Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 2 Scroll 10
Duration of 2 years
The 3rd year of the Emperor Gaozu (204 B.C.)
In October of that winter, Han Xin and Zhang Er led tens of thousands of troops eastward to attack the Kingdom of Zhao. The King of Zhao, Zhao Xie, and Lord Cheng’an, Chen Yu, assembled their army at Jingxing Pass, claiming to have two hundred thousand soldiers.
Li Zuoche, known as Lord Guangwu, advised Chen Yu: “Han Xin and Zhang Er are on a long-distance expedition, advancing on the momentum of consecutive victories. Engaging them head-on is unwise. There’s a saying: ‘Soldiers go hungry when you have to procure food from a thousand miles away; the army won’t sleep with their stomach full if you chop firewood at cooking time.’ The path at Jingxing Pass is so narrow that two chariots can’t pass side by side. The cavalry can’t maintain their usual formation, and their marching train stretches for hundreds of miles, with their supply train at the rear. If you lend me thirty thousand troops, I’ll attack their baggage train from the backroads. Meanwhile, you should dig trenches and build defensive walls. Avoid direct engagement. They won’t be able to fight you from the front or retreat. Within ten days, the heads of Han Xin and Zhang Er will be displayed under your banner. Otherwise, we will be captured by them.”
However, Lord Cheng’an, proud of his army’s reputation for an honorable style that was above trickery, rejected Lord Guangwu’s plan: “Han Xin’s army is small and weary from battle. If we hold back from fighting, other monarchs might see us as cowards and attack us without thinking in the future.”
Han Xin sent spies to gather intelligence on the Kingdom of Zhao. Upon learning that Chen Yu had not adopted Lord Guangwu’s plan, he was overjoyed and issued the order to proceed. They set up camp ten miles from Jingxing Pass, and at midnight, Han Xin gave the signal to act. He selected two thousand light cavalry, giving each soldier a red flag, and sent them to hide on a summit reached by trails near Zhao’s camp. He instructed: “When the troops of Zhao pursue us during our retreat, you will enter their camp, take down their flags, and raise the red flags of Han.”
He told his lieutenant generals to have a light meal, promising a grand lunch after they defeated the army of Zhao. The generals, doubtful, replied sarcastically: “Sure.” Han Xin explained: “The Zhao army holds the strategic positions and has fortified their defenses. They won’t come out to attack us unless they see my commander’s banner, fearing we might retreat when faced with danger.” He then ordered ten thousand soldiers to advance through Jingxing Pass and set up a formation with their backs to the river. The soldiers of Zhao ridiculed this maneuver.
At dawn, Han Xin raised his commander’s banners and led his army through Jingxing Pass with a fanfare of drums and trumpets. The Zhao forces, seeing this, left their fortresses and attacked Han’s army. A fierce battle ensued for a long time. Han Xin and Zhang Er pretended to retreat, abandoning their banners and drums, and fled toward their formation by the river. Their troops let them in and fought fiercely against Zhao’s pursuing forces.
As the Zhao soldiers poured out of their camp to seize the abandoned banners and drums, Han Xin’s two thousand cavalry swooped in and captured Zhao’s empty camp, replacing their flags with Han’s red flags. Meanwhile, Han Xin and Zhang Er led their forces by the river in a fierce counterattack. The Zhao army, distracted by looting, was startled when they saw Han’s red flags flying over their camp. Believing their king and commander had been captured, they panicked and fled in disarray. Even when generals of Zhao executed fleeing soldiers, they could not restore order. Han Xin’s forces attacked from both sides, crushing the Zhao army. Lord Cheng’an was beheaded by the Zhi River, and the King of Zhao, Zhao Xie, was captured.
The generals of Han returned with severed heads and prisoners of war, congratulating one another. Then they asked Han Xin, “The military manuals say: ‘A battle formation should be positioned with mountains and highlands to the right and behind, and rivers and lakes to the left and front.’ Yet you ordered us to do the opposite, placing our backs to the river. You also said, ‘We’ll have a big lunch after defeating the army of Zhao.’ We were skeptical at the time, but now we’ve won a great victory. What strategy did you use?”
Han Xin replied: “This strategy is also in the manual—you simply overlooked it. The art of war says: ‘Place your soldiers in a position of death, and they will fight to survive; put them in a hopeless situation, and they will find a way to live.’ I didn’t have the luxury of commanding a well-trained army. I had to lead civilians onto the battlefield. In such a situation, I needed to force them into a desperate position where each soldier had to fight for his life. If I had given them an easy way out, they would have fled, and how would I have kept them under command?”
The generals were awestruck: “Brilliant! General Han is truly beyond us!”
Han Xin declared that whoever captured Lord Guangwu alive would be rewarded with thousands of catties of gold. Sure enough, someone soon delivered the bound Lord Guangwu to his headquarters. Han Xin, however, released him and seated him facing east, treating him as a mentor. Han Xin humbly sought advice: “I plan to raid the kingdom of Yan to the north and the kingdom of Qi to the east. How can I ensure success?”
Lord Guangwu demurred, “I am a captive of a losing battle; should I really be consulted on such important matters?”
Han Xin persisted: “I have heard of Baili Xi, who lived in the state of Yu. Yu was annexed, but when Baili Xi lived in the kingdom of Qin, Qin became dominant. It wasn’t because Baili Xi was foolish in Yu and suddenly became brilliant in Qin—it all depended on whether the king adopted his proposals. Had Lord Cheng’an followed your advice, I would have been captured. I can listen to your advice today because your plan was not adopted. I sincerely seek your guidance. I hope you won’t turn me down, your honor.”
Lord Guangwu responded: “General Han, you crossed the Yellow River, captured the king of Wei, and then Xia Yue. You marched through Jingxing eastward and crushed the mighty Zhao army of 200,000 soldiers before noon, even beheading Lord Cheng’an. Your fame is widespread, and you inspire awe throughout the country. Even farmers lay down their plows and cease tilling. They now live hedonistically, consuming their finest foods and wearing their best clothes, eagerly waiting for fate’s next arrangement. That’s your strong hand. But the people are weary of war, and the soldiers are exhausted. If you drive these worn-out troops against Yan’s strongholds, they won’t engage you in battle. You might not breach their fortress, and they’ll know your troops better. You’ll lose your momentum. As the war drags on, your supplies will run out. If Yan holds firm, Qi will bolster its defenses and become more assertive. If both Yan and Qi hold out, the balance of power between Chu and Han will become unpredictable. That’s your weak hand. A good strategist uses his strong hand to cover his weak hand, not the other way around.”
Han Xin asked, “What should I do then?”
Lord Guangwu replied: “If I were you, I would let the troops rest and pacify the people of Zhao. The locals within a hundred miles would bring in beef and wine to cater to your staff. You should adopt an aggressive stance toward the north but send emissaries to showcase your strength to Yan. Yan won’t dare disobey. Once Yan submits, you can move on to Qi. By then, even a wise strategist will have no plan to save Qi. This way, you will be on the path to conquering the whole country. Warfare begins with bluff and bluster, followed by real actions. That’s what I mean.”
Han Xin appreciated the advice: “A good strategy!” He followed Lord Guangwu‘s counsel and sent envoys to Yan. The king of Yan immediately conceded. Han Xin then sent messengers to report the good news to the king of Han and petitioned for Zhang Er to be made king of Zhao. The king of Han approved. There were several sneak attacks from Chu‘s army, which crossed the Yellow River to raid Zhao. Zhang Er and Han Xin busied themselves defending Zhao, bringing its towns and cities under control. They even drafted soldiers and sent them to aid the king of Han.
Reflection by Rio Grande 