Why didn't Wu go all out to help Shu during Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition? Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition to Attack Wei marked the Shu Han regime's continuous efforts for the great cause of reunification. However, in the course of Zhuge Liang's many northern expeditions, why Wu, as an ally, did not give more help, has always been a hot topic among history buffs.
In fact, Wu was not completely unhelpful during Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition. From the beginning of Zhuge Liang's first Northern Expedition in 226, Sun Quan made some moves. Although he failed to achieve the expected success in attacking the river, that doesn't mean he didn't try. In the subsequent Northern Expedition, Wu's actions were mostly related to Cao Wei's military operations. For example, in the winter of 228, Zhuge Liang's second Northern Expedition was carried out against the backdrop of Lu Xun's defeat of Cao Xiu at the Battle of Shiting. This victory undoubtedly created a favorable external environment for Shu's Northern Expedition.
However, why didn't Wu go all out to help Shu as people expected? There are multiple factors behind this. First of all, Wu itself faced the challenge of stabilizing the regime and internal governance. During the period when Sun Quan was busy with the founding of the country and handling internal affairs, he naturally could not be distracted to give more support to the Shu State. Second, internal problems such as the civil strife in Wuxi also constrained Wu's military strength, making it impossible for Sun Quan to deploy more troops to support Shu's Northern Expedition.
Moreover, the alliance between Wu and Shu was not unbreakable. Although the two countries share a common enemy, Cao Wei, their strategic goals are not entirely identical. Wu paid more attention to its own stability and development, while Shu was more committed to the great cause of unification. This difference makes it inevitable that there will be differences and contradictions between the two countries when cooperating.
To sum up, Wu was not completely unhelpful to Shu during Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition, but due to various internal and external factors, they were not able to go all out to support Shu as people expected. This is not only because of the challenges and dilemmas faced by Wu itself, but also because of the differences in strategic goals between the two countries. Nonetheless, we should not simply assume that Wu did not help, but should understand the complexity and variability of this historical period from a more comprehensive perspective.
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