Han Xin was dirt poor, couldn't get a job, and relied on handouts. When his mother died and he couldn't afford to bury her, he buried her on high ground, hoping it would one day become a bustling town.
Later, he followed the guy who ran the Nanchang Pavilion to eat. The pavilion keeper's wife couldn't stand him, so she woke up early every morning to cook, and by the time he arrived, the food was already ready. But when he went to eat, she deliberately didn't give him any food. He understood her intentions and left on his own. He went down to the river to fish, and an old woman took pity on him and gave him food, which continued for many days. He told her, "I'll make sure to repay you!" The old woman angrily replied, "A big strong guy like you can't even feed himself? I pity you and give you food, and you think you can repay me?"
Some young people in Huaiyin mocked him, saying, "He's tall and carries a sword, but he's a scaredy-cat!" Someone publicly humiliated him, saying, "If you've got the guts, kill me; if not, crawl under my legs!" He glanced at them, then lowered his head and crawled under their legs. The whole market erupted in laughter, calling him a coward.
When Xiang Liang raised his troops and crossed the Huai River, Han Xin followed him with a sword, staying with a theatrical troupe, but he was not well-known. After Xiang Liang was defeated, he sought refuge with Xiang Yu and became a minor official. Han Xin often offered advice to Xiang Yu, but Xiang Yu never accepted it. When Liu Bang entered Shu, Han Xin left Chu and joined the Han Dynasty, still unknown, only serving as a low-ranking officer. Later, he committed a crime and was sentenced to be beheaded. Thirteen others who committed the crime were all beheaded, and when it was Han Xin's turn, he looked up and saw Xiao He. He yelled, "Your Majesty! Don't you want to unify the world? Why kill a man of such talent?" Xiao He was surprised by his words and impressed by his appearance, so he spared him. Xiao He talked to Han Xin and greatly admired him, so he informed Liu Bang about Han Xin's situation. Liu Bang appointed him as the guy in charge of rations, but he was not particularly valued at that time.
Meanwhile, I talked to Xiao He; he is truly a remarkable person! When they arrived in Nanzheng, dozens of generals fled. Han Xin guessed that Xiao He must have recommended him to the emperor several times, but the emperor did not use him, so he was also prepared to flee. When Xiao He heard that Han Xin had fled, he didn't have time to report to the emperor, so he went to chase after him himself. Someone ran to tell the emperor, "Prime Minister Xiao He has also fled!" The emperor blew a gasket; it was like losing his right hand.
After a couple of days, Xiao He went to see the emperor. The Emperor, a mix of anger and relief, barked at Xiao He, “Why’d you run off?” Xiao He replied, “Like I'd run off! I went to chase after someone who did.” The emperor asked, “Who are you chasing after?” Xiao He said, “Han Xin.” The emperor scolded again, “Dozens of generals bolted, and you didn't lift a finger, but you went after *Han Xin*? Are you messing with me?” Xiao He said, “Those generals are easy to find, but Han Xin is different. He's one in a million! If you're happy just ruling Hanzhong, Han Xin's useless. But if you want the whole country, you *need* Han Xin. Without him, many things cannot be negotiated. So, what's the plan?” The emperor said, “I also want to go east. Am I gonna sit here moping forever?” Xiao He said, “If you're heading east and you value him, he'll stay. Otherwise, he's gone.” The emperor said, “I appoint him as a general.” Xiao He said, “Even if he becomes a general, Han Xin will not stay.” The emperor said, “Then let him be the Grand General!” Xiao He said, “That's much better.” So the emperor wanted to summon Han Xin and appoint him to an official position. Xiao He said, “Your Majesty, you're usually a bit rough around the edges, but appointing a Grand General like you're calling a kid won't work. If you want to appoint him, you need to pick a day, fast, bathe, do the whole nine yards—a proper ceremony.” The emperor agreed. The other generals were all very happy, each thinking they would be appointed as Grand General. When the formal appointment ceremony came, they discovered it was Han Xin, and the whole army's jaws dropped.
When Xing went to see the King of Han's wife, the King of Han asked him, "The Prime Minister has mentioned you several times; what advice can you offer?" Xing thanked the King, then asked in return, "Isn't it Xiang Yu who is currently contending for hegemony in the world?" The King of Han said, "Yes." Xing said, "Sir, how do you think you compare to Xiang Yu in terms of bravery, righteousness, and talent?" The King of Han remained silent for a long time before saying, "I am not as good as him." Xing bowed again and said, "I also think you are not as good as Xiang Yu. However, I once served under Xiang Yu, so let me tell you about him. Xiang Yu has a violent temper; he easily gets angry, and his thousands of men were terrified of him, but he cannot appoint capable generals; his bravery was that of a common soldier, nothing more. Xiang Yu treats people with respect on the surface and speaks gently. If someone is sick, he will tearfully share food and water with others, but when someone achieves merit and deserves a title, he hesitates and is reluctant to give it; this is what is called misplaced compassion. Although Xiang Yu dominates the world, he is merely a figurehead among the princes; he does not occupy Guanzhong and builds the capital in Pengcheng. He also violates the agreement with Emperor Yi and instead favors other princes, causing them to be dissatisfied with him. When the princes see Xiang Yu driving Emperor Yi to Jiangnan, they all follow suit, driving away their own monarchs and occupying good territories for themselves. Xiang Yu leaves a trail of destruction wherever he goes; the people cursed his name and did not support him; they were only forced to submit to his power. Although he is nominally dominant, he has actually lost the hearts of the people, so his strength can easily turn into weakness. If you can do the opposite and employ brave men from all over the world, why can't you kill Xiang Yu? Reward your deserving officers with lands and titles; why would they not serve you faithfully? Raise a righteous army and welcome back those who wish to return to the east; why can't you defeat Xiang Yu? Furthermore, the vassals of Sanqin are all generals of Qin, leading the sons and soldiers of Qin for many years, killing countless people, and deceiving their subordinates into surrendering to the princes. In Xin'an, Xiang Yu also tricked more than 200,000 Qin soldiers who had surrendered; only Han, Xin, and Yi escaped. The elders and brothers of Qin hate these three people to the bone. Now Chu, because of Xiang Yu's power, is using these three people, and the people of Qin will naturally not support them. You entered Wuguan without harming a hair, abolished the harsh laws of Qin, and made an agreement with the people, only establishing three laws; the people of Qin yearn for your rule. According to the agreement with the princes, you should be king in Guanzhong, and the people there all know this. You lost Shu, but the people do not resent you. Now that you are marching east, Sanqin will easily fall under your control.
Please provide the surrounding context for a more nuanced translation. If this empty string signifies a lack of response or information, it could be interpreted as "Nothing," "No response," or "No information provided." In a dialogue context, it might be represented by ellipses ("...") or described as "Silence."
Han Wang was very happy after hearing it, wishing he'd found Zhang Liang earlier. So he adopted Zhang Liang's plan and deployed his generals to attack. At that time, Liu Bang led his troops out of Chen Cang and quickly conquered the Sanqin region. Two years later, Liu Bang came out of the Hangu Pass, recaptured the Wei Kingdom and Henan, and the Han and Yin kings just gave up. Then he had the Qi and Zhao kingdoms attack Pengcheng of the Chu Kingdom together, and the Han army got their butts kicked. Zhang Liang then joined Liu Bang at Xingyang, once again defeating the Chu army and cutting their supply lines, so the Chu army couldn't advance westward.
