Full-text translation of "Historical Records of Xiang Yu"

Xiang Ji is a native of Xiaxiang, with the courtesy name Yu. He was only twenty-four years old when he first joined the army. His uncle's name was Xiang Liang, and Xiang Liang's father was the Chu general Xiang Yan, who was killed by the Qin general Wang Jian. The Xiang family served as Chu generals for generations and was granted the title of Xiang Yi, hence the surname Xiang. When Xiang Ji was young, he couldn't learn to write, so he went to learn fencing, but he didn't succeed. Xiang Liang was very angry with him. Xiang Ji said: "Writing can only be used to remember names. Fencing can only fight one person, and these are not worth learning. I want to learn how to fight against ten thousand people." So Xiang Liang taught Xiang Ji the art of war, and Xiang Ji was very happy. , after roughly understanding the gist of the Art of War, but unwilling to finish it. Xiang Liang was once wanted in Yueyang, so he asked Cao Jiu, the warden of Qixian County, to write to Sima Xin, the warden of Yueyang, and the matter was settled. Xiang Liang killed someone, and he and Xiang Ji went to Wuzhong to avoid their enemies. None of the capable scholar-bureaucrats in Wuzhong can compare with Xiang Liang. Whenever there was a large-scale corvee or funeral in Wuzhong, Xiang Liang often took charge of the matter. He secretly used military arrangements to arrange guests and children, so he could understand their talents. The First Emperor of Qin visited Kuaiji and crossed Zhejiang. Xiang Liang and Xiang Ji went to watch it together. Xiang Ji said, "I can replace him." Xiang Liang covered his mouth and said, "Don't talk nonsense, otherwise the clan will be exterminated!" Xiang Liang therefore felt that Xiang Ji was unusual. Xiang Ji is more than eight feet tall, very powerful, and can lift a big cauldron. His talent and courage are beyond ordinary people, and even the children of Wuzhong are afraid of him.

In July of the first year of Qin II (209 BC), Chen She and others started an uprising in Daze Township. In September of that year, Yin Tong, the governor of Kuaiji County, said to Xiang Liang: "The areas west of the Yangtze River are in rebellion. This is also the time when God wants to destroy the Qin Dynasty. I heard that if you act first, you can control others, and if you act later, you will be controlled by others." I want to send troops, please and Huan Chu to lead." At that time, Huan Chu fled to Zezhong. Xiang Liang said: "Huan Chu is on the run. No one knows his whereabouts except Xiang Yu." Xiang Liang came out and told Xiang Yu to wait outside with his sword. Xiang Liang walked in again, sat with the county guard, and said, "Please summon Xiang Yu and let him accept the order to recall Huan Chu." The county guard said, "Okay." Xiang Liang summoned Xiang Yu to come in. Not long after, Xiang Liang winked at Xiang Yu and said, "It's time to act!" So Xiang Yu pulled out his sword and chopped off the head of the governor. Xiang Liang held the governor's head and wore his official seal. The servants were frightened and fell into chaos. Xiang Yu killed dozens or hundreds of them. Everyone in the government was frightened by Xiang Ji, and no one dared to resist. Xiang Liang then summoned the powerful officials he knew and informed them of the major events he wanted to do, so he mobilized the soldiers in Wuzhong. He sent people to recruit soldiers from the counties under the jurisdiction of Kuaiji County, and obtained 8,000 elite soldiers. Xiang Liang arranged for the heroes of Wuzhong to serve as school captains, military marquises, and Sima. There was a man who had not been appointed and went to tell Xiang Liang in person. Xiang Liang said: "Not long ago, you were asked to host a funeral. You were unable to handle it well, so I didn't appoint you." Everyone admired Xiang Liang. At this time, Xiang Liang served as the governor of Kuaiji County, and Xiang Ji served as a general, conquering the counties under his jurisdiction.

