Episode 19: The Chu Han War
In ancient Chinese history, there was no war as magical as this one, and its outcome directly determined the birth of a great dynasty. However, for most Chinese people, the great charm of war lies not only in the outcome, but also in the war itself, because almost every plot of this war has become a classic story that later generations will talk about. A series of popular idioms were born as a result, and have been integrated into the details of our lives for 2000 years, even in our brain, nerves, and blood, influencing our behavior, thinking, and even values and moral standards. The two protagonists of this war are even more brilliant. They have become two representative male images in Chinese history, and many supporting role are also dazzling. Their actions have had a profound impact on future generations, including humiliation and progress, loyalty and betrayal, heroes and beauties, war and peace. They staged a magnificent and timeless drama on the political stage of China at the end of the Qin Dynasty.
Qin Shi Huang’s Tour Map
This is a very spectacular procession, with numerous ceremonial guards. One of them sits on a carriage, majestic and intimidating, and he is Qin Shihuang. A group of conscripts from the Feng and Pei areas of Jiangsu Province were in Xianyang City when they encountered Emperor Qin Shi Huang on a trip. Everyone was amazed at the scene. Suddenly, a voice came from the crowd, saying that a great man was born like this. The speaker was Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty in the future. Liu Bang was from Fengyi, Peixian County, and was a farmer who did not abide by his duties.
Liu Hengnuo was the guardian of the local Liu Bang Temple in Feng County. After Liu Bang declared himself emperor, Fengyi was renamed Feng County, and a temple was established here with dedicated personnel to guard it. Liu Hengnuo is also famous as this temple, and he is the most famous scholar in the area. He has been engaged in early Liu Bang research work. In order to better study Liu Bang, he has been living in the Liu Family Temple for more than thirty years. At that time, Liu Bang was born here.
Liu Hengnuo, the 73rd generation descendant of Liu Bang: Liu Bang, the founder of Han Dynasty, was known for his delicious food, good taste, good friends, and good taste throughout his life. Therefore, he refused to work in agricultural production all day long and brought his friends home to eat, drink, and not do farm work.
According to historical records, at that time, Liu Bang was not engaged in formal work and was idle all day. However, this seemingly non formal figure later became a pavilionist and had a heated relationship with the officials in the county government of Peixian. Once upon a time, the county magistrate’s good friend, Duke Lv, had a housewarming celebration. The county officials all went to congratulate him, and it was stipulated that if the gift was not enough, he could only sit in the hall. Liu Bang handed over a gift list with a congratulatory amount of money written on it. Duke Lv felt strange and personally went out to welcome him. In fact, it was just a blank note. Liu Bang sat there without hesitation and talked loudly. After the guests dispersed, Duke Lv told Liu Bang that he had a daughter who wanted to be betrothed to him. Liu Bang immediately agreed to the marriage, and the daughter that Duke Lv betrothed to Liu Bang was the Empress of Han Gaozu, who had caused a great uproar in the Western Han Dynasty in the future. Pheasant.
Xiang Wang’s Hometown, Suqian City, Jiangsu Province
Four to five hundred kilometers away from Fengyi in Peixian County, there was also a person who witnessed Qin Shi Huang’s tour with his own eyes. Qin Shi Huang made five grand tours in his lifetime, each time with great momentum. In 210 BC, Qin Shi Huang made his fifth tour and passed by Kuaiji County. This 22-year-old young man was fortunate enough to see him and envied him. He pointed to Qin Shi Huang sitting upright in the middle and said, “I will definitely replace him in the future, and this person is Xiang Yu.”.
According to historical records, when Xiang Yu was young, he did not study well and did not succeed in learning swordsmanship. His uncle Xiang Liang scolded him. Xiang Yu said that literacy was only about recording names, and swordsmanship could only be fought against against an individual, which was not worth learning. He wanted to learn a skill called “Ten Thousand Enemies”. One person can defeat many people, so Xiang Liang taught him the art of war.
