Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

Upon hearing Jiang Wei's words, Chen Zhi nodded slightly and gestured for him to speak: "Brother Boyue, please explain in detail what 'winning before fighting' means?"

Jiang Wei, well-versed in military strategy and confident in his approach, replied calmly, "The opening lines of Sun Tzu's *Art of War* state: 'War is a matter of vital importance to the state; a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.' If one judges that a battle can be won, then one should fight. If one judges that a battle can be lost, then one should not fight. That is all!"

Chen Zhi smiled and said, "Brother Boyue's words are correct, but they are indeed a bit complicated and difficult for ordinary people to understand. How can one know whether this battle can be won? It depends on the strength of the nation, the strictness of the military system's rewards and punishments, the competence of the generals, and whether the timing, location, and popular support are favorable. If one knows that victory is inevitable, how can one persuade internal forces to stop the war? How can one defend and wait for the opportune moment?"

"If we were to discuss the Northern Expedition based on this, fools and idiots would only think that the territory of Wei was larger than that of Shu Han, and that its population and military strength were several times greater than their own. If they took the four words 'victory before battle' as their guiding principle, it would only demoralize people and cause unnecessary trouble."

"I have something to say, Brother Boyue," Chen Zhi continued. "If we're talking about military strategy, it would be better to just say the four words 'To win by relying on numbers.'"

Jiang Wei frowned: "Victory comes from numbers?"

Chen Zhi smiled and nodded: "Exactly."

Jiang Wei then said, "Our dynasty's military strength is only a little over 120,000. Prime Minister Zhuge is leading 100,000 troops on this northern expedition, which is already the maximum strength of our dynasty's forces. If even this is not enough to outnumber the Wei army, how can we rely on sheer numbers to win?"

Chen Zhi countered, "Brother Boyue, how many troops did the Prime Minister lead in his five Northern Expeditions?"

Without hesitation, Jiang Wei replied, "The first campaign will have 80,000 troops, the second 40,000, the third 20,000, the fourth 80,000, and the fifth 100,000."

Chen Zhi said, "When the Prime Minister was the commander-in-chief, he could lead an army of 100,000, advancing and retreating with discipline and decisive command. Let me ask Brother Boyue, with your abilities, how many tens of thousands of troops could you lead?"

Seeing that Jiang Wei was about to answer, Chen Zhi added, "Brother Boyue, you must answer truthfully."

Jiang Wei paused for a moment, then replied seriously, "In recent years, the Prime Minister has ordered me to command the Tiger Infantry in battle, with each battle involving no more than six thousand men. However, I am confident in my ability to lead troops, and I should be able to command twenty thousand soldiers without any problem, as easily as if they were my own limbs."

Chen Zhi then asked, "Besides Brother Boyue, the court currently has only three renowned generals: Left General Wu Yi, Right General Gao Xiang, and Rear General Wu Ban. Brother Boyue, how many troops do you think these three can command?"

Jiang Wei considered the matter carefully for a moment: "The Left General is a capable commander, having been entrusted by the Prime Minister to lead an army independently. He should be able to command 20,000 to 30,000 troops. The Right General is a skilled warrior, his troops are always at the forefront of battle, but he cannot command large armies, only his own force of 5,000 to 6,000 men. The Rear General is somewhere in between, capable of commanding several thousand or 15,000 troops. It's a pity that Wei Wenchang is not here; his fighting prowess was unparalleled in the Han army. It's truly a pity!"

At this point, Jiang Wei's expression grew even more serious, tinged with a sense of helplessness: "In that case, with the Prime Minister gone, is there no one else in the country suitable to lead the army?"

"Haha, Brother Boyue, there's no need to be so pessimistic." Chen Zhi laughed a few times. "As the saying goes, it's easy to find a thousand soldiers, but hard to find a good general. Not only is the imperial court lacking commanders, but the Wei and Wu kingdoms are also lacking. Commanding 10,000 men to win a decisive battle is a different kind of difficulty than commanding 100,000 men to ensure victory in every attack. Currently, Wei only has Sima Yi and Wu only has Lu Xun, both capable of commanding 50,000 to 100,000 men effectively."

"Although I do not understand military affairs, everything in this world must be done in accordance with reason. Even if Brother Boyue is indeed a commander, he must first lead 10,000 troops to gain experience, then 20,000, 50,000, and gradually progress to leading 100,000 troops. There is no such thing as achieving success overnight."

