Chen Sheng, whose courtesy name was She, is from Yangcheng; Wu Guang, whose courtesy name was Shu, is from Yangxia. When Chen Sheng was young, he worked as a hired hand. One day, he stopped his work, stood on the field ridge, sighed for a long time, and said, "If I get rich and famous in the future, don't forget the friendship we had while working together today!" His fellow workers laughed and said, "You, working for others, still thinking about getting rich and famous?" Chen Sheng sighed and replied, "How would a sparrow know a goose's dreams?"
In the autumn of the first year of Qin Er Shi, in July, the court conscripted the poor people to serve in the army and guard the Yuyang garrison, a total of nine hundred people, with Chen Sheng and Wu Guang as the squad leaders. When they reached Daze Township in Qixian County, they encountered heavy rain, and the roads were impassable, causing them to miss the deadline. Missing the deadline was a death sentence. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang conferred. "Running's a death sentence, rebellion's a death sentence," Chen Sheng said. "We're dead either way, so why not die for something?" Chen Sheng continued, "The common people have suffered under the Qin Dynasty for a long time. I hear the Second Emperor's a younger son, never meant to rule. The rightful heir was Prince Fusu, banished for speaking his mind. Now, word is, the Second Emperor had him killed. Lots of people knew Fusu was a good man, and they don't know he's gone. Xiang Yan was a celebrated general of the Chu State, beloved by his troops. The people of Chu still remember him, and some even think he is still alive. If we lead everyone to rise up and call for rebellion against the Qin Dynasty, many people will respond." Wu Guang agreed with Chen Sheng. So they went to consult a diviner. The diviner saw their intentions and said, "You'll succeed, and you'll be rewarded. Are you asking the spirits for guidance?" Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were happy, thinking that this was a sign from the gods. They wrote "Chen Sheng, the King!" on red silk and hid it inside a fish in a basket. When the soldiers bought the fish and found the cloth, they were very surprised. They then secretly had Wu Guang set fire to a small temple in the nearby jungle at night and imitate a fox crying out, "Great Chu will rise, Chen Sheng will be king!" Terror gripped the soldiers. The next morning, the soldiers were all talking about Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, pointing them out.
Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were good to the soldiers, and the soldiers were willing to serve them. Once, heavy rain delayed the troops' journey, and according to military law, the officers had to be punished. The officers had gotten roaring drunk, and Chen Sheng kept dropping hints about escaping, deliberately provoking them to humiliate themselves and inflame the soldiers. As a result, the officers actually whipped Chen Sheng. When the officers drew their swords, Chen Sheng immediately grabbed one and killed them. Wu Guang helped him kill the two officers. Then Chen Sheng gathered all the soldiers and said, "Everyone, because of the rain delaying our journey, according to military law, we should all be beheaded. Even if I plead for mercy, less than four out of ten will survive. Besides, a real man either doesn't die, or he dies making a name for himself! Are those nobles and generals born superior to us?" The soldiers all replied, "We will follow your orders!" So, they pretended to be descendants of Prince Fusu and Xiang Yan, playing on people's hopes. Chen Sheng bared his right arm and bellowed, "Great Chu!" They built an altar, held a ceremony, and sacrificed the heads of the slain officers. Chen Sheng declared himself a general, with Wu Guang as his second-in-command. They attacked Daze Township and captured it. Then they attacked Qi County. Chen Sheng then ordered Fu Li to lead the troops east to attack places like Zhi, Zao, Ku, Zhe, and Qiao, all of which were successively captured. The army continuously recruited more soldiers, and by the time they reached Chen County, they had six to seven hundred war chariots, over a thousand cavalry, and tens of thousands of infantry. They attacked Chen County, where the county magistrate was nowhere to be seen, and only the deputy at Qiao Gate fought against them. As a result, the deputy was defeated and killed, and they took Chen County.
After a few days, Chen Sheng summoned the local elders and heroes to discuss matters. Everyone said, "General, you are dressed in sturdy armor, holding sharp weapons, to overthrow the tyrannical Qin, kill the tyrant, and restore the Chu kingdom; your achievements are enough to be called a king!" So Chen Sheng declared himself king and styled himself Zhang Chu. Meanwhile, fed up with Qin rule, counties across the land rose up, killing their magistrates and pledging allegiance to Chen Sheng. Chen Sheng appointed Wu Guang as a king in name only, leading the generals to attack Xiangyang to the west. At the same time, he ordered the people of Chen County, Wu Chen, Zhang Er, and Chen Yu to lead troops to attack the Zhao State, and Deng Zong from Ruyin to lead troops to attack Jiujiang County. At that time, Chu armies, numbering in the thousands, even tens of thousands, were everywhere, too numerous to count.
Ge Ying arrived in Dongcheng and proclaimed Xiangqiang king of Chu. Later, he heard that Chen Sheng had already declared himself king, so he killed Xiangqiang and returned to report to Chen Sheng. When he arrived in Chen County, Chen Sheng killed Ge Ying and ordered Zhou Shi from Wei to attack the north. Wu Guang surrounded Xiangyang, while Li You, the governor of Sanchuan, defended Xiangyang, and Wu Guang failed to capture it. Chen Sheng summoned heroes from various countries to discuss and appointed Fang Jun Cai Ci from Shangcai as the Grand Protector.
Zhou Wen, a good man from Chen State, had previously served as an astrologer under Xiang Yan, later working for Lord Chunshen, claiming to understand military affairs very well. Xiang Yu gave him the seal of general and sent him west to fight the Qin army. He led his troops to Hangu Pass, with a thousand chariots and a hundred thousand soldiers. When he reached Xixian, he set up camp there. Qin dispatched Shao Fu Zhang Han, leading an army of convicts and their families from Mount Li, against the Chu. This resulted in a major defeat for the Chu army. Zhou Wen escaped from Hangu Pass and stationed in Caoyang. After more than two months, Zhang Han caught up with him and defeated him. Zhou Wen fled to Minchi. Ten days later, Zhang Han attacked again and completely defeated Zhou Wen. Zhou Wen finally committed suicide, and his rebellion ended.
Wu Chen arrived in Handan, proclaimed himself King of Zhao, and appointed Chen Yu as Grand General, with Zhang Er and Zhao Sao as Left and Right Prime Ministers. Xiang Yu was furious; he captured Wu Chen's family, intending to kill them. One of Xiang Yu's advisors said, "Killing the Zhao royal family would be like creating another Qin—a new enemy." Xiang Yu took this to heart and sent people to congratulate Zhao, bringing Wu Chen's family to live in the palace. He also appointed Zhang Er's son Ao as the Marquis of Chengdu, urging the Zhao army to quickly enter the pass. The Zhao king and his ministers debated, "If we proclaim ourselves as kings, this is not the intention of Chu. If Chu wipes out Qin, they'll come for us next. The best strategy is not to attack Qin to the west, but to send troops north to recover the Yan territory and expand our own. To the south, Zhao has a river; to the north, Yan and Dai. Even if Chu conquers Qin, they won't easily attack us; if they don't, they'll need our help. We can exploit Qin and Chu's weakness and rule the land!" The Zhao king agreed with their reasoning, so they stopped attacking Qin to the west and sent Han Guang, a former Shanggu County official, to the north to recover the Yan territory. The dignitaries and heroes of Yan said to Han Guang, "Chu and Zhao have both proclaimed themselves as kings. Although Yan is small, it is also a country with a powerful army. We hope you, General, will proclaim yourself as king." Han Guang replied, "My mother is still in Zhao; I cannot." The people of Yan countered, "Zhao is now worried about Qin to the west and Chu to the south; they do not have the strength to control us. Besides, even though Chu is so powerful, they dare not harm the relatives of the King of Zhao; why would Zhao dare to harm the relatives of the General?" Han Guang thought they were right, so he proclaimed himself King of Yan. Months later, Zhao returned the Yan king's family.
