Author: Liu Hongyu
During the Three Kingdoms, after Liu Bei's death, Wei, Shu and Wu, as the only remaining "scale forces" at that time, reached a "temporary balance" of "three-legged equilibrium". It seems that the theory of "wisdom incarnation" by Zhuge Liang How many years ago has become a reality; but in fact, in terms of the overall situation, it is not the way he was "visionized" at the time. The biggest "flaw" for Shu Han is that he lost the "strategic basis" of the "Central Plains" Jingzhou ; and, unfortunately, it is impossible to "recapture", or it can be said that he spent a lot of money to "recapture". In the near future, it is not worth the loss. Another serious "problem" in the situation is that the " Sun Liu Alliance " that Zhuge Liang strongly advocated and sought to protect from the beginning has collapsed to the point where it is difficult to "reconcile".
Under such circumstances, in order to gain overall strategic initiative and Liu Bei's last wish to "revival the Han Dynasty", Zhuge Liang insisted on taking Shuzhong as the foundation and pointing to Cao Wei 's "Northern Expedition".
Remove the "hard indicators" of war, the Northern Expedition faces a very important premise, which is to "stabilize the rear." Whether the "rear" can be stable and even support the Northern Expedition more effectively is the key to this big game.
The so-called "rear" of course refers to the "domestic" of "Shu Han". For Shu Han, if you want to have a stable domestic situation, you must take into account two strategic threats: one is Dongwu , and the other is the "barbarians" in the south. Barbarians, now they don’t say this word because it has a contemptuous color, but at that time, that’s what they said, referring to “transforming foreign ethnic groups” and their regimes. If you want to remove the strategic threat from the rear, in addition to the problem of the Eastern Wu, you must "solve" or "calm" the "barbarians". The story of capturing Meng Huo seven times takes place in this process of "solving" or "calm".
(I) The "imperfect solution" of the concerns behind Shu Han
If you want to drive a large army to conquer the country's northern expedition, you must ensure the security of the "national country" that will be almost exhausted from military force, and even strive to ensure "domestic prosperity" to support large-scale wars; regardless of " Whether it is safe or "prosperous", we must solve the "worries".
As mentioned above, the "worries" of Shu Han's "national security" are generally two "sources", one is "Sun Wu " in the east, and the other is "barbarians" in the south.
Here, the word "barbarians" is not only a despicable term for ethnic minorities, but also a tribe and ethnic group that is also called "Huawai" outside the political "circle" south of Shu Han, most of today's Yunnan, Guangxi, and most of Guizhou and the marginal regions of Guizhou. Among them, "barbarians" are generally "miao" (Miao Man) and "Chu" (Chu Man, also known as " Jingman "), in fact, the larger population ratio is what we call " Han ". We will not repeat it in detail because it is not a topic to pay attention to; what we should talk about here is the "Yi" among the "barbarians", also known as "Bai Yi", which mainly refers to a more "pure" ethnic minority that is more remote and more "outside" than "man".
's strategic defense against "Sun Wu" or "Sun Wu" is actually relatively simple in military terms. Two aspects - first of all, the former "Sun and Liu Alliance" still has a shallow "base". Zhuge Liang himself, because of his family Because of the relatives of the clan, I also talked to the Eastern Wu. Of course, there are three "privileged lives" in Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei, and the "Sun-Liu Alliance" must not be able to think about it anymore. Simple "diplomacy" cannot completely guarantee "settlement". This involves the second aspect, namely military defense. Simply put, the "capital" of military defense against Eastern Wu is the three words summarized by someone later - the road to Shu is difficult! From the territory of Eastern Wu, if you think of Shu Han, the most "feasible" route is the " Three Gorges " waterway; if it cannot work, you have to cross the "ten thousand mountains". When traveling, you may be able to overcome it, but if you have to use troops, it will be difficult.
Therefore, based on the above two aspects, in Zhuge Liang's "current thinking framework", the worries of the Northern Expedition were the second most dangerous, and the "barbarians" in the south.
This is the "strategic starting point" for launching the "Nanzheng"! No matter what the reason or fuse, this war is to be launched! Not only do you have to fight, but you have to win! Not only do we have to win, but we also have to achieve a "stability" situation for decades or even hundreds of years.