Jiang Wei gave a wry smile, shook his head, and sighed softly, "I'm not Han Xin; naturally, I need to be trained first. But if Fengzong says this, how can the court rely on its superior numbers to win? How can it launch a northern expedition against Wei?"

Chen Zhi held up two fingers and calmly said, "First, we should not fight against Sima Yi. We should wait until Sima Yi is transferred away from Guanzhong before launching a northern expedition to Guanzhong and Longyou. Wei has always valued its imperial relatives and been wary of foreign generals. Now that the prime minister has passed away, Sima Yi will not be away from Guanzhong for long."

"Secondly, victory depends on numbers. We can have more troops, stronger fighting power, or both! If we fight in a place where Wei cannot deploy so many troops, such as Liangzhou, like the Prime Minister's first Northern Expedition, we can use a calculated strategy to catch the enemy off guard, opening up opportunities for a great victory!"

Jiang Weiteng stood up abruptly, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Chen Zhi, and said, "Feng Zong's words are truly wise and insightful, and I, Jiang Wei, deeply admire them!"

"Oh?" Chen Zhi didn't get up, but looked up at Jiang Wei with a smile: "Brother Boyue, what have you thought of?"

Jiang Wei stroked his beard and replied in a deep voice, "Wei can muster at least tens of thousands of troops in Guanzhong. Considering their logistical needs, given the recent grain shortages in Longyou, they can only muster a maximum of seventy to eighty thousand troops in the Tianshui area of ​​Longyou. Therefore, if the Han army launches a surprise attack further west in Longxi, Didao, Jincheng, Xiping, and Wuwei, Wei can only hastily muster twenty to thirty thousand troops, at most forty thousand!"

"When the Prime Minister was alive, he was confident in his abilities and often wanted to fight the Wei army in Tianshui and Guanzhong, and he always had a good chance of winning. We are not as good as the Prime Minister and cannot lead an army of 100,000. If we combine our forces to fight the Wei army, we may not be able to defeat Sima Yi. However, if we gather 30,000 to 40,000 elite troops and fight the Wei army in the remote areas of Longxi and Liangzhou, we will be far away, and the Wei army will also be far away. With the current strength of the Han army, the current exhaustion of the Wei army in Guanzhong and Longyou, the strength of Wu, Gao, Deng and other generals, and myself Jiang Wei, if it is not Sima Yi who is dealing with the situation in a measured manner, how can we not win the battle? As for Guo Huai and others, they are not worth worrying about!"

"The imperial court should avoid the strong and attack the weak, control the Hexi region, and cut off the route to Liangzhou!"

Jiang Wei grew increasingly excited as he spoke, waving his arms and his face flushed slightly, as if he had been drinking: "First, we can seize the six commanderies of Jincheng, Xiping, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang, and bring the people and barbarians of Liangzhou to serve the Han. Second, we can take over the land for grazing horses, build up our cavalry, and fight the Wei army on the plains. Third, we can make full use of the Qiang and Hu tribes; their hearts are with the Han, not with the rebels, and we can join them in rebelling against Wei!"

"From Hanzhong to Xindu, it has been more than ten days. I have been pondering the methods of the Northern Expedition day and night. Although I have gained some insights, none have been as clear as what Fengzong has said. Today, after asking you a question, everything has become clear!"

Jiang Wei cupped his hands in greeting: "Your words today, sir, are invaluable advice; I will never forget them!"

Chen Zhi had already stood up at this moment, waving his hand with a smile: "I was merely offering Brother Boyue a few pointers. How to proceed is entirely up to Brother Boyue himself; how could it be considered my golden advice?"

"Fengzong, do not be modest," Jiang Wei said solemnly. "Fengzong previously united the Prime Minister's office and the generals in Hanzhong, and today he has devised this strategy in Xindu. It can be said that he has saved the day and boosted morale! With Fengzong's talent, the Han Dynasty is fortunate!"

"I shall take my leave now." Jiang Wei bowed respectfully. "What you just said requires further consideration. When I enter the palace to pay my respects tomorrow, I will present a plan to His Majesty!"

"Very well." Chen Zhi smiled and nodded. "Having Brother Boyue is a blessing for the Han Dynasty!"