So, loads of generals surrendered to Qin at that time. Zhou Shi marched north into Di territory, where the Di people killed the county magistrate Tian Dan, declared themselves kings, and claimed to be the King of Qi, then turned around to attack Zhou Shi. Zhou Shi's army scattered, running back to Wei, where they made Jiu, a descendant of Wei's Ning Ling Jun, the new King. Problem was, Jiu was hanging out with Xiang Yu and couldn't get back. Although Wei was pacified, Xiang Yu wanted to crown Zhou Shi as king, but Zhou Shi refused. It took Xiang Yu five tries to get Jiu crowned and shipped back, while Zhou Shi became the Prime Minister of Wei.
Tian Zang and his guys got together and said, "Zhou Zhang's army has already been defeated, and the Qin army is coming. We can't hold Xingyang. Qin's coming, and we'll get crushed. Let's leave a few guys behind and take the rest to meet them. But that fake king, Yi of Chu – total jerk, clueless about war, and impossible to talk to. We gotta get rid of him, or we're screwed." So they faked a royal order, whacked Wu Guang, and took his head to Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu granted Tian Zang the seal of the Prefect of Chu and appointed him as a general. Tian Zang then sent Li Gui and other generals to defend Xingyang City, while he led the elite troops west to Ao Cang to confront the Qin army. In the ensuing battle with the Qin army, Tian Zang got himself killed, and his army got wiped out.
Zhang Han then attacked the forces of Li Gui and others at Xingyang City, defeating them and causing Li Gui to die in battle. Deng, from Xingyang, set up camp at Tancheng, but Zhang Han's guys routed him, sending him running to Chendi. Wu Feng from Kui county stationed his troops in Xudi, but was also defeated by Zhang Han, causing Wu Feng to flee to Chendi. Xiang Yu later had Deng executed.
When Xiang Yu took the throne, several local leaders—Qin Jia from Ling County, Dong Ye from Zhi County, Zhu Jishi from Fuli County, Zheng Bu from Qulu County, and Ding Ji from Xuxian—rose up in rebellion, surrounding the Donghai prefect's army in Tancheng. Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu sent Wu Pingjun as a general to supervise the army at Tancheng. Qin Jia proclaimed himself Grand Marshal and disliked Wu Pingjun, telling the officers, "Wu Pingjun is too young and naive for the job, do not listen to him." He then faked a royal order and had Wu Pingjun killed.
After defeating Wu Feng, Zhang Han attacked Chendi, and a prominent Chu commander, Fang Jun, died in battle. Zhang Han continued to attack the army of Zhang He to the west of Chendi. Xiang Yu personally led the battle, but the army was defeated, and Zhang He also died in battle.
In December, Chen Sheng was killed in Ruyin (now Fuyang, Anhui), and his body was transported back to Xiachengfu (now Guoyang, Anhui). Zhuang Jia, his charioteer, killed Chen Sheng to curry favor with Qin. Chen Sheng was buried in Dang (now Suzhou, Anhui) and given the posthumous title of King Yin. Chen Sheng's former subordinate, General Lü Chen from Juan, led troops from Xinyang (now Shouxian, Anhui), attacked Chendi, captured the city, killed Zhuang Jia, and restored Chendi to Chu.
Chen Sheng had sent Song Liu from Zhi County (now Luyi, Henan) to secure Nanyang, then enter Wuguan (now Danfeng, Shaanxi). Song Liu had already secured Nanyang, but upon hearing of Chen Sheng's death, Nanyang fell back into the hands of the Qin state. Song Liu was unable to enter Wuguan, so he went east to Xinchai (now Xinchai, Henan), where he encountered the Qin army and surrendered to the Qin state. The Qin state escorted Song Liu to Xianyang, where he was torn apart.
Qin Jia and others heard that Chen Sheng was defeated, so they made Jing Ju the King of Chu and led their army to Fangyu (modern-day Shouxian, Anhui), intending to attack the Qin army south of Jiyin (modern-day Jining, Shandong). They sent Gong Sunqing to meet with the King of Qi, hoping to ally with Qi. The King of Qi said, "Chen Sheng's defeat isn't confirmed yet. How can Chu just crown a new king without asking?" Gong Sunqing replied, "If Qi could crown itself king without asking Chu, why should Chu ask Qi? Besides, Chu started this whole thing; we should be calling the shots!" As a result, Tian Dan killed Gong Sunqing. Qin's commanders attacked Chen territory and captured it. General Lv fled and recruited soldiers everywhere, gathering another army. They encountered the anti-Qin bandit Ying Bu and together defeated Qin's commanders, retaking Chen for Chu. Then Xiang Liang installed Wang Sunxin as the King of Chu.
Chen Sheng declared himself king for a total of six months. When he had just become king, an old buddy he'd worked with as a day laborer heard about it and came to Chen's territory, banging on the palace gates and yelling, "I wanna see Chen Sheng!" The guard wanted to arrest him, but after a bit of arguing, he was let go, though the guard wouldn't announce him. Chen Sheng stormed out, blocking the road and bellowing Chen Sheng's name. So Chen Sheng summoned him and took him home. Seeing the palace, the guy went, "Wow, look at Chen Sheng, the big shot!" Chu folks slurred "duo" (多) into "huo" (夥), so everyone started calling him "Huo Sheng, the King," all starting from Chen Sheng. This guy got bolder and bolder, running his mouth about Chen Sheng's personal business. People were saying, "This idiot's blabbing is hurting the king's image!" Chen Sheng killed him. Chen Sheng's old acquaintances all left him one after another, and from then on, no one approached Chen Sheng again. Chen Sheng appointed Zhu Fang as Zhongzheng and Wu Guang as Siguo, in charge of supervising the officials. When the generals went out to battle and returned, if Chen Sheng felt they did not perform well, he would arrest and punish them. Chen Sheng thought being a hard-ass was the same as being loyal. If he didn't like someone, he'd take care of it himself, instead of letting the officials handle it. Chen Sheng trusted them, so the generals did not get close to him. That's why he went down. Xiang Yu bit the dust, but the nobles and generals he'd put in place couldn't save the Qin. Even under Liu Bang, they built him a tomb in Dang County, and people still went to pay their respects—right up until Wang Mang took over.
Xiang Yu, with the courtesy name Yu, was a man from Xiaxiang. He took up arms at the age of only twenty-four. His uncle was Xiang Liang, whose father was the famous general Xiang Yan of the Chu State. Their family had been generals of the Chu State for generations and were enfeoffed in Xiang territory, hence the surname Xiang. When Xiang Yu was young, he couldn't be bothered learning to write and gave up; he also couldn't master swordsmanship and gave up. Xiang Liang was very angry. Xiang Yu said, "I only need to be able to sign my name. One-on-one swordplay is pointless; I want to take on armies!" Xiang Liang felt he was onto something, so he taught him military strategy. Xiang Yu was very happy and understood some of it, but he did not want to continue learning.
Xiang Liang had been imprisoned in Liyang before. He had the jailer Cao Jiu of Qi County write a letter to the jail historian Sima Xin of Liyang, fixing things up. Xiang Liang had killed someone before, and he and Xiang Yu fled to the Wu territory to escape revenge. The best and brightest in Wu all listened to Xiang Liang. Whenever there were big jobs, like public works or funerals, Xiang Liang was always in charge of organizing them, using these events to secretly train his followers to assess their abilities. When Qin Shihuang went on an eastern tour to Kuaiji and crossed the Zhejiang River, Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu were also there to observe. Xiang Yu said, "That guy's a goner!" Xiang Liang covered his mouth and said, "Shut your mouth! That'll get us all killed!" Xiang Liang valued Xiang Yu even more because of this. Xiang Yu was eight feet two inches tall, able to lift a tripod, and he was head and shoulders above everyone else. Every young man in Wu was scared stiff of Xiang Yu.