Professor Cheng Fangyin from Suqian University: Xiang Yu has a very ambitious career. It is generally believed that according to historical records, Sima Qian said that Xiang Yu was over eight feet tall, capable of carrying a tripod, and highly popular. He was said to be strong and tall. According to our current basic algorithm, if one foot counts as seven inches at that time, he would be over seven, eight, eight, eight, eight, and fifty-six inches, and 1.8 meters would only be five feet four, almost 1.9 meters high. This is a handsome man, and the second one is strong and capable of carrying a tripod. Therefore, according to local folklore, including Sima Qian’s historical records, his strength is enough to carry a thousand pounds. The heavy cauldron easily emerged.
Cheng Fangyin is a professor at the local Suqian College and also the director of the local Western Chu Culture Research Institute. Due to living here all along, he has a special affection for Xiang Yu, who is originally from Suqian, Jiangsu. When Xiang Yu also has a more special affection for the powerful Qin state.
Xiang Yu, a native of the state of Chu, exuded the blood of nobility. Xiang Yu’s grandfather, Xiang Yan, was a famous general of the state of Chu at that time. He was defeated and committed suicide in battle with the general of Qin, Wang Jian. It can be said that Xiang Yu’s family was destroyed by the state of Qin. Therefore, the Xiang family had a national feud with the state of Qin, and such hatred had long been buried in Xiang Yu’s heart, becoming a powerful internal driving force for him to resist Qin in the future,.
In July 210 BC, the last expedition of Emperor Qin Shi Huang returned to Chang’an. With the end of this expedition, the crisis of the Qin Empire also came. Emperor Qin Shi Huang passed away on his fifth expedition, and for a while, the country was shrouded in darkness. After his death, his youngest son Hu Hai succeeded him as Qin II. One year later, the imperial crisis suppressed and concealed by Qin Shi Huang’s prestige during his lifetime finally erupted with an unstoppable force.
In 209 BC, less than a year after the death of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, July came a day with extremely bad weather and heavy rain all day long. A team of 900 soldiers marched through the muddy road in Daze Township, Qi County, braved the rain. They were about to rush to Yuyang to defend the border, but the continuous heavy rain prevented them from reaching their destination as scheduled. According to the Qin law, the border defense was delayed and they would be executed. Therefore, two of them decided to rebel when they were at a loss. These two were the leaders of the first peasant uprising in Chinese history, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. In order to make everyone accept them, Wu Guang wrote a piece of paper that read: The silk book with the three characters of King Chen Sheng was secretly stuffed into the belly of the fish caught by the fishermen. When the guard bought the fish and opened it, he was shocked to find the silk book and spread the news. That night, Chen Sheng quietly hid in the jungle near the campsite and lit a bonfire. He pretended to be a fox barking, and his voice was faintly heard. Da Chu Xing, King Chen Sheng, and the soldiers were even more surprised when they heard it. The next day, the strange news of the bonfire and fox barking quickly spread, and everyone secretly pointed out to Chen Sheng, recognizing from the bottom of their hearts the leader who would lead them to rebel.
Peng Wei, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: It actually proves the legitimacy of its behavior through this method. The legitimacy of its behavior provides an effective psychological therapy for its participating peers from a moral perspective, and its role has indeed been achieved.
The world has been suffering in Qin for a long time. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rebelled, cutting down trees as soldiers and lifting poles as flags. The effect was like a domino that was knocked down, causing a chain reaction. With the support of the people, the uprising army quickly developed into a large army of tens of thousands of people. They successively conquered Qi, Yan, Ku, Zhe, Qiao and other places. After conquering Chen County, one of the ancient capitals of Chu, Chen Sheng declared himself king and established the first peasant regime in Chinese history, Zhang Chu. He put forward the slogan of cracking down on lawlessness and punishing Qin. One stone stirred up thousands of waves and was deeply affected by Qin’s tyranny. The suffering local people killed local officials one after another in response to the uprising. At the same time, the uprising swept across the country, and the anti Qin banner was raised in various places. At the same time, the first peasant uprising in Chinese history fell into a low tide.
