Han Xin, a distant descendant of the former King Xiang of Han, is a towering eight feet five inches tall. When Xiang Liang supported King Huai of Chu, the Yan, Qi, Zhao, and Wei states all found descendants of their former rulers, but Han was the only one without a suitable heir. So Xiang Liang appointed Prince Hengyang as King of Han, hoping to keep the old Han lands happy. Later, Xiang Liang died in the Battle of Dingtao, and Prince Hengyang fled to King Huai of Chu. Liu Bang led troops to attack Yangcheng, sent Zhang Liang to negotiate surrender with the officials of Han territory, and found Han Xin, appointing him as a Han commander, following Liu Bang into Wuguan.
Once Liu Bang became King of Han, Han Xin also followed him into Hanzhong. Han Xin advised Liu Bang, saying: "Xiang Yu has appointed all those generals close to their hometowns, but you are the only one sent so far away; that's a clear demotion! Most of our soldiers are from Shandong, and they all want to return home. Once they're fired up and heading east, we can take over the world!" After Liu Bang pacified the land of Sanqin, he promised to make Han Xin King of Han. First, he let him be the governor of Han, allowing him to lead troops to recover the land of Han.
Xiang Yu's vassal kings all returned to their own territories, but King Cheng of Han, having done little to earn it, was sent home, demoted to a mere marquis. So Xiang Yu sent Han Xin to retake the territory of the Han Kingdom and appointed Zheng Chang, an old acquaintance from Xiang Yu's travels in Wu, as the King of Han to resist the Han army. By the second year of the Han Dynasty, Han Xin retook ten or so Han cities. After Liu Bang got to Henan, Han Xin quickly attacked the city of Changyang, where Zheng Chang held out. Zheng Chang surrendered, and Liu Bang made Han Xin the new King of Han, with Han Xin's Han army fighting alongside Liu Bang. Three years passed. When Liu Bang attacked Xingyang, Han Xin, Zhou Ke, and others defended the city. The Chu army lost at Xingyang. Han Xin surrendered, then escaped and returned to the Han, who made him King of Han again. In the spring of year five, Liu Bang finalized Han Xin's appointment as King of Han, ruling over Yingchuan.
The next spring, the emperor felt that Han Xin was a real powerhouse. His territory stretched north to Gong and Luoyang, south to Wan and Ye, and east to Huaiyang – prime real estate for the empire's best troops. Therefore, the emperor ordered Han Xin to be moved north of Taiyuan to guard against the Xiongnu and establish the capital in Jinyang. Han Xin sent a message saying, "My country is located on the border, and the Xiongnu frequently invade. Jinyang is too far from the border. I would like to be stationed in Mayi." The emperor agreed, and Han Xin moved to Mayi. In the autumn, the Xiongnu Chanyu Modun led a large army to surround Han Xin. Han Xin repeatedly sent peace envoys to the Xiongnu. The Han court sent reinforcements, but suspected Han Xin of playing both sides, sending secret envoys to the Xiongnu. Scared they'd kill him, Han Xin plotted with the Xiongnu to attack the Han, gave Mayi up to the Xiongnu, and even attacked Taiyuan.
Seven years later, in winter, the emperor personally led troops to attack. At Tongdi, the emperor smashed Han Xin's army, killing his top general, Wang Xi. Han Xin ran off to the Xiongnu. Han Xin's generals, including Manqiu Chen and Wang Huang, crowned Zhao Li, a Zhao royal, as their king. They also gathered the scattered army of Han Xin and plotted with him and Modun to attack the Han. The Xiongnu sent King Zuo Xian to lead over ten thousand cavalry, stationed south of Guangwu, reached Jinyang, fought against the Han army, and were defeated. The Han army chased them to Lishi and wiped them out. The Xiongnu kept losing, and the Han army pressed their advantage. The Xiongnu gathered their forces northwest of Loufan. The Han Dynasty sent the General of Chariots and Cavalry to defeat the Xiongnu once more. Hearing Modun was at Daigu, and the Emperor was at Jinyang, scouts reported it was time to attack. The emperor marched on Pingcheng.
The emperor sent troops to Baideng, and the Xiongnu cavalry surrounded him. The emperor then sent people with generous gifts to Modun's wife, Lady Yueshi, who advised Modun, saying, "We've got Han land, but things ain't settled yet; besides, it doesn't help for two rulers to kill each other." After seven days, the Xiongnu cavalry gradually withdrew. At that time, there was heavy fog, and the Han army sent people back and forth without the Xiongnu noticing. Chen Ping, an officer in the Emperor's guard, said to the emperor, "The Xiongnu army is intact. Please order the strong crossbowmen to add two extra arrows to each quiver and slowly walk out of the encirclement." After entering Pingcheng, the Han reinforcements also arrived, and the Xiongnu buggered off. The Han army then withdrew as well. Han Xin went over to the Xiongnu, raiding the border.