After the great defeat in Pengcheng, King Xin of Sai and King Yi of Di both defected to the state of Chu. The states of Qi, Zhao, and Wei also rebelled and teamed up with Chu against Liu Bang. Liu Bang sent Li Sheng to persuade King Bao of Wei to surrender, but King Bao refused. So Liu Bang appointed Han Xin as the Left Prime Minister to attack the state of Wei. Han Xin asked Li Sheng, "Does Wei use Zhou Shu as their general?" Li Sheng replied, "It is Bai Zhi." Han Xin disdainfully said, "A mere child!" and then led the troops to attack Wei. Wei deployed a strong army at Puban, blocking the crossing at Linjin. Han Xin devised a plan, pretending to intend to cross Linjin, but actually secretly ferried their troops across the Xia Yang River in pots and barrels, launching a surprise attack on Anyi. King Bao of Wei was frightened and quickly led his troops to meet Han Xin in battle. Han Xin seized the opportunity, captured King Bao of Wei alive, secured Hedong, and then sent someone to request from Liu Bang, "Give me another 30,000 men, and I'll take Yan and Zhao, then hit Qi in the east, cut Chu's supply lines in the south, and we'll meet up in Xingyang!" Liu Bang gave him 30,000 troops and also sent Zhang Er to accompany him to attack the states of Zhao and Dai. They crushed Dai, capturing Xia Shuo and E Yu.
After Han Xin took Wei and Dai, Liu Bang sent the elite troops to Xingyang to confront the Chu army. Han Xin, with several tens of thousands of troops, planned to attack Zhao from Jingxing Pass. Zhao and his general, Cheng'an's Chen Yu, heard the Han army was coming and scrambled 200,000 men to Jingxing Pass.
Li Zuoche, the Guangwu governor, told Lord Cheng'an, "I heard that General Han Xin crossed the Western River, captured the King of Wei, took Xia Shuo prisoner, and just won a battle at Eyu. They're on a roll, far from home, and their morale is high; we can't stop them at all! There's a saying: 'An army marches on its stomach. A thousand-mile supply line is a logistical nightmare.' The road at Jingxing Pass is too narrow for chariots to pass side by side, and cavalry can't form ranks. They'll be running low on supplies after such a long march. I hope you can lend me 30,000 men to hit their supply lines from the shadows; you hold the fort and don't engage with them. They can't fight in the front, and they can't retreat in the rear. Our surprise attack will cut off their retreat, and they won't be able to loot anything. Give me 30,000 men, and in less than ten days, I'll bring you Han Xin and Zhang Er's heads! I hope you'll accept my plan; we won't be defeated by those two!"
Cheng'an was a man of principle; he always believed that a righteous army doesn't need deceit and tricks. He said, "I heard that military strategy says, 'Ten-to-one odds, you can surround them; two-to-one, you can fight them.' Now Han Xin's army is said to number tens of thousands, but the actual number may not be that high. After traveling a thousand miles to attack us, they must be exhausted. Avoiding battle like this now, what will we use to resist bigger enemies in the future? Other feudal lords will think we're cowardly and easily invaded." So, he ignored Li Zuoche's advice.
A scout reported that the Zhao army wasn't sending troops, which made Han Xin ecstatic. Only then did he feel confident enough to attack. They halted thirty miles from Jingxing Pass to rest. In the middle of the night, Han Xin selected two thousand light cavalry, each carrying a red flag, and took an alternate route around Bishan to observe the movements of the Zhao army. He instructed, "If they see us running, they'll chase us, leaving their camp undefended. Then we'll charge in, replace their flags with ours!" Han Xin ordered food, saying, "We'll be celebrating our victory over the Zhao army tonight!" The generals, though doubtful, all shouted, "Yes sir!"
Han Xin then said to the officers, "The Zhao army's probably dug in on high ground, waiting for us, and they haven't seen our command flag yet, so they'll be hesitant to move. They might even think we'll back down from the cliffs." So Han Xin sent ten thousand men ahead, making it look like a last stand. The Zhao army saw this and burst out laughing.
At dawn, Han Xin's command flag and drums went up, and they marched out of Jingxing Pass. The Zhao army came out to meet them in battle, and the two sides fought fiercely for a long time. Then Han Xin and Zhang Er ditched the drums and flags, and charged towards the reserve troops. The Zhao army, seeing the empty camp and the retreating drums and flags, fell for the ruse and chased after them. Han Xin and Zhang Er were already among the waiting troops, and the ensuing battle was a bloodbath, routing the Zhao army.
The two thousand cavalry sent by Han Xin earlier waited until the Zhao army chased after their empty camp, then swiftly charged into it, replacing all the Zhao flags with two thousand red flags of the Han army. The Zhao army couldn't catch up with Han Xin and Zhang Er and wanted to return to the camp, but found that the camp was full of red flags of the Han army. They panicked, assuming the Han army had annihilated the Zhao forces, and fled in disarray. Zhao's generals desperately tried to rally their fleeing troops, but to no avail. The Han army then launched a pincer movement, decisively routing the Zhao forces, killing Cheng Anjun on the Zhi River, and capturing Zhao King Xie. Han Xin ordered that Guangwu Jun be taken alive, promising a thousand gold to whoever captured him. After a while, someone brought the bound Guangwu Jun to the stage. Han Xin untied his ropes, sat facing east while he seated Guangwu Jun facing west, treating him with the respect due a teacher.
Man, everyone who'd surrendered with Xiang Yu to Liu Bang showed up to congratulate him. Someone asked Xiang Yu: "Isn't it written in the military books, 'Have your right flank protected by mountains, and a marsh to your front left'? You made us set up our formation with our backs to the water, saying we would defeat Zhao and then have a good meal. We were skeptical at the time. But in the end, we actually won; what kind of tactic is this?" Xiang Yu said: "It's all basic strategy, you just missed it. The military books say, 'Drive them to desperation to make them fight for survival!' Besides, I don't just throw commoners into battle like those other generals; my soldiers are all carefully trained by me. If I leave them a way out, they will all run away—how can I use them then?" The generals all nodded, admitting their lack of foresight. Xiang Yu asked Guangwu Jun: "I'm planning to hit Yan to the north and Qi to the east—how do I pull it off and make a name for myself?"
Guan Yu declined, saying, "They say a fallen general shouldn't talk tactics, and a minister from a ruined state shouldn't discuss governance. How can someone like me be involved in making decisions on such important matters!" Xiang Yu replied, "I’ve heard that Bai Li Xi was in the state of Yu when it fell, but when he went to the state of Qin, he became the prime minister. This wasn't because he was foolish in Yu and wise in Qin, but because it depended on whether he was valued and accepted. If Cheng had accepted your strategy earlier, I would have been captured long ago. I'm sold on your plan. Don't back out now." Guan Yu said, "I’ve heard that even a smart person makes mistakes sometimes, and even a fool can get lucky. So they say, 'There's wisdom even in madness.' But I worry my strategy may not be effective; I just want to show my foolish loyalty. Although Cheng had strategies that won a hundred battles, he still failed one day, defeated in the Battle of Hao Cheng, and died at the Zi River. You've conquered Wei, captured Xia Shuo, smashed Zhao's army, and eliminated Cheng – all in less than ten days! Your reputation has spread throughout the world, intimidating the feudal lords, and everyone's just sitting around waiting for your next move. However, the soldiers are all exhausted, and it’s actually very difficult to use them. You're overstretched, and this siege isn't going anywhere. If Yan isn't broken, Qi will definitely resist to strengthen its own power. If the two countries are deadlocked, then Liu Bang and Xiang Yu's forces won't be able to determine a winner. This is way too risky." Xiang Yu asked, "So what's the plan?"
