Ji Bu was from the state of Chu. He was a stand-up guy and very famous in the state of Chu. Xiang Yu let him lead soldiers into battle and had Liu Bang on the ropes several times. After Xiang Yu's death, Liu Bang put a thousand gold bounty on his head, threatening that anyone who helped him would be done for. Ji Bu hid in Zhou's house in Puyang. Zhou said, "The Emperor's got a real bee in his bonnet about the general and will soon come to investigate my house. If you listen to me, I've got a plan; otherwise, I'll just kill myself." Ji Bu agreed.
So, Zhou shaved Ji Bu's head, put shackles on him, dressed him in coarse clothes, and threw him in a beat-up cart along with dozens of servants from his household, sending him to the Zhu family in Lu to be sold as a slave. The Zhu family recognized Ji Bu and bought him, putting him to work in the fields. Zhu told his son, "Listen to this slave for all the work in the fields, and be sure to eat with him." The Zhu family then rolled up in a fancy carriage to Luoyang to visit the Marquis of Ruyin, Teng Gong. Teng Gong hosted the Zhu family for a few days, drinking and shooting the breeze.
Taking the opportunity, the Zhu family asked Teng Gong, "What the heck did Ji Bu do? Why is the emperor so eager to capture him?" Teng Gong said, "Ji Bu has repeatedly led troops to besiege the emperor, and the Emperor's got it in for him, so he's gotta catch him." The Zhu family said, "What do you think of Ji Bu as a person?" Teng Gong said, "He's a sharp guy." The Zhu family said, "Everyone works for their boss, right? Ji Bu was just doing his job for Xiang Yu. Do you have to kill every one of Xiang Yu's guys? Now that the emperor has just gained the world, why pursue one person due to personal grievances? That doesn't exactly scream 'generous,' does it? Moreover, for such a talented person as Ji Bu, the emperor is so eager to capture him. He'd either run off to the Xiongnu or Yue. Pissing off a hero just makes your enemies stronger; this is why Wu Zixu whipped the tomb of King Jing of Chu! Why don't you put in a good word for him with the Emperor?"
The Marquis of Ruyin, Duke Teng, knew that Zhu Jia was a big-hearted, righteous guy who was generous with his wealth. He guessed that Ji Bu was hiding with him, so he agreed and said, "Okay." After a while, Duke Teng did as Zhu Jia suggested and went to Liu Bang. Liu Bang then pardoned Ji Bu. At that time, everyone praised Ji Bu for being able to roll with the punches, and Zhu Jia became well-known because of this. After Ji Bu was summoned, he expressed his gratitude, and Liu Bang appointed him as a Langzhong (a low-ranking official).
During the reign of Emperor Hui of Han, Ji Bu became a Zhonglangjiang (a high-ranking military officer). The Xiongnu Chanyu once sent a rude letter to Empress Lü. Empress Lü was very angry and summoned the ministers to discuss countermeasures. General Fan Kuai said, "I want to lead a hundred thousand troops and march through the Xiongnu territory!" The other ministers all agreed with Empress Lü's intentions, saying, "Yes." However, Ji Bu said, "Fan Kuai deserves to be executed! When Emperor Gaozu led over four hundred thousand troops, they were all trapped in Pingcheng. Now, why should Fan Kuai lead a hundred thousand troops to rampage through the Xiongnu territory? Are you trying to deceive the Empress Dowager? Furthermore, it was the war with the Xiongnu during the Qin Dynasty that led to the uprisings of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. Now that the country has just recovered, Fan Kuai is trying to flatter his way into a war, threatening the very foundations of the empire!" The court fell silent. The Empress Dowager immediately dismissed the court. After that, there was no further discussion of attacking the Xiongnu.
Later, Ji Bu served as the governor of Hedong County. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, someone recommended Ji Bu to the emperor, saying that he was very talented. Emperor Wen then summoned him, wanting to appoint him as the Imperial Censor. However, others said that Ji Bu was very brave but was a heavy drinker, making it difficult to get close to him. Ji Bu arrived in the capital, was put up at a government guesthouse for a month, and was eventually sent away by the emperor. Ji Bu then said, "I've done nothing to deserve this favor and have been in Hedong, essentially in self-imposed exile. Your Majesty summoned me without cause; there must be someone slandering me behind your back. Now that I have come, Your Majesty did not give me any tasks and let me leave; that person will keep slandering me. Your Majesty summoned me based on one person's praise and let me leave based on one person's slander. I am worried that people of wisdom will doubt Your Majesty's judgment." Emperor Wen fell silent, shamefaced, and only after a long time did he say, "Hedong's an important county, that's why I specially summoned you." Ji Bu declined the official position.
Cao Qiu, a man from Chu, was a skilled debater who often used his eloquence to work the angles with the bigwigs and receive bribes. He had close relationships with powerful figures like Zhao and others, as well as a good rapport with Dou Changjun. When Jibu heard about this, he wrote a letter advising Dou Changjun, saying, "I heard that Cao Qiu is not a good person; don't associate with him." When Cao Qiu returned, he wanted to visit Jibu with the letter. Dou Changjun said, "Jibu doesn't like you; you better not go." After repeated requests, Cao Qiu was finally allowed to visit. He sent the letter in advance, and Jibu was indeed furious, preparing to give Cao Qiu a piece of his mind. Upon his arrival, Cao Qiu immediately greeted Jibu, saying, "In Chu, they say a promise from Jibu is worth more than a hundred taels of gold. Why do you have such a high reputation in the Liang and Chu regions? Besides, I am a Chu person, and you are too. I've been spreading your reputation throughout the world; doesn't that mean anything to you? Why are you so indifferent to me?" Jibu was very pleased to hear this, invited him into the house, and had him as a houseguest for months, treating him like a VIP and giving him many gifts. Jibu's reputation continued to grow because of Cao Qiu singing his praises.
