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

A messenger from Chengdu rushed to Jiangling overnight, delivering Liu Bei's handwritten plan to demarcate the Xiang River with Zhuge Liang.

Kongming unfolded the letter and read it carefully. When he saw Gu Sulin's plan to "divide Changsha, using the Xiang River as the boundary, and return Xiakou, Xiangdong, and Guiyang to Nanjun," he immediately stroked his beard and smiled, his eyes full of approval: "Zimao's plan is perfect. It preserves the alliance and protects the core. Brilliant!"

Without delay, he immediately ordered his men to summon Guan Yu, Ma Liang, Mi Zhu, Mi Fang, Liao Hua, and other civil and military officials of Jingzhou to gather in the main hall of the prefectural government for a meeting.

After everyone was seated, Zhuge Liang presented the letter from Chengdu and the demarcation plan to them. As soon as he finished speaking, the hall erupted in uproar.

Guan Yu's phoenix eyes snapped open, his long beard swept across his face, and he abruptly stood up, his voice booming like a bell, filled with indignation: "Strategist, this is unacceptable! Xiakou is the land left behind by Liu Qi, and Changsha and Guiyang are territories we fought and fought our way to. Every inch of this land is stained with the blood and sweat of our soldiers. How can we just give it away to Jiangdong?!"

Now that my elder brother has acquired Yizhou, his strength has greatly increased. Why should we fear Eastern Wu? Why should we cede two more counties and a city, only to embolden the enemy?

A certain garrison commander guarded Jingzhou, vowing to defend every inch of its territory and never allowing any land to be ceded lightly!

Mi Fang, Zhou Cang, and others echoed this sentiment, all feeling that ceding territory would damage the prestige of the Jingzhou army and were unwilling to accept it.

Zhuge Liang raised his hand to calm down, his expression composed, and spoke first to advise, "Yun Chang, please be patient."

Think about it carefully. Now that our lord has just pacified Yizhou, he is about to send troops to attack Hanzhong and compete with Cao Cao for the important western front.

We borrowed Nan Commandery first, as clearly stated in black and white. If we now antagonize Jiangdong over Jingzhou, causing the Sun-Liu alliance to break down, Cao Cao will surely seize the opportunity to march south, forcing our army to fight on two fronts, unable to defend both ends, and endangering both Jing and Yi provinces!

Guan Yu frowned, still unconvinced: "How can the strategist only boost the morale of others! My Jingzhou army is strong and well-equipped. I am willing to lead troops to jointly resist the north and Jiangdong. What is there to fear about being attacked from two sides? Why must we cede territory to sue for peace!"

Upon seeing this, Ma Liang quickly stepped forward, bowed to Guan Yu, and gently explained: "General Guan is brave and resourceful, but this matter is not just about acting on impulse."

Jiangdong has been demanding Jingzhou for a long time. If we don't give them some benefits this time, they will definitely not give up. At best, they will raise an army to invade our territory and disturb our people's livelihood; at worst, they will side with Cao Cao and join forces to attack us.

My lord, you must conquer Hanzhong to secure Yizhou. If you start a war at this time, it will be detrimental to the overall situation.

Moreover, Changsha and Guiyang in eastern Hunan are located in remote areas, far from the main route of the Northern Expedition from Xiangyang, and are nothing more than a chicken rib for our army.

Xiakou is an exclave, surrounded by enemies on all sides, making it difficult to defend.

Nanjun, guarding the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, is a crucial choke point connecting Jingzhou and Yizhou, and a vital passage for attacking Xiangyang and Fancheng in the north. Sacrificing these three locations to protect the core of Nanjun is a trade-off between smaller gains and larger ones, not a cession of territory to seek peace!

Zhuge Liang took over the conversation, his tone becoming even more earnest, and went straight to the point: "Ji Chang is absolutely right!"

Guan Yu, our lord's ambition is to restore the Han Dynasty, not to establish a separatist regime. Right now, Cao Cao is the true enemy and traitor to the nation. If we were to destroy the Sun-Liu alliance over a small corner of Jingzhou, allowing Cao Cao to reap the benefits, we would be losing more than we gain!

"Zi Mao's plan is a win-win situation. It fulfills the old alliance, stabilizes Jiangdong, and allows our lord to focus on conquering Hanzhong without worrying about the east. At the same time, it secures Nanjun, ensuring a solid foundation for your future northern campaigns against Xiangfan and the Central Plains. This is the best strategy for the overall situation. General, you must not ruin the great cause of restoring the Han Dynasty because of a moment of anger!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu clenched his fists, his phoenix eyes narrowed, and although he felt a great deal of resentment, he knew that everything Zhuge Liang and Ma Liang said made sense. He was stationed in Jingzhou, and although he looked down on Sun Quan, he was well aware of the potential consequences of the alliance breaking down at this time, and he also understood his lord's ambition to take Hanzhong and achieve great things.