This is the tomb of Chen Sheng located at the foot of Mangdang Mountain in Yongcheng City, Henan Province. At that time, due to Chen Sheng and Wu Guang’s lack of experience, command errors, and internal discord, they were successively killed by traitors, and the uprising suffered major setbacks. Chen Sheng was ultimately buried here. However, a stone tablet less than a kilometer away from Chen Sheng’s tomb records the entire process of a peasant leader’s uprising. This peasant leader is different from Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. The uprising team he led was the most successful, and this person is Liu Bang.
Director of Yongcheng Museum – Li Junshan: Liu Bang, as the head of the Sishui Pavilion, escorted a group of people from Peixian to Xianyang to repair the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, passing by Mangdang Mountain.
At that time, the Qin Dynasty conscripted criminals from various places to build the Li Mountain Mausoleum in Xianyang. The county magistrate of Peixian sent Liu Bang, the head of the Sishui Pavilion, to escort the local criminals to serve. When they reached Mangdang Mountain, they found that the criminals kept running away all the way. Liu Bang wanted to continue like this, but when they reached Xianyang, there were not many people left. He decided to disperse everyone and fled to the mountains and rivers, with more than ten people willing to follow him. A group of people, led by Liu Bang, hid in the mountains, forests, and water pools of Mangdang Mountain to rob homes. Some young people nearby came to join him, and soon became an influential force.
Song Yanping, Associate Researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Liu Bang means that after becoming Duke Pei, he led his troops to attack some areas of Feng, but they were all hit by the Qin army. They couldn’t attack many areas, and his soldiers suffered significant losses. If he didn’t rely on other forces at this time, he might be in danger of being destroyed.
Among the numerous uprising forces at that time, the most important force was the uprising led by Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu’s uncle and nephew. In order to avoid the danger of collapse, everyone defected to Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu. Liu Bang, who had been fighting in the Feng and Pei areas, also took Xiao He, Zhang Liang, and others to the flourishing Xiang Liang. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, the two protagonists of the later Chu Han War, came together for the first time in history and became comrades in arms, about to be brothers.
With the failure of the uprising led by Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, a shepherd stepped onto the political stage. In order to further advance the anti Qin struggle, the advisor Fan Zeng persuaded Xiang Liang to establish the Xiong royal family descendants of the Chu state to win the hearts of the people. Xiang Liang believed it was reasonable and sent people to find Xiong Xin, the grandson of Xiong Huai, the Chu Huai king, who was responsible for herding sheep, and established him as the Chu Huai king.
The Chu army led by Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu successively defeated the Qin army, capturing Kang Fu, Dong’a, Chengyang, Puyang, Yongqiu, and Dingtao. A series of victories gave Xiang Liang a sense of pride and underestimate the enemy. Qin general Zhang Han took the opportunity to mobilize troops and launch a surprise attack on Dingtao, causing Xiang Liang to be caught off guard and be killed in the defeat
After the death of Xiang Liang, Zhang Han defeated the state of Zhao and besieged Julu with an absolute advantage of 400000 troops. This frightened the newly enthroned King Huai of Chu, who appointed Song Yi as the superior general and Xiang Yu as the second general, leading 50000 troops north to save Zhao. At the same time, King Huai of Chu sent Liu Bang to lead his army into Guanzhong, pressing directly into the heart of the Qin Dynasty. King Huai of Qin and the generals agreed that whoever entered Guanzhong first could be called the King of Guanzhong, which also left a huge hidden danger for the future.
Due to Song Yi’s intention to delay time and stay in Anyang for 46 days, Xiang Yu refused to go to war. Xiang Yu was eager for revenge and worried about losing his fighter jet, so he killed Song Yi. All the soldiers were subdued, and Xiang Yu was recommended to act as the acting general. Xiang Yu led his army across the Zhanghe River and ordered the burning of the barracks. He only carried three days of military provisions every day, cut off the back road, and when he arrived at Julu, he surrounded the army of Qin Dynasty generals Su Jiao and Wang Li, cut off their food supply routes, won nine battles and defeated the Qin army, killed Su Jiao, and captured Wang Li. Some of the other Qin generals were killed, some were forced to commit suicide, but the Xiongnu were seven times defeated. For over a hundred miles, Wang Li’s army, which made the Hu people afraid to go south and herd horses, disappeared outside the city of Julu.
