Chapter Forty-Two: The Meridian Valley
During the Three Kingdoms period, the Chancellor of Shu Han, Zhuge Liang, set out from Chengdu to cross the Qin Mountains and campaign against the northern regime of Cao Wei. Among his generals, Wei Yan proposed a plan:
He requested Zhuge Liang to lead the main army in a grand display northward along the Xiegu highway, attacking the key Wei stronghold at Chencang, thereby drawing the bulk of the Wei forces. Meanwhile, Wei Yan himself would command ten thousand elite troops, secretly advancing along the narrow path of the Ziwugu valley, reaching the walls of Chang’an within ten days to catch the Wei army off guard, seizing Chang’an and the strategic pass at Tongguan in one fell swoop.
Afterward, Zhuge Liang and Wei Yan would attack from both the front and rear, capturing the entire Guanzhong region. This would greatly strengthen Shu Han, giving hope for the destruction of Cao Wei and the restoration of the Central Plain. This plan came to be known as the famous “Ziwugu Stratagem.”
However, Zhuge Liang deemed Wei Yan’s plan too risky—ten thousand elite troops might never return. He did not adopt it, instead choosing a more cautious approach: advancing from Qishan to attack the Longyou region, proceeding step by step eastward toward Chang’an.
The result was that the Shu army stretched its lines too thin, and supply lines failed, leading to six expeditions from Qishan, all ending in futility. After Zhuge Liang’s death, the incompetent Emperor Liu Shan led Shu into decline, and eventually, Shu was destroyed by Cao Wei.
Though Shu fell, Wei Yan’s Ziwugu Stratagem sparked fierce debate among later generations, gradually forming two schools of thought:
One group believed Zhuge Liang was right—the Ziwugu route was recklessly dangerous, with no chance of success. Not only would Chang’an not be taken, but Shu’s elite troops would be lost.
The other group believed the Ziwugu Stratagem was feasible; Zhuge Liang was overly cautious and thus missed a golden opportunity.
The two sides argued endlessly, and to this day the “Ziwugu Stratagem” remains one of history’s great unsolved mysteries.
...
“Yulang, in your opinion, was the Ziwugu Stratagem workable?”
“Heh, the fortunes of war are ever-changing, not easily explained in a few words. But we can conduct a sand-table simulation and perhaps deduce an answer.”
“Oh? What is a sand-table simulation?”
“It’s a method of recreating the progress of a battle on a precise sand-table model.”
As he spoke, Li Zhao gathered some small stones, sand, and sticks, then laid out the topography of Hanzhong, the Qin Mountains, and the Guanzhong region on a clearing. Though scaled down countless times, it remained accurate enough to amaze Cui Zongzhi.
In ancient times, observation technology was primitive and map-making extremely difficult. Even when maps were produced, their accuracy was questionable—distances were often wrong, place names misrecorded, and even directions could be mistaken.
Therefore, before a major battle, generals had to inspect the terrain personally; otherwise, deploying troops by map alone was mere theory, practically inviting defeat.
Li Zhao, before crossing over, had served several years in mountain special forces and studied many high-resolution military maps. Now, relying on memory, he could create a sand-table with ease.
Soon the sand-table was ready, and Li Zhao and Cui Zongzhi began their simulation…
“The Qin Mountains see heavy rain in summer and autumn, making the plank roads treacherous. Chancellor Zhuge Liang understood the seasons well, so every northern campaign was launched in spring, ensuring clear roads.”
“That’s true, but Ziwugu’s terrain is unique—a low-altitude deep valley. Even in early spring, it’s often lashed by heavy rain, and the roads are extremely hard to traverse. Calculating this, even if the Shu army exerted all their strength, they’d advance only twenty or thirty li a day, and in ten days, they wouldn’t cover half the distance.”
...
“Food—food is critical. Trapped in Ziwugu, what would over ten thousand men eat?”
A military sand-table simulation is more than just arranging stones. Weather, terrain, troop strength, equipment, supplies, morale—all must be considered to reach a true answer.
Li Zhao and Cui Zongzhi discussed for a full hour, and their simulation finally yielded a result:
It had to be admitted, Ziwugu’s terrain was too perilous, and the weather unpredictable. If Wei Yan marched through there, with luck, it would take at least twenty days to exit the valley. Even then, supplies would be depleted, soldiers exhausted, probably lacking the strength to assault Chang’an.
If they forced an attack and the defenders resisted desperately, without heavy siege equipment, the Shu troops would struggle to break through. Afterward, they’d be surrounded and annihilated.
If unlucky, Shu’s troops might not even make it out of Ziwugu, scattering from starvation halfway through. If one in ten escaped, it would be remarkable.
(In the eighth year of Jianxing, Cao Zhen led a hundred thousand troops through Ziwugu to attack Shu. They encountered heavy rain along the way, marched for over a month, failed to cover half the distance, morale dropped, supplies ran short, and they had to retreat—Ziwugu’s difficulty was thus proven.)
