Reflection by Rio Grande

Tag: han-dynasty

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 76): Han Xin Exceeding Expectation

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang

    Annals of Han Book 1 Scroll 9 (continued)

    Han and the Three Qins(Yong, Zhai, Sai)

    The 1st year of Emperor Gaozu(206 B.C. continued)

    After the nomination ceremony, the King of Han sat down with Han Xin and said, “The Prime Minister has recommended you so many times. What can you teach me about strategy?” Han Xin expressed his gratitude and downplayed the praise before addressing the King of Han, “It is King Xiang Yu who contends with Your Majesty for power in the east, isn’t it?”

    The King of Han confirmed, “Yes, it is him.”

    Han Xin then asked, “In terms of strength and chivalry, how do you compare yourself to Xiang Yu?”

    After a moment of thought, the King of Han admitted, “I am not as good as him.”

    Han Xin saluted the King of Han and encouraged him, saying, “I agree with Your Majesty’s assessment. However, I once served under Xiang Yu, so I know his personality well. Xiang Yu‘s roar alone can make thousands tremble with fear, but he lacks the ability to choose capable people to assist him, which makes him a force of one. While he treats people kindly and is compassionate, he is also soft-hearted and sentimental. He cries when he sees someone suffering from illness and shares his food and drink with the sick. However, he is also stingy in rewarding his subordinates. Even when they achieve great merits, he is reluctant to grant them high ranks, keeping the seals of power firmly in his own hands until edges are worn out. This is what we call the petty kindness of a woman.”

    “Xiang Yu dominates the nation, and all the rulers submit to him, but he chose Pengcheng as his capital instead of staying in the strategically advantageous Guanzhong region. He gave away territories to his friends unjustly, violating the agreement made with the Honorary Emperor. He removed legitimate rulers and replaced them with generals or ministers of his liking, and he even banished the Honorary Emperor to the south of the Yangtze River. Wherever he goes, he leaves destruction in his wake. The people do not support him; they only fear his might. Although he appears to be the hegemon of the country, he has already lost the people’s hearts. This is his weakness.”

    “If Your Majesty does the opposite of what Xiang Yu does, then his strength could easily turn into his vulnerability. Who could cling to life if you deployed the country’s bravest warriors against him? Who would not heed your command if you rewarded your allies with the nation’s best cities? Who would dare stand in your way if you lead your troops back home rightfully? The three kings of Qin (Zhang Han, Sima Xin, Dong Yi) were once generals who forced the people of Qin to fight for years, witnessing countless deaths. Yet, they coerced these same people to surrender to the Chu forces. When Xiang Yu buried 200,000 prisoners of war alive at Xianyang, only the three generals survived. The people of Qin hate these three to the bone.”

    “The Chu authority installed these generals as kings of Qin by decree, but the people did not accept them. When Your Majesty entered Wu Pass, your troops did not harm a single civilian, and you abolished Qin‘s harsh laws, replacing them with the simple law of three articles. The people of Qin love you and wish for you to be their king. According to the allies’ agreement, you should indeed be the rightful king of Qin. The people all knew the pact, and were outraged when you were sent to Hanzhong. Now, if Your Majesty advances eastward, the three kingdoms of Qin could be conquered simply by issuing a proclamation.”

    The King of Han was deeply moved by Han Xin‘s words and regretted not promoting him sooner. He decided to adopt Han Xin‘s strategy and assigned his generals to their respective targets of attack, while leaving Xiao He in Ba and Shu commanderies to collect taxes and ensure a stable food supply for the army.

    In August, the King of Han launched a surprise attack on the Kingdom of Yong by advancing through Gudao county. Zhang Han, the King of Yong, countered the attack at Chencang county, but his forces were defeated and retreated. They regrouped at Haoshi county but were beaten again and fled back to their capital, Feiqiu. The King of Han captured most of the territory of the Yong Kingdom, advancing as far east as Xianyang, and laid siege to the city of Feiqiu and its ruler, Zhang Han. Meanwhile, he dispatched his generals to capture other territories in the Qin region. The King of Sai, Sima Xin, and the King of Di(Zhai), Dong Yi, both surrendered to the King of Han. The King of Han then established the commanderies of Weinan, Heshang, and Shangjun within Qin‘s territory.

    The King of Han ordered Generals Xue Ou and Wang Xi to move eastward through Wu Pass, where they linked up with Wang Ling‘s forces to escort the King of Han’s father and his wife, Queen Lü, to Guanzhong. Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu deployed his troops to block their advance at Yangxia county.

    Wang Ling, originally from Pei County, had gathered thousands of his followers and occupied Nanyang before joining the King of Han‘s camp with his troops. When Xiang Yu learned of Wang Ling‘s approach, he took Wang Ling’s mother hostage and held her under house arrest in his camp. To persuade Wang Ling to switch allegiance, Xiang Yu received Wang Ling’s envoy with respect, seating Wang Ling’s mother in a place of honor. During a private conversation with the envoy, Wang Ling’s mother said, “Please tell my son to remain loyal to the King of Han. The King of Han is destined to rule the country. He must not waver for the sake of me. I will die to see him off.” She then took her own life by throwing herself onto a sword in front of the envoy.

