Zhuge Liang went out on the expedition and saw the old man in Sima Yi's military camp, and sighed for a long time
In "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Zhuge Liang was endowed with unparalleled wisdom and talent, and was known as a hero who "divided the world into three parts and unified the country". Through Luo Guanzhong's wonderful depiction, Zhuge Liang's image of "lupine scarf" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and has become the most representative symbol of the wise man in history.
Heroes always grow old one day, Zhuge Liang gradually went downhill in his later years, and went out of Qishan five times, but failed to succeed, which is undoubtedly the most powerful proof. Especially in the last expedition, he led an army of 100,000 troops to be stationed in Wuzhangyuan, and he was confronted by his old rival Sima Yi, and the two knew each other very well.
Although Zhuge Liang was fully prepared this time, when he learned that there was an old man in Sima Yi's military camp, he couldn't help but let out a deep sigh: My fate is over.
In the spring of 234, the 54-year-old Zhuge Liang led an army of 100,000 from the mouth of the valley to Wuzhangyuan on the south bank of Weishui and set up a camp. After learning of the arrival of the Shu army, Sima Yi, the commander of the Wei army, was ready for a long-term war of resistance, and his core idea was that no matter what tricks you have, I just can't stick to it: close the door to resist the enemy.
This has always been Sima Yi's usual tactic against Zhuge Liang, and he aimed at the weakness of the Shu army's expedition - the difficulty in transporting grain and grass, as long as it drags on, the Shu army will not be able to maintain its strength as before.
In Gojogahara, this tactic once again exerted its power, forming a historical moment that has been sighed for the ages.
Zhuge Liang's preparations this time were really comprehensive, he divided his troops in advance on the bank of Weishui, and also created wooden oxen and flowing horses for mechanized transportation. In addition to this, he succeeded in convincing Sun Quan to have the two countries join forces to attack the Wei state.
However, the power of Wei far exceeded that of Shu and Wu combined. The 100,000 Wu troops did not even touch Cao Wei's defensive line, and quickly withdrew to Eastern Wu.
Zhuge Liang originally planned to flank the enemy on both sides, but in the end he could only face it alone. Sima Yi on the opposite side had a large number of troops, but he was like a turtle shrunk in his shell, and he resolutely did not fight.
No matter how Zhuge Liang challenged, Sima Yi was unmoved. The two sides are at a stalemate. Zhuge Liang understood that only by provoking Sima Yi could he lead the Wei army.
Zhuge Liang sent someone to send Sima Yi a set of **, and attached a letter, which read: "If you still have the courage of a man, reply as soon as possible and go to war as scheduled." ”
Zhuge Liang's intention was to ridicule Sima Yi for being timid and afraid of war, so it was better to go back and be a "boudoir lady". When the envoys of the Shu army arrived at the Wei camp, Sima Yi personally received him.
Seeing the ** and letter sent by Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi only frowned slightly and did not respond.
He set aside the woman's clothes and chatted with the envoy in a kind manner, not asking about military matters, but caring about Zhuge Liang's daily life and health as if they were not enemies.
The envoy felt that Sima Yi was asking the usual polite words, so he replied honestly: "The prime minister works very hard, get up early and go to bed late. It's just that I don't have a good appetite lately and don't eat much. ”
Sima Yi also instructed the envoy to send a message to Zhuge Liang, reminding him to pay attention to his body, not to neglect his health because of his busy work, and to rest more.
Sima Yi looked at the back of the departing envoy of Shu and couldn't help but sigh: "Zhuge Liang's lifespan is probably not long." Then, he explained to the soldiers around him: "You see, Zhuge Liang usually doesn't eat much, and his affairs are heavy, how can he support it for a long time?" ”
Even so, the soldiers of the Wei army, after learning that the main general was humiliated and ridiculed, all angrily clamored for a decisive battle with the Shu army. Especially those brave generals, they asked to fight.
Sima Yi understood Zhuge Liang's intentions, and instead of attacking the morale of the army, he chose to continue to delay. He said to the soldiers: "I will apply to my superiors and let us fight to the death with the Shu army." ”
After Emperor Wei Ming received Sima Yi's request, he convened a meeting. At this meeting, Hou Xinbi, who served as Wei Weiqing, expressed his views.
Sima Yi, as the commander of the army, understood the truth that "the general will not be subject to the orders of the foreign monarch", but he did not directly refuse the emperor's order, but asked the emperor to explicitly prohibit him from sending troops, so as not to dampen the morale of the soldiers.
Emperor Wei Ming understood his thoughts and sent Xin Bi as an envoy to restrain Sima Yi, the commander of the Wei army, to ensure that the army's actions were in line with the emperor's intentions.
