Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 1 Scroll 9 (continued)
The 1st year of Emperor Gaozu(206 B.C. continued)
In December, Xiang Yu’s troops reached the Xi River. Meanwhile, Cao Wushang, the left wing major under Duke of Pei, sent a messenger to Xiang Yu, slandering the Duke of Pei: “The Duke of Pei intends to become the King of Qin. He plans to make Ziying his chancellor and seize all the treasures of Qin.” Cao Wushang said this to gain favors from Xiangyu. Infuriated by this information, Xiang Yu organized a feast for his soldiers and prepared to launch an attack on the Duke of Pei the following morning. At that time, Xiang Yu commanded four hundred thousand troops, though he claimed to have a million, and camped at a village called Hongmen[Swan Goose Gate] in Xinfeng County. The Duke of Pei had one hundred thousand troops, with claims of two hundred thousand, and was stationed at Bashang.
Fan Zeng advised Xiang Yu: “The Duke of Pei was known for his greed and indulgence when he lived east of the Hangu Pass. But since entering the Pass, he hasn’t hoarded any valuables or sought out women. His ambitions now are far greater than mere wealth or pleasure. I sent people to observe the clouds around him, and they reported seeing auspicious signs like those of the dragon and tiger. They even saw a rainbow over him—an omen of the Son of Heaven. You must act quickly and strike him decisively. Do not let him slip away.”
The left-wing commander of the Chu army was Xiang Yu’s uncle, Xiang Bo, who was a good friend of Zhang Liang. Late at night, Xiang Bo secretly visited the Duke of Pei’s camp to meet with Zhang Liang. He warned Zhang Liang about the imminent attack and urged him to flee together: “You don’t want to die along with all the troops here.” Zhang Liang responded, “The King of Han instructed me to accompany the Duke of Pei into the Pass. Now that the Duke of Pei faces a crisis, it would be a dishonor of me to abandon him. I must speak with him first.”
Zhang Liang entered the Duke of Pei’s tent and informed him of the situation. Startled, the Duke of Pei asked, “Do you think our soldiers can withstand Xiang Yu’s attack?” Zhang Liang replied, “Our troops are indeed no match for Xiang Yu. But we must act swiftly.” He suggested, “Please speak to Xiang Bo and assure him that the Duke of Pei has no intention of betraying Xiang Yu.” Curious, the Duke of Pei asked, “How do you know Xiang Bo so well?” Zhang Liang explained, “We were playmates under Qin’s rule. He once killed someone, and I saved his life. Now, he repays that favor by warning me.” The Duke of Pei inquired further, “Between you and him, who is older?” Zhang Liang replied, “Xiang Bo is a few years older than I am.” The Duke of Pei decided, “Please invite him to meet me. I will honor him as an elder brother.”
Zhang Liang returned and insisted that Xiang Bo meet the Duke of Pei, and Xiang Bo eventually agreed. Upon entering the Duke of Pei’s tent, the Duke of Pei warmly received him, raising wine cups and toasting in his honor. He even proposed a marriage alliance between their families. The Duke of Pei explained, “Since entering the Pass, I have not taken even the smallest treasure from Qin. I preserved all the household records and sealed the vaults and warehouses of the Qin government, waiting for General Xiang to distribute these valuables. The reason I ordered the Hangu Pass closed was to prevent bandits and any other incidents. We eagerly await General Xiang’s arrival day and night. How dare I turn against him? Please, Mr. Xiang Bo, convey my pledge that I have no intention of betraying General Xiang.” Xiang Bo affirmed and advised the Duke of Pei, “You must come tomorrow morning to see General Xiang and clear any misunderstandings in person.” The Duke of Pei promised, “You have my word.”
Xiang Bo returned to his camp that same night, relayed the Duke of Pei’s message, and pleaded with Xiang Yu, “If the Duke of Pei had not entered the Wu Pass first, you would not have so easily walked into the land of Qin. Attacking someone who has just accomplished such a significant feat would be unjust. It would be better to treat him with respect.” Xiang Yu assured Xiang Bo that he would do that.
The Duke of Pei arrived at Hongmen the next morning with a hundred cavalrymen to meet Xiang Yu. He expressed his regret to Xiang Yu, saying, “I fought alongside the General against the army of Qin. The General battled in the north of the Yellow River, while I fought in the south. By sheer luck, I entered the Wu Pass and arrived in the kingdom of Qin first, which gave me this opportunity to meet the General again. Unfortunately, it seems the General harbors some hard feelings towards me due to the slander of a troublemaker.” Xiang Yu inadvertently admitted, “I wouldn’t have doubted you weren’t it for the words of your left wing major, Cao Wushang.”
