188 Han Xin

A7.33|34|35

At this time, Peng Yue repeatedly counterattacked the Chu army in Liangdi, cutting off the route for the Chu army to transport food, and King Xiang was very worried about this. He prepared a high table, put Taigong on it, and warned the King of Han: "If you don't surrender quickly, I will cook and kill Taigong." The King of Han said: "You and I both face north and obey King Huai. We have said that we are brothers. My father is your father. If you must cook and kill your own father, please give me a cup of meat soup." King Xiang was very angry and wanted to cook and kill Taigong. Xiang Bo said: "The situation in the world is still unclear, and those who fight for the world will not take care of their families. Even if he is killed, it will not be good, but will only add to the disaster." King Xiang listened to Xiang Bo's advice.

The Chu and Han armies were in a stalemate for a long time, and the young and strong were exhausted from marching and fighting, and the old and weak were exhausted from transporting supplies. King Xiang said to the King of Han: "The world has been in chaos for many years, just because of the two of us. I would like to challenge the King of Han to a duel, so as not to let the people of the world suffer in vain." The King of Han smiled and declined, saying: "I would rather compete in wisdom than strength." King Xiang ordered his warriors to go out and challenge. The Han army had a man named Lou Fan who was good at riding and archery. The Chu army challenged him three times in a row, and Lou Fan shot the warriors who came to challenge him to death. King Xiang was very angry, so he personally put on armor and took up a long halberd to challenge. Lou Fan wanted to shoot, but King Xiang stared at him and scolded him. Lou Fan dared not look directly at him, dared not shoot an arrow, and ran into the camp and never dared to come out again. The King of Han sent someone to secretly inquire, and only then did he know that it was King Xiang. The King of Han was shocked. So King Xiang approached the King of Han's camp and talked to him across the Guangwu Stream. The King of Han listed King Xiang's crimes, and King Xiang was very angry and wanted to fight. The King of Han disagreed, and the archers in the ambushed in King Xiang's army shot King Han. The King of Han was injured and fled back to Chenggao. 

When King Xiang heard that the Marquis of Huaiyin had conquered Hebei, defeated the armies of Qi and Zhao, and wanted to attack the Chu army, he sent Long Qie to fight. Han Xin the Marquis of Huaiyin fought with Long Qie, and the cavalry general Guan Ying attacked Long Qie, defeated the Chu army, and killed Long Qie. Han Xin took the opportunity to establish himself as the King of Qi. When King Xiang heard that Long Qie's army was defeated, he was afraid and sent Wu She, a native of Xutai, to persuade the Marquis of Huaiyin. The Marquis of Huaiyin did not listen. At this time, Peng Yue rebelled against the Chu army again, conquered Liangdi, and cut off the food supply of the Chu army. King Xiang said to Cao Jiu, Marquis Haichun the Grand Marshal, and others: "Be careful to defend Chenggao. Even if the Han army wants to challenge, don't fight with them. Just don't let them go east. I will kill Peng Yue within fifteen days, pacify Liangdi, and then come back to meet the general." So King Xiang marched eastward, attacking Chenliu and Waihuang along the way.

当此时，彭越数反梁地，绝楚粮食，项王患之。为高俎，置太公其上，告汉王曰：“今不急下，吾烹太公。”汉王曰：“吾与项羽俱北面受命怀王，曰‘约为兄弟’，吾翁即若翁，必欲烹而翁，则幸分我一桮羹。”项王怒，欲杀之。项伯曰：“天下事未可知，且为天下者不顾家，虽杀之无益，祇益祸耳。”项王从之。

楚汉久相持未决，丁壮苦军旅，老弱罢转漕。项王谓汉王曰：“天下匈匈数岁者，徒以吾两人耳，愿与汉王挑战决雌雄，毋徒苦天下之民父子为也。”汉王笑谢曰：“吾宁斗智，不能斗力。”项王令壮士出挑战。汉有善骑射者楼烦，楚挑战三合，楼烦辄射杀之。项王大怒，乃自被甲持戟挑战。楼烦欲射之，项王瞋目叱之，楼烦目不敢视，手不敢发，遂走还入壁，不敢复出。汉王使人间问之，乃项王也。汉王大惊。于是项王乃即汉王相与临广武间而语。汉王数之，项王怒，欲一战。汉王不听，项王伏弩射中汉王。汉王伤，走入成皋。

项王闻淮阴侯已举河北，破齐、赵，且欲击楚，乃使龙且往击之。淮阴侯与战，骑将灌婴击之，大破楚军，杀龙且。韩信因自立为齐王。项王闻龙且军破，则恐，使盱台人武濊涉往说淮阴侯。淮阴侯弗听。是时，彭越复反，下梁地，绝楚粮。项王乃谓海春侯大司马曹咎等曰：“谨守成皋，则汉欲挑战，慎勿与战，毋令得东而已。我十五日必诛彭越，定梁地，复从将军。”乃东，行击陈留、外黄。