In 170 BC, word got out that Han Xin and Wang Huang were plotting to overthrow the Han Dynasty.
Next spring, the same Han Xin led the Xiongnu cavalry to set up camp near Canhe, defying the Han. The Han Dynasty sent General Chai to fight him and wrote him a letter saying, "The Emperor's a forgiving guy. Even if those lords rebel and run, as long as they are willing to surrender, the Emperor will restore their titles and ranks and not kill them. You oughta know this. You lost a battle and ran off to the Xiongnu, but it ain't that big a deal. Come on back and surrender!"
King Han Xin replied in his letter, "The Emperor promoted me, a commoner, to become a prince, and even allowed me to call myself solitary. This is incredibly lucky for me. However, in the Yingyang debacle, I failed to die in battle and was instead captured by Xiang Yu; this is my first offense. Later, when the Xiongnu attacked Mayi, I failed to defend the city and ultimately surrendered Mayi to the enemy; this is my second offense. Now I have become a general of the Xiongnu, locked in a life-or-death struggle with Han generals; this is my third offense. People like Fan Li and Wu Zixu did not commit any major wrongs, but in the end, they were killed, their names forever stained; whereas I have committed three major offenses against the Emperor and still wish to survive. My situation mirrors Wu Zixu's in Wu—doomed to fail! I am now hiding in the deep mountains and forests, living hand-to-mouth, dependent on the Xiongnu for food. I truly wish to surrender and return, like a cripple yearning to walk, a blind man to see, but the situation does not allow it!" But in the end, war came. General Chai smashed through Canhe's defenses, killing King Han Xin.
After Han Wangxin fled to the Xiongnu, he stayed with the Xiongnu prince. When they arrived at Tuodang City, Han Wangxin had a son and named him Tuodang. The prince of Han Wangxin also had a son named Ying. In the fourteenth year of Emperor Xiaowen of the Han Dynasty, Tuodang and Ying surrendered to the Han Dynasty with their troops. The Han Dynasty named Tuodang the Marquis of Gonggao and Ying the Marquis of Xiangcheng. During the war to pacify the Wu and Chu regions, the Marquis of Gonggao's contributions were the most outstanding among the generals. The Marquis of Gonggao's title passed to his grandson, but died out with him as he had no sons. Ying's grandson also lost his title for his lack of respect. However, Han Yan, the great-grandson of Tuodang, was hugely influential and favored by the emperor. His brother, Han Shuo, was later made a marquis again, promoted to general multiple times, and eventually became the Marquis of Andao. His son, Han Dai, was executed for committing a crime over a year later. Another year later, Han Shuo's grandson was appointed as the Marquis of Long'e, inheriting Han Shuo's title.
Lu Wan was from Fengyi, and he was a fellow villager of Liu Bang, the founding emperor. They were inseparable from childhood, even their sons were born on the same day! The villagers celebrated again, bringing gifts of wine and sheep to congratulate both families. As they grew up, they continued to study together and remained very close. The villagers were amazed by the good relationship between the two families, with sons born on the same day, and still being so close when they grew up. When Liu Bang was still a commoner and had to hide due to some official matters, Lu Wan was always right there with him.
When Liu Bang rebelled and rose to power in Pei County, Lu Wan followed him as his advisor. Later, when they reached Hanzhong, Lu Wan was appointed as a general and served by Liu Bang's side. During the campaign against Xiang Yu in the east, Lu Wan was the Grand Commandant, always by Liu Bang's side, looking after him completely. Even top officials like Xia He and Cao Shen only got rewards for good work. But nobody was closer to Liu Bang than Lu Wan. Liu Bang later appointed Lu Wan as the Marquis of Chang'an, which was the former capital, Xianyang.
In the winter of the fifth year of the Han Dynasty, after defeating Xiang Yu, Liu Bang sent Lu Wan and Liu Jia to attack King Gong Wei of Linjiang, defeating them. After returning in July, they followed Liu Bang to attack King Zang Tu of Yan, who eventually surrendered. After conquering the empire, there were seven non-Liu princes left. Liu Bang initially wanted to appoint Lu Wan as a king, but the ministers had some objections. After defeating Zang Tu, Liu Bang issued an edict for the generals, prime ministers, and marquises to select from the meritorious officials to appoint as the King of Yan. Everyone knew the Emperor wanted Lu Wan, so they all said, "Lu Wan, the Grand Commandant and Marquis of Chang'an, has served the Emperor loyally and deserves to be King of Yan!" Liu Bang agreed. In August of the fifth year of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang officially appointed Lu Wan as the King of Yan. No other prince was as favored as King Yan.
