Three Reconstructions of the Han Dynasty: I Helped Zhuge Liang Perfect the Longzhong Plan

Zhuge Liang looked at him, and his eyes had changed.

He slowly rose, straightened his clothes, and bowed solemnly to the young man he was meeting for the first time, who possessed remarkable insight.

This bow carries immense weight, far surpassing a thousand words.

As Liu Bei's core strategist, bearing the hopes of the world, his act of bowing and scraping to a young scholar who had just arrived was not a momentary impulse, but rather a sign that he was moved by Gu Sulin's insight, tact, and sincerity.

"Please speak plainly, sir." He then instructed, "Attendants, prepare tea for our guest."

Once seated with Zhuge Liang, Gu Sulin cut to the chase, saying, "Jingzhou and Yizhou are thousands of miles apart, separated by mountains and rivers. If we launch a two-pronged northern expedition, our forces will inevitably be scattered, making it difficult to support both sides. Moreover, we are already at a disadvantage. To fight a strong enemy with a weak force, and to further divide our forces, our chances of victory are too slim. In addition, with Eastern Wu on our flank, our small force will be insufficient to deter them. Now, we also have a conflict with Eastern Wu over Jingzhou. If we do not deter them, they will surely launch a surprise attack on Jingzhou in the future."

"While your plan is good, it has too little room for error and is not a foolproof strategy."

This is not nonsense. In his previous life, he had deduced countless times how to ensure that his prime minister could have a smooth journey and fulfill his vision of restoring the Han Dynasty and returning the old capital.

He knew all too well that in his time, the greatest man of all time had offered his incisive critique of the "Longzhong Dialogue":

Their initial mistake was the Longzhong Plan, which divided their forces across a thousand miles. In the end, Guan Yu, Liu Bei, and Zhuge Liang each commanded a separate force, making defeat inevitable.

With already weaker military strength, they had to divide their forces thousands of miles apart to fight on two fronts, making it difficult to attend to both ends.

Difficult communication and inadequate rescue efforts meant that when Guan Yu lost Jingzhou, Liu Bei was in Yizhou and unable to provide assistance.

However, given his current situation, Liu Bei has no choice but to continue on the path outlined in the Longzhong Plan.

This is the root of the tragedy of Shu Han.

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang sat up straight, his expression solemn: "I wish to hear your profound insights, sir."

Gu Sulin took a sip of tea and smiled slightly: "This strategy does not diminish the beauty of your previous arguments, nor does it violate the overall plan established in Longzhong. It is only to eliminate the hidden dangers, fill in the gaps, and arrange the order for you."

Firstly, the police should be temporarily placed in charge, while waiting for the right opportunity.

"Currently, my lord holds the four commanderies of Jingnan, but his army is weak and his territory remote. It is not advisable to clashed with Eastern Wu. We should strengthen our alliance externally, improve civil administration internally, stockpile provisions, reorganize our troops, and patiently await Zhou Yu's death before attempting to conquer Nan Commandery."

Zhuge Liang nodded. This passage reflects the current predicament, and there is no other way but to act in this manner.

"Secondly, we will take Ba and Shu in the west to secure our rear."

Cao Ren, stationed in the north, occupied Xiangfan, a strategically important and easily defensible location. The forces of Jingzhou alone could not contend with Xiangfan, which had the support of the entire north. Meanwhile, Yizhou was a formidable stronghold, fertile land, and prosperous people. Once he occupied Nanjun and Jingzhou was somewhat secured, he could then muster his forces and march into Shu, subdue Liu Zhang, appease the people, and use Yizhou as a source of manpower and resources. At this point, Cao Cao should have also pacified Guanzhong and Yongliang, thus completely unifying the north.

Thirdly, to advance into Hanzhong and lock down the throat of Shu.

Hanzhong is the gateway to Yizhou; if we capture it, Shu will be secure, and we will not need to march out of Qishan to attack fortified and dangerous terrain. Afterwards, we should hold Hanzhong as a stronghold, and then personally lead the main force back to Jingzhou.”

The goal in this section is not significantly different from that in history. The difference lies in the fact that Gu Sulin knows that in history, Cao Cao relocated a large number of people from Hanzhong, leaving Liu Bei with only an empty shell, unable to supply the army with food for the Northern Expeditions. Moreover, transporting food from Qishan was too difficult, which is why Zhuge Liang died in every Northern Expedition due to food shortages.

Gu Sulin is currently uncertain whether he can change history and take over Hanzhong entirely. Even if he does, the supply route out of Qishan will be difficult to guarantee. Therefore, it is generally believed that launching a northern expedition along this route will still be extremely difficult.

Fourthly, all the main forces were deployed to first break through Xiangyang and Fancheng.

After connecting Sichuan and Hanzhong, our army will have sufficient troops and supplies, and can then prepare for the Northern Expedition. We should focus on the Jingxiang route, launching a full-scale attack to capture Xiangfan. The Jingxiang route is flat and has convenient water transport, allowing the troops and supplies from Yizhou to reach the front lines directly, and then proceed directly to Wanluo.

Fifth, they marched straight out of Wancheng, cutting off the north in half.

Now that Xiangyang and Fancheng have been pacified, the entire army can advance north together to capture Wancheng, first taking Hangu Pass to sever Cao Cao's east-west connection, preventing him from supporting both the east and west sides of the pass. This will break the stalemate in the middle and deliver a fatal blow.

