Wei Bao was a prince of the former Wei state. His brother Wei Jiu was granted the title of Lord of Ningling during the time of the former Wei state. After the Qin state destroyed the Wei state, Wei Jiu became a commoner. After Chen Sheng's rebellion and ascension to kingship, Wei Jiu sought refuge with him. Chen Sheng sent Zhou Shi, a man from Wei, to reclaim the land of Wei, and after the land was reclaimed, Chen Sheng wanted to appoint Zhou Shi as the King of Wei. Zhou Shi said, "In times of chaos, loyal ministers rise to the occasion. With everyone rebelling against Qin, establishing a Wei king should be the priority." Qi and Zhao each sent fifty war chariots to support Zhou Shi as king. Zhou Shi did not accept, but instead went to the state of Chen to welcome Wei Jiu. Only after five visits did the King of Chen appoint Wei Jiu King of Wei.
Having defeated Chen Sheng, Zhang Han attacked Wei Jiu, the King of Wei, at Linji. The King of Wei sent Zhou Shi to seek help from the states of Qi and Chu. Qi and Chu sent Xiang Ta and Tian Ba with troops to follow Zhou Shi to rescue the Wei state. Zhang Han then defeated the armies of Zhou Shi and others, and surrounded Linji. For the sake of the people, Wei Jiu agreed to surrender. After the surrender agreement was reached, Wei Jiu committed suicide. Wei Bao escaped to the state of Chu. King Huai of Chu gave Wei Bao several thousand troops, allowing him to reclaim the land of Wei. Xiang Yu had already defeated the Qin army, subjugated Zhang Han, and Wei Bao retook over twenty Wei cities and was made King of Wei. Wei Bao led elite soldiers to follow Xiang Yu into Hangu Pass. When Xiang Yu was assigning lands to his nobles, he wanted Liang, so he moved Wei Bao to Hedong, making Pingyang his capital and naming him King of Western Wei.
Liu Bang, the Han king, conquered Sanqin, crossed the Linjin River, and Wei Bao surrendered his kingdom to Liu Bang. He joined Liu Bang's attack on Chu at Pengcheng. King Han was defeated and retreated to Xingyang. Wei Bao requested to visit his sick family, but after returning to his country, he severed ties with the Han army and rebelled. King Han told Li Sheng, "Hurry and persuade him." Li Sheng went, and Wei Bao said, "Life's too short. Liu Bang is arrogant and disrespectful, treating nobles and ministers like dirt, showing no respect for rank. I can't tolerate it." King Han sent Han Xin to attack Wei Bao, capturing him and taking him prisoner to Xingyang. His kingdom was divided into three commanderies: Hedong, Taiyuan, and Shangdang. King Han ordered Wei Bao to guard Xingyang. The Chu army besieged Xingyang tightly, and Zhou Ke said, "You can't defend a city with a traitorous king!" So Wei Bao was killed.
Tian Dan, a Dixin native and descendant of Qi's ruling Tian family, along with his brother Tian Rong and Tian Rong's brother Tian Heng, were powerful figures with strong family connections and popular support. Chen Sheng sent Zhou Shi to attack the region, reaching Dixin and besieging the city. Tian Dan was about to bind his slaves and kill them with some young men at the yamen when he encountered the county magistrate. He killed the magistrate and rallied the local gentry, saying, "With all these warlords popping up and Qi being a major power back in the day, as a Tian, I'm the rightful king!" He then declared himself king of Qi, leading troops to fight Zhou Shi. Zhou Shi's army retreated, and Tian Dan led his troops eastward, conquering Qi.