After pondering for a long time, he finally sighed, released his hand from his sword, and replied in a deep voice, "I understand what the strategist and Ji Chang have said. Very well, let's proceed according to this plan; I will not stop you!"

Seeing that Guan Yu had given in, the other generals had no further objections and nodded in agreement.

Zhuge Liang immediately wrote a reply, stating that the civil and military officials of Jingzhou had no objections and agreed with the plan to demarcate the area along the Xiang River. He then ordered the messenger to return to Chengdu immediately and report back to Liu Bei.

……

Upon receiving the letter from Jingzhou, Liu Bei and Gu Sulin summoned Zhuge Jin to finalize a plan.

Liu Bei glanced sideways and subtly gave Gu Sulin a meaningful look.

Gu Sulin understood immediately and offered a compromise:

"Since the old treaty must be fulfilled and the Southern County is not suitable for handover, we can find another way to satisfy both."

"How about we use the Xiang River as the boundary to define our territory: east of the Xiang River, eastern Changsha, the two commanderies of Guiyang, and the city of Xiakou will all be ceded to Eastern Wu to repay the debt owed to us for Nan Commandery; west of the Xiang River, Nan Commandery, Lingling, Wuling, and western Changsha will remain with us. Using these two commanderies to replace Nan Commandery will settle the old debts and preserve our alliance. What does Master Ziyu think?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Jin lowered his head and pondered for a moment.

Upon careful consideration, Jiangdong could gain two counties and one city for free without having to directly confront the pressure from Cao Cao's forces in Xiangfan. Although this did not meet Sun Quan's demand of three counties, it was still much more worthwhile than the minimum requirement of one county. This allowed them to fulfill their mission of acquiring land without harming the alliance.

After weighing the pros and cons, Zhuge Jin slowly nodded:

"This plan is fair and achieves the best of both worlds. I personally have no objection for now, and will make a note of it. When I return to Jiangdong and report to Lord Wu, we can finalize the agreement."

With the matter settled, there were no further disputes at the table. Everyone drank a few cups and chatted about the local customs and scenery.

Not long after, Zhuge Jin got up to take his leave, unwilling to stay any longer.

Liu Bei and Gu Sulin saw them off at the gate of the mansion, watching the Jiangdong delegation's carriages and horses gradually disappear into the distance and at the end of the street.

The two stood side by side on the steps, a gentle evening breeze blowing. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other without saying a word.

Zhuge Jin returned to Wu County from Chengdu, traveling down the river without stopping. Upon entering the city, he went straight to the Wu Marquis's residence to report back to Sun Quan, conveying Liu Bei's agreement to demarcate the Xiang River and the terms proposed by the other party in full detail.

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan remained silent with a somber expression. The fate of Jingzhou concerned the very foundation of Jiangdong and could not be decided in a single word.

The next morning, an order was issued to summon all civil and military officials to the government hall to discuss the matter.

As morning light streamed into the hall, civil and military officials stood in two rows on either side, the clanging of armor and the rustling of robes creating a solemn atmosphere.

Zhuge Jin stepped forward and explained the ins and outs of the Chengdu trip, Liu Bei's attitude, and the specifics of the Xiang River demarcation. He stated that Liu Bei was willing to use the Xiang River as the boundary, ceding the entire territory of Xiakou and Guiyang, as well as the area east of the Xiang River in Changsha, to Eastern Wu as compensation for the Nan Commandery he had borrowed years ago, without giving up an inch more territory. After he finished speaking, the court was initially silent, but then burst into discussion.

The civil officials, led by Zhang Zhao, were the first to take a stand and fully agree with the proposal.

Zhang Zhao slowly stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, his beard and hair were white, his expression was calm, and he went straight to the point: "My lord, the treaty proposed by Liu Bei is beneficial to Jiangdong, and we should agree to it."

Although Guiyang and Changsha in Xiangdong are located on the southern border of Jingzhou, they have prosperous households and fertile land, generating substantial annual revenues of grain, fodder, and taxes, enough to cover the expenses of Jiangdong. Xiakou, a strategic point in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, has been occupied by Liu Bei for five years; his willingness to relinquish it now removes a thorn in the side of our Jiangdong navy, freeing it from his control.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials, his tone growing increasingly resolute: "Furthermore, Cao Cao now holds sway in the north and constantly covets the south. Jiangdong should prioritize recuperation and strengthening its borders. If we were to reignite the conflict over Jingzhou, causing hardship and financial losses, it would only give Cao Cao an opportunity to exploit. The best course of action is to cease hostilities, secure tangible benefits, and ensure peace and stability for the people."