Professor Cheng Fangyin from Suqian University: According to historical records, during the Ninth Battle, he cut off his passageway, killed Su Jiao, captured Wang Li, did not surrender, and burned and killed himself. This is more than twenty words that explain the specific process of the Battle of Julu. From here, we can see that Xiang Yu used his 40000 troops to attack Wang Li’s central army. In this situation, the feudal lords who watched from the wall found that each person in the Chu army was worth ten, so they quickly defeated Wang Li’s army and captured Wang Li. In this situation, the feudal lords who watched on the wall, At this moment, looking at Xiang Yu one by one, he was walking forward on his knees, afraid to look up. Therefore, after this battle, he became famous and well-known. Everyone knew that although he knew he was taking up justice, But at this point, Xiang Yu was discovered and confirmed to be a talent.
Due to the main force of the Qin army heading towards Zhao, the western front was empty, so Liu Bang’s army did not encounter significant resistance along the way. Liu Bang’s strategic goal was very clear, which was to enter the border this morning. Therefore, he adopted a flexible and mobile strategy and tactics to directly attack Xianyang.
At this time, a coup occurred within the Qin regime. Zhao Gao approached Qin II and committed suicide, appointing Ziying as the new emperor. At the same time, he sent people to join forces with Liu Bang in an attempt to divide Wang Guanzhong. Ziying refused to be manipulated by Zhao Gao and executed him. At the same time, he stubbornly resisted and fought against Liu Bang in Lantian, resulting in a devastating defeat for the Qin army.
Peng Wei, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: After the Battle of Julu, the Qin Dynasty had actually lost its resistance. Due to Xiang Yu’s attraction of Qin’s main force in the Battle of Julu, Liu Bang was able to launch a surprise attack from this Wuguan and enter Xianyang.
In October 206 BC, Prince Ying of Qin, who had only ascended to the throne for 46 days, surrendered from the city with a plain carriage and white horse, tied with a ribbon around his neck, and presented the emperor’s jade seal and military talisman.
The first unified centralized empire in Chinese history, the Qin Dynasty, had a history of fifteen years of rule that became a thing of the past. At this time, some people suggested killing Prince Qin Ying, but Liu Bang did not agree. He just had someone take care of him. After entering Xianyang, Liu Bang was immediately attracted by the prosperity of the imperial capital, and he planned to live in the palace and enjoy himself. Fan Kuai advised him that these luxurious things were the root cause of the downfall of the Qin Dynasty. He hoped that you could seal the treasury and quickly return to the top. Liu Bang refused to listen, but Zhang Liang also advised him. Liu Bang suddenly woke up and accepted their opinions. He immediately returned to the top of the military camp and summoned nearby gentry to make a law of three chapters. Firstly, the murderer shall be executed, secondly, the injured shall be convicted based on the severity of the injury, and thirdly, the snatcher shall be convicted based on the amount of stolen goods. Except for these three articles, all laws previously promulgated by the Qin government shall be completely abolished, Just as Liu Bang spared no effort to win the hearts of the people, Xiang Yu was worried that the surrendering Qin soldiers had ulterior motives and was preparing to seize the world. When he arrived at Xin’an, he launched a surprise attack at night, burying all over 200000 Qin soldiers alive. He then led the soldiers of various feudal lords to advance towards Xianyang, with heavy troops stationed in Hongmen, Lintong District, Xi’an, Shaanxi. Liu Bang stationed a weak force of 100000 troops on Bashang, forming a standoff between the two armies across the Bashui River, and war broke out as soon as it touched.
