Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 78): The Debacle in Pengcheng

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

By Sima Guang

Translated By Yiming Yang

Annals of Han Book 1 Scroll 9 (continued)

The 2nd year of Emperor Gaozu(205 B.C. continued)

The King of Han crossed the Yellow River to the south at the crossing of Pingyin Ford. His procession was halted in the town of Xincheng in Luoyang City by Mr. Dong, a local ethics educator(Three Elders of the Town). Mr. Dong addressed the King of Han: “I have heard it said, ‘Those who follow morality will prosper, and those who defy it will perish.’ Another saying goes, ‘A military campaign without a moral justification will not succeed.’ That is why people say, ‘Expose the evil of your enemy first, then you can overthrow it.’ Xiang Yu is profoundly immoral; he exiled his lord and then murdered His Majesty. He is the greatest wrongdoer in the land. A benevolent government does not resort to violence, and seeking justice does not rely on brute force. Your Majesty should mourn the death of the Honorary Emperor by dressing your entire army in white. You should send manifestos to all the kings in the realm, calling on them to unite against Xiang Yu. This would follow the example of the three kings who founded the dynasties (Xia, Shang, Zhou).”

The King of Han conducted a funeral for the Honorary Emperor, baring his arms and weeping loudly during the ceremony, which lasted three days. He then sent messengers to all the kings with this message: “The Honorary Emperor was inaugurated by the realm, and we all pledged our allegiance to him. Xiang Yu exiled the Honorary Emperor to the south of the Yangtze River and then murdered him. Such an act is an abomination! I will mobilize all the forces of Guanzhong, recruit warriors from Henan, Hedong, and Henei commanderies, and sail down the Yangtze and Hanshui Rivers. I call upon all monarchs to join in avenging the Honorary Emperor!”

When the messenger reached the Kingdom of Zhao, Chen Yu responded, “We will join if the Kingdom of Han kills Zhang Er.” To meet this demand, the King of Han found a man who resembled Zhang Er, beheaded him, and sent another messenger carrying the severed head to Chen Yu. Satisfied, Chen Yu then dispatched troops to aid the army of Han.

Tian Rong’s younger brother, Tian Heng, reassembled Tian Rong’s fleeing soldiers and gathered a force of tens of thousands. They launched a rebellion in Chengyang commandery. In April, during the summer, Tian Heng declared Tian Rong’s son, Tian Guang, as the King of Qi and openly challenged Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu engaged in multiple battles with Tian Heng but was unable to defeat him. Although he learned that the army of Han was advancing eastward, Xiang Yu remained bogged down in the land of Qi, as he needed to break Qi‘s resistance before turning to confront Han‘s forces.

Meanwhile, the King of Han commanded 560,000 soldiers from allied kingdoms to launch a raid into the land of Chu. Upon reaching Waihuang county, Peng Yue led his thirty thousand soldiers to join forces with Han. The King of Han remarked, “General Peng has recaptured a dozen cities of Wei and wants to quickly enthrone a descendant of Wei. Here, the King of West Wei, Wei Bao, is a true descendant of Wei.” He then appointed Peng Yue as the prime minister of the Kingdom of Wei, allowing Peng Yue to command his troops independently to expand their territories in the land of Wei.

The King of Han entered Pengcheng, the capital of West Chu, and seized Xiang Yu’s treasures and harem. He began to indulge in daily celebrations, wining and dining to mark his victories.

Xiang Yu, upon learning that his home had been raided, ordered his generals to continue the fight in Qi while he led thirty thousand elite troops southward. Starting from Lu County, they passed through Huling County and reached Xiao County. At dawn, they launched a surprise assault on the Han army, pushing eastward, and by noon, they reached Pengcheng, where they decisively routed the Han forces. The soldiers of Han fled in disarray, many running into the Gu River and Si river, where hundreds of thousands drowned. Others fled south toward the mountains, pursued relentlessly by the Chu fighters, who drove them to the Sui River, east of Lingbi County. There, the Chu forces pressed several hundred thousand Han soldiers against the river, causing so many to perish that their bodies clogged the riverbed, halting its flow.

Xiang Yu‘s troops encircled the King of Han with three rings of soldiers. Just then, a strong northwesterly wind arose, uprooting trees, tearing roofs off houses, and creating a cloud of dust and sand that turned day into darkness. The blinding storm struck the Chu army, scattering their ranks. Seizing the moment, the King of Han, along with a few dozen cavalry guards, broke through the encirclement and escaped. They planned to stop by Pei County to retrieve their family members, but by the time they arrived, the soldiers of Chu had already beaten them to it, and the King of Han’s family members were nowhere to be found.

The King of Han eventually encountered his children, Prince Hui (Liu Ying) and Princess Yuan of Lu, and got them into his wagon. As the cavalry of Chu drew near, he panicked and, in his desperation to speed up the carriage, repeatedly pushed his children off it. Duke Teng, Xiahou Ying, who served as the Grand Coachman of Han, was forced to jump off the wagon to retrieve them each time. After the third time, Xiahou Ying pleaded, “I understand the urgency, but the horses cannot go any faster. How could you ditch your children?” He maintained the carriage at moderate speed. The King of Han, enraged, attempted to kill Xiahou Ying dozens of times, but Xiahou Ying’s soldiers protected the retinue, ensuring the safety of both the King’s children and the group.

Meanwhile, Shen Yiji was escorting the King of Han‘s father (the Grandpa Liu) and wife, Queen Lü, along an alternate route. They attempted to rendezvous with the King of Han but encountered Chu soldiers and were captured, eventually being taken to Xiang Yu‘s camp, where they were held as hostages.

The brother of Queen Lü, the Marquis of Zhoulü, led a force stationed at Xiayi county. The King of Han managed to reach this location by taking alternate routes, gathering several soldiers who were fleeing. However, as the situation grew dire, many of the allied forces began to defect and return to Xiang Yu‘s camp. The King of Sai, Sima Xin, and the King of Di, Dong Yi, switched their allegiance to the Kingdom of Chu.