“So it seems Chancellor Zhuge Liang was right. If the army marched through Ziwugu, Shu would barely have a fraction of a chance.”
“Indeed, the Ziwugu Stratagem was far too risky, nearly suicidal. Yet, if I were the Shu commander, I’d still try it—launching surprise attacks on Chang’an. Even if it failed once, I’d try again and again, never giving up.”
“Oh? Why do you say so, Yulang?”
Cui Zongzhi was puzzled. It was Li Zhao’s simulation that showed the Ziwugu Stratagem had almost no chance, yet Li Zhao also advocated executing it. Wasn’t this contradictory?
“Heh, war itself is a gamble. To win with the weak against the strong, the few against the many, one must dare to take enormous risks, or success is impossible.
At the Battle of Julu, Xiang Yu broke the cauldrons and sank the boats, risking total annihilation. This inspired the Chu troops, and they crushed three hundred thousand Qin soldiers in one battle.
At the Battle of Jingxing, Han Xin arrayed his army with their backs to the river, placing them in mortal danger. Only then did he, outnumbered, defeat two hundred thousand Zhao soldiers.
Chancellor Zhuge Liang was cautious all his life, always weighing his actions, advancing step by step. Such a man would never make great errors, but neither would he achieve great victories. Such a temperament is less suited to commanding armies.
To put it plainly, war is a life-and-death game—when paths cross, the courageous win!”
“Your words are worth ten years of study, Yulang. You are wise and resourceful. If you ever command an army, you’ll surely win countless battles and achieve undying fame. I am deeply impressed!” After Li Zhao’s explanation, Cui Zongzhi couldn’t help but raise his thumb in admiration.
He had only known of Li Zhao’s brilliant chess skills, prodigious drinking, and knack for inventing clever devices; he hadn’t expected such mastery in military matters.
Such talent ought to be recommended to the court. If Li Zhao became a pillar of the state, it would be a great service, and Cui would share the credit!
...
Next, the two continued discussing the gains and losses of various dynasties, from antiquity to present, covering military, politics, diplomacy, institutions, taxation… Li Zhao’s insights were sharp and incisive, earning round after round of applause from Cui Zongzhi.
As their conversation wandered, they arrived at a new topic: ambition.
The ancients said: “To study, one must first set an ambition; once ambition is set, learning can proceed step by step. Without ambition, nothing can be accomplished.”
With ambition, life gains direction and motivation!
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“Yulang, what is your ambition?”
“Let me think about it. What about yours?”
...
“Bao’er wants to be a heroine—wielding a treasured sword, riding a fine horse, robbing the rich to help the poor, upholding justice, eating well, drinking well, playing well, and spending every day with the one she loves, always happy!” Jin Bao’er was the first to declare her ambition, full of childlike innocence, both amusing and endearing.
For a young lady, to neglect needlework and dream of swords and horses all day would make finding a husband difficult.
“I have no ambitions. I just want to serve my master for life. Wherever the master goes, I go. Whatever the master does, I follow.” Bai Mo truly had no ambitions, or rather, his life had become inextricably bound to Li Zhao.
Li Zhao begs for food, Bai Mo holds the bowl.
Li Zhao performs on the street, Bai Mo beats the gong.
Li Zhao becomes wealthy, Bai Mo enjoys the good life.
Li Zhao commands the nation, Bai Mo becomes a noble lord!
The third was Cui Zongzhi. What great ambition did this young Duke of Qi possess?
“My ambition is simple: to support the emperor above, bring peace to the people below, cleanse politics at home, pacify the vassals abroad, and ensure the world is tranquil, just like Lord Fang and Lord Du, leaving my name in history.”
Lord Fang—Fang Xuanling!
Lord Du—Du Ruhui!
They were Emperor Taizong Li Shimin’s most important strategists, masterminding the Xuanwu Gate Incident and his seizure of the throne, then governing wisely and ushering in the flourishing reign of Zhen Guan. Their partnership was known as “Fang's schemes, Du's decisions.”
By taking them as his models, Cui Zongzhi revealed his ambition to become a wise statesman.
“Yulang, what is your ambition?”
“My ambition… is a little complicated.”
Before crossing over, Li Zhao’s ambition was to earn lots of money, marry a beautiful woman, and travel the world together.
But after arriving in the Great Tang, his life changed, and so did his ambitions. Things he could only dream of before were now within reach:
“In a lifetime, one must not waste a single year. I want to drink the strongest wine, climb the highest mountains, see the most beautiful scenery, wield the sharpest blade, ride the fastest horse, defeat the mightiest enemies… Awake, I command the world; drunk, I rest on a beauty’s knee. With a gentle smile, the shadows disperse; after a bloody battle, my spirit lingers… After these ambitions are fulfilled, I’ll choose a place of breathtaking beauty, build a grand house, live with the one I love, eat well, drink well, play well, and be happy every single day!”
The first half of Li Zhao’s ambition was stirring and bold, enough to make hearts race. The latter half, however, was nearly identical to Jin Bao’er’s!