Guangwu Jun said, "The best move is to call off the attack, rest the army, and make sure the troops get beef, mutton, and booze within a hundred miles every day. That'll keep 'em happy. Then, we hit Yan and send some messengers with a letter. Yan will fold like a cheap suit. After that, we hit Qi. Even if Qi's got the smartest guys in the world, they'll be clueless. War's all about hitting first, then following through. Simple as that."
Xiang Yu said, "Sounds good. I'm in." So Xiang Yu took Guangwu Jun's advice, sent some messengers to Yan, and boom – they surrendered. Xiang Yu then sent messengers to report to the Han King, requesting to appoint Zhang Er as the King of Zhao to keep Zhao in line. The Han King agreed.
The Chu army sent a special unit across the Yellow River to hit Zhao. Xiang Yu and Ying Bu scrambled to save Zhao and grabbed a few Zhao cities while they were at it, also sending troops to support Liu Bang. Meanwhile, the Chu army was pounding Liu Bang in Xingyang. Liu Bang broke out, hightailed it to Wancheng and Yexian, where he brought Jiujiang's King Ying Bu under his thumb. He pushed on to Chenggao, but the Chu army was right on his heels, and soon had him surrounded.
Four years later, Liu Bang fled Chenggao, crossed the Yellow River, and only brought Teng Gong with him, secretly slipping into Xiuwu where Zhang Er's army was stationed. He checked into an inn. Early the next morning, Liu Bang, posing as a Han envoy, quickly ran to Zhang Er's camp. Zhang Er and Han Xin had not yet woken up, and Liu Bang rushed to their bedsides, seizing their seals, waved the command flag, and appointed his own men as generals. When Zhang Er and Han Xin woke up, they were shocked to find only Liu Bang had arrived. Liu Bang thus took over Zhang Er and Han Xin's army, immediately assigning Zhang Er to defend Zhao, appointing Han Xin as Prime Minister, and ordering the remaining Zhao troops that hadn't yet marched to attack Qi.
Han Xin led the army eastward, but before reaching the open country, he heard that Li Shiqi, sent by Liu Bang, had successfully persuaded Qi to surrender. Han Xin considered abandoning the campaign, but Kuai Tong advised him to continue attacking Qi. Han Xin accepted his advice, crossed the Yellow River, attacked the garrison at Lixia, and advanced towards Linzi. The Qi king fled to Gaomi, even sending envoys to Chu for aid. After capturing Linzi, Han Xin continued to pursue eastward, reaching the west of Gaomi City. Chu sent Long Qie to lead a massive army of two hundred thousand to rescue Qi.
King Qi and Long Qie were about to do battle with Han Xin. Someone advised Long Qie, saying: "The Han army's best at fighting from a distance, and they're already deep in enemy territory, with their morale high after fighting for so long. There's no stopping them! If Qi and Chu fight at home, their armies will probably crumble. Let's hold the city, send envoys to the surrendered towns, and let word reach them that King Qi's coming. With Chu's army backing them up, they'll switch sides. Han Xin's army is over 2,000 miles from home, and if all these cities revolt, they'll be cut off and surrender without a fight!"
However, Long Qie replied, "I've known Han Xin my whole life – he's a pushover! He was always a nobody – mooching off his mother, even getting humiliated under someone's belt. He's gutless! Moreover, if I let him surrender to save Qi, what credit do I deserve? Beat him, and we take half of Qi. Why hold back?" So the battle began, with Han Xin setting up his troops on the banks of the Wei River. Under the cover of darkness, Han Xin had his men fill ten thousand sandbags and dam the Wei River, then led his army across half the river to attack Long Qie. Han Xin couldn't get the upper hand during the day, so he pulled back. Long Qie grinned. "See? I told you Han Xin was a scaredy-cat!" He then chased after Han Xin across the river. Han Xin's men ripped open the sandbags, unleashing a torrent. Most of Long Qie's army could not cross the river, so Han Xin immediately launched a fierce attack and killed Long Qie. Long Qie's army east of the Wei River scattered and fled, and King Qi also fled. Han Xin pursued them to Chengyang, where he captured King Qi. The soldiers of Chu surrendered, and that's how Qi was conquered.
Han Xin sent someone to tell King Han: "The people of Qi love to be shifty; they are a bunch of unreliable people. It’s an unstable country. To the south is the state of Chu; if we don’t appoint a figurehead king to appease them, things will get messy. I’m not strong enough to keep Qi in line. I request to become King of Qi." At that time, the state of Chu was besieging King Han in Xingyang. When the messenger arrived, King Han, after reading the letter, became furious and scolded, "I've been waiting for you to help me day and night, and you actually want to establish yourself as a king!" Zhang Liang and Chen Ping quietly approached King Han and advised him in a whisper, "The situation of the Han army is unfavorable now; how can we stop Han Xin from becoming king? It’s better to let him be king, treat him well, and let him govern the Qi territory. Otherwise, the situation will get worse." King Han then realized and scolded, "A real man unites the kingdoms and becomes a real king. Why be a figurehead?" He then sent Zhang Liang to appoint Han Xin as the King of Qi and mobilize his army to attack the state of Chu. "Are kings and nobles born to rule?"
It is said that Xiang Yu defeated Long Ju and, feeling very anxious, sent a guy from Xutai to persuade Han Xin. The general idea was: "Why not cooperate with the state of Chu and fight together with Xiang Yu? You two used to be pretty close! Besides, the King of Han is unreliable. He almost got you killed several times, but you’re still alive and even fought against Xiang Yu. This shows how unreliable he is. You think you're buddies with King Han, but in the end, you'll still be dealt with by him. You're only alive because of Xiang Yu. If Xiang Yu dies, you’ll be next! Why not unite with the state of Chu, divide the world among the three of us, and you can be the King of Qi? If you cooperate with King Han now, you’ll definitely be used against the state of Chu in the future. Get it?"
