Imagine that the Battle of Jieting during the Three Kingdoms period was no longer the regrettable loss of Ma Tan in history, but was replaced by Wei Yan, who was brave and good at fighting. Can such a change turn the tide of the war and allow Shu Han to maintain his adherence to the choke point?
Jieting, located in today's Lintan County, Gansu Province, is a geographically important mountain city. During the Three Kingdoms period, it was regarded as a necessary place to connect the Central Plains with the Western Regions, and whoever controlled the Jieting held the key to the Western Regions. Therefore, when Cao Wei and Shu Han clashed at this critical juncture, the street pavilion became the focus of contention between the two sides.
It was a turbulent era, and after Liu Bei's death, the rivers and mountains of Shu Han were mainly controlled by Zhuge Liang and Liu Chan. In order to fulfill Liu Bei's last wish to restore the Han dynasty during his lifetime, Zhuge Liang launched a campaign aimed at advancing the Central Plains. However, a key part of this battle was to defend the strategic location of the street pavilion.
At that time, Zhuge Liang sent Ma Tan to garrison the street pavilion. Ma Jian was a strategist who was familiar with military books, but he lacked practical combat experience. Unfortunately, he made a serious error of judgment in the Battle of Jieting, which led to the defeat of the Shu army. So, if it were Wei Yan instead, would this brave and experienced general be able to defend the street pavilion?
Wei Yan, a long man, was an outstanding general during Liu Bei's period, known for his bravery and strategy. If he had replaced Ma Tan to guard the street pavilion, history might have taken a different direction.
First of all, Wei Yan's actual combat experience is far better than Ma Yan's. He demonstrated great military talent and courage in many battles, especially in the battle for Hanzhong, where his bravery made the Cao Wei army daunting. Therefore, the likelihood that he would guard the street pavilion would be much higher than that of Ma Tan.
Second, Wei Yan's strategy of using troops was more flexible. Wei Yan is not only brave, but also has excellent tactical thinking. He is adept at adapting his tactics to the actual situation in battle, which allows him to often achieve unexpected victories on the battlefield. If Wei Yan were guarding the Street Pavilion, he would probably adopt more cautious tactics and would not easily make a mistake like Ma Yan's.
Moreover, Wei Yan's popularity and military spirit are also better than Ma Yan's. In the army, Wei Yan was known for his fairness and generosity, and was deeply loved by the soldiers. This helped to boost the morale and cohesion of the army, which is crucial for a critical battle such as guarding the street pavilions.
Assuming that Wei Yan replaced Ma Tan to guard the street pavilion, we can imagine that he would make strict and meticulous arrangements for the troops stationed there. Not only will he fortify the city's defenses, but he will also send elite reconnaissance troops to closely monitor the movements of enemy troops. In terms of tactical execution, Wei Yan will flexibly adjust according to the movements of Cao Wei's army, and will not attack easily, nor will he easily abandon key strongholds.
In terms of psychological warfare, Wei Yan would use his prestige and the concerns of Cao Wei's generals to create all kinds of illusions and make the enemy army feel uncertain and fearful. In this way, the Shu army's defense at Jieting would become more solid, and Cao Wei's attack would be hindered.
However, history has no ifs, and we can only imagine this possibility. Wei Yan's replacement of Ma Tan guarding the street pavilion seems to be more likely to be successfully defended from the perspective of paper soldiers. But the real result also needs to take into account the specific situation at that time, the actual situation of the army, and many factors that cannot be defeated.
The Battle of Jieting was a crucial turning point for Shu Han. Although Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition was heroic, it ultimately failed to change the fate of Shu Han. The lessons of this are still profoundly revelatory to us today. In the face of difficulties and challenges, we need to fully consider the reality of the situation, act cautiously, and not be blindly confident, so as to achieve better results.
We not only revisited the historical stories of the Three Kingdoms period, but also had a deeper reflection on historical figures and events. History is a mirror that allows us to better understand the present and look forward to the future while looking back at the past.
If you have different opinions, please feel free to comment**.