The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 287 Hebei Forms a Powerful Position, Zhuge Liang Sets the Standards for Domestic and Foreign Affairs (4th Update)
Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, his gaze calm and composed, already having devised a plan in mind.

Then, Zhuge Liang presented a map of the four provinces of Qing, Ji, You, and Bing, and said in a deep voice, "My lord, you have a keen understanding of the crux of the matter, and your concerns are very valid. However, Cao Cao's annexation of the two Yuan brothers is only a minor military threat to you. What you should be more worried about is the sparse population, the abandoned fields, and the empty villages. Even with a vast territory, without people to cultivate and fight, it is like water without a source, and will eventually dry up."

"Those who contend for the world do not fight for even an inch of land, but for the number of people; they do not rely on the size of their territory, but on the fullness of their granaries. If my lord wishes to contend with the Central Plains, the most urgent task is to quickly gather people to consolidate our foundation!"

Liu Bei leaned forward slightly and asked urgently, "Nourish the people and build up strength is the foundation for long-term development. However, You and Bing are devastated, so how easy is it to quickly increase the population? Does the strategist have a method to rapidly increase the population?"

Zhuge Liang pointed his feather fan at the map, his wisdom evident: "The key to breaking the deadlock lies in 'gathering the people as the foundation'! Quickly increasing the population is not just empty talk; there is a clear path to follow."

"Firstly, we should conquer the barbarians and seize their people to support the populace. The barbarian tribes beyond the Great Wall have been raiding our borders for years, abducting more than 100,000 people. When the Wuhuan cavalry from Youbeiping marched out of Liaoxi, and Zhang Yan was ordered to enter Bingzhou, Han people rescued them, which proves that this strategy is feasible! Moreover, the barbarians have captured mostly able-bodied men, women, and children, who are exactly the labor force that the north desperately needs! Now we can send elite cavalry, along with Zhang Yan's old troops and those familiar with the situation beyond the Great Wall, to Dai County and Yanmen Pass to specifically attack the plundering tribes. Destroying one camp will save the people of that camp, and killing one chieftain will intimidate the barbarians in that region! This move has four benefits: rescuing Han people and returning them to their homeland will win their hearts; obtaining strong women and men will allow us to cultivate barren land; displaying military might in the north will subdue the barbarians; and we can also seize cattle and sheep from the barbarians to supply our army."

Having said this, Zhuge Liang casually moved his feather fan southward and continued:
"Secondly, we should attract refugees and secretly spread benevolence. The two Yuan brothers are tyrannical, and Cao Cao is cunning. The people in their territories are like frightened birds, fleeing from danger. Chang Lin and Yang Jun of Henan, Wang Ji of Qingzhou, and others have all fled north with their families. These people only seek to survive, not fame or fortune! We should send clever and capable officials dressed as merchants to sneak into the Ji and Yan regions and spread rumors: 'Zhuojun is free from the suffering of war. The Left General is implementing a policy of land reclamation, where land and houses can be taken at will, and taxes will be waived for three years!' We should also secretly set up granaries at the passes of Changshan and Shangdang to receive refugees. When the refugees hear the news, we should screen them. The able-bodied should be brought in in batches, while the old and weak should be settled gradually. Once they are settled, they will be given land and houses to live in and make a living. In this way, the refugees will be like water nourishing the soil, and their foundation will naturally be solid!"

Liu Bei clapped his hands, his eyes shining brightly: "This plan is brilliant! Saving the people from the barbarians is to replenish their blood and flesh, and leading the refugees from Ji and Yan is to strengthen their bones and muscles! However, Cao Cao has the ambition to annex Hebei. How can he allow me to peacefully cultivate the land? If we allow him to swallow up the two Yuan brothers and take all their soldiers and civilians, and the newly gathered men in the north have not yet formed an army, what should we do?"

Zhuge Liang unfolded his feather fan, as if holding the entire world in his palm: "The enemy desires a swift battle, so I will use external forces to delay them! This is the perfect time for alliances! Although Cao Cao is strong, the Central Plains are a battleground on all sides; how can he allow himself to focus all his efforts on the north? We should send eloquent men, carrying fine horses from You and Bing, and letters from Zhuojun, to all directions. We should forge alliances with Ma Teng and Han Sui in the west, Zhang Lu and Liu Zhang in the south, and Sun Quan and Liu Biao in the east. If all six sides can send envoys to establish friendly relations, Cao Cao will be surrounded by enemies on all sides and will certainly not dare to launch a full-scale attack! Even if Cao Cao conspires with Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, we can still defeat them!"

