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

Seeing that their lord had made his decision, all the civil and military officials had no further objections. The civil officials readily agreed, and the military generals silently accepted it. In the end, Lu Su calmly resolved a dispute within the government.

A few days later, Lu Su arrived in Chengdu with the alliance treaty documents. Liu Bei hosted a banquet in his honor, during which Lu Su frankly stated Jiangdong's demands and explained the additional terms one by one.

After hearing this, Liu Bei did not make a decision immediately, but instead privately summoned Gu Sulin to discuss it.

Gu Sulin carefully reviewed the terms and conditions, then immediately offered his advice:

"My lord, you may grant our request. Jiangdong's only request is to make up for lost profits and save face. These trade agreements will not harm an inch of our Jing and Yi territory, nor will they affect the defense of Jingzhou. They will not break the Sun-Liu alliance. On the contrary, they can increase tax revenue and stabilize the border through trade. It is not a big deal."

However, we need to be wary of Jiangdong secretly plotting something. With Master Kongming in charge of Jingzhou, there shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Liu Bei agreed upon hearing this, but remained cautious and immediately dispatched a messenger on horseback to Jingzhou to inquire about Zhuge Liang's opinion.

After reading the letter, Zhuge Liang immediately saw through Jiangdong's intentions, knowing that this was merely a compromise made by the Jiangdong rulers and ministers out of resentment. He then summoned the civil and military officials of Jingzhou and said with a smile:

"Jiangdong's actions are merely about saving face and making some money; they have nothing to do with the overall situation."

"Agreeing to this will not only stabilize the alliance and relieve our worries about the east, but also provide an opportunity to open up trade between Jing and Wu, which is entirely beneficial to the Northern Expedition."

Although Guan Yu still felt that Jiangdong was pushing its luck, he knew that the alliance was important. He only thought that Sun Quan was narrow-minded, lacked the capacity of a hegemon, and was only good at being stingy with small sums of money.

So they stopped arguing and ceased their objections, and the other generals also agreed.

Zhuge Liang immediately replied, informing Liu Bei that he had agreed in full.

With Zhuge Liang's assurance, Liu Bei had no more worries. He immediately summoned his ministers and finalized all the alliance agreements with Lu Su, formally establishing the Xiang River as the boundary, as well as additional clauses on trade and mutual markets. Both sides swore to uphold the alliance, jointly maintain the alliance, and jointly resist Cao Cao.

With everything settled, Lu Su dared not delay. After bidding farewell to Liu Bei, he went directly down the Yangtze River to Jingzhou, where he met with Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, and other civil and military officials. On the spot, he completed the handover of counties and the demarcation of borders, officially incorporating Guiyang and eastern Changsha into the Jiangdong territory. He also established specific rules for mutual markets and trade.

At the end of August, the alliance agreement demarcating the border along the Xiang River was delivered to Chengdu by express courier. After reading the agreement, Liu Bei learned that the conflict between Jing and Wu had been completely resolved and the alliance was secure. The weight on his heart was finally lifted, and he could now focus on managing the western front without any worries about the east.

Before the festive atmosphere had even dissipated, a scout stumbled in from outside the mansion, holding an urgent military report and looking anxious, presenting a secret letter from the north to the table.

Upon reading the letter, Liu Bei's previously relaxed brows suddenly furrowed, his expression shifting from joy to anger. His anger surged, and he slammed the letter onto the table, shouting sternly:

"That traitor Cao! How dare he commit such a presumptuous and treacherous act!"

Upon seeing this, all the ministers fell silent, wondering what had happened to enrage their lord so much.

Gu Sulin stepped forward, picked up the letter and read it carefully. Only then did he realize that in May of this year, Cao Cao had already changed the system, proclaimed himself Duke of Wei, received the Nine Bestowments, established the State of Wei, made Ye City the capital, appointed officials and set up ancestral temples, completely breaking the Han dynasty's system of official titles and taking the first step in usurping the Han dynasty's throne.

When the news spread, the court was in uproar, and all the loyal and righteous officials were filled with righteous indignation.

Unable to contain his anger, Liu Bei rose and paced back and forth, his voice filled with grief and indignation:

"Cao Cao, as a Han official, has received the emperor's favor, yet he holds the emperor hostage to command the other lords. Now, he has openly changed the old system established by Emperor Gaozu, which prohibited those of different surnames from being called dukes. Clearly, he intends to commit treason!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fa Zheng stepped forward first, his expression cold and stern, and succinctly exposed Cao Cao's scheme:

"My lord, you are wise. Cao Cao's establishment of the Wei dynasty and his title of Duke were not merely about bestowing titles; they were the first step in his usurpation of the Han dynasty!"