Han Xin declined Wu She's kindness, saying, "I served under Xiang Yu for several years, and the highest position I held was just a low-ranking clerk. My status was merely that of a guard holding a halberd; no one listened to me when I spoke, and no one used my strategies. That's why I left the Chu Kingdom to join the Han King. The Han King gave me the seal of a general, a massive army, and even let me wear his clothes and eat his food. He listened to what I had to say and used my strategies; that's how I attained my current position. The Han King's been good to me, and betraying him would be too unjust. Please tell Xiang Yu thanks from me!" After Wu She left, Kuai Tong believed Han Xin held immense power and strongly urged him to divide the world into three kingdoms, each ruling as king, as recorded in the "Tong Zhuan." Han Xin couldn't bear to betray the Han King and believed that his contributions were significant, thinking the Han King wouldn't take away his territory of Qi, so he didn't listen to Kuai Tong. Later, the Han King was defeated at Guling, and after listening to Zhang Liang's plan, he sent someone to invite Han Xin to bring troops to support him, meeting at Gaixia. After Xiang Yu died, Liu Bang took advantage of the situation to seize control of Han Xin's army, making him King of Chu, but with reduced power, and sending him to serve as an official in Xiapi. When Han Xin arrived in Chu, he summoned the foster mother who had helped him in the past and rewarded her with a thousand gold pieces. He also brought the village head who had helped him in the countryside and gave him one hundred coins, saying, "Old friend, you helped me in the past, but I have not been able to repay you properly." He also found the young man who had humiliated him in the past, made him a lieutenant, and then told the generals, "This guy's a real man! When he humiliated me before, couldn't I have killed him? But that would have been unclear and unjust, so I endured it."
Xiang Yu's general, Zhonglimai, lived in Yilu and had a good relationship with Han Xin. After Xiang Yu's defeat, Zhonglimai fled to Han Xin. The Han Dynasty had it in for Zhonglimai and ordered his arrest in Chu territory upon hearing he was there. When Han Xin arrived at his fiefdom, he led his troops around the city and county, putting on a big display of power. Someone accused Han Xin of planning a rebellion and reported it to the court, causing concern for the emperor. Following Chen Ping's plan, the emperor pretended to be touring Yunmeng, secretly planning to ambush Han Xin, who was unaware. As the emperor approached Chu territory, Han Xin wanted to raise troops for self-defense, feeling innocent; he also wanted to visit the palace but feared being captured. Someone advised Han Xin to kill Zhonglimai and present his head to the emperor to please him. Han Xin discussed this with Zhonglimai, who said, "The reason why the Han Dynasty has not attacked Chu territory is because of me. If you want to please the Han Dynasty by capturing me, once I'm dead, you will be finished." Then he scolded Han Xin, saying, "You are not a true man!" and committed suicide. Han Xin took Zhonglimai's head to meet the emperor. The emperor ordered soldiers to shackle Han Xin and put him in a prison cart. Han Xin said, "As people say, 'Once the hunting is over, the hounds are fed no more.'" The emperor said, "Someone accused you of rebellion," and Han Xin was imprisoned. When they reached Luoyang, he was pardoned and made the Marquis of Huaiyin. Han Xin knew the king feared his talent and pretended to be ill to avoid court. From then on, he was bitter and ashamed, unwilling to sit on equal terms with Zhou Bo or Guan Ying. Once, he passed by General Fan Kuai's house. Fan Kuai hurried out to greet him and said respectfully, "Your Highness, you actually came to see me." After Han Xin left, he laughed and said, "Can you believe I'm hanging out with the likes of Fan Kuai?"
Han Gaozu once had a casual chat with Han Xin about the abilities of various generals. Gaozu asked, "You could handle maybe a hundred thousand, tops." Han Xin replied, "As for me, I could handle as many as I could get." Gaozu smiled and said, "So, how'd I manage to nab you?" Han Xin explained, "You're not much of a soldier yourself, but you're a great judge of talent, and that's why I was caught by you. Besides, that whole 'divine right' thing isn't something anyone can control."
Later, Chen Xi was appointed as the regional governor, responsible for border defense. He bid farewell to Han Xin, who pulled Chen Xi aside, paced with him in the courtyard, and sighed to the heavens, "Can you listen to me? I want to talk to you." Chen Xi replied, "General, please give your orders." Han Xin said, "You're stationed where the best troops in the land are; and you are a trusted minister of the emperor. If someone accuses you of rebellion, the emperor won't believe the first accusation, he'll be suspicious the second time, and the third time, he'll lose it and come after you himself. I can help you start a rebellion from within; the whole empire is ripe for the taking." Chen Xi, knowing Han Xin's abilities, believed in him and said, "I'm in!"
Ten years after the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Chen Xi rebelled. Emperor Gaozu personally led troops to put down the rebellion, but Han Xin claimed to be sick and didn’t go. He secretly sent people to Chen Xi to scout for information and, at the same time, plotted with his guys. He faked a pardon at night, releasing all officials and servants, planning to hit Empress Lü and the Crown Prince. With the plan all set, they waited to hear from Chen Xi. One of his flunkies ticked Han Xin off, so Han Xin imprisoned him and wanted to kill him. The flunky's brother ratted him out to Empress Lü, claiming that Han Xin was planning a rebellion. Empress Lü wanted Han Xin in, but worried his cronies would cause trouble, so she consulted with Xiao He. They faked a message from the Emperor, reporting that Chen Xi had been defeated and all the courtiers were celebrating. Xiao He then told Han Xin, "Even though you're sick, you gotta go celebrate." Once Han Xin was in the palace, Lü had him grabbed and whacked. As he was being killed, Han Xin said, "I didn’t listen to Kuai Tong’s advice, but was deceived by a woman. Isn’t that just my luck?" Afterward, Han Xin's entire family was exterminated. When Emperor Gaozu got back after beating Chen Xi, he was both relieved and bummed to hear Han Xin was dead. He asked, "What were Han Xin's last words?" Empress Lü told him what Han Xin had said, and Emperor Gaozu ordered Kuai Tong's head. Kuai Tong showed up, explained himself, and got off scot-free. This incident is recorded in the "Biography of Kuai Tong." Peng Yue, styled Zhong, was from Changyi. He fished the Juye Marsh, then turned bandit. During Chen Sheng's uprising, someone suggested to Peng Yue, "With all the heroes taking on the Qin, why don't you join the party?" Peng Yue replied, "Two big guys are slugging it out; I'll wait and see."
More than a year later, over a hundred young people from the marshes gathered to find Peng Yue and insisted he become their leader. Peng Yue initially declined, but after their strong insistence, he laid down the law: anyone who arrived late the next day when the sun came up would be killed. The next day, over ten people showed up late, with the very last straggler not arriving until noon. Peng Yue then smiled and said, "I’m getting old, yet you all want me to be your leader. Since so many of you are late, we can’t just kill them all. Let’s make an example of the last one who arrived." He then ordered that the last person be executed and put him on display as a warning for all to see. His men were petrified, not daring to meet his gaze. In this way, Peng Yue cleverly gathered the scattered soldiers of various lords and amassed over a thousand troops.
When Liu Bang, with Peng Yue at his side, attacked Changyi, they failed to capture the city and Liu Bang retreated westward. Peng Yue stationed his troops in Juyeze, gathering the soldiers who had been defeated and scattered by the Wei army. After Xiang Yu entered the pass and granted titles to the lords, Peng Yue found himself with over ten thousand soldiers under his command, but nowhere to place them. When Prince Tian Rong of Qi rebelled against Xiang Yu, Liu Bang sent Peng Yue the general's seal and ordered him to attack the Chu army in Jiyin. Xiang Yu commanded Xiao Gongjiao to lead troops against Peng Yue, which resulted in a crushing defeat for the Chu army.
In the spring of the second year of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang, along with Wei Bao and other lords, attacked the Chu army in the east. Peng Yue led over thirty thousand soldiers back to where the Han army was stationed at Huangdi. Liu Bang said, "General Peng has reclaimed the land of Wei, recaptured over ten cities, and wants to establish a King of Wei. Out west, King Wei Bao (Wei Jiu's brother and a true Wei prince) rules the roost." Therefore, Liu Bang appointed Peng Yue as the Prime Minister of Wei and let him loose to pacify Liang.
