Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 447 The Northern Expedition Should Proceed Through the Ziwu Valley

Return to the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Prime Minister Zhuge tossed and turned, unable to sleep all night.

Lin Dao's question still echoed in my ears.

'Do you actually want to launch a northern expedition or not?'

"miss you!"

"I want to launch a northern expedition! I dream about it!"

He suddenly sat up on the bed, panting heavily.

Huang Yueying, who was standing nearby, brought him some clothes to wear and gently comforted him.

At this moment, Prime Minister Zhuge's feelings were extremely complicated.

He genuinely wanted to launch a northern expedition.

However, he also knew that the success of the Northern Expedition was extremely unlikely, or even almost impossible.

Therefore, his original intention was, as Lin Dao said, to make a profit, boost morale, and then leave.

In the Battle of Hanzhong, Liu Bei was indeed victorious.

The problem was that Cao Cao, in his retreat, used a strategy of cutting off the source of the problem by taking all the people of Hanzhong with him.

In this era of sharp population decline, people are the only ones who can have everything.

Whether it's farming, working, laboring, or fighting in the military, manpower is needed.

People are the most valuable resource.

Before writing the Memorial on Dispatching the Troops, Prime Minister Zhuge had already set his battle objectives.

However, these words must not be known to others.

Especially those who aspire to achieve great things.

However, my deepest secret thoughts were revealed by Lin Daoyi last night!
The Prime Minister is ill.
When Prime Minister Zhuge requested sick leave, the court was immediately in an uproar.

The sudden illness of the pillar of the Han Dynasty has caused anxiety among many, and various undercurrents are brewing.

After all, the "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops" had not yet been presented, and it was not yet determined who would succeed him.

If Prime Minister Zhuge were to suffer any mishap, it would inevitably lead to violent upheaval in the struggle for power.

Countless people came to visit, but were turned away at the door. Even the messenger sent by Liu Shan to inquire was unable to see the prime minister.

This turmoil lasted for three days.

This was a grand court assembly, with civil and military officials gathering, and Liu Shan was also present.

However, no one was in the mood to discuss national affairs, and the atmosphere in the hall was somewhat heavy.

When Prime Minister Zhuge Liang relinquished his heavy responsibilities due to illness, everyone realized just how important the Prime Minister was to the Han Dynasty.

The atmosphere inside the main hall was somewhat heavy, and everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts.

Just as Liu Shan was getting impatient and was about to announce the end of the court session...

A loud announcement came from outside the store.

"The Grand Chancellor of the Han Dynasty requests an audience."

Everyone looked over and saw Prime Minister Zhuge, who had been said to be ill, stride in with a ruddy complexion.

"Father Prime Minister~~~"

Liu Shan was overjoyed and hurriedly got up to greet him, "Prime Minister, are you well?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Following proper etiquette between ruler and subject, Prime Minister Zhuge replied, "I am well."

Now that the Prime Minister is unharmed, all the undercurrents instantly dissipated.

"His Majesty."

Prime Minister Zhuge took two steps back and solemnly took out his own "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops".

"Your subject has a memorial to present."

Liu Shan was taken aback at first, then hurriedly returned to his seat.

Memorials and petitions to the emperor were things that appeared in later generations.

During the Han Dynasty, the main documents were memorials, petitions, and discussions.

The main influx was gratitude.

The term "奏" (zòu) was used specifically to present political affairs, impeach officials, or report illegal activities.

"议" is used to raise objections.

A memorial tablet, on the other hand, is used to express one's feelings.

Therefore, Prime Minister Zhuge presented the "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops".
Instead of "Chu Shi Zhang" (出师章), "Chu Shi Quan" (出师奏), or "Chu Shi Yi" (出师议)~
"The late emperor passed away before completing his great undertaking, and now the empire is divided into three, with Yizhou exhausted and weakened. This is truly a critical moment of survival."

"I was originally a commoner, tilling the fields in Nanyang, merely trying to preserve my life in these chaotic times, seeking no fame or fortune among the lords."

"Now that I am about to depart, tears stream down my face as I write this, and I know not what to say."

