Real Histories
Emperor Jing of Han was the son of Emperor Wen of Han; his mother was Dowager Empress Dou. When Emperor Wen of Han was the Crown Prince in Dai, he had three sons, but later, as Dowager Empress Dou gained favor, all three sons died, allowing Emperor Jing of Han to ascend to the throne.
In 156 BC, the first year of Emperor Jing of Han's reign, on the *yi mao* day of the fourth month, there was a general amnesty. On the *yi si* day, every household was elevated a rank. In the fifth month, land taxes were halved, and a temple for Emperor Wen of Han was established. He also dispensed with the usual court congratulations. That year, the Xiongnu invaded Dai, but negotiations led to a peace agreement.
In the spring of the second year, Emperor Jing of Han appointed Xiao Xi, grandson of the former Prime Minister Xiao He, as the Marquis of Wuling. He also stipulated that marriage and fatherhood were legally delayed until age twenty. On the *ren wu* day of the fourth month, Emperor Wen's Dowager Empress died. The Kings of Guangchuan and Changsha returned to their domains. The Prime Minister Shentu Jia also passed away. In August, Emperor Jing of Han appointed Tao Qing, Grand Master and Marquis of Kaifeng, as Prime Minister. That year, a comet appeared in the sky in the northeast. In the autumn, there was hail in Hengshan, some as large as five inches and accumulating up to two feet deep. Mars appeared to stand still near the North Star. The moon appeared near the North Star, and Saturn also retrograded in the celestial court. Nanling and Neishi Duxian counties were also established.
In the third year's first month, on the Yisi day, there was another amnesty across the country. A comet appeared in the west. The main hall and city walls of the Eastern Palace in Luoyang were burned down by fire from the heavens. King Liu Bi of Wu, King Liu Wu of Chu, King Liu Sui of Zhao, King Liu Yang of Jiaoxi, King Liu Biguang of Jinnan, King Liu Xian of Zichuan, and King Liu Xiong of Jiaodong rebelled and marched west with their troops. In order to quell the rebellion, the Emperor wanted to kill Chao Cuo and sent Yuan Ang to persuade him, but the seven kingdoms did not listen and continued to advance westward to besiege Liangdi (a region). Therefore, Emperor Jing of Han sent General Dou Ying and Grand Commandant Zhou Yafu to lead the troops to suppress the rebels. On the day of Yihai in the sixth month, amnesty was granted to deserters and those who conspired with Chu Prince Liu Wu. Emperor Jing of Han installed General Dou Ying as Marquis of Weiqi, appointed Liu Li, the son of the Prince of Chu, as King of Chu, made Prince Liu Duan King of Jiaoxi, made Prince Liu Sheng King of Zhongshan, relocated Prince Liu Zhi of Jibei as King of Zichuan, made Prince Liu Yu of Huaiyang King of Lu, and made Prince Liu Fei of Runan King of Jiangdu. Qi Prince Liu Jianglu and Yan Prince Liu Jia died.
In the fourth year's summer, Emperor Jing of Han appointed the Crown Prince. Prince Liu Che was also made King of Jiaodong. On the day of Jiaxu in the sixth month, there was a general amnesty across the country. In the same year in September, Yang was changed to Yangling. Customs posts were reestablished to manage the passage of entry and exit at the borders. In winter, Zhao was changed to Handan Commandery.
In March of 145 BC, I was busy working around Yangling and Weiqiao. In May, the court requisitioned laborers to build Yangling, and I allocated 200,000 coins for this purpose. Ah, during that time, there was a huge storm in Jiangdu, blowing in from the west, directly blowing down twelve *zhang* (approximately 36 meters) of the city wall; it was really frightening! On the day of Dingmao, I also appointed the son of the Imperial Princess Chang as Marquis of Longlu. At the same time, the King of Guangchuan was transferred to Zhao.
In the spring of 144 BC, I named Zhongwei as the Marquis of Jianling, Jiangdu Prime Minister Jia as the Marquis of Jianping, Longxi Prefect Hunye as the Marquis of Pingqu, Zhao Prime Minister Jia as the Marquis of Jiangling, and the old general Bu as the Marquis of Shu. Ah, in that year both the King of Liang and the King of Chu passed away. In September, I ordered the felling of trees along the Imperial Highway, and then planted trees in the Orchid Pond.
In the winter of 143 BC, I deposed the Crown Prince, Prince Li, and appointed him as the King of Linjiang. On the last day of November, there was a solar eclipse, which was truly inauspicious. In the spring, I exempted the slaves and prisoners who were conscripted to build Yangling from their forced labor. Prime Minister Qing was also dismissed. On the second day of the second month, I appointed Grand Commandant Zhou Yafu as the Prime Minister. On the second day of the fourth month, I appointed the Dowager Queen of Jiaodong as the Empress, and on the fourth day of the fourth month, I appointed the Prince of Jiaodong as the Crown Prince; his name was Che.
In 142 BC, also known as the Zhongyuan Year, I appointed the grandson of the former Imperial Secretary Zhou Ke, Zhou Ping, as the Marquis of Shèng, and the grandson of the former Imperial Secretary Zhou Chang, Zuo Che, as the Marquis of Anyang. On the second day of the fourth month, I granted a general amnesty to all under heaven, bestowed nobility upon everyone, and lifted the restrictions on some individuals. That year, there was also an earthquake, and hail fell in the Hengshan and Yuandi areas, with hailstones as big as a foot and eight inches long—truly a series of disasters!
In February of 141 BC, the Xiongnu (a nomadic group) invaded the Yan region, and from then on, our relationship with them deteriorated. In March, I summoned the King of Linjiang back to Chang'an, but he died in the Commander-in-Chief's mansion. In the summer, I appointed Prince Yue as the King of Guangchuan, appointed my son Ji as the King of Jiaodong, and granted titles to four marquises. On the day of Jiaxu in September, there was another solar eclipse.
In the winter of 140 BC, I dismissed all the chief inspectors of the vassal states. In the spring, two Xiongnu kings surrendered with their followers, and I made them marquises. I also appointed my son Fang Cheng as the King of Qinghe. In March, a comet appeared in the northwest. Prime Minister Zhou Yafu was dismissed, and I appointed the top inspector, Liu She, as the Prime Minister. In April, there was an earthquake. At the end of September, there was a solar eclipse. The army was stationed outside the eastern capital.
In March of 139 BC, I built the Deyang Palace. That year, there was a terrible plague of locusts. In the autumn, I pardoned the prisoners and slaves who had been conscripted to build the Yangling Tomb.
In the summer of 138 BC, I appointed Prince Shun as the King of Changshan and enfeoffed ten marquises. On the day of Ding Si in June, I granted a general pardon and gave everyone a promotion. That year, there were widespread floods and disasters. I also changed the title of the chief ministers in the vassal states to "Xiang." In the autumn, there was another earthquake.
In February of 141 BC, on the day of Ji Mao, Emperor Jing of Han went on an inspection tour to the Yong region and saw signs of the Five Emperors (the historical record's unclear on the specifics). In March, there was a hailstorm. In April, Prince Xiao of Liang, Prince Gong of Chengyang, and Prince Nan of Runan all died. Emperor Jing of Han appointed Prince Xiao's sons as the Kings of Jichuan, Jidong, Shanyang, and Jiyin, dividing Liang into five smaller kingdoms and creating four marquisates. He also renamed several government positions. He promoted high-ranking officials in the imperial palace and established left and right palace officials, all under the jurisdiction of the imperial palace. On the day of Xin Hai in July, there was a solar eclipse. In August, the Xiongnu invaded Shang Commandery.
In the winter of 140 BC, Emperor Jing of Han ordered the title of Zhong Daifu to be changed to Grand Minister. On the day of Ding You in March, there was a general amnesty, and everyone was promoted by one rank. High-ranking officials and the prime ministers of the vassal states were promoted to Minister of the Right. In April, a lavish banquet was held. On the day of Bing Xu in May, an earthquake occurred, and there was a second quake during breakfast! The earthquake in the Shangyong area lasted for twenty-two days, damaging the city walls. On the day of Yi Si in July, there was a solar eclipse. Prime Minister Liu She was dismissed. On the day of Ren Chen in August, the Grand Master Wans was appointed as the prime minister and was titled as the Jianling Marquis.
In January of 139 BC, three earthquakes occurred within one day! General Zhi led troops to attack the Xiongnu. Afterwards, banquets were held for five consecutive days. Emperor Jing of Han ordered that the Neishi and the counties were not allowed to eat horse feed, which was confiscated for public use. It was also stipulated that slaves could only use coarse cloth for clothing. The use of horses to grind rice was stopped. Due to poor harvest, production of food exceeding the year's harvest was banned nationwide. The number of marquises returning to their hometowns was reduced. In March, the Xiongnu invaded Yanmen again. In October, the land tax of Changling began to be collected. That year was marked by severe drought, and plagues occurred in Hengshan country, Hedong county, and Yunzhong county.
In October of 138 BC, the sun and the moon turned red for five days. On the last day of December, the sun appeared purple (the historical record offers no further detail). The five planets retrograded and remained in the Taiwei Palace (a celestial palace). The moon traversed the Tian Ting (a celestial palace). On the day of Jia Yin in January, the Crown Prince's coronation ceremony took place. On the day of Jia Zi, Emperor Jing of Han passed away. Before his death, Emperor Jing left a decree, granting everyone from kings to commoners a promotion by one rank, and rewarding every household in the country with one hundred coins. The palace maids were dismissed. The Crown Prince ascended to the throne, becoming Emperor Wu of Han. In March, Emperor Wu of Han appointed Liu Fen, the brother of the Empress Dowager, as the Marquis of Wuan, and another brother Liu Sheng as the Marquis of Zhouyang. A mausoleum was also built in Yangling.
Sima Qian said: After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wen of Han implemented benevolent governance, bringing peace to the world. By the time of Emperor Jing of Han, there was no longer any worry about the power of the princes. However, Chao Cuo was eager to weaken the power of the kingdoms, which resulted in seven kingdoms rebelling together and launching an attack on the western regions. The root cause was that the power of the kingdoms was too great, and Chao Cuo's measures were too hasty and lacked gradual progress. Later, Zhu Fu Yan proposed a suggestion, adopting a gentle strategy, which gradually weakened the power of the kingdoms and ultimately brought stability to the realm. The key to national security lies in meticulous planning, doesn't it?
Look, during the Han Dynasty, things were so much better during Emperor Wen's reign, and the common people lived peaceful lives. By the time of Emperor Jing, those princes weren't really a big issue, but Chao Cuo insisted on hastily weakening their power, and that blew up in his face. Basically, the princes were too powerful, and Chao Cuo was too hasty, upsetting everyone and causing a huge mess. Later, Zhu Fu Yan came up with an idea to gradually weaken the princes, which finally resolved the situation. So there you have it – a country needs a good plan; you can't just rush things!
Emperor Xiaowen was the second son of Emperor Gaozu. In the spring of the eleventh year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, after defeating the army of Chen Xi and pacifying the Dai territory, he was made King of Dai and established the capital in Zhongdu. His mother was Empress Dowager Bo. He ruled as emperor for seventeen years. In the seventh month of the eighth year of Empress Gao's reign, Empress Gao died. In the ninth month, members of the Lu clan, including Lu Chan, planned to rebel, threatening the Liu family's power. The ministers teamed up to kill them. Actually, there were plans to recall the King of Dai to inherit the throne, which Empress Dowager Lu had hinted at.
After Empress Dowager Lu's death, things were chaotic at court. The Lu clan's power expanded, and they were gunning for power, endangering the Liu clan's rule. The ministers, worried about the country, quickly took out the Lu clan, averting a larger disaster. Even while Empress Dowager Lu was alive, there were secret plots to put King Dai on the throne, maybe with a few hints from Empress Dowager Lu to make the transition smoother.
Prime Minister Chen Ping and General Zhou Bo sent people to welcome the King of Dai. The King of Dai asked his attendants, including Commander Zhang Wu, for advice. They discussed and said, "These Han ministers were all old soldiers from Gaozu's army. They knew their military stuff and were sneaky. They were up to more than just being scared of Gaozu and the Empress Dowager. Now that the Lus are gone and the city's just been through a bloodbath, they can't be trusted. The King should fake being sick and stay put. He needs to see what happens first."
Lieutenant Song Chang continued, "The opinions of all the ministers are wrong. The Qin Dynasty lost the people's hearts, and the feudal lords rebelled one after another. Countless people thought they could be emperor, but in the end, it was the Liu family who ascended the throne. The people had lost hope in the Qin Dynasty; this is the first point. Emperor Gaozu appointed his royal brothers to various regions, creating a system of checks and balances; this is known as the cornerstone of power. The people respected their strength; this is the second point. After the Han Dynasty was established, it abolished the harsh policies of the Qin Dynasty, established clear laws, and ruled with kindness, allowing everyone to prosper; this is the third point. Although Empress Dowager Lu was strict and appointed the Lü clan as kings, exercising absolute power, all it took was a word from the Grand Commandant for the soldiers of the Northern Army to turn against the Lü clan, betraying them and ultimately destroying them. This was fate, not something that could be achieved by human effort. Even if the ministers now want to rebel, the people won’t listen to them. Can they count on their supporters to stick together? Currently, within the Han Dynasty, there are princes like Zhu Xu and Dong Mou, while externally, they fear the powerful princes of Wu, Chu, and others in the east and north. Among the sons of Emperor Gaozu, only the Prince of Huainan and the Prince of Dai remain. The Prince is the eldest son, known throughout the land for his wisdom, virtue, and filial piety. Therefore, the ministers see this as divinely ordained to welcome the Prince's ascension to the throne, and the Prince should not doubt this."
Dai Wang told the Empress Dowager about this matter, but still couldn't make up his mind. So he got his fortune read, and the reading was Da Heng. The diviner said, "The reading, Da Heng, spoke of a great king, a glorious reign like that of Xia Qi." Dai Wang replied, "I'm already king, what more do I need?" The diviner clarified, "It means Emperor." So Dai Wang sent the Empress Dowager's younger brother Zhao to meet with the Marquis of Jiang, and they explained why everyone wanted him to be emperor. Zhao came back and reported, "It's all true, no doubt about it." Dai Wang smiled at Song Chang and said, "Exactly as you said." He then ordered Song Chang to accompany him in the carriage, while Zhang Wu and the others took a post carriage to Chang'an. They stopped at Gaoling, and sent Song Chang ahead to scout Chang'an.
When they reached Wei Bridge, officials under the Prime Minister came out to greet them. Song Chang went back. Dai Wang rushed to Wei Bridge, and the courtiers all knelt and pledged allegiance. Dai Wang also knelt. Prime Minister Zhou Bo stepped forward and said, "I have a few words to say." Song Chang replied, "If it's official business, say it; otherwise, the Emperor won't care." The Prime Minister then knelt down and presented the emperor's jade seal and token. Dai Wang declined, saying, "Let's talk at my place." So, he made haste into the Dai Mansion, with all the courtiers following.
Prime Minister Chen Ping, Grand Commandant Zhou Bo, Grand General Chen Wu, Grand Historian Zhang Cang, Director of the Imperial Clan Liu Ying, Marquis Zhu Liu Zhang, Marquis Dongmou Liu Xingju, and Chancellor Liu Jiedu all kowtowed again and said, "The Lü clan are not Emperor Xiaohui's legitimate heirs and should not inherit the throne or offer sacrifices to the ancestors. We have carefully consulted the opinions of Marquis Yin'an, the various Marquises, Empress Dowager Qiang, Prince Langye, royal relatives, ministers, and high-ranking officials, and they all said, 'The King is the eldest son of Emperor Gaozu and should inherit the throne of Emperor Gaozu.' We hope the King will ascend to the throne immediately." The King declared, "Inheriting the ancestral temple of Emperor Gaozu is a major event. I am not capable and cannot bear the heavy responsibility of performing ancestral sacrifices. I would like to ask for suggestions from King Chu. I dare not make decisions on my own." The courtiers all knelt down and pleaded repeatedly. The King repeatedly and humbly declined the throne. Prime Minister Chen Ping and others said, "After careful consideration, it is most appropriate for the King to inherit the ancestral temple of Emperor Gaozu, and all the feudal lords and people of the world also consider it appropriate. We act for the sake of the state and its ancestors, and dare not be remiss. We hope the King will follow our advice. We respectfully present the imperial seal and scepter, kowtow again, and earnestly request." The King said, "The royal relatives, generals, and marquises all believe that no one is more suitable than me, so I dare not refuse." And so, he became emperor.
The courtiers followed proper protocol. Then they sent the imperial stable master Ying and the Marquis of Dongmou, Liu Xingju, to clean the palace and prepare the emperor's carriage to fetch him from the temporary palace. That evening, the emperor entered the Weiyang Palace. That night, he appointed Song Chang as the Commander of the Guards to command the northern and southern armies; appointed Zhang Wu as the Palace Commander to oversee the palace's security. Then he returned to the front hall. That night, he issued a decree saying, "Some time ago, the Lu family usurped power, plotted treason, and threatened the Liu ancestral temple. Fortunately, the generals, marquises, royal family members, and ministers executed them, and they received the punishment they deserved. I have just ascended the throne, declared a nationwide amnesty, granted titles to the common people, given a cow and wine to every hundred households, and held a five-day celebration."
On the day of Geng Xu in October of 180 BC, Emperor Xiaowen of Han moved the former Prince of Langya, Liu Ze, to the state of Yan and appointed him as the King of Yan.
The next day, on Xin Hai, Emperor Xiaowen officially ascended the throne and performed sacrificial rites at the ancestral temple. He then transferred Chen Ping from Right Chancellor to Left Chancellor, promoted Zhou Bo to Right Chancellor, and appointed General-in-Chief Guan Ying as the new Grand Commandant. The lands of Qi and Chu, previously seized by the Lu clan, were restored to their rightful owners.
On this day of Renzi, Emperor Xiaowen sent General Bo Zhao to Dai to welcome the Empress Dowager. Emperor Xiaowen said, "Lü Chan had proclaimed himself Chancellor, and Lü Lu had become the Grand General. They ordered General Guan Ying to attack Qi without authorization, aiming to usurp the throne and establish the Lü dynasty. Fortunately, Guan Ying stayed in Xingyang and did not send troops, and conspired with the princes to kill the Lü family. Lü Chan plotted treason, and Chancellor Chen Ping and Grand Commandant Zhou Bo planned to seize the military power of Lü Chan and others. Marquis Zhu Xu, Liu Zhang, was the first to arrest Lü Chan and others. Grand Commandant Zhou Bo personally led Marquis Xiangping Tong to enter the Northern Army. Liu Jie, the Master of Guests, personally seized the seal of Prince Zhao Lü Lu. To reward their loyalty, I have specially promoted Grand Commandant Zhou Bo to command 10,000 households and awarded him 5,000 jin of gold; Chancellor Chen Ping and General Guan Ying each received 3,000 households and 2,000 jin of gold; Marquis Zhu Xu, Liu Zhang, Marquis Xiangping Tong, and Marquis Dongmou, Liu Xingju, each received 2,000 households and 1,000 jin of gold; and Liu Jie, the Master of Guests, was created Marquis of Yangxin and awarded 1,000 jin of gold."
In December, Emperor Xiao Wen of Han said, "Laws are the rules of the land, used to keep people from doing wrong and encourage them to do right. Those who have broken the law have already been punished, but to also punish their whole families and confiscate their property, I feel this is inappropriate. Let's discuss this together." The officials replied, "People lack self-control, so laws are needed to restrain them. Punishing their whole families and confiscating property is to scare them straight, so they dare not break the law again. That's how it's always been, so let's continue to follow the old rules." Emperor Xiao Wen said, "I have heard that when laws are just, people will be law-abiding; when responsibilities are clear, they will obey. Furthermore, it is the officials who educate the people and guide them towards goodness. If the officials cannot guide the people well and use unjust laws to punish them, wouldn't this harm the people and become tyranny? How can we promote good and forbid evil in this way? I think this is inappropriate; let's think of another solution." Those officials said, "Your Majesty's so kind and wise, we're nowhere near your level! Please order the cancellation of the relevant laws regarding punishing families and confiscating property!" In January, the officials said, "It is time to appoint a crown prince to honor the ancestral temple. Please make him crown prince!" The emperor said, "My own virtue is insufficient; Heaven hasn't shown its favor yet, and the people have not yet lived a good life. Even if I'm not ready to give up the throne, rushing to appoint a crown prince now will only show my lack of virtue. What will the people think? How can they trust me then?"
Officials said, "Establishing the Crown Prince early is to show respect for the ancestors and the people!" The emperor said, "The King of Chu is my uncle, old in age, rich in experience, and very knowledgeable about state affairs; the King of Wu is my elder brother, kind and virtuous; the King of Huainan is my younger brother, of noble character, assisting me. They are perfectly suitable, are they not? Among the princes, royal brothers, and meritorious officials, there are many worthy men. If I were to select those with virtues to assist me due to my own shortcomings, it would be beneficial for the welfare of the state and the people. Now, if I do not select them and insist on appointing my own son, others will think that I have forgotten those talented individuals and only care about my son, which is not exactly showing the country any love, is it? I strongly disagree."
The officials persisted, saying, "In ancient times, the Shang Dynasty and the Zhou Dynasty were able to govern the country for thousands of years, with very few rulers having longer reigns, all because of this method. The heir must be a son, a long-standing tradition. The founding emperor unified the land, established the feudal states, and became emperor. When the princes and marquises were newly enfeoffed, they also became the ancestors of their respective states. Sons inherit the throne, generation after generation, without interruption, which is the greatest principle of the world. Therefore, the founding emperor established this system to pacify the world. Now, abandoning the practice of appointing a Crown Prince and selecting someone else from the princes and royal family is not in line with the intentions of the founding emperor! There's no need for further discussion. Your son, so-and-so, is the oldest and has a gentle and kind heart; please appoint him as the Crown Prince!"
Finally, the emperor relented. He then ordered that all those who had mourned for their fathers be granted a noble title one level higher. And they made General Bao Zhao the Marquis of Zhi.
In March, court officials suggested the establishment of an empress. Empress Dowager Bo (薄太后) said, "The princes are all of the same clan and surname, so the mother of the crown prince should be made empress." This empress's surname is Dou. To celebrate her establishment, the emperor bestowed cloth, silk, grain, and meat to widows, widowers, young orphans (under nine), the elderly (over eighty), and the poor throughout the country, each in specified amounts. The emperor, who had just ascended to the throne, showed kindness to the whole world and pacified the surrounding peoples, delighting the neighboring tribes. He followed the advice of the meritorious officials who had come from the Dai region. The emperor said, "In the past, the ministers killed the Lv clan and supported me as emperor. At that time, I was still hesitant, and they all advised me. Only Commander Song Chang (宋昌) persuaded me, allowing me to preserve the ancestral temple and state. I have promoted Song Chang to General of the Guards and granted him the title of Zhuangwu Marquis. The six people who followed me in the past have all reached the rank of Nine Ministers (the highest-ranking officials)." The emperor also said, "The marquises who followed Emperor Gaozu into Shu and Hanzhong, a total of sixty-eight people, I have increased their lands by three hundred households each. The officials who followed Emperor Gaozu from his time as Commandant (a high-ranking local official) in Yingchuan, with a rank of two thousand shi or above, ten people, each have a fief of six hundred households. The ten people, including the Huaiyang Commandant Shen Tu Jia, each have five hundred households. The ten people, including the Guard Captain Ding, each have four hundred households. I have also granted the uncle of the King of Huainan, Zhao Jian (赵兼), the title of Zhouyang Marquis, and the uncle of the King of Qi, Si Jun (驷钧), the title of Qingguo Marquis." In autumn, the former Prime Minister of Changshan, Cai Jian (蔡兼), was posthumously granted the title of Marquis of Fan. Someone said to the Right Prime Minister Bo (勃), "You were the one who killed the Lv clan and supported the King of Dai, and now you are being rewarded for your merits, holding a high position. Disaster may befall you." The Right Prime Minister Bo then called in sick and quit, leaving the Left Prime Minister Ping (平) to act as Prime Minister alone.