Later, Liu Bang was defeated in Pengcheng and retreated westward, while Peng Yue lost the cities he had previously captured and only took his army north of the Yellow River. In the third year of the Han Dynasty, Peng Yue frequently raided and harassed the Chu army, cutting off Chu supply lines in Liang. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang confronted each other in Xingyang, and Peng Yue captured seventeen cities, such as Suiyang and Waihuang. Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu sent Cao Jiu to guard Chenggao, while he himself went east to retake the cities Peng Yue had captured, all of which were reclaimed by Chu. Peng Yue led his army north to escape to Gucheng. Xiang Yu advanced on Yangxia, and Peng Yue captured more than twenty cities near Changyi, seizing over a hundred thousand shi of grain to supply the Han army.
After Liu Bang was defeated, he sent envoys to invite Peng Yue to join forces to attack the Chu army. Peng Yue replied, "Wei's just been settled, and I'm still a bit scared of Chu. I can't leave now." Liu Bang pursued the Chu army but was defeated by Xiang Yu in Guling. Liu Bang then said to Zhang Liang, "My vassal armies are unreliable; what should I do?" Zhang Liang said, "Peng Yue has already pacified the Liang region, and his achievements are significant. The King made him Prime Minister because of his ties to Wei Bao. Now that Wei Bao has passed away, Peng Yue wants to be king, but I haven't made him one yet. Give him the land from north of Suiyang to Gucheng and make him King Peng Yue." Zhang Liang also explained how Han Xin should be crowned king, as detailed in *The Annals of Gaozu*. Therefore, Liu Bang sent envoys to meet with Peng Yue and followed Zhang Liang's plan. After the envoys arrived, Peng Yue led his troops to Gaixia to meet with Liu Bang. After Xiang Yu died, Liu Bang crowned Peng Yue as the King of Liang, with his capital at Dingtao.
At the age of six, he went to pay his respects to King Chen. In the ninth and tenth years, he also went to Chang'an to visit the emperor. Later, when Chen Xi rebelled in Dai, Emperor Gaozu personally led the troops to put down the rebellion. When they reached Handan, he mobilized a contingent of troops under an envoy's command from Liangguo. However, the King of Liang feigned illness and only sent an envoy with troops to Handan. Emperor Gaozu was very angry and sent someone to reprimand the King of Liang. The King of Liang became afraid and wanted to go and apologize personally. His general Hu Ze said, “Your Majesty, you didn’t go initially, and now that you’re being reprimanded, you’re going? They’ll arrest you. Better to raise the standard of rebellion!” The King of Liang did not listen to him and continued to pretend to be ill. The Chief Steward of Liang committed a crime and fled to the Han Dynasty, exposing their plot to rebel between the King of Liang and Hu Ze.
So the emperor secretly sent people to arrest the King of Liang and imprisoned him in Luoyang. The investigators found evidence of the King of Liang's rebellion and requested punishment according to law. The emperor finally pardoned him, demoted him to a commoner, and exiled him to Qingyi County in Shu. As the King of Liang journeyed west towards Zheng, he encountered Empress Lü, traveling from Chang'an to Luoyang. On the way, they met Peng Yue. Peng Yue cried to Empress Lü, saying he was innocent and hoped to return to his hometown of Changyi. Empress Lü agreed and ordered him to travel east with them. Upon reaching Luoyang, Empress Lü said to the emperor, “Peng Yue is a dangerous man. Exiling him to Shu creates a future problem for ourselves. I brought him here for a reason.” So Empress Lü had her servants accuse Peng Yue of plotting rebellion again. The court officials reported the matter, and he was subsequently punished, resulting in the execution of Peng Yue and his entire family.
Qing Bu, originally surnamed Ying, had six brothers. When he was young, he was a fortune teller and predicted that he would commit a crime and become a king. As he grew older, he was punished with a facial brand for his crimes, but Qing Bu let out a hearty laugh and said, "Someone told me I would commit a crime and become a king, and it seems to be somewhat true!" Those who heard this all laughed at him. Later, Qing Bu was sent to perform hard labor in Li Mountain, where hundreds of thousands of people were also serving labor sentences. Qing Bu hung out with the leaders and heroes there, and then he and his crew escaped to the Yangtze, turning to banditry.
During Chen Sheng's uprising, Xiang Liang, who was Xiang Yu's father's uncle and later became the Chu King Xiang Yu, was just a soldier with a few thousand men when he met Chen Sheng. Chen Sheng even married his daughter to him. After Zhang Han defeated Chen Sheng and Lu Chen's army, Xiang Liang led his troops north to attack the sides of the Qin army, defeating them at Qingbo before heading east. It was said that Xiang Liang secured Kuaiji and crossed the Huai River, so Xiang Yu led his army to join him. Xiang Liang went west to attack Jing Ju, Qin Jia, and others, always leading the charge and achieving great success. After Chen She died, Xiang Liang proclaimed Chu Huai King and appointed him as Dangyang Jun. After Xiang Liang died in battle, Chu Huai King, Xiang Yu, and other vassal generals gathered in Pengcheng.
At that time, the Qin State was fiercely attacking the Zhao State, and Zhao State repeatedly sent people to seek help from Chu Huai King. Chu Huai King appointed Song Yi as the commander-in-chief, with Xiang Yu and Xiang Liang under his command, heading north to rescue Zhao State. Later, Xiang Yu killed Song Yi by the river, took over as commander-in-chief, and ordered Xiang Liang to cross the Yellow River first to attack the Qin army, winning many battles. Xiang Yu then led the entire army to follow, resulting in a major defeat of the Qin army, with Zhang Han and others surrendering. The Chu army consistently triumphed, and Xiang Liang's contributions were second to none among the vassal lords. The armies of other vassal lords all obeyed the Chu army's commands, mainly because Xiang Liang consistently won against the odds.
Xiang Yu led his troops westward to Xin'an and ordered Xiang Liang and others to launch a night attack, killing over 200,000 of Zhang Han's Qin troops. When they reached Hangu Pass and couldn't enter, Xiang Yu had Xiang Liang and others attack the Qin soldiers from the side roads, allowing them to enter Guanzhong. When they reached Xianyang, Xiang Liang led the vanguard. Xiang Yu rewarded the generals, appointed Xiang Liang as King of Jiujang, and made Liu'an (modern Lu'an, Anhui) his capital. Xiang Yu made King Huai of Chu the Yi Emperor, moved the capital to Changsha, and then secretly ordered Xiang Liang to have the Yi Emperor assassinated. Xiang Liang sent generals to pursue and kill the Yi Emperor in Chenzhou.
Prince Tian Rong of Qi rebelled, so Xiang Yu went to attack the state of Qi, recruiting soldiers from Jiujang. Xiang Liang pretended to be ill as a reason not to go and only sent a few thousand men. The Han army defeated the Chu army in Pengcheng, and Xiang Liang again pretended to be ill to avoid supporting the Chu army. Xiang Yu resented Xiang Liang for this, sending messengers multiple times to rebuke and summon him, but Xiang Liang became increasingly fearful and dared not go. Xiang Yu was worried about Qi and Zhao to the north, and the Han to the west; Xiang Liang was his only reliable ally. He admired Xiang Liang's abilities and wanted to use him personally, which is why he hadn't attacked him.