In 209 BC, the first year of Qin Ershi's reign, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led a rebellion. In September, the acting magistrate of Huiji County, named Tong, was a very shrewd man. He called Liang (Liang Hong) to discuss matters. Liang said, "Right now, the entire area around the lower Yangtze River is rising against Qin. It's high time someone took down the Qin! He who hesitates is lost!" Tong sighed, "I heard that among the descendants of Prince Chu (referring to King Huai of Chu), only you are the most talented!" Liang continued, "There's a genius in Wudi named Huan Chu, now exiled in the marshes. No one knows where he is, but you, Chen Sheng, know his whereabouts." So Liang instructed Chen Sheng to wait outside with a sword. Liang went in again and said to Tong, "I want to ask Chen Sheng to go and invite Huan Chu." Chen Sheng went in, and Liang secretly signaled to him, saying, "You can strike now!" Chen Sheng immediately drew his sword and killed Tong. Liang took Tong's head and wore his seal. Panic erupted! Chen Sheng cut down hundreds, maybe more, and the rest of the mansion staff were too scared to breathe. Liang then rallied his contacts, laid out the plan, and raised the banner of rebellion. He sent people to recruit troops from subordinate counties, totaling eight thousand elite soldiers, and appointed powerful heroes as military officers such as captains, lieutenants, and sergeants. One person who did not receive an official position was dissatisfied and came to complain. Liang said, "Look, I sent a princess to handle a task during someone's funeral, and she messed it up. That's why you didn't get a post." Everyone heard this and accepted it. Liang became the magistrate of Huiji County, Chen Sheng became his deputy, and so, the rebellion began.
In 208 BC, a man from Guangling named Zhaoping tried to muster troops in Guangling to replace Chen Sheng, but was unsuccessful. Hearing that Chen Sheng had been defeated and fled, the Qin general Zhang Han was on his way. Zhaoping quickly crossed the Yangtze River, using the authority of the King of Chen, and appointed the King of Liang in Liangdi (around present-day Shangqiu, Henan) as the highest-ranking official of Chu, saying, "Jiangdong's under control; hurry and lead the troops west to attack the Qin State!" The King of Liang then led eight thousand men across the Yangtze River and advanced westward. Hearing that Chen Ying had already secured Dongyang (present-day Shangcheng County, Henan), the King of Liang sent envoys to contact Chen Ying and join forces to head west. Chen Ying, a former low-level clerk in Dongyang County, was known for his honesty and reliability. The young men of Dongyang, having killed their magistrate and gathered thousands, needed a leader. They turned to Chen Ying, who initially demurred, but eventually accepted their plea, commanding twenty thousand men. Some wanted to make Chen Ying king, and other rebel forces also responded. Chen Ying's mother said to him, "Since I married into your family, I have never heard of any prominent figures in our family. Suddenly gaining fame like this is probably not a good thing. It's better to find a powerful backer. If things succeed, you can be enfeoffed; if they fail, you can easily save your life. This is the best course of action, rather than attracting trouble with your current reputation." Chen Ying then dared not proclaim himself king. He told his subordinates, "The Xiang family are renowned warriors, long loyal to Chu. If we want to accomplish great things now, we must rely on them. With the Xiang family's support, we stand a much better chance against Qin!" His subordinates agreed, so he handed over the army to the King of Liang.
After Liang Wang crossed the Huai River, Generals Ying Bu and Pu led their armies to join him. Altogether, there were sixty to seventy thousand strong stationed in Xiapi (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu). At this time, Qin Jia had already proclaimed Jing Ju as the King of Chu, with their army stationed to the east of Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu) to oppose Liang Wang. Liang Wang said to his generals, "Chen Sheng was the first to rebel but ended up losing in battle. Now, we don't even know where he has gone. Qin Jia has betrayed Chen Sheng and proclaimed Jing Ju as king— that's a major betrayal!" So Liang Wang led his troops to attack Qin Jia. Qin Jia's army was defeated and fled, with Liang Wang pursuing them to Huling (now Shouxian, Anhui). Qin Jia fought Liang Wang for a day before being killed, his army surrendering afterward. Jing Ju fled and died on Liang's territory. Liang Wang absorbed Qin Jia's troops, stationed them in Huling, and prepared to push west. Zhang Han arrived at Lixian (now Huoqiu County, Anhui), and Liang Wang sent Generals Zhu Jishi and Yu Fanjun to engage Zhang Han. Yu Fanjun fell in battle; Zhu Jishi, defeated, fled to Huling. Earlier, Liang Wang had sent General Yu against Xiangcheng, which was unable to hold out. After capturing the city, Liang Wang slaughtered the entire population, then returned to report to his superior. Hearing of Chen Wang's death, Liang Wang called his generals to Xue County to plan their next move. Around the same time, Liu Bang, the Duke of Pei, marched from Pei County (now Peixian, Jiangsu) to join them.
Fan Zeng, a septuagenarian, was a master strategist. He went to Xiang Liang and said, "Chen Sheng was doomed to fail. Of the six states conquered by Qin, Chu had borne the least blame. King Huai of Chu, once held captive by Qin, never returned. The people of Chu still cherished his memory, so the saying 'Even if Chu were reduced to three families, it would still rise to destroy Qin' has been passed down. Now Chen Sheng's rebellion, failing to install a Chu prince, was inherently weak. Your uprising in Jiangdong will attract all the Chu generals because your family's lineage as Chu generals makes you uniquely positioned to restore the Chu throne." Heeding Fan Zeng's words, Xiang Liang found King Huai's grandson, Xiang Xin—a shepherd boy. Xiang Liang appointed him as King Huai of Chu, a move that resonated with the populace. Chen Ying was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief, in charge of five counties, and lived together with King Huai in Xutai. Xiang Liang claimed to be Marquis Wuxin and led troops to attack Kangfu.
At the beginning, Zhang Han killed King Tian Dan of Qi in Linzi, and Tian Dan's underling proclaimed himself as the King of Qi. Tian Dan's younger brother, Tian Rong, escaped to Dong'e to hide, and Zhang Han pursued and besieged him. Xiang Liang led troops to rescue Dong'e, winning a resounding victory at Dong'e. Tian Rong then led his troops back, expelled Tian Jia, who fled to Chu, while Tian Jiao fled to Zhao. Tian Jiao's brother, Tian Mang, a former general, was hiding in Zhao, too afraid to return. Tian Rong then installed Tian Shi, the son of Tian Dan, as the King of Qi. After winning the battle in Dong'e, Xiang Liang continued to pursue the Qin army and pressed the Qi army to join the westward advance. Tian Rong insisted, "Only after Chu and Zhao deal with Tian Jia and Tian Jiao will I commit my troops." Xiang Liang said, "Tian Jia is a royal family member related to the country, seeking refuge with us in distress; we cannot kill him." Zhao did not kill Tian Jiao and Tian Mang either, hoping to use them as leverage against Qi. As a result, Qi refused to send troops to help Chu. Xiang Liang then sent Xiang Yu and Liu Bang to attack Chengyang separately, and Chengyang was razed. Then, in a western campaign, they defeated the Qin army east of Puyang, and the Qin army retreated to Puyang. Liu Bang and Xiang Yu attacked Dingtao, but were unable to take it, so they withdrew their troops and continued west to Yongqiu, where they defeated the Qin army, killing Li You. They then attacked Waihuang, but also failed to take it. Despite some setbacks, Xiang Liang's forces had made significant gains against the Qin.
So, Xiang Liang rolled into Dingtao, smashing the Qin army one after another. Xiang Yu and his men also killed Li You, which made Xiang Liang get a big head. Song Yi advised him, "Being proud after winning battles, with lazy soldiers, will only lead to defeat! You’re already becoming lax, while the Qin army is growing stronger day by day. I'm worried sick for the king!" Xiang Liang just ignored him and sent Song Yi to Qi State. On the way, they met Gao Lingjun Xian, an envoy from Qi State. Song Yi asked him, "Are you going to see Lord Wuxin (Tian Rong)?" Gao Lingjun replied, "Yes." Song Yi warned, "I believe Lord Wuxin's army is gonna get wiped out. If you proceed slowly, you’ll be safe. But if you hurry, it’ll be dangerous!" As a result, the Qin army ambushed the Chu army in Dingtao, defeating them and causing Xiang Liang to die in battle.