Can you use other methods without fighting? OK, but it's too slow! Moreover, at least, as a military strategist, Zhuge Liang would believe that " Nanman " and "Baiyi", especially "Baiyi", are not "civilized", reasoning, cultural infiltration, and even "common development" are not more effective, efficient and long-term than "striving and subduing".
looks very reasonable. However, fighting and fighting have never been a "perfect" "solution".
Of course, in theory, there is no absolutely perfect solution to any "topic". But from the perspective of today's people, Zhuge Liang's decision to "Southern Expedition" did indeed have "problems" - it is not necessary to say that the harms that the "natural attributes" of war are bound to be formed. Moreover, no matter how sufficient the reasons for "superficially", in essence, Shu Han or simply said that it was Zhuge Liang, the real initiator of the war. When starting a war, it will always be "political loss", which is true in ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad. Therefore, from the perspective of today's people, it can be said that Zhuge Liang launched this war without saying that it was "inappropriate", let alone "incorrect", but at least, there was no consideration!
(2) The strategy of diffracting seven-directional diffraction
Menghuo is the "King of the Baiyi". According to today's ethnic category, it can be considered that he is a "Wa " person (Awa people). Anyway, the current Wa people (Awa) respect Meng Huo as the "Last King" and "King".
Due to the distribution characteristics of basic survival resources such as terrain and water sources, salt storage, the "Baiyi" land (mainly today's Yunnan Province), lives with many tribes that "independently become kings". Meng Huo, the "king of Baiyi", is far less valuable than the "king" of the Central Plains. Even the separatist forces with a slightly larger scale during the "First Three Kingdoms" period, are only equivalent to the "leaders". The tribes that directly ruled are just a small part of the "Baiyi". In normal times, in order to survive, many "support" Meng tribes were relatively "scattered" and had the intention and conditions to "fight independently". However, when the war came, especially the war launched by the "big tribes" (Han people) directly, it would instead lead to the temporary unity of many tribes that were originally just "loose alliances" and unite to the outside world. This is why Zhuge Liang suffered consecutive defeats in the early stage of the "Crossing Lu Battle" - although the local "Bai Yi" were not strong enough, they could defend the enemy in various ways that the Han army could not have imagined, relying on the unity momentum that would not have been formed without facing war!
novels, storytelling , in order to beautify Zhuge Liang, he subjectively turned the failure in the early stage of the "From the Lu Battle" and the passive "immortal transformation" into Zhuge Liang's "test", "temptation", and "pride of the enemy" strategies; it is also a problem caused by the "poisonous insect miasma". If you are unwilling to "face" Zhuge Liang will make mistakes and fail.
However, Zhuge Liang was Zhuge Liang after all, and he quickly understood the "enemy situation" in the face of setbacks, formulated and implemented a series of military and political offensives, which to a certain extent collapsed the "Baiyi Alliance". He also used military "technology" that was at least very superb for Meng Huo and his "team", and focused on eliminating the most combative part of the opponent's armed forces, and captured Meng Huo alive.
Just like that, the "play" of "seven captures and seven traits" was "stage" - she captured Meng Huo and released it after some persuasion; such seven times made Meng Huo completely "conquered you", so the problem was solved, and the "back" of the "back" showed a "century-year governance."
Why is it called a "drama"? Because the actual "truth" is probably not so easy and beautiful. At least, from the perspective of today's people, if you think a little deeper and a little bit, you will feel the "problem".
Let’s avoid the "halo" that has been around for thousands of years. From the perspective of "people", think about Zhuge Liang - as an important official of the "state" and a famous figure with a famous reputation in the Central Plains, he captured it seven times. Haven’t he ever thought about killing Meng Huo? If a barbarian is called, they will kill him. They will soon launch a new "leader". At worst, they will kill one or two more. If they cannot reach the third one, they will become confused, soft, and have no energy to fight, so they will be "great and calm"! How bad would such a "big concentration" be compared to "seven captures and seven traversals"? When I switched to Meng Huo's side, would I really be "simple" enough to say, "I don't accept it, if you have the ability, please let me go back and we will fight again"? Even if it is, once, twice, or three times, will it change? What's more, seven times! Meng Huo, who is very "simple" in his mouth, really doesn't he think of "You, Zhuge Liang, don't dare to kill me" at all? !