The scouts of the Shu army reported to Zhuge Liang that the Wei army camp was ready to go, but there was an old man holding a yellow Yue at the camp gate, standing facing the camp gate, and no one dared to take a step.
Zhuge Liang was stunned, and he recognized it as George Sin. In the following period, Sima Yi repeatedly requested to send troops, but was sternly rejected by Emperor Wei, the representative of the Xin Bi Jie, whose purpose was to boost the military prestige and boost morale.
With his upright and strict law enforcement, Xin Bi won the respect of the Wei generals, who no longer advocated a decisive battle with the Shu army as before. However, Zhuge Liang had a premonition from Xinbi's visit and the power of moderation that the Northern Expedition would inevitably end in failure.
At this time, he was seriously ill and often **, he sighed deeply, knowing that he might die soon.
When Zhuge Liang heard that Xin Bi had arrived in the Wei military camp, why was he depressed? The reason for this is the fame of Simbi. Xin Bi was born in the late Han Dynasty, Wei and Jin dynasties "Ru Ying", at that time, the four major families of Xun, Chen, Zhong and Xin in Runan and Yingchuan counties had many "strange people".
Xin Bi is from the Xin family, one of the four major families, and originally served under Yuan Shao.
Xin Bi was a discerning strategist who saw the situation clearly, decisively turned to Cao Cao, and was entrusted with important tasks. He not only held the positions of Han Yilang and waiter, but also served as the servant of the king of Wei and became Cao Cao's right-hand man.
The pinnacle of Xinbi's career was achieved in Cao Pi. At that time, Cao Cao was hesitant to choose the crown prince of Wei, and the civil and military ministers were each supporting and arguing, and Xin Bi's opinion eventually became the decisive factor.
When there was disagreement within the Cao family over who should succeed to the throne, Xin Bi held to the belief that Cao Pi should be canonized as the crown prince according to the law of etiquette. In the end, Cao Pi got his wish and became the crown prince, his joy was beyond words, and he disregarded etiquette and stepped forward to put his arms around Xinbi's neck, which fully shows the extent of Cao Pi's gratitude and trust in Xinbi.
When Cao Cao died and Cao Pi took over as King of Wei, Xin Bi saw his intentions and took the initiative to contact his ministers to write to Cao Pi, suggesting that he replace the Han Dynasty as emperor. Xin Bi's suggestion coincided with Cao Pi's intentions, and after some prevarication and concessions, Cao Pi successfully became Emperor Wen of Wei.
Xin Bi was named the Marquis of Guan Nei for his great merits and served as a servant.
Cao Pi ascended the throne as emperor and set the first year of the Huang Dynasty. However, this year, the Central Plains suffered from severe drought for many years, serious locust plagues in many places, and famine broke out everywhere. Luoyang is no exception. In order to change this situation, Cao Pi decided to relocate 100,000 households from Jizhou to Henan in order to enrich the population of the surrounding areas of Luoyang, so that Luoyang presented a vibrant scene rather than a withering people's livelihood.
However, this decision was unanimously opposed by all the ministers.
Cao Pi firmly decided not to listen to the advice of his ministers and insisted on his position. The next day, when Simbi and the other ministers again asked Jin to see him, Cao Pi knew that they were still trying to persuade him, so his face was very gloomy.
When the ministers saw the emperor's expression, they did not dare to speak, for fear of angering the emperor and causing anger.
Although the land has been bare and the people are threatened with starvation, at this moment, as the monarch, you have offered to relocate the people, and Simbi strongly opposes this.
Although his words were straightforward, they deeply touched Cao Pi's heart and made him frown. In the face of Simbi's doubts, Cao Pi did not deny the plan to relocate the people, but he also expressed his understanding of Xinbi's views and believed that they did need to be carefully considered.
Cao Pi's face turned blue with anger, and he angrily scolded Xin Bi: "I don't want to hear you say this. However, Simbi did not care, and calmly insisted on admonishing: "It is my duty to give opinions and suggestions, and it is Your Majesty's duty to listen to the suggestions of your subordinates.
Moreover, what I am talking about is a major national affair and a matter of national security, so I cannot but mention it. Cao Pi understood that he could not refute it, so he decided to ignore it and got up to return to the palace.
Xin Bi followed closely behind Cao Pi and quickly grabbed his sleeve. Cao Pi was also very angry and tried to break free, but Xin Bi held on. The courtiers who followed were horrified when they saw this scene, because the courtiers could be punished if they faced the emperor directly, let alone pulled the emperor, and such an act would immediately bring the danger of falling to the ground.
