Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 2 Scroll 10
The 3rd year of the Emperor Gaozu (204 B.C. continued)
The King of Han asked Chen Ping, “The country is in turmoil—when will this chaos end?” Chen Ping replied, “There are only a few of Xiang Yu’s subordinates who speak their minds, such as Uncle Fan Zeng, Zhongli Mo, Long Ju, and Zhou Yin. If Your Majesty spends tens of thousands of kilograms of gold to sow discord between Xiang Yu and his lieutenants, he will lose trust in them. Xiang Yu is naturally distrustful and easily swayed by disinformation. He will likely kill his closest aides due to internal strife, and then the kingdom of Chu will fall when Han’s forces strike.” The King of Han liked the idea: “A good plan!” He gave Chen Ping twenty thousand kilograms of gold with no string attached.
Chen Ping used the gold to bribe and spread disinformation among the officers of Chu. He circulated rumors, saying, “Generals like Zhongli Mo have achieved great feats for Xiang Yu, yet they have not been rewarded with fiefs or the title of kings. They are conspiring with Han to destroy the Xiang family and divide the land.” When Xiang Yu heard the murmurs, he stopped trusting Zhongli Mo and the other generals.
In April of that summer, King Xiang Yu encircled the King of Han at Xingyang. The King of Han, panicked, pleaded for a truce, offering to take only the land west of Xingyang. Fan Zeng urged Xiang Yu to seize the city without delay. Meanwhile, the King of Han, wary of Fan Zeng‘s influence, devised a plan with Chen Ping. When Chu’s envoy arrived for negotiations, Chen Ping arranged an elaborate banquet, serving beef, mutton, and pork together—a sign of utmost respect. Upon meeting the envoy, Chen Ping feigned surprise: “I thought you were Uncle Fan’s envoy, but you’re actually sent by King Xiang Yu, aren’t you?” He then had the extravagant meal removed, replacing it with lower-quality food.
When the envoy reported back, Xiang Yu began to mistrust Fan Zeng. Despite Fan Zeng’s repeated urges to take Xingyang immediately, Xiang Yu ignored him. Sensing the king’s suspicion, Fan Zeng, furious, said, “The fate of the country has been decided. Your Majesty can handle it alone. Please let me retire.” On his journey home, an abscess on his back burst, and he died of infection before reaching Pengcheng.
In May, General Ji Xin approached the King of Han and said, “The situation is urgent. I beg your permission to pose as Your Majesty so that you can escape the city in disguise.” Chen Ping then sent two thousand women out of the east gate under cover of night. The Chu army attacked them from all sides. Ji Xin, seated in the King of Han’s wagon with a yellow silk canopy and a yak tail banner on the left, drove out of the gate, announcing, “The city has run out of food. The King of Han surrenders to Chu.” The Chu soldiers cheered and rushed to the east gate to witness the event.
Meanwhile, the real King of Han, accompanied by a small cavalry force, broke out of the west gate, leaving Zhou Ke, Wei Bao, and Cong Gong to defend Xingyang. When Xiang Yu captured Ji Xin, he asked, “Where is the King of Han?” Ji Xin replied, “He has already escaped.” Xiang Yu then immolated Ji Xin.
Afterward, Zhou Ke and Cong Gong conferred, saying, “Wei Bao, the former king of West Wei, has betrayed us before. It will be difficult to defend the city with him around.” They proceeded to kill Wei Bao.
The King of Han retreated from Xingyang and moved into Chenggao before entering the Hangu Pass. He reorganized his scattered troops, intending to fight back to the east. One of his advisers, Yuan Sheng, advised against this: “The Han and Chu armies have been locked in a stalemate at Xingyang for years, and the Han forces have often been at a disadvantage. I suggest Your Majesty heads south through Wu Pass. Xiang Yu will likely move south to counter you, but you should hold the fortifications there without engaging in battle. This will give the war-torn regions of Xingyang and Chenggao time to recover, and Han Xin will have time to secure the territory he gained from the Kingdom of Zhao north of the Yellow River. We can then coordinate with the Kingdoms of Yan and Qi. Once the Chu army is forced to defend multiple fronts, their forces will be stretched thin, and the Han army—rested and ready—will defeat them in the next battle.”
The King of Han accepted Yuan Sheng’s strategy. He led his troops out of Wu Pass and stationed them in the counties of Yuan and She, where he and Ying Bu recruited additional soldiers. When Xiang Yu learned that the King of Han was in Yuan County, he led his army south as predicted. The King of Han, however, held his position in the citadel, refusing to engage Xiang Yu in battle.
When the King of Han fled west from Pengcheng, General Peng Yue lost control of the cities he had conquered. He repositioned his forces north of the Yellow River and waged guerrilla warfare, disrupting the Chu army’s supply lines. In May, Peng Yue crossed the Sui River and engaged the Chu forces, led by Generals Xiang Sheng and Xue Gong, at the city of Xiapi. Peng Yue defeated the Chu army, killing General Xue Gong. In response, Xiang Yu moved east to confront Peng Yue, leaving his general Zhong Gong to defend Chenggao. Seizing the opportunity, the King of Han led his forces north, defeated Zhong Gong, and broke into the city, eventually camping his troops at Chenggao.
In June, Xiang Yu drove out Peng Yue and turned back westward to break into the city of Xingyang after learning that the King of Han had returned to Chenggao. He captured Zhou Ke and offered him a position: “You will be a top general and awarded a fief with thirty thousand households if you serve me.” Zhou Ke retorted, “You will be captured soon if you don’t surrender to the Kingdom of Han now. You are no match for the King of Han!” Enraged, Xiang Yu had Zhou Ke boiled to death. He also killed Cong Gong and imprisoned Xin, the King of Hán. He then laid siege to Chenggao.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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