Zhaoping, a native of Guangling, attacked Guangling for King Chen, but failed to capture it. He heard that King Chen was defeated and fled, and that Qin soldiers were about to arrive, so he crossed the Yangtze River and pretended to convey King Chen's order, appointing Xiang Liang as the upper pillar of King Chu. Zhao Ping said: "The east of the Yangtze River has been pacified. Hurry up and lead troops to the west to attack the Qin army." Xiang Liang sent 8,000 men across the Yangtze River and headed west. He heard that Chen Ying had captured Dongyang, so he sent an envoy to join forces with Chen Ying to advance westward. Chen Ying was originally a governor of Dongyang and lived in the county. He was always honest and prudent and was known as a loyal person. The young men of Dongyang killed their county magistrate and gathered thousands of people together to choose a leader. When they couldn't find a suitable person, they asked Chen Ying to be the leader. Chen Ying declined but could not refuse, so he was forced to become the leader. There were 20,000 people following him in the county. The young man wanted to elect Chen Ying to be the king, so he wrapped his head in a green scarf to be unique. Chen Ying's mother said to Chen Ying: "Since I became your daughter-in-law, I have never heard of any of your ancestors being prominent. Now that you suddenly get a prominent name, it's not a good sign. It's better to join someone else. If you succeed, you can be granted a title, but if you fail, you can easily escape, and you won't be named by the world." Chen Ying therefore did not dare to become king. He said to the military officials: "The Xiang family has been a general for generations and is very prestigious in Chu. If you want to do great things now, you can't do it without competent generals. If we rely on famous families, we will definitely destroy the Qin Dynasty." Everyone obeyed his words and led their troops to surrender to Xiang Liang. Xiang Liang crossed the Huai River, and generals Yingbu and Pu also led their troops to surrender. Xiang Liang's army numbered 60,000 to 70,000 people and was stationed in Xiapi.

At this time, Qin Jia had already established Jingju as King of Chu and was stationed east of Pengcheng, hoping to confront Xiang Liang. Xiang Liang said to the soldiers: "King Chen rebelled first, and the battle was unfavorable. His whereabouts are unknown. Now Qin Jia has betrayed King Chen and made Jing Ju king. This is a treasonous act." Xiang Liang then led troops to attack Qin Jia. Qin Jia's army was defeated and fled, and Xiang Liang pursued them to Hu Ling. Qin Jia returned to the army and fought for one day. Qin Jia died in the battle and the soldiers surrendered. Jingju fled to Liangdi and died. Xiang Liang has annexed Qin Jia's army and is stationed in Huling, and will lead his army to march westward. Zhang Han's army arrived in Li County, and Xiang Liang sent generals Zhujishi and Yu Fanjun to fight with him. Yu Fanjun died in battle. Zhujishi's army was defeated and fled to Huling. Xiang Liang then led his troops into Xue County and executed Zhujishi. Xiang Liang had previously sent Xiang Yu to lead another army to attack Xiangcheng, but Xiangcheng held firm and could not be captured. Xiang Yu captured Xiangcheng, killed all the soldiers and civilians in the city, and returned to report to Xiang Liang. Xiang Liang heard that King Chen was indeed dead and summoned all the generals to Xue County to discuss matters.

At this time, Peigong also raised troops in Peixian County and went to Xue County.

Fan Zeng, a Juhuan who was already seventy years old at the time, had been living at home and liked conspiracies. He went to persuade Xiang Liang and said: "Chen Sheng's defeat is doomed. The Qin State destroyed the six kingdoms. , Chu State is the most innocent. Since King Huai went to Qin State and never returned, Chu people still sympathize with him. Therefore, Chu Nan Gong said, "Even if there are only three families in Chu State, Chu State will definitely destroy Qin State." People'. Now that Chen Sheng is the first to start the rebellion and establish himself as king without establishing a descendant of Chu, his momentum will not last long. Now you are raising troops in Jiangdong, and the Chu generals are all vying to join you. It is precisely because of this. The Xiang family has been Chu generals for generations, and I think you can make a descendant of Chu king again." At this time, Xiang Liang thought that Fan Zeng's words were reasonable, so he found Xiong Xin, a descendant of King Huai of Chu, among the people. He was tending sheep to Xiang Liang. He was made King Huai of Chu and obeyed the people's wishes. Chen Ying served as the Shangzhu State of Chu State, with five counties as its fiefdom, and established the capital in Xutai with King Huai. Xiang Liang called himself Lord Wu Xin.