After listening to the memorial to the emperor, everyone understood that the prime minister was going on a northern expedition.

Furthermore, the subsequent succession arrangements were completed.

Everyone had a different expression.

Some were overjoyed, some shook their heads inwardly, some frowned, and some remained silent.

However, once Prime Minister Zhuge made up his mind, no one could change his mind.

Even Liu Shan wouldn't be an option.

"Prime Minister, Prime Minister's Father~"

Liu Shan received the memorial before the expedition, his voice trembling, "Is a northern expedition truly necessary?"

"The Prime Minister's body~"

"Your subject!" Prime Minister Zhuge straightened his chest, his eyes filled with determination.

"We must launch a northern expedition!"

"To restore the Han Dynasty!"

"Even if I die nine times, I will not regret it!"

After three days of deliberation, Prime Minister Zhuge finally made his final decision.

As a subject of the Han dynasty, I should naturally support and uphold the Han imperial family.

For this reason, what does it matter if we lose our lives!
His thoughts have changed.

It's no longer the same idea as before: to gain some advantage, strike a blow against Cao Wei, and then retreat.

Instead, they were determined to defeat Cao Wei and rebuild the Han Dynasty three times!
As evening approached, Lin Dao, having finished his busy work, finally arrived at the tavern.

As soon as he stepped outside, a waiter was waiting to report to him.

"Your Excellency, the Prime Minister has arrived! We've been waiting for so long!"

Lin Dao smiled and stepped into the hall.

Only the Prime Minister and Zhao Yun were there, sitting there drinking tea and discussing something in hushed tones.

Lin Dao had excellent hearing and could hear Prime Minister Zhuge saying, "We should concentrate our forces and quickly take Longyou to eliminate any worries about our rear."

"I do have an idea." Stepping forward and sitting down at the table, Lin Dao picked up a teacup and poured himself some tea. "Would the Prime Minister be willing to listen?"

Prime Minister Zhuge smiled and said, "I would like to hear the details."

"Cao Wei was lax in its defenses and never imagined that the Prime Minister would dare to launch a northern expedition."

"Moreover, Xiahou Mao, who was in charge of defending Chang'an, was not skilled in martial arts, and was cowardly and lacked strategy."

"Why not select a capable general, lead elite troops through the Ziwu Valley, and launch a surprise attack on Chang'an?"

Both Prime Minister Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun were deeply moved.

The purpose of leaving Hanzhong was to seize Guanzhong.

The core of Guanzhong was Chang'an.

The fastest and most convenient way to get from Hanzhong to Chang'an is naturally through a surprise attack via the Ziwu Valley, which will bring you close to Chang'an soon after you leave.

Historically, Wei Yan proposed this strategy, but it was rejected by Prime Minister Zhuge Liang.

On the one hand, Prime Minister Zhuge's original intention was to gain an advantage and incidentally strike a blow against Cao Wei.

Another reason is that Prime Minister Zhuge was a steady and cautious man who believed that launching a surprise attack on Chang'an was too dangerous.

Those capable of launching surprise attacks must be elite troops.

In the Battle of Yiling, Liu Bei almost wiped out the elite field army of Shu Han.

After years of training and accumulation, there are at most only a few thousand elite soldiers.

Are they all throwing themselves into a military adventure?
If we fail, there's no way we can escape.

Such a huge loss was unacceptable to Prime Minister Zhuge.

But now, he was lost in thought.

Zhao Yun, unable to contain himself any longer, volunteered to go.

"I am willing to go!"

Lin Dao and Prime Minister Zhuge both shook their heads.

This greatly angered Zhao Yun. "Does he think I'm too old to handle a spear anymore?"

"No, no!"

Lin Dao smiled and shook his head, "The general is not old, and his tiger-like might remains."

"It's better to leave such tasks of crossing mountains and valleys to others."

"General, you should present the main force as a feint to draw the main force of Cao Wei to come to your aid, and then launch a surprise attack."

Zhao Yun, who often served as a feint and a diversionary strategist, did not care about things that would damage his prestige.