In October of the second year, Prime Minister Ping passed away, and the Emperor appointed Marquis Bo of Jiang as the new Prime Minister. The Emperor said, "I have heard that in ancient times, there were over a thousand feudal lords who each guarded their own territories, paid tribute on time, and life was easy for the people. Both the rulers and the ruled were happy, and there were no bad customs left behind. Now, most marquises live in Chang'an, their fiefdoms are in remote areas, and it is very difficult to supply officials and soldiers, while the marquises are unable to govern their subjects. The marquises should return to their fiefdoms; the Crown Prince will oversee those officials and others remaining in the court."
On the last day of November, a solar eclipse occurred. On the fifteenth day of December, another solar eclipse occurred. The Emperor said, "I have heard that Heaven created the people and established kings to govern them. If the king is not virtuous and the politics are unjust, Heaven will use disasters to warn and admonish him not to govern the country in such a way. Look, on the last day of November, there was a solar eclipse; is this not a significant warning? I will safeguard the ancestral temple and bear the responsibility of the king with my humble body. The rise and fall of the country all depend on me alone; only a few ministers are my right-hand men. I cannot govern the people below properly, and I have damaged the brightness of the sun, moon, and stars above. I have gravely erred! Order everyone to reflect on my mistakes, as well as what they know, see, and think about, but I do not know, and tell me quickly. At the same time, recommend virtuous and upright people who dare to speak frankly to correct my shortcomings. Everyone should do their own jobs well, strive to reduce taxes and corvée labor, and make it easier for the people. Given my shortcomings, I am always worried that someone outside will make a mistake, so I have not stopped preparing. Even if I cannot withdraw the border troops now, I must strengthen the military defenses and dismiss the General of Guards. The surplus funds from the imperial stables will be sufficient, and the rest will be used to supplement the expenses of the post stations."
In January, the Emperor said, "Agriculture is the foundation of the world. We must open up and cultivate fields; I will personally lead the farming to offer sacrifices to the ancestors."
In March, the relevant departments requested appointing a prince as a vassal king. The emperor said, "Zhao You Wang died a tragic death, and I feel for him. I have already established his eldest son as King of Zhao. You Wang's younger brother, Pi Qiang, and Zhu, Marquis of Xuxu, and Xingju, Marquis of Dongmou, both from Qi, have all made contributions and can be appointed as kings." Therefore, Pi Qiang, the second son of King You of Zhao, was established as the King of Hejian. Zhu, Marquis of Xuxu, was established as the King of Chengyang in Qi's Ju county. The Marquis of Dongmou was established as the King of Jibei. The prince, Wu, was appointed as the King of Dai, the son, Can, as the King of Taiyuan, and the son, Yi, as the King of Liang.
The emperor said, "In ancient times, to govern the world, the court used merit-based awards and suggestion boxes to facilitate the political process and allow everyone to offer advice. Nowadays, there is a crime of slander, which makes the ministers afraid to speak freely, and I do not know my faults. How can we attract virtuous people from afar? This charge should be abolished. Commoners muttering curses behind the Emperor's back, or even deceiving each other, was considered treason. If they say something else, the officials consider it as defamation. It's just common folk being ignorant and superstitious, and I strongly disagree with it. From now on, let's drop the charges against them."
In September, bronze tiger tallies and bamboo tallies began to be made for the county officials. A solar eclipse fell on the last day of October, 139 BC (Dingyou day). In November, Emperor Han Wu said, "I ordered the marquises back to their lands a few days ago, but some are dragging their feet. My Prime Minister's the one I trust most, so let him urge the marquises to return to their fiefdoms on my behalf." Therefore, Zhou Bo, Marquis of Jiang, got the boot as Prime Minister and returned to his fiefdom, and Guan Ying, Marquis of Yingyin, succeeded him as Prime Minister. The Grand Commandant's office was also done away with, its duties absorbed into the Prime Minister's. In April, Prince Liu Zhang of Chengyang died. Prince Liu Chang of Huainan and his man Wei Jing offed Shen Shiqi, Marquis of Biyang.
In May, the Xiongnu invaded the northern region, burning, killing, and looting in the Henan area. Emperor Wu of Han initially went to Ganquan Palace for a vacation. In June, Emperor Wu of Han said, "The Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu agreed to be brotherly countries and should not invade each other's borders. Therefore, we used to offer the Xiongnu generously. Now, the Right Worthy King and his troops have occupied the surrendered lands in Henan, which is very unusual. They often roamed near the border, killing officials and soldiers, driving out the border folk, not allowing them to live in their original places, harassing border officials, and frequently looting, blatantly disregarding our agreement! He ordered 85,000 border cavalry to Gao Nu and sent Prime Minister Yingyin Hou Guanying to attack the Xiongnu!" After the Xiongnu withdrew their troops, Emperor Wu of Han mobilized the officers and men, assigned them to the General of the Guards, and stationed them in Chang'an. On the day of Gengzi, Emperor Wu of Han set off from Ganquan to Gao Nu, passing through Taiyuan on the way, meeting the local old ministers, and rewarding them. He rewarded their achievements, giving each household cattle and wine. He also exempted Jinyang from three years of taxes. Emperor Wu of Han spent more than ten days in Taiyuan for leisure.
Prince Liu Xingju of Jibei heard that Emperor Han Wu was not in Chang'an, so he wanted to take the opportunity to take on the Xiongnu. Instead, he launched his own rebellion and led his troops to attack Yingyang. Therefore, Emperor Han Wu ordered the Prime Minister's military actions to be stopped, appointed Marquis Chen Wu of Jipu as the Grand General, and led a hundred thousand troops to quell the rebellion. Marquis Qi He also served as a general and stationed his troops in Yingyang. In July, on the Xinhai day, Emperor Han Wu returned to Chang'an from Taiyuan. Then Emperor Han Wu ordered, "Prince Liu Xingju broke the law, rebelled against the court, cheated the people, and committed high treason. The officials and people of Jibei, who had already quelled the rebellion before the arrival of the court army, as well as those surrendered troops and cities, are forgiven their crimes. Their official positions and titles are restored. Those who aided him were also pardoned." In August, the Han army defeated Prince Liu Xingju's army and captured him. Emperor Han Wu pardoned all the officials and people of Jibei, as well as those involved in the rebellion. Six years ago, someone reported that Prince Huainan Liu Chang broke his grandpa's laws, did not obey the emperor's decrees, lived the high life, just like the emperor, made laws on his own, plotted with Prince Qi of Jipu to rebel, and even contacted Minyue and the Xiongnu to mobilize their armies, threatening the empire. The ministers discussed and all agreed that Liu Chang should be executed. The emperor couldn't bring himself to execute him, so he pardoned his crime and abolished his title. The ministers suggested exiling him to Yandao and Qiongdu in Shu, and the emperor agreed. But Liu Chang kicked the bucket before he got there, which the emperor regretted. Sixteen years later, the emperor posthumously named Liu Chang the Prince Li and his three sons as Prince Huainan, Prince Hengshan, and Prince Lujiang.
In the summer of the thirteenth year, the emperor said: "I have heard that disasters caused by acts of God are due to resentment, while blessings come from virtue. The faults of the officials are my responsibility. Now the officials in charge of sacrifices are shifting the blame to their subordinates to cover up my faults, and I can't stand for this. Therefore, this official position should be abolished." In May, the Taicang official of the State of Qi committed a crime and was to be punished. The prison sent people to escort him to Chang'an. The Taicang official had no sons, only five daughters. When he was about to be taken away, he scolded his daughters, saying, "Having all of you daughters and no sons, you're useless to me now!" His youngest daughter, Tiying, was very upset when she heard this and cried. She followed her father to Chang'an and wrote to the emperor: "My father was a clean and just official, praised by the people of Qi. Now he faces punishment for his crime. I am very saddened. You can't bring back the dead, and once you're punished, it's done. Even if someone wants to reform, they have no chance. I am willing to be a servant to redeem my father's sins and give him a chance to reform." Her petition reached the emperor, who was moved by her filial piety and issued a decree: "I have heard that during the time of Yu Shun, different styles of clothing and headgear were used to warn the people, and as a result, the people did not commit crimes. Why is that? Because it was a time of peace and prosperity! Now, there are still corporal punishments in the law, but crime is everywhere. What is the reason for this? Is it not because of my lack of virtue and unclear education? I feel terrible about this. Therefore, if education is not pure, the people will make mistakes. A good ruler is like a parent to their people. Now, when the people make mistakes, punishment is imposed before they can be educated? Or perhaps someone wants to reform, but cannot find a way? I sympathize with them. Corporal punishment cuts off limbs, scars the skin, and causes lifelong pain. How can this be considered education and virtue? How can it be said to be like a parent to the people? We need to get rid of corporal punishment!"
The emperor said, "Agriculture is the foundation of the country; there is nothing more important than this. Now the farmers work hard to cultivate the land, yet they still have to pay taxes. This is putting the cart before the horse, and the methods to encourage agricultural production are still not perfect. I decree that land taxes be abolished!" In the winter of the fourteenth year, the Xiongnu planned to invade the border and plunder, attacking the pass and killing the Beidi Prefect. The emperor then dispatched three armies to station in Longxi, Beidi, and Shangjun, appointing General Wei Zhou She and General Cheqi Zhang Wu to lead thousands of war chariots and a hundred thousand cavalry to the north bank of the Wei River. The emperor personally reviewed the troops, issued his commands, and rewarded them. The emperor originally wanted to lead the troops to fight the Xiongnu himself, but the ministers all advised against it, which the emperor did not heed. Only the Empress Dowager's firm dissuasion made the emperor relent. He then appointed Zhang Xiangru, the Marquess of Dongyang, as the Grand Marshal, the Duke of Chenghou Chi as the Interior Minister, and Luan Bu as the General to attack the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu eventually fled. In the spring, the emperor said, "For fourteen years, I have offered sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and our ancestors. It has been a long time; my abilities and knowledge are insufficient, yet I have been governing the world for a long time, and I am very ashamed. The scale of our sacrifices must be increased. The ancient kings bestowed favors expecting nothing in return, and when worshipping the ancestors, they did not seek blessings in return. Respecting the wise and elderly, placing our ancestors first, this is the highest wisdom. I hear the sacrificial prayers attribute all blessings to me, neglecting the people. I am very ashamed. My conduct is not good, yet I enjoy blessings alone; the people do not share in them, which further highlights my lack of virtue. I order the sacrificial officials to conduct the rites with reverence and seek nothing in return."
At that time, Zhang Cang, the Marquis of Beiping, was busy improving the laws and calendar. Gongsun Chen, a man from Lu, submitted a memorial outlining the Five Virtues theory, stating that it was currently the era of the Earth element and that a yellow dragon should appear, and that the calendar, clothing, and government should be reformed. The Emperor referred the matter to the Prime Minister for discussion. The Prime Minister believed it was currently the era of the Water element and that it was correct to offer sacrifices to the black deities in the first ten days of October in the past. He rejected Gongsun Chen's proposal, deeming it incorrect.
In the fifteenth year, the Emperor saw auspicious omens in Chengji, so he summoned Gongsun Chen back and appointed him as a scholar to explain the significance of the auspicious signs indicating the prosperity of the Earth element. Then the Emperor issued a decree saying, "Chengji has seen auspicious omens, promising good harvests and no harm to the people. I shall personally perform the autumn sacrifices." The officials advised against troubling me with this. The officials said, "The summer imperial sacrifices are traditionally performed outside the capital." So the Emperor went to Yongdi, performed the reciprocal rites to the Five Emperors outside the capital, and returned the courtesy in the fourth month of summer. A man from the State of Zhao, Xinyuan Ping, flattered the Emperor with his astronomical observations and advised him to build five temples in Wei Yang, predicting that sacrificing to the Zhou tripod would bring forth a jade flower.
In the sixteenth year, the Emperor personally went to the Five Emperors Temple in Wei Yang to offer sacrifices, also returning the courtesy in the summer, and even wore red clothes. In the seventeenth year, he received a jade cup inscribed with the words "Prolongation of the Emperor's Life." So the Emperor changed the era and ordered a nationwide celebration. That year, Xinyuan Ping's conspiracy was exposed, and he was executed with his entire clan.
Two years later, the emperor said, "I'm not cut out to rule this country, and my morals aren't up to snuff. Folks out on the border are scared stiff, and even those closer to the capital are struggling. Both situations stem from my failing and insufficient influence. In recent years, the Xiongnu have been constantly harassing the border, killing officials and common people. The border generals and soldiers cannot convey my thoughts to them, which only proves I'm failing. This endless war is killing the country and the people – how do we stop it? I've been working my tail off, worrying about everyone, and it's been eating me alive. That's why I've sent many envoys to communicate my thoughts to the Xiongnu Chanyu. Now the Chanyu's agreed to peace, to work together for the good of both our peoples, to forget the past, and become brothers in arms, protecting everyone. We've agreed to a marriage alliance, effective immediately."
Six years later, in the winter, thirty thousand Xiongnu invaded both Shangjun and Yuncheng. The emperor quickly appointed key generals to defend the borders: Ling Wei to Feihu, Su Yi to Juzhu, Zhang Wu to Beidi, Zhou Yafu to Xiliu, Liu Li to Bashang, and Zhu Zihou to Jimen to guard against the Xiongnu. After a few months, the Xiongnu withdrew, and the army also retreated.
Drought and locusts hit us hard – a real disaster! The emperor quickly took action to help: he ordered the vassal states to stop offering tributes, opened up mountains, forests, and marshes for the people to use, reduced the imperial family's clothing, vehicles, and horses, streamlined the official team, opened the granaries to help the poor, and allowed the common people to sell their titles for money.
Emperor Wen of Han came to Chang'an from Dai and took the throne. During his twenty-three years in power, he did not increase the imperial palace, parks, vehicles, horses, or clothing. If anything felt unnecessary, he'd scrap it to help the people. Once, he wanted to build a terrace, but when he found out it would cost a hundred gold pieces, he said, "A hundred gold pieces? That's enough to keep ten families fed for a whole year! I already feel guilty living in the palace left by the previous emperor; how can I still have the heart to build a terrace?" He usually wore coarse clothes, and even his beloved Lady Shen's clothes could not drag on the ground, and the curtains could not be made of luxurious silk to set an example of thrift for everyone. His tomb was simple pottery, no gold, silver, copper, or tin. He didn't even bother with repairs – all to save money and spare the people any extra burden.
Zhao Tuo, now calling himself Emperor Wu, was acting pretty high and mighty. However, Emperor Wen of Han summoned Zhao Tuo's brothers and used kindness to influence them. As a result, Zhao Tuo himself abandoned the title of emperor and swore allegiance to the Han again. Despite the Xiongnu breaking their agreement and raiding, Emperor Wen just beefed up the border defenses and didn't retaliate – he didn't want to make things worse for his people. When the King of Wu faked sick and skipped court, Emperor Wen sent him a walking stick. Even blunt ministers like Yuan Ang were tolerated, their advice often used. When Emperor Wen found out about ministers like Zhang Wu taking bribes, he’d actually give them more money from the palace – to shame them, not punish them.
Emperor Wen focused on teaching people right from wrong, and the country prospered. Everyone behaved better, and things were generally more respectful.
In the sixth month of the year 174 BC, Emperor Wen of Han died in the Weiyang Palace. In his will, he wrote: "I have heard that all things in the world are born and will eventually die. Death is the law of nature, a natural phenomenon, so what is there to be more sorrowful about? Nowadays, people like to be born but detest death, spending fortunes on over-the-top funerals, wearing those uncomfortable mourning clothes. I disagree with this. Moreover, I lack virtue and cannot help the people; now that I have died, having everyone wear mourning clothes for a long time messes up the rhythm of life, causing family strife, cutting back on food and disrupting religious rituals. Is this not adding to my faults, and what will people think of me? With my limited abilities, I have governed for over twenty years above all other rulers in the world, thanks to the blessings of heaven and the protection of the state; the country has been stable without any wars. I have always feared making mistakes, ashamed of not living up to my father's example; as time passed, I worried about not being able to end well. Now, I am fortunate to have passed on peacefully, to be enshrined in the Gao Temple. I have no regrets or reasons for sorrow! I decree that everyone in the country remove their mourning clothes within three days after receiving this decree. Don't stop people getting married, having religious ceremonies, drinking, or eating meat. Only officials in charge of funeral affairs need to wear mourning clothes. The mourning sash shouldn't be more than three inches wide, no need to prepare vehicles or weapons, and don't make people come to the palace to mourn. Palace guards should wail fifteen times each morning and evening, then stop after the ritual. Apart from the designated mourning times, crying is prohibited. Other personnel should wear dark red mourning clothes for fifteen days, light red for fourteen days, plain clothes for seven days, then remove the mourning clothes. Anything not covered here, follow these rules. Let everyone know this so they understand my intentions. Do not alter the landscape of the mountains and rivers of Balin. Give the other concubines a simple funeral." The decree also appointed Yafu as General of Chariots and Cavalry, Hanwei as General of the Garrison, and Wufu as General of the Restored Earth, mobilizing sixteen thousand soldiers from nearby counties and fifteen thousand soldiers from the Imperial Guard to assist General Wufu in handling funeral affairs.
On the Yisi day of 174 BC, all the ministers prostrated themselves, bestowing the posthumous title of Emperor Xiaowen on Emperor Wen of Han. The Crown Prince acceded to the throne at the High Temple. On the Dingwei day of 174 BC, the Crown Prince inherited the throne and became Emperor.
In October of 156 BC, the Emperor ordered the censor to say: It is said that in ancient times, ancestors had merits and descendants had virtues, and the rituals and music had their own reasons. Singing and dancing are to express virtues and achievements. When worshipping at the High Temple of Gaozu, the three dances, "Wude," "Wenshi," and "Wuxing," should be performed; when worshipping at the Temple of Xiaohuidi, the two dances, "Wenshi" and "Wuxing," should be performed. During the reign of Emperor Xiaowen, he opened up the passes, eliminating regional disparities; he eliminated slander, abolished corporal punishment, rewarded the elderly, cared for widows and orphans, and nurtured the people; he reduced his own desires, did not accept bribes, and did not seek personal gain; he did not use the national treasury to punish criminals, nor did he kill the innocent; he abolished the palace punishment and released palace women, which was very remarkable at that time. My intellect is insufficient to fully grasp this. These are things that even the ancient sages could not achieve, but Emperor Xiaowen did! His virtue was boundless, his benevolence extended to all under Heaven, and no one is untouched by his blessings. His merits shine as brightly as the sun and moon, but the sacrificial music in the temple does not match his merits, which makes me very uneasy. Therefore, I have decided to add the dance "Zhaode" to the temple of Emperor Xiaowen to highlight his merits. In this way, the merits of our ancestors can be recorded in history, passed down to future generations, and last forever. I am truly pleased by this decision. This matter requires consultation with the Prime Minister, marquises, high-ranking officials, and ritual experts, before formal submission to the court. And so, it shall be done, to the eternal glory of our ancestor.
Chancellor Chen Jia and others said: Your Highness, you have long been devoted to filial piety, specially establishing the "Zhao De" dance to highlight the great virtue of Emperor Xiaowen, which is beyond the reach of your humble servants. We suggest: the Founding Emperor's achievements were unparalleled, and Emperor Xiaowen's virtues unsurpassed. The ancestral temple of the Founding Emperor should be called "Taizu Temple," and the temple of Emperor Xiaowen should be called "Taizong Temple." The emperor should worship the ancestral temple for generations to come; every province and principality should also establish a "Taizong Temple" for Emperor Xiaowen; representatives from the principalities and marquisates should serve the emperor in worshiping the ancestral temple, and annual sacrifices should be made. Please record these suggestions in the historical records and announce them to the whole country. The emperor said, "So ordered!"
Sima Qian said: Confucius once said, "It takes several generations to embody benevolence and virtue. Even if a wise man governs the country for a hundred years, it still takes time to eliminate cruelty and reduce killings." He's got a point! Since the establishment of the Han Dynasty, until Emperor Xiaowen's reign of over forty years, his virtues have reached their peak. Although he has already started to implement reforms in the countryside and is preparing for the Fengshan ceremony, his modest and yielding virtues have not yet been fully realized. Perhaps it simply hasn't been long enough?
Empress Lü was with Liu Bang when he was still a nobody and was the mother of Emperor Xiaohui and Empress Dowager Lü Yuan. After Liu Bang became King of Han, he favored Consort Qi and had a son named Prince Zhao Ruyi. Emperor Xiaohui was kind but weak, unlike Liu Bang, who always wanted to depose the crown prince and replace him with Ruyi because he felt Ruyi was more like himself. Consort Qi was highly favored and often accompanied Liu Bang to the east, persistently campaigning for her son to replace the crown prince. As Empress Lü aged and spent more time in Chang'an, her relationship with Liu Bang cooled. After Ruyi was made Prince of Zhao, he almost replaced the crown prince several times, but thanks to the strong opposition of the ministers and the strategies of Zhang Liang, the crown prince was not deposed.
Empress Lü was a powerful woman who helped Liu Bang conquer the world, and many of the ministers who were killed were due to her influence. Her two brothers were both generals. Her brother Lv Ze (Marquis of Zhoulu) died in battle, so Liu Bang made his son Lv Tai the Marquis of Li and his grandson Lv Chan the Marquis of Jiao; her other brother Lv Shizhi was made the Marquis of Jiancheng.
On the day of Jia Chen in April of the twelfth year of Liu Bang's reign, he died in Changle Palace, and the crown prince succeeded to the throne, becoming the emperor. At that time, Liu Bang had eight sons: the eldest was called Fei, the older brother of Emperor Xiaohui from a different mother, Fei was the Prince of Qi; the others were all younger brothers of Emperor Xiaohui, including Ruyi, the Prince of Zhao, Heng, the Prince of Dai, and the sons of several other concubines: Prince Liang Liu Hui, Prince Huaiyang Liu You, Prince Huainan Liu Chang, and Prince Yan Liu Jian. Liu Bang's brother Liu Jiao was the King of Chu, and his nephew Liu Bi was the King of Wu. There were also other meritorious officials not from the Liu clan, such as the son of Wu Rui, who was made the King of Changsha.
Empress Lü hated Consort Qi and her son King Zhao the most, so she imprisoned Consort Qi in Yongxiang and sent someone to summon King Zhao. The messenger went three times, but Zhou Chang, the Marquis of Jianping, said to the messenger: "Emperor Gaozu entrusted King Zhao to me, and he is still young. I've heard the Empress Dowager wants both Consort Qi and King Zhao dead. I dare not let King Zhao go. Besides, King Zhao is currently sick and cannot obey the decree." Empress Lü was furious upon hearing this and immediately sent for the Marquis of Jianping. After he was summoned to Chang'an, Empress Lü sent someone to summon King Zhao again. King Zhao arrived, but had not yet reached Chang'an. Kind-hearted Emperor Xiaohui knew that the Empress Dowager was angry, so he personally went to meet King Zhao at Basha, then took him into the palace and accompanied him in his daily life. Empress Lü wanted to kill King Zhao, but never found the opportunity.
In the twelfth month of the first year of Xiaohui, the Emperor went hunting early in the morning. King Zhao, being young, could not get up so early. Empress Lü heard that King Zhao was alone in the palace, so she sent someone to deliver poisoned wine for him to drink. By the time dawn approached, Emperor Xiaohui returned from hunting, and King Zhao was already dead. So, Empress Lü made Liu You, the Prince of Huaiyang, the new King Zhao. That summer, the court issued an edict to posthumously confer the title of Wuhou to the father of Marquis Li. Empress Lü then had Consort Qi brutally mutilated and threw her into the toilet, naming her "Human Pig." A few days later, Empress Lü summoned Emperor Xiaohui to see "Human Pig." When Emperor Xiaohui saw her, he realized it was Consort Qi, and he wept bitterly, falling ill and bedridden for over a year. He even sent someone to plead with Empress Lü, saying: "What kind of person does that? I am your son; if this continues, I'll never be able to rule properly." From then on, Emperor Xiaohui drowned his sorrows in alcohol, indulged in pleasure, neglected state affairs, and remained sick.
Two years later, both King Chu Yuan and King Qi Daohui came to pay homage to the emperor. In October, Emperor Xiaohui and King Qi drank together in front of the Dowager Empress. Emperor Xiaohui treated King Qi like a brother, letting him sit in the seat of honor and being affectionate. When the Dowager Empress saw this, she hit the roof and had two cups of poisoned wine poured in front of them, asking King Qi to stand up and make a toast. King Qi stood up to make a toast, and Emperor Xiaohui also stood up, ready to toast together. The Dowager Empress became afraid and quickly stood up, drinking Emperor Xiaohui's cup of wine first. King Qi sensed something was wrong, dared not drink, pretended to be drunk, and quickly left.
