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

After a pause, Liu Bei continued with the second matter: "There is another matter—Cao Cao has raised a large army and marched south to fight Sun Quan at Ruxukou. The situation in Jiangdong is critical. Sun Quan has sent an envoy to request that we send troops to rescue him."

He raised his eyes to look at the crowd, his brows furrowed: "If Cao Cao were to conquer Jiangdong in one fell swoop, Jingzhou would surely be next. We are far away in Jiameng, and Jingzhou is vulnerable. If we lose it, our way back will be cut off. What do you all think we should do now?"

Wei Yan and Huang Zhong exchanged a glance, then both looked at Pang Tong.

Pang Tong stepped forward, his expression calm, and offered a advice in a low voice: "My lord, there is no need to worry about this matter. With Kongming in charge of Jingzhou, and Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun all present, it is as solid as a rock and there is no immediate danger. What we should really be concerned about is the situation in Yizhou right now."

He raised his voice slightly and said clearly, "My lord, you should immediately send an envoy to Chengdu to see Liu Zhang. Tell him: 'Sun Quan and Jingzhou are as close as lips and teeth. Now that Cao Cao has launched a major southward offensive, if Jiangdong is in danger, Jingzhou will be in danger. We have no choice but to lead our troops back to its aid. As for Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, he is merely a self-serving bandit and dares not make any rash moves. There is no major worry for the northern border of Yizhou for the time being.' Ask him to allocate some more grain and several thousand elite troops to help us return to Jingzhou and relieve the predicament of Jiangdong."

Pang Tong paused, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "Liu Zhang already suspects me of staying in Shu for too long and is eager for me to leave. Hearing that I am going back to rescue Sun Quan, he will be overjoyed and will allocate the necessary provisions and troops. At that time, our army will be well-fed and well-organized. We will not need to actually return to Jingzhou. We can simply proceed slowly and observe the situation, and then find a pretext to take Sichuan. This will allow us to advance or retreat at will."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's eyes slowly brightened, and the worries that had been weighing on him for many days vanished.

"Shiyuan's plan... achieves three goals at once." He gently slapped the table and sighed, "It satisfies Sun Quan's demands, reassures Liu Zhang, and strengthens our army. Excellent, excellent plan!"

Liu Bei immediately nodded and, following Pang Tong's advice, personally wrote a letter, earnestly stating that Jiangdong was in grave danger and needed to be rescued, that Zhang Lu was not a threat, and requesting Liu Zhang to provide additional provisions and troops to help him return east. He then dispatched a trusted messenger to Chengdu overnight to meet Liu Zhang.

With the arrangements made, Liu Bei waited patiently at Jiameng Pass for a response, ready to act according to the plan once the supplies arrived.

Gu Sulin stood in the tent, outwardly calm and composed, but inwardly he had already calculated the entire situation thoroughly.

This step marks the true beginning of the grand strategy to conquer Sichuan.

Liu Zhang was already suspicious of Liu Bei and couldn't wait for him to leave. Upon hearing that Liu Bei was to return to rescue Sun Quan, he had no reason to refuse.

He will still give it to only a small number of remnants, just like in history, but the difference is that the subsequent events will be very different from history.

The foreshadowing of the nighttime conversation with the lord has finally come to an end.

……

The messenger, carrying Liu Bei's letter, arrived in Chengdu overnight and delivered it to the palace gates early the next morning.

When Liu Zhang received the letter and opened it, he saw that Liu Bei actually wanted to use the crisis in Eastern Wu to return to seek help and even asked for grain and elite troops. He was already hesitant, so he immediately summoned his ministers to discuss the matter.

As soon as Liu Zhang relayed the contents of Liu Bei's letter to his ministers, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became heated. Huang Quan stepped forward first, holding his court tablet, and said sternly, "My lord! Liu Bei is a wolf in sheep's clothing! Our army has been cut off from supplies, and he is using this as an excuse to demand more provisions. He clearly wants to use this opportunity to expand his military strength and delay his departure! This plan must not be followed!"

Liu Ba followed closely behind, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect and speaking calmly: "My lord, Liu Bei is far away in Jiameng, having lingered there without engaging in battle, and has already won over the hearts of the local people. Now, his so-called return east is actually a pretext for amassing wealth. If our army gives him even a penny more, it would be aiding the enemy. It would be better to give him only a small amount of grain and a few hundred old, weak, and disabled soldiers, which would both appease the envoy and extinguish Liu Bei's ambitions for further expansion, forcing him to retreat quickly and leave Sichuan!"