Peng Wei, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: The comparison of military strength between the two sides is as follows: Liu Bang has 100000 soldiers and Xiang Yu has 400000 soldiers. If the two armies were to engage in a confrontation, it would undoubtedly be Liu Bang’s inevitable defeat. After learning about this, Liu Bang once again demonstrated his exceptional social skills. He went to Xiang Bo’s house and made an appointment with him as his daughter in law. Xiang Bo was moved and suggested to Liu Bang to apologize to Xiang Yu at the Hongmen Banquet, instead of retreating or engaging in battle. These three choices were: to fight, to escape, or to apologize at the door. The first two choices were the worst. The choice of confrontation is undoubtedly a losing game, and where you want to run is actually a losing game in the end. However, apologizing for the seemingly risky move, thanks to the insider Xiang Bo, So Liu Bang naturally chose this move with great confidence. The fact proves that this move is very exciting.
Hongmen Banquet Portrait Stone Nanyang Hanhua Museum
There is a very precious Han painting statue stone in the Nanyang Han Painting Museum in Henan Province. The content depicted on it is the ancient feast in Chinese history – the Hongmen Banquet. The reason why it is said to be precious is because it is the earliest among the many Hongmen Banquet works created by later generations. It is speculated that it was during the Eastern Han Dynasty, indicating that this banquet, although not lacking in fine wine, had already been widely spread. On the second day after Liu Bang learned that Xiang Yu was going to attack him, he appeared in front of Xiang Yu’s camp, sincerely apologizing and making Xiang Yu very comfortable, and set up a banquet to entertain Liu Bang.
During the banquet, Fan Zeng signaled several times to Xiang Yu to kill Liu Bang, but Xiang Yu ignored him. Fan Zeng then asked Xiang Zhuang to dance his sword to help him get drunk, actually intending to kill Liu Bang under the guise of Duke Pei. Xiang Bo saw the situation was critical, so he drew his sword and danced to protect Liu Bang. At a critical moment, Fan Kuai led his sword and shield to the banquet alone, angrily rebuking Xiang Yu for breaking his promise. Only then did Liu Bang take the opportunity to escape
Song Yanping, Associate Researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: From the Hongmen Banquet, it can be seen that Liu Bang is definitely very clever and brave, showing composure in times of crisis, and being able to bend and stretch. However, Xiang Yu is not good at it. He is indecisive and has a kind heart. When he sees Liu Bang coming and his attitude is very good, he cannot bear to kill him again. He has no long-term vision. His indecisiveness directly led to the failure of the Fan Zeng plan, giving Liu Bang an opportunity to escape.
This is the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum of the First Emperor of Qin in Xi’an. Staff will repair the damaged Terra Cotta Warriors after closing the museum. According to experts, 12 of the 180 burial pits found so far have been burned and destroyed by fire, and the person who burned the Terra Cotta Warriors is probably Xiang Yu.
At that time, Xiang Yu led his army to Xianyang, dug up the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, killed Ziying and the royal family of Qin, looted all the treasures and beautiful women, and allowed soldiers to slaughter and set fire to the city. The fire lasted for three months, and the Jiangshan foundation established by Qin for hundreds of years and the luxurious imperial palace built by Qin Shi Huang were all reduced to ashes in the raging fire. Xiang Yu, relying on his high achievements, asked King Huai of Chu to let him rule the world. King Huai of Chu insisted that whoever entered Guanzhong first should be crowned king, and Xiang Yu was very angry. He moved him far to southern Hunan and then proclaimed himself as the hegemon of Western Chu, with the capital of Peng. Chenghe enfeoffed 18 feudal lords and kings in one go, re enfeoffed the existing feudal states, and granted important and prosperous areas to his confidants. This move caused strong dissatisfaction among some feudal lords and kings, and according to King Huai’s agreement, Liu Bang, who should have become the king of Guanzhong, But he had to hand over his power and was appointed as the King of Hanzhong under the arrangement of Xiang Yu, overseeing the remote areas of Ba and Shu Han.