At that time, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu were besieging Chenliu in Waihuang, but the city refused to surrender. Liu Bang and Xiang Yu discussed, "Now that Xiang Liang's army has been defeated, the troops will be terrified." So they, along with Lv Chen, led their troops eastward. Lv Chen's army was to the east of Pengcheng, Xiang Yu's army was to the west of Pengcheng, and Liu Bang's army was in Dangxian.
After defeating Xiang Liang's army, Zhang Han figured the Chu army was toast, so he crossed the Yellow River to attack Zhao State, defeating their army. At that time, Zhao Xie was the king, Chen Yu was the general, and Zhang Er was the prime minister. They escaped into Julu City. Qin generals Wang Li and She Xian surrounded Julu, with Zhang Han's army to the south, building a supply route to transport food. Chen Yu led tens of thousands of soldiers stationed to the north of Julu, known as the "Northern Army."
Song Yi, this old codger, boasted to the Qi envoy Gao Lingjun about how powerful he was, saying, "I analyzed that Wu Xinjun would definitely lose, and a few days later, he really did lose. To see that he was going to lose before the battle even started, that's what I call military genius!" King Huai of Chu immediately summoned him to discuss military matters, and directly appointed him as the top general, with Xiang Yu as the Deputy General, Fan Zeng as the Rearguard, and all other generals following his orders, known as the "supreme commander."
Heading north to rescue Zhao, they stopped in Anyang and didn't continue forward. After three years, Xiang Yu had enough and said to him, "The Qin army is currently besieging Julu. Let's quickly cross the Yellow River, with the Chu army attacking from the outside and the Zhao army attacking from the inside; we will definitely be able to defeat Qin!" However, Song Yi replied, "That's not right. It's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut; it's useless. If Qin attacks Zhao and wins, their forces will be exhausted, then we can take advantage; if they lose, we can bring our troops over and definitely conquer Qin. So it's better to let Qin and Zhao fight to the death first." He continued, "In terms of leading the charge, I'm not as good as you; but in terms of strategy, you're not as good as me!" He then ordered the entire army, "Be ferocious as tigers! Be cowardly as sheep when necessary! Be greedy as wolves for victory! Disobey, and you die!" He even sent his son to Qi to serve as a minister, personally escorting him to Wuyan, and threw a huge feast, drinking and feasting to their hearts' content.
The day was cold and rainy, and the soldiers were cold and hungry. Xiang Yu couldn't bear it anymore and said, "We came here to attack the Qin country with all our might, but we've been inactive for so long! Now there is a famine, the soldiers are not getting enough to eat, there is no food in the army, and you, General, are here feasting and reveling, not leading the troops across the river to join Zhao in fighting Qin, and still talking about 'seizing an opportunity'! Qin is so powerful; attacking the recently established Zhao, they will surely conquer Zhao. If Zhao is destroyed, Qin will become even stronger—where is there any opportunity to seize? Moreover, our country's army has just suffered a defeat; the King's a nervous wreck, and he has entrusted you with the entire military power of the country. The fate of the country depends on this battle! You're not looking out for the country at all, only for your own pleasure; you don't give a damn about the country!"
The next morning, Xiang Yu rushed into Song Yi's tent and killed him, then announced to the others, "Song Yi colluded with Qi and wanted to rebel; the Chu King secretly ordered me to kill him." The other generals were too terrified to open their mouths and all said in unison, "General, you're a true Chu hero! You have eliminated a traitor for the country!" They all supported Xiang Yu as the acting General. Xiang Yu also sent someone to kill Song Yi's son, who was chased to Qi and killed. He dispatched Huan Chu to report this to the Chu King. King Huai of Chu formally appointed Xiang Yu as the General.
Xiang Yu had already killed the Champion, and his reputation was spreading like wildfire across Chu and beyond. He then ordered Dangyang Jun and Pu General to lead twenty thousand soldiers across the river to rescue Julu. However, the battle was a mess, and Chen Yu came to ask for help. Xiang Yu then ordered all the troops to cross the river. After crossing the river, all the boats were sunk, pots and jars smashed, barracks burned down, with only three days' worth of food, showing the soldiers they were fighting for their lives, no turning back.
After arriving at Julu, they surrounded Wang Li's forces, encountered the Qin troops, fought nine major battles, cut off the Qin's supply route, defeated them, killed Su Jue, and captured Wang Li. She Xian, refusing to surrender, immolated himself. At that time, the strength of the Chu army was the strongest among the warlord armies. More than ten warlord coalitions came to rescue Julu, but no one dared to act rashly. When the Chu army attacked the Qin troops, the soldiers of the other warlord armies were all watching from the walls of their camps. The soldiers of the Chu army were each a match for ten enemies, their battle cries shaking the earth, while the soldiers of the other warlords trembled in fear.
After defeating the Qin forces, Xiang Yu went to meet the leaders of the warlords, crawling forward on his knees as soon as he entered the camp gate; no one dared meet his gaze. From then on, Xiang Yu became the top dog of the warlord coalition, and all the troops obeyed his command.
Zhang Han's forces were in Jiyuan, Xiang Yu's troops were on the south bank of the Zhang River, the two armies faced each other but had not yet started fighting. The Qin army retreated one after another, and Qin Ershi sent someone to persuade Zhang Han to surrender. Zhang Han, feeling afraid, sent his chief of staff Xin to Xianyang to investigate the situation. When he arrived in Xianyang, he waited at the Sima Gate for three days, but Zhao Gao did not see him. Zhang Han began to suspect that Zhao Gao had ill intentions. Xin was also afraid and hurried back to the military camp, not daring to take the original route. Zhao Gao did indeed send someone to chase after him, but they did not catch up. Xin returned to the military camp and reported, "This is hopeless! Prime Minister Zhao Gao is autocratic and powerful. If we win the battle, he will be jealous of my credit; if we lose, I won't escape death. General, think it over carefully!"
At the same time, Chen Yu also wrote a letter to Zhang Han, saying: "Bai Qi was a great general of the Qin state back then; he conquered Yan and Ying in the south, massacred the Ma Fu army in the north, conquered cities and territories, and had countless military achievements, but in the end, he was still put to death. Meng Tian was also a great general of the Qin state; he defeated the Rong and Di in the north, opened up thousands of miles of land in Yuzhong, but in the end, he was also killed off. Why? Because their accomplishments were too great, the Qin state could not reward them, so they were executed by law. General, you have served the Qin state for three years, with over 100,000 soldiers lost, while the number of rebellious lords is increasing. Zhao Gao has always been good at flattery, and now, in a critical situation, he is afraid of being killed by the Second Emperor, so he wants to use your crimes to cover up his own responsibility, to throw someone else under the bus to avoid disaster. You have been away for a long time, and things are falling apart internally; whether you have merit or not, you'll be killed, and the Qin Dynasty is destined to fall—everyone knows that. Now, you cannot speak bluntly in the court, and outside you have become a general fighting a losing war, isolated and helpless. Wanting to survive for a long time, isn't that too sad? General, why don't you lead your troops to surrender to the rebel armies, and set yourself up as king in the south? Do you want to be executed along with your family?"
Zhang Han was undecided, so he secretly sent someone to meet Xiang Yu, wanting to discuss surrender. But before they reached an agreement, Xiang Yu sent General Pu to lead the troops across three strategically important mountain passes, fought against the Qin army on the south bank of the Zhang River, and once again completely routed the Qin army. Xiang Yu led all his troops to battle against the Qin army on the Wu River and won a crushing victory. Zhang Han sent someone to meet Xiang Yu again, wanting to discuss surrender. Xiang Yu convened his officers and said, "We're getting short on rations; I want to agree to his request." All the officers agreed, so Xiang Yu swore an oath with Zhang Han on the south bank of the Huan River in Yinxu. After the oath, Zhang Han met with Xiang Yu and laid bare Zhao Gao's treachery. Xiang Yu then appointed Zhang Han as the King of Yong, allowing him to continue commanding the army. He also appointed Changshi Xin as the Commander-in-Chief to lead the Qin army forward.