Later, they learned the wine was poisoned. King Qi was scared and figured he was done for in Chang'an. Qi's chief minister, Shi, advised King Qi, saying, "The Dowager Empress now only loves Emperor Xiaohui and Princess Lu Yuan. You are in charge of more than seventy cities, while the princess only receives taxes from a few cities. Offer the Chengyang Commandery to the Dowager Empress. Make the princess Queen Dowager. She'll be thrilled, and you'll be safe." So, King Qi offered the Chengyang Commandery and honored Princess Lu Yuan as Queen Dowager. The Dowager Empress was delighted and agreed. Then, a feast was held at King Qi's palace, and everyone happily drank together. After the party, King Qi returned to his country.
Three years later, they finally started building Chang'an. It took another four years to get halfway done, and it wasn't finished until five or six years later. Then all the lords came to pay their respects, and there was a big celebration in October.
In the autumn of the seventh year, on a day in August, Emperor Xiaohui died. During the funeral, the Empress Dowager cried, but her tears wouldn't come. At that time, there was a young man named Zhang Biqiang, the son of the Marquis, who was only fifteen years old and working as a court attendant. He said to the Prime Minister, "The Empress Dowager only loved Emperor Xiaohui. Now that he is gone, her tears do not seem genuine. Any ideas why?" The Prime Minister asked, "Why?" Zhang Biqiang replied, "The Emperor had no adult sons, and the Empress Dowager fears you ministers. You should ask the Empress Dowager to make Lü Tai, Lü Chan, and Lü Lu generals. Station their troops north and south of Chang'an. Let the whole Lü clan move into the palace and take control. That'll ease her mind, and keep you all safe." The Prime Minister followed Zhang Biqiang's advice. The Empress Dowager was very pleased upon hearing this and finally wept. That's when the Lü family's rise to power began. Then, they issued a general amnesty. On a day in September, Emperor Xiaohui was buried. The Crown Prince took the throne and performed the imperial sacrifices, and from then on, the Empress Dowager ran the show.
Now that she was in charge, the Empress Dowager wanted to make members of the Lü family kings, so she consulted with the Right Prime Minister, Wang Ling. Wang Ling said, "Emperor Gaozu once held a covenant in front of the White Horse, saying 'If it is not a descendant of the Liu family who becomes emperor, then all the people of the world will rise up against him.' Now, to make the Lü family kings breaks the agreement." The Empress Dowager remained silent. So she asked the Left Prime Minister, Chen Ping, and the Marquis of Jiang, Zhou Bo. They replied, "Emperor Gaozu pacified the world, and now his sons and brothers are still alive. With you in charge, Your Majesty, making your brothers and the Lü family kings is perfectly acceptable." The Empress Dowager was pleased and dismissed the court.
Wang Ling went to find Chen Ping and Zhou Bo, saying, "When we fought bloody battles alongside the old Emperor, making a vow together, you were also present, right? Now that the old Emperor has passed away, the Dowager is in power and wants to make the Lv clan kings. However, you are breaking our pact to suck up to the Dowager. How will you ever look the old Emperor in the eye?" Chen Ping and Zhou Bo replied, "We can't argue with the Dowager like you can, but when it comes to saving the Liu dynasty, we're better than you." Wang Ling had no way to refute them.
In November, the Dowager wanted to dismiss Wang Ling, so she appointed him as the Emperor's tutor and took away his ministerial powers. Wang Ling fell ill and retired home. Then, the Dowager appointed Chen Ping as the Prime Minister and Shang Shiqi as the Left Prime Minister. Shang Shiqi, the Left Prime Minister, was actually not in charge of anything, only responsible for supervising the palace, similar to the Master of the Imperial Household. Because of the Dowager's favor, Shang Shiqi often participated in court affairs, and all the courtiers relied on him to handle matters. Subsequently, the Dowager gave the Marquis of Li the posthumous title of Mourning Martial King, intending to gradually grant titles to the various Lv clans as kings.
In April, the Dowager wanted to grant titles to members of the Lv clan as marquises, so she first made the meritorious minister of the old Emperor, Langzhongling Wuze, the Marquis of Bocheng. Princess Lu Yuan passed away, and the Dowager granted her the posthumous title of "Empress Lu Yuan." Her son, Yan, was made the King of Lu. The King of Lu's father was Marquis Xuanping, Zhang Ao. The Dowager also appointed Zhang, the son of the Prince of Qidao Hui, as the Marquis of Zhuxu, and married Lv Lu's daughter to him; made Shou, the Prime Minister of Qi, the Marquis of Pingding; made Yan, the Minister of Works, the Marquis of Wu; made Lv Zhong the Marquis of Pei, Lv Ping the Marquis of Fuli, and Zhang Mai the Marquis of Nangong.
The Empress Dowager wanted the Lü family to take power. First, she made the sons of Emperor Xiaohui kings and marquises. Liu Qiang was made King of Huaiyang, Liu Buyi was made King of Changshan, Liu Shan was made Marquis of Xiangcheng, Liu Chao was made Marquis of Zhi, and Liu Wu was made Marquis of Huguan. The Empress Dowager discussed this matter with the ministers, and the ministers suggested that Lü Tai, the Marquis of Li, be made King Lü, to which the Empress Dowager agreed. After Marquis Kanghou Shizhi died, his son committed a crime and was stripped of his title, so his brother Lü Lu was made Marquis of Huling, inheriting the title of Marquis Kanghou.
Two years later, King Changshan died, and his brother Marquis Xiangcheng Liu Shan inherited the title of King Changshan, changing his name. In November, King Lü Tai died and was posthumously named King Su, and his son Lü Jia inherited the throne. The third year passed without incident. In the fourth year, the Empress Dowager appointed Lü Yu as Marquis of Linyang, Lü Ta as Marquis of Yu, Lü Gengshi as Marquis of Zuiqi, Lü Fen as Marquis of Lucheng, and several other ministers were also made marquises.
Now, Empress Lü, she never had kids of her own, so what did she do? She faked a pregnancy, snuck a palace maid's baby, gave it a name, killed the maid, and *bam* – instant crown prince! Later, when Emperor Xiaohui died, this child became the Emperor.
When the Emperor grew up, someone told him that his birth mother was killed by Empress Lü and that he was not the Empress's biological son. Upon hearing this, the Emperor said, "The Empress killed my real mom and then named me? I was a kid then, but now I'm all grown up, and this needs sorting out!" When Empress Lü heard about this, she freaked, terrified he'd revolt, so she locked the Emperor in Yongxiang and claimed that the Emperor was seriously ill and no one was allowed to see him.
Lü Zhi said to the ministers, "To govern the world, seek the well-being of the common people, keep the ancestors happy, and the country safe. When the emperor's happy, the people will be happy too, and everyone will live in harmony, leading to peace in the world. The Emperor has been ill for so long, mentally unfit, unable to inherit the throne, perform ancestral sacrifices, or govern the world. So, we need a new emperor, don't you think?" Upon hearing this, the ministers quickly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, you've thought of everything! We'll do as you say!"
As a result, the Emperor was deposed, and Lü Zhi secretly had him executed. On a day in May, Lü Zhi enthroned Prince Liu Yi of Changshan as Emperor, renaming him Liu Hong. The reason this year was not counted as the first year was that Lü Zhi held all the power. She also appointed Lord Liu Zhao as Prince of Changshan and established the position of Grand Commandant, appointing Lord Zhou Bo to that role.
Over the next few years, in the eighth month of the fifth year, Prince Huaiyang passed away, and Lü Zhi appointed his brother Lord Liu Wu as Prince of Huaiyang. In the tenth month of the sixth year, she deposed Prince Liu Jia of Lu for being arrogant and appointed Liu Chan, the younger brother of Prince Liu Tai, as Prince of Lu. That summer, Lü Zhi ordered the amnesty of all criminals in the realm. She also appointed Liu Xingju, the son of Prince Liu Fei of Qi Daohui, as Lord of Dongmou.
In the month of July, Empress Dowager Lü summoned King Zhao You. King Zhao You had married the daughter of Lady Lü as his queen, but he did not like her and instead favored other concubines. The daughter of Lady Lü became jealous and angrily left King Zhao, then went to the Empress Dowager to accuse him of crimes, saying, "How dare the Lüs give up the throne! After the Empress Dowager's gone, I'll wipe them all out!" Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was furious and summoned King Zhao to the palace. When King Zhao arrived, he was kept prisoner, not allowed to see the Empress Dowager, and surrounded by guards who did not give him any food. Some ministers secretly sent him food, but they were all caught and punished. Starving, King Zhao sang a song: "Lü's in charge, the Lius are doomed, forcing the lords to marry. My queen is jealous, falsely accusing me, slandering the country, the Empress Dowager is deceived. Without loyal ministers, how can I abandon the country? I will die honorably in the wilderness, the heavens are just! Alas, regret comes too late, self-destruction early, who will pity the hungry death of a king? Lü's tyranny will be repaid by heaven!" On the day of Dingchou in the first month, King Zhao starved to death in captivity, and the Empress Dowager buried him with a commoner's burial near the commoner's cemetery in Chang'an.
On the day of Jichou in the second month, a solar eclipse occurred, causing darkness during the day. The Empress Dowager felt a bad omen and said to those around her, "This is aimed at me."
In February, the Empress Dowager appointed Prince Liang, Liu Hui, as the new King Zhao, and Prince Lü was appointed as the new King of Liang. However, Prince Liang did not go to Liang but stayed in Chang'an as the Grand Tutor. At the same time, the Empress Dowager appointed her son, Prince Pingchang Marquis Liu Tai, as the new King Lü, and renamed Liang as the Lü Kingdom and the Lü Kingdom as the Jichuan Kingdom. The daughter of the Empress Dowager's sister, Lady Lü, married Marquis Yingling, Liu Ze, who was a general at the time. Fearing the Lius' revenge after her death, the Empress Dowager showered the Lüs with favors, making Liu Ze King of Langye to keep him happy.
King Liu Hui of Liang was shunted off to Zhao to be its king, much to his displeasure. The Dowager Empress then married him off to Lv Chan's daughter. The Queen's court was packed with Lv family cronies, a bunch of arrogant bullies who kept the king under constant surveillance, leaving him with no freedom whatsoever. The King of Zhao wrote a four-part poem about it and had it performed by his musicians. Grief-stricken, the King of Zhao killed himself in June. Hearing this, the Dowager Empress reckoned he'd chucked the ancestral rites for a bit of skirt, so she stripped his heir of his title.
When Marquis Xuanping Zhang Ao died, his son Zhang Yan took over as King of Lu, and his father was posthumously titled King Yuan. That autumn, the Dowager Empress sent word to the King of Dai, wanting him moved to Zhao. He refused, saying he'd rather stick to guarding Dai's borders. Grand Tutor Chan, Prime Minister Ping, and top-ranked Marquis Wuxin Lv Lu all pushed for Lu Lu to become King of Zhao. The Dowager Empress agreed, and posthumously made Lu Lu's dad, Marquis Kang, King Zhao Zhao.
In September, King Ling Jian of Yan died. His son by a concubine was promptly murdered by the Dowager Empress, leaving Yan without an heir and thus dissolving the kingdom. Eight years later, in October, she made Lv Su's son, Lv Tong, the new King of Yan, and his brother Lv Zhuang the Marquis of Dongping.
Mid-March, the Dowager Empress Lv was passing through Zhi Dao when she saw what looked like a blue dog, then it vanished. Divination blamed the restless spirit of King Zhao, and the Dowager Empress fell ill from the fright.
In March, Empress Lv went to perform a purification ritual, and on her way back to the palace through the Zhi Road, she saw something like a black dog lying next to her, but it suddenly disappeared. When she consulted a diviner, it was said that Zhao Wang Ruyi was causing trouble. This caused Empress Lv to fall ill and injure her arm. Seeing her young, orphaned grandson, Lu Yuanwang Yan, Empress Dowager Gao made Zhang Ao's two sons by his former wife marquises, one named Chi as Xindu Marquis and the other named Shou as Lechang Marquis, to assist Lu Yuanwang Yan. She also named Zhang Shi as Jianling Marquis and Lv Rong as Zhu Zi Marquis. Every eunuch in the palace was made a marquis, each receiving 500 households as a fief.
In mid-July, Empress Dowager Gao's illness worsened, and she appointed Prince Zhao Lv Lu as Commander of the Northern Army, with Prince Lv Chan in charge of the Southern Army. Empress Dowager Lv warned Chan and Lu, "Emperor Gao has already unified the world and made a pact with the ministers, saying, 'Anyone not of the Liu family will face the combined might of the empire.' Now the Lv clan is in power, but the ministers are not at peace. If I die, the Emperor is young, and the ministers might rebel. You must control the troops to guard the palace; don't let anyone manipulate you." On Xin Si, Empress Dowager Gao passed away, leaving a decree granting each vassal king, general, marquis, official, and clerk a thousand gold pieces. They declared a general amnesty. Lv Chan was appointed as Chancellor, and Lv Lu's daughter was named Empress.
In July, Empress Lü fell seriously ill and appointed Zhao King Lü Lu as the general to lead the Northern Army; Lü Chan led the Southern Army. Empress Lü instructed Lü Chan and Lü Lu, "After Emperor Gaozu pacified the world, he made an agreement with the ministers that 'if a non-Liu clan member becomes emperor, everyone would gang up on him.' Now that the Lüs are all kings, the ministers are not happy. After I die, the emperor will still be young, and the ministers may rebel. You must control the palace's army, so don't let things get out of hand!" On the day of Xin Si, Empress Lü passed away, and her will stated that each vassal king would be rewarded with one thousand gold, while generals, marquises, and officials would be rewarded with gold according to their rank. A general amnesty was declared. Then, Lü Chan was made Prime Minister, and Lü Lu's daughter was made the Empress. After Empress Lü's burial, Shi Shiqi, the Prime Minister, was appointed Grand Tutor. Liu Zhang, also known as Lord Zhu Xu, was a strongman, and his younger brother Xingju was the Marquis of Dongmou. Both of them were brothers of King Qi'ai of Qi, and they were living in Chang'an at the time. The Lüs held all the power and plotted a rebellion, but they held back, fearing the old ministers left by Emperor Gaozu, such as Lord Jiang and Lord Guan. Lord Zhu Xu's wife was Lü Lu's daughter, and she knew of the Lüs' plot. Afraid of being killed, she secretly informed her brother, King Qi, hoping he'd march west, wipe out the Lüs, and put a new emperor on the throne. Lord Zhu Xu planned to work with the ministers in Chang'an. King Qi wanted to attack, but his Prime Minister said no. In August, King Qi tried to kill his Prime Minister, but the Prime Minister rebelled and attacked King Qi instead! Cornered, King Qi killed his Prime Minister, then marched east, tricked the King of Langye into joining him, and finally headed west. This is all in the *Records of King Qi.*
King Qi wrote to the other vassal kings, saying, "After Emperor Gaozu pacified the world, he enfeoffed royal family members and appointed King Dao Hui as King Qi. After King Dao Hui passed away, Emperor Xiao Hui appointed Marquis Zhang Liang to make me King Qi. After Emperor Xiao Hui died, Empress Dowager Gao took control. She was old and under the sway of the Lu clan, arbitrarily deposing and installing emperors, and even killed three Zhao kings, wiping out the kingdoms of Liang, Zhao, and Yan, handing these territories over to the Lu clan and carving Qi into four pieces. Loyal officials pleaded with her, but Empress Dowager Gao, blinded by the Lu clan's influence, refused to listen. Now that Empress Dowager Gao has passed away, the emperor is young and unable to govern, relying on ministers and vassals. The Lu clan is grabbing power, amassing troops, and acting like they own the place. They even faked imperial orders to run the country. The Han Dynasty is teetering on the brink of collapse. I'm marching on the capital to get rid of the Lu clan – this isn't treason!" When the Han court learned of this, Prime Minister Lu Chan and others sent Yingyin Marquis Guan Ying with troops to attack King Qi. Upon reaching Xingyang, Guan Ying realized, "The Lu clan controls the Guanzhong army and is plotting to overthrow the Liu family to seize the throne for themselves. Beating King Qi and going back would only make the Lu clan stronger." Therefore, Guan Ying stayed in Xingyang, sending someone to inform King Qi and the other vassals to unite and wait for the Lu clan to show their hand, then we strike. Hearing this, King Qi pulled his troops back west to wait for the signal.
Lü Lu and Lü Chan wanted to stir up trouble in Guanzhong, but they feared Zhang Hou Zhou Bo, Zhu Xu Hou Liu Zhang, and others. They were also worried about the Qi and Chu armies and feared that Guan Ying would betray them. So they hesitated, wanting to wait for Guan Ying's army and the Qi army to join forces before taking action. At that time, the young emperor's nominal younger brothers—Prince Jichuan Liu Bi, Prince Huaiyang Liu Wu, and Prince Changshan Liu Bo—along with the Empress Dowager Lü's grandson, Prince Luyuan Liu Yu, were all young and still resided in Chang'an, un-apportioned to their fiefdoms. Meanwhile, Prince Zhao Lü Lu and Prince Liang Lü Chan, both members of the Lü clan, commanded their armies stationed north and south of Chang'an, respectively. The remaining nobles and ministers lived in constant fear, their lives hanging by a thread.
Zhou Bo, the Marquis of Jianghou (and General), was unable to enter the military camp and command the troops. The Marquis of Quzhou, Li Shang, was old and sick, and his son Li Ji had a good relationship with Lü Lu. Zhou Bo and Prime Minister Chen Ping discussed and sent someone to put Li Shang under house arrest. Then they sent Li Ji to deceive Lü Lu, saying, "Emperor Gaozu and Empress Dowager Lü won the empire together. The Liu family was granted nine kingships, and the Lü family was granted three kingships. This was the result of the ministers' deliberations, and word had officially gone out to the various princes. Everyone thinks this arrangement is appropriate. Now that the Empress Dowager has passed away and the Emperor is young, you are holding the seal of the King of Zhao and not going to your fiefdom to rule as a prince at ease, but instead serving as a general here with an army, causing suspicion among the ministers and princes. Why not hand over the seal and the army to the General, and ask the Prince of Liang to hand over the Prime Minister's seal, swear an oath with the ministers, and then return to your fiefdom? This way, the Qi army will pull back, the ministers will rest easy, and you can enjoy your vast kingdom in peace. It'll benefit your family for generations!" Lü Lu believed it to be true and wanted to hand over the seal and the army to the General. He then sent someone to inform Lu Chan and the elders of the Lü family. Some thought the idea was good, while others disagreed, and opinions were divided, unable to make a decision. Lü Lu believed Li Ji's words and often went hunting and playing with him. On the way, they passed by his aunt Lü Ye's house. Lü Ye hit the roof when she heard the news and said, "If you give up the army, the Lü family will be finished!" Then she threw all the jewelry and jade in the house on the ground, saying, "Don't let others keep them!" Left Prime Minister Shi Qi got the axe.
On the morning of August Gengshen, Pingyang Marquis Cao Can acted as the Censor-in-chief, handling national affairs. At this time, Langzhongling Jia Shou returned from the state of Qi and reported to Cao Can, saying, "Emperor Wen did not grant the state of Qi to the Lü family earlier, but now wants to do so. Is it still possible?" Jia Shou explained how Guan Ying was working with Qi and Chu to eliminate the Lü clan, urging Cao Can to head straight to the palace. After hearing these words, Pingyang Marquis Cao Can immediately rushed to report to the Prime Minister and the Grand Commandant. The Grand Commandant wanted to enter the Northern Army but was blocked by guards. Fortunately, the Marquis of Xiangping held the token, so Cao Can let the Marquis of Xiangping use the token to order the Northern Army to mobilize.
The Grand Commandant then sent Li Ji and the official Liu Jie to persuade Lu Lu: "The Emperor sent the Grand Commandant to protect you and secure the Northern Army. Quickly hand over the seal and get out of here! Otherwise, there will be a big mess!" Lu Lu felt that Li Ji would not deceive him, so he took off the seal and handed it to the official Liu Jie, transferring military power to the Grand Commandant. The Grand Commandant led the troops to the gate of the camp and ordered the entire army: "Anyone for the Lü clan, raise your right flag! Liu clan, raise your left!" As a result, the entire army raised the flag of the Liu family. By the time the Grand Commandant arrived, General Lu Lu had already handed over the seal of the commander-in-chief, and the Grand Commandant easily took control of the Northern Army.
But what about the Southern Army? When Marquis Pingyang Cao Can heard about it, he tipped off Prime Minister Ping about Lu Chan's plot. Prime Minister Ping immediately summoned Marquis Zhuxu to assist the Grand Commandant. The Grand Commandant had Marquis Zhuxu guard the camp gate and told Marquis Pingyang to inform the Guard Commander, "Keep Lu Chan out of the Prime Minister's residence!" Unaware that Lu Lu had already handed over the Northern Army, Lu Chan stormed into the Palace of Wanyan to start a rebellion but found himself stuck outside, pacing. Worried about losing control of the situation, Marquis Pingyang Cao Can hurried to inform the Grand Commandant. The Grand Commandant, still fearing the Lus, hesitated to order their deaths, so he sent Marquis Zhuxu to say, "Get to the palace and protect the Emperor!" Marquis Zhuxu requested troops, and the Grand Commandant gave him over a thousand men. They entered the Palace of Wanyan and found Lu Chan in the courtyard. They caught Lu Chan in the middle of his meal and attacked him. Lu Chan fled, and then, whoosh! A sudden windstorm hit, scattering Lu Chan's men, who lost their nerve. They chased him down and finished him off in the Langzhong Mansion's latrine.
Duke Zhu Xuhou killed Lü Chan, so the emperor sent a messenger with imperial tallies to console him. Duke Zhu Xuhou wanted to snatch the tallies, but the messenger refused to give them to him. Duke Zhu Xuhou then followed the messenger onto the carriage and quickly snatched the tallies, then rushed to kill Lü Gengshi, the Commander of the Changle Guard. After killing him, he hurried back to the Northern Army headquarters to report to the Grand Commandant. Upon hearing this, the Grand Commandant immediately got up and happily congratulated Duke Zhu Xuhou, saying, "That Lü Chan was our only worry; now he's gone, the kingdom's safe!" Therefore, he ordered people to wipe out the entire Lü clan, sparing no one. On Xin-You day, Lü Lu was arrested and killed, and Lü Ya was whipped to death. People were sent to kill Prince Lü Tong of Yan and depose Prince Lü Yan of Lu. On Ren-Xu day, the emperor's Grand Tutor Shiqi was reappointed as Left Prime Minister. On Wu-Chen day, Prince Jichuan was transferred to the Kingdom of Liang, and Liu Sui, the son of King You of Zhao, was made Prince of Zhao. Zhu Xuhou was dispatched to tell Prince Qi to pull back his troops. Guan Ying's army also withdrew from Xingyang.
Next, the ministers secretly discussed, saying, "The young emperor, Prince Dao of Liang, Prince Huaiyang, and Prince Changshan are not Emperor Xiaohui's biological sons. Empress Lü used a scheme to have other people's sons impersonate Emperor Xiaohui's sons, killed their biological mothers, then raised these children in the palace, had Emperor Xiaohui recognize them as his sons and install them as princes. The same goes for these princes, all to strengthen the power of the Lü family. Now that the Lü family has been destroyed, if we continue to let Empress Lü's people rule, we ministers will be in danger. It's better to choose the most suitable prince among them to be the emperor." Someone said, "Prince Dao of Qi is the eldest son of Emperor Gaozu, and his legitimate son is the Prince of Qi. In terms of seniority, the legitimate eldest grandson of Emperor Gaozu should inherit the throne." Concerns were raised that the Lü family almost caused the downfall of the imperial family and created chaos among the ministers due to the misdeeds of the in-laws. Now the mother's family of the Prince of Qi, the Si family, is filled with bad people. If we make the Prince of Qi the emperor, won't it mean a return to Lü family rule?" They also considered making the Prince of Huainan the emperor, but thought he was too young and his mother's family was not good either.