General Qin Zhang Han surrounded King Wei Jiu at Linji; the situation was desperate. King Wei sought help from Qi, and Tian Dan led troops to rescue Wei. Under the cover of darkness, Zhang Han ordered his soldiers to bite on strips of cloth and not speak, then suddenly attacked, routing the combined Qi and Chu forces and killing Tian Dan outside Linji. Tian Dan's brother, Tian Rong, rallied Tian Dan's surviving troops and fled east to Dong'e. Upon hearing of Tian Dan's death, the Qi people installed Tian Jia, the younger brother of the former King of Qi, as the new king, with Tian Jiao as prime minister and Tian Xian as general, to hold off other powers.
After Tian Rong fled to Dong'e, Zhang Han pursued and besieged him. Hearing of Tian Rong's plight, Xiang Liang marched his troops, defeating Zhang Han at the foot of Dong'e city. Zhang Han escaped, and Xiang Liang pursued him. Tian Rong was furious at Qi's choice of Tian Jia as king, so he led his troops back to attack Tian Jia. Tian Jia fled to Chu, and Prime Minister Tian Jiao also fled to Zhao. Tian Xian, Tian Jiao's brother, had gone to Zhao for reinforcements but didn't dare return to Qi. Tian Rong then appointed Tian Shi, the son of Tian Dan, as king, with himself as prime minister and Tian Heng as general, securing Qi.
Xiang Liang was chasing Zhang Han, but Zhang Han's army kept growing. Xiang Liang pressed Qi to send reinforcements against Zhang Han. The Chancellor of Qi, Rong, said: "Chu and Zhao only agreed to send troops after they'd killed Tian Jia, Tian Jiao, and Tian Xian." King Huai of Chu replied: "Tian Jia was connected to our state; he came to us when he was down on his luck, so killing him would be wrong." Zhao refused to kill Tian Jiao and Tian Xian, hoping to use them as bargaining chips with Qi. King Qi remarked: "It's like, if a snake bites your hand, you chop it off; if it bites your foot, you chop that off too. Why? Because it's a threat! Tian Jia, Tian Jiao, and Tian Xian aren't related to Chu or Zhao – why not get rid of them? Besides, if Qin comes back, everyone who served them will be six feet under." Chu and Zhao did not listen to Qi, angering Qi, who ultimately refused to send troops. Zhang Han decisively defeated Xiang Liang and routed the Chu army. The Chu army scattered eastward, and Zhang Han, crossing the Yellow River, besieged the Zhao forces at Julu. Xiang Yu never forgot that, and held a grudge against Qi's Chancellor Rong.
Xiang Yu later rescued Zhao, defeated Zhang Han, conquered Qin, and then enfeoffed the kings. He relocated the King of Qi to Jiaodong, appointing him governor of Jimo. General Tian Du of Qi, who'd gone to relieve Zhao, unexpectedly found himself at Hangu Pass. For this, Xiang Yu made him King of Qi, with Linzi as his capital. When Xiang Yu was crossing the river to rescue Zhao, Tian An, grandson of the former King of Qi, seized several cities in Jibei and then surrendered. Xiang Yu rewarded him by making him King of Jibei, with Boyang as his capital.
Tian Rong hadn't helped Xiang Liang back in the day, hadn't pitched in to attack Qin, so he didn't get made a king. Zhao general Chen Yu also screwed up and didn't get a kingdom either. Both guys really hated Xiang Yu's guts. Rong sent troops to back Chen Yu's rebellion against Zhao, and personally led an attack on Tian Du, who scarpered to Chu for safety. Rong stuck King Shi of Qi in Jiaodong. "'Xiang Yu's too powerful, Your Majesty,' they told Shi. 'Being a king in some backwater is a recipe for disaster!'" Shi freaked out and ran back to Qi. Rong was livid. He hunted down and killed King Shi at Jimo, then took out King Tian An of Jibei, declared himself king, and gobbled up the whole of Qi.
Xiang Yu hit the roof when he heard this and immediately marched north on Qi. General Tian Rong of Qi got his butt kicked, fled to Pingyuan, and got himself whacked by the locals. Xiang Yu was so angry that he burned all the cities of Qi and killed anyone he encountered, leaving no one alive. The people of Qi loathed him.