Peng Wei, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: After the Hongmen Banquet, Xiang Yu was wary of Liu Bang, so he enfeoffed Liu Bang in Bashu and Hanzhong. One important reason for enfeoffment of Liu Bang as the King of Han in Bashu and Hanzhong was that the transportation here was very inconvenient. From southern Shaanxi to Guanzhong, there were only rugged mountain roads. Liu Bang was very angry and wanted to send troops to attack Xiang Yu, fighting to the death with Xiang Yu. At this time, his subordinate Zhou Bo opposed, believing that the time was not ripe, and Liu Bang accepted Zhou Bo’s suggestion.
During the Qin and Han dynasties, this was once the only boardwalk connecting Hanzhong and Guanzhong. Today, only cliffs and some faintly visible pits remain. The reason why the ancient inn was destroyed is because it was once destroyed by humans, and it was Liu Bang who destroyed this boardwalk.
In April 206 BC, Liu Bang officially set off for his fiefdom. At this time, Zhang Liang offered a plan to have Liu Bang burn down all the boardwalks that the Han army had passed through. On the one hand, it was to prevent the feudal lords from crossing the border and launching surprise attacks. On the other hand, it was to show that the Han army had no intention of returning to the east, which reassured Xiang Yu. At an important moment in life, Liu Bang chose to hide his light and recuperate. Just when Liu Bang’s career was at its lowest point, the appearance of a person brought him a glimmer of hope, which was Han Xin.
Baijiangtai, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province
Han Xin, a native of Huaiyin, came from a poor family and suffered from humiliation. After the outbreak of the Qin Wei War, he first pursued Xiang Liang’s uncle and nephew, but was not highly valued. When Liu Bang entered Shu, he joined the Han army and was appreciated by Xiao He. Han Xin’s image was not as tall and powerful as most heroes. For thousands of years, artists in the people have had their own understanding of his image.
This is a local opera in Shaanxi that has been circulating for a long time. In fact, Han Xin was not highly valued by Liu Bang at first. He was very sad, so he quietly fled on a certain lunar night. After hearing about it, Xiao He chased after him overnight and recommended Han Xin to Liu Bang again. He said he was the most talented person in the world. If Liu Bang wanted to defeat Xiang Yu and seize the world, he had to rely on Han Xin. Liu Bang accepted Xiao He’s suggestion and held a grand ceremony to worship Han Xin as the general.
Han Xin took office and immediately formulated a unified national strategy for Liu Bang, first capturing the Three Qin and then resisting Xiang Yu. In May 206 BC, Liu Bang adopted the strategy of General Han Xin. While Xiang Yu was busy suppressing various feudal lords, he began to openly build plank roads and secretly cross the Chen Cang. He suddenly attacked Prince Yong Zhang Han, quickly pacifying the Three Qin, and brought the prosperous Guanzhong area back to his own hands. After occupying the Guanzhong area, he worked hard to make it a stable rear area. Liu Bang waited for the opportunity in restraint. At this time, an excellent opportunity arrived. The exiled King Huai of Chu was secretly killed by Xiang Yu in the large river that was crossing the river south, causing a sensation in the world.
Peng Wei, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: He killed King Huai of Chu, the King Huai of Chu he established, and the King Huai of Chu he and his uncle established. In fact, he lost his legitimacy and was morally defeated. His opponent Liu Bang used this to call on the world to oppose King Huai of Chu and Xiang Yu, and many people stood against Xiang Yu because of this.
In March 205 BC, the beginning of the Chu Han War officially began. Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu’s suppression of the rebellion and led a large army of 560000 to march eastward. In just one month, Liu Bang captured Pengcheng. Xiang Yu, who was suppressing the rebellion, personally led 30000 elite soldiers to rescue Pengcheng. On the battlefield, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu met again, but this encounter was different from before. Xiang Yu was still so brave, and Liu Bang was still so vulnerable. With only 30000 troops, Xiang Yu surrounded Liu Bang’s army heavily. Liu Bang’s army quickly collapsed and was in danger. However, a miracle occurred. The strong wind suddenly rose, flying sand and stones, and the sky and earth were dark. The Chu army was blown into chaos, and Liu Bang took the opportunity to break through the encirclement and flee in a miserable manner.
