lovenovelstory Chapter 66 It's all about timing and fate.
Chapter 66 It's all about timing and fate.
"Young people shouldn't go to Sichuan, and old people shouldn't leave Sichuan," is a widely circulated proverb in the Sichuan region.
In ancient times, Sichuan was known as Bashu. Due to its isolated environment and backward culture, it was regarded as a place of exile.
When Xiang Yu enfeoffed the princes, he gave the land of Ba and Shu to Liu Bang, intending to drive him to this "desolate land" and weaken his strength.
However, after Qin conquered Bashu, it built water conservancy projects to irrigate farmland, turning the area into the "Land of Abundance".
Abundant resources and a comfortable environment can easily lead people to become complacent in their current lives, causing young people to lose their drive to venture out and explore.
However, after being immersed in this leisurely life for a long time, a person's mind will gradually become numb, and they will be unwilling to leave.
In addition, the roads out of Sichuan are treacherous, and it has been a place of refuge since ancient times. Most people in Yizhou have the traditional idea of "closing the door and becoming one family".
This can be seen from the attitude of the local Yizhou faction towards Liu Zhang and Liu Bei.
When Liu Shou was invited by Liu Zhang to lead his troops into Sichuan to resist Zhang Lu, most of the Yizhou faction opposed it.
When Liu Zhang's power was waning, they all urged him to surrender to Liu Bei and offer up his territory.
This seemingly capricious behavior is precisely what is ingrained in the genes of the people of Yizhou.
They don't want outsiders to bother them, but when threatened by outsiders, they will submit, displaying a political stance of "the king's flag changing on the city wall, and one person finishing their act while another takes the stage."
After Liu Bei's defeat at Yiling, the state of Yizhou weakened, and most people thought of closing themselves off and developing on their own.
As for things like "conquering the world" and "restoring the Han dynasty," they didn't care at all.
But Zhuge Liang did not think so.
He was favored by Liu Bei in his youth, and now he is entrusted with the responsibility of restoring the Han Dynasty and returning to the old capital.
Prior to this, Zhuge Liang had always regarded Jingzhou as a strategic location for Shu Han's military deployment.
When the world changes, send a general to lead the Jingzhou army towards Wan and Luo, and then gather the troops of Yizhou to march out of Qin Chuan.
However, Guan Yu's carelessness led to the loss of Jingzhou, causing Shu Han to shift from an offensive to a defensive posture on the eastern front, thus forcing them to adjust their strategy.
Hanzhong was the key to whether Shu Han could contend for control of the Central Plains.
So how excited he must have been when Liu Shan revealed his grand strategy in a single sentence.
"Your Majesty is wise. Back then, Emperor Gaozu started his army in Hanzhong, openly repairing the plank roads while secretly crossing Chencang, attacking Chencang, and occupying Guanzhong. Only then did he have the resources to compete with Xiang Yu for the world."
Liu Shan nodded at first, then sighed deeply, "It's just... a pity!"
Since Liu Shan knew the real reason for stationing troops in Hanzhong, he naturally understood why Liu Shan sighed.
"Unfortunately, when Emperor Gaozu raised his army, Hanzhong was a rich and fertile land that could provide a steady supply of food for the army. But now most of the land in Hanzhong is abandoned, and the food can only barely sustain the troops stationed there."
"If we do not cultivate and store grain in Hanzhong, when we send troops to take Guanzhong in the future, the grain will have to be transported from Chengdu. Not to mention the rugged roads, the losses along the way will be staggering. The supply route will become the biggest problem for our army."
Seeing Zhuge Liang's furrowed brows, Liu Shan comforted him, "Prime Minister, there is no need to worry. I have now ordered Wei Yan to cultivate land and build granaries in Hanzhong, which is in preparation for the future northern expedition of our army."
Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang frowned even more deeply.
"Sending troops from Hanzhong was a last resort. Moreover, we must wait for the right time. I fear that when the time comes, the court will not be ready. We will have the opportunity but not the means, and in the end, it will all be for nothing."
Compared to Jingzhou, Hanzhong's strategic significance leans more towards defense than offense.
If troops were to be dispatched from Hanzhong, they would need to cross the Qinling Mountains, a treacherous route with five mountain roads running from west to east: Qishan Road, Chencang Road, Baoxie Road, Tangluo Road, and Ziwu Road.