In the autumn of 206 BC, Chen Xi rebelled in Dai. Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang personally led troops to Handan to prepare to subdue Chen Xi's army, while King Zang Tu of Yan also attacked Chen Xi from the northeast.
Then, Chen Xi sent Wang Huang to ask the Xiongnu for aid. King Yan Zangtu also sent his minister Zhang Sheng to the Xiongnu, deliberately telling them that Chen Xi's forces had been defeated. When Zhang Sheng arrived at the Xiongnu, he happened to meet Yan Zangtu's son Zang Yan, who had previously fled to the Xiongnu. Zang Yan said to Zhang Sheng, "Your high position with King Yan is due to your knowledge of the Xiongnu. Yan has survived this long because other states are constantly rebelling. King Yan wants to eliminate Chen Xi quickly, but after that, Yan itself will be targeted. Why not tell King Yan to hold off on attacking Chen Xi and make peace with the Xiongnu instead? That way, King Yan can stay king for a long time, and even if the Han attack, Yan will be safe."
Zhang Sheng felt that what Zang Yan said made sense, so he secretly persuaded the Xiongnu to help Chen Xi attack Yan. King Yan Zangtu suspected that Zhang Sheng was colluding with the Xiongnu to rebel and petitioned for Zhang Sheng's execution. When Zhang Sheng returned, he explained everything. King Yan Zangtu then understood and feigned plans to punish someone else, secretly letting Zhang Sheng's family go. Zhang Sheng became a spy for the Xiongnu. He also sent Fan Qi to Chen Xi, aiming to prolong the war, keep the fighting going, and prevent a quick resolution.
Twelve years into the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang led troops to attack Ying Bu, a powerful warlord, while Chen Xi was commanding forces in Dai territory. Liu Bang dispatched Fan Kuai to eliminate Chen Xi. One of Chen Xi's top guys surrendered, spilling the beans about a conspiracy with the King of Yan, Lu Wan. Liu Bang sent people to summon Lu Wan, who feigned illness and declined. He ordered Pi Yang Hou Shen Shiqi and the Grand Historian Zhao Yao to meet the King of Yan and investigate his entourage. Terror gripped Lu Wan. He barricaded himself, whispering to his closest advisors, "Apart from the Liu clan, only I and the King of Changsha can be kings. Back in the day, Liu Bang killed the Marquis of Huaiyin, Han Xin, and then Peng Yue in the summer, all on the Empress's orders. Now that the Emperor is in poor health, all power is in the hands of the Empress. She is a woman who wants to get rid of non-Liu clan princes and those loyal ministers who have made great contributions." Lu Wan continued to feign illness and refused to see Liu Bang. His entourage also fled. Word got around, and Shen Shiqi, the Pi Yang Hou, found out and reported back to Liu Bang, who became even angrier. At that time, some surrendered Xiongnu people were captured, who said that Zhang Sheng had fled to the Xiongnu and was working for the King of Yan. Liu Bang then declared, "Lu Wan is indeed planning a rebellion!" and sent Fan Kuai to attack the Kingdom of Yan. The King of Yan, Lu Wan, with his family and a few thousand horsemen, waited at the foot of the Great Wall, hoping to wait for Liu Bang to recover before going to apologize. However, in the fourth month, Liu Bang died, and Lu Wan fled with his army to the Xiongnu, where the Xiongnu people crowned him as the King of the Eastern Hu. Lu Wan was bullied by other barbarians in the Xiongnu and always yearned to return to the Han Dynasty. He lingered in the Xiongnu for over a year, a broken man, before finally succumbing there.
During the reign of the Empress Dowager, Lu Wan's wife fled back to the Han and surrendered. However, the Empress Dowager fell ill and was unable to meet her, so they put her up in the official residence of the Yan Kingdom, and a banquet was planned. As a result, the Empress Dowager died without meeting her. Lu Wan's wife also died of illness.
In the sixth year of Emperor Jing of Han, Lu Wan's grandson, Zhi, surrendered with the Donghu royal family and was titled Marquis Yagu.
As for Chen Xi, a native of Wanchu, nobody knows how he climbed the ladder. In the winter of the seventh year of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Han Xin, the Prince of Han, defected to the Xiongnu. After Liu Bang returned from Pingcheng, he appointed Chen Xi as a marquis, making him the prime minister of the Zhao Kingdom, commanding the border troops of Zhao and Dai.
