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

Liu Bei publicly announced his break with Liu Zhang and ordered his army to prepare for war. The generals in his tent were filled with righteous indignation and all wanted to immediately march south and take Chengdu. Huang Zhong and Wei Yan even drew their swords and volunteered for battle, wishing they could lead their troops out of the pass and flatten the cities of Yizhou.

Wei Yan drew his sword half an inch from its sheath, stepped forward, his tiger-like eyes wide open, and loudly requested permission to fight: "My lord! Liu Zhang has betrayed us, and we must not tolerate him any longer! This humble general is willing to lead the vanguard, break through the pass and march south immediately. Within twenty days, we will surely raze Chengdu to the ground and capture that foolish Liu Zhang, presenting him to your command!"

Huang Zhong followed closely behind, his white hair and imposing manner undiminished. He cupped his hands and said in a deep voice, "General Wei is absolutely right. Our army has been stationed in Jiameng for half a year, and the lack of food and supplies has already caused discontent among the troops. Now that Liu Zhang has committed such an unjust act, it is the perfect opportunity to send troops to punish him. With the troops' morale high, our momentum is unstoppable!"

The other officers and lieutenants echoed the call, and shouts of battle and requests for battle mingled together. The atmosphere inside the tent was extremely heated, and everyone wished they could immediately break camp and march south to pacify Yizhou.

Seeing the army's morale wavering, Pang Tong quickly stepped forward, raised his hand, and solemnly ordered the crowd to calm down. He bowed deeply to Liu Bei, his expression grave, and said, "Generals, please calm down! My lord, please hold your orders. We must not rush into battle and alert the enemy!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei suppressed his grief and indignation and looked at Pang Tong: "Shiyuan, what makes you say such a thing?"

"My lord, please take a look." Pang Tong slowly walked to the map in the tent, pointed to the route of passes from Jiameng to Chengdu, and analyzed it carefully. "Although our army is morally justified, we have been stationed in Jiameng for a long time. Yang Huai and Gao Pei of Baishui Pass hold heavy troops and are right behind our rear. If our army rashly launches an attack, the commotion will be too great and will surely alert them. If Liu Zhang then mobilizes the Chengdu army to encircle us, our army will be attacked from both sides and will be in a dilemma. This is a dangerous situation, and my lord must not ignore it."

Pang Tong's words were reasonable, well-founded, and incisive. Upon hearing them, the generals in the tent all frowned, their earlier eagerness for battle fading considerably. They lowered their heads in thought, all agreeing that Pang Tong's words were absolutely correct. Wei Yan, in particular, looked ashamed, sheathed his sword, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Pang Tong, saying, "The strategist is right. I was too hasty and almost ruined the overall situation."

Liu Bei nodded in agreement with Pang Tong's view, and then asked, "In your opinion, Shi Yuan, what should we do?"

Seeing that everyone had calmed down, Pang Tong's expression softened, and his eyes showed confidence. He loudly proclaimed the sound plan he had already devised: "My lord, now that we have a legitimate reason for our attack, we do not need to take any risky actions, nor do we need to compromise our principles. With just one sound strategy, we can secure the foundation of Yizhou."

Our army has already spread the news that Jingzhou is under threat from Cao Cao and the situation is critical. Our lord has no choice but to lead the army back to Jingzhou to provide reinforcements. This move has probably lulled Yang Huai and Gao Pei of Baishui Pass into a false sense of security.

"My lord, you may immediately send messengers to Baishui Pass to inform the two men that your lord is about to withdraw his troops, and invite them to Jiameng Pass to bid farewell and discuss the handover of defenses in the northern frontier. Yang Huai and Gao Pei have been eagerly awaiting our departure, and upon hearing this news, they will surely come to see us off with minimal entourage and without any precautions. Our army will have already laid an ambush outside the tent, and once the two men enter, we can capture and kill them on the spot, incorporate their elite Baishui troops into our forces, occupy Baishui Pass, and completely eliminate any threat to our flank and rear, thus ensuring we have no worries about our rear. At that time, we can then reorganize our troops, mourn the people, punish the guilty, and advance south towards Chengdu; Yizhou can then be taken."

Upon hearing this, the generals in the tent all brightened up and nodded in approval. Liu Bei, too, relaxed his brow, his worries vanishing, and clapped his hands, laughing, "Shiyuan's plan is sound and thorough, perfectly suited to my taste. Let us proceed accordingly!"