Professor Li Kaiyuan from Japan’s Jushi University: In the Battle of Pengcheng, Xiang Yu’s army of 30000 defeated a coalition of 560000 Liu Bang and various vassal states, resulting in nearly 200000 casualties. Therefore, after this battle, Liu Bang, including his army, found it difficult to confront Xiang Yu alone. It felt like Xiang Yu was very terrifying in military terms. However, after this battle, Liu Bang had an important change in understanding, realizing that he himself did not have the ability to command the army to engage in a comprehensive confrontation with Xiang Yu.
After the defeat of Pengcheng, Liu Bang decided to change his strategy and no longer personally lead troops to the east. Instead, he stayed in Xingyang to attract Xiang Yu’s main force. After several years of stalemate between Chu and Han, Xiang Yu was almost invincible, but Liu Bang, who was in a weak position, was like an invincible force. Xiang Yu always couldn’t completely eliminate him, but the scale of victory gradually tilted towards Liu Bang’s side. This situation was completely due to Han Xin’s strategic strategy.
Professor Chen Xiangling from the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China: So at that time, in the early stages of the Chu Han War, Han Xin came up with a very good strategy. What strategy? Liu Bang, you lead your army to the Central Plains and fight against Xiang Yu. We can also see this as an inner line. What about Han Xin? I went from the north and then I went on a detour, so the north was where there were many feudal lords at that time. In the north, there was an important feudal lord named Zhao Wang, who supported Xiang Yu. Therefore, when I went on a detour from the north, when I defeated Zhao Wang, Yan surrendered automatically. Later, I went back to today’s Shandong and eliminated Tian Rong and others. After eliminating them, I finally formed a encirclement against you, Xiang Yu.
In the following year, Han Xin led his invincible army to successively capture the states of Zhao Yan in the Wei Dynasty, relieving the pressure on the northern wing of the Han army and making Xiang Yu more isolated. He supported Liu Bang’s confrontation with Xiang Yu on the Xingyang and Chenggao fronts. Liu Bang also joined forces with Peng Yue and Ying Bu to disrupt the Chu rear area. After a few moves, Xiang Yu began to be attacked from both sides, and the outcome was almost a foregone conclusion.
In August 203 BC, Xiang Yu, who had exhausted his troops and food, finally accepted Liu Bang’s proposal for peace talks. The two sides made peace by using a divide as the boundary, with Han to the west and Chu to the east. This was the divide between Chu and Han. Liu Bang originally intended to lead his troops back to Guanzhong and become the master of half of the country. Zhang Liang and Chen Ping advised him that the Chu army was running out of food. This was the fate of Chu, and if they did not seize this opportunity to destroy Chu, it would be the so-called “raising tigers to suffer”. Liu Bang suddenly woke up and without saying a word, ordered to send troops.
Professor Wang Jian from Jiangsu Normal University: Whether in history or at that stage, the conflict between Chu and Han was ultimately resolved not as a matter of peaceful coexistence, but rather as a matter of Han’s intention to devour Chu. Therefore, the final military confrontation between the two sides is inevitable.
This is the most classic play in traditional Chinese opera, Farewell My Concubine to the King. In the form of Peking Opera art, this play reproduces the heartbreaking farewell scene of the heroes Xiang Yu and Yu Ji on the Gaixia battlefield.
At that time, Liu Bang commanded various armies and horses to fight together. Xiang Yu retreated one after another and retreated to the southeast of Anwei Lingbi, Gaixia on the north bank of the Tuo River. Although there were still more than 100000 troops, they were heavily surrounded by Han Xin’s 300000 troops. At night, the cold wind howled fiercely, like ghosts crying and wolves howling. The wind stopped for a moment, and the solemn Chu songs came from all directions. Xiang Yu, who felt that the situation had gone, borrowed wine from his tent to drown his sorrows. Facing his beloved Wu Zhui Ma and the beautiful woman Yu Ji, he passionately lamented and pulled up the mountain’s aura that would never pass away. (zhui) How can I do if I don’t pass away? What can I do if I don’t, Yu Xi? How can I do if I do? Yu Meiren sang in harmony with her voice, gentle and desolate. Xiang Yu and the soldiers burst into tears, and then Yu Ji drew her sword and committed suicide.