187 Ji Xin

A7.29…32

Ji Xin, a general of Han, advised the King of Han: "The situation is very critical. Please let me pretend to be the king and deceive the Chu army, so that the king can take the opportunity to escape." So the King of Han released two thousand women in armor from the east gate of Xingyang at night, and the Chu army surrounded them from all sides. Ji Xin rode in a carriage with yellow umbrella and left banner (signs of royalty). He said: "The food in the city has been eaten up, and the King of Han will surrender." The soldiers of the Chu army shouted hooray. At this time, the King of Han and dozens of cavalrymen left the city from the west gate and fled to Chenggao. King Xiang saw Ji Xin and asked him: "Where is the King of Han?" Ji Xin said: "The King of Han has left the city." King Xiang burned Ji Xin alive.

The King of Han sent the imperial censor Zhou Ke, Cong Gong, and Wei Bao to garrison Xingyang. Zhou Ke and Cong Gong discussed and said: "Wei Bao is the king of a rebellious country. It is difficult to defend the city with him." So the two killed Wei Bao together. The Chu army captured Xingyang City and captured Zhou Ke alive. King Xiang said to Zhou Ke: "Be my general, I will make you the general and the chief of 30 thousand households." Zhou Ke cursed: "If you don't surrender to the King of Han quickly, the King of Han will capture you. You are no match for the King of Han!" King Xiang was very angry and cooked Zhou Ke and killed Cong Gong.

After the King of Han escaped from Xingyang, he passed through Wan County and Ye County in the south, recruited Ying Bu the King of Jiujiang to surrender, gathered the scattered soldiers along the way, and entered Chenggao, and made stronger defense. In the fourth year of the Han Dynasty (203 BC), King Xiang marched to besiege Chenggao. The King of Han fled, and he went out of the north gate of Chenggao alone with Teng Gong, crossed the Yellow River and fled to Xiuwu, and came to the military camp of Zhang Er and Han Xin. The generals fled Chenggao one after another and followed the King of Han. The Chu army finally captured Chenggao and wanted to march westward. The King of Han sent troops to resist in Gong, preventing it from advancing westward.

At this time, Peng Yue crossed the Yellow River and attacked the Chu army in Dong'e, killing the Chu general Xue Gong. King Xiang then personally went east to attack Peng Yue. The King of Han obtained the army of Marquis Huaiyin and wanted to cross the Yellow River to the south. Zheng Zhong dissuaded the King of Han, and the King of Han stayed in Henei to build a camp. The King of Han sent Liu Jia to lead the army to assist Peng Yue and burn the supplies gathered by the Chu army. King Xiang went east to defeat the Han army, and Peng Yue fled. The King of Han led his army across the Yellow River, recaptured Chenggao, and stationed in Guangwu, obtaining the food supplies in Ao Cang. King Xiang headed west after pacifying Donghai, and stationed against the Han army in Guangwu. The two armies fought for several months.

汉将纪信说汉王曰：“事已急矣，请为王诳楚为王，王可以间出。”于是汉王夜出女子荥阳东门被甲二千人，楚兵四面击之。纪信乘黄屋车，傅左纛，曰：“城中食尽，汉王降。”楚军皆呼万岁。汉王亦与数十骑从城西门出，走成皋。项王见纪信，问：“汉王安在？”曰：“汉王已出矣。”项王烧杀纪信。

汉王使御史大夫周苛、枞公、魏豹守荥阳。周苛、枞公谋曰：“反国之王，难与守城。”乃共杀魏豹。楚下荥阳城，生得周苛。项王谓周苛曰：“为我将，我以公为上将军，封三万户。”周苛骂曰：“若不趣降汉，汉今虏若，若非汉敌也。”项王怒，烹周苛，并杀枞公。

汉王之出荥阳，南走宛、叶，得九江王布，行收兵，复入保成皋。汉之四年，项王进兵围成皋。汉王逃，独与滕公出成皋北门，渡河走脩武，从张耳、韩信军。诸将稍稍得出成皋，从汉王。楚遂拔成皋，欲西。汉使兵距之巩，令其不得西。

是时，彭越渡河击楚东阿，杀楚将军薛公。项王乃自东击彭越。汉王得淮阴侯兵，欲渡河南。郑忠说汉王，乃止壁河内。使刘贾将兵佐彭越，烧楚积聚。项王东击破之，走彭越。汉王则引兵渡河，复取成皋，军广武，就敖仓食。项王已定东海来，西，与汉俱临广武而军，相守数月。

186 Fan Zeng

A7.26…28

At that time, Empress Lü's brother, Marquis of Zhou Lü, was stationed as a general in Xiayi with troops for the Han State. The King of Han took a small path to his military camp and gradually gathered the fleeing soldiers. When they arrived in Xingyang, the defeated armies gathered together. Xiao He also conscripted all the old and the weak in Guanzhong and sent them to Xingyang, then the spirit of Han army was greatly lifted and boosted again. The Chu army set out from Pengcheng and took advantage of the victory to pursue the defeated army. They fought with the Han army between Jing and Suo south of Xingyang. The Han army defeated the Chu army, and the Chu army could not cross Xingyang and continue westward.