Tian Heng, Tian Rong's brother, rallied the remnants of Qi's army, amassed tens of thousands of troops, and clashed with Xiang Yu again at Chengyang. Meanwhile, Liu Bang, backed by his allies, smashed the Chu army and took Pengcheng. Xiang Yu heard this, ditched Qi, and hightailed it back to fight Liu Bang at Pengcheng. The two armies slugged it out, finally grinding to a halt at Xingyang. Tian Heng seized his chance, retook Qi's cities, made Tian Rong's son, Tian Guang, the king, and installed himself as the all-powerful prime minister.
The state of Qi was stable for three years, but when it was heard that Han Xin was leading troops to attack Qi, the state of Qi sent Hua Wu Shang and Tian Jie to defend against the attack in Lixia. Meanwhile, Liu Bang sent Li Shiqi to persuade Qi King Tian Guang and Prime Minister Tian Heng to form an alliance with the Han dynasty. Tian Heng surprisingly agreed, withdrew the defending army in Lixia, threw a big party to celebrate, and sent envoys to negotiate with the Han dynasty. Seeing an opportunity, Han Xin crossed the plain, launched a surprise attack, defeated Qi's army in Lixia, and headed straight for Linzi. Tian Guang and Tian Heng felt betrayed by Li Shiqi, and in anger, Tian Guang escaped to Gaomi, Tian Heng made a run for Bo, Prime Minister Tian Guang fled to Chengyang, and General Tian Ji took refuge in Jiaodong. Chu sent Long Qie to rescue Qi, and Qi King Tian Guang met Long Qie in Gaomi. Han Xin and Cao Shen defeated Long Qie and captured Qi King Tian Guang. Han General Guan Ying caught up with Prime Minister Tian Guang in Bo. Hearing of Qi King's death, Tian Heng declared himself king, turned to attack Guan Ying, but was defeated. Tian Heng fled to Liangdi and sought refuge with Peng Yue. Peng Yue, who was in Liangdi at the time, remained neutral, helping both Han and Chu at different times. After Han Xin killed Long Qie, he continued to attack, defeated and killed Tian Ji in Jiaodong, while Guan Ying defeated and killed Qi General Tian Xi in Qiancheng, and that was the end of Qi. After Xiang Yu was defeated by Liu Bang, Liu Bang became emperor and Peng Yue was made King of Liang. Tian Heng, scared for his life, fled to the sea with over five hundred followers and hid on an island. When Liu Bang heard about this, he figured Tian Heng could still cause trouble, since Tian Heng and his brother had performed great deeds in Qi and many talented people from Qi followed him. So he pardoned Tian Heng and called him back to court.
Tian Heng refused and said, "I once helped Li Shiqi, and now his brother, Li Shang, is a general of the Han Dynasty and very powerful. I'm scared stiff and can't possibly obey the Emperor's order. Let me just be a nobody and stay put on my island." The messenger reported this to Liu Bang. Liu Bang then ordered Wei Wei Li Shang, saying, "Prince Qi Tian Heng is about to arrive. Anyone who so much as twitches will be wiped out!" He then sent a messenger with a token to explain in detail to Tian Heng Liu Bang's intentions: "Come, and you'll be a king or a marquis; stay away, and I'll have you killed!" Only then did Tian Heng take two followers, ride a fast horse, and rush to Luoyang.
At the post station outside Luoyang, Tian Heng refused the messenger and said, "A guy's gotta be clean when he meets the Emperor." Then he stopped and said to his followers, "The King of Han and I, we were both in a tough spot. Now the King of Han has become the emperor, and I have become a fugitive, having to bow to him, which is already hard enough for me. Moreover, I once helped Li Shiqi, and now his brother is working with the King of Han. Even if they're too chicken to do anything, I still can't stomach it! Besides, the Emperor just wants a look at me. Even if they send my head thirty miles away, he'll still know it's me." After speaking, Tian Heng committed suicide, and his followers took his head, rode a fast horse to see Liu Bang. Liu Bang said, "Wow, what a gutsy guy! From nothing, three brothers became princes and kings—talk about making it big!" Liu Bang shed tears for this and made Tian Heng's two guys captains, and also sent two thousand soldiers to give Tian Heng a king-sized burial.