    Enraged by this act of defiance, Xiang Yu ordered his men to boil the corpse of Wang Ling’s mother.

    King Xiang Yu conferred the title of King of Hán to Zheng Chang, the former magistrate of Wu county, to hinder the advance of the King of Han. 

    Zhang Liang sent a letter to King Xiang Yu: “The King of Han did not get what he deserved. He only wishes to possess Guanzhong (Three Qins). He will stop where all agreed upon in the pact and dares not go further east.” He also sent the rebellion manifestos from the Kingdom of Qi and Kingdom of Liang (Wei) to King Xiang Yu, stating: “The Kingdom of Qi intends to ally with the Kingdom of Zhao to annihilate the Kingdom of Chu.” These communications distracted Xiang Yu‘s attention from the west and redirected his attacks to the north.

    The former King of Yan, Han Guang, had no intention of going to his kingdom in Liaodong. The new King of Yan, Zang Tu, attacked and killed him, then annexed Han Guang’s kingdom. 

    The King of Han appointed Zhou Ke, an old friend from Pei County and the current mayor of Xianyang, as the Grand Master of Censorate. 

    King Xiang Yu hastened the relocation of the Honorary Emperor to his new court, and some of the emperor’s ministers and attendants chose to leave his court.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 65): Ying Bu, The Convict

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang

    Annals of Qin Book 3 Scroll 8 (continued)

    Ying Bu

    The 2nd year of the Second Emperor(208 B.C. continued)

    The left-wing colonel and right-wing colonel of the Qin army launched a counterattack and broke into Chen county. General Lü Chen fled with his Black-Head Army, seeking out his subordinates and reassembling his dispersed soldiers. They joined forces with a rebel group led by a bandit named Qing Bu from Fanyang county. Together, they turned around and confronted the Qin army, commanded by the left and right wing colonels. They routed the Qin forces at Qingbo Lake and successfully reoccupied Chen county.

    Qing Bu hailed from Lu county, though his actual surname was Ying. He had been labeled a criminal and punished with “Qing”—black branding on his face. According to the laws of Qin, he was sent to Lishan as a convict laborer, where the number of laborers amounted to several hundred thousand. Ying Bu befriended the leaders among the laborers and eventually fled with his followers to the Yangtze River basin, where he became the leader of outlaws.

    The magistrate of Poyang county, Wu Rui, was very popular with the people, even in the underworld, and was widely known as Lord Po. Ying Bu led his men to meet Lord Po, and his followers had grown into a force of several thousand. Lord Po married his daughter to Ying Bu and directed him to lead his forces in fighting the Qin army.

    King of Chu, Jing Ju, stayed in Liu county, where the Duke of Pei went to join him. Zhang Liang, who led a group of around a hundred youths, also responded to Jing Ju’s call. He encountered the Duke of Pei and decided to follow him. The Duke of Pei appointed Zhang Liang as his logistic officer. Zhang Liang discussed “The Art of Warfare” by Jiang Ziya (also known as Great-Grandpa Jiang) and offered his strategic advice. The Duke of Pei valued his teachings and often adopted his ideas, though other leaders typically didn’t understand Zhang Liang’s insights. Zhang Liang sighed, “The Duke of Pei is godsent,” and was determined to follow him from then on.

    They both met King Jing Ju and requested reinforcements to attack Feng county. At the time, a staff officer of General Zhang Han, whose name was Yi, led troops to suppress the insurgents in northern Chu, slaughtering the people of Xiang county before advancing to Dang county. Ning Jun of Dongyang and the Duke of Pei led their troops west of Xiao County, where a battle broke out, but they suffered a setback and withdrew to Liu County to regroup. In February, the Duke of Pei launched another attack on Dang county. After a three-day battle, they overcame the resistance and captured Dang county. The Duke of Pei took command of six thousand fighters from Dang county, adding to his original three thousand followers, bringing his force to nine thousand soldiers. In March, they attacked Xiayi county and seized it, then moved on to attack Feng county again but failed to break through.

    Zhao Ping, originally from Guangling county, attempted to seize Guangling for Chen Sheng but failed. When he learned that Chen Sheng was fleeing and Zhang Han was pursuing him, Zhao Ping crossed the Yangtze River and forged a decree in Chen Sheng‘s name, appointing Xiang Liang as the Chief Commander of Chu. The decree stated: “The battles east of the Yangtze River are over. Lead your troops westward to attack the Qin army immediately!” Xiang Liang then led eight thousand soldiers across the Yangtze River, heading west. Upon hearing that Chen Ying had already occupied Dongyang county, he sent an envoy to Chen Ying, urging him to join the western expedition.