When Wang Mang usurped the Han throne, he first bestowed upon the emperor the Nine Bestowments and the title of Duke, then gradually eroded the Han dynasty's power, ultimately leading to its downfall.

Cao Cao's actions are a repetition of Wang Mang's past deeds. Now that Wang Mang controls the Central Plains and has a strong army, if he is not stopped in time, it will be extremely difficult to punish him once he gains popular support and consolidates his power. The Han Dynasty is in grave danger!

Pang Tong immediately stepped forward, directly addressing the military strategy and strongly advocating for an immediate military campaign:

"My lord! Now is the perfect time to send troops! Ma Chao is entrenched in Longyou and Han Sui is entrenched in Hexi. They have repeatedly rebelled and continuously tied down Cao Wei's western army, leaving Cao Cao's Guanzhong garrison weak and without any external support."

Our army has secured Yizhou, Cao Cao has declared himself emperor, morale is high, and we have no worries about Jing and Wu in the rear. This is the perfect opportunity to send troops north, capture Hanzhong, and seize this northern gateway to Yizhou. This will not only protect the foundation of Yizhou but also cut off Cao Cao's westward advance, facilitating our future northern expedition to the Central Plains, punish Cao Cao, and restore the Han Dynasty!

Fa Zheng followed closely behind, cupping his hands in agreement, his eyes filled with fighting spirit: "Shi Yuan is absolutely right! We must seize this opportunity. Ma Chao and the others are locked in a fierce battle with Cao Cao's army in Liangzhou, which is the perfect time for our army to take advantage of their weakness and attack."

Hanzhong is the throat of Yizhou. If Yizhou is secured, it will be safe; if it is lost, it will be wide open.

Zhang Lu originally intended to ease relations with Cao Cao. If our army does not strike first, Hanzhong will inevitably be taken by Cao Cao sooner or later.

Our army is now in high spirits and well-equipped. We should advance swiftly, catch them off guard, and take Hanzhong in one fell swoop!

Wu Yi and other military generals from Shu also lined up to volunteer for battle, all saying they were willing to lead their troops to conquer Hanzhong in the north and then punish the traitors who had usurped the Han throne. For a time, voices advocating for war resounded throughout the government hall.

Just as the pro-war faction was filled with righteous indignation, Dong He stepped forward calmly and spoke words of dissuasion:

"My lord, while Xiaozhi and Shiyuan's words make sense, now is by no means the best time to launch a northern expedition and capture Hanzhong. I believe that this battle can be fought, but it must not be fought immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "What do you mean by this, Young Minister? Please explain in detail."

Dong He cupped his hands in greeting, and with clear and logical reasoning, he analyzed each point: "Firstly, Hanzhong is strategically important and difficult to conquer quickly."

Hanzhong is strategically important, with Yangping Pass guarding a vital passage. Nestled against the mountains and steep cliffs, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Even if Cao Cao's main force on the western front is tied down by Liangzhou warlords such as Ma Chao, and Zhang Lu holds firm with the natural defenses, our hasty advance will not be able to break through the pass quickly, and a prolonged stalemate is inevitable.

Secondly, the timing was not right, making it difficult for a large army to march.

Autumn is approaching, and the western part of China is experiencing continuous autumn rains. The valleys north of Jinniu Road and Jiameng are shrouded in fog and slippery, and the plank roads have become even muddier over the years.

A large army marching north is ill-suited for marching, as supplies are easily sluggish and scouts are difficult to locate. It is even less suitable for transporting provisions. If our army fails to breach the passes and our supply lines are blocked, we will only return empty-handed, wasting money and provisions in vain.

Thirdly, Yizhou was newly pacified, and its foundation was not yet solid.

The time since the lord took control of Chengdu and pacified Shu has been short. The former officials, local gentry, and Liu Zhang's surrendered troops in Shu have not yet been completely won over and won back their hearts. The hearts of the people in various places still need to be appeased. Although there is a surplus of grain in the granaries, it cannot withstand the consumption of a nationwide war. During the autumn harvest season, the people's strength also needs to be rested and recuperated.

To launch a full-scale military campaign northward now would likely trigger unrest in the rear. How can we wage war when our foundations are unstable?