Gu Sulin stood quietly beside Liu Bei, her eyes lowered and her expression calm, though a faint hint of surprise flickered in her heart.

He was well-versed in the history of the Three Kingdoms. In his original memory, Pang Tong devised three strategies to force Liu Bei to make a decision to take Sichuan. He used the strategy of surprise attack as the best option and retreat as the worst option to force Liu Bei to choose the best option, which added a bit of coercion and radicalism to the strategy.

Now, thanks to Zhang Song's memorial, Liu Bei has already gained the moral high ground and is no longer bound by any sense of righteousness. Pang Tong has also abandoned those radical and risky moves and only offered this foolproof strategy, which is entirely in line with the trend and completely different from the historical trajectory.

He pondered to himself that this change was all due to his previous careful planning. He first rescued Zhang Song, then laid out a moral game, freeing Liu Bei from the shackles of benevolence and righteousness. As a result, Pang Tong's strategy became more calm and peaceful, lacking the urgency and danger of the historical version.

This turn of events was both unexpected and reasonable. The initial surprise vanished in an instant, replaced by complete certainty. This strategy of going with the flow was indeed the most impeccable choice at the moment.

With the plan in place, Liu Bei immediately issued an order, instructing the soldiers to split into two groups. One group was to pretend to pack their belongings, provisions, and weapons, creating the illusion that the situation in Jingzhou was urgent and the army was about to return east.

Another group secretly laid an ambush around the central command tent and inside and outside the gates of Jiameng Pass, waiting for Yang Huai and Gao Pei to walk right into their trap.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei selected a well-spoken and reliable messenger from his army, ordered him to prepare a horse, and immediately travel to Baishui Pass to meet Yang Huai and Gao Pei. He conveyed Liu Bei's intention to withdraw his troops and invited the two men to come and bid him farewell. The messenger accepted the order, immediately packed his belongings, and rode swiftly out of the pass towards Baishui Pass.

Looking at the orderly deployment in the camp, Gu Sulin understood that Yang Huai and Gao Pei were arrogant and suspicious, and eager to drive Liu Bei's army out of the country. They would come without any precautions, and Baishui Pass would be within easy reach. The first step in taking Sichuan had been firmly set in place.

As the sun began to set, the wind from Jiameng Pass carried a cool, damp breeze from the mountains, causing the copper bells at the corners of the tents to ring softly. The excitement of the daytime gathering and planning gradually dissipated, and the camp became more subdued, filled with a quietude of preparation for departure.

Liu Bei dismissed his attendants, leaving only Gu Sulin and Pang Tong in the tent. The map on the table was still spread out, with the words "Baishui Pass" and "Chengdu" clearly visible.

He raised his hand and stroked the double-edged sword at his waist, his fingertips applying slight pressure. However, there was no murderous intent in his eyes; instead, there was a deep sigh of regret: "In the past, when I was in Jingzhou, I often thought about how prosperous Yizhou was and how happy the people were. Now, if I really have to raise an army to attack, even if I have a just cause, it will still be a fight between our own kind. I will never feel at ease."

Upon hearing this, Pang Tong softened his usual impetuousness, gently waving his feather fan, his tone much calmer: "My lord, there is no need to worry. It is not that we have provoked this conflict; rather, it is Liu Zhang who has wronged you first. He secretly colluded with the traitor Cao Cao, intending to frame you with a false edict. The people all know the reason, and the soldiers all admire righteousness. This time, taking Sichuan is to punish the treacherous and secure the land, not to seize territory. I previously offered a risky strategy, fearing that you might hesitate and miss the opportunity. Now that you have righteousness in your hands, I feel that this steady and methodical approach is truly in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people."

He paused, glanced at the letter from Jing Xiang on the table, and continued, "Zhang Song has settled in Jiangling. The strength and weakness of Yizhou, and the defenses of Chengdu, are all under his control. Yang Huai and Gao Pei are indecisive and lack strategy; they can be summoned immediately to resolve the hidden dangers in the rear, and there will be no more obstacles on the road ahead. My lord only needs to uphold benevolence, maintain strict military discipline, and refrain from disturbing the people or killing surrendered soldiers wherever he goes. The people of Yizhou will surely be loyal to him."