear.

The art of victory, the shape of mutation, lies in the opportunity. How can a non-wise person see an opportunity and do it? The way to see an opportunity is not to be unexpected. Therefore, the beast is in danger, and the boy chases after it with a halberd; the bee flies are poisonous, and the strong man wanders and loses his color. With its misfortune, it is not a matter of worrying about changing speeds.

The translation is roughly as follows:

The key to victory and the method of grasping the change of situation to command and mobilize troops were unexpected. If you are not wise, who can seize the opportunity to make a decision? The secret of seizing the opportunity lies in taking the opportunity by surprise. If the beast leaves the mountain and loses the steep mountain to rely on, even a child with a halberd can scare it away, and the little poisonous bee can make the strong man dare not approach with only one of its own stingers, and for the enemy, let the disaster suddenly appear, unpreventable, unpredictable, is the best way to win.