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

Zhuge Liang paused slightly, then continued, "But he has indeed made contributions in guiding the way and devising strategies. If he is completely ignored and not used, it would damage the lord's reputation for valuing and tolerating talent."

Therefore, when Zhuge Liang was in Jingzhou, he only treated him with courtesy, gave him generous gifts of gold and silver, and granted him the title of "Chief Administrator," without granting him any real power or involving him in military or political affairs.

In this way, he could both fulfill his duty of presenting the map and the book, save his life, and not betray his intention to seek refuge; and completely separate him from the gentry of Jingzhou and the former officials of Yizhou, thus preventing any further trouble.

After listening, Liu Bei found it very reasonable and nodded in agreement.

Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment, then looked up at Liu Bei, his voice soft and thoughtful.

"My lord, there is something I have kept in my heart for a long time. Tonight, when no one is around, I would like to ask you what you think."

Liu Bei put down his teacup, his expression calm: "Kongming, please speak freely."

Zhuge Liang slowly spoke: "What does my lord think of Gu Zimao?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei gently stroked the rim of his cup with his fingertips, pondered for a moment, and spoke in a fair and frank tone, without the slightest bias:

"Zi Mao is a man with unique insight and foresight. At every critical moment, he can always pinpoint the key issues, fill in the gaps, and make no mistakes in planning the overall situation."

But when it comes to concrete governance and calming people's hearts, you are not as steady and thorough as I am.

In terms of making decisions on the battlefield and commanding troops, he was not as cunning and agile as Shi Yuan.

He was good at observing the general trend and making long-term judgments, and he also had a talent for eloquence, but he was not good at handling complicated matters, managing a region, or commanding troops.

I once advised him to go to the small town to gain experience, but he refused, saying that he was not virtuous or talented enough to be competent.

I knew my limits, so I never granted him a high position, only keeping him in the role of military advisor, helping him with planning and strategizing—that was enough to make the best use of his talents.

Zhuge Liang listened quietly, nodded slightly, and then added a few more words, his voice becoming more serious:

"What you say, my lord, is all true. But I see that this man is far more than that."

He claimed to be from Jingzhou, initially saying he came from Jiangling. However, Liang secretly sent people to investigate him extensively, visiting his former subordinates in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, visiting local elders, and searching through old household registers. From beginning to end, they could not find any trace of his background or origin.

His past, family, relatives, and childhood experiences were all blank, as if he had appeared out of thin air.

Liu Bei frowned slightly, his gaze darkening: "Does Kongming mean... this person's identity is questionable?"

Zhuge Liang shook his head, his gaze returning to calm, his tone indifferent:

"It's not that I have any ulterior motives."

Liang just felt that he was hiding a secret that no one knew.

After hearing the lord recount his experiences entering Shu, and looking back on the journey,

Stabilizing Eastern Wu, establishing the banner of righteousness for the lord's entry into Shu through Zhang Song, anticipating the enemy's moves at Luofeng Slope, demarcating the Xiang River, advocating for a temporary halt to the campaign against Hanzhong, predicting Ma Chao's fate, including the "civil service examination" method previously proposed to Liang...

Liang couldn't see any downside to these measures.

All his suggestions and plans were for the public good, for the Han Dynasty, and for the foundation of the lord's cause. He never had a single selfish thought, never a single biased idea, and never secretly colluded with any forces or formed cliques for personal gain.

Perhaps he has his own unspeakable secrets and is unable to reveal his past.

The tent fell silent for a moment, with the candlelight flickering softly.

Liu Bei remained silent for a long time, then slowly relaxed his brows, his expression relieved.

You're right.

Although this person's origins are unknown and his actions are unpredictable, since I started following him, everything he has said, done, planned, and decided has been genuinely for my sake from beginning to end.

He possessed great wisdom and foresight, yet remained content with his lot, neither coveting power nor vying for military merit.

Well, everyone has their secrets, there's no need to delve into them.

As long as you have a clear understanding of the situation and use it prudently, that's enough.

Zhuge Liang bowed slightly and nodded gently.

The night was deep, and the candlelight inside the tent burned quietly.

Both of them understood:

Gu Sulin's background is shrouded in mystery, and his origins are unknown.

Yet, he is precisely the most stable, the most sincere, and the most trustworthy one.

……

The following day, in the main hall of the Chengdu prefectural government, civil and military officials gathered, and all the former officials of Yizhou were present.

Liu Bei sat in the center and personally introduced Zhuge Liang to a group of officials from Yizhou, including Dong He, Liu Ba, renowned scholars from Shu, and local dignitaries.