    Chen Ying, a former staffer of the Dongyang county magistrate, lived in the county center and was known as a cautious and trustworthy elder. When the youths of Dongyang county rioted and killed the county’s magistrate, twenty thousand insurgents gathered and pushed Chen Ying forward to become king. However, Chen Ying‘s mother warned him against it: “Since I married into this family, I have never heard of your ancestors being highborn. It does not bode well to suddenly take on a lofty title. It would be better to be a follower than a leader. If the insurrection succeeds, you will be rewarded with a marquisate. If it fails, you can escape more easily because you are not so recognized by the world.” Taking his mother’s advice, Chen Ying refused to become king. He explained to his followers, “Xiang Liang‘s family has served as generals for the kingdom of Chu for generations and is well-known in Chu. To succeed in our uprising, we must have him as our commander. We can bring down the kingdom of Qin if we rely on this renowned clan.” Chen Ying‘s subordinates agreed, and they went under Xiang Liang‘s command.

    Ying Bu’s troops defeated the Qin army and moved eastward until they heard that Xiang Liang’s forces had crossed the Huai River and were marching westward. The armed forces of Ying Bu and General Pu then accepted Xiang Liang as their commander. With these new additions, Xiang Liang’s forces grew to between sixty and seventy thousand soldiers. They set up camp in the city of Xiapi. Meanwhile, the King of Chu, Jing Ju, and his top general, Qin Jia, camped their forces to the east of Pengcheng, appearing to challenge Xiang Liang‘s leadership.

    Addressing his soldiers, Xiang Liang declared: “King Chen Sheng was the first to rise against Qin. He suffered setbacks, and we do not know his current whereabouts. Qin Jia betrayed King Chen Sheng and installed Jing Ju as the King of Chu. That is an act of treachery!” With that, Xiang Liang led his troops to attack Qin Jia‘s camp. Qin Jia‘s forces were overwhelmed, and Xiang Liang‘s army pursued them to Huling. Qin Jia attempted a counter-attack, but after a full day of battle, he was killed, and his troops surrendered. Jing Ju fled but later died in the Kingdom of Wei.

    Xiang Liang merged his forces with those of Qin Jia and established their camps at Huling, planning to continue his westward campaign. A detachment under the command of General Zhang Han approached Li county, prompting Xiang Liang to order his lieutenants, Zhu Jishi and Yu Fanjun, to attack. The battle ended disastrously: Yu Fanjun was killed, and Zhu Jishi fled back to Huling, where their troops were defeated. In response, Xiang Liang led his forces to occupy Xuecheng and executed Zhu Jishi for his failure.

    The Duke of Pei, accompanied by about a hundred cavalry, came to meet Xiang Liang. Impressed by his commitment, Xiang Liang assigned five thousand soldiers and ten high-ranking military officers to support the Duke of Pei. The Duke of Pei led these reinforcements back to Feng County, launching another assault. This time, he successfully captured the city, forcing Yong Chi to flee to the Kingdom of Wei.

    Xiang Liang then ordered Xiang Ji (whose courtesy name was Xiang Yu) to capture Xiangcheng county. Despite fierce resistance, Xiang Yu‘s troops eventually broke through after a prolonged battle. In a brutal move, Xiang Yu commanded that all the city’s residents be buried alive. He reported his actions back to Xiang Liang.

    Xiang Liang finally confirmed that King Chen Sheng was dead. He summoned all his commanders to Xuecheng to strategize for the future, and the Duke of Pei also attended the meeting. Among the advisors was Fan Zeng, a seventy-year-old hermit from Juchao known for his original ideas. Fan Zeng offered his counsel to Xiang Liang:

    “King Chen Sheng‘s downfall was inevitable. Of the six kingdoms annexed by Qin, the Kingdom of Chu was the most innocent. Ever since King Huai of Chu was tricked into visiting Qin and never returned, the people of Chu have mourned for him and kept his memory alive. That is why an old man from southern Chu predicted: ‘The Kingdom of Qin will ultimately be destroyed by the people of Chu, even if only three families of Chu remain.’ Chen Sheng was the first to rise against Qin, but he made the mistake of declaring himself king instead of restoring a descendant of King Huai of Chu. That is why he quickly lost support. Now, you have risen from east of the Yangtze River, and all the warriors follow you and obey your commands. They do so because your family has produced top generals for Chu for generations. Only you can lead the restoration of the Chu royal lineage.”

    Xiang Liang applauded this advice. He sought out Xiong Xin, the grandson of King Huai of Chu, who had been living in obscurity and herding sheep. In June, Xiang Liang installed Xiong Xin as King Huai II of Chu to align with the people’s wish. He also granted Chen Ying the title of Generalissimo and the fiefdom of five counties. Chen Ying and the new King Huai II set up their headquarters in the capital city of Xuyi. Xiang Liang took the title of Lord Wuxin for himself.