Finally, the ministers said, "The Prince of Dai is the biological son of Emperor Gaozu, the eldest in age, kind and filial, and his mother's family, the Bo clan, was known for its discretion and reliability. Besides, appointing the eldest son was in accordance with tradition, established a kind and filial image, and was beneficial to the whole world." So everyone secretly sent people to welcome the Prince of Dai. The Prince of Dai initially declined, but the ministers persisted. The Prince of Dai finally traveled to Chang'an in six carriages. On the last day of September, on the day of Jiyou, the Prince of Dai arrived in Chang'an and took up residence. The ministers paid their respects, presented him with the imperial seal, and formally declared him emperor. The Prince of Dai declined several times, but after repeated entreaties from the ministers, he finally agreed.
Xingju of Dong Mouhou declared, "I had no part in killing the Lu clan; I just want to wipe out the Lu clan's influence in the palace." So he and Teng Gong, the Grand Preceptor, entered the palace together and, in front of the young emperor, said, "You're no Liu, you can't be emperor." He then ordered the armed guards to stand down and leave. Several guards refused to disarm, so Eunuch Zhang Ze talked them into it.
Teng Gong had the emperor's carriage brought around and took the boy emperor out. The young emperor asked, "Where are you taking me?" Teng Gong replied, "To a safe place." They took him to the Shao Fu. Then they formally welcomed the crown prince into the palace and reported, "We've secured the palace." That night, the crown prince entered the Weiyang Palace. Ten armed guards at the gate demanded, "Where is the emperor? Who are you to enter without permission?" The crown prince sent the Grand Commandant to explain, and the ten guards then put down their weapons and left. The crown prince entered the palace and took up the reins of government. That night, they executed the Prince of Liang, Prince of Huaiyang, Prince of Changshan, and the young emperor.
The crown prince ascended the throne and became the emperor. He died twenty-three years later and was given the posthumous title of Emperor Xiaowen.
Sima Qian said that during the reign of Emperor Xiaohui and Empress Dowager Gao, the common people finally found peace after all those years of fighting in the Warring States period. Both the ruler and subjects wanted to recuperate, so Emperor Hui basically didn’t handle government affairs. Empress Dowager Gao ran the country from the harem, and the world was at peace. They hardly ever punished anyone, and crime was rare. The common people could farm in peace, and food and clothing were abundant.
Liu Bang, from Fengyi Zhongyangli in Pei County, whose courtesy name was Ji. His father was Liu Taigong, and his mother was Liu Mao. Legend has it his mother, Liu Mao, once rested by a swamp and dreamt she'd met a god. A storm raged, so Liu Taigong went to see what was happening and saw a dragon coiled over her. Later, Liu Mao became pregnant and gave birth to Liu Bang.
Liu Bang had a high nose bridge, a dragon-like face, thick and dense beard, and seventy-two moles on his left thigh. He was kind, helpful, and easygoing. He was naturally generous and never bothered with household chores. As he grew up, he served as a grassroots official and as the head of the Sishui Pavilion. He didn't give a damn about those officials and did as he pleased. He was a drinker and a womanizer. He often borrowed money from Wang Mao and Wu Fu to buy alcohol, and when he got drunk, he would sleep on the street. Wang Mao and Wu Fu always saw what looked like a dragon's shadow around him, which they found strange. Liu Bang always racked up huge bar tabs. Every year, those two just forgave his debts.
Liu Bang often went to Xianyang, wandering around and seeing the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's magnificent procession, with its glittering banners and countless soldiers. He'd sigh, "Now *that's* a real man!"
In Danfu, there was a man named Lü Gong who was very skilled in physiognomy. To avoid his enemies, he brought his family to live in Pei. The wealthy gentry and officials in Pei heard that a VIP had arrived and went to visit him. Xiao He, the chief official under the county magistrate, was in charge of receiving guests. He told the magistrate, "Anyone with a gift less than a thousand coins gets the bottom seats." Liu Bang was the local magistrate, usually getting along well with other officials. He convinced Xiao He he had given a gift of ten thousand coins, when in fact he hadn't brought a single coin. When he entered, Lü Gong was so surprised, he jumped up to greet him. Lü Gong was particularly skilled in physiognomy. After seeing Liu Bang's appearance, he respected him greatly and invited him to sit at the top. Xiao He said, "Liu Bang is all bark and no bite." Liu Bang intentionally joked with the other guests and ended up with the best seat, and nobody could stop him. As the banquet was ending, Lü Gong kept Liu Bang after everyone else left. As Liu Bang was leaving after his drink, Lü Gong said, "I've been reading faces my whole life, and I've never seen anyone like you. I have a daughter, and I thought she might make a good wife for you." After the banquet, Liu Bang's wife Lü Ao angrily asked Lü Gong, "You have always wanted to marry your daughter to a high-ranking official, and the magistrate of Pei treated you well, but you never agreed to him. Why are you now casually agreeing to marry her to Liu Bang?" Lü Gong replied, "That's something you wouldn't understand." In the end, Lü Gong married his daughter to Liu Bang. Lü Gong's daughter later became Empress Lü, mother of Emperor Hui of Han and Princess Luyuan.
When Liu Bang was a petty official, he often went home to work in the fields. Lü took her two sons to weed the fields, and an old man passed by asking for water to drink. Lü gave him water to drink. The old man divined Lü's fortune and said, "Madam will become the most noble person in the world." Then he read the fortunes of the two children. When he saw Liu Ying (Emperor Xiaohui), he said, "This son is the reason for your future greatness!" When he read the fortune of Liu Ruyi (Princess Lu Yuan), he also said she would be very noble. After the old man left, Liu Bang happened to return from a neighbor's house, and Lü told him in detail about what had just happened, saying that a guest had come to read their fortunes and all said they would be prosperous and influential. Liu Bang asked, "Is he gone?" He quickly caught up and found the old man. The old man said, "I just read the fortunes of Madam and the children. They all look like you. You will be rich and noble in the future, with unimaginable wealth and power!" Liu Bang quickly thanked him and said, "If your prediction comes true, I will never forget your kindness." Later, Liu Bang's fortunes changed dramatically, but he could never find that old man again. When Liu Bang was a petty official, he made a hat out of bamboo strips and had the Xue County jailers wear it to catch thieves, and he himself often wore it. Later, when he became emperor, he still wore this type of hat, which later became known as the Liu hat.
When Liu Bang was the stationmaster, he escorted prisoners to serve at Mount Li (骊山), and many of them escaped along the way. Liu Bang figured that by the time they reached their destination, everyone would have run off. Near Fengxian, at the western marshland, he stopped to drink, and in the evening, he secretly let all the prisoners go, saying, "Scram, I'm outta here too!" A dozen or so tough guys were willing to follow him. Liu Bang got drunk and, at night, crossed the marshland, with one man walking ahead to scout the way. The scout reported back, "There's a big snake blocking the road ahead, let's go back!" Liu Bang, inebriated, replied, "What's a little snake to a real man?" So he charged forward, drew his sword, and cut the snake in half, clearing the way. After walking a few miles, he got drunk again and fell asleep. Later, someone found an old woman crying near where the snake had been cut. When they asked her why she was crying, she explained she was crying because, "Someone killed my son." When they inquired how her son died, she claimed, "Her son was the White Emperor's son, a snake sent to block their path, and now he'd been killed by the Red Emperor's son." They thought she was nuts, about to rat her out, when poof! She vanished. Later, people arrived, and Liu Bang woke up. They told him what had happened, and Liu Bang secretly felt proud, thinking highly of himself, while his followers became more and more in awe of him. Qin Shi Huang was always going on about, "There's emperor mojo in the southeast!" So he went on an eastern tour to suppress it. Liu Bang was suspicious at the time and hid, lurking in the lakes, swamps, and rocks around Mangdang Mountain. Empress Lu's search parties always found him. Liu Bang was baffled and asked how she did it. Empress Lu replied, "There's always a cloud hanging over you, so I just follow the clouds." Word got around Peixian, and soon plenty of folks wanted in.
In the autumn of the first year of the Second Emperor Qin, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang started a rebellion in Qixian and then set up their kingdom in Chen, calling it "Zhang Chu." Counties all over the place killed their officials to show their support for Chen Sheng. The Pei County magistrate got scared and wanted to join in. The county clerks, Xiao He and Cao Can, said, "You're a Qin official now. If you start a rebellion and try to get the folks in Pei County to join you, they might not follow. You're better off rounding up a few hundred of those guys hiding out, and using them to strong-arm the rest. Then everyone will fall in line." So they sent Fan Kuai to get Liu Bang. Liu Bang already had a few hundred men with him.
The Pei County magistrate was kicking himself. He was scared stiff of a riot, so he slammed the city gates shut and got ready to deal with Xiao He and Cao Can. Scared out of their wits, Xiao He and Cao Can jumped the walls and ran to Liu Bang. Liu Bang wrote a letter, shot it onto the city wall with an arrow, and told the people of Pei County, "People have suffered enough under the Qin! Even though you're following the magistrate's orders to defend the city, various lords have risen up and are about to attack Pei County. If Pei County kills the magistrate, picks a suitable person to take his place, and responds to the lords' call, then everyone's families can be saved. If you don't do this, fathers and sons will be killed together, with no way out!"
The folks of Pei County, upon hearing this, killed the county magistrate along with their sons and other young men and opened the city gates to welcome Liu Bang, hoping he would become the county magistrate. Liu Bang said, "The world is in great chaos now, with all the rebel leaders raising armies. If we choose an unsuitable leader now, we'd all be toast. It's not that I'm scared of dying, but I ain't up to the job of protecting everyone. This matter is too big; we need to discuss it well and choose someone suitable." Xiao He, Cao Shen, and the others were all civil officials, worried about their necks and afraid of getting into trouble with the remnants of the Qin Dynasty, so they all gave the opportunity to Liu Bang. The folks of Pei County said, "We've heard that Liu Bang is capable, and he will definitely become a high-ranking official in the future. Moreover, everyone said he was lucky!" So Liu Bang declined several times. No one dared to take on this responsibility, so in the end, Liu Bang was appointed as Pei County's boss.
Then, in the courtyard of Pei County, they worshipped the Yellow Emperor and Chi You, and they painted everything red. They painted everything red because Liu Bang had killed the White Emperor's kid (a white snake), and the guy who killed the snake was the Red Emperor's kid, so red it was! Subsequently, a bunch of ambitious young guys like Xiao He, Cao Shen, and Fan Kuai led two to three thousand young soldiers from Pei County to attack Huling and Fangyu, then returned to Feng County to guard it.
In the second year of the reign of Qin Er Shi, Chen Sheng's general Zhou Zhang led his troops to Xixian and then withdrew. At this time, the states of Yan, Zhao, Qi, and Wei all proclaimed themselves kings. The Xiang clan also raised troops from Wu territory. The guy running the county in Sichuan surrounded Feng County with troops, and after two days, clashed with the boss of Pei (Liu Bang), resulting in the defeat of the Qin army. The Qin army then had Yong Chi guard Feng County and led their troops to Xue County. However, the guy running the county in Sichuan in Xue County was also defeated by the boss of Pei, fleeing to Qixian where he was later captured and killed by Liu Bang's Left Marshal. Then Liu Bang marched his troops back to Kangfu, then on to Fangyu, but there wasn't any fighting.
Liu Bang sent Wei man Zhou Shi to recover lost territory. Zhou Shi sent someone to speak to Yong Chi, saying, "Feng County was originally where the people of Liang State lived. Now Wei has already recovered dozens of cities. If you surrender to Wei, the King of Wei will appoint you as a marquis and let you continue to guard Feng County. If you do not surrender, we will slaughter the city!" Yong Chi did not want to submit to Liu Bang in the first place, and now Wei came to recruit him. He rebelled against Liu Bang and guarded Feng County for Wei. Liu Bang attacked Feng County with soldiers but could not capture it and fell ill, so he had no choice but to return to Pei County. Liu Bang was very angry that Yong Chi and the inhabitants of Feng County betrayed him. Hearing that Dongyang Ningjun and Qin Jia had proclaimed Jing Ju as a pretender king in Liuxian, he went to seek refuge with them, hoping to borrow troops to attack Feng County.
At that time, Qin General Zhang Han came from Chen County, while another general, Sima Xin, led his troops north to pacify the Chu region, massacring Xiang County and reaching Dang County. Dongyang Ningjun and Liu Bang led their troops westward and fought the Qin army to the west of Xiaoxian, but failed to win. They withdrew their troops back to Liuxian, then attacked Dang County, which took three days to seize. After capturing Dang County, they recruited five or six thousand soldiers. They then attacked Xiayi and took it as well. The army then returned to Feng County. Hearing that Xiang Liang was in Xue County, Liu Bang took over a hundred cavalry to meet him. Xiang Liang gave Liu Bang five thousand soldiers and ten high-ranking officers. After returning, Liu Bang led his troops to attack Feng County again.
After following Xiang Liang for about a month, Xiang Yu had already captured Xiangcheng and returned. Xiang Liang summoned the other generals to Xue County. Upon hearing that Chen Wang had died, Xiang Liang appointed the grandson of Chu Huai Wang, Xiong Xin, as the King of Chu and established the capital at Xutai. Xiang Liang proclaimed himself as the Trustworthy Martial Lord. After a few months, Xiang Liang marched north to attack Kangfu, rescue Dong'e, and defeated the Qin army. The Qi army also returned, leaving only the Chu army to continue the pursuit. They sent Liu Bang and Xiang Yu to attack Chengyang, capturing and slaughtering the city. The Chu army fought the Qin army to the east of Puyang and defeated them again.
The Qin army regrouped, tenaciously defending Puyang, using the Puyang moat to their advantage. The Chu army withdrew to attack Dingtao but failed to take the city. Liu Bang and Xiang Yu pushed west, reaching Yongqiu, where they fought a battle against the Qin army and won a big victory, killing the Qin general Li You. They then attacked Waihuang but failed to take it.
After defeating the Qin army twice, Xiang Liang became a little cocky. Song Yi advised him, but he did not listen. The Qin state sent reinforcements led by Zhang Han, who ambushed Xiang Liang's army at Dingtao, defeating him and killing Xiang Liang. Liu Bang and Xiang Yu were attacking Chenliu. Upon hearing of Xiang Liang's death, they retreated east with General Lv Chen. Lv Chen's army was to the east of Pengcheng, Xiang Yu's army was to the west, and Liu Bang's army was stationed in Dangxian.
After defeating Xiang Liang's army, Zhang Han figured the Chu army was no longer a threat, so he crossed the Yellow River and attacked the Zhao state, defeating the Zhao army. At that time, Zhao Xie became the King of Zhao, while the Qin general Wang Li besieged him in Julu City, the so-called Hebei army.
In the third year of Qin Ershi, Chu's King Huai saw that Xiang Liang's army had been defeated and got scared. He moved the capital from Xutai to Pengcheng, taking command of Lv Chen and Xiang Yu's forces. He appointed Liu Bang as the Prefect of Dang County, making him the Marquis of Wuan'an and putting him in charge of Dang County's army. Xiang Yu was made Marquis of Chang'an and given the title Duke of Lu. Lv Chen was appointed as the Minister of Public Works, while his father Lv Qing was appointed as the Chief Minister.
Zhao Kingdom repeatedly sought help from Chu Kingdom. King Huai of Chu appointed Song Yi as the commander-in-chief, Xiang Yu as the deputy commander, and Fan Zeng as the rearguard general to go north to rescue Zhao Kingdom. At the same time, he ordered Liu Bang to expand westward and enter Hangu Pass. He also made an agreement with the other generals that whoever entered Guanzhong first would become king.
The Qin army was on a roll, winning every battle and relentlessly pursuing their enemies. Other Chu generals wanted to rush to enter Hangu Pass first. Only Xiang Yu, who resented the Qin army for defeating his uncle Xiang Liang, was very excited and volunteered to enter Hangu Pass from the west with Liu Bang. However, King Huai of Chu and the other old generals opposed it, saying, "Xiang Yu is too arrogant, cruel, and cunning! He attacked Xiangcheng before, wiping them out completely. He leaves a trail of carnage wherever he goes. Moreover, Chu Kingdom has failed several times in attacking Qin Kingdom, with former King Chen and Xiang Liang both failing. It would be better to send a respected elder statesman to persuade surrender and explain the pros and cons to the people of Qin. The people of Qin have long been fed up with Qin Er Shi's brutal rule. If a respected person is sent, without indiscriminate killing, they should be able to surrender. Xiang Yu's too brutal; no way we're sending him. Only Liu Bang has always been kind and compassionate, a wise elder, so he can be sent." In the end, they did not agree to Xiang Yu's request, but sent Liu Bang west to establish a new front and rally the remaining forces of King Chen and Xiang Liang.
Liu Bang fought his way to Dangxian, then arrived at Chengyang, where he ran into the Qin army in a narrow mountain pass and defeated two units of the Qin army. The Chu army also attacked Wang Li and totally wiped them out. Liu Bang led his troops westward and encountered Peng Yue in Pengcheng. They then attacked the Qin army together, but things went south, so they retreated to Li County. There, he ran into Geng Wu Hou's army and took them prisoner, which strengthened his own forces with over four thousand soldiers. He then, together with the Wei generals Huang Xin and Shentu Wupu, attacked Changyi, but that city was a fortress—no way they were getting in. After that, they headed west through Gaoyang. At that time, Li Shiqi was serving as a gatekeeper and observed, "He saw a lot of big shots passing through, but he figured Liu Bang was the real deal, a true leader." So he requested to meet Liu Bang. At that moment, Liu Bang was sitting on a bed, having his feet done by a couple of women. Li Shiqi did not kneel to pay his respects but instead bowed and said, "If you really want to take down the Qin, you shouldn't be seeing someone important while you're doing this." Upon hearing this, Liu Bang quickly got up, straightened his clothes, apologized to Li Shiqi, and invited him to sit down. Li Shiqi then suggested that Liu Bang attack Chenliu and seize the Qin army's provisions. Therefore, Liu Bang made Li Shiqi Lord Guangye and appointed Li Shang as a general, leading the army of Chenliu to attack Kaifeng with Li Shiqi, but they were unable to capture it. They headed west, clashed with Yang Xiong at Baima, then again at Quyue Dong, and totally routed the Qin army. Yang Xiong fled to Yingyang, where he was beheaded by an envoy sent by the Second Emperor of Qin. Liu Bang then attacked Yingyang, pretty much wiping out the city. Zhang Liang seized Handi Huan Yuan.
So, the story goes that at that time, the general of the Zhao Kingdom, Sima Ang, was preparing to cross the Yellow River into Guanzhong. Liu Bang first went north to attack Pingyin, blocking access to the Yellow River crossing. He then marched south and clashed with the Qin army east of Zhu, but lost the battle, so he retreated to Yangcheng and rounded up his cavalry. He then fought a battle with Nanyang Governor Yi, defeating him. Liu Bang then occupied Nanyang County, and Governor Yi fled and took refuge in Wancheng. Liu Bang continued westward with his army.
At this time, Zhang Liang advised him, saying, "Chief, although you want to quickly enter Guanzhong, the Qin army is still very strong and holds a good defensive position. If you don't take Wancheng now, with Wancheng attacking you from behind and the strong Qin army in front, that's way too risky!" Liu Bang thought it made sense, so he sneaked his army back around and changed his military flag. At dawn, he laid siege to Wancheng. The Governor of Nanyang wanted to kill himself. His subordinate, Chen Hui, said, "Dude, it's way too early to die!" Chen Hui then scaled the wall to see Liu Bang and said, "I heard that you made a deal with everyone that whoever enters Xianyang first will be king. But now you are staying to attack Wancheng. Wancheng's a huge prize – a major city, tons of people, and overflowing with supplies. Everyone there is terrified of surrendering; they'll fight to the death. If you continue to attack forcefully, there will definitely be a lot of dead guys among your soldiers; if you withdraw, Wancheng will definitely chase after you. You have lost the agreement to become king in Xianyang, and now you have a powerful enemy in Wancheng behind you. In my opinion, it is better to make a deal with them to surrender, make their governor a marquis, let them continue to defend the city, and then take their army to Guanzhong. Once other cities hear this news, they'll fall like dominoes, and you'll waltz right into Xianyang."
Liu Bang thought Chen Hui's words made sense, so he made the Nanyang governor the Marquis of Yin and appointed Chen Hui as the Marquis of a Thousand Households. Then he continued to march westward, conquering all the way, with every city surrendering without a fight. When he reached Danshui, Gaowu Marquis Sai and Xiang Marquis Wang Ling surrendered at Xiling. Liu Bang then attacked Huyang, where he encountered the Qin general, Mei Mao, who also surrendered. Xixian and Lixian also surrendered. Meanwhile, Liu Bang sent Wei Ningchang as an envoy to Qin, but he hadn't returned. At this time, Zhang Han had already led his army to surrender to Xiang Yu.
At first, Xiang Yu and Song Yi went north to rescue Zhao together, but later Xiang Yu killed Song Yi and became the general himself, with generals like Ying Bu listening to him. They defeated the army of the Qin general Wang Li, and Zhang Han also surrendered. The other lords pledged allegiance to Xiang Yu. After Zhao Gao killed the Second Emperor of Qin, he sent people to try to negotiate a division of Guanzhong with Liu Bang. Liu Bang thought it was a trick, so he used Zhang Liang's plan and sent Li Sheng and Lu Jia to persuade the Qin generals, bribing them with promises of wealth and power, and then took the opportunity to attack Wuguan and break through it. Then they fought against the Qin army south of Lantian, deliberately displaying more flags to confuse the enemy and stipulating that no looting was allowed wherever the army went. This pleased the Qin people, lulled the Qin army into a false sense of security, and led to their decisive defeat at the hands of Liu Bang. He followed up with another crushing defeat, effectively dismantling the Qin army.
In October, the first year of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang's army arrived at Baxiang before the armies of the other princes. Prince Ying of Qin, dressed in plain white, rode up on a white horse, a rope around his neck, bearing the imperial seal and scepter, and surrendered at the roadside. Some generals suggested killing Prince Ying. Liu Bang said, "When King Huai sent me here, it was because I could be tolerant; besides, he has already surrendered, and killing him again would be bad luck." So he had Prince Ying taken into custody and then headed west to Xianyang. He wanted to rest in the palace, but Fan Kuai and Zhang Liang advised against it, so Liu Bang sealed the treasures and wealth of the Qin Dynasty and withdrew the army to Baxiang. He gathered the local leaders and townsfolk of each county and said, "The people have suffered from the harsh laws of the Qin Dynasty for a long time. Speaking out against the regime meant death for the whole family, and those who said even a few words were publicly executed. I made an agreement with the princes that the first one into Guanzhong gets to be king, and I should be the king of Guanzhong. But I made a promise to the people to only implement three laws: murderers will be executed, and those who harm others or steal will be punished. All other laws of the Qin Dynasty are abolished. All officials and locals will be treated as before—don't worry, I'm here to help, not to invade you! The reason I withdrew the army to Baxiang is to wait for the princes to arrive and discuss the regulations together." Then he sent people to go with the officials of the Qin Dynasty to announce these matters in various counties and villages. The people of Qin were very happy, bringing gifts of cattle, sheep, and food to reward the soldiers. Liu Bang declined, saying, "There is plenty of food in the warehouse; we don't lack anything, and I don't want to waste your generosity." The people of Qin were even happier, hoping Liu Bang would become king of Qin.
Someone told Liu Bang, "Qin's wealth was ten times that of any other state, and the terrain is also strategically important. Now it is said that Zhang Han has surrendered to Xiang Yu, who claims to be the King of Yong and has occupied Guanzhong. Xiang Yu is coming, and Liu Bang is afraid he won't get Guanzhong. The best plan is to send troops immediately to guard Hangu Pass, not allowing the armies of other princes to enter, while gradually building up his forces in Guanzhong to strengthen himself and resist Xiang Yu." Liu Bang thought this was a good idea and did so.
The following month, Xiang Yu indeed led the armies of the princes westward, wanting to enter Guanzhong, but Hangu Pass was tightly closed. Xiang Yu heard that Liu Bang had already controlled Guanzhong and was very angry, so he sent Ying Bu and others to break through Hangu Pass. A month later, Xiang Yu's army arrived at Xixian. Liu Bang's Left Sima (a high-ranking military officer) Cao Wushang heard that Xiang Yu was very angry and wanted to attack Liu Bang, so he sent someone to inform Xiang Yu, "Liu Bang wants to declare himself king of Guanzhong, and he has appointed Zi Ying as his prime minister; all the treasures of the Qin State belong to him." Cao Wushang was trying to get himself a better reward. Fan Zeng advised Xiang Yu to attack Liu Bang. Xiang Yu was rewarding his soldiers and preparing for battle the next day. At that time, Xiang Yu had 400,000 troops, boasting an army of a million. Liu Bang only had 100,000 troops, claiming to have 200,000; his strength was no match for Xiang Yu.