They advised Xin Bi to give up and leave quickly, so as not to make the emperor angry again. But Simbi was very persistent and stood there waiting for the emperor to come out and settle it. After a while, Cao Pi finally relieved himself and returned to the temple, where he saw that Xin Pi was still there.
Said helplessly: "Simbi, why are you in such a hurry to pull my clothes? I couldn't get off the stage in front of the public. ”
Xin Bi earnestly stated: In a year of famine, large-scale migration, and no food to help, the immigrants will be disgruntled, and the court will lose the support of the people. For this reason, I must implore Your Majesty to retract the decree.
Eventually, Cao Pi had to compromise and cut the migrant population in half, and Simpi became famous. This event came to be known as the "Simbi Introduction".
The "Xinbi Citation" is the work of the Sui Dynasty painter Yang Qidan, and the "Mengqiu" compiled by Li Han of the Tang Dynasty also includes the allusion of "Xinbi Citation". All these proved the fearlessness and majesty of Simbi, and even the emperor was in awe of him.
When he stood in front of the Wei barracks, the soldiers who thought they were heroic were in awe of him and did not dare to do anything wrong in front of him.
Zhuge Liang was well acquainted with Xin Bi's personality and deeds, so when Xin Bi joined Sima Yi's army, Zhuge Liang's radical method lost its effectiveness. With the Wei army holding on without a fight, the defeat of the Shu army was only a matter of time, which was also where Zhuge Liang felt hopeless, and his Northern Expedition plan ended in failure.
Under Zhuge Liang's strict deployment, the Shu army confronted the Wei army in Wuzhangyuan for three months. However, as time went on, the morale of the Shu army gradually declined, while the morale of the Wei army became more and more vigorous.
In this case, Zhuge Liang's condition suddenly worsened, making it impossible for him to personally command the battle. Although Sima Yi could not hold out, he still sent small forces to harass the Shu army, further weakening the morale of the Shu army.
When Sima Yitan heard that Zhuge Liang was ill, he sent soldiers to shout "Long live" in the southeast corner of the barracks, intending to attract Zhuge Liang's attention and interference. When Zhuge Liang, who was sick in bed, heard the news, he immediately sat up and asked what had happened, and the spy told him: "The Wu Dynasty has an envoy, please surrender." ”
Of course, Zhuge Liang knew that this was a lie deliberately made up by Wei Jun, and he severely criticized Sima Yi: "There will be no surrender to the Wu Dynasty, you are over sixty years old, why are you still so bluffing?" ”
Zhuge Liang's condition deteriorated and his physical strength was exhausted, and Sima Yi's psychological warfare exerted its power. Even though he knew that he would not be able to succeed, Zhuge Liang still struggled to put out the seven-star lantern, trying to boost the morale of the army through psychological hints, so that the Shu army could evacuate safely.
However, on the last day, Wei Yan broke in, destroyed the main lamp, and Zhuge Liang's efforts were in vain.
Zhuge Liang died in the Wuzhangyuan military camp at the age of 54. His premonition came true, and the place of his death was Gojohara. Before his death, he was well prepared.
According to his arrangement, the general of the Shu army quietly wrapped his body in the car, and then retreated in an orderly manner without mourning.
When Sima Yi learned of Zhuge Liang's death, he immediately led the Wei army to chase after him. However, when they had just passed Wuzhang Plain, the banner of the Shu army suddenly turned, the war drums sounded, and the soldiers quickly turned around to cover up.
This sudden turn of events surprised Sima Yi, and he immediately ordered his troops to retreat. The Shu generals took advantage of the panic of the Wei army and succeeded in safely withdrawing all the soldiers from Wuzhang Plain.
Sima Yi respected Zhuge Liang's wisdom, and even though he had passed away, he still felt his legacy. He studied Zhuge Liang's formation in depth and sighed at his military talent.
Sima Yi said: "I can only predict the living Zhuge and his death, and his wisdom and talent will live on forever." ”
Simbi made a great contribution to the battle and died peacefully at home the following year. Zhuge Liang and Xin Bi never foresaw that this praying mantis catches cicadas, and the yellow finch is behind, and finally Sima Yi of the Sima family replaces Cao Wei and establishes the two Jin dynasties that lasted for a century and a half, becoming the master of the Central Plains.
This article refers to Zu Xin's article "Let's Say Xinbi Citation" published in the February 1996 issue of the Journal of Political Science and Engineering, and Wu Tianwei's article "The Death of Zhuge Liang" published in the October 1986 issue of the Journal of Chengdu University.