The Han king fought a major battle with the Chu army in Pengcheng and lost, retreating from Liang territory to Yuxian. He said to those around him, "Those blokes ain't got no business discussing matters of state with us!" Just then, a messenger piped up and asked, "Your Majesty, what exactly did you mean by that just now?"
Han Xin said, "Who can help me go to Huainan, make the King of Huainan rebel against the Chu Kingdom, and trap Xiang Yu in the land of Qi for several months? That way, I’ll have the whole world in the bag!" Sui He said, "I’ll go!" So he went to Huainan with twenty people. When they arrived in Huainan, the chief minister was responsible for receiving them, but they did not see the King of Huainan for three days. Sui He said to the chief minister, "The reason the King doesn’t see me must be because he thinks that the Chu Kingdom is strong and the Han Kingdom is weak, which is exactly why I’m here. If I meet the King and say what he wants to hear, great. If I’m wrong, chop off my head and these twenty guys' heads right there in the Huainan marketplace – that'll show 'em we’re on Chu's side!" Only then did the chief minister take Sui He to see the King of Huainan.
Sui He said to the King of Huainan, "The Han King sent me as an envoy to respectfully deliver a letter to you. It strikes me as odd, how close are you to the Chu Kingdom?" The King of Huainan said, "I submit to the Chu Kingdom and bow to the north." Sui He said, "You and Xiang Yu are both warlords; you bow to him to the north because you think the Chu Kingdom is powerful and reliable. After Xiang Yu captured the Qi Kingdom, he was out there in the trenches with his men. You should mobilize all the troops in Huainan, personally lead the army, be the vanguard of the Chu army, yet you only sent four thousand men to help the Chu Kingdom. That ain't submission! When the Han King was fighting in Pengcheng, Xiang Yu hadn’t even left the Qi Kingdom yet. You should lead the army of Huainan, rush to Pengcheng day and night. Now you have tens of thousands of troops under your command, but you haven’t sent anyone to cross the Huai River, just secretly observing who wins or loses. That ain't reliance! You're just paying lip service to Chu, hoping to save your own skin. That ain't gonna work. The reason you don’t betray the Chu Kingdom is that you think the Han Kingdom is weak."
However, although the Chu army was very powerful, everyone thought Chu was in the wrong because they violated the agreement and killed the Righteous Emperor. However, the Chu king was riding high after his wins. The Han king rounded up the other lords, returned to Chenggao and Xingyang, got supplies shipped in from Shu and Hanzhong, dug deep ditches and built high walls, and divided the troops to guard the fortresses. The Chu army returned, passing through Liang, deep into the heart of Han territory eight or nine hundred miles, wanting to fight but unable to find the opportunity, wanting to attack the city but unable to capture it, and their stragglers had to haul supplies for miles. When the Chu army arrived at Xingyang and Chenggao, the Han army just sat tight, and the Chu army wanted to attack but could not get in, wanted to retreat but could not get out, so the Chu army was exhausted. If the Chu army defeated the Han army, the vassals would be afraid and come to each other's aid. Chu's strength would only invite a massive counterattack from the other lords. Therefore, Chu is not as good as Han; this situation is very clear. Now, Your Majesty, if you do not cooperate with the powerful Han but instead rely on the endangered Chu, I'm worried sick for you. I am not saying that the forces of Huainan are enough to destroy Chu. However, if you ditch Chu, Xiang Yu will be tied up; if he can be restrained for a few months, Han will win easily and rule the land. I request to go back with Your Majesty to the Han king with a sword; the Han king will give you land, and Huainan will be yours. So the Han king sent me, hat in hand, with this humble suggestion. I hope you'll give it some thought." The King of Huainan said, "I will follow your arrangements." He secretly agreed to switch sides but didn't dare say anything.
A Chu envoy arrived, hot on Han Xin's heels to get him to send troops. At this moment, Sui He directly rushed in and said, "Jiujang's king's already surrendered to the Han. What's Chu's beef with you sending troops?" Han Xin was gobsmacked. The Chu envoy stood up to leave, and Sui He quickly said to Han Xin, "Well, we're in this mess now. Let's just off the Chu envoy, stop him from ratting us out, and then team up with the Han King." Han Xin replied, "Sounds good to me!" So Han Xin raised troops to attack the State of Chu. The Chu envoy, Xiang Sheng, and Long Qie went after Huainan, while Xiang Yu hit Xiayi. Months later, Long Qie hit Huainan and wiped the floor with Han Xin's army. Han Xin wanted to hightail it back to the Han, but was scared stiff of Xiang Yu giving chase, so he and Sui He snuck back. They got back to the Han camp, and there was Liu Bang, soaking his feet in bed, and he called Han Xin over. Han Xin was livid, regretted his decision, and wanted to top himself. Once he was out, his digs, food, and servants were just like the King's – Han Xin was chuffed. So he sent people to Jiujang. Chu sent Xiang Bo to round up the Jiujang troops and offed Han Xin's family. The Han threw more troops behind Han Xin, and together they marched north, taking back Chenggao. In July of the fourth year, Liu Bang made Han Xin the King of Huainan and put him on the attack against Xiang Yu. In the fifth year, Han Xin and Liu Jia rolled into Jiujang, talked Chu's Grand Marshal, Zhou Yin, into switching sides, and Zhou Yin defected. So the Jiujang army joined the Han, and together they smashed Chu at Gaixia.
Xiang Yu died, and Liu Bang held a banquet to celebrate. In front of everyone, he criticized Sui He: "What use is a bookish scholar like you?" Sui He knelt down and said, "Your Highness, when you led the troops to attack Pengcheng, the King of Chu had not yet left Qi State. You only brought fifty thousand infantry and five thousand cavalry. Could you have taken Huainan?" Liu Bang replied, "No." Sui He continued, "You sent me with twenty men to Huainan, and I could achieve your goal. Is my contribution not greater than fifty thousand infantry and five thousand cavalry? Yet you call me a 'bookish scholar' and say 'the world doesn't need scholars like you.' Why is that?" Liu Bang responded, "I was just about to praise your contribution!" So he appointed Sui He as the Chief of the Army. Han Xin was officially appointed as the King of Huainan, with Shouchun as the capital, and he was in charge of the four counties of Jiujiang, Lujiang, Hengshan, and Yuzhang.
In the sixth year, Han Xin paid court to Liu Bang in Chen; in the seventh year, he visited Luoyang; and in the ninth year, he went to Chang'an.
Eleven years ago, Empress Lu executed Han Xin, and Liu Bang had been afraid ever since. That summer, the Han Dynasty executed Prince Liang Peng Yue, and his remains were chopped up and distributed to the various feudal lords. When the minced meat arrived in Huainan, King Ying Bu was out hunting. Upon seeing the gruesome delivery, he was terrified and secretly assembled his army, ready for anything.