Xiang Bo set out to save Zhang Liang, so he secretly went to see Zhang Liang at night and also informed Xiang Yu of the situation, which made Xiang Yu stop. Liu Bang, with over a hundred riders, dashed to Hongmen to make amends with Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu said, "This was said by your Left Sima Cao Wushang; otherwise, why would I be so angry!" Thanks to Fan Kuai and Zhang Liang's help, Liu Bang was able to escape and return to his camp. Upon returning to the camp, Liu Bang immediately killed Cao Wushang.
Xiang Yu then marched westward, massacring and burning down the Qin Dynasty palace in Xianyang, leaving a trail of devastation. The people of the Qin State were utterly disheartened and terrified, left with no choice but to accept their fate.
Xiang Yu sent someone back to give King Huai an update. King Huai said, "Do as we agreed." Xiang Yu was furious that King Huai had sent him north to save Zhao instead of letting him join Liu Bang in Guanzhong, only agreeing to the alliance afterward. So Xiang Yu said, "King Huai was established by my family's Xiang Liang; he didn't contribute much. Why should he lead the alliance? It was me and the other generals who conquered the world!" He paid lip service to King Huai, calling him the Righteous Emperor, but ignored his orders.
Right away, in January, Xiang Yu declared himself the Hegemon King of Western Chu, ruling over the nine counties of Liang Chu, with his capital in Pengcheng. He couldn't be trusted; he also appointed Liu Bang as the King of Han, ruling over Bashu and Hanzhong, with his capital in Nanzheng. As for Guanzhong, he divided the territory among three generals of the Qin Dynasty: Zhang Han became the King of Yong, with his capital in Feiqiu; Sima Xin became the King of Sai, with his capital in Liyang; and Dong Yi became the King of Zhai, with his capital in Gaonu. Shen Yang, a general of Chu, became the King of Henan, with his capital in Luoyang; Sima Ang of Zhao became the King of Yin, with his capital in Chaoge; the former King Xie of Zhao was moved to be King in Dai; Prime Minister Zhang Er of Zhao became the King of Changshan, with his capital in Xiangguo; and Lord Yang became the King of Jiujiang, with his capital in Liuye. Guo Ao, the pillar of King Huai, became the King of Linjiang, with his capital in Jiangling; Fan Jun Wu Rui became the King of Hengshan, with his capital in Zhu; Zang Tu, a general of Yan, became the King of Yan, with his capital in Ji; the former King Han Guang of Yan was driven to Liaodong to be king, but he was unhappy and was killed by Zang Tu.
And that wasn't all; Chen Yu was also appointed to rule over the three counties of Hejian, residing in Nanpi, while Mei Ju received a massive fiefdom.
In April, the war finally ended, and all the warlords returned to their own territories. Liu Bang returned to Hanzhong, and Xiang Yu sent thirty thousand men to escort him. Chu and other warlords also sent many people to follow. Their route took them from Dunan to Shizhong. When Liu Bang left, he had the plank road burned to prevent other warlords from attacking him, also a clear message to Xiang Yu that he wasn't planning on going east. After arriving in Nanzheng, many generals and soldiers secretly ran back, singing songs about going home all day long. At this time, Han Xin said to Liu Bang, "Xiang Yu's made all his top guys kings, but you're stuck here in Nanzheng. What gives? Your army's all from Shandong—they're itching to get home! Strike while the iron's hot, lead 'em east, grab the whole damn country! Once things settle down, they'll be happy enough, but you won't be able to count on them later. So let's get moving, march east, and take over!"
Xiang Yu maneuvered Emperor Yi out of his position and sent someone to say, "In ancient times, an emperor must have a kingdom covering at least a thousand miles and must live in the upper reaches." So he sent people to move Emperor Yi to Chen County in Changsha and urged him to leave quickly. As a result, Emperor Yi's officials deserted him, and Xiang Yu ordered the assassination of Emperor Yi in Jiangnan, instigating the King of Hengshan and the King of Linjiang. Xiang Yu had it in for Tian Rong and appointed Tian Du as the King of Qi. Tian Rong was very angry, declared himself the King of Qi, killed Tian Du, and then rebelled against the Chu kingdom. Xiang Yu also gave General Peng Yue a seal and sent him to launch a rebellion in Liang. The Chu kingdom sent Xiao Gongjiao to attack Peng Yue, but Peng Yue defeated Xiao Gongjiao. Chen Yu resented Xiang Yu for not appointing him as king, so he sent Xia Shuo to contact Tian Rong and request troops to attack Zhang Er. Qi sent troops to Chen Yu, defeated King Changshan Zhang Er, who fled and sought refuge with Han King Liu Bang. Liu Bang brought Zhao Wang Xie back from Dai territory and reinstated him as Zhao Wang. Zhao Wang then appointed Chen Yu as the King of Dai. Xiang Yu was very angry and marched north to attack the Qi kingdom. In August, Han King Liu Bang used Han Xin's strategy to return from the original route and attack Prince Yong Zhang Han. Zhang Han fought Liu Bang in Chencang, and the army of Yong kingdom was defeated and fled; they were defeated again at Haoshi and fled to Feiqiu. Liu Bang then pacified the Yong region. He advanced east to Xianyang, surrounded Prince Yong in Feiqiu, and sent other generals to pacify Longxi, Beidi, and Shangjun. He also ordered generals Xue Ou and Wang Xi to lead troops out of Wuguan to cooperate with Wang Ling's Nanyang troops to welcome Taigong and Empress Lv back to Peixian. When the Chu kingdom heard about this, they sent troops to stop them at Yangxia but were unsuccessful. Liu Bang also appointed the former Wu magistrate Zheng Chang as the King of Han to hold off the Han army.
In the second year, Liu Bang expanded his territory to the east, and the Sai king Xin, the Zhai king Yi, and the Henan king Shen Yang all surrendered. King Chang of Han refused to submit, so Liu Bang sent Han Xin to defeat him. This led to the establishment of Longxi, Beidi, Shang, Weinan, Heshang, and Zhongdi counties; Henan County was also established beyond the pass. Han Xin was reinstated as King of Han. Generals who surrendered with 10,000 men or a whole county were made marquises. Liu Bang also repaired the defenses along the river. The old Qin hunting parks and gardens were redistributed as farmland. In the first month, the younger brother of the Prince of Yong, Zhang Ping, was captured. And there was a general amnesty.
Liu Bang left Guanzhong for Shaanxi, pacifying the people outside the pass. On his return, Zhang Er came to see him, and Liu Bang warmly received him.
In the second month, they ordered the destruction of the Qin ancestral shrines and the construction of Han ones.
In March, Liu Bang crossed the Yellow River at Linjin, with Wei king Bao's army in tow. They seized Henei County, captured the Yin king, and established new counties there. Then they crossed south to Pingyin and reached Luoyang. In Luoyang, Dong Gong, one of the city's three elders, stopped Liu Bang and informed him about the death of Emperor Yi. Hearing this, Liu Bang ripped off his robe and wept aloud, then held a funeral for Emperor Yi and mourned for three days.
After that, he sent messengers to inform all the feudal lords, saying:
- "Emperor Yi was unanimously supported by the people of the realm, and everyone paid homage to him facing north.
- Now Xiang Yu has killed Emperor Yi in the south, which is a great act of treachery.
- I personally mourn for him, and all the feudal lords should wear plain clothes to show mourning.
- I will mobilize all the troops in the pass, recruit soldiers from the Three Rivers region, cross the Yangtze River and Han River, and hope that all the feudal lords will join me in attacking the Chu state to avenge Emperor Yi!"
Meanwhile, Xiang Yu was attacking Qi in the north, fighting with Tian Rong in Chengyang. Tian Rong was defeated and fled to Pingyuan, where he was killed by the locals. As a result, Qi surrendered to Chu. Chu took the opportunity to burn Qi's cities and capture its women and children. This sparked another Qi rebellion. Tian Rong's brother Tian Heng and Tian Rong's son Tian Guang declared themselves Kings of Qi, leading a rebellion against Chu in Chengyang. Though he knew Liu Bang was gaining power in the east, Xiang Yu had allied with Qi and wanted to crush them before tackling Liu Bang. Liu Bang seized the chance to bring the five princes' armies under his banner, then headed straight for Pengcheng. Hearing this, Xiang Yu withdrew from Qi, marching through Ludi, Huling, and Xiaoxian, and fought Liu Bang a decisive battle east of Lingbi, on the Sui River. He routed Liu Bang's army, slaughtering so many the Sui River ran red and still. Xiang Yu also captured Liu Bang's parents and wife, keeping them hostage in his camp. Seeing Chu's power and Liu Bang's defeat, the princes all switched sides. Sima Xin, King of Sai, also fled to Chu. Lü Hou's brother, Zhou Lü Hou, a Han general stationed at Xiayi, was sought out by Liu Bang, who gathered stragglers and formed an army at Dangxian. Then, Liu Bang marched through Liangdi to Yuxian. He sent an envoy to Ying Bu, King of Jiujang, saying, "General, if you revolt, Xiang Yu'll have to send troops after you. That'll buy us a few months, and I'll take the whole damn country!" The envoy convinced Ying Bu, who promptly switched sides. Chu sent Long Qie against him.
Xiang Yu defeated Liu Bang in Pengcheng, and Liu Bang hightailed it west. He even sent people back to find his family, but they had vanished. After the defeat, only Liu Bang's son Liu Ying survived. Six months later, Liu Bang named Liu Ying crown prince and granted amnesty to the whole country. He then sent the crown prince to guard Liyang, where local bigwigs from the Guanzhong region gathered to protect him. Liu Bang led his troops to attack Feiqiu, swamped the city, and Feiqiu surrendered, while Zhang Han committed suicide. Liu Bang renamed Feiqiu as Huaili. Afterwards, Liu Bang ordered officials to offer sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, the deities of the four directions, mountains, and rivers, and to perform sacrifices on time. He also built roads and passes in the Guannei region.
King Ying Bu of Jiujiang fought against Long Qie and lost, then slipped away back to the Han army with Sui He. Liu Bang gradually gathered his troops, along with soldiers from the Guanzhong region, beefing up his army. As a result, he beat the Chu army in Xingyang and took the Chu capital and Suojian.
Three years later, King Bao of Wei claimed he was going home to see his sick parents, but when he reached the Yellow River crossing, he rebelled and joined the Chu state. Liu Bang sent Li Sheng to persuade King Bao of Wei, but he wouldn't listen. Liu Bang then sent Han Xin to attack King Bao of Wei, crushed the Wei army, and captured King Bao. He then took Wei and set up three new commanderies: Hedong, Taiyuan, and Shangdang. Afterwards, Liu Bang ordered Zhang Er and Han Xin to keep pushing east to attack Jingxing, defeated the state of Zhao, and killed Chen Yu and King Xie of Zhao. The following year, Liu Bang made Zhang Er King of Zhao.
Liu Bang's army, south of Xingyang, built a supply road to the Yellow River to get supplies from Aocang. They and Xiang Yu slugged it out for over a year. Xiang Yu kept hitting the Han army's supply lines, starving them out and eventually surrounding them. Desperate, Liu Bang used Chen Ping's plan, giving Chen Ping forty thousand catties of gold to stir up trouble between the Chu king and his court. This made Xiang Yu suspicious of Fan Zeng. Fan Zeng urged Xiang Yu to take Xingyang quickly, but the suspicion got to him, so he stormed off, demanding to retire, only to die before reaching Pengcheng.
Starving, the Han army sent two thousand women dressed as soldiers charging out the east gate at night. The Chu army, thinking it was a full-scale attack, swarmed them. General Ji Xin, dressed as Liu Bang, fooled the Chu army. They cheered, rushed to the east gate, and Liu Bang and a handful of cavalry slipped out the west gate. Liu Bang left the Imperial Censor Zhou Ke, Wei Bao, and Zong Gong to defend Xingyang. The rest were trapped. Zhou Ke and Zong Gong conferred, "Can't defend the city with that traitor, the Wei king!" So they bumped him off.
Liu Bang withdrew his troops from Yingyang and returned to Guanzhong, preparing to advance eastward again. A strategist named Yuan gave him an idea, saying, "The Han and Chu forces have been deadlocked in Yingyang for several years, and we've been on the losing end. Pull your troops back from Wuguan! Xiang Yu will definitely lead his troops south. Dig in and give Yingyang and Chenggao a breather. At the same time, let Han Xin and the others recover the land of Hebei and Zhao, then unite with Yan and Qi. When the moment's right, you can return to Yingyang; it's not too late. That'll spread their forces thin. We'll regroup and then wipe them out!" Liu Bang accepted his advice and withdrew his troops to the area of Wancheng and Yexian, reorganizing their army with Ying Bu.
Hearing Liu Bang was in Wancheng, Xiang Yu marched south. Liu Bang dug in and did not engage with them. At this time, Peng Yue crossed the Sui River and fought a battle with Xiang Sheng and Xue Gong in Xiapi, where Peng Yue crushed the Chu army. Xiang Yu had to lead his troops east to attack Peng Yue. Liu Bang also led his troops north, returning to Chenggao. After Xiang Yu defeated Peng Yue, he heard that Liu Bang had returned to Chenggao, so he moved his troops west, took Yingyang, killed Zhou Ke and Zong Gong, captured Han Wangxin, and besieged Chenggao.
Things were looking grim, so Liu Bang came up with a plan. He slipped out of Chenggao's Yumen gate with Teng Gong, crossed the Yellow River, and rushed to Xiuwu overnight. He passed himself off as a messenger and early in the morning ran to Zhang Er and Han Xin's camp, grabbing control of their armies! He then ordered Zhang Er to continue north to recover the land of Zhao and Han Xin to attack Qi to the east. Liu Bang regained Han Xin's army, greatly increasing his strength. He led his troops to the banks of the Yellow River, rewarded the army to the south of Xiuwu, and prepared to fight the Chu army again. At this time, a high-ranking official named Zheng Zhong advised Liu Bang, "Hey, Your Majesty, let's not rush into this. We should build strong defenses and hold our ground first." Liu Bang followed his advice, sending Lu Wan and Liu Jia with 20,000 infantry and a few hundred cavalry across the White Horse Ford, entering the territory of Chu, and once again defeating the Chu army with Peng Yue, taking back over ten cities west of Yan and Guo.
Han Xin was ordered east, but hadn't even crossed the plains yet. Liu Bang sent Li Sheng to negotiate with King Tian Guang of Qi, but Tian Guang switched sides and joined forces against Xiang Yu. Han Xin followed the advice of Kuai Tong and directly captured Qi. King Tian Guang had Li Sheng boiled alive and fled to Gaomi. When Xiang Yu heard that Han Xin had conquered Qi and Zhao and was heading for Chu, he freaked out and sent Long Qie and Zhou Lan to attack Han Xin. Han Xin fought against them, and his cavalry smashed through the Chu army, killing Long Qie. King Tian Guang went to seek help from Peng Yue, who was harassing the Chu army in Liangdi, starving them out.
After four years, Xiang Yu told Cao Jiu, the Marquis of Hai Chun, "Hold onto Chenggao for me, okay? If the Han army challenges us, don't fight them, and don't let 'em get past to the east. I'll take Liangdi within fifteen days and then come back to help you." Then Xiang Yu led his troops to attack Chenliu, Waihuang, and Suiyang, and took them all. As a result, Liu Bang's army kept picking fights with the Chu army, but the Chu army refused to fight, and they got a load of heckling for days. Cao Jiu flipped his lid, so he led his troops across the Sishui River. But before they'd even gotten halfway across, Liu Bang attacked, and the Chu army was defeated, and Liu Bang cleaned them out, grabbing all their gold, silver, and jewels. Cao Jiu and the Grand Marshal's Chief Historian Xin both killed themselves out of shame on the banks of the Sishui. When Xiang Yu got to Suiyang, he heard Haichunhou had lost, and hightailed it back. Liu Bang's army was besieging Zhonglimo east of Xingyang. Xiang Yu showed up, and they scarpered to safety.
After conquering the state of Qi, Han Xin sent a message to Liu Bang, saying, "Qi borders Chu and is weak. If you don't make me king, I can't hold onto Qi." Liu Bang was planning to attack Qi. Zhang Liang suggested, "Why not just make him king and let him handle it?" So Liu Bang sent Zhang Liang with the seal and ribbon to appoint Han Xin as the King of Qi.
When Xiang Yu heard that Long Qie had died in battle, he became fearful and sent the Xutai person Wu She to persuade Han Xin to surrender, but Han Xin ignored him. The Chu-Han War was a stalemate, and the people were really suffering. Soldiers were killing each other, and the old folks and kids were starving. Liu Bang and Xiang Yu met near Guangwu and had a chat. Xiang Yu wanted a duel with Liu Bang.
Liu Bang listed the ten major crimes of Xiang Yu: "At the time, we received the order from King Huai of Chu together, saying that whoever took Guanzhong first would be king. However, you violated the agreement and drove me to Shu Han; this is the first crime. You killed the lords and crowned yourself king; this is the second crime. After saving the Zhao state, you should have returned to report, but instead you led the vassal armies into Guanzhong; this is the third crime. King Huai's agreement forbade burning, killing, and looting after entering Qin, but you burned the palaces of the Qin Dynasty, dug up the tomb of Qin Shihuang, and privately took the treasures inside; this is the fourth crime. You also killed the surrendered Prince Ying of Qin; this is the fifth crime. You killed hundreds of thousands of Qin soldiers in Xin'an and murdered their generals; this is the sixth crime. You divided the best lands among your generals, drove away the original lords, and let his ministers fight amongst themselves and rebel; this is the seventh crime. You drove Yi the Emperor out of Pengcheng, moved in yourself, seized the land of the King of Han, annexed the lands of the states of Liang and Chu, and enriched yourself; this is the eighth crime. You sent someone to assassinate Yi the Emperor; this is the ninth crime. You, as a minister, killed your sovereign, killed those who had surrendered, acted unfairly in politics, did not abide by treaties, and the people of the world cannot tolerate you; this is high treason, this is the tenth crime! I lead the righteous army, following the vassals to punish you for your cruelty, to kill you; why bother fighting you alone?"
Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu was furious and shot Liu Bang with a crossbow arrow. Injured, Liu Bang touched his toes and said, "Damn, I got shot in the toe!" His injury confined Liu Bang to his bed, and Zhang Liang strongly urged him to get up to comfort the army, stabilize morale, and prevent the Chu army from pursuing. Liu Bang reluctantly got up to inspect the army, but his condition worsened, so he hurriedly went to Chenggao.
After recovering from illness, Liu Bang marched west to Guanzhong, arrived in Liyang, comforted the local people, and celebrated with a feast. He then cut off the head of Xin, the former King of Sai, and displayed it in the market in Liyang. He stayed in Liyang for four days before returning to the camp and stationed in Guangwu. The troops in Guanzhong also began to move out to support.
At that time, Peng Yue stationed his troops in Liangdi and fought fiercely with the Chu army, cutting off their supply lines. Tian Heng also went to help him. Xiang Yu attacked Peng Yue several times, and Prince Qi Xin came to assault the Chu army. Xiang Yu, afraid, made a pact with Han Wang to divide the world, with the west of the Honggou going to Han and the east to Chu. Xiang Yu also sent Han Wang's parents and wife back, and Xiang Yu's army erupted in cheers before he returned.
Xiang Yu withdrew his troops to the east. Han Wang first planned to retreat west, but after listening to the advice of Liu Hou and Chen Ping, he led his troops to pursue Xiang Yu, stopping at the south of Yangxia, and agreed with Prince Qi Xin and Marquis Jiancheng Peng Yue to attack the Chu army together. But when they got to Guling, they found them gone. The Chu army attacked the Han army, routing them. Han Wang retreated to the camp and dug in for defense. After listening to Zhang Liang's advice, Han Xin and Peng Yue both arrived. Once Liu Jia entered Chu territory and surrounded Shouchun, Han Wang, after being defeated at Guling, sent envoys to summon Grand Marshal Zhou Yin to lead the army from Jiujang to meet the Martial King, fighting their way to Chengfu, and then Liu Jia, Qiliang, and other vassals gathered at Gaixia. Xiang Yu was buried in the Valley of the Duke of Lu. Liu Bang became King of Huainan.
Five years later, Liu Bang, the founder, led the armies of various feudal lords to attack the Chu army and had a decisive battle with Xiang Yu at Gaixia. Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, commanded 300,000 troops to face the enemy, with his flanking generals on the left and right wings, and Emperor Liu Bang in the rear, accompanied by Marquis Zhou Bo and General Chai. Xiang Yu's army had about a hundred thousand soldiers. Han Xin launched the attack first but withdrew without gaining an advantage. His flanking generals took advantage of the situation and launched a fierce attack, overwhelming the Chu army. Han Xin pursued the enemy and won a decisive victory at Gaixia. Hearing the Han army singing Chu songs, Xiang Yu's troops thought the Han army had completely taken over the Chu territory, leading to Xiang Yu's flight in defeat and a major loss for the Chu army. General Guan Ying was sent to chase Xiang Yu to the eastern city, where 80,000 heads were taken, thus pacifying the Chu territory. The people of Lu defended their territory and refused to surrender. Liu Bang, displaying Xiang Yu's head, led the allied forces north; Lu surrendered. Finally, Xiang Yu was given a duke's burial at Gu Cheng. Liu Bang returned to Ding Tao and stormed King Qi's camp, seizing his army.
In the first month, many lords and ministers urged Liu Bang to accept the emperorship. Liu Bang said, "I've heard only a virtuous man should be emperor. I don't dare to take on this title if it is just empty words." Everyone said in unison, "Your Majesty, you started as an unknown commoner, fought all the way, eliminated tyrants, and pacified the world. Those who served you well have been ennobled. If you do not become emperor, we will all doubt whether you can continue to lead us. We'll back you to the death!" Liu Bang declined three times, but eventually said, "Fine, if you all insist, I'll do it for the good of the country!" On the 15th of the first month, Liu Bang became emperor on the banks of the Fanyu River.
The emperor pointed out that King Huai of Chu had no heirs. Han Xin, who had been King of Qi, was accustomed to the customs of Chu, so he made Han Xin king of Chu, establishing its capital at Xiapei. He also appointed Peng Yue, the Marquis of Jiancheng, as King of Liang, with its capital at Dingtao. The former King Han Xin remained King of Han, based in Yangdi. King Wu Rui of Hengshan was made king of Changsha, with the capital at Linxiang. Mei Yan, one of Fan Jun's men, made great achievements and followed Liu Bang into Wuguan, so Liu Bang rewarded Fan Jun. King Ying Bu of Huainan, King Zang Tu of Yan, and King Zhang Ao of Zhao remained in their original positions.
Peace reigned, and Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang established the capital at Luoyang, with all the princes submitting to him. However, King Huan of Linjiang betrayed the Han Dynasty and joined Xiang Yu. Liu Bang sent Lu Wan and Liu Jia to besiege him, but they did not succeed. A few months later, King Huan of Linjiang surrendered and was killed in Luoyang.
By May, the army had disbanded and returned home. The sons of the princes in the Guanzhong area were exempt from military service for twelve years; in other areas, they were exempt for six years. All soldiers were given a year's supply of rations.
Liu Bang held a feast at the South Palace in Luoyang, meeting with his subordinates and saying, "Generals, tell me the truth. Why was I able to conquer the world? Why did Xiang Yu lose?"
Gao Qi and Wang Ling replied, "Your Majesty, you're rough around the edges and tend to push people around, while Xiang Yu was known for his benevolence and care for the common people. However, Your Majesty conquers territories and shares the benefits with your subordinates, benefiting together. But Xiang Yu was jealous of talent, punished or suspected his most capable men, and never rewarded success or shared the spoils—that’s why he lost."
Liu Bang said: "You only see one aspect, but not the other. When it comes to strategizing within the tent and deciding victories from thousands of miles away, I am not as good as Zhang Liang; when it comes to pacifying the people, managing the country, ensuring logistics, and maintaining the food supply without interruption, I am not as good as Xiao He; when it comes to commanding a million-strong army, winning battles, and conquering cities, I am not as good as Han Xin. These three guys are all top-notch, and I can use them, which is why I am able to conquer the world. Although Xiang Yu had a strategist like Fan Zeng, he did not use him well, which is why I was able to capture him."