As soon as the two finished speaking, the officials in the hall immediately split into two factions.

Zhang Ren, Ling Bao, and other generals angrily supported the proposal, denouncing Liu Bei for being ungrateful and advocating for severing all ties and sending troops to expel him. Meanwhile, some spineless ministers in the court, fearing Liu Bei's power, echoed the sentiment in hushed tones, seeking only to appease the situation.

Inside the mansion, shouts and rebukes rose and fell, and the faint clashing of swords could be heard, the atmosphere as intense as a powder keg about to explode.

Liu Zhang sat on his throne, looking at the chaotic scene below. His already cowardly mind wavered even more. He was afraid that giving too much would make Liu Bei a threat, but he was also afraid that not giving enough would anger Liu Bei.

Looking into the determined eyes of Huang Quan and Liu Ba, he finally made up his mind, raised his hand to silence the noise, and said in a deep voice:

"Following Gongheng and Zichu's advice, we will only allocate 4,000 shi of grain and 400 old and weak soldiers. Nothing else will be provided! Send a messenger back to Jiameng immediately to inform Liu Bei that we in Shu also have defenses to maintain and are unable to provide more!"

After Liu Zhang finished speaking, the radical ministers in the hall, though showing their dissatisfaction, dared not offer any further advice.

Only Zhang Song stood aside, recalling Gu Sulin's instructions before leaving Jingzhou, and finally understood what he meant.

Now is the perfect time!

As night fell, the inner hall of the Chengdu governor's mansion was dimly lit. Zhang Song, dressed in plain clothes, quietly requested an audience with Liu Zhang.

He remained silent throughout the court, and now, speaking alone, he was more likely to convince Liu Zhang. Moreover, this plan, seemingly to relieve Liu Zhang's worries, actually pushed Yizhou completely into Liu Bei's hands.

The Chengdu government decided to allocate only a small amount of grain and provisions to Liu Bei to send away the elderly and weak. The dispute in the hall temporarily subsided, but Liu Zhang was still uneasy. He felt that the matter was not completely over. He was afraid that Liu Bei would become angry and cause trouble, and he was also worried that he had no perfect plan to force Liu Bei to leave Shu. He was depressed and restless every day.

Liu Zhang was surprised to see Zhang Song arrive so late at night, but he quickly summoned him. Once seated, Zhang Song sighed, "Yongnian, your visit so late at night, is it to ask Liu Bei for grain?"

Zhang Song bowed respectfully, his expression humble and showing no sign of disloyalty. His tone was earnest: "My lord, you are wise. I have come precisely for this matter. During the day, the government discussed providing only a small amount of grain and fodder. While this may buy us some time, it is certainly not a long-term solution. If Liu Bei does not give up and launches an attack, won't our Yizhou be plunged into war?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhang frowned even more deeply, let out a long sigh, and said with a heavy heart, "I am truly worried about this matter! I cannot drive them away, nor can I keep them; what should I do?"

He pondered repeatedly in his mind. Huang Quan and Liu Ba's plan could only be postponed. Liu Bei was a man of great talent and strategy, and his troops were elite. If he really turned against him, the troops of Yizhou might not be able to stop him. However, if he was allowed to stay in Jiameng, he would eventually become a major threat. He was caught in a dilemma and didn't know what to do.

Seeing Liu Zhang hesitate, Zhang Song stepped forward, lowered his voice, and offered a brilliant plan: "My lord, after much thought, I have a foolproof plan that can make Liu Bei flee without a fight."

Liu Zhang's eyes lit up, and he quickly pressed, "Yongnian, tell me quickly!"

"My lord, you may send someone to Xudu immediately to pay tribute and meet with the emperor. In reality, he should report that since Liu Bei entered Sichuan, he has been staying there for a long time without fighting, trying to win over the people and plotting against Yizhou. Please ask the emperor to issue an edict ordering Liu Bei to return to Jingzhou immediately and not to stay in Shu."

Zhang Song spoke with certainty, every word sounding like a plan for Liu Zhang: "Liu Bei is a member of the Han imperial family and has always proclaimed his loyalty to the emperor. If he receives the emperor's edict, he will be bound by morality and dare not disobey. He will have no choice but to obediently lead his army away. In this way, our lord can rest easy!"