Treatise on Military Preparedness, Volume 28

Strategy Research

Three Kingdoms Part IV

There were discussions [within the Wei court] about mobilizing troops to rescue the besieged positions. The Emperor of Wei, Cao Rui Also known as Emperor Ming of Wei, the grandson of Cao Cao., said: "Sun Quan is accustomed to naval warfare. That he now dares to launch a land attack is merely an attempt to catch us while we are unprepared. He is already held in check by our general Wen Ping. In a struggle between offense and defense, the defender's strength is effectively doubled; he will not dare to remain for long." Indeed, after a short time, Sun Quan retreated.

Zhuge Liang led his various armies to station themselves in the north at Hanzhong. When the Emperor of Wei heard that Liang was in Hanzhong, he wished to mobilize a large-scale expedition to attack him. He consulted Sun Zi A high-ranking official and close advisor to the Wei emperors, known for his cautious and strategic mind. on the matter.

Sun Zi replied: "In the past, the Martial Emperor Referring to Cao Cao, the founder of the Wei state's power. took the region from Zhang Lu, but he only succeeded after facing great peril. He often remarked that the region of Nanzheng The administrative center of Hanzhong. was effectively a Prison of Heaven original: "tianyü" (天獄)A metaphor for a location that is naturally fortified and extremely difficult to escape or conquer due to its rugged terrain., and that the road through the Xie Valley was like a five-hundred-mile stone tunnel.

Now, if we advance our army toward Nanzheng, the path is already treacherous and obstructed. It is calculated that to employ elite troops, manage the transport of supplies, and maintain a garrison, we would need over forty thousand men for the south, and over one hundred and fifty or sixty thousand for the north.

Words of deep insight and wisdom

This would surely lead to further burdens on our resources, and the entire realm would be thrown into turmoil. This must be considered deeply. It would be better to simply utilize our existing troops, divide their commands, and order our great generals to occupy the various strategic points..."