Ying Bu had a favorite concubine who fell ill, so he went to seek a doctor. The doctor's neighbor was the court physician Ben He, who lavished the doctor with gifts and shared drinks with Ying Bu's concubine at the doctor's home. While serving Ying Bu, the concubine, chatting, praised Ben He as a good person. When Ying Bu heard this, he became enraged and asked, "How do you know he is a good person?" The concubine detailed the events, and Ying Bu suspected Ben He of plotting rebellion. Ben He, afraid, feigned illness and did not attend court. This made Ying Bu even angrier, and he ordered Ben He's arrest. Ben He hurried to the capital to report Ying Bu to the emperor, galloping to Chang'an. Ying Bu sent people to pursue him, but they did not catch up. When Ben He arrived in Chang'an, he reported to the emperor, saying, "Ying Bu is plotting rebellion; we should strike first and kill him." The emperor handed Ben He's report to Prime Minister Xiao He, who said, "Ying Bu shouldn't be treated this way. Ben He's probably just trying to get him in trouble. It would be better to first lock up Ben He and quietly investigate Ying Bu." Ying Bu discovered that Ben He had fled due to his crimes and reported himself to the court, suspecting him of leaking state secrets. With evidence found by envoys sent by the Han Dynasty, Ying Bu had Ben He's family executed and then rebelled. When it was heard that Chen Sheng had rebelled, the emperor pardoned Ying Bu and made him a general. The emperor then summoned the feudal lords for a meeting and asked, "Chen Sheng has rebelled; what should we do?" Everyone said, "Yeah, let's just send in the troops and crush him!" Marquis Teng of Ruyin went to ask his friend Marquis Xue, who said, "Chen Sheng's rebellion is perfectly normal." Marquis Teng was puzzled and asked, "The emperor gave him land, power, and made him a prince, so why'd he rebel?" Marquis Xue analyzed, "He killed Peng Yue two years ago, and last year he killed Han Xin. The contributions of these three people were equally great. With Peng Yue and Han Xin dead, Chen Sheng knew he was next, so he rebelled."
Teng Gong informed the Emperor of Xue Gong's analysis, saying, "My friend, the former Lord Chancellor of Chu, Xue Gong, is very strategic. You can ask him." The Emperor summoned Xue Gong, who remarked, "It's no surprise Chen Sheng rebelled. If Chen Sheng employs the best strategy, the Shandong region wouldn't belong to the Han Dynasty at all; if he uses a moderate strategy, victory or defeat would be hard to predict; but if he resorts to the worst strategy, Your Majesty can rest assured." The Emperor inquired, "What constitutes the best strategy?" Xue Gong replied, "Secure Wu in the east and conquer Chu in the west, annex Qi and Lu, then issue orders for Yan and Zhao to surrender while holding onto your own territory; then Shandong will belong to Chen Sheng." "And what about the moderate strategy?" "In the east, take Wu, and in the west, take Chu; annex Han and seize Wei, control the Aocang granaries, and hold the strategic position in Chengao; then victory or defeat is uncertain." "What is the worst strategy?" "In the east, take Wu, and in the west, take Xiacai; then shift the main army to Yue territory, and finally retreat to Changsha. Your Majesty can sleep peacefully, and the Han will face no threat." The Emperor asked, "Which strategy will Chen Sheng choose?" Xue Gong said, "He will opt for the worst strategy." The Emperor pressed, "Why wouldn't he use the best strategy and instead choose the worst?" Xue Gong explained, "Chen Sheng was originally a laborer in Lishan. To become a prince over ten thousand people, he's only out for himself, without considering the long-term interests of the people, so he will only employ the worst strategy." The Emperor agreed, saying, "You are right!" He then appointed Xue Gong as a marquis with a thousand households under his control. The Emperor then led his troops east to quell Chen Sheng's rebellion.
Initially, Chen Sheng felt that Xiang Yu was old, war-weary, and unlikely to lead troops against him personally. Even if he sent generals, those generals were most afraid of the Marquis of Huaiyin, Han Xin, and Peng Yue. Now that these two men were dead, the remaining generals posed no threat. So he rebelled. Just as Xue Gong had foreseen, Chen Sheng first attacked Jingchu, and King Liu Jia of Jing fled to Fuling and was killed. Chen Sheng seized his troops, crossed the Huai River, and attacked the state of Chu. Chu split its forces three ways, planning a feint to the east and a strike to the west. However, someone advised the Chu generals, saying, "Chen Sheng is skilled in warfare, and the common people fear him. Moreover, in the art of war, it is said that when feudal lords fight on their own territory, they have the advantage of terrain. Now that you have divided into three routes, if Chen Sheng defeats one, the other two will collapse and flee. How can they still support each other?" The Chu generals did not heed the advice. Chen Sheng indeed defeated one route of the Chu army, and the other two routes scattered and fled. Next, Chen Sheng advanced westward and met Xiang Yu's army in Qixi, and the two sides faced off. Chen Sheng commanded a crack army, while Xiang Yu, camped at Yongcheng, kept a watchful eye on them, much as he had done before. Xiang Yu was contemptuous of Chen Sheng's audacity, and after the two sides met, he questioned Chen Sheng, "Why did you rebel?" Chen Sheng replied, "I want to be emperor!" Xiang Yu exploded in rage, unleashing a torrent of curses before launching his attack, defeating Chen Sheng's army. Chen Sheng fled to the bank of the Huai River and tried to counterattack several times, but failed each time. Finally, he fled to Jiangnan with a hundred men or so. Chen Sheng had ties to the King of Changsha, so King Ai of Changsha sent people to deceive Chen Sheng, pretending to flee to the land of Yue together. Chen Sheng believed it was true and followed to Fanyang. The people of Fanyang killed Chen Sheng in Zixiang, ending his rebellion. Xiang Yu created six new marquises, including Behe.
Lu Wan is from Fengyi and hails from the same hometown as Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang. Lu Wan had a very good relationship with Liu Bang's father, and their sons were born on the same day. The villagers brought wine and mutton to celebrate at both houses. As Liu Bang and Lu Wan grew up, they studied calligraphy together and developed a close friendship. The villagers were delighted by their close friendship, especially since their sons were born on the same day and grew up together.
Even as a commoner, Liu Bang could always count on Lu Wan. When Liu Bang raised his army, Lu Wan followed him as a guest and later became a general in the Han Dynasty, serving frequently by Liu Bang's side. He followed Liu Bang on his campaigns, playing a key role in the defeat of Xiang Yu. As Grand Commandant, he had almost constant access to the emperor. His lavish lifestyle—clothing, food, and gifts—surpassed that of any other minister. Even Xiao He and Cao Shen, though highly regarded for their service, couldn't compare to Lu Wan's closeness to the emperor. Later, Liu Bang appointed him Marquis of Chang'an (formerly Xianyang).
Following Xiang Yu's death, Liu Bang dispatched Lu Wan and other generals to defeat the King of Linjiang and Gong Wei. They then went on to defeat the Yan King Zang Tu, winning both battles. At that time, besides the Han Dynasty, seven other kingdoms existed. Liu Bang wanted to appoint Lu Wan as a king, but the ministers felt it was inappropriate and had some objections. Liu Bang then issued an order for all generals, ministers, and marquises to choose one of the meritorious ministers to be appointed as the King of Yan. Anticipating Liu Bang's preference, the ministers unanimously declared, "Grand Commandant Marquis of Chang'an Lu Wan has been following and contributing the most to the conquest; he should be appointed as a king!" Liu Bang then appointed Lu Wan as the King of Yan. The King of Yan was Liu Bang's most favored king.