Chen Xi would often take leave to return to Zhao, and Prime Minister Zhou Chang of Zhao saw that his entourage numbered over a thousand carriages, so many that they filled every official residence in Handan. He treated his guests so casually he put them up in his underlings' quarters. After Chen Xi returned to Dai, Zhou Chang asked to see the emperor. He told the emperor about Chen Xi's numerous guests in Dai, his unauthorized control of military power for many years, and that something was up. The emperor then ordered an investigation into Chen Xi's guests' wealth and various illegal activities in Dai, which really implicated him. Terrified, Chen Xi secretly told his guests to get in touch with Wang Huang and Manqiuchen.
In the seventh month of the tenth year of Gaozu's reign, the Grand Empress Dowager passed away. Someone summoned Chen Xi to enter the capital, but Chen Xi feigned illness. By September, Chen Xi and Wang Huang, along with others, rebelled, declaring himself the Prince of Dai, and overran and pillaged the states of Zhao and Dai. When the Emperor heard about this, he pardoned the officials of Zhao and Dai who were forced by Chen Xi to participate in the looting. The Emperor sped to Handan and happily said, "Chen Xi couldn't even take Zhangshui in the south or Handan in the north – what a loser!" The Prime Minister of Zhao requested the execution of Changshan's magistrate and lieutenant, saying, "Changshan has twenty-five cities, and Chen Xi's rebellion resulted in the loss of twenty cities." The Emperor asked, "Did the magistrate and lieutenant also rebel?" The answer was, "No, they did not rebel." The Emperor declared, "This shows their incompetence." So he pardoned them and allowed them to continue serving as magistrate and lieutenant of Changshan.
The Emperor inquired of Zhou Chang, "Are there any brave warriors in Zhao who can serve as generals?" Zhou Chang replied, "There are four people." These four guys came to see the Emperor, but he rudely scolded them, saying, "Can you boys be generals?" The four guys hung their heads in shame. The Emperor granted each of them a thousand households as a reward and allowed them to serve as generals. The ministers advised, "Your Majesty, they haven't even had their Shu-Han-Chu campaign medals engraved yet! What's the rush with these rewards?" The Emperor replied, "Gentlemen, you misunderstand! Chen Xi rebelled, and everything north of Handan fell into his hands. I have urgently mobilized the armies of the world, but not a single army has arrived yet. Only the army inside Handan city is left. Why should I be tight-fisted with four thousand households for these four guys to comfort the sons of Zhao?" A murmur of assent went around the court, and the Emperor asked, "Who are Chen Xi's generals?" The answer was, "Wang Huang and Manqiuchen, both former merchants." The Emperor responded, "Got it." So he separately offered a reward of one thousand gold to capture Wang Huang, Manqiuchen, and others.
In the winter of 196 BCE, Han troops defeated the generals Hou Chang and Wang Huang of Chen Xi in Quni, killing them. They also defeated the general Zhang Chun of Chen Xi in Liaocheng, slaughtering more than ten thousand. The Grand Commandant Zhou Bo pacified Taiyuan and Dai territory.
In December, the emperor himself led the attack on Dongyuan, but the city could not be captured for a long time, and the city's defenders had the gall to insult the emperor! After the city was breached, the soldiers who insulted the emperor were all killed, while those who did not were punished by being branded. The emperor later renamed Dongyuan as Zhending. Wang Huang and Manqiuchen, two of Chen Xi's generals, were bribed and captured, effectively ending Chen Xi's campaign.
After returning to Luoyang, the emperor said, "Dai is too far north of Changshan, too far from Zhao." Therefore, he made his son, Liu Heng, the King of Dai, established Zhongdu as the capital, and placed Dai and Yanmen counties under the jurisdiction of the Dai state.
In the winter of 195 BCE, Fan Kui's army pursued Chen Xi and finally killed him in Lingqiu.
Sima Qian said: Han Xin and Lu Wan, these individuals were not virtuous. They only achieved success through Machiavellian schemes and violent means. When the Han Dynasty was just established and the world was still unstable, they received fiefdoms and assumed the title of king. Afraid that the Han Dynasty would suspect their power was too great, they sought support from barbarian tribes, which led to them becoming increasingly estranged from the Han Dynasty and increasingly vulnerable. In the end, they both fled to the Xiongnu, which is truly regrettable! Chen Xi was from the State of Liang, and from a young age, he had always admired Lord Xinling of Wei. Later, when he became a general guarding the border, he recruited guests, treated his subordinates well, and his reputation far exceeded his actual ability. Zhou Chang had suspicions about him, criticized him harshly, worried about his own safety, and some treacherous people sowed discord, ultimately causing Chen Xi's rebellion. Alas, it is truly lamentable! Ultimately, success or failure depends on the individual, a profound truth indeed.