Afterwards, Liu Bei publicly appointed:

Zhuge Liang was promoted to Governor of Yizhou and concurrently served as the Left General's Office, overseeing all military, political, administrative, financial, and personnel affairs in Yizhou.

Whenever Liu Bei was not in Chengdu, all affairs of Yizhou, both large and small, internal and external, as well as the rear base, were under the supervision and decision-making of Zhuge Liang. He had the authority to act expediently and to take overall control of the rear base.

The handover of government affairs proceeded smoothly, and things in Sichuan gradually transitioned smoothly.

In their spare time, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong often sat alone together, discussing military strategy and tactics.

Zhuge Liang explained in detail the Eight Formations method he had used to train troops in Jingzhou over the years, including the formation layout, advance and retreat, attack and defense, garrisoning troops to defend strategic locations, and forming formations to defend against the enemy.

Pang Tong was exceptionally talented, and his understanding of military strategy was unparalleled in his time. After listening for a short while, he was able to apply what he learned to other situations and instantly grasp the essence of the formation.

Not only did they have a thorough understanding of everything, but they also combined the topography of Jingzhou (both its water and drought conditions) and the mountainous terrain of Hanzhong (its rugged terrain) with local conditions, proposing several subtle improvements and compromises to fill in the gaps in the formation and make the offense and defense more harmonious.

After listening, Zhuge Liang nodded repeatedly, deeply agreeing with the assessment and wholeheartedly acknowledging it.

In this way, even if he stayed behind to guard Yizhou and Pang Tong returned to Jingzhou to take charge of the front-line troops, he would still be able to skillfully command the elite troops of the Eight Formations and understand the art of training and deploying troops.

The formidable army that Jingzhou has honed over the years will not suffer a loss of combat power due to a change in leadership; it will continue to exert its peak combat strength, advance and retreat with ease, and awe the battlefield.

Gu Sulin often gazed at the figures of Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong discussing battle formations in the courtyard, a look of profound understanding and certainty from a later generation flashing in his eyes.

Military capability is not limited to on-the-spot cunning and tactical maneuvering.

Recruiting soldiers, building an army, reforming the system, training troops, establishing military discipline, stabilizing logistics, preparing for war, formulating strategies, and making on-the-spot deployments... all these are the manifestations of a commander's military talent, and the fundamental reason why Zhuge Liang can be called a military strategist, resisting Cao Wei's nine provinces with only one province, and ultimately firmly sitting on the throne of the Ten Sages of Martial Temple, serving as a model for future generations for thousands of years.

The army that Zhuge Liang painstakingly trained in Jingzhou was far beyond the reach of ordinary elite troops.

Later historical records state that when Zhuge Liang launched his Northern Expeditions, he was still able to keep Sima Yi firmly in check with the weak troops of Yizhou, forcing him to never dare to confront the Shu army head-on and to only defend and avoid battle, daring not to take the initiative to fight.

This gives a glimpse into the strength of his army.

The army trained by Zhuge Liang can be considered the true regular army of the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period.

During the chaotic period at the end of the Han Dynasty, the various warlords relied entirely on their generals' own private troops to lead their armies.

The troops are the lifeblood of a military commander. They only recognize their commander, not the imperial court. If they win, they want to save their lives; if they lose, they will collapse.

Le Jin had always been the first to charge into battle. After the Battle of Red Cliffs, he was stationed in Xiangyang and fought against Guan Yu. In the Battle of Qingni, he repelled Guan Yu's detachment, but his elite troops, which he had accumulated over the years, suffered heavy losses due to the protracted conflict. From then on, he lost the ability to lead independently and could only be assigned to Hefei, a position of high rank but low power, serving as the deputy general in charge of defending the city.

Ling Tong risked his life to save Sun Quan in the Battle of Hefei, but also lost his own family's generations of troops. He was not heartbroken for the soldiers, but for losing the foundation of his military family. Later, he suffered from injuries and illnesses, and his spirits were depressed. He died young.

In the later period of Cao Wei and Eastern Wu, this old practice was never changed, and generals still relied on privately leading their own troops.

With the passing of veteran generals, the ranks of the troops were cut off, and the fighting strength declined. The aristocratic generals each held their own troops, bickered with each other, and did not cooperate. Although the court could mobilize troops, it could not prevent the generals from hoarding their strength and refusing to fight with their family resources. As a result, the morale of the army became more and more scattered, and the fighting strength of each generation was worse than the last.