When King Xiang came to rescue Pengcheng, he pursued King Han to Xingyang. Tian Heng also took the opportunity to recapture Qi and made Tian Rong's son Tian Guang the King of Qi. When King Han was defeated in Pengcheng, the princes defected to Chu and betrayed Han. The Han army was stationed in Xingyang and built a corridor to connect to the Yellow River to transport grain from Ao Cang. In the third year of Han (204 BC), King Xiang repeatedly invaded the corridors of the Han army and seized food. The King of Han was short of food and felt afraid, so he asked for reconciliation and demanded that the land west of Xingyang be ceded to the Han State. 

King Xiang wanted to agree to this condition. Fan Zeng, the Marquis of Liyang, said, "The Han army is easy to deal with. If we give up now and don't take it, we will regret it later." So King Xiang and Fan Zeng surrounded Xingyang in a hurry. King Han was worried, he adopted Chen Ping's strategy to alienate King Xiang and his ministers. King Xiang's envoy arrived and they prepared a rich meal and was ready to offer it. The person delivered the meal saw the envoy and pretended to be surprised and said, "I thought it was the envoy of Yafu, but it turned out to be the envoy of King Xiang!" He took away the meal and replaced it with a coarse meal for King Xiang's envoy. The envoy came back to report it to King Xiang, who then suspected that Fan Zeng had colluded with the Han army in private and gradually deprived him of his power. Fan Zeng was very angry and said, "The situation in the world has been determined. Please take care of yourself. Please allow me to retire and return home." King Xiang agreed. Fan Zeng died of a poisonous sore on his back before he reached Pengcheng.

是时吕后兄周吕侯为汉将兵居下邑，汉王间往从之，稍稍收其士卒。至荥阳，诸败军皆会，萧何亦发关中老弱未傅悉诣荥阳，复大振。楚起于彭城，常乘胜逐北，与汉战荥阳南京、索间，汉败楚，楚以故不能过荥阳而西。

项王之救彭城，追汉王至荥阳，田横亦得收齐，立田荣子广为齐王。汉王之败彭城，诸侯皆复与楚而背汉。汉军荥阳，筑甬道属之河，以取敖仓粟。汉之三年，项王数侵夺汉甬道，汉王食乏，恐，请和，割荥阳以西为汉。

项王欲听之。历阳侯范增曰：“汉易与耳，今释弗取，后必悔之。”项王乃与范增急围荥阳。汉王患之，乃用陈平计间项王。项王使者来，为太牢具，举欲进之。见使者，详惊愕曰：“吾以为亚父使者，乃反项王使者。”更持去，以恶食食项王使者。使者归报项王，项王乃疑范增与汉有私，稍夺之权。范增大怒，曰：“天下事大定矣，君王自为之。愿赐骸骨归卒伍。”项王许之。行未至彭城，疽发背而死。

185 Hán (韩) and Hàn (汉)

A7.24|25

At this time, the King of Hàn returned and pacified the Three Qins. Xiang Yu heard that the King of Hàn had annexed the entire Guanzhong area and began to march eastward, and Qi and Zhao also betrayed him, he was very angry. So Xiang Yu appointed Zheng Chang, the former magistrate of Wu County, as the King of Hán (韩) to stop the Hàn (汉) army, and ordered Xiao Gongjiao and others to attack Peng Yue. Peng Yue defeated Xiao Gongjiao and others, and the King of Hàn (汉) sent Zhang Liang to attack Hán (韩). Zhang Liang wrote to the King of Xiang, saying: "The King of Hàn has lost the official title he deserves, and wants to get Guanzhong. If the agreement is fulfilled, he will stop marching and dare not march eastward." Zhang Liang also sent the rebellious documents of Qi and Liang to the King of Xiang, saying: "Qi wants to join forces with Zhao to destroy Chu." For this reason, the Chu army had no intention of marching westward, but instead attacked Qi in the north. The King Xiang recruited soldiers from Ying Bu, the King of Jiujiang. Ying Bu claimed to be sick and did not go, and only sent a general to lead a few thousand people. From then on, the King Xiang began to resent Ying Bu.