After all, personal honor and disgrace are insignificant compared to one's beliefs.

But as a general, he still wanted to know, "Who is suitable to lead the troops?"

Prime Minister Zhuge's heart stirred slightly, and he also looked at Lin Dao.

"Wei Yan!"

"Prefect of Hanzhong, Wei Yan!"

Wei Yan joined Liu Bei's service relatively late, only following him after the capture of Jingzhou.

Logically speaking, it should take a long time to stand out.

However, as early as when all five tiger generals were still around, Liu Bei had already abandoned Zhang Fei and chosen Wei Yan to serve as the governor of Hanzhong.

His ability to judge and select people is indeed quite good.

Wei Yan guarded Hanzhong for many years, consistently resisting Cao Wei's military forces and making it difficult for them to approach Hanzhong.

Moreover, in the Battle of Yiling, the elite field army of Shu Han was almost completely wiped out.

The only one that survived intact was the Hanzhong Army under Wei Yan.

This was also the true core strength behind Zhuge Liang's subsequent Northern Expeditions.

The reason why Wei Yan had to die after Prime Minister Zhuge Liang's death was that, apart from Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, he was the only person who could completely control the Hanzhong army.

Zhuge Liang's successor was uneasy about Wei Yan, who held key military power.
After all, not everyone has the prestige of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, who could appoint Wei Yan as the Sima of the Prime Minister's Office as soon as he arrived in Hanzhong.

Wei Yan may be convinced by Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, but he may not be convinced by others.

"Wei Yan led his elite troops through the Ziwu Valley, heading straight for Chang'an City."

“I have traveled this road before; the army can proceed.”

Lin Dao wasn't lying; he had indeed walked there.

He simply traveled from Chang'an to Hanzhong, and incidentally marched south, eventually conquering the Shu Kingdom.

"At the same time, the Prime Minister and General Zhao launched a fierce offensive, attacking Longyou and other places to draw Cao Wei troops away from Chang'an to come to the rescue."

Lin Dao clenched his fist. "In war, we must seize the strategic initiative and keep it firmly in our hands."

"Only in this way can we keep the enemy troops constantly on the move."

"On the other hand, we can concentrate our superior forces to strike the enemy, thereby achieving our strategic goals!"

"This is the way to win."

"Xiahou Mao is an incompetent man. As long as he acts quickly, he will inevitably make a mistake in dealing with the situation. If he acts according to the Prime Minister's wishes, the result will naturally be a crushing defeat."

At this point, Lin Dao took a breath.

"However, it should be noted that the real opponent is not Xiahou Mao, but the entire Cao Wei."

"If Guanzhong sends a warning, Cao Wei will surely come to its aid in large numbers."

"The mobile field corps, previously commanded by Xiahou Yuan and now by Zhang He, can be mobilized from Wancheng to Jieting in no more than twenty days after receiving the order."

Prime Minister Zhuge frowned. "Still Jieting?"

“That’s right.” Lin Dao nodded. “It’s still Jieting.”

"Only here can we attract the main force of Cao Wei's reinforcements."

"Only after attracting Cao Wei's reinforcements could Wei Yan's surprise attack army emerge from the Ziwu Valley and rush to attack Chang'an City."

"Therefore, the relevant time must be calculated properly."

"Otherwise, if Wei Yan were to run head-on into Zhang He's mobile army as soon as he leaves the Ziwu Valley, then the Northern Expedition would be pointless."

Zhang He led tens of thousands of mobile troops and stationed them in Wancheng.

From here, one can advance westward to Guanzhong to reinforce troops, or go eastward to Hefei to deter Eastern Wu.

Twenty days is negligible in the context of warfare in the era of cold weapons.

"Jieting~"

The mere mention of Jieting sent a shiver down Prime Minister Zhuge's spine.

Ma Su's crushing defeat at Jieting had a tremendous impact and created immense pressure.

Lin Dao noticed his concerns and picked up his teacup to take a sip.

"Ma Su could not defend Jieting."

"Then the Prime Minister will personally go and guard it!"

(End of this chapter)