The further east you go in the mountain road, the narrower and more difficult it becomes.
The Qishan Road has flat terrain, which is conducive to the passage of large armies and supplies, but it is the longest route, giving the enemy enough time to deploy troops and make a reaction.
Once the Chencang Road emerges from the mountains, it can control the vital passage between Longshang and Guanzhong, allowing for free advance and retreat. However, the road is treacherous and difficult to traverse, and Chencang is a well-fortified city with ample supplies, making it difficult to capture.
Although the Baoxie Road is short and easy to travel, the plank roads are easily damaged, and the Wei army can send troops to guard the valley entrance, making it impregnable.
The Tangluo Road is the closest to the main peak of the Qinling Mountains, Taibai Mountain. It crosses five or six watersheds around Taibai Mountain and is the most convenient route.
However, it is also the most treacherous route, consisting of numerous valley passages, a winding and treacherous mountain road, unsuitable for large armies to traverse.
As for the Ziwu Valley Road, it is the closest to Chang'an, but it is narrow, long and treacherous, making it impassable for large armies; only a surprise attack can be launched.
For this reason, leaving the Ziwu Valley could not guarantee the supply of food and provisions. If they encountered an ambush or a sudden downpour, they would face the risk of total annihilation.
Liu Shan could understand Zhuge Liang's feelings at that moment.
When Mr. Shui Jing read "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" back then, he learned that Zhuge Liang had come out of seclusion to assist Liu Bei, and he sighed: "Although Kongming has found his lord, he has not found his time."
This single sentence encapsulates Zhuge Liang's great yet regrettable life.
Time is also fate!
Liu Shan's heart skipped a beat; he wanted to speak, but the words stuck in his throat.
It took Liu Shan a while to recover and try to calm himself down.
"My lord, when soldiers come, we will meet them with generals; when water comes, we will dam it with earth. As the saying goes, when the time is right, advantages and disadvantages always go hand in hand. We must discover the positive side, and at the same time, we must bravely face the unfavorable side."
"The interplay of Yin and Yang is called the Dao."
Zhuge Liang's gaze was fixed on Liu Shan's face.
Liu Shan often said surprising things, which surprised me, but also filled me with satisfaction.
"Why is the Prime Minister looking at me like that?"
"I believe that Your Majesty's learning and cultivation are extraordinary, and the contributions of Physician Imer are indispensable."
Liu Shan did not deny it.
Reading Zuo Zhuan not only enriches one's historical knowledge, but also teaches profound wisdom about life, superb literary skills, and practical strategies.
But something deeper comes from a product that doesn't belong to this era.
Suddenly, Zhuge Liang stood up abruptly and bowed deeply to Liu Shan.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for deceiving you."
Liu Shan was somewhat bewildered.
The conversation was going well, so why did he suddenly apologize?
"Prime Minister, what crime have you committed? Stand up and speak."
Zhuge Liang remained bowing, his lips trembling.
"Before the late emperor passed away, he gave me a secret edict. Because it was of great importance, I have never dared to reveal it."
Liu Shan vaguely guessed what was going on and asked, "What about the secret edict?"
"This matter concerns the fate of the nation and its people. Without Your Majesty's permission, I acted on my own initiative and have already burned it," Zhuge Liang stated frankly.
"Let it burn, Father Prime Minister, you don't need to worry about it. I won't blame you."
Zhuge Liang found Liu Shan's composure rather strange.
"Your Majesty, don't you want to know why the late Emperor made this edict?"
Liu Shan shook his head.
"First, this edict was given by the late emperor to the prime minister, not to me, so I don't need to know about it."
"Secondly, since this will belongs to the Prime Minister, it is up to him to decide whether to burn it or keep it; I need not interfere."
"Third, since the Prime Minister chose to burn it, he must already have his answer in his heart, so why should I know about the existence of this edict?"
Zhuge Liang looked up in surprise. His intuition told him that Liu Shan not only knew of the existence of this secret edict, but also might know its contents.
Moreover, Liu Shan's choice not to investigate further was precisely the greatest trust he had in Liu Shan's loyalty.
At this moment, Zhuge Liang recalled Liu Bei's dying words.
Whether his talent surpassed Cao Pi's by tenfold is hard to say.
However, Liu Shan's talent and magnanimity certainly surpassed Cao Pi's.
Not only can they assist, but they do so willingly and without any ulterior motives.