After Tian Heng was buried, those two subordinates dug a pit next to his grave and also committed suicide to follow him in death. When Liu Bang heard about this, he was greatly surprised, thinking that Tian Heng's subordinates were all loyal and righteous men. He heard that over five hundred of Tian Heng's men were still at sea, so he sent for them. However, when they heard that Tian Heng had died, they also committed suicide. It was then that Liu Bang understood why the Tian Heng brothers were able to get so many people to follow him.
Han Wang Xin, the grandson of King Xiang of Han, was a whopping eight feet five inches tall. After Xiang Liang established the power of King Huai of Chu, the royal descendants of Yan, Qi, Zhao, and Wei were restored as kings, but there was no suitable heir for the kingdom of Han. Therefore, Xiang Liang appointed Han Gongzi Hengyangjun as the King of Han to keep the Han lands under control. Later, Xiang Liang died in Dingtao, and Han Wang Xin fled to King Huai of Chu. When Liu Bang attacked Yangcheng, he sent Zhang Liang with the seal of the Minister of Han to recruit soldiers and raise an army in various places in Han. He found Han Wang Xin and appointed him as a general of Han, leading his army through Wuguan.
After Liu Bang became King of Han, Han Wang Xin followed him to Hanzhong. Han Wang Xin advised Liu Bang, saying, "Xiang Yu has crowned so many feudal kings, and you are the only one left here alone. This is not a long-term plan! Most of your soldiers are from Shandong, and they all want to go home. Once they head home, we can strike!" After he had taken the three Qin states, Liu Bang agreed to Han Wang Xin's request, first appointing him as Han's top general and allowing him to lead troops to reclaim the land of Han.
All the kings and lords Xiang Yu had appointed returned to their respective fiefdoms. Han Wang Cheng, because he hadn't done anything to earn it, didn't get a fiefdom; instead, he was made Ranghou, and Xiang Yu had him whacked later on. Xiang Yu heard that the Han army sent Han Wang Xin to recover the territory of Han, so he sent Zheng Chang, who had fought with him in Wu, to act as Han Wang to resist the Han army. In the second year of the Han, Han Wang Xin took back over ten Han cities. Once Liu Bang got to Henan, Han Wang Xin quickly attacked Han Wang Zheng Chang, and he surrendered. So the Han king made Han Wang Xin the Han king again and kept him in charge of the Han army. Later, the Han king sent Han Wang Xin and others to guard Xingyang, but the Chu army smashed them. Han Wang Xin surrendered to the Chu, but then he escaped back to the Han, and together they beat Xiang Yu. In the spring of year five, Liu Bang and Han Wang Xin made a pact, and Liu Bang gave Yingchuan to him.
In the spring of 201 BC, the Emperor figured Han Xin was a top-notch fighter. Han Xin's territory bordered Gong County and Luoyang to the north, Wan County and Ye County to the south, and Huaiyang to the east, all hotbeds of top military talent. Therefore, the Emperor changed Taiyuan to Han Kingdom and transferred Han Xin there to defend against the Xiongnu, instructing him to move the capital to Jinyang. Han Xin shot the Emperor a letter, saying, "The country's borders are under attack, the Xiongnu frequently invade, and Jinyang is too far from the frontier. I request to be allowed to govern Mayi." The Emperor agreed. In the autumn, the Xiongnu Chanyu Modun led a large army to surround Han Xin. Han Xin sent envoys to the Xiongnu multiple times, begging for mercy. The Han sent troops to rescue him, but suspected Han Xin was playing them, having sent envoys privately multiple times. The Emperor fired off a letter, chewing Han Xin out for saying, "You only think of saving your own life without bravery, only think of self-preservation without fulfilling your duty. When the enemy attacks Mayi, as a general, are your defenses not strong enough? This is why I am reprimanding you in this matter of life and death." After receiving the letter, terrified of getting the chop, Han Xin cut a deal with the Xiongnu to double-cross the Han, surrendering Mayi and then hitting Taiyuan.