Liu Bang wanted to establish the capital in Luoyang, but Liu Jing from the Qi state advised him, while Zhang Liang also suggested moving the capital to Guanzhong. Liu Bang packed up and moved the capital to Guanzhong that very day. In June, there was a nationwide pardon. In October, King Zang Tu of Yan rebelled and attacked the Dai territory. Liu Bang personally led the troops to fight, captured Zang Tu, and then appointed Lu Wan as the King of Yan, ordering Prime Minister Cao Shen to lead the troops to attack the Dai territory.
That autumn, Li Ji rebelled, and Liu Bang once again led the troops to fight. Li Ji escaped. Li Ji was a subordinate of Xiang Yu. After Xiang Yu's defeat, Li Ji became the King of Chen but did not follow Xiang Yu. He later surrendered to Liu Bang, who enfeoffed him in Yingchuan. Later, Liu Bang returned to Luoyang, summoned all the marquises, and Li Ji freaked out and rebelled.
In the sixth year, Liu Bang visited Taigong's house every five days and treated them like his own family. The steward of Taigong's house advised Taigong, saying: "You can't have two suns in the sky, or two bosses in the house. Although Liu Bang is your son, he is also the emperor, and you are his father but only a subject. How can you make the emperor kneel to you? If this continues, the imperial authority will not be upheld!" Later, when Liu Bang went to meet Taigong, Taigong held a broom and approached him, startling Liu Bang, who quickly knelt down to help Taigong up. Taigong said: "The emperor is the ruler; how can he disturb the order of the world because of me!" So Liu Bang made his dad the Grand Emperor and gave the smart steward 500 catties of gold for the advice.
In December, someone reported that Han Xin was planning a rebellion. The emperor asked those around him what to do, and everyone wanted to immediately nab him. Later, Chen Ping's plan was adopted. The emperor pretended to go to Yunmeng Marsh for a little R&R and also met with the vassals in Chen's territory. Han Xin rushed to meet him but was quickly arrested. That day, the emperor ordered a general amnesty. Tian Ken came to congratulate the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, having captured Han Xin and secured Guanzhong, has achieved greatness. Consider Qin: a vast, mountainous land, counties separated by thousands of miles, a million-strong army, yet controlling barely a fifth of its territory. Its strategic position makes subduing rebels as easy as pouring water from a rooftop. And Qi? Rich lands to the east, protected by Mount Tai to the south, the Zhuo River to the west, and the Bohai Sea to the north. With a land area of two thousand li and a million soldiers, it governs only one-twelfth. Qin and Qi are crucial, Your Majesty! Only your son is fit to rule Qi!" The emperor replied, "You are right!" and rewarded him with a mountain of gold.
More than ten days later, the emperor made Han Xin the Marquis of Huaiyin and divided his fiefdom into two countries. The emperor said, "General Liu Jia has repeatedly achieved military merits, so he will be appointed as the King of Jing, ruling the lands east of the Huai River; my brother Liu Jiao will be the King of Chu, ruling the lands west of the Huai River; my son Liu Fei will be the King of Qi, ruling over more than seventy cities, and all Qi-speaking people will be under the jurisdiction of Qi." Then, the emperor rewarded the merits and, together with the marquises, handed out the seals of office. Han Xin was exiled to Taiyuan.
Seven years later, the Xiongnu attacked King Han Xin's base at Mayi, and King Han Xin conspired to rebel with Taiyuan. He allied with Baitu Manqiuchen and Wang Huang, installing former Zhao general Zhao Li as their king. The emperor personally led the troops to suppress the rebellion. By the time they reached Pingcheng, it was bitterly cold; two or three out of ten soldiers lost their fingers to frostbite. The Xiongnu besieged Pingcheng, lifting the siege after seven days. The emperor left Fan Kuai to pacify Dai and installed his brother, Liu Zhong, as its king.
In the second month, the emperor passed through Zhao and Luoyang on his way back to Chang'an from Pingcheng. With the completion of Changle Palace, all officials below the rank of prime minister relocated to Chang'an.
In the eighth year, the emperor went on an eastern expedition, defeating the remnants of the rebels led by King Han Xin in Dongyuan. Prime Minister Xiao built the Weiyang Palace for Emperor Gaozu of Han, and constructed the Dongque, Northque, Front Hall, Armory, and Granary. When Emperor Gaozu returned and saw the magnificent palace, he got angry and yelled at Xiao He, "With the whole country at war, people slaving away for years, and the outcome still uncertain, you build a palace like this? Are you out of your mind?!" Xiao He calmly replied, "The empire's still unsettled, Your Majesty. Now's the time to build it. Besides, a ruler needs a proper palace to command respect. And this one'll be the grandest ever built." Emperor Gaozu thought it made sense and his anger subsided.
During Gaozu's eastern tour, he passed by Bairen, where the prime minister of Zhao, Guan Gao, and others conspired to kill Gaozu. Getting a bad feeling, Gaozu cut his visit to Bairen short. King Liu Zhong of Dai abdicated and fled to Luoyang, only to be reduced to Marquis of Heyang.
Nine years later, the conspiracy of Guan Gao and others in Zhao was exposed, and their entire family was wiped out. King Zhao Ao was also deposed and titled as the Marquis of Xuanping. That same year, the Chu clans (Zhao, Qu, Jing, and Huai) and the Qi Tian clan were all moved to Guanzhong.
Weiyang Palace is finally completed! Emperor Gaozu of Han solemnly summoned all the bigwigs and officials to celebrate with a feast in front of the main hall of Weiyang Palace. Emperor Gaozu raised his jade cup, stood up to toast the Retired Emperor for his longevity, and said, "My father used to say that I, his son, was incompetent, unable to run the family estate, not as good as my younger brother Liu Zhong. So who's done better, me or my brother?" The ministers in the hall all shouted "long live" in unison, amidst a roar of laughter and cheers.
In the tenth month of the tenth year, the kings of Huainan, Liang, Yan, Jing, Chu, Qi, and Changsha all paid their respects at Changle Palace. Spring and summer passed peacefully.
In July, the Retired Emperor passed away at Liyang Palace. The Kings of Chu and Liang attended the funeral. Emperor Gaozu ordered the release of prisoners from the Liyang prison and that Liyi was renamed Xinfeng.
In August, Zhao's Prime Minister, Chen Xi, rebelled in Dai territory. Emperor Gaozu said, "Chen Xi used to be my subordinate and was very reliable. Dai territory is also a strategic location for me, so I appointed him as a Marquis to serve as Prime Minister to guard Dai territory. But then he goes and teams up with Wang Huang and the rest to loot Dai! The officials and people of Dai territory have not committed any crimes, so pardon them!" In September, Emperor Gaozu personally led the army eastward and arrived at Handan, happily saying, "Chen Xi did not occupy advantageous terrain south of Handan to block the Zhang River. I knew he was in over his head." It was said that Chen Xi's generals were all former business associates, so Emperor Gaozu said, "I know how to deal with him." He showered Chen Xi's generals with gold and silver, and many of them surrendered.
Eleven years ago, Liu Bang was busy putting down Chen Xi's rebellion in Handan. While this was still ongoing, Chen Xi's subordinate Hou Chang led tens of thousands of troops running amok, Wang Huang was also in revolt, and Zhang Chun crossed the Yellow River to attack Liaocheng. As a result, Guo Meng and the Qi army smashed them in a major battle. Zhou Bo stormed out of Taiyuan and pacified Dai. When they reached Mayi, the city held out, so Liu Bang leveled the place.
Zhao Li held Dongyuan, and Liu Bang couldn't crack it. After a month of siege, the city's defenders were still giving Liu Bang lip, which really pissed him off. Finally, Dongyuan surrendered, and Liu Bang had every last one of those who'd mouthed off executed, sparing those who did not. Liu Bang then carved out the northern Zhao territory for his son, Liu Heng, the new King of Dai, with Jinyang as his capital.
In the spring, Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, tried to revolt and got his whole family wiped out.
In the summer, Peng Yue, King of Liang, also rebelled, got exiled to Shu, tried again, and then got his whole family wiped out. Liu Bang then appointed Peng Yue's son Liu Hui as the Prince of Liang and his son Liu You as the Prince of Huaiyang.
In the seventh month, Ying Bu, King of Huainan, revolted, grabbed Jing's territory, crossed the Huai, and scared the Chu king into fleeing to Xue. Liu Bang personally led the troops against him, and afterwards, Ying Bu's son became the new King of Huainan.
By October of the twelfth year, Liu Bang had crushed Ying Bu, who ran off, only to be chased down by Liu Bang's other generals.
Liu Bang returned to Pei County and made himself at home. He held a feast in the palace of Pei County, inviting his old buddies, neighbors, and family to come and drink like there was no tomorrow. He also brought in 120 children from Pei County and taught them to sing. While everyone was enjoying the wine, Liu Bang picked up a zither and sang a song: "A great wind blows, the clouds fly high, my power spans the land, I've come home at last. Oh, where can I find brave men to guard the realm?" He then had the children learn to sing along. Liu Bang stood up to dance, overwhelmed with emotion, a mix of joy and sorrow, shedding tears several times. He told the elders of Pei County, "Those who travel far from home always miss their hometown. Although I'm now the emperor in Guanzhong, even after I die, my soul will still think of Pei County. Furthermore, it was from Pei County that I rose up to overthrow the tyrannical Qin, leading to the world we have today. Therefore, I'm making Pei County a special place, giving you all a great life." The elders of Pei County, along with Liu Bang's old friends, drank, laughed, and reminisced, having a whale of a time together.
More than ten days later, Liu Bang wanted to leave, but the locals of Pei County strongly requested him to stay. Liu Bang said, "There are too many people following me; you wouldn't be able to handle all of us." So Liu Bang prepared to leave. However, the people of Pei County all ran to the west of the county to give him a send-off. Liu Bang stopped again, hosted a banquet, and stayed for three more days. The locals kept bowing down and said, "We are very grateful that Pei County has been restored, but Feng County has not yet recovered; we hope Your Highness can have mercy on Feng County." Liu Bang said, "Feng County is where I grew up; of course, I will not forget it. It's just that Yong Chi betrayed me and joined up with the Wei Kingdom, so I didn't restore Feng County first." After repeated requests from the locals of Pei County, Liu Bang finally ordered the simultaneous restoration of Feng County, making it equal to Pei County. Later, Liu Bang also made Liu Pi King of Wu, with his territory in Pei County.
The Han generals fought Chen Sheng's army separately on both banks of the Tao River, winning big and finally killing Chen Sheng in Poyang. Fan Kuai led the army to take care of Dai and killed Chen Di below the city.
In November, Liu Bang returned to Chang'an with his troops from the front lines.
In December, Liu Bang then announced, "Qin Shihuang, King Chen of Chu, King Anli of Wei, King Meng of Qi, King Daoxiang of Zhao, are all gone; I will give ten households the job of guarding their tombs. Qin Shihuang will have twenty households, and Prince Wu Ji of Wei will have five households." Then, he issued a pardon to the people and officials who had been robbed by Chen Xi and Zhao Li. The surrendered generals said that when Chen Xi rebelled, Prince Lu Wan of Yan were in cahoots with Chen Xi. Liu Bang then sent the Marquis of Biyang to meet Lu Wan, but Lu Wan said he was sick. When the Marquis of Biyang returned, he reported in detail that it was clear Lu Wan was planning a rebellion.
In February, Liu Bang sent Fan Kuai and Zhou Bo to subdue King Lu Wan of Yan, and at the same time pardoned all the Yan officials and commoners involved in the rebellion. Afterwards, Liu Bang installed his son, Liu Jian, as the new King of Yan.
When Liu Bang fought Xiang Yu, he was hit by a stray arrow and collapsed on the road. He was deathly ill, so Empress Lü frantically summoned the best physician she could find. The doctor went in to treat Liu Bang, who asked if he could be cured. The doctor said, "I can cure you." As a result, Liu Bang started cursing at him, saying, "I, a nobody with a three-foot sword, conquered the world! Isn't this fate? My life is in the hands of heaven. Even if the legendary Bian Que showed up, it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference!" So Liu Bang threw fifty catties of gold at him and sent him packing. After a while, Empress Lü asked Liu Bang, "Your Majesty, when you're gone, when Xiao He dies, who should take over for him?" Liu Bang said, "Cao Can can." Empress Lü asked about the next one, and Liu Bang said, "Wang Ling's a bit of a dimwit. However, Chen Ping can help him. Chen Ping is exceptionally intelligent, but he cannot be left alone in charge. Zhou Bo is steady, though not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but he will keep the Liu dynasty safe. Make him Grand Commandant." Empress Lü asked about the next successor, and Liu Bang said, "Future's a mystery to me."
Lu Wan had a few thousand cavalry hanging around the border, waiting for Liu Bang to get better so he could personally apologize.
Early in April, Gaozu died in the Changle Palace. It took four days before word got out. Empress Lü and Shenshi Qi discussed, "Those military commanders used to be fellow villagers with the emperor. Now they have to serve him as subjects. They're probably seething. Now that the emperor has passed away and the crown prince has ascended to the throne, if we don't take them out, we'll have a real problem on our hands!" Someone overheard this and went to inform General Li Shang. General Li Shang found Shenshi Qi and said, "I heard that the emperor has died, and the news wasn't announced for four days. They're probably planning to use this to off those generals. If that's the case, we're in deep trouble! Chen Ping and Guanying are guarding Xingyang with 100,000 troops, Fan Kui and Zhou Bo are guarding Yan and Dai with 200,000 troops. If they find out that the emperor has died and the military commanders have been killed, they will surely bring their armies back to rebel against Chang'an. If the court rebels and the princes rise up, the whole country will collapse!" Shenshi Qi told Empress Lü about this, so on Dingwei, the death of Gaozu was announced to the public, and they declared a general amnesty.
Lu Wan heard that Gaozu had died and fled, to hook up with the Xiongnu.
On Bingyin, Gaozu was buried. On Jisi, the crown prince ascended the throne and went to the imperial ancestral temple. All the courtiers said, "Gaozu rose from humble beginnings, pacified the chaos of the world, and established the Han Dynasty. What a guy!" Therefore, Gaozu was posthumously honored as Emperor Gao. The crown prince inherited the title of emperor, becoming the later Emperor Xiaohui. He also ordered that temples for Gaozu be built throughout the country, where they'd hold regular sacrifices.
In the fifth year of Emperor Xiaohui's reign, he remembered the past events of Gaozu in Pei County and turned the Pei County palace into Gaozu's ancestral temple. The 120 songstresses trained by Gaozu during his lifetime kept performing music and dance. If one left, they'd replace her.
Gaozu had eight sons: Liu Fei, the King of Qi, his eldest son, though born out of wedlock; the second was Emperor Xiaohui, the son of Empress Lü; the third was Liu Ruyi, the King of Zhao Yin, the son of Consort Qi; the fourth was Liu Heng, the King of Dai, his son, who would later become Emperor Xiaowen, the son of Empress Bo; the fifth was Liu Hui, the King of Liang, whom Empress Lü had moved to Zhao and made King Gong; the sixth was Liu You, the King of Huaiyang, whom Empress Lü had moved to Zhao and made King You; the seventh was Liu Chang, the King of Huainan; the eighth was Liu Jian, the King of Yan.
Sima Qian argued that the Xia Dynasty's focus was loyalty. But excessive loyalty breeds villainy. The Shang, therefore, prioritized fear. However, excessive fear leads to deception, so the Zhou Dynasty emphasized ritual and culture. Yet, even that can be exploited. The cycle, then, returned to loyalty. Between the Zhou Dynasty and the Qin Dynasty, it can be said that the disadvantages of civilization had already appeared. The rule of the Qin Dynasty did not change these disadvantages, but instead intensified torture and harsh laws—how ridiculous is that? Therefore, after the rise of the Han Dynasty, it inherited the previous disadvantages but promptly made changes, preventing discontent and thus securing the throne. Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty ascended to the throne in October. He rode in a yellow chariot, his procession bearing left banners. He was buried at Changling.
This passage argues that the governing philosophies of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties formed a cyclical process, each having its pros and cons. The Xia's loyalty, the Shang's reverence, and the Zhou's civilization all have their drawbacks, eventually all needing a return to loyalty. The Qin dynasty inherited the Zhou's shortcomings but failed to improve upon them, making things even tougher under their rule, which ultimately led to their downfall. The Han dynasty, on the other hand, learned from past mistakes and built on what they inherited, reforming their approach and ultimately succeeding, culminating in the reign and eventual burial of Han Gaozu, Liu Bang.
Xiang Yu was a native of Xiaxiang, whose courtesy name was Yu. When he first started his rebellion, he was only twenty-four years old. His uncle Xiang Liang and his great-uncle Xiang Yan both served as generals in the Chu state, only to be executed by the Qin general Wang Jian. The Xiang family were hereditary generals of Chu, enfeoffed in Xiang, hence their name.
When Xiang Yu was young, he wasn't a good student, and later he tried to learn swordsmanship but still couldn't master it. Xiang Liang was very angry about this. Xiang Yu said, "Studying only allows you to remember your own name. Learning swordsmanship can at most defeat one person; it's a waste of time. I want to learn how to defeat an army!" So Xiang Liang taught him military strategy. Xiang Yu was particularly pleased and picked it up quickly, but he was not willing to study seriously. Xiang Liang was a wanted man because of an incident in Liyang, so he asked the jailer Cao Jiu from Qixian Prison to write a letter to the jailer Sima Xin from Liyang Prison, pulling strings to settle the matter. Xiang Liang fled to the Wu territory with Xiang Yu to evade enemies because of a murder. Wu's elite flocked to Xiang Liang. Whenever there were major tasks or funerals in Wu, Xiang Liang oversaw all major events, using them as cover to secretly train his men, showcasing his strategic brilliance. During Qin Shi Huang's tour of Kuaiji, crossing the Zhejiang River, Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu went to watch. Xiang Yu said, "That guy's a goner!" Xiang Liang quickly covered his mouth and said, "Shut your mouth! That's treason!" Xiang Liang thus found Xiang Yu very peculiar. Xiang Yu was over eight feet tall, possessed superhuman strength – he could lift cauldrons! – and exceptional talent. Even the Wu kids looked up to him.
And that's when all hell broke loose in Daze Township. In July of 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rose up in Daze Township.
In September, the governor of Kuaiji said to Xiang Liang, "Jiangxi's in open revolt! This is when the heavens want to destroy the Qin Dynasty! I heard that if you get in there first, or you'll get left behind. I want to lead a rebellion; why don't you and Huan Chu join me as generals?" At that time, Huan Chu was hiding in the swamp. Xiang Liang replied, "Huan Chu's whereabouts are unknown; only Xiang Yu knows where he is." Xiang Liang went out and instructed Xiang Yu to wait outside with a sword. He then returned and sat down with the governor, saying, "I want to invite Xiang Yu to come and call Huan Chu to receive orders." The governor agreed, and Xiang Liang called Xiang Yu in. After a moment, Xiang Liang gave Xiang Yu a subtle nod and whispered, "Now!" So Xiang Yu drew his sword and beheaded the governor. Xiang Liang took the governor's head and donned his seal and official attire. The entire governor's mansion was paralyzed with fear, and chaos erupted as Xiang Yu killed dozens of people with his sword. Xiang Liang then gathered some local officials he knew, laid out his case for rebellion, and mobilized the military forces in Wu territory. He sent people to recruit from the counties below and quickly amassed an army of eight thousand elite soldiers. Xiang Liang appointed some heroes from Wu territory as various officers. One person was not appointed, so he explained to Xiang Liang. Xiang Liang said, "During a certain funeral in the past, I sent you to do something, and you didn't do it well, so I didn't use you." Everyone prostrated themselves in submission. In this way, Xiang Liang became the governor of Kuaiji, Xiang Yu became his deputy, and then they set out to conquer the surrounding counties.
Zhao Ping, a man from Guangling, was raising an army for King Chen in the Guangling area, but to no avail. Hearing that King Chen had been defeated and fled, and that the Qin army was approaching, Ping quickly crossed the Yangtze River, forged King Chen's orders, appointed Xiang Liang as the King of Chu, and said, "We've pacified Jiangdong; quickly lead the troops west to fight the Qin army!"
Xiang Liang then led eight thousand troops across the Yangtze River and headed west. Hearing that Chen Ying had already taken Dongyang County, Xiang Liang sent someone to contact Chen Ying, hoping to advance west together. Chen Ying, a low-level official in Dongyang County known as an upstanding guy, was chosen as the leader by the young men of the county after they killed their county magistrate. Though he tried to refuse, they practically forced him into the role, and the number of his followers in the county reached twenty thousand. They even wanted to crown him king, but his mother advised against it, suggesting that it’d be smarter to find a powerful backer.
Chen Ying listened to his mother's advice and refrained from declaring himself king. Instead, he suggested hooking up with the powerful Xiang clan, known for their military prowess in Chu, to ensure success in their endeavors. The troops were handed over to Xiang Liang, who, after crossing the Huai River, was joined by Generals Ying Bu and Pu along with their armies. They ended up with an army of sixty to seventy thousand, stationed at Pengcheng.
So, Qin Jia had already installed Jing Ju as King of Chu, with the army stationed to the east of Pengcheng, to hold off Xiang Liang. Xiang Liang said to his officers, "King Chen was the first to rise up in rebellion, but now his whereabouts are unknown due to unfavorable battles. Now Qin Jia has betrayed King Chen and made Jing Ju king, which is against the natural order." Xiang Liang then attacked Qin Jia. Qin Jia's army was defeated and fled, with Xiang Liang pursuing them to Huling. Qin Jia resisted for another day, but eventually was killed in action, and his army surrendered. Jing Ju died on his way to escape in Liang territory. Xiang Liang had already absorbed Qin Jia's army and stationed them in Huling, preparing to lead them westward. Zhang Han's army arrived at Lixian, and Xiang Liang sent generals Zhu Jishi and Yu Fanjun to fight. As a result, Yu Fanjun died in battle, and Zhu Jishi's army was defeated, retreating to Huling. Xiang Liang then led his troops into Xue County and killed Zhu Jishi. Previously, Xiang Liang had sent Xiang Yu to lead another army to attack Xiangcheng, but despite a strong defense, the city was eventually captured, and Xiang Liang had the city's population massacred. After Xiang Yu captured Xiangcheng and returned to report to Xiang Liang, Xiang Liang learned that King Chen had already died. He then summoned all the generals to Xue County to discuss the situation. Meanwhile, Liu Bang had also risen up in rebellion in Pei County and was heading towards Xue County.
Fan Zeng, a 70-year-old from Chao County, was a homebody but renowned for his cunning plans. He urged Xiang Liang, saying, "Chen Sheng was doomed. When the Qin dynasty conquered the six states, Chu was the least guilty. Since King Huai of Chu went to Qin and never returned, the people of Chu have always missed him. As the Chu saying goes, 'Although Chu has three households, when Qin falls, it will be Chu's turn.' Now that Chen Sheng has rebelled and declared himself king without reinstating a Chu prince, his reign won't last long. Now that you have risen in Jiangdong, Chu's generals are flocking to you because your family has been generations of Chu generals and can put a Chu prince back on the throne." Xiang Liang found the grandson of King Huai of Chu in a shepherd's house and declared him King Huai of Chu, which was exactly what the people wanted. Chen Ying was appointed as the highest-ranking official in Chu and was granted five counties. He and King Huai built their capital in Xutai. Xiang Liang declared himself Lord Wuxin (meaning 'trustworthy warrior').