Xiang Yu then invited the Duke of Pei to join him for a meal in his tent. While they were drinking, Fan Zeng repeatedly eye-signaled Xiang Yu and by raising his jade ornament three times, but Xiang Yu ignored these prompts. Frustrated, Fan Zeng left the tent and summoned Xiang Zhuang, Xiang Yu’s younger cousin, giving him an urgent order: “Your Lord is too hesitant. Go inside, toast the Duke of Pei, then perform a sword dance. During the dance, take the opportunity to kill the Duke of Pei. If you don’t act now, we may all end up as his captives one day.”
Xiang Zhuang entered the tent, made a toast to the Duke of Pei, and then suggested, “There isn’t much entertainment in the army, so let me perform a sword dance.” Xiang Yu approved, “Sure!” Xiang Zhuang drew his sword and began his dance, making threatening moves. Seeing this, Xiang Bo quickly drew his own sword and joined the dance, placing himself between Xiang Zhuang and the Duke of Pei, skillfully shielding the Duke of Pei from Xiang Zhuang’s strike attempts.
Zhang Liang rushed to the gate of the camp and called for Fan Kuai. Fan Kuai asked, “How are things going today?” Zhang Liang replied, “Xiang Zhuang is dancing with his sword, clearly aiming to harm the Duke of Pei.” Fan Kuai immediately said, “This is urgent! I must go in and share the fate with him.”
Armed with his shield and sword, Fan Kuai forced his way into the camp. When the guard at the entrance tried to stop him, Fan Kuai knocked the guard down with his shield and pushed his way into the tent. He threw open the curtains, staring directly at Xiang Yu, hairs standing on his head and canthus almost splitting. Xiang Yu was startled and, rising from his seat, reached for his sword. “Who is this guest?” he asked. Zhang Liang quickly introduced him, “He is the Duke of Pei’s body guard, Fan Kuai.” Impressed by Fan Kuai‘s intrepidness, Xiang Yu ordered, “What a strong man! Bring him some wine!”
A large jar of wine was brought to Fan Kuai, who bowed in gratitude, then stood and drank it all in one go. Xiang Yu then offered him a whole ham. Fan Kuai placed his shield on the ground, used his sword to cut the ham, and ate it with gusto. Xiang Yu asked, “Do you want more wine, brave man?” Fan Kuai responded, “I am not afraid to die; why would I fear more wine?”
Fan Kuai then launched into a speech, saying, “The rulers of Qin were as cruel as tigers or wolves. They killed without mercy and punished people as if they were in a competition of brutality. This is why the entire country rose up against them. King Huai of Chu made a pact with all his commanders: whoever conquered Qin and entered Xianyang first would become the king of Qin. Now, the Duke of Pei defeated Qin‘s defenders and entered Xianyang first. He didn’t even touch a single piece of treasure. He then withdrew to Bashang to await the General’s arrival. Despite his tremendous effort and success, he hasn’t received any reward. Instead, he faces death because of the slander of a mere loser. This is nothing but a continuation of Qin‘s tyranny. General, I don’t think you should do that!”
Xiang Yu, with no solid argument against Fan Kuai‘s points, simply replied, “Please sit down.” Fan Kuai took a seat next to Zhang Liang.
A while later, the Duke of Pei excused himself to go to the restroom, and Fan Kuai followed. Outside, the Duke of Pei said, “We could flee, but leaving without a proper farewell seems impolite.” Fan Kuai bluntly replied, “They are the cleaver, and we are the fish and meat on the chopping board. What need is there for politeness?” Without further delay, they fled.
From Hongmen to Bashang it is about 40 li. The Duke of Pei left without his wagon and cavalrymen. The Duke of Pei, on a single horse, raced back to Bashang, with his four loyal guards—Fan Kuai, Xiahou Ying, Jin Qiang, and Ji Xin—following on foot, holding swords and shields. They took a shortcut from Lishan through Zhiyang to Bashang, to avoid detection. Before leaving, the Duke of Pei instructed Zhang Liang to stay behind and offer gifts to Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng as an apology for his hasty departure. He reminded Zhang Liang, ”It is only 20 li by taking this route to our camp. You may go in to thank General Xiang with our presents when we have arrived at camp.”
After allowing sufficient time for the Duke of Pei to reach his army, Zhang Liang returned to Xiang Yu‘s tent. He offered the gifts and explained, “The Duke of Pei drank too much and couldn’t say a proper farewell, but he asked me to present these white jade pieces to General Xiang and jade vessels to Uncle Fan Zeng as tokens of his gratitude.”
Xiang Yu accepted the white jade with indifference, placing it on the table. Fan Zeng, however, furiously smashed the jade vessels with his sword, exclaiming, “One can’t make grand plans with an unworthy brat! The Duke of Pei will take this realm from King Xiang, and soon we all will be his prisoners!”
The Duke of Pei returned to his camp and immediately executed the informant, Cao Wushang.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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