Lu Wan served as the King of Yan for six years but was ultimately defeated due to Chen Xi's involvement. Chen Xi, originally from Wanju, had an unknown connection with Lu Wan at the beginning. Later, when Liu Bang defected to the Xiongnu and returned from Pingcheng, Chen Xi, serving as a Langzhong official, was appointed as a Marquis and made the Prime Minister of Zhao State, responsible for the defense of Zhao and Dai. He commanded the border troops. When Chen Xi was young, he greatly admired Prince Wei. After becoming a border general, he cultivated a large following. He often went to Zhao State accompanied by a retinue of over a thousand carriages, filling up the official residences in Handan. He treated his numerous guests with lavish hospitality, placing them above all else. The Prime Minister of Zhao, Zhou Chang, reported to Liu Bang that Chen Xi had many guests and controlled the military forces, fearing a rebellion. Liu Bang ordered an investigation into Chen Xi's guests and the people of Dai State to see if there were any illegal activities, and the investigation uncovered numerous links to Chen Xi. Afraid, Chen Xi secretly contacted Wang Huang and Manqiuchen. Following the Emperor's death in the autumn of the tenth year of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang took this opportunity to summon Chen Xi back to Chang'an. Chen Xi feigned illness and refused to go, then rebelled with Wang Huang and others, proclaiming himself King of Dai and launching raids on Zhao and Dai. Liu Bang, upon learning of this, pardoned those forced into robbery by Chen Xi. This event is recorded in the "Biography of Gaozu."
At first, the Emperor won a battle against the Jū (a type of wild pig) near Handan, and the King of Yan, Lu Wan, also achieved victory in the northeast of the Jū. The Jū sent Wang Huang to seek help from the Xiongnu, and Lu Wan sent his minister Zhang Sheng to the Xiongnu, reporting that their army had been defeated. When Zhang Sheng arrived among the Xiongnu, he happened to meet the son of King Zang Tu of Yan, who was seeking refuge there. He said to Zhang Sheng, "Your high position in Yan stems from your knowledge of the Xiongnu. The reason Yan has been able to endure for so long is because of constant rebellions among the vassals and incessant warfare. Now, in order to swiftly subdue the Jū on Yan's behalf, once they are defeated, Yan would be next, and the people of Yan would also be taken captive. Why don't you temporarily ease the pressure on the Jū and first reconcile with the Xiongnu? With peace restored, you could secure your position as King of Yan for years to come, even weathering any Han emergency." Zhang Sheng thought he made sense, so he secretly ordered the Xiongnu army to attack Yan. Lu Wan suspected Zhang Sheng of treasonous collusion with the Xiongnu and wrote to request Zhang Sheng's execution. When Zhang Sheng returned, he explained the whole situation in detail. Lu Wan finally understood and feigned accusations against others to protect Zhang Sheng's family, keeping him in place as a spy among the Xiongnu. At the same time, he secretly sent Fan Qi to the Jū, hoping to prolong the conflict indefinitely.
After the Han Dynasty defeated the Xiongnu, a Xiongnu officer surrendered, saying that King Yan Lu Wan was plotting with the Xiongnu. The Emperor summoned Lu Wan, but he claimed illness. The Emperor sent officials to meet Lu Wan and investigate his associates. Lu Wan became increasingly afraid, hiding and telling his confidants, "Besides the Liu family, only Changsha's king and I could be called kings. Previously, when the Han Dynasty destroyed Marquis Huaiyin and executed Peng Yue, it was all Empress Lü's doing. Now that the emperor is ill, all power has been handed over to Empress Lü. She's a woman who'll use this chance to get rid of the powerful princes and ministers." So he feigned illness and did not go, and his close associates also fled and hid. Word got around, and the Marquis of Biyang reported this to the Emperor, who was furious. Captured Xiongnu prisoners revealed that Zhang Sheng was in Xiongnu as Yan's envoy. So the emperor said, "Lu Wan's a traitor!" and sent Fan Kui to attack Lu Wan. Lu Wan, with his palace attendants, family members, and several thousand cavalry, set up camp at the foot of the Great Wall, hoping to wait for the emperor to recover and personally apologize. After Emperor Gaozu died, Lu Wan and his men escaped to the Xiongnu, where he was appointed King Lu of the Donghu. Later, other barbarians attacked him, but he always longed to return to the Han. After staying in Xiongnu for more than a year, he died there.
While Empress Lü was in power, Lu Wan's wife and son surrendered to the court. When Empress Lü fell ill and couldn't see anyone, Lu Wan's wife prepared a banquet at their residence in Yan to meet them. As a result, Empress Lü died before making it there, and Lu Wan's wife also died from illness.
During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, Lu Wan's grandson surrendered with the King of Donghu and was appointed Marquis of Egugu. His great-grandson later committed a crime, losing the title.
Let's talk about Wu Rui. He was the county magistrate of Fanyang County in the Qin Dynasty and was very popular in the world of rivers and lakes, where everyone called him Fan Jun. When the rebellion against the Qin Dynasty began, Ying Bu sought refuge with Wu Rui, who married off his daughter to him. Wu Rui then led the Baiyue to rise up in response to other princes. When Liu Bang attacked Nanyang, he encountered Wu Rui's general Mei Huan, and together they attacked Xixian and Lixian, capturing both places. Later, Xiang Yu proclaimed himself king and had Wu Rui lead the army of the Baiyue to aid the princes in entering Guanzhong. As a result, Wu Rui was titled King of Hengshan and established his capital in Zhu County. His general Mei Huan made great achievements and was awarded lands supporting 10,000 households, becoming a marquis. After Xiang Yu's death, Liu Bang was grateful to Wu Rui for Mei Huan's contributions and moved him to be King of Changsha, with his capital in Linxiang. One year later, Wu Rui passed away and was given the posthumous title of King Wen. His son Cheng Wang succeeded him, followed by Ai Wang, Gong Wang You, and finally Jing Wang Cha. In the seventh year of Emperor Wen of Han, Jing Wang passed away without a son, so the Kingdom of Changsha was abolished. Originally, King Wen Wu Rui was highly esteemed by Liu Bang, who even issued an edict to the officials saying, "The King of Changsha is very loyal; you should record this in the historical records." During the reign of Emperor Hui of Han and Empress Dowager Lü, several of Wu Rui's other sons were also ennobled as marquises. Wu Rui's descendants eventually died out.
In conclusion, when the founding emperor Liu Bang pacified the world, the non-Han princes had eight kingdoms. Zhang Er, Wu Rui, Peng Yue, Ying Bu, Zang Tu, Lu Wan, and two individuals named Han Xin all relied on the changing situation at that time, using deception and force to succeed. They all obtained land and styled themselves kings. But because they were suspected by the emperor, powerful, and uneasy in their hearts, they reached a critical point and ultimately rebelled and met their ends. Zhang Er managed to hang on for a while using his smarts, but by the time of his son, he had lost his title. Only Wu Rui, who never went astray from the beginning, was able to continue for five generations, until his line died out, and the grace continued to pass on to collateral descendants. So, you see? Those officially recognized for their loyalty in imperial decrees—they were a different breed!