Months later, Xiang Liang led troops to attack Kang Fu, joining forces with Tian Rong and Sima Longqie of Qi to relieve Dong'e. They decisively defeated the Qin army at Dong'e. Tian Rong then led his troops back to Qi, ousting King Tian Jia. Tian Jia escaped to Chu. Tian Jia's younger brother, Tian Jiao, also fled to Zhao. Tian Jian, a former Qi general, remained in hiding in Zhao. Tian Rong then installed Tian Shi, son of Tian Dan, as King of Qi. Xiang Liang had already defeated the main force of the Qin army in Dong'e, so he pursued them. He repeatedly urged Qi to join forces for a westward advance. Tian Rong said, "Not until Chu and Zhao deal with Tian Jia, Tian Jiao, and Tian Jian will I send my troops." Xiang Liang replied, "Tian Jia was the king of Qi, and he sought refuge with me after his fall. I couldn't bring myself to kill him." Zhao, too, kept Tian Jiao and Tian Jian alive, hoping to use them as leverage against Qi. Therefore, in the end, Qi refused to send troops to help Chu. Xiang Liang then sent Liu Bang and Xiang Yu to lead another army to attack Chengyang, where they massacred the city's inhabitants. They then defeated the Qin army to the east of Puyang, forcing them to retreat to Puyang. Liu Bang and Xiang Yu then attacked Dingtao. When they could not take Dingtao, they withdrew their troops, pushed westward, and arrived at Yueqiu, where they defeated the Qin army, killing Li You. Their assault on Waihuang failed.
Xiang Liang left Dong'e and headed west. When he reached Dingtao, he beat the Qin army twice. They also killed Li You, which only puffed them up. Song Yi advised Xiang Liang, saying, "Winning too much makes soldiers soft, and that's how you lose. Your men are getting slack, and the Qin are getting stronger. I'm worried, boss." Xiang Liang did not listen to him. So he sent Song Yi to Qi as an envoy. On the way, he met Qi's envoy Gao Lingjun Xian. Song Yi asked him, "Are you going to see Tian Rong?" Gao Lingjun replied, "Yes." Song Yi said, "I'm betting Tian Rong's army is done for. Take it slow, or you'll be sorry." Indeed, the Qin reinforced Zhang Han, smashed the Chu army at Dingtao, and Xiang Liang was dead. Liu Bang and Xiang Yu hit Chenliu from Waihuang, but couldn't take it. They discussed and decided, "Xiang Liang's army's gone down, and our guys are scared." So they hightailed it east with Lu Chen's crew. Lu Chen's guys were east of Pengcheng, Xiang Yu's west, and Liu Bang's in Dangxian. Zhang Han wiped out Xiang Liang's army and figured the Chu were pushovers, so he crossed the Yellow River to attack Zhao State, defeating their army. King Zhao Xie, General Chen Yu, and Prime Minister Zhang Er—they all ran to Julu City. Zhang Han had Wang Li and She Jian surround Julu, while he set up shop south of the city and built a supply route. Chen Yu parked his tens of thousands north of Julu—that's what they called the Hebei army.
The Chu army was defeated in Dingtao, and King Huai, fearing for his safety, fled from Xutai to Pengcheng, where he gathered the armies of Xiang Yu and Lu Chen and took personal command. He appointed Lu Chen as the Grand Minister and his father Lu Qing as the Chief Minister. Liu Bang was appointed as the county head of Dang County and was created Marquis of Wu'an, putting him in charge of the county's army.
Initially, Song Yi encountered Gao Ling Jun, an envoy from the State of Qi, within the Chu army. Gao Ling Jun said to King Huai, "Song Yi predicted Lord Wuxin's defeat, and he was right! That kind of foresight shows real military genius." After hearing this, King Huai greatly appreciated Song Yi and appointed him as General. Xiang Yu was appointed as the Duke of Lu, serving as the deputy general, while Fan Zeng was appointed as the junior general. Together, they set out to rescue the State of Zhao. Song Yi was known as "Lord Qing, the Champion."
When the army reached Anyang, they stopped for forty-six days without moving. Xiang Yu said, "I hear the Qin are surrounding Zhao in Julu. We gotta get across the Yellow River fast – Chu attacks from the outside, Zhao from the inside, and we'll smash those Qin!"
Song Yi said, "No. That's like swatting flies with a cannon. Now that the State of Qin is attacking the State of Zhao, if Qin wins, their army will be exhausted, and we can take the opportunity to conquer Qin; if Qin loses, we can lead our troops west and definitely crush Qin. So it's better to let Qin and Zhao bleed each other dry first. I may not match you in hand-to-hand combat, but I'm far superior when it comes to strategy." Then Song Yi ordered the whole army, "Any soldier who's cowardly, greedy, or undisciplined will be executed!" He also sent his son Song Xiang to the State of Qi; he personally saw his son off to Wuyan, then threw a lavish banquet. At that time, the weather was cold, it was raining heavily, and the soldiers were cold and starving. Xiang Yu said, "We should go all out to attack the State of Qin, but we’re just sitting here. Now is the time of famine; the soldiers are eating taro and beans, and the army is starving. The generals are having a feast, not leading the troops to cross the river to the State of Zhao to eat and drink, and join forces with Zhao to attack Qin together, and yet he keeps talking about waiting for them to collapse! Qin is so powerful that attacking the newly established State of Zhao will definitely result in its capture. Once Zhao is taken, Qin will become even stronger, leaving us no chance to take advantage. Furthermore, the country's army has just been defeated, and the King of Chu is restless, entrusting all the national forces to the generals. The fate of the country depends on this battle. The general ignores his troops' needs and cares only for his own desires. He's no true servant of the state."
Xiang Yu went to see General Song Yi early in the morning, killed him in his tent, and then announced to the whole army: "Song Yi and the Qi State were in cahoots to overthrow the Chu State. The Chu King had me whack him." At that time, all the generals were too scared to say boo and no one dared to oppose. They all said, "The first to make a name for themselves fighting for Chu was your family, General. Now you have killed the rebel." So everyone together made Xiang Yu the acting General. Xiang Yu sent someone to chase and kill Song Yi's son, caught up with him in Qi, and killed him. Then he sent Huan Chu to report this to King Huai. King Huai then appointed Xiang Yu as the General, with General Dang Yang and General Pu under his command.
Xiang Yu wiped the floor with Qin's best, striking fear into the hearts of everyone in Chu, and other vassals also heard of his great name. He then sent General Dang Yang and General Pu with twenty thousand soldiers to rescue Julu. Things weren't going so well, and Chen Yu came to ask for reinforcements. Xiang Yu just took his whole army there, arrived at the river, sank the boats, smashed the pots, burned the houses to show them he meant business, and brought only three days' worth of food to tell the soldiers: "This is a one-way trip, lads. We're fighting to the death!"
Upon reaching Julu, they laid siege to Wang Li, fought multiple battles with the Qin army—a total of nine major battles—completely cutting off the Qin army's supply line, crushing the Qin army, killing Su Jiao, and capturing Wang Li. The one who wouldn't surrender torched himself. At that time, the strength of the Chu army was the strongest among all the vassal armies! A dozen or more armies were camped near Julu, but no one dared to make a move. When the Chu army went to war, the other generals could only watch from their tents. Every Chu soldier was a one-man army, their war cries were deafening, and the other soldiers were petrified.
After the Chu army defeated the Qin army, Xiang Yu summoned all the generals of the feudal lords. When these generals entered Xiang Yu's tent, they had to prostrate themselves before entering, and none dared to raise their heads to look at him. From then on, Xiang Yu became the supreme commander of the allied forces, and all the feudal lords listened to him.
Zhang Han's army was in Jiyuan, while Xiang Yu's army was in Zhangnan. The armies of Zhang Han and Xiang Yu faced off, but the war hadn't begun yet. The Qin army had suffered several consecutive defeats, prompting the Second Emperor of Qin to send someone to persuade Zhang Han to surrender. Zhang Han grew apprehensive and sent his chief of staff, Xin, to Xianyang to investigate the situation and seek guidance. When they arrived in Xianyang, they waited at the Sima Gate for three days, but Zhao Gao did not meet with them. Zhang Han grew suspicious of Zhao Gao's reliability. Xin was also worried, so he quickly led his men back to the camp, avoiding the original route. As a result, Zhao Gao did send someone to chase them, but they did not catch up. After Xin returned to the camp, he reported to Zhang Han, saying: "Zhao Gao's power is overwhelming now; we can't accomplish anything. If we win a battle now, Zhao Gao will definitely envy our achievements and be jealous; if we lose, we'll face death as well. General, you need to give this some serious thought!"
At the same time, Chen Yu also wrote a letter to Zhang Han, saying: "Bai Qi was a general of the Qin state back then; he went south to capture Yan and Ying, went north to defeat Ma Fu, conquered cities and territories, achieved great military feats, but in the end was bumped off by the King of Qin. Meng Tian was also a general of the Qin state; he attacked the Rong and Di tribes in the north, opened up thousands of miles of land in Yuzhong, but in the end was also killed by the King of Qin. Why? Because their contributions were too great, the Qin state could not reward them, so they could only use the law to execute them. General, you have served the Qin state for three years now, with losses of soldiers numbering in the tens of thousands, while more and more rebel lords are turning against Qin. Zhao Gao has always been good at flattery and sycophancy; now that the situation is critical, he is also afraid that the Second Emperor will kill him, so he wants to throw you under the bus to save his own skin and then find someone else to replace you. General, you have been fighting outside for many years, repeatedly suffering defeats; those with achievements will be killed, and those without achievements will also be killed. Moreover, the Qin Dynasty is destined to perish; everyone knows this. Now you cannot speak frankly in court, and outside you have become a general fighting a losing war, trying to save yourself alone— isn't this very sad? General, why don't you lead your troops to join forces with the rebels, attack Qin together, divide the land of Qin, and declare yourself king? Better to be a king than a corpse, wouldn't you say?" Zhang Han was indecisive and secretly sent someone to contact Xiang Yu, wanting to team up with him. Before they could finalize the agreement, Xiang Yu sent General Pu to lead the troops around the clock to cross the Sanhu. The army arrived at Zhangnan, fought against the Qin army, and defeated them twice. Xiang Yu led all the troops to attack the Qin army in the swamp, won a decisive victory, and crushed the Qin army.
Zhang Han sent someone to meet Xiang Yu to hash things out. Xiang Yu gathered his officers and said, "We're short on supplies, might as well say yes." The officers all replied, "Sounds good!" So Xiang Yu made an appointment with Zhang Han to meet at the Yin Xu south of the Huan River. Once the truce was made, Zhang Han met Xiang Yu and burst into tears, telling him about Zhao Gao's evil deeds. Xiang Yu then appointed Zhang Han as the Prince of Yong, keeping him in the Chu army. He also appointed Changshi Xin as the Chief General, leading the Qin army's advance troops. They arrived at Xin'an.
At this time, the vassal troops and officials stationed in Qin had gotten a raw deal. Now that the Qin army surrendered to the vassals, the soldiers and officials of the vassals, taking advantage of their victory, really mistreated many Qin soldiers. Many Qin soldiers privately discussed, "That Zhang and his lot tricked us into surrendering. If they can take down Qin, great. But if not, the vassals will drag us east, and Qin will wipe out our families." A few commanders overheard their plotting and reported it to Xiang Yu.
Xiang Yu then summoned Qing Bu and Pu generals to discuss, "There are still many Qin soldiers, and they are not convinced. They will definitely not obey when we reach Guanzhong. It would be safer to just get rid of them and only bring Zhang Han, Changshi Xin, and Captain Yi into the Qin territory." So, under the cover of darkness, the Chu army wiped out the two hundred thousand plus Qin troops south of Xin'an.
They mopped up the Qin lands as they went. When they arrived at Hangu Pass, they found the pass was blocked by soldiers. Then they heard Liu Bang had already taken Xianyang. Enraged, Xiang Yu sent Dangyang Jun and his men to attack Hangu Pass. Xiang Yu later entered Guanzhong, west of Xixian. Liu Bang's army was camped at Bashang, and they hadn't yet met Xiang Yu. Liu Bang's Left Sima Cao Wushang sent someone to tell Xiang Yu, "Liu Bang's planning on being king of Guanzhong, making Ziyang his prime minister, and keeping all the loot for himself!" Xiang Yu was furious when he heard this, saying, "Tomorrow, we'll reward the troops, then wipe out Liu Bang!" At that time, Xiang Yu had four hundred thousand men at Hongmen, near Xinfeng; Liu Bang had a hundred thousand at Bashang. Fan Zeng advised Xiang Yu, "Back in Shandong, Liu Bang was all about the money and the women. But now he's inside, and he hasn't touched a single coin or woman – that tells me his sights are set much higher. I've seen the guy's aura – it's got that imperial vibe, all majestic and colorful! Hit him now, before he gets too strong!" Xiang Bo, Xiang Yu's uncle, was thick as thieves with Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang was with Liu Bang, so Xiang Bo hot-footed it to Liu Bang's camp in the dead of night, slipped Zhang Liang a warning, spilled the beans, and urged him to get out of there before it was too late. "Don't get yourself killed," he said.
Zhang Liang said, "I'm assisting Liu Bang on King Han's orders. Right now, Liu Bang is facing an emergency situation. Running away now would be disloyal, so I have to speak up." So Zhang Liang went in and told Liu Bang everything. Liu Bang was frightened and asked, "What are we gonna do?" Zhang Liang asked, "Who gave the King this idea?" Liu Bang said, "This guy Li Shiqi advised me to 'guard Hangu Pass, don't let other feudal lords in, and all of Qin's territory will be yours,' so I listened to him." Zhang Liang asked again, "Can your army beat Xiang Yu?" Liu Bang was silent for a moment and said, "No way, so what now?" Zhang Liang said, "I'll go see Xiang Bo and tell him Liu Bang wouldn't dare betray Xiang Yu." Liu Bang asked, "What's your deal with Xiang Bo?" Zhang Liang said, "We go way back from the Qin Dynasty. He killed a guy once, I saved his bacon. Things are dire, so I figured I'd let you know." Liu Bang asked, "Who's older, you or Xiang Bo?" Zhang Liang said, "He's older than me." Liu Bang said, "Go and invite him in. I gotta treat him like a big brother."
Zhang Liang went out and invited Xiang Bo in. Xiang Bo came in, and Liu Bang raised his wine cup to toast Xiang Bo, indicating that they should become relatives, and said, "Since I got to Guanzhong, I haven't lifted a finger. I just took a census, sealed up the treasury, and waited for you, General. I put troops at Hangu Pass to keep out bandits and troublemakers. I've been waiting for you, how could I possibly rebel! Tell Xiang Bo to tell Xiang Yu I wouldn't dream of betraying him!" Xiang Bo agreed. Then he said to Liu Bang, "You gotta apologize to Xiang Yu first thing tomorrow morning." Liu Bang said, "Okay." So Xiang Bo returned overnight, went back to the camp, and told Xiang Yu everything Liu Bang had said. He also said, "Liu Bang hasn't even taken Guanzhong yet, and you waltz in? He's already done the hard work, and now you're gonna attack him? That's messed up. You should treat him right." Xiang Yu agreed.
Early the next morning, Liu Bang took over a hundred horsemen to meet Xiang Yu. When they arrived at Hongmen, Liu Bang first thanked Xiang Yu, saying, "General and I fought side-by-side against the Qin. You fought in Hebei, while I fought in Henan. I never thought I would be the first to enter the pass and break through Qin, and still be able to meet you here. It is because of some schemers who have caused misunderstandings between us." Xiang Yu replied, "This was said by Pei's left-hand man, Cao Wushang; otherwise, why would I come here?" Xiang Yu had Liu Bang stay for drinks that day. Xiang Yu and Xiang Bo held court on the east, Fan Zeng sat in the south, while Liu Bang was placed in the north, with Zhang Liang attending to him in the west. Fan Zeng subtly flashed his jade pendant three times, but Xiang Yu remained silent. Fan Zeng stood up, went out to call Xiang Zhuang, and said to him, "The King is too soft-hearted. You go in and toast him. After toasting, get him to dance, and then kill Lord Pei while seated. Otherwise, we will all be captured by him." Xiang Zhuang went in to toast, and after toasting, he said, "The King and Lord Pei are drinking. There's nothing to do for fun in the army. Please allow me to dance with swords to liven up the atmosphere." Xiang Yu said, "Alright." Xiang Zhuang drew his sword to dance, and Xiang Bo also drew his sword to dance, always using their bodies to block Liu Bang. Xiang Zhuang never got a chance to strike.
At this time, Zhang Liang arrived at the entrance of the military camp and met Fan Kuai. Fan Kuai asked, "What's up?" Zhang Liang replied, "It's a bloody mess! Just now, Xiang Zhuang danced with his sword, and his target has always been Liu Bang." Fan Kuai said, "Things are dire! I’ll go and have it out with him!" Fan Kuai, sword and shield in hand, charged into the camp, bowling over the guards who tried to stop him. He rushed in, lifted the curtain, stood to the west, and glared at Xiang Yu, his hair standing on end, eyes blazing. Xiang Yu, holding his sword, knelt down and asked, "What's a tough guy like you doing here?" Zhang Liang responded, "This is Fan Kuai, Liu Bang's bodyguard." Xiang Yu said, "Brave warrior, have a drink." He tossed him a drink, then a roasted pig leg. After thanking him, Fan Kuai stood up and downed the drink in one gulp. Fan Kuai set his shield down, hacked into the pig leg with his sword, and ate. Xiang Yu asked, "Brave warrior, can you have another drink?" Fan Kuai replied, "Afraid of a drink? Hell no! I ain't afraid of dyin'! The King of Qin is a real piece of work, killing and punishing folks left and right. Everyone ditched him. King Huai and the generals agreed that whoever took Xianyang first would be crowned king. Liu Bang did it, but he didn't even touch anything, just locked up the palace, pulled his troops back, and waited for the king. So he put guards on the pass to stop any trouble. After all that work, no reward, and now this? Listening to some backstabbing weasels and trying to kill the guys who did all the work? That's just asking for trouble, just like what happened to Qin!" Xiang Yu had no reply and said, "Have a seat." Fan Kuai sat down with Zhang Liang. After sitting for a while, Liu Bang said he needed to take a leak and asked Fan Kuai to accompany him outside.
Liu Bang has already left, and Xiang Yu sent a lieutenant, Chen Ping, to call him back. Liu Bang said, "I've already left, and I haven't had a chance to say goodbye to Xiang Yu yet. What should I do?" Fan Kuai replied, "Big men don't sweat the small stuff. Right now, we’re like sitting ducks, and they’re the ones holding the knives. Why bother with farewells?" So Liu Bang left and asked Zhang Liang to stay and apologize to Xiang Yu. Zhang Liang asked, "What did Liu Bang bring?" Liu Bang said, "I brought a couple of jade discs to offer to Xiang Yu, and a pair of jade goblets for the general, but seeing the sour look on Xiang Yu's face and his men, I didn't dare to deliver them personally. Can you help me out?" Zhang Liang said, "Okay."
At that time, Xiang Yu's army was at Hongmen (the site of the banquet), while Liu Bang's army was at Bazi (where Liu Bang's troops were stationed), and the two armies were forty miles apart. Liu Bang ditched his chariot and horses, mounting his own steed and taking only four men—Fan Kuai, Xiahou Ying, Jin Qiang, and Ji Xin—with swords and shields to sneak away from Lishan via the Zhiyang road. Liu Bang said to Zhang Liang, "From this road to our camp, it’s only about twenty miles. When I think it's about time, you can go in." After Liu Bang left, he quickly arrived at the camp. Zhang Liang went in to apologize, saying, "Liu Bang got a little too tipsy and didn't get a chance to say goodbye. He specially asked me to present this pair of white jade discs to thank you; this pair of jade goblets is to thank the general." Xiang Yu asked, "Where is Liu Bang?" Zhang Liang said, "I heard you wanted to see him, but he left alone and has already returned to the camp." Xiang Yu took the jade discs and placed them on the seat. The general took the jade goblets, placed them on the ground, drew his sword, and smashed them, saying, "Alas! This boy is not worthy of our plans. The one who can seize the world from Xiang Yu must be Liu Bang. We're all screwed!" Liu Bang returned to the camp and immediately killed Cao Wushang.
A few days later, Xiang Yu marched west on Xianyang, killed Qin's last prince, Ying, and burned down the Qin palaces. The fire raged for three months. After looting the treasures and women of the Qin Dynasty, he withdrew to the east. Someone advised Xiang Yu, "The terrain in Guanzhong is treacherous, surrounded by mountains, and the land is fertile. You could establish your capital here and proclaim yourself king." Seeing the Qin palace in ruins, Xiang Yu thought about returning home and said, "What's the point of getting rich and powerful if you can't go home and show it off?" The advisor replied, "They say we Chu folk are just monkeys in fancy hats—and it looks like they're right." Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu killed him.
Xiang Yu sent a message to King Huai, saying, "We had a deal, and it's time to settle up." King Huai agreed, so Xiang Yu honored him as the Righteous Emperor. Xiang Yu wanted to be king himself, so he first granted land to the generals who fought alongside him. He said, "When we first rebelled against the Qin, we did so under the banner of supporting the princes. But it was the efforts of all of you generals and myself that led to the ultimate destruction of the Qin Dynasty and the pacification of the world after three years of hardships in the wilderness. King Huai didn't really do much, but we should give him some land to rule as a king." All the generals agreed, so Xiang Yu carved up the empire and made his generals kings.
Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng thought that Liu Bang might eventually dominate the world; they'd seen it coming, and they were worried he might violate the agreement, causing other lords to rebel. So they secretly discussed, "Bashu's mountain passes are treacherous, and it's where all the relocated Qin people live." Xiang Yu said, "Bashu is also part of Guanzhong!" Therefore, Xiang Yu appointed Liu Bang as the King of Han, allowing him to rule over Bashu and Hanzhong, with the capital in Nanzheng. Xiang Yu divided the Guanzhong area into three parts, using Qin's surrendered generals to keep Liu Bang in check. He appointed Zhang Han as the King of Yong, ruling the area west of Xianyang, with the capital in Feiqiu. Zhang Han's top aide, Xin, used to be a jail warden in Liyang and had once helped Xiang Liang; military commander Dong Yi had previously persuaded Zhang Han to surrender to the Chu state. So Xiang Yu made Sima Xin the Border King, ruling the land east of Xianyang to the Yellow River, with his capital at Liyang, and appointed Dong Yi as the Dai King, ruling Shangjun from his capital at Gaonu.
Xiang Yu moved the King of Wei, Bao, to the west and made him the King of Western Wei, ruling Hedong from Pingyang. Shen Yang, a favorite of Zhang Er, had previously captured the Henan region and helped the Chu army cross the Yellow River. This led Xiang Yu to appoint Shen Yang as the King of Henan, with the capital at Luoyang. The King of Han, Cheng, remained in his original capital of Yangdi. The general Sima Ang of the Zhao kingdom pacified the Henan region and was a highly successful general. Consequently, Xiang Yu made Ang the King of Yin, ruling Henan from Chaoge. Xiang Yu moved the King of Zhao, Xie, to the Dai region, making him the King of Dai. The prime minister of Zhao, Zhang Er, was known for his wisdom and had followed Xiang Yu westward. Thus, Xiang Yu appointed Zhang Er as the King of Changshan, ruling parts of the Zhao kingdom from Xiangguo. Xiang Yu's general Ying Bu frequently won battles, so he made Ying Bu the King of Jiujiang, with the capital at Liu (now Shouxian, Anhui). Wu Rui led the Baiyue people to assist the nobles in battle and followed Xiang Yu westward. Therefore, Xiang Yu appointed Wu Rui as the King of Hengshan, with the capital at Zhu (now Zouxian, Shandong). Yi Di's chief minister, Gong Ao, led troops to attack Nanjun and won many victories. This earned him an appointment as the King of Linjiang, with the capital at Jiangling. Xiang Yu moved the King of Yan, Han Guang, to Liaodong, making him the King of Liaodong. The general Zang Tu of Yan followed the Chu army to rescue the Zhao kingdom and accompanied Xiang Yu westward. Consequently, Xiang Yu appointed Tu as the King of Yan, with the capital at Ji (now Beijing). Xiang Yu moved the King of Qi, Tian Shi, to Jiaodong, appointing him as the King of Jiaodong. The general Tian Du of Qi followed Gong Ao to rescue the Zhao kingdom and also accompanied Xiang Yu westward. Thus, Xiang Yu made Du the King of Qi, with the capital at Linzi. The grandson of King Jian of the fallen Qin kingdom, Tian An, captured several Jibei cities while Xiang Yu was crossing the river to rescue the Zhao kingdom. He led his army to surrender to Xiang Yu, so Xiang Yu appointed An as the King of Jibei, with the capital at Boyang. Tian Rong disobeyed Xiang Liang's orders multiple times and refused to lead troops to attack the Qin kingdom with the Chu army, so he received no reward. Chen Yu abandoned his seal and fled, not following Xiang Yu westward. However, Xiang Yu heard of his wisdom and contributions to the Zhao kingdom, so he gave him three neighboring counties. Mei Yan had outstanding military achievements and was appointed as the Marquis of Ten Thousand Households. Xiang Yu declared himself the King of Western Chu, ruling over nine counties with the capital at Pengcheng.