Liu Bei's spirits lifted: "With this balance of power among the six parties, we can solve our immediate crisis!" A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and Liu Bei asked again: "If the infighting between the two Yuan brothers intensifies, or if Cao Cao uses a divisive tactic to annex one of them, we will lose fertile lands and a great deal of manpower. Wouldn't that be helping the enemy to become stronger?"

"My lord!" Zhuge Liang's expression suddenly turned solemn, his feather fan stopped abruptly, and his words were as firm as metal and stone: "General's words, 'Xian Si and Xian Fu, each accept their fate,' are truly insightful! If the two Yuans fight, Cao Cao will be distracted; if both Yuans perish, Cao Cao will become powerful! The fiercer their battle, the more breathing room we will have! Right now, we are like a trickle, needing time to converge into a mighty river. Shi Yuan is overseeing the military affairs in the three commanderies, while Yun Chang, Yi De, and Zi Long are guarding the strategic passes. At this crucial time of consolidating our foundations, how can we allow ourselves to waver?"

"At this juncture, we should firmly defend our fortifications, cultivate our political strength, and secretly gather intelligence. If we can endure for three years, when the lands of You and Bing are fertile and the able-bodied men are practicing martial arts during the off-season, and our granaries can sustain us for three years, then our elite troops can deter the barbarians when they march north, and our mighty warriors can contend for the Central Plains when they march south! If we act rashly now, it will be like Dongyezi driving a tired horse, breaking its bones before even being defeated by the enemy! In the past, Emperor Gaozu endured in Guanzhong, and Emperor Guangwu rested his troops in Hanoi, both following this path. My lord, if you wish to continue the legacy of Emperor Guangwu, how can you emulate Yuan Shang's rash actions?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and suddenly understood. He then took Zhuge Liang's hand and said, "If it weren't for the strategist's guidance, I would have almost ruined everything!"

After reaffirming his policy of nurturing the people, Liu Bei no longer considered directly intervening in the war between Cao Cao and the two Yuan brothers. Instead, he used diplomacy to delay Cao Cao's annexation of the two Yuan brothers and took the opportunity to gather the defeated soldiers of the two Yuan brothers and the scholars and civilians who fled north to avoid disaster.

Whether it was Cao Cao and Liu Bei, or Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan, each had their own calculations regarding their own interests. The concerns of wise men are largely similar, and it's not a matter of who was more astute; each side pursued what they believed was right. For example, Cao Cao sought to seize Wei Commandery and control the area north and south of the Yellow River—a territorial struggle; Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan sought to preserve their existing territories—again, a territorial struggle; while Zhuge Liang's plans for Liu Bei were a struggle for manpower.

Zhuge Liang's proposal of this strategy was also influenced by the Battle of Hanzhong.

After expending enormous manpower and resources to painstakingly conquer Hanzhong, Cao Cao relocated most of Hanzhong's manpower and resources, leaving Liu Bei with only an empty shell of Hanzhong. This also indirectly caused Zhuge Liang, during his Northern Expeditions, to lose the most important foundation of manpower and resources for his Northern Expeditions in Guanzhong.

It was only through continuous growth that Zhuge Liang came to understand the connection between military and political affairs, realizing that human and material resources were the most important strategic resources to strive for. Otherwise, even if one had land but no people, one could only be a trapped beast and would inevitably perish.

Now, Zhuge Liang is also imitating Cao Cao's strategy of abandoning land and relocating people during the Battle of Hanzhong. Since he cannot suppress Cao Cao, Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan militarily, he will take advantage of the time when Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan are fighting with Cao Cao to recruit as many people as possible into Liu Bei's territory.

At that time, whether Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan blocked Cao Cao or Cao Cao annexed Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan, Liu Bei would still have enough manpower and resources to contend with Cao Cao.

With the successive implementation of the strategies of Cao Cao, Yuan Shang, Yuan Tan, and Liu Bei, Hebei temporarily entered a period of harmony.

By the end of February.

Zhao Yun, the governor of Shangdang, sent word that Kong Rong, the Minister of the Imperial Household, had entered Shangdang with an imperial edict from the emperor. The edict transferred Changshan and Zhongshan counties to Bingzhou and appointed Liu Bei as the military governor of You and Bing provinces to recognize his merits in defending the border.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei exclaimed in alarm: "Cao Cao is about to launch a military campaign against Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan!"

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(End of this chapter)