In the winter of 200 BCE, the Emperor himself led the troops to attack Han Xin's army, defeating Han Xin at Tongdi and killing his general Wang Xi. Han Xin escaped and sought refuge with the Xiongnu. His generals, including Manchuchen, Wang Huang, and others, supported Zhao Li, a descendant of the Zhao clan, as king. They also gathered Han Xin's scattered troops and conspired with Han Xin and Modun to attack the Han Dynasty. The Xiongnu sent King Zuo Xian with over ten thousand cavalry to camp south of Guangwu, reaching Jinyang to battle the Han army. The Han army totally crushed them, chasing them to Lishi and defeating them again. The Xiongnu regrouped their forces northwest of Loufan. The Han Dynasty ordered the General of Chariots and Cavalry to attack the Xiongnu, routinely beating them back in a running battle. Learning Modun was in Daigu while the Emperor was in Jinyang, scouts were dispatched to investigate Modun's situation, reporting back that an attack could be launched. The Emperor then arrived at Pingcheng and ascended Baideng Mountain. The Xiongnu cavalry surrounded the Emperor, who sent people to present lavish gifts to Modun's wife, Empress Yan. Empress Yan advised Modun, "We've already got Han land; let's not pick a fight." After seven days, the Xiongnu cavalry gradually withdrew. A thick fog rolled in, allowing messengers from the Han Dynasty to move back and forth undetected by the Xiongnu. Chen Ping, the Guard Lieutenant, told the Emperor, "The Xiongnu army is intact. I request orders for the crossbowmen to shoot arrows beyond the range of two arrows, slowly picking their way out of the encirclement." The Emperor entered Pingcheng, and reinforcements from the Han Dynasty arrived, causing the Xiongnu cavalry to back off and the Han army to withdraw. As a Xiongnu general, Han Xin repeatedly raided the border, using Wang Huang and others to trick Chen Xi.
In the spring of 196 BC, Han Xin led the Xiongnu cavalry to set up camp near Canhe. General Chai, sent by the Han Dynasty to fight him, also wrote him a letter, saying: "You know this, right? The Emperor is generous; even if the vassals rebel and flee, as long as they return to surrender later, the Emperor will restore their original official positions and titles, never killing them. Now you have fled to the Xiongnu after losing the battle; it's not a big deal, hurry back to surrender!"
Han Xin replied: "Your Majesty promoted me from a commoner to my current position, letting me be my own boss, this is already my fortune. At Xingyang, I got captured by Xiang Yu instead of dying in battle; this is my first crime. When Mayi was attacked by the enemy, I failed to defend the city and instead gave up the city to the enemy; this is my second crime. Now I have become a rebel, fighting you to the death, this is my third crime. Even guys like Tian Dan and Fan Li did not commit any crimes, but ended up dead and their countries destroyed; while I committed three major crimes, but still want to live, this is like Wu Zixu, eventually being killed in the state of Wu. I'm holed up in the mountains, begging for scraps from the barbarians every day. I think about going back, like a cripple never forgets walking, or a blind man never forgets seeing, but things just aren't working out that way!" In the end, they still fought. General Chai stormed Canhe and killed Han Xin.
Xin, the son of Xing Ling Jun, went to the Xiongnu with the Xiongnu Crown Prince. When they got to Tuo Dang, Xin's son was born and named Tuo Dang. The son of the Crown Prince of Han also had a son, named Ying. When Emperor Xiao Wen was in power, Tuo Dang and Ying surrendered to the Han Dynasty with their people. The Han made Tuo Dang the Marquis of Gonggao and Ying the Marquis of Xiangcheng.
