Jianmen pass is known as “the best pass in the world”
No matter what you do, geography is a very important factor, but it is not a decisive factor. In a war, even if you have geographical advantages, but lack of human harmony, it is impossible to defeat your opponents. Geographical advantages can be relied on and not relied on. Only by combining geographical advantages with human harmony can you steadily win.
The geographer guzuyu said in summing up the relationship between geographical advantage and human harmony: “what is the permanent geographical advantage? The valley of Han and the sword pavilion are the dangers of the world. The Qin people use the letter to pass, but there are more than six countries; the end of the letter is also insufficient to resist the group of thieves. Zhuge, marquis Wu, came out of the sword Pavilion, shaking Qin long and regulating three auxiliary forces; Liu Chan has the sword Pavilion, but Chengdu can’t protect it.”
Hangu pass before the Han Dynasty was located in the northeast of Lingbao County, Henan Province, and was called the old Hangu pass. The geographical situation of the old Hangu pass is very dangerous. To the north is a big river and to the south is a high mountain. It is closed in the valley. It is as dangerous as a letter (the letter is a box, and the letter was sent in ancient times). In the spring and Autumn period, the Jin State blocked the invasion of the Qin State in the West based on this natural danger. During the Warring States period, the Qin State occupied Hangu pass. After that, Guandong, Guanzhong and guanxi got their names.
Hangu pass helps the Qin State reject the soldiers of the six Kingdoms
During the Warring States period, the six Eastern countries joined forces to attack Qin for many times. The Qin army held Hangu pass and repeatedly prevented the Eastern Allied forces from moving forward. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Qin State fell apart. Qin soldiers did not love war. Although there was a danger of Hangu pass, they could not stop a group of thieves.
The sword Pavilion refers to the Jianmen pass. Jianmen pass is a pass across Dajian mountain between Jiange and Zhaohua. Dajian mountain is high in the north and low in the south, with continuous mountains. Seventy-two peaks point directly into the sky like swords. The towering and precipitous mountains suddenly break off when they reach Jianmen pass. The two cliffs face each other, and the straight Cliff falls to the bottom of the valley like a gate, so it is called “Jianmen”. The pass between the two cliffs is about 20 meters wide and 500 meters long. A swift stream passes through the pass.
In ancient times, a plank road was built on the cliff, a door was built in the middle, and a three-story turret was built on it. If the door was closed, it would be difficult to fly. There was a danger that one man would be in charge of the pass, and ten thousand men would not open it.
Jianmen pass was the main passage between Sichuan and Shaanxi in ancient times. The northbound road out of Jianmen pass meanders between high mountains and cliffs, which often makes you scared when traveling. During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhugeliang, the Prime Minister of Shu, led his troops to dig Jianshan mountain and open a garret road for 30 Li. When encountering a cliff, he dug a hole along the mountain, erected a crossbar, built pavilions at the mouth of the dangerous pass, and built a guard at the pass. After Zhugeliang built the garret Road, he implemented the strategy of “taking attack as defense” and led his troops to attack the state of Wei many times. Although he failed, he effectively deterred the enemy and preserved the state of Shu.
The empress of Shu surrendered without fighting
At the end of the Three Kingdoms period, Wei generals Zhong Hui and Deng AI led 100000 troops to attack Shu. Shu generals Jiang Wei firmly guarded Jianmen pass, leaving Zhong Hui helpless. Later, Deng AI led the troops to bypass the Jianmen pass and attack the Shu army from Yinping Road, which was a success. The empress of the Shu Kingdom surrendered without fighting. It was precisely because of the incompetence of Liu Chan’s leadership that the kingdom of Shu was destroyed despite the danger of a sword Pavilion, so guzuyu said that “Liu Chan had a sword Pavilion, but Chengdu could not protect it”.
Not only did guzuyu have the view that “according to the natural danger, people will lose if they are not allowed”. As early as the 8th year of Yuankang of Jin Dynasty (AD 298), Li te led the refugees to Sichuan. When passing by the natural danger sword Pavilion, he could not help sighing and saying: “Liu Chan is so tied to people. Isn’t it a mediocre talent?” Later, Li Xiong, the son of Li te, took advantage of the natural danger of Jiange to occupy Chengdu and dominate the Western Shu during the “eight kings’ rebellion” of the Jin Dynasty.