In the winter of the second year of the Hàn Dynasty (205 BC), Xiang Yu marched north to Chengyang, and Tian Rong also led his army to Chengyang to fight him. Tian Rong could not win, so he fled to Pingyuan, where the people killed him. Xiang Yu then marched north and burned the city walls and houses of Qi, buried all of Tian Rong's surrendered soldiers alive, and captured the old, weak, and women of Qi. The Chu army attacked cities and territories from Qi to Beihai County, destroying most of the places they went to. The people of Qi gathered together to rebel against Xiang Yu. So Tian Rong's brother Tian Heng gathered the fleeing soldiers of the Qi army and got tens of thousands of people, and rebelled in Chengyang. King Xiang therefore stayed to fight, but he failed to capture Chengyang after several consecutive battles.

(Translator’s notes. Hán (韩), as South Korea. Hàn (汉), as Chinese national.) 

In the spring, the King of Han (汉) dispatched the armies of the five vassal states, totaling 560 thousand men, to attack the State of Chu in the east. When King Xiang heard about this, he immediately ordered his generals to attack the State of Qi, while he led 30 thousand elite soldiers to the south from Lu County across Huling. In April, the Han army had already entered Pengcheng, confiscated and looted Xiang Yu's treasures and beauties, and held banquets every day. King Xiang went west through Xiao County, attacked the Han army in the early morning, and marched eastward to Pengcheng. At noon, he defeated the Han army. The Han army soldiers all fled, and fled into Gushui and Sishui one after another. The Chu army killed more than 100 thousand Han soldiers. The Han soldiers all fled to the mountains in the south, and the Chu army chased them to the Suishui River east of Lingbi. The Han army retreated, and was forced by the Chu army, and most of them were killed. More than 100 thousand Han soldiers fell into the Suishui River, blocking it. The Chu army surrounded the King of Han in three layers. At this time, a strong wind blew from the northwest, breaking trees, overturning houses, and raising sand and stones. The day was as dark as dusk, and the strong wind blew towards the Chu army. The Chu army was in chaos and the formation was scattered, so the King of Han was able to escape with dozens of cavalrymen. The King of Han wanted to take his family and retreat westward through Pei County. The Chu army also sent people to Pei County to rob the King of Han's family. The King of Han's family all fled and did not see the King of Han. The King of Han met Prince Xiaohui (who later became the Emperor the Second of Han) and Princess Luyuan on the road, and took them with him. The cavalry of the Chu army chased the King of Han. The King of Han was very anxious, so he pushed Emperor Xiaohui and Princess Luyuan off the car. Duke Teng always got off the car and picked them up again, and this happened many times. Duke Teng said: "Although the situation is critical, we can't make the car go faster, but how can we abandon them?" The King of Han finally escaped. The King of Han looked for Taigong and Empress Lu but couldn't find them. Shen Yiji, Taigong and Empress Lu took a small road to look for the King of Han, but encountered the Chu army instead. The Chu army took them back and reported to King Xiang, who kept them in the army.

是时，汉还定三秦。项羽闻汉王皆已并关中，且东，齐、赵叛之：大怒。乃以故吴令郑昌为韩王，以距汉。令萧公角等击彭越。彭越败萧公角等。汉使张良徇韩，乃遗项王书曰：“汉王失职，欲得关中，如约即止，不敢东。”又以齐、梁反书遗项王曰：“齐欲与赵并灭楚。”楚以此故无西意，而北击齐。徵兵九江王布。布称疾不往，使将将数千人行。项王由此怨布也。汉之二年冬，项羽遂北至城阳，田荣亦将兵会战。田荣不胜，走至平原，平原民杀之。遂北烧夷齐城郭室屋，皆阬田荣降卒，系虏其老弱妇女。徇齐至北海，多所残灭。齐人相聚而叛之。于是田荣弟田横收齐亡卒得数万人，反城阳。项王因留，连战未能下。

春，汉王部五诸侯兵，凡五十六万人，东伐楚。项王闻之，即令诸将击齐，而自以精兵三万人南从鲁出胡陵。四月，汉皆已入彭城，收其货宝美人，日置酒高会。项王乃西从萧，晨击汉军而东，至彭城，日中，大破汉军。汉军皆走，相随入谷、泗水，杀汉卒十余万人。汉卒皆南走山，楚又追击至灵壁东睢水上。汉军卻，为楚所挤，多杀，汉卒十余万人皆入睢水，睢水为之不流。围汉王三匝。于是大风从西北而起，折木发屋，扬沙石，窈冥昼晦，逢迎楚军。楚军大乱，坏散，而汉王乃得与数十骑遁去，欲过沛，收家室而西；楚亦使人追之沛，取汉王家：家皆亡，不与汉王相见。汉王道逢得孝惠、鲁元，乃载行。楚骑追汉王，汉王急，推堕孝惠、鲁元车下，滕公常下收载之。如是者三。曰：“虽急不可以驱，柰何弃之？”于是遂得脱。求太公、吕后不相遇。审食其从太公、吕后间行，求汉王，反遇楚军。楚军遂与归，报项王，项王常置军中。