This is the most significant point in Gu Sulin's revision of Zhuge Liang's Longzhong Plan strategy: concentrating the main force in Jingzhou, preventing the troops from being dispersed, and ensuring the roads were not obstructed. This is a truth verified by both history and strategic studies.

"Sixth, they surrounded Guanzhong and returned to the old capital."

After a great victory in the central route, the north will be shaken. A top general can be appointed to guard Hangu Pass and resist Cao Cao's army in the east. At this time, troops can be sent from Hanzhong to Qin Chuan to join forces with the Jingxiang army to attack Guanzhong from the east and west, take Chang'an, restore the old capital of the Han Dynasty, and pacify the Guanzhong Plain.

Seventh, they marched west to Yong and Liang, where they trained cavalry.

The forces from Jingzhou and Hanzhong will unite and march directly towards Yongliang, capturing Yongliang warhorses, training Xiliang cavalry, and strengthening our military power.

This is also why Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions in history mainly targeted Liangzhou.

After losing Jingzhou, Shu Han could not confront Cao Wei, which controlled the entire land of the Nine Provinces, head-on. Therefore, it could only adjust its strategic goal from controlling Jing and Yi provinces to controlling Liang and Yi provinces. This would not only expand its territory but also replenish Shu Han, which only had infantry and mountain troops, with horses, a scarce strategic resource.

Why was the Ziwu Valley strategy unfeasible?

Because taking Chang'an alone is useless.

Only by possessing a powerful cavalry can one be qualified to engage in a decisive battle with Cao Cao's army in the Central Plains and Hebei.

Finally, he pacified the Central Plains and unified Hebei.

One army marched from Yongliang towards Bingzhou, another from Guanzhong towards the Central Plains, and yet another from Jingxiang towards Huai and Xu. At this time, our army's strength had greatly increased, morale was high, and we had many soldiers and generals. Cao Cao's fate was sealed, and only then could we divide our forces. The three armies advanced, wiped out the remaining forces, reunited the world, and enabled the Han Dynasty to rise again for the third time.

Furthermore, you should place even greater emphasis on diplomacy with Eastern Wu; this is of paramount importance. For now, we should bide our time and wait for the situation to change. Only after our army has conquered Yizhou will we have the confidence to deal with Eastern Wu.

"Sir, my strategy is simply to add sixteen characters to your original strategy."

Gu Sulin paused, raised her voice slightly, and revealed the core point.

"Concentrate forces and strike at the heart of the enemy; first solidify the foundation, then plan for the Central Plains."

After he finished speaking, the entire side courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

The lights flickered, casting dappled shadows.

Zhuge Liang sat upright at his desk, his feather fan already set down, his eyes fixed on the map hanging on the wall, his face filled with shock, admiration, sudden realization, and enlightenment.

He was well-versed in military strategy and knowledgeable about world affairs, so he naturally understood what he was hearing.

This is not an overthrow, not a denial, not a provocation.

This is a true completion, sublimation, and perfection.

He transformed his timeless strategy from an ideal grand plan into an absolutely feasible and flawless path to victory.

The drawbacks of splitting troops over a thousand miles were completely eliminated, and the danger of the two routes being separated was swept away.

The sequence is clear, the rhythm is steady, the steps are interconnected, and there is no loophole.

He actually went on to describe how to survive in the present moment, how to gain a foothold, how to conquer Sichuan and Chongqing, how to pacify Jingzhou and Xiangyang, how to launch a northern expedition to conquer the Central Plains, and finally how to unify the world...

This perfectly complete road was laid out clearly before my eyes.

After a long while, Zhuge Liang suddenly stood up, strode up to Gu Sulin, bowed deeply to him, and left in a deep bow.

"Mr. Zimao... is truly a gifted man!"

Liang's previous plans, though well-structured, harbored hidden dangers and had too little room for error. Today, your words, sir, have averted danger and brought about safety, strengthened weaknesses and made things clear, enlightening Liang!

If it weren't for you, sir, our army might have made a careless move, and Lianglong's scheme could have harmed our lord!

Liang is willing to work wholeheartedly with you, sir, to assist our lord in implementing this strategy, and will remain steadfast until death!

Gu Sulin quickly helped Zhuge Liang up, her heart also burning with emotion.

"Sir, you flatter me. Please rise. I am far from deserving of such praise. I merely supplemented your general outline."

His tone was sincere, without a trace of arrogance.

Having traveled through time, he understood Zhuge Liang's importance better than anyone else.

What he wanted to do was never to replace him, but to ensure that this renowned prime minister would not have to leave behind the regret of Wuzhangyuan.

Zhuge Liang rose, gently shook his head, and said solemnly, "Sir, there is no need for such modesty. Putting aside everything else, your sixteen-character general principle is already a profound truth of military strategy. This plan should be immediately reported to our lord."

Gu Sulin felt reassured.

He knew that the most crucial step had arrived.

He secretly met with Zhuge Liang because only by gaining the approval of this top strategist in Liu Bei's group could he attract Liu Bei's attention. At the same time, it was also to avoid damaging Zhuge Liang's prestige within Liu Bei's group.

But the one who could truly set national policies, mobilize the three armies, and usher in a new era was Liu Bei.

"I will follow your arrangements, sir."