Novel scene
Zhuge Liang Submits the Memorial to Attack the Central Plains 伐中原武侯上表
About this event
"Zhuge Liang Submits the Memorial to Attack the Central Plains" is the latter scene of Chapter 91 of the Romance, whose chapter title is "Sacrificing at the Lu River, the Han Chancellor Leads the Army Home; Setting Out to Attack the Central Plains, the Marquis of Wu Presents a Memorial." It covers the events from Zhuge Liang, back from the south, having Sima Yi removed through Ma Su's scheme to sow discord, to his presenting the Memorial on Dispatching the Troops to the Later Ruler and advancing to Hanzhong with Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi as his vanguard. It is the opening of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions. Romance, Ch. 91 §21–23 · 31–32 · 43–47
The same event appears in Chen Shou's text. The Biography of Zhuge Liang in Records of Shu 5 gives the full text of the memorial that Zhuge Liang submitted in the 5th year of Jianxing (227) before setting out north to garrison Hanzhong. Records, Shu 5 §24–31
Course of events in the Records
When the south was entirely pacified in the autumn of the 3rd year of Jianxing (225), military supplies came from there and the state became prosperous, and Zhuge Liang put the army in order, trained in martial skills and waited for the time for a great campaign. In the 5th year of Jianxing, when he was about to lead the various armies north to garrison Hanzhong, he submitted a memorial before setting out. Records, Shu 5 §24
The memorial begins by saying that the late emperor passed away before his enterprise was half complete, that the realm was divided in three and Yi Province was exhausted, and that this was truly a critical moment of survival or destruction. It said that the palace and the chancellery were one body and should not differ in rewards and punishments, and that palace affairs should be referred to Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi and Dong Yun, and the affairs of the military camps to Xiang Chong. It went on to say that the late emperor had visited him three times in his thatched cottage when he was farming in Nanyang, that it had been twenty-one years since he took up his charge at the time of defeat, and that, having crossed the Lu River in the 5th month and pacified the south, he would now pacify the Central Plains to the north, restore the house of Han and return to the old capital. Records, Shu 5 §24–30
Zhuge Liang then set out and garrisoned Mianyang. The Biography of the Later Ruler records that in the spring of the 5th year of Jianxing Zhuge Liang went out to garrison Hanzhong and encamped at Shima in Yangping, north of the Mian River. Records, Shu 5 §31Records, Shu 3 §8
In the Romance
In Chapter 91 of the Romance, when Cao Pi died and Cao Rui took the throne, Sima Yi was put in charge of the troops of Yong and Liang provinces. When Zhuge Liang worried about this, Ma Su proposed spreading rumors and posting placards saying that Sima Yi was plotting rebellion, and Cao Rui, having seen the placard posted on a gate of Ye, went to Anyi, grew suspicious of Sima Yi, who came out to meet him leading troops, and stripped him of his offices and sent him back to his home village. Romance, Ch. 91 §19–31
Saying that there was now nothing to worry about, Zhuge Liang presented the Memorial on Dispatching the Troops at court the next day. The Later Ruler worried about his Father-Chancellor, who had only just returned from the southern campaign, and the Grand Astrologer Qiao Zhou tried to dissuade him, saying the northern energies were strong, but Zhuge Liang said he would first garrison Hanzhong and observe the situation. Leaving Guo Youzhi, Dong Yun and Fei Yi behind as Palace Attendants and Xiang Chong as commander, and assigning duties to Wei Yan and the other commanders, he chose the bingyin day of the 3rd month, in the spring of the 5th year of Jianxing, to set out. Romance, Ch. 91 §31–43
When the veteran Zhao Yun volunteered for the vanguard and said that if he were not used he would dash his head against the steps and die, Zhuge Liang sent Deng Zhi with him. At the report that Zhuge Liang had garrisoned Hanzhong with more than 300,000 men, Xiahou Mao, son of Xiahou Yuan, came forward to avenge his father, and although Wang Lang tried to stop it, Cao Rui made him Grand Commander and had him lead more than 200,000 troops from west of the passes. Romance, Ch. 91 §44–51
Where the Romance differs
Sima Yi's dismissal: In Chapter 91 of the Romance, Cao Rui stripped Sima Yi of his offices and sent him home because of Ma Su's scheme to sow discord, after which Zhuge Liang submitted his memorial. Chen Shou's text has no such event; the Annals of Emperor Ming record that when Meng Da rebelled in the 12th month of the 1st year of Taihe (227), the General of Agile Cavalry Sima Yi was ordered to attack him, and that in the 1st month of the following year Sima Yi broke Xincheng and beheaded Meng Da. Romance, Ch. 91 §22–31Records, Wei 3 §6–7
Xiahou Mao: Chapter 91 of the Romance says that Xiahou Mao was the son of Xiahou Yuan, was adopted as Xiahou Dun's heir, and was given Cao Cao's daughter Princess Qinghe after Xiahou Yuan's death. The Biography of Xiahou Dun in the Records describes Xiahou Mao as Xiahou Dun's son, and says that Taizu had earlier married Princess Qinghe to him. Romance, Ch. 91 §49Records, Wei 9 §9
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.