Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 2 Scroll 10 (continued)
The 4th year of the Emperor Gaozu(203 B.C.)
In October, during the winter, Han Xin caught the Qi army off guard at Lixia, overrunning them and advancing toward Linzi, the capital of Qi. The King of Qi, believing he had been deceived by Li Yiji, had him boiled to death. The king fled eastward to Gaomi county with his troops and sent an envoy to the kingdom of Chu to request aid. His prime minister, Tian Heng, escaped to Boyang county, while his minister of charge d’affaires, Tian Guang, fled to Chengyang. Tian Ji, his general, took his troops to Jiaodong, where they set up camp.
Meanwhile, Grand Marshal of the Chu army, Cao Jiu, was stationed at Chenggao to defend the city. Despite repeated challenges from Han soldiers, he remained within the citadel. However, after several days of relentless taunting, which escalated to personal insults, Cao Jiu, enraged, led his troops across the Si River. Seizing the moment, the Han army attacked as the Chu forces were crossing, crushing them. The Han troops confiscated the treasures and provisions of the Chu army. Cao Jiu and his lieutenant, Sima Xin, committed suicide by slitting their throats on the bank of the Si River. The King of Han then led his army across the Yellow River, retook Chenggao, and encamped at Guangwu town, taking possession of grain stored at Ao’cang.
Xiang Yu conquered dozens of cities in the kingdom of Wei but turned back upon hearing that Chenggao had fallen. The Han army had encircled General Zhongli Mo of Chu east of Xingyang, but upon learning of Xiang Yu‘s approach, they retreated to their bastions. Xiang Yu then encamped his forces near Guangwu. For several months, the armies of Chu and Han were deadlocked, until the Chu army began to face food shortages. Concerned about the stalemate, Xiang Yu devised a plan: he set up a high chopping block and placed the father of the King of Han upon it. He then sent a message to the King of Han, saying, “If you do not surrender soon, I will boil your father.”
The King of Han, however, remained unfazed. He replied, “When we pledged allegiance to King Huai II of Chu, we swore brotherhood. My father is your father as well. If you truly wish to boil your own father, would you please save me a cup of the soup?” Xiang Yu, outraged by this response, prepared to kill the elder. However, Xiang Bo intervened, saying, “You never know what the future holds. Those who seek to rule the world do not concern themselves with family ties. Killing his father will bring no advantage, only more trouble for us.” Xiang Yu, persuaded by this reasoning, relented.
King Xiang Yu sent a message to the King of Han, saying: “The chaos in this country has raged for several years, and it is because of you and me. Let us settle this once and for all in a duel, to end the suffering of the people and their children.” The King of Han laughed and declined, replying, “I would rather duel with wits than with force.”
In response, Xiang Yu ordered his gladiators to challenge the Han soldiers. On three occasions, a master archer from the Loufan tribe shot down the challengers. Enraged, Xiang Yu donned his armor, took up his halberd, and personally stepped forward to challenge the Han troops. The master archer prepared to shoot at Xiang Yu, but as Xiang Yu glared at him and let out a thunderous roar, the archer became so terrified that he couldn’t hold his bow steady or meet Xiang Yu‘s gaze. He fled back into the camp and did not emerge again.
When the King of Han asked who the challenger had been, he was told, “It was King Xiang Yu.” The King of Han was taken aback.
King Xiang Yu requested a face-to-face meeting with the King of Han. They met at Guangwu, separated by a gorge, where Xiang Yu again challenged the King of Han to a duel. The King of Han denounced him, saying:
“Xiang Yu, you broke the pact and made me the King of Shu and Hanzhong instead—this is your first crime. You forged an edict from King Huai II of Chu and killed Generalissimo Song Yi—your second crime. After rescuing the kingdom of Zhao, you failed to report back to the Honorary Emperor and instead took control of allied troops and seized the Hangu Pass—your third crime. You burned the palaces of Qin and desecrated the tomb of the First Emperor. You looted Qin‘s treasures for your own gain—your fourth crime. You killed the surrendered King of Qin, Ziying—your fifth crime. You deceived and buried 200,000 sons of Qin alive at Xin’an —your sixth crime. You made kings out of your generals, enfeoffed them in rich lands and displaced their former lords to poor regions—your seventh crime. You drove the Honorary Emperor from Pengcheng and made it your capital. You annexed lands from the King of Hann and merged the former kingdoms of Wei and Chu into your own—your eighth crime. You sent assassins to kill the Honorary Emperor south of the Yangtze—your ninth crime. You have ruled unjustly, broken your pledge to the emperor, and the nation can no longer endure your wickedness—your tenth crime. I lead allied forces to rid the country of the last remnants of bandits and bring justice. We are driving convicts and criminals to fight against you—why should I duel with you?”
Infuriated, Xiang Yu shot the King of Han with a crossbow. The arrow struck the King’s chest, but he doubled over and grabbed his foot, exclaiming, “That bastard shot my toe!” The King of Han then took to his bed to recover from the wound.
Zhang Liang insisted that the King of Han rise and inspect the troops, arguing that he needed to reassure his soldiers of his leadership and maintain morale to prevent the Chu army from taking advantage. The King of Han complied, but in doing so aggravated his injury. He quickly returned to Chenggao to recover.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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