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

At this point, Dong He softened his tone and offered a prudent strategy: "I am not against attacking Hanzhong, but I advocate postponing the war. Ma Chao has been continuously holding back Cao Cao's army in Longyou, which has become a barrier for our Yizhou. Cao Cao's army is simply unable to move south and invade Yizhou in the short term."

Our army should seize this opportunity to reorganize, hone its combat readiness, reassure the people, and replenish its granaries. Then, when the weather warms up next spring, the mountain roads are dry and clear, supplies are plentiful, and the rear is secure, we can launch a full-scale northward offensive and surely capture Hanzhong in one decisive battle!

Huang Quan, Liu Ba, and others stepped forward and echoed Dong He's words, agreeing that a hasty military expedition would do more harm than good and that postponing the Northern Expedition and conserving strength for the right time was the best course of action.

Liu Ba added, "My lord, the monetary system of Yizhou has just been established, and the treasury's finances are gradually stabilizing. The people have just escaped the suffering of turmoil. If we immediately raise an army, the taxes and corvée will increase, which will surely lose the people's support. Once the people's support is lost, the foundation of Yizhou will be shaken, and even if we take Hanzhong, it will be of no use."

For a time, the government hall was divided into two factions, one advocating war and the other advocating for a protracted war, each holding their own views and arguing endlessly.

Liu Bei stood in the main seat, watching the debate between the two sides, his mind racing with conflicting opinions. His gaze swept across the entire room, but he noticed that Gu Sulin remained standing quietly in the center of the room, without uttering a single word.

A thought struck him: Gu Sulin was always a man of few words, yet his words were always insightful, hitting the nail on the head and providing strategic planning. The previous conflicts in Jingzhou and the conquest of Yizhou had all been averted thanks to Gu Sulin's numerous strategies.

He immediately suppressed the disputes in the government hall, spoke loudly, and looked at Gu Sulin: "Zimao, everyone has reached a conclusion, but you alone have remained silent. This matter concerns the survival of Yizhou and the rise and fall of the Han Dynasty. Tell me, what is your opinion?"

All eyes turned to Gu Sulin, who calmly stepped forward, bowed, and said with a composed tone, "My lord, Sulin believes that Lord Dong's words are absolutely correct. Hanzhong can be taken, but we must not rush into it at this time."

"I also know that our lord and the other officials are furious about Cao Cao's usurpation of the Han throne and are eager to launch a northern expedition to punish the traitor. However, Yangping Pass is a natural fortress and cannot be breached hastily."

In the past, Liu Zhang also launched an attack on Zhang Lu. Liu Zhang's weakness and incompetence, as well as his poor military management, were certainly reasons for his defeat, but this also demonstrates the strategic importance and formidable defense of Hanzhong. Even with a significant disparity in strength between the two sides, a direct assault would have been difficult to achieve victory.

Although Ma Chao is there to contain Cao Cao's army, intelligence on the local garrison deployment, food reserves, and the abilities of the generals in Hanzhong is still incomplete. We need to wait for spies to gather more information before we can advance rashly.

"Our lord and the other gentlemen are well aware of the changing times, but the situation in Shu is indeed different from that in the north and Jingzhou."

Lord Dong and his entourage had lived in Sichuan for a long time and were well-versed in the local climate, mountains, and geography. The cold and damp mountain roads in autumn and winter, and the difficulty in transporting grain and fodder, were real and undeniable difficulties, and their advice was certainly accurate.

Now that our army has just pacified Yizhou, the people's hearts are not at ease, and our food and supplies are insufficient. If we forcefully send troops out, we will only find ourselves in a dilemma.

"It would be better to follow the advice of Lord Dong and others, to allow the people of Sichuan to rest and recuperate, to reorganize the army and prepare for war, to pacify the people of Sichuan, and to consolidate our rear base. We can then wait until next spring, when the weather and the people are in a favorable position, before launching a northward campaign. This way, we can be absolutely certain of success."

His words were clear and logical, confirming the concerns of the pro-delay faction while also giving face to Liu Bei and the pro-war faction. The previously heated debate in the government office instantly quieted down. Fa Zheng, Pang Tong, and others pondered his words and found them all reasonable, so they no longer insisted on sending troops immediately.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's inner turmoil dissipated, and he suddenly realized the truth, nodding repeatedly: "Zimao is absolutely right."

It was my momentary anger at Cao Cao's overstepping of bounds that caused me to lose my composure and almost ruin the overall situation.

"As you and the young magistrate suggested, we will postpone our military campaign, conserve our strength, and wait until next spring to launch our attack on Hanzhong!"

Once Liu Bei had made his decision, all the civil and military officials had no further objections and bowed to accept the order.

The army then entered a phase of reorganization, preparation for war, and consolidation of its foundation, waiting for the spring of the following year before marching north.

