So King Xiang got on his horse, and with more than 800 strong cavalrymen following him, they broke through the encirclement and galloped southwards under the cover of night. After daybreak, the Han army discovered it and ordered the cavalry general Guan Ying to lead 5,000 cavalrymen to pursue. King Xiang crossed the Huai River, and only more than 100 cavalrymen could keep up with him. King Xiang arrived at Yinling and lost his way. He asked a farmer, who lied to him and said, "Go left." King Xiang fled to the left, but fell into a large swamp. Because of this, the Han army caught up with them. King Xiang led his troops to flee eastward again, and when arrived at Dongcheng, he was left with only 28 cavalrymen. The cavalrymen of the Han army who came to pursue numbered several thousand. King Xiang realized that he could not escape, so he said to his cavalry: "It has been eight years since I started my army. I have personally fought more than seventy battles. All those who resisted me were defeated, and all those I attacked surrendered. I have never been defeated, so I can dominate the world. However, I am trapped here now. It is Heaven who wants me to die, not because I made a mistake in the battle. Today is supposed to be a life-and-death battle. I hope to fight for you and win three consecutive battles. I will break through the encirclement for you, kill the enemy generals, and cut down the enemy flags. Let you know that it is Heaven who wants me to die, not because I made a mistake in the battle." King Xiang then divided his cavalry into four teams, facing the four directions. The Han army surrounded them heavily. King Xiang said to his cavalry: "I will take the life of an enemy general for you." King Xiang ordered the cavalry to charge in four directions and agreed to meet in three places east of the mountain. So King Xiang rushed forward with a loud shout, and all the Han soldiers fell down wherever he went, and finally killed a Han general. At this time, Chiquan Hou served as the cavalry commander and pursued King Xiang. King Xiang glared at him and shouted at him. Chiquan Hou and his horse were shocked and retreated several miles. King Xiang and his cavalry met at the three agreed places. The Han army did not know where King Xiang was, so they divided the army into three and surrounded King Xiang again. King Xiang then rode away on horseback, killed another Han army captain, killed dozens or hundreds of people, and then gathered his cavalry together, only two cavalrymen died. King Xiang said to his cavalry: "How is it?" The cavalrymen all fell to the ground and said: "It's just as the king said."
So King Xiang wanted to cross the Wujiang River to the east. The head of Wujiang River moored his boat to the shore and waited. He said to King Xiang: "Although Jiangdong is small, the land is a thousand miles in radius and the people are hundreds of thousands. It is enough to be king there. I hope the king will cross the river quickly. Now there is only this one boat of mine. When the Han army comes here, there is no way to cross the river." King Xiang smiled and said: "Heaven wants me to perish, so what can I do if I cross the river? Besides, I and 8,000 Jiangdong men crossed the river and marched westward. Now no one has returned. Even if the fathers and brothers of Jiangdong pity me and let me be king there, how can I face them? Even if they don't say anything, don't I feel guilty?" So he said to the head of the pavilion: "I know you are a loyal person. I have ridden this horse for five years. It is invincible. It once traveled a thousand miles a day. I couldn't bear to kill it, so I gave it to you." He ordered the cavalry to dismount and walk, holding short weapons to fight. Xiang Ji killed hundreds of Han soldiers alone. King Xiang himself was also injured more than ten times. He turned around and saw Lü Matong, the cavalry commander of the Han army, and said, "Aren't you my old friend?" Lü Matong turned around and pointed to Wang Yi, saying, "This is King Xiang." King Xiang then said, "I heard that the King of Han offered a reward of 1,000 gold and 10,000 households for my head, so I'll help you." So he committed suicide. Wang Yi cut off his head, and the other cavalrymen trampled on each other to fight for King Xiang's body, killing dozens of people. In the end, the cavalry chamberlain for attendants Yang Xi, the cavalry commander Lü Matong, the chamberlain for attendants Lü Sheng and Yang Wu each got a part of King Xiang's limbs. When the five people put the limbs together, they all belonged to King Xiang. So the King of Han divided the rewarded fief into five: Lü Matong was made Marquis of Zhongshui, Wang Yi was made Marquis of Duyan, Yang Xi was made Marquis of Chiquan, Yang Wu was made Marquis of Wufang, and Lü Sheng was made Marquis of Nieyang.
于是项王乃上马骑，麾下壮士骑从者八百余人，直夜溃围南出，驰走。平明，汉军乃觉之，令骑将灌婴以五千骑追之。项王渡淮，骑能属者百余人耳。项王至阴陵，迷失道，问一田父，田父绐曰“左”。左，乃陷大泽中。以故汉追及之。项王乃复引兵而东，至东城，乃有二十八骑。汉骑追者数千人。项王自度不得脱。谓其骑曰：“吾起兵至今八岁矣，身七十余战，所当者破，所击者服，未尝败北，遂霸有天下。然今卒困于此，此天之亡我，非战之罪也。今日固决死，愿为诸君快战，必三胜之，为诸君溃围，斩将，刈旗，令诸君知天亡我，非战之罪也。”乃分其骑以为四队，四向。汉军围之数重。项王谓其骑曰：“吾为公取彼一将。”令四面骑驰下，期山东为三处。于是项王大呼驰下，汉军皆披靡，遂斩汉一将。是时，赤泉侯为骑将，追项王，项王瞋目而叱之，赤泉侯人马俱惊，辟易数里与其骑会为三处。汉军不知项王所在，乃分军为三，复围之。项王乃驰，复斩汉一都尉，杀数十百人，复聚其骑，亡其两骑耳。乃谓其骑曰：“何如？”骑皆伏曰：“如大王言。”
于是项王乃欲东渡乌江。乌江亭长檥船待，谓项王曰：“江东虽小，地方千里，众数十万人，亦足王也。愿大王急渡。今独臣有船，汉军至，无以渡。”项王笑曰：“天之亡我，我何渡为！且籍与江东子弟八千人渡江而西，今无一人还，纵江东父兄怜而王我，我何面目见之？纵彼不言，籍独不愧于心乎？”乃谓亭长曰：“吾知公长者。吾骑此马五岁，所当无敌，尝一日行千里，不忍杀之，以赐公。”乃令骑皆下马步行，持短兵接战。独籍所杀汉军数百人。项王身亦被十余创。顾见汉骑司马吕马童，曰：“若非吾故人乎？”马童面之，指王翳曰：“此项王也。”项王乃曰：“吾闻汉购我头千金，邑万户，吾为若德。”乃自刎而死。王翳取其头，余骑相蹂践争项王，相杀者数十人。最其后，郎中骑杨喜，骑司马吕马童，郎中吕胜、杨武各得其一体。五人共会其体，皆是。故分其地为五：封吕马童为中水侯，封王翳为杜衍侯，封杨喜为赤泉侯，封杨武为吴防侯，封吕胜为涅阳侯。
No comments:
Post a Comment