In 206 BC, Xiang Yu led an army of over 300,000 rebel forces all the way to Henan, then continued westward to Xin'an. The troops of those feudal lords had previously been in the territory of the Qin state due to forced labor and deployments, and the Qin treated them brutally, so many people ran away. Later, the Qin army surrendered to the rebel forces, and their troops used their victory to bully and mistreat the Qin soldiers. The Qin soldiers privately said, "General Zhang Han deceived us into surrendering to the rebel forces. If we can break through Qin now, that would be great; if not, if the rebel lords take us east and Qin kills our parents, wives, and children, we're done for!" Word of this reached Xiang Yu.
Xiang Yu then summoned Ying Bu and General Pu to discuss, saying, "There are still many troops in the Qin State, and they're still resentful. When we reach Hangu Pass, they definitely won't listen to us, and we're gonna be in trouble. Let's take them out first. Then Zhang Han, Xing Shi Xin, Captain Yi, and I will go into Qin." So they attacked at night, killing more than 200,000 Qin soldiers. When they reached Hangu Pass, it was guarded by troops, and they couldn't get in. Hearing that Liu Bang had already captured Xianyang, Xiang Yu was furious and sent Dangyang to attack Hangu Pass. Xiang Yu then entered Guanzhong, and when he reached Ximen in Xixi, he heard that Liu Bang wanted to declare himself king of Guanzhong and hoard all the treasure of the Qin State. Fan Zeng was also furious and advised Xiang Yu to attack Liu Bang. Xiang Yu rewarded the soldiers and decided to fight the next day. Xiang Yu's uncle Xiang Bo had a good relationship with Zhang Liang, who was following Liu Bang at the time. Xiang Bo tipped Zhang Liang off in the middle of the night, and Zhang Liang and Xiang Bo went to Liu Bang together. Xiang Bo explained Liu Bang's side of things to Xiang Yu. The next day, Liu Bang brought more than a hundred horsemen to Hongmen to apologize to Xiang Yu and explained the situation, saying, "I've secured the Qin treasury, withdrawn the troops to Bashang to await you, shut down Hangu Pass to keep out other bandits, and wouldn't dream of disobeying you." Xiang Yu's anger subsided, but Fan Zeng still wanted to harm Liu Bang. It was Zhang Liang and Fan Kuai who saved Liu Bang's neck. This incident is recorded in "The Founder's Story."
A few days later, Xiang Yu went on a rampage in Xianyang, killing the surrendered Qin prince, Ziying, and burning down the Qin palace. The fire raged for three months. He looted Qin's treasures and women, and then headed east. The Qin people were utterly devastated. At this time, Han Sheng pointed out, "Guanzhong's a prime location. Mountains, rivers, defensible terrain, fertile land – perfect for a capital." Xiang Yu saw that the palaces of Qin were all burned down and thought about returning to Chu, saying, "What's the point of getting rich if you can't show it off back home?" Han Sheng replied, "They say Chu people are just monkeys in hats – and he proved them right!" Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu killed Han Sheng.
At the beginning, King Huai of Chu had promised his generals: whoever took Hangu Pass first got to rule the land. Xiang Yu later changed his mind and sent someone to tell King Huai about it. King Huai said, "Let's honor our original agreement." Xiang Yu retorted, "This King Huai? He's just a puppet I put on the throne! What's he done to deserve all this? We fought tooth and nail for three years, sleeping rough, starving, all to take down Qin. It was *we* who won, not him!" The other generals heartily agreed.
Xiang Yu, in a cynical move, declared King Huai the "Righteous Emperor," saying, "Real emperors, you know, ruled vast territories and lived upstream." He then moved King Huai to Changsha and established the capital in Chenzhou. Then, Xiang Yu divided the world, giving territories to various kings of the vassal states.
Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng were suspicious of Liu Bang. They had previously expressed their concerns and now felt that Liu Bang was two-faced, fearing that other feudal lords would betray him because of this. So they whispered amongst themselves, saying, "Bashu's mountain passes are treacherous, and it's full of Qin refugees." Then they added, "Bashu is a strategically important part of Guanzhong's defenses." Therefore, they made Liu Bang the King of Han, governing Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong. The Guanzhong region was divided among three families, appointing Qin dynasty generals who had surrendered to hold off the Han. Thus, they appointed Zhang Han as the King of Yong, governing the area west of Xianyang. Sima Xin, a former Liyang jailer known for his benevolence in Liang, was appointed King of Sai, overseeing the region east of Xianyang to the Yellow River. Dong Yi, who'd persuaded Zhang Han to surrender, was made King of Zhai, ruling the Shang commandery. Wei Wang Bao was moved to Hedong and made King of West Wei. Shen Yang from Xiaqiu was a favorite of Zhang Er, who had previously conquered Henan and welcomed King Huai of Chu into Guanzhong, so he was appointed King of Henan. Zhao general Sima Yang pacified Henan, achieving great military success, so he was made King of Yin, ruling over Henan. Zhao Wang Xie was moved to Dai as a king. Zhang Er, the ever-wise Prime Minister of Zhao, followed Xiang Yu into Guanzhong, so he was appointed King of Changshan, governing Zhao. Ying Bu, Lord Yang of Dangyang, was a Chu general who often achieved military success on the battlefield, so he was made King of Jiujiang. Lord Wu Rui of Fan led the Baiyue forces from the south to assist the feudal lords and followed Xiang Yu into Guanzhong, so he was made King of Hengshan. Gong Ao, a key advisor to the Yi Emperor, led troops to attack Nanjun with outstanding military achievements, so he was appointed King of Linjiang. Yan Wang Han Guang was moved to Liaodong as a king. Yan general Zang Tu followed the Chu army to rescue Zhao and accompanied Xiang Yu into Guanzhong, so he was made King of Yan. Qi Wang Tian Shi was moved to Jiaodong as a king. Qi general Tian Du followed Gong Ao to rescue Zhao and also followed Xiang Yu into Guanzhong, so he was made King of Qi. When Tian An, the grandson of Qi Wang Jian who was eliminated by the Qin state, crossed the river to rescue Zhao, he captured several cities in Jibei and then surrendered to Xiang Yu, so he was appointed King of Jibei. Tian Rong, who betrayed Liang and refused to help Chu attack Qin, got nothing. Chen Yu abandoned the seal and left, not following Xiang Yu into Guanzhong, but it was said that he was wise and had merit in Zhao. Hearing he was in Nanpi, they gave him three surrounding counties. Fan Jun's general Mei Xuan had remarkable military achievements, so he was made a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households. Xiang Yu proclaimed himself King of Western Chu, ruling over the nine counties of Liang and Chu, with the capital in Pengcheng. And that's how the land was divided.
Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng felt that Liu Bang was unreliable; they had mentioned this before, and Liu Bang had also broken the agreement. They worried that other lords might turn against him because of this, so they secretly discussed, "Bashu's got terrible roads, and it's full of those Qin refugees." Then they added, "It's practically Guanzhong, anyway!" So they made Liu Bang King of Han, letting him govern Bashu and Hanzhong. As for the Guanzhong region, it was divided among three kings, using the surrendered generals from Qin to keep a lid on Han power. Thus, Zhang Han was made King of Yong, ruling the lands west of Xianyang; Sima Xin, who'd been a jailer in Liyang and had helped out in Liang, was given the title of King of Sai, ruling east of Xianyang to the Yellow River; Dong Yi persuaded Zhang Han to surrender, so he got the title of King of Di, ruling Shang County; the King of Wei, Bao, was moved to Hedong and renamed King of West Wei; Shen Yang was the favorite of Zhang Er, who took Henan to welcome Chu's King Huai, so he was made King of Henan; Sima Yang pacified Henan and did great things, so he received the title of King of Yin, ruling Henan; King Zhao Xie was moved to Dai; Zhang Er was powerful and also entered the pass, so he was crowned King of Changshan, ruling Zhao; Ying Bu was a general of Chu and often won battles, so he was made King of Jiujiang; Wu Rui led troops to help the lords in battles, so he was named King of Hengshan; Gong Ao had merit in attacking Nanjun, so he was given the title of King of Linjiang; Han Guang was moved to Liaodong; Zang Tu followed the Chu army to save Zhao and then entered the pass, so he was appointed King of Yan; Tian Shi was moved to Jiaodong; Tian Du also helped save Zhao and entered the pass, so he was made King of Qi; Tian An surrendered to Xiang Yu, so he was crowned King of Jibei; Tian Rong did not help Chu in attacking Qin, so he was not made a king; Chen Yu did not enter the pass but had merit in Zhao, so he was given three counties; Mei Xin had great merit, so he was appointed a marquis with ten thousand households; finally, Xiang Yu himself became the Hegemon King of the Western Chu, ruling Liang, Chu, and nine counties, and established the capital in Pengcheng. Then the lords all went back to their own kingdoms.
When Xiang Yu moved the Qi king to Jiaodong and installed Tian Du in his place, Tian Rong hit the roof. Enraged, Tian Rong refused to cooperate, instead launching a rebellion against Qi and attacking Tian Du. Tian Du fled to Chu. Fearing Xiang Yu's wrath, Tian Du escaped to Jiaodong and set himself up as king. Further fueling his rage, Tian Rong hunted Tian Du down to Jimo before proclaiming himself King of Qi. He then gave Peng Yue his seal, commissioning him to raise a rebellion in Liang. In this way, Tian Rong now controlled all of Qi. Meanwhile, Liu Bang, the Han king, was mopping up the remnants of the Qin. News that Liu Bang controlled Guanzhong and was heading east, coupled with the Qi and Liang rebellions, enraged Xiang Yu. He hastily appointed Zheng Chang of Wu as the new King of Han to counter Liu Bang and sent Xiao Gongjiao to crush Peng Yue. As a result, Peng Yue defeated Xiao Gongjiao and his forces. Meanwhile, in Handi, Zhang Liang was busy rallying support and accepting surrenders. He wrote to Xiang Yu, saying, "Liu Bang's a liar, wanting Guanzhong for himself. If he keeps to the agreement, he won't march east." So Xiang Yu abandoned his westward advance and turned north on Qi. He called on Ying Bu of Jiujiang for reinforcements, but Ying Bu feigned illness, sending only a token force of a few thousand.
A year later, Xiang Yu had King Ying Bu of Jiujiang killed. Chen Yu sent Zhang Tong and Xia Shuo to persuade King Tian Rong of Qi, saying, "Xiang Yu wants to be the ruler of the world, but he's unfair in his actions. He has now placed the old vassal kings in crummy places, while giving the good spots to his cronies and generals, and even drove away their old masters. King Zhao has been pushed to Dai. That's messed up. I heard you've raised an army, and you don't approve of this unjust behavior either. I hope you can lend me some troops so I can attack Changshan and restore King Zhao's land. I'm willing to use my country as your barrier." King Tian Rong agreed and sent troops. Chen Yu gathered the forces of three counties and, together with Qi's army, attacked Changshan, winning a crushing victory. Zhang Er fled back to the Han army. Chen Yu welcomed the original King Zhao Xie and reinstated him as King Zhao. King Zhao then appointed Chen Yu as King Dai. Xiang Yu arrived at Chengyang, and Tian Rong also led his army to battle. Tian Rong was defeated and fled to Pingyuan, where the people killed him. Xiang Yu then burned down the city walls and houses of Qi, executed all the surrendered soldiers, and captured the old, the weak, women, and kids. He went from Qi to Beihai, wreaking havoc along the way, burning and pillaging everything in sight. The people of Qi gathered to resist him. At this time, Tian Rong's brother, Tian Heng, gathered a whole mess of scattered soldiers and rebelled in Chengyang. Xiang Yu stayed behind to attack Chengyang, but he couldn't crack it.
At that time, Xiang Yu rolled in with the soldiers of five feudal lords, totaling 560,000 men, to attack the Chu State. Upon hearing this, Liu Bang immediately ordered his generals to attack the Qi State, while he himself led 30,000 elite soldiers, taking a detour from Lu territory to Huling, heading south. By that time, Liu Bang had already captured Gu City, living the high life, plundering the spoils of war – beautiful women, gold, the works – and partying it up every night. Xiang Yu set off from Xiaoxian, advancing eastward and engaging with the Han army. By the time they reached Pengcheng, at noon, they wiped the floor with the Han army. The Han army was routed and hightailed it south, hiding out in the mountains. The Chu army pursued relentlessly, chasing them all the way to the Sui River east of Lingbi. The Han army was surrounded, slaughtered, and routed. So many Han soldiers jumped into the Sui River, it damn near clogged up. Liu Bang, accompanied by a few dozen cavalry, fled in a sorry state. It's all in the *Records of the Grand Historian*. Liu Bang's father, Taigong, and Empress Lü searched for Liu Bang everywhere, only to be captured by the Chu army. Xiang Yu kept them prisoners of war.
Liu Bang slowly gathered the straggling troops, while Xiao He assembled all the forces from Guanzhong and arrived in Xingyang. They defeated the Chu army near Jing and Suo. This prevented the Chu army from advancing west beyond Xingyang. The Han army stationed in Xingyang constructed a supply route and transported food from Aocang. Three years passed, and Xiang Yu repeatedly severed the Han army's supply route, severely hampering their efforts. Faced with starvation, Liu Bang sued for peace and offered Xiang Yu the land west of Xingyang. Xiang Yu was initially willing to agree, but Marquis of Liyang Fan Zeng said, "This Han king is easily defeated; if we don't take him down now, we will regret it later!" Xiang Yu then continued to besiege Xingyang. Liu Bang, feeling desperate, sent Chen Ping with forty thousand pounds of gold to bribe Chu officials to turn against each other. This incident is also recorded in "Biography of Chen Ping." Xiang Yu began to suspect Fan Zeng and gradually stripped him of his command. Fan Zeng was so angry that he cursed, "We're on the verge of victory! Your Majesty can handle it yourself! I'm retiring!" Before reaching Pengcheng, he died from a festering wound on his back due to his anger. At this time, Han General Ji Xin feigned surrender as Liu Bang and deceived the Chu army. Liu Bang took the opportunity to escape with a few dozen cavalry from the west gate. He left Zhou Ke, Zong Gong, and Wei Bao to guard Xingyang. Liu Bang regrouped in Guanzhong, then raised an army in the Wan-Ye region alongside King Ying Bu of Jiujiang. When Xiang Yu heard about this, he immediately led his troops south. Liu Bang employed scorched-earth tactics, avoiding direct confrontation with Xiang Yu.
So, Peng Yue crossed the Sui River and fought with Xiang Sheng and Xue Gong in Xia Pi, and Xue Gong was killed. Xiang Yu then went east to attack Peng Yue. Liu Bang also marched north and set up camp at Chenggao. Xiang Yu defeated Peng Yue, drove him away, then led his troops west to attack Xingyang City, killed Zhou Ke and Zong Gong, and captured Han Wang Xin, before besieging Chenggao. In a panic, Liu Bang and Teng Gong slipped out of Chenggao, crossed the Yellow River, arrived in Xiuwu, and joined Zhang Er and Han Xin. The Chu army took Chenggao. Liu Bang received Han Xin's army. Leaving Han Xin behind, Liu Bang sent Lu Wan and Liu Jia to cross the White Horse Ferry into Chu territory, helping Peng Yue defeat the Chu army, burned their supplies, and took over a dozen cities in Liangdi.
Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu said to Hai Chunhou and Grand Marshal Cao Jiu, "Hold onto Chenggao tight. If the Han army attacks, don't engage—don't let 'em get away east! I'll take Liangdi in fifteen days, and I'll be back." After that, Xiang Yu led his troops east.
Four years later, Xiang Yu attacked Chenliu and Waihuang, but Waihuang held out. A few days later, Waihuang surrendered. Xiang Yu ordered all men fifteen and older to be rounded up and buried alive. The son of the county magistrate of Waihuang, only thirteen years old, went to persuade Xiang Yu, saying, "Peng Yue forced Waihuang to surrender by force. Waihuang surrendered out of fear, waiting for you, Great King, to come. If you come and want to kill them all, where's everyone gonna go? Every town east of here'll be scared stiff. Who'd dare surrender after that?" Xiang Yu saw his point and spared the men. Then Xiang Yu marched on to Suiyang, and the towns along the way surrendered as soon as they heard what happened.
The Han army kept goading the Chu army into a fight, but the Chu army did not engage. The Han army sent people to taunt the Chu army. After a few days, the commander-in-chief of the Chu army, Xiang Yu, finally got angry and led his troops to cross the Sishui River. When half of the Chu army crossed the river, the Han army launched an attack, defeating the Chu army and capturing a large amount of gold and silver treasures. The commander-in-chief of the Chu army, Xiang Jiu, and the chief of staff, Xiang Xin, both killed themselves on the banks of the Sishui River. Xiang Jiu was a jail warden in Qixian, and Xiang Xin was a veteran official from the Sai kingdom. Xiang Yu trusted them very much. Xiang Yu arrived in Suiyang and heard the news of Xiang Jiu and the others' defeat, so he retreated. At that time, the Han army was besieging Zhongli Mo in the east of Xingyang. When Xiang Yu's army arrived, the Han army were spooked by the Chu army and scattered to the hills. Xiang Yu also stationed troops in Guangwu and erected a huge pyre, placing the father of the Han king, Liu Taigong, on it, telling the Han king, "If you don't surrender now, I will cook your father!" The Han king replied, "We swore brotherhood before King Huai. Your dad's my dad too! If you're gonna cook him, throw me a bone!"
Xiang Yu was furious when he heard this and wanted to kill the King of Han. Xiang Bo advised him, "Things are still pretty up in the air. Besides, guys fighting for the whole country don't sweat the small stuff. Killing the Han King won't help; it'll just make things worse." Xiang Yu took his advice. He then sent someone to tell the King of Han, "Everyone's freaking out because of us two. Let's settle this one-on-one and spare everyone the trouble." The King of Han politely declined, saying, "I'm good at using strategies, not physical strength." Xiang Yu then ordered his warriors to challenge. The Han had a crack shot named Lou Fan. Lou Fan picked off every Chu challenger in three rounds or less. Enraged, Xiang Yu himself charged out. Lou Fan tried to shoot Xiang Yu, but Xiang Yu's sheer presence froze him; his hands shook so badly he couldn't even draw his bow. He turned and fled back to the camp, never daring to come out again. Only then did the Han King learn it was Xiang Yu himself—he was stunned. Xiang Yu and the Han King met near Guangwu for a chat. The Han King laid ten charges against Xiang Yu. Enraged, Xiang Yu shot the Han King with a crossbow, forcing his retreat to Chenggao. At the same time, Peng Yue kept rebelling in Liang, cutting off Chu's supplies. Han Xin crushed Qi and set his sights on Chu. Xiang Yu sent his cousin Xiang Ta as the general and Long Qie as the deputy to rescue Qi. Han Xin defeated and killed Long Qie, pursued to Chengyang, and captured the King of Qi, Tian Guang. Han Xin then crowned himself King of Qi. Hearing this, Xiang Yu panicked and sent Wu She to talk Han Xin down.
So, the story goes that at that time, Han forces in Guanzhong were increasing, with plenty of grub, while Xiang Yu's army was running low on supplies. Liu Bang sent Hou Gong to persuade Xiang Yu, and Xiang Yu finally agreed to a deal with Liu Bang to split the country down the middle, with the Hong Canal as the boundary. West of the Hong Canal went to Han, and east went to Chu. Xiang Yu also agreed to return Liu Bang's parents and wife to him. After the agreement was reached, Xiang Yu withdrew his troops to the east.
After five years, Liu Bang led his troops to pursue Xiang Yu. He caught up with Xiang Yu at Guling and got his butt kicked. Liu Bang took Zhang Liang's advice and teamed up with King Qi Xin, Hou Jiancheng, Peng Yue, and Liu Jia's army to enter Chu territory and besiege Shou Chun. Chu's top general, Zhou Yin, switched sides, bringing his Jiujang troops to join Liu Jia, who was welcoming Jing Bu and meeting with the Qi and Liang princes.
Xiang Yu held his ground at Gaixia, low on troops and supplies. Liu Bang led troops from various princes to surround Xiang Yu. At night, Xiang Yu heard Han soldiers singing Chu songs from all sides, frightening him. He said, "Have the Han already taken Chu? What's with all these Chu people?" He stood up and drank in his tent. Beside him was a favorite concubine named Yu, and his favorite warhorse, Zui. Xiang Yu sang a sorrowful and impassioned song and recited a poem:
**"With strength that can move mountains and an aura that covers the world,
But the time's not right, Zui won't go.
Zui won't go, what can I do?
Yu, oh Yu, what can I do?"**
He sang it over and over, Yu singing along. Xiang Yu bawled his eyes out, and those around him also cried; nobody dared look him in the eye.
Holy cow, Xiang Yu jumped on his horse, leading over eight hundred guys, and used the darkness to slip past them and gallop south. By the time daylight broke, the Han army realized he had escaped and quickly sent General Guan Ying with five thousand cavalrymen to chase him down. Xiang Yu crossed the Huai River, leaving behind just a little over a hundred guys. When he got to Yinling, he got lost and asked an old farmer, who pointed in a "left" direction. But that "left" turned out to be a real doozy – straight into a huge swamp, and the Han were right behind them!
Xiang Yu then headed east with his men, arriving at Dongcheng with only twenty-eight cavalrymen left. With thousands of guys on their tail, Xiang Yu knew he was done for. He said to his remaining men, "I've been fighting for eight years, won over seventy battles. Never lost. Almost took over the whole country! But now, I’m trapped here. This ain't about my skills; it's fate. Today, we’ll go out fighting! We’ll kill 'em three times over, take their general, grab their flag, and then I’ll die. You’ll see – it wasn’t my fighting that got us here, it was fate!"
Having said this, Xiang Yu commanded the remaining cavalry to use the terrain of the Four-Fallen Mountain to form a circular formation for defense. The Han cavalry had them surrounded on multiple sides. Xiang Yu told his cavalry, "I'm gonna go grab myself a general!" He ordered the cavalry to split into three teams and charge out from four directions, agreeing to meet in a designated area in Shandong. Xiang Yu himself shouted and charged into the fray, scattering the Han army and killing a general in one fell swoop. At this time, Yang Xi and his cavalry caught up, and Xiang Yu shouted at him, frightening Yang Xi's troops and sending them fleeing for miles. Xiang Yu's three teams of cavalry successfully regrouped. The Han army, losing track of Xiang Yu, split into three columns and surrounded his men again. Xiang Yu charged out once more, killing another Han officer and many Han soldiers. When he regrouped his troops, only twenty-six cavalrymen remained. He asked the remaining cavalry, "Well, men, what do you think?" The cavalrymen all agreed, saying, "Exactly as you said, my lord!" Xiang Yu led his battered army eastward, intending to cross the Wu River. The ferryman prepared a boat and told Xiang Yu, "Look, Jiangdong ain't much, but it's still thousands of square miles with hundreds of thousands of men. You could be king there! Get across this river now, while you still can. This is the only boat I've got. If the Han army shows up, you're done for."