A few months later, Xiang Liang led troops to attack Kangfu, and together with the troops of Qi generals Tian Rong and Sima Longqe, he rescued Dong'a and defeated the Qin army in Dong'a. Tian Rong returned with his troops and expelled King Tianjia of Qi. Tianjia fled to Chu State. Tian Jiao, the prime minister of Tianjia, fled to Zhao. Tian Jiao's younger brother Tian Jian was originally a general of Qi, but he stayed in Zhao and did not dare to go back. Tian Rong made Tian Dan's son Tian Shi the king of Qi. Xiang Liang had defeated the Qin army in the Dong'a area, so he pursued the Qin army. He sent envoys to Qi many times, hoping to get the Qi army to march westward with him. Tian Rong said: "If Chu kills Tianjia and Zhao kills Tianjiao and Tianjian, I will send troops." Xiang Liang said: "Tianjia is the king of an allied country. He comes to our country when he is in trouble. I can't bear to kill him." "Zhao also did not kill Tianjiao and Tianjian to make a deal with Qi. Qi State was still unwilling to send troops to help Chu State. Xiang Liang sent Pei Gong and Xiang Yu to lead another army to attack Chengyang and massacre there. The Chu army went west and defeated the Qin army east of Puyang, and the Qin army withdrew its troops and retreated to Puyang City. Pei Gong and Xiang Yu then attacked Dingtao. Before Dingtao was captured, the Chu army left, seized land to the west, and reached Yongqiu, where they defeated the Qin army and killed Li You. He returned to attack Waihuang but failed to capture it.

Xiang Liang sent troops in Dong'a, marched westward, approached Dingtao, and defeated the Qin army again. Xiang Yu and others beheaded Li You, making Xiang Liang increasingly underestimate the enemy and show a proud look. Song Yi then advised Xiang Liang: "An army that has won a battle but whose generals and soldiers are arrogant and slack will definitely fail. Now the soldiers are a little slack, and the number of Qin soldiers is increasing day by day. I am worried about you." Xiang Liang did not listen. He sent Song Yi as envoy to Qi. Song Yi met Qi envoy Gaoling Jun Tian Xian on the road and said, "Are you going to see Wu Xin Jun?" Gao Ling Jun said, "Yes." Song Yi said, "I think Wu Xin Jun's army will definitely fail. You If you go slowly, you will avoid death, but if you go too fast, disaster will come." As expected, Qin mobilized all its troops to reinforce Zhang Han and attacked the Chu army. They defeated the Chu army in Dingtao and Xiang Liang died in the battle. Pei Gong and Xiang Yu left Waihuang to attack Chenliu, but Chenliu held on and could not capture it. Pei Gong and Xiang Yu discussed with each other and said: "Now Xiang Liang's army has been defeated and the soldiers are panicking." So they and Lu Chen's army led the troops to march eastward. Lu Chen was stationed to the east of Pengcheng, Xiang Yu was stationed to the west of Pengcheng, and Peigong was stationed in Dang County.

After Zhang Han defeated Xiang Liang's army, he thought that the Chu soldiers were not worth worrying about, so he crossed the Yellow River to attack Zhao and defeated the Zhao army. At this time, Zhao Xie was the king of Zhao, Chen Yu was the general, and Zhang Er was the prime minister, and they all fled into Julu City. Zhang Han ordered Wang Li and Shejian to besiege Julu. Zhang Han stationed himself south of Julu and built tunnels to transport grain. Chen Yu served as a general and led tens of thousands of people to the north of Julu. This was what people called the Hebei Army.