Maybe, Zhuge Liang, really, really, just, I dare not kill Meng Huo!
is not "kind"! Talking about "kindness" with military strategists and politicians is a kindergarten-level mistake!
is not a "softitude". At least not all! There must be a factor of "strategic hesitation", which can also be called "overwhelmed" - it is, you can capture Meng Huo and kill him, but what should you do after you kill? Zhuge Liang, who had been "cautious in using troops" all his life, is actually probably a less "decisive" commander!
(III) Selfishness and future troubles
Until today, hundreds of years later, the Wa people (Awa) people still devoutly respect Zhuge Liang as "Grandpa". In comparison, Meng Huo, who was respected as the "Last King" and "Great King", is the "ancestor" with the attributes of "human", and "Grandpa" Zhuge Liang is a god! It is not difficult to understand what the difference between God and man is.
Who planted the Wa people's awareness that Zhuge Liang is a "god"? Meng Huo? Or - Zhuge Liang himself? From the heart, it should be considered that it was the two of them who "cooperated"!
Whether it is "strategic hesitation" or something, seven captures and seven traversals must contain the factor of "being kind". Even if you didn't have it and was very indifferent, it must have it later. If you didn't do it well, it would be quite strong - if you don't kill you, of course you have to convince you. The simple "catch" and "relay" of "dialectics" of "capture" and "relay" in simple force. You are not "civilized" guy, and you really can't understand it all, and you may not be able to guess that I dare not kill you. You can't guess that way! Therefore, we have to "brainwash" - the Celestial Empire, the Emperor, and I Zhuge Liang! As long as I am here, you can do it whenever I want to hit you! But I don’t want to fight either. What I want is harmony and peace...
In this process, almost all intellectuals, especially Chinese intellectuals, are inevitably the process of giving their faces. It is considered "selfish" and "hered" from Confucius.
Meng Huo didn’t know about Master Kong! Not to mention its "heredity". As a result, he was "brainwashed" more smoothly, and he had the desire to worship and obey Zhuge Liang, the "God". In addition, the "Lu Water Festival" performance art on the way to the Han army was even more touching! The so-called "Lu Water Festival" refers to Zhuge Liang's "face" when he returned to his country and crossed the Lu Water again, and made it into something that was the size of a human head and looked like a figure. He used it as a sacrifice to worship "Lu Water", symbolizing "the head of the barbarians" and called "barbarians". He thought it expressed his apology for killing the "barbarians" in the war just past. It is said that the kind of sacrifice called "barbarian leader" is the "original" of "mantou".
No matter whether the "Lu Water Festival" of the "barbarian leader" is real or how true it is, Meng Huo is "obedient", but what he "obedient" is only Zhuge Liang's "god" who can defeat him seven times repeatedly, not Shu Han and his emperor, nor is it the "transformation", "system" and "text" he represents. So, as soon as Zhuge Liang died, he even heard that Zhuge Liang had to go north and "returned" without expecting to return, and he and the "Baiyi" he had joined together had a "rebel" again! Can the "futures" of "repeated rebellion" be attributed to the "relationship between people" simply and generally - because Zhuge Liang's little vain selfishness as an intellectual has led to the limitations or even narrowness of the political offensive?
Of course, it is urgent to "get results" and not giving "Baiyi" and Meng Huo himself enough "digestible period", which is also one of the causes of "later troubles".
Of course, I want to create a "big decision" myself, and it ignores the "naturalization" of the "Last Emperor" Liu Bei's "Bar" and the weak strategy and effect of pulling the "man" to attack Wu ( The Battle of Yiling ). It can also be said to be the strategic "negligence" point of "Nanzheng". Just say "negligence"! He said that "I want to be successful and overwhelmed the master" is mean, and he may be malicious about Zhuge Liang's selfishness.
To sum up, sincerely speaking, the "Southern Expedition" of "Baiyi" is theoretically tenable, but it is only tenable, and it is not considered a "big plan" for "long-term stability"; seven captures and seven traversals, how to say it? Either there is really hesitation and helplessness, or it is also "performance art"? Later generations guessed without any disrespect!
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