Zhuge Liang, styled Kongming, was the chancellor of the Shu Han dynasty and was praised as the "wise strategist". His Northern Expedition was recorded in history as a violation of the Longzhong Plan, but the deeper purpose behind it was rarely known. So, what was the real goal of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition?

Firstly, we need to understand the content of the Longzhong Plan. The Longzhong Plan was a strategic concept proposed by Zhuge Liang when Liu Bei visited him three times despite being refused. The main contents included alliance with Wu to fight against Cao, capturing Jingzhou and Yizhou, and then capturing the Central Plains. However, as history did not develop exactly as expected, Zhuge Liang did not completely follow the plan in his practical actions.

So, what was the purpose of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition? From historical data, his ultimate goal was to restore the Han dynasty and achieve reunification. Zhuge Liang was well aware that Shu Han was a small and sparsely populated region with limited strength, but he still persisted in the Northern Expedition because he saw the internal conflicts and chaos within Cao Wei, believing that there was an opportunity to weaken Cao Wei through the expedition and further strengthen the power of Shu Han.

However, Zhuge Liang also knew that Shu Han alone could not accomplish this goal. Therefore, during the Northern Expedition, he constantly tried to ally with Wu, forming a pincer attack against Cao Wei. Although this strategy was not completely successful, Zhuge Liang did not give up. He sent messengers to Wu multiple times during the Northern Expedition, hoping to form a combined force.

In addition, another important purpose of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition was to stabilize the internal situation of Shu Han. Although Shu Han was small and sparsely populated, under Zhuge Liang's governance, the country was relatively stable, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. However, if there was no foreign war for a long time, the morale of the army might decline, and domestic conflicts might be intensified. Therefore, the Northern Expedition was also a strategy adopted by Zhuge Liang to stabilize the internal situation of Shu Han.

Overall, the ultimate goal of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition was to restore the Han dynasty and achieve reunification. He hoped to weaken Cao Wei, strengthen Shu Han through the expedition, and also stabilize the internal situation of Shu Han. Although he ultimately failed to achieve this goal, Zhuge Liang's wisdom and determination still inspire admiration.

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