Later, when the seven states of Wu and Chu rebelled, the Marquis of Gong Gao had the highest merit among the generals. His title was passed down to his grandson, but since his grandson had no sons, the line of succession ended. The marquis's great-grandson, named Yan, was a prominent imperial favorite. Yan's younger brother, named Shuo, became a commanding officer and fought against the Xiongnu, earning the title of Marquis of Long'e. Later, he lost his title due to the Zhujin case (a case involving underweight gold offerings), but was appointed as a court official and, after defeating the Dongyue, was titled as the Marquis of Andao.
During the Taichu period, he served as a Guerrilla General, stationed outside the city walls of Wuyuan County. Upon returning to the court, he served as Grand Master of the Imperial Palace, but was later killed by the Crown Prince for accusations of using witchcraft against him. His son, Xing, inherited the title, but was later executed for involvement in witchcraft. The emperor said, "The Guerrilla General died in battle, regardless of his crimes." Therefore, Shuo's brother was further titled as the Marquis of Long'e. From a young age, Zeng served as a palace official, and later held positions as a minister, attendant, and Grand Master of the Palace Attendants. During the reign of Emperor Zhao, he was appointed as General, along with Huo Guang, to decide to enthrone Emperor Xuan. His holdings were increased by a thousand households.
In the second year of the Ben Shi era, the Han Dynasty sent five generals to attack the Xiongnu, with Zeng leading 30,000 cavalry from Yunzhong, killing over a hundred enemies and returning on time. In the first year of Shen Jue, he succeeded Zhang Anshi as Commander of the Chariot and Cavalry, also taking charge of the affairs of the Shangshu. The Zeng family had been prominent for generations, and Zeng was loyal to the court from a young age, serving three emperors and holding a high position in the court. He was kind and gentle, skilled at navigating court politics, treating superiors and subordinates with a calm and respectful manner, maintaining his position and favor, although he did not achieve any remarkable accomplishments. He passed away in the second year of Wufeng, given the posthumous title of An Hou. His son Bao inherited the title, but later had no sons, leading to the title lapsed. During the reign of Emperor Cheng, to honor their service, Zeng's brother's son Cen was appointed as the Long'e Marquis, and after Cen's death, his son Chibow inherited the title. After Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, the title of Long'e Marquis also came to an end.
Now, consider this: the Zhou Dynasty was finished, and by the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the various vassal states had all crumbled, but the descendants of Yan Di, Huang Di, Tang Yao, and Yu Shun surprisingly still remained scattered. Later, when the Qin State eliminated the six states, the heroic spirit of those ancient heroes was completely wiped out. During the Chu-Han contention, ambitious generals fought for control, and only Wei Bao, Han Xin, and the Tian brothers were remnants of the old ruling class, but they all perished. Their honor and loyalty, along with the loyalists who followed them, were unable to establish a country of their own; was this not simply the way of things? The Han Xin family's prominence dates back to the time of Gaozhi, and this was inextricably linked to the rise and fall of the Zhou Dynasty.
In praise of...: The Zhou dynasty had already declined by the end of the Spring and Autumn period, with the various feudal lords exhausted; yet the descendants of Yan, Huang, Tang, and Yu still lingered. Qin destroyed the six states, erasing the legacy of antiquity. During the Chu-Han Contention, powerful figures vied for dominance; only Wei Bao, Han Xin, and the Tian brothers (Dan and Rong) were descendants of the old kingdoms, but they all met untimely deaths. Even with their ambition, integrity, and loyal followers, they still failed to establish themselves, wasn't it simply fate? The Han family, since the time of Gao Gong, enjoyed great prestige and prominence, owing to their close ties to the Zhou dynasty!