In April of 206 BC, after the various feudal lords had finished their military drills, they all returned to their respective fiefdoms. Xiang Yu drove Emperor Yi out of his fiefdom and ordered his relocation, saying, "In the old days, an emperor needed a vast territory, at least a thousand miles across, and had to reside upstream." He then had Emperor Yi moved to Chen County in Changsha. He pressured Emperor Yi to leave immediately, and his officials began to turn against him. Xiang Yu secretly instructed the Kings of Hengshan and Linjiang to kill Emperor Yi in the river. Han Wang Cheng, having achieved no military merit, was prevented by Xiang Yu from returning to his fiefdom. Instead, he was taken to Pengcheng, where he was demoted to marquis and later killed. Returning to his fiefdom, Zang Tu attacked Han Guang in Liaodong. When Han Guang resisted, Zang Tu killed him at Wuzhong and annexed his territory.
When Xiang Yu moved King Tian Shi of Qi to Jiaodong and installed Tian Du as the new king, Tian Rong blew a gasket. He refused to send the King of Qi to Jiaodong and instead raised an army to rebel against Chu, going after Tian Du. Tian Du escaped to the state of Chu. The King of Qi, Tian Shi, fearing Xiang Yu, fled to Jiaodong to set up shop. Tian Rong, livid, pursued and killed him in Jimo. Tian Rong then declared himself the King of Qi and immediately attacked the King of Jibei, Tian An, to annex the territories of the three Qi states. Tian Rong gave General Peng Yue a seal and sent him to rebel against Liang.
Chen Yu, working in the shadows, sent Zhang Tong and Xia Shuo to Tian Rong with this message: "Xiang Yu's got all the power, but he's a real jerk about it. He's placed the former vassal kings in desolate places while settling his followers in fertile lands, driving away their original masters. King Zhao is now living in the northern part of Dai. That ain't right. I’ve heard you’ve raised an army and refused to follow unjust actions. I hope you can support me with some troops to attack Changshan and restore King Zhao's territory. Let my country be your shield."
King Qi agreed and sent troops to support the Zhao state. Chen Yu mobilized the forces of three counties and, together with the Qi army, took Changshan. Zhang Er fled back to the Han state. Chen Yu welcomed the original King Zhao back to Dai, restoring the Zhao state. King Zhao then appointed Chen Yu as the King of Dai. Meanwhile, Liu Bang had mopped up the San Qin region. Xiang Yu, upon hearing that Liu Bang had taken control of Guanzhong and was preparing to advance eastward, and with Qi and Zhao rebelling again, flipped his lid. He appointed the former Wu magistrate Zheng Chang as the King of Han to keep Liu Bang in check. He also sent Xiao Gongjiao and others to attack Peng Yue, but Peng Yue wiped the floor with them.
Liu Bang sent Zhang Liang to pacify the Han state and wrote a letter to Xiang Yu, saying, "Things aren't going so well in Han. I only wish to get Guanzhong. If we can stick to our deal, I will stop here and not dare to move further east." He also informed Xiang Yu of the rebellion in Qi and Liang, saying, "Qi and Zhao are ganging up on Chu." Due to this, Xiang Yu had no intention of heading west and instead attacked Qi, even calling up Ying Bu, the King of Jiujang, for reinforcements. Ying Bu malingered and did not go, only sending a token force. Xiang Yu was pissed at Ying Bu for this.
In the winter of the second year of Han, Xiang Yu marched north to Chengyang, where Tian Rong also brought troops to fight. Tian Rong was defeated by Xiang Yu and fled to Pingyuan, where he was killed by the locals. Xiang Yu then continued north, torching Qi's cities and houses, slaughtering Tian Rong's surrendered troops, and capturing the elderly, women, and children of Qi. He pillaged and plundered along the way, causing great suffering to the people of Qi. The people of Qi finally revolted again. At this time, Tian Heng, the brother of Tian Rong, mustered tens of thousands of men to attack Chengyang again. Xiang Yu had to leave troops behind to besiege the city, fighting many battles but couldn't take Chengyang.
In the spring, the King of Han commanded a 56,000-strong army from five vassal states to the east to attack Chu. Hearing this, Xiang Yu immediately ordered his generals to attack Qi, while he personally led 30,000 elite troops south from Lu, via Huling.
In April, the Han army had already entered Pengcheng, looting the treasures and beauties of the city and partying it up every day. Xiang Yu then marched westward from Xia County, ambushed the Han army in the morning, advanced eastward, and arrived at Pengcheng. By noon, Xiang Yu had decisively defeated the Han army. The Han troops scattered in disarray, fleeing into valleys and the Si River, with tens of thousands of soldiers killed. The Han soldiers fled south to the mountains, and the Chu army pursued them to the Si River east of Lingbi. The Han army was trapped by the Chu forces, suffering countless casualties, and over 100,000 soldiers jumped into the Si River, blocking it. The Chu army surrounded the Han king on three sides. At this time, a ferocious northwest wind ripped through, uprooting trees, smashing houses, and whipping up a sandstorm that blotted out the sun, as if welcoming the Chu army. The Chu army fell into chaos, their lines broke, and the Han king fled with a handful of horsemen, hoping to return to Peixian and escape westward with his family. The Chu army pursued his family to Peixian, but they had already escaped. On the way, the Han king encountered Emperor Xiaohui and Princess Luyuan, so he let them ride together in the carriage. The Chu cavalry chased the Han king, and in a critical situation, he pushed Emperor Xiaohui and Princess Luyuan off the carriage. Teng Gong constantly rescued them from being thrown off and helped them back onto the carriage. This happened three times. Teng Gong said, "Even in such a critical situation, we cannot drive them off the carriage; how can we abandon them like this?" Ultimately, the Han king escaped. He did not find Taigong and Empress Lü. While searching for the Han king, Shen Shiqi ran between Taigong and Empress Lü, only to be captured by the Chu army. The Chu army took him back and reported the situation to Xiang Yu, who kept him in the army.
At that time, Lü Hou's brother, the Marquis of Zhou, served as a general of the Han army, stationed in Xiayi. The Han king secretly slipped away to join his brother, gradually gathering the scattered soldiers. By the time they reached Xingyang, all the defeated armies had come together. Xiao He also mobilized old men, boys, and the infirm from Guanzhong, all rushing to Xingyang, greatly strengthening the Han army. The Chu army rose up from Pengcheng, pressing their advantage and fighting at Xingyang, Nanjing, and Suo. The Han army defeated the Chu army, blocking their westward advance from Xingyang.
Xiang Yu went to rescue Pengcheng, chasing Liu Bang to Xingyang. Tian Heng also successfully regained the territory of Qi, appointing Tian Guang, the son of Tian Rong, as the King of Qi. Liu Bang lost the battle at Pengcheng, causing the other vassals to switch sides, allying with Chu. Liu Bang's army in Xingyang dug a canal to the Yellow River for transporting grain from Aocang. After three years of fighting, Xiang Yu repeatedly attacked Liu Bang's supply line, causing a shortage of food supplies. Liu Bang panicked and requested peace talks, offering to give Xiang Yu the land west of Xingyang.
Xiang Yu originally wanted to agree. However, Fan Zeng, the Marquis of Liyang, said, "Liu Bang's a pushover. If you let him go now, you'll regret it later!" Xiang Yu then followed Fan Zeng's advice and together they laid siege to Yingyang. Liu Bang was anxious, so he used Chen Ping's idea to drive a wedge between Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng. When Xiang Yu's envoy arrived, Liu Bang threw a huge spread to entertain the envoy. Upon seeing the envoy, Liu Bang pretended to be surprised and said, "I thought it was an envoy sent by Fan Zeng, but it turns out to be sent by Xiang Yu!" Then he withdrew the fine wine and dishes he had prepared, offering only some plain grub to Xiang Yu's envoy. The envoy reported the situation back to Xiang Yu, who began to suspect collusion between Fan Zeng and Liu Bang, gradually weakening Fan Zeng's power. Fan Zeng was very angry and said, "The game's almost over. You're on your own! I want to retire and go home." Xiang Yu agreed. Before Fan Zeng even reached Pengcheng, he got a nasty boil on his back and died. Liu Bang's general Ji Xin said to Liu Bang, "We're in deep trouble. Let me impersonate you to throw the Chu army off while you make a run for it." So, Liu Bang slipped out from the east gate of Yingyang at night, taking only two thousand soldiers. The Chu army surrounded them from all sides. Ji Xin sat on a fancy chariot, raised Liu Bang's military flag, and said, "The city's starved out, and the Han King's surrendered!" The Chu army cheered. Liu Bang also hightailed it out of there with a handful of horsemen from the west gate of the city, escaping to Chenggao. When Xiang Yu saw Ji Xin, he asked, "Where is Liu Bang?" Ji Xin replied, "The King of Han has already escaped." Xiang Yu then burned Ji Xin to death.
Liu Bang sent Inspector Zhou Ke, Lord Zong, and Wei Bao to garrison Yingyang. Zhou Ke and Lord Zong discussed, saying, "It's tough to defend a city with a king who betrays his own country." So they killed Wei Bao together. The Chu army broke through Yingyang City and captured Zhou Ke alive. Xiang Yu said to Zhou Ke, "You’ll be my general. I’ll make you Grand General and grant you a fief of thirty thousand households." Zhou Ke cursed, "If you don’t surrender to Liu Bang quickly, he’ll capture you right now. You’re no match for him!" Xiang Yu was furious, boiled Zhou Ke alive, and killed Lord Zong.
Liu Bang escaped from Yingyang, running south to Wancheng and Yexian. He teamed up with King Ying Bu of Jiujiang, raised an army, and returned to Chenggao to hold the city.
Four years later, Xiang Yu surrounded Chenggao with his troops. Liu Bang retreated again, taking only Teng Gong out of the north gate of Chenggao. They crossed the Yellow River, fled to Xiuwu, and linked up with Zhang Er and Han Xin’s forces. Other generals also escaped from Chenggao one after another, following Liu Bang. After capturing Chenggao, Xiang Yu wanted to push westward. Liu Bang sent troops to block him in Gongxian, preventing Xiang Yu from advancing.
At that time, Peng Yue crossed the Yellow River, defeated the Chu army in Dong'e, and killed the Chu general Xue Gong. Xiang Yu personally led his troops to attack Peng Yue. After Liu Bang received Han Xin’s army, he wanted to cross the Yellow River to Henan. Zheng Zhong persuaded Liu Bang to camp in Henan instead. Liu Bang sent Liu Jia to support Peng Yue, burning the Chu army’s grain and supplies. Xiang Yu defeated Liu Jia in the east, and Peng Yue also made a run for it. Liu Bang then crossed the Yellow River with his troops, recaptured Chenggao, and camped in Guangwu, living off the land. After pacifying the East Sea, Xiang Yu also marched westward, and a stalemate ensued for months as they faced off in Guangwu.
During this time, Peng Yue kept rebelling in Liang, cutting off Chu's supply lines, which gave Xiang Yu a headache. Xiang Yu set up a high table, tied Liu Bang's father, Liu Taigong, to it, and said to Liu Bang, "If you don't surrender quickly, I'll boil your dad!" Liu Bang replied, "Xiang Yu and I swore brotherhood before King Huai. He's my dad, and therefore your dad too! If you really want to cook my father, then let me have some of the broth!" Xiang Yu was furious and wanted to kill him. Xiang Bo said, "The situation is still uncertain, and when the fate of the world hangs in the balance, who's got time for family? Even if you kill him, it will only cause more trouble!" Xiang Yu listened to his advice.
The Chu and Han armies were locked in a stalemate for what seemed like forever. The common people suffered greatly, with men being drafted to fight, and the elderly and children exhausted from constantly transporting food. Xiang Yu said to Liu Bang, "This whole mess has been going on for years, all because of us two! Why don't we have a duel to determine a winner, so that the common people no longer suffer?" Liu Bang politely declined, saying, "I'm a brains guy, not a brawn guy." Xiang Yu then sent a strong man to challenge. On Liu Bang's side, there was a skilled horse archer named Lou Fan. The Chu army sent three challengers, and Lou Fan picked them off one by one.
Xiang Yu was furious and personally put on armor, wielding a spear to challenge. Just as Lou Fan was about to shoot him, Xiang Yu roared angrily, terrifying Lou Fan; his hands shook so badly he couldn't even nock an arrow, and he ran back to camp, never to return. Liu Bang sent someone to inquire, only to find out that it was Xiang Yu, and that scared the hell out of them. So Xiang Yu and Liu Bang met near Guangwu to talk. Liu Bang gave Xiang Yu a dressing-down, and Xiang Yu, furious, wanted to attack right then and there, but Liu Bang wouldn't have it. Then Xiang Yu, sneaky as ever, let fly an arrow and winged Liu Bang. Injured, Liu Bang hurriedly fled back to Chenggao.
Xiang Yu heard that Han Xin had already taken Hebei, defeated the states of Qi and Zhao, and was preparing to stop the state of Chu, so he sent Long Qie to intercept Han Xin. Han Xin fought with Long Qie, and the cavalry general under Han Xin, Guan Ying, defeated the Chu army, and Long Qie was killed. Han Xin seized the chance to crown himself King of Qi. When Xiang Yu heard Long Qie had lost, he freaked out and sent the Xutai man Wu She to persuade Han Xin to surrender, but Han Xin just ignored him. At this time, Peng Yue rebelled again, took Liangdi, and cut off the Chu army's food supply. Xiang Yu told Hai Chunhou, Grand Marshal Cao Jiong, and others, "Hold Chenggao! If the Han army attacks, don't engage – don't let 'em get east! I'll wipe out Peng Yue in 15 days, grab Liangdi, and be right back." After that, Xiang Yu went east to attack Chenliu and Waihuang. Waihuang County held out for a few days, then surrendered. Xiang Yu blew a gasket and ordered every man over 15 to the east side of the city – he was gonna kill 'em all. The son of the Waihuang County magistrate, who was only thirteen years old, ran to Xiang Yu and pleaded, "Hey! Peng Yue muscled in on Waihuang, that's why we surrendered! We were waiting for you, Your Majesty! If you kill everyone, nobody’s gonna trust you! Every town east of here will be scared stiff – no one will ever surrender again!" Xiang Yu thought he made sense, so he pardoned those in Waihuang who were about to be killed. Xiang Yu marched east to Suiyang, and word of his mercy spread – towns surrendered left and right.
The Han army kept goading the Chu army into a fight, but the Chu army wouldn't bite. The Han army even sent guys to rub it in. After five or six days, the Grand Marshal of the Chu army finally snapped and led his troops across the Sishui River. When half of the Chu soldiers crossed the river, the Han army launched an attack, crushing the Chu army and looting a mountain of Chu loot. Grand Marshal Juang, Changshi Yi, and Prince Xin all committed suicide on the Sishui River. Grand Marshal Juang was a jailer in Qixian County, and Changshi Yi was also a jailer in Liyang County. Both had helped Xiang Liang, so Xiang Yu trusted them implicitly. At that time, Xiang Yu was in Suiyang. When he heard Haichunhou's army had been wiped out, he led his troops back. The Han army was besieging Zhongli Mo in the east of Xingyang. When Xiang Yu arrived, the Han army, spooked by Xiang Yu's arrival, scattered to the hills. The Han army was feasting while Xiang Yu's troops were starving. The Han king sent Lu Jia to plead with Xiang Yu to free Taigong, but Xiang Yu wouldn't budge. The Han king sent Hou Gong to persuade Xiang Yu, and Xiang Yu finally agreed to split the country down the middle, using the Hong Canal as the dividing line. West of the Hong Canal went to Han, east to Chu. The army roared "Huzzah!" The Han king made Hou Gong the Pingguo Jun. Hou Gong refused to see anyone else, saying, "He's the slickest talker in the land; wherever he sets up shop, it'll be the bee's knees. That's why he's the Pingguo Jun." With the deal done, Xiang Yu pulled his troops back.
Liu Bang wanted to return to his hometown, but Zhang Liang and Chen Ping advised him, saying, "We have already occupied most of the country, and other princes have also joined us. The Chu army is running out of food and supplies; this is our chance to wipe them out. If we give up the attack now, we’d be asking for trouble!" Liu Bang listened to their advice.
In 205 BC, Liu Bang chased Xiang Yu to the south of Yangxia, a strategically important location, where he stationed his troops and agreed to meet with Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, and Peng Yue, the Marquis of Jiacheng, to encircle the Chu army. When they reached Guling, Han Xin and Peng Yue's armies did not arrive. The Chu army ambushed and routed the Han forces. Liu Bang retreated to his camp, dug deep trenches to defend, and then asked Zhang Liang, "What should we do if the princes do not keep their promises?" Zhang Liang replied, "The Chu army will soon be defeated, and Han Xin and Peng Yue have not yet received their territories, so it’s normal for them not to come. If you can promise to share the world with them, you can summon them now. If not, the situation will be difficult. You can give Han Xin the lands east of Chen, all the way to the coast, and give Peng Yue the territories north of Suiyang, extending to Gucheng, so they can fight separately, making it easier to defeat the Chu state." Liu Bang said, "Okay!" So he sent messengers to tell Han Xin and Peng Yue, "Let's work together to defeat the Chu state. After we defeat Chu, the lands east of Chen will be given to you, King Qi, and the territories north of Suiyang will be given to you, Marquis Peng." When the messengers arrived, Han Xin and Peng Yue both replied, "We will set out with our troops immediately!" Han Xin set out from the state of Qi, while Liu Jia's army set out from Shouchun. They acted together, captured Chengfu, and arrived at Gaixia. The Grand Marshal of Chu, Zhou Yin, defected, leading the armies of Shu County and six other counties. He joined forces with Liu Jia and Peng Yue at Gaixia to attack Xiang Yu.
Xiang Yu's army camped at Gaixia, with few troops and no food left. The Han army and troops from various warlords surrounded them. That night, Xiang Yu heard the Han army singing Chu songs from all sides. He was shocked and said, "Have the Han already taken all of Chu? Why are there so many Chu songs being sung?" Xiang Yu got up that night and drank in his tent. By his side was a beautiful lover named Yu Ji, who always accompanied him; there was also a steed named Zui, which he often rode. Xiang Yu sang a sorrowful song and composed a poem: "My strength could move mountains, my spirit could shake the world, but fortune's against me, my steed stands still. My steed stands still, what can I do? My Yu, my Yu, what can I do for you?" After singing a few times, Yu Ji followed along. Xiang Yu burst into tears, and the people around him also cried; no one dared to look up at him.
Xiang Yu mounted his horse, took over eight hundred men, and slashed their way out under the cover of darkness, fleeing south. At dawn, the Han army discovered that Xiang Yu had escaped and quickly sent General Guan Ying with five thousand cavalry to pursue. Xiang Yu crossed the Huai River, with only over a hundred cavalry left. When he reached Yinling, Xiang Yu lost his way and asked an old farmer, who lied to him saying, "Go left." This led his troops straight into a swamp. Therefore, the Han army quickly caught up.
Xiang Yu headed east again with his troops, arriving at the eastern city with only twenty-eight cavalry left. Thousands of Han troops were on their tail. Xiang Yu knew he couldn't escape this time, so he said to the remaining cavalry, "I've been leading troops for eight years, fought seventy-plus battles, and won every single one. I even unified most of the country! But now I find myself in this situation; it's fate, not my fighting skills. Today, we fight to the death! I'll get us through this, win three battles, carve a path to freedom, kill some generals, grab their flags, and prove it's fate, not our lack of skill!"
Xiang Yu then divided the remaining cavalry into four teams and sent them charging in four directions. The Han troops surrounded them. Xiang Yu said to the cavalry, "I'll capture an enemy general for you!" He ordered the four teams to attack from all sides and agreed to meet up at three pre-arranged spots in Shandong. With a loud shout, Xiang Yu charged down, scattering the Han troops and killing a Han general. At that moment, Chiqi, their cavalry commander, chased after Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu roared in anger, scaring Chiqi back several miles before he could regroup with his men at the three locations. The Han army, clueless about where he was, split into three groups and surrounded him again. Xiang Yu charged out once more, killing another Han captain and hundreds of soldiers, regrouping with his cavalry with only two horses lost. Xiang Yu asked his cavalry, "How'd it go?" The cavalry all replied, "Exactly as you said, boss!"
Xiang Yu wanted to cross the Wu River and escape to the east. The ferryman of the Wu River had prepared a boat for him and was waiting. He said to Xiang Yu, "Jiangdong, though small, still boasts thousands of square miles and tens of thousands of soldiers, which is enough for you to become a king. I hope you will cross the river quickly. Right now, I am the only one with a boat. If the Han army comes, you won't be able to pass." Xiang Yu smiled and said, "If Heaven wills it, what's the point of running? Besides, when I and 8,000 young men from Jiangdong crossed west, none returned. Even if the people of Jiangdong pity me and support me as king, how can I face them? Even if they didn't say anything, I couldn't live with myself!"
Then Xiang Yu said to the ferryman, "I know you are a good person. I have ridden this horse for five years, unbeatable in all directions, able to run a thousand miles in a day. I can't bear to kill it, so I'm giving it to you." Xiang Yu then ordered all the cavalry to dismount and fight the Han army on foot with short weapons. Xiang Yu alone killed hundreds of Han soldiers and sustained more than ten injuries. He saw the Han general Lü Matong and asked, "Aren't you my old friend?" Lü Matong recognized him and pointed to Wang Yi, saying, "This is Xiang Yu!" Xiang Yu said, "I heard that the Han king has put a bounty on my head, offering a thousand gold and land to thousands of households. Let me fulfill that for you." After saying that, he took his own life. Wang Yi took his head, and the other cavalrymen scrambled for Xiang Yu's body, resulting in a brawl that left dozens dead. In the end, Langzhong Yang Xi, General Lü Matong, Langzhong Lü Sheng, and Yang Wu each received a part of Xiang Yu's body. The five of them gathered Xiang Yu's body, confirming it was indeed him. Therefore, the Han king divided Xiang Yu's territory among these five people: Lü Matong was made Marquis of Zhongshui, Wang Yi Marquis of Duyan, Yang Xi Marquis of Chiquan, Yang Wu Marquis of Wufang, and Lü Sheng Marquis of Nieyang.
After Xiang Yu died, the Chu lands surrendered to the Han Dynasty; only the Lu region did not surrender. The Han Dynasty then gathered the national army to try to slaughter the city, but the people of Lu stood by their principles and died for Xiang Yu. The Han king then paraded Xiang Yu's head before the people, and only then did the elders of Lu surrender. Originally, King Huai of Chu made Xiang Yu the Duke of Lu, and when he died, the Lu region finally surrendered, so Xiang Yu was buried in Gu Cheng with the honors due a Duke. The Han king personally mourned him and wept as he left.
The other relatives of Xiang Yu's family were not killed by the Han king. Xiang Bo was also made Lord Sheyang. Lords Tao, Pinggao, and Xuanwu were all relatives of Xiang Yu, and the Han king gave them the Liu surname.
Sima Qian said: I heard Zhou Sheng say, "Shun had double pupils," and I also heard that Xiang Yu had double pupils. Was Xiang Yu a descendant of Shun? How could he be so brutal and tyrannical! The Qin Dynasty lost the hearts of the people, and Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were the first to rebel. Heroes rose one after another, too many to count. However, Xiang Yu originally had nothing, but rose from the ranks of commoners, leading five vassals to overthrow the Qin Dynasty in three years, dividing the world among the vassals, with Xiang Yu calling the shots, known as the "Overlord." Although his position did not last long, such a situation had not occurred in recent history.
When Xiang Yu abandoned Guanzhong, disregarding the puppet emperor Yi and declaring himself king, the vassals resented him and began to betray him, which proved disastrous. He thought his achievements were great, trusting his own smarts, without learning from the experiences of ancient times, believing he could conquer the world with force alone. As a result, his kingdom fell in five years, and he died in Dongcheng, never admitting his mistakes or learning from them, which was truly outrageous! He even said, "Heaven wants to destroy me, not because of my military mistakes," which is ridiculous!
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