Yang Zhenhong, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that in the end, Liu Bang defeated a heroic figure with unparalleled strength. One important reason was that Liu Bang had always had a clear idea of unifying the world, so he never set the goal of winning or losing a single city or a single battle. As for Xiang Yu, since he first conquered Qin, he only wanted to be his Western Chu hegemon with peace of mind.
This is a section of the Yangtze River in Anweihe County, where hundreds of boats, big and small, pass by every day. However, the most impressive one is the long boat on the Wujiang River over two years ago. At that time, Xiang Yu was defeated and retreated here. Across the river was the stronghold of Xiang Yu’s rebellion against Qin in the past – Jiangdong. As long as he returned to his second hometown of Wuzhong in Jiangdong, he would cross the river like a fierce dragon, tigers would return to the deep forest, and the mountains would rise again, just around the corner.
In December 202 BC, the Wujiang Pavilion Chief rowed a small boat and waited by the river, persuading Xiang Yu to get on the boat quickly. However, Xiang Yu insisted on not getting on the boat. Looking back on the time when he crossed the river with eight thousand Jiangdong children, now he was the only one left with no face to see the Jiangdong elders. So he gave the Wuzhui horse to the Pavilion Chief, walked with short weapons to fight against the Han army, and killed many Han soldiers. Finally, he committed suicide.
Bawang Temple, Chaohu City, Anhui Province
In order to commemorate Xiang Yu, people from later generations built a temple and tomb for him not far from the river. With the passing of this extraordinary hero, the Western Chu Kingdom almost surrendered, but only Xiang Yu’s initial fiefdom, Lu County, was still resisting. Liu Bang was furious and ordered the massacre of the city. As the army arrived below the city, they were about to start fighting when suddenly music and the sound of reading came from the city. Liu Bang was moved and ordered to stop the attack, praising Lu County as a country of etiquette. He ordered people to show Xiang Yu’s head to the people of Lu County. When everyone saw that Xiang Yu was really dead, they surrendered.
Ba Wang Tomb, Chaohu City, Anhui Province
Liu Bang then held a grand ceremony, personally presiding over the sacrifice of the hero Xiang Yu. He mourned and wept uncontrollably. This was the last encounter between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, a pair of enemies. However, this encounter was quite tragic. Afterwards, Liu Bang ordered the protection of Xiang Yu’s relatives, conferred the title of Marquis on Xiang Bo and others, and bestowed upon them the surname Liu.
The four year long Chu Han War has come to an end, and China has returned to reunification.
In February 202 BC, at the age of 55, Liu Bangdeng was based in the city of Sishui in present-day Dingtao, Shandong Province. This was the second unified dynasty in Chinese history. The dynasty was named the Han Dynasty due to Liu Bang’s title as the Han King, with its initial capital in Luoyang and later relocated to Chang’an. Liu Bang became the founding emperor of Han Gaozu.
90 second Dan Shu Tie Coupon in History
This is the highest standard certificate in Chinese history, representing the greatest power and honor bestowed upon the feudal lords by the emperor. In 201 BC, Liu Bang, who had just become emperor, made an oath with seven different feudal lords in the form of written and iron certificates to consolidate his rule and win over meritorious officials. However, this oath was broken only five months after Liu Bang ascended the throne.
From 202 BC to 195 BC, for a period of 7 to 8 years, Liu Bang’s main energy was devoted to eradicating feudal lords with different surnames. When Han Xin was arrested by Liu Bang, he looked up and sighed, the cunning rabbit died, the good dog was cooked, the high bird was exhausted, and the good bow was hidden. The enemy country was destroyed, and the conspirators were killed for the interests of the dynasty. Liu Bang eventually abandoned his friendship, and the old Dan Shu Tie Coupon was no longer a piece of paper.