Gu Sulin returned to his place among the officials. He hadn't spoken immediately because he seemed to be deep in thought.

If he hadn't been so devoted to Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, his best option after transmigrating would have been to join Cao Cao's forces.

Cao Cao's claim to the title of Duke, seemingly the pinnacle of his personal power, was in reality a self-preservation measure forced upon him by the chaotic power structure of the era.

He did not covet the throne from the beginning, but rather gradually reached this point amidst the conflict between his ideals and reality.

Liu Yan and his son occupied Yizhou, and Liu Biao guarded Jingzhou, both ruling their respective regions under the title of governor. Cao Cao, on the other hand, held the emperor hostage to command the other lords, thus embarking on the path of "using the emperor to enhance his own power."

In his youth, Cao Cao truly possessed a strong patriotic ambition, making him a rare exception among the warlords. During the alliance meeting, while the other warlords harbored their own agendas, only he and Sun Jian dared to send troops to fight against Dong Zhuo, demonstrating his exceptional qualities. This was also a key reason why he was able to attract Xun Yu to join him.

At this time, his ideals were exactly the same as Xun Yu's: to serve the emperor and follow the people's wishes, to punish rebellious ministers, cleanse the court of corrupt officials, rectify the government, and restore the Han dynasty. Not to mention usurping the Han throne, there was no evidence of any such thoughts or actions at the time.

He quelled rebellions, restored production, and promoted land reclamation in the Central Plains. In his eyes, he was the number one meritorious official who restored the Han Dynasty and the only pillar in the chaotic world.

He was well aware of the accusations that he was "holding the emperor hostage." But with Luoyang in ruins and the emperor displaced and helpless, his move to Xuchang was more like an attempt to maintain the last vestige of the Han dynasty than a simple act of control and exploitation.

Letting Liu Bei go after the plum wine feast wasn't simply a misjudgment. In Cao Cao's worldview, he never considered Liu Bei a true adversary, but rather a fellow traveler.

He underestimated Liu Bei's ambition and overestimated the Xu Du court's appeal to the people.

But ideals, when thrown into a chaotic world, are crushed little by little by reality.

Along the way, he witnessed firsthand the incompetence and weakness of the Han emperor, the corrupt officials in the court, the regional governors who each established their own independent regimes, the gentry families who each harbored their own secrets, and the widespread famine and desolation among the common people.

He fought his way through half his life to bring peace to the north, only to be met with suspicion from the court, plots involving secret edicts, and repeated assassinations and schemes against him.

Furthermore, the great fire at Red Cliff sealed the tripartite division of the world, making his hopes of unifying the world slim.

He had considered stepping down. "The world is not yet at peace, I cannot relinquish my position; as for the territory, I may decline." This was his political stance. However, the fate of the tens of thousands of soldiers behind him and the entire group did not allow him to retreat. Power had reached this point, and there was no turning back.

The days of youth spent solely supporting the Han dynasty are coming to an end. The division of the land into separate territories is now a foregone conclusion. Weakness will lead to destruction, and kindness will only bring ruin upon oneself, one's clan, and one's brothers.

Since supporting the Han dynasty could not earn his trust, since unification was hopeless, and since retreating would mean death and the extermination of his clan, he had no choice but to protect himself and consolidate power.

All these circumstances combined eventually led this hero of a chaotic era to place the survival of his group and clan above the empty title of the Han Dynasty, gradually transforming him from a "capable minister in times of peace" into a "treacherous hero in times of chaos" in the eyes of the world.

After pacifying Hebei, he used Ye City as his base to quietly lay the foundation for his descendants to replace the Han dynasty.

After his defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs, he pacified Guanzhong, pacified Liangzhou, and fought for Hanzhong, consolidating his prestige through military achievements and gradually embarking on the path to becoming a duke and then a king.

Xun Yu stepped forward to stop him, and even though he was reluctant, he had no choice but to completely erase this confidant who had been with him for half his life.

Even so, he still regarded the title "Han official" as his final moral anchor.

"If the country were without me, I wonder how many would claim to be emperor, and how many would claim to be king." "If Heaven's mandate is with me, I will be King Wen of Zhou."

This statement was not merely a pretext, but rather Cao Cao's most complex political confession.

On the one hand, he used this to preserve his reputation, unwilling to bear the eternal infamy of usurping the Han throne;

On the other hand, he also tacitly acknowledged that the Han dynasty was coming to an end, leaving the final step of changing dynasties to future generations.

This is Cao Cao.

He was neither a simple loyal minister nor a born villain.

Rather, he was an extremely complex yet self-consistent person shaped by the times, achievements, suspicions, and reality.

In chaotic times, he may not be perfect, but he is destined to be an irreplaceable key figure.

but……

Gu Sulin sighed.