Xiang Yu smiled and said, "If heaven wants to destroy me, what's the point of crossing the river? Besides, when my eight thousand Jiangdong troops crossed west, not a single person has returned. Even if the people of Jiangdong pity me and want me to be their king, how can I face them? Even if they don't say it, I can't get over it myself!" Xiang Yu said to the guard, "I know you are an elder. I have ridden this horse for five years, and it is invincible. It used to run a thousand miles in a day. I can't bear to kill it, so I will give it to you." So Xiang Yu ordered all the cavalry to dismount and fight on foot with short weapons. Xiang Yu alone killed hundreds of Han soldiers and was wounded in more than ten places. He saw Han soldiers riding on horses and asked, "Aren't you my old friends?" The soldiers recognized him and pointed to Wang Yi, saying, "This is Xiang Wang!" Xiang Yu replied, "I heard that the King of Han has put a bounty on my head, a reward of a thousand taels of gold and a fief of ten thousand households. I'll take care of that for you right now!" After saying this, he took his own life. Wang Yi took his head, and chaos ensued on the scene, with people fighting and killing each other to grab Xiang Yu's body, with dozens of them involved. Finally, Yang Xi, Lü Maotong, Lü Sheng, and Yang Wu each claimed a piece of Xiang Yu's corpse. As a result, the King of Han divided Xiang Yu's territory among these five individuals, all of whom were enfeoffed as marquises. The King of Han gave Xiang Yu a lavish funeral in Gucheng, and Xiang Yu's relatives were not harmed. Xiang Bo and the other four were enfeoffed as marquises and were given the surname Liu. As the saying goes: In the past, Jia Sheng's "Passing through Qin" said: Qin Xiaogong occupied the strongholds of Yan and Han, controlled the land of Yongzhou, and kept an eye on the Zhou royal family. He aimed to conquer the world, dominate the universe, and control all under heaven. At that time, Shang Jun assisted him, establishing laws internally, promoting agriculture and weaving, strengthening defense and preparation for war, and engaging in diplomacy with the vassal states. And so, the Qin easily conquered the lands west of the Yellow River.
After the death of King Xiao of Qin, King Huiwen, King Wu, and King Zhaoxiang inherited his legacy and continued to use his strategies. They conquered Hanzhong in the south, conquered Bashu in the west, seized fertile lands in the east, and reclaimed important counties. Other vassal states became afraid and conspired to weaken Qin, offering precious treasures and fertile lands to attract talents from all over the world. The states formed alliances to oppose Qin. At that time, Qi had Lord Mengchang, Zhao had Lord Pingyuan, Chu had Lord Chunshen, and Wei had Lord Xinling. These four lords were brilliant, loyal, benevolent, and championed talent. They contacted various states, undermined Qin's alliances with other states, and united the armies of Han, Wei, Yan, Zhao, Song, Wei, Zhongshan, and others. The Six States boasted numerous strategists (Ning Yue, Xu Shang, Su Qin, Du He, etc.), diplomats (Qi Ming, Zhou Zui, Chen Zhen, Zhao Hua, Lou Huan, Zhai Jing, Su Li, and Yue Yi), and military commanders (Wu Qi, Sun Bin, Dai Tuo, Er Liang, Wang Liao, Tian Ji, Lian Po, and Zhao She). They often used ten times the land of Qin and a million-strong army to attack Qin in front of the Hangu Pass. The Qin opened their gates, drawing the coalition into a trap; the nine-state army panicked and scattered. Qin’s strategy, costing little, left the other states utterly depleted. As a result, the alliance of the states collapsed and failed, and they scrambled to cede territory and pay tribute to secure peace with Qin. With the remaining strength, Qin took the opportunity to strike the weakened states, pursue the fleeing enemies, and the battlefield ran red with blood. Qin, victorious, carved up the land. The powerful submitted; the weak paid homage.
During the reigns of Xiaowen and Zhuangxiang, things were pretty quiet, and not much happened in the country. When Qin Shihuang came to power, he inherited the powerful force accumulated by six generations of ancestors, used his cunning strategies, and ruled with an iron fist. He destroyed the Eastern and Western Zhou dynasties, eliminated various vassal states, ascended to the supreme position, and controlled the entire world. He ruled the people with strict laws and punishments, striking fear into the hearts of everyone. He conquered the land of the Baiyue to the south and established the Guilin and Xiang prefectures. The Baiyue kings all surrendered without a fight and did as they were told. He also sent Meng Tian to build the Great Wall in the north to resist the Huns, pushing them back over 700 miles, making them no longer dare to migrate southward, and the people on the border no longer dared to pick up bows and arrows to resist. Next, he scrapped the old ways of governing, burned books from different schools of thought, and basically lied to everyone. He gathered all the weapons in the country and brought them to Xianyang, melted them down to make twelve giant golden statues, thereby disarming the people. Then, he built cities on the Wei River plain, constructed moats using the Yellow River water system, and used the high walls and deep rivers to protect his empire. He stationed his best troops and archers at all the key passes, keeping a tight grip on things. After pacifying the world, Qin Shihuang figured the Guanzhong region, with its strong defenses and vast size, was the perfect base for his family to rule for centuries to come!
After the death of Qin Shi Huang, although his influence still frightened various ethnic groups in different regions, it was Chen Sheng, an average Joe from a poor background living in a ramshackle hut and working manual labor, who stood out. He wasn't exactly Confucius or Mozi, and he sure wasn't rich like Tao Zhu Gong or Yi Dun. He was just an ordinary guy serving in the army and working in the fields. Leading a scattered group of soldiers, he rallied a few hundred people to launch a rebellion against the Qin Dynasty. They used tree branches as weapons and bamboo poles as flags, and folks from all over the country joined the cause, bringing their own food and eagerly participating in the uprising. Shandong's best and brightest also joined the fight, eventually overthrowing the Qin Dynasty.
The empire wasn't small, but it wasn't exactly invincible either; the land of Yongzhou and the strategic location of the You Han Pass seemed very stable. Chen Sheng's position was a lightweight compared to the rulers of the vassal states of Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Han, Wei, Song, Wei, and Zhongshan; his tools were no match for their halberds and long spears; his army was a drop in the bucket compared to the forces of the Nine-State Coalition Army; and his strategy wasn't in the same league as those formidable generals of the past. However, the results were totally unexpected, with everything turning out completely opposite to what anyone expected.
Just imagine, compared to the six Shandong states, Chen Sheng was a lightweight. Yet the Qin State, with its small territory, held supreme power, commanding the empire and having the vassal states come to pay tribute. Over a hundred years later, they treated the You Han Pass as their own personal fortress. On the other hand, Chen Sheng's rebellion led to the destruction of the seven ancestral temples of the Qin Dynasty, and he got himself killed, becoming a laughingstock. Why is that? Because he didn't know how to play the game, and the situation of attack and defense was completely different.
Zhou Sheng also said, "Shun had a double pupil," and Xiang Yu had a double pupil as well. Are they descendants of Shun? Xiang Yu's rise was meteoric! The Qin Dynasty lost the support of the people, and Chen Sheng was the first to rebel. Heroes sprang up like weeds, too many to count. However, Xiang Yu did not have any outstanding talent; he simply took advantage of the situation, rising from humble beginnings and leading the Five-State Alliance to overthrow the Qin Dynasty in three years, dividing the world and sending shockwaves through the land. He appointed kings and dictated policy, known as the "Overlord." Although his reign did not last long, it was unprecedented in recent history. When Xiang Yu betrayed Guanzhong and killed the Righteous Emperor, the kings and lords resented him and turned against him—a predictable outcome. He rested on his laurels. He emulated past tyrants. He built his own empire of force. And it all crumbled. He died a confused man, without reflecting on his mistakes, instead saying, "Heaven wants to destroy me, not because of military errors." Doesn't that just scream 'bad strategy'?