Ji Xin, Jibu's younger brother, was a force to be reckoned with in Guanzhong. However, he was very humble and courteous, a true blue guy. His reputation spread far and wide, and his influence extended for thousands of miles, with many people willing to walk through fire for him. Once, he killed someone and fled to Wu territory, hiding at Yuan Si's house. He served Yuan Si for a long time, also keeping big shots like Guan Fu and Ji Fu. He had previously served as a middle Sima, and even the chief justice at the time, Zhi Du, treated him with great respect and did not dare to neglect him. At that time, many young people often used his name to deceive others. Ji Xin's reputation in Guanzhong rested on his courage; Jibu's, on his honesty. Both were famous throughout the region.
Ji Bu's other brother, Ding Gong, was a general of the Chu State. Ding Gong followed Xiang Yu and was cornered by Liu Bang in Pengcheng. The two sides engaged in close combat, with Liu Bang in a critical situation. He turned around and said to Ding Gong, "Two heroes shouldn't be fighting each other!" So Ding Gong led his troops to retreat, allowing Liu Bang to escape. Later, Xiang Yu was defeated, and Ding Gong went to see Liu Bang. In front of the entire army, Liu Bang slandered Ding Gong, saying, "Ding Gong, as Xiang Wang's subject, was disloyal, causing Xiang Wang to lose the world; it was all Ding Gong's fault!" Then he killed Ding Gong, saying, "This'll teach future officials a lesson!"
Luan Bu was from the Liang State. When Liang Wang Peng Yue was still an ordinary person, he used to play with Luan Bu. Later, they both fell into poverty. Luan Bu was a servant in Qi, looking after the wine. After a few years, Peng Yue became a bandit around Juye, while Luan Bu was captured and sold, becoming a slave of the Yan State. He later avenged his master, and the Yan general Zang Tu admired him, promoting him to be a captain. Zang Tu later became the King of Yan and further promoted Luan Bu to be a general. When Zang Tu rebelled and the Han army attacked the Yan State, Luan Bu was captured. When Liang Wang Peng Yue heard about this, he pleaded with the emperor to redeem Luan Bu and made him a high official in Liang.
During the Han Dynasty, Luan Bu was sent to Qi State on a mission. Before he returned, Han Gaozu summoned Peng Yue, accused him of rebellion, and wiped out his whole family. Later, Han Gaozu hung Peng Yue's head below Luoyang City and ordered, "Anyone caught looking at it will be arrested!" When Luan Bu returned from the Qi State, he made an offering and cried his eyes out under Peng Yue's head. Officials reported this to the emperor.
The emperor summoned Luan Bu and blew his top: "Are you siding with Peng Yue in his rebellion? I explicitly forbid anyone from collecting Peng Yue's head, yet you went to mourn and cry for him. Kill him!" Just as they were about to take Luan Bu away for execution, he turned around and said, "Let me have a word before you off me." Emperor Gaozu asked, "What do you want to say?" Luan Bu said, "Remember Pengcheng? Xingyang and Chenggao? Xiang Yu couldn't push west because Peng Yue occupied the Liang region and joined forces with the Han army, causing great trouble for the Chu army. At that time, if Peng Yue had even slightly favored Chu, the Han dynasty would have been destroyed; if he had helped the Han dynasty, Chu would have been destroyed. Not to mention the Battle of Gaixia—if it weren't for Peng Yue, Xiang Yu wouldn't have perished. After the world was pacified, Peng Yue was enfeoffed as a king and wanted to pass the throne to his descendants. Now, Your Majesty is recruiting troops in Liang, and because Peng Yue was sick and didn't go, you suspect him of treason. He hasn't made any rebellious moves yet, but you used such a small crime to kill him. This'll scare the crap outta every other loyal officer! Now that Peng Yue is dead and I am still alive, it's better to just kill me!" So the Emperor let Luan Bu off and made him a captain.
During the reign of Emperor Xiao Wen, Luan Bu became the prime minister of Yan State and later rose to the rank of general. As Luan Bu himself put it, "If one is impoverished but cannot maintain their integrity, refusing to succumb to fate, they are not a great man; if one is wealthy and honored but cannot be content, they are not a virtuous person." He always rewarded his friends and punished his enemies. During the rebellion of the Seven States of Wu and Chu, Luan Bu was enfeoffed as a marquis for his military achievements and later became the prime minister of Yan State. People in both Yan and Qi built temples for Luan Bu, calling it the "Luan Gong Society."
In the fifth year of Emperor Jing's reign, Luan Bu passed away. His son Luan Ben inherited his title and became the chief priest. However, he was dismissed from his position because he did not conduct the sacrifices according to the regulations.
Sima Qian said: Xiang Yu had that kind of dominance, while Ji Bu became famous in Chu for his bravery. He personally stormed into battle and captured enemy flags multiple times, certainly a brave warrior. However, he was ultimately killed and even refused to die when reduced to slavery, which was a pathetic end! He must have been very confident in his abilities, so he did not feel ashamed of the humiliation. He still wanted to achieve something, believing that he had not yet reached his full potential, which ultimately made him a distinguished military leader of the Han Dynasty. Truly talented individuals value their own lives! Those maids, concubines, and low-ranking women who commit suicide out of despair are not truly courageous; they are simply desperate. Luan Bu mourned for Peng Yue and urged Tang Ru to return quickly because he knew what he should do and did not care about his own life. Even the famous heroes of ancient times cannot compare to him!