After the Chu army was defeated in Dingtao, King Chu Huai was panicked. He came to Pengcheng from Xutai, merged the armies of Xiang Yu and Lu Chen, and led them himself. He appointed Lu Chen as Situ and Lu Chen's father, Lu Qing, as Ling Yin. He also appointed Pei Gong as the governor of Dang County, named Wu'an Marquis, and led the soldiers of Dang County.

At the beginning, Gaoling Juntianxian, the Qi envoy whom Song Yi met, was in the Chu army. When he saw King Huai of Chu, he said: "Song Yi thought that Wu Xinjun's army would definitely fail. After a few days, , His army was defeated. The army saw the signs of failure before the battle, which can be said to be proficient in the art of war." King Chu Huai summoned Song Yi to discuss matters with him, so he appreciated him very much and appointed him as a general. Xiang Yu was Lu Gong and served as the second general, and Fan Zeng served as the last general and went to rescue Zhao. All generals were subordinate to Song Yi, and Song Yi was known as the Champion of Qingzi. The army marched to Anyang and stayed for forty-six days without advancing. Xiang Yu said: "I heard that the Qin army besieged King Zhao in Julu. We should cross the river quickly. If the Chu army attacks outside and Zhao army responds inside, we will definitely defeat the Qin army." Song Yi said: "That's not the case. The flies that can bite cattle cannot deal with the lice. If the Qin army attacks the Zhao army, the whole army will be exhausted if they win. We can take advantage of the enemy's weaknesses. If the Qin army cannot win, we will lead the troops to beat the drums and march westward, and we will definitely be able to destroy them. Qin has been defeated. Therefore, it is better to let the Qin and Zhao armies fight each other. Wearing armor and holding sharp weapons, I am not as good as you; you are not as good as me when you wait and see the situation and plan your strategy." Song Yi then went to the army. The order said: "Anyone who is as fierce as a tiger, as stubborn as a sheep, as greedy as a wolf, and stubborn who does not obey the command will be beheaded!" Song Yi then sent his son Song Xiang to assist the Qi State and personally sent him to Wuyan , hold a banquet for the guests. It was cold and rainy, and the soldiers suffered from cold and hunger. Xiang Yu said: "We were about to join forces to attack the Qin army, but they stayed here for a long time without advancing.

Now there is a famine, the people are poor, the soldiers can only eat taro and beans, and there is no food in the army. However, General Song held a banquet for the guests, did not lead the troops to cross the river to find food in Zhao State, and joined forces with Zhao Army to attack Qin Army, but said, "Use the other's weakness'. With the strength of Qin State, attacking the newly created Zhao State will definitely destroy Zhao State. Zhao State was destroyed and Qin State became stronger. What other weaknesses can be exploited? Moreover, our army had just been defeated, and King Huai was uneasy and handed over all the troops in the country to General Song. The safety of the country depends on this battle. Now he has no sympathy for the soldiers, but seeks personal gain, and is not a loyal minister of the country. "Xiang Yu met with General Song Yi in the early morning. He cut off Song Yi's head in the general's tent, came out and ordered to the army: "Song Yi and the State of Qi are plotting against the State of Chu. King Huai of Chu secretly ordered me to kill him. Kill him. "At this time, all the generals were frightened, and no one dared to resist. Everyone said: "It was the general's family who founded the Chu Kingdom. Now the general killed the rebels. "The officers and men elected Xiang Yu as acting general. Xiang Yu sent people to chase Song Yi's son to the state of Qi and killed him. Xiang Yu sent Huan Chu to report to King Huai. King Huai appointed Xiang Yu as general. Dangyang Jun and General Pu were both subordinate to Xiang Yu.

After Xiang Yu killed Qingzi Champion, his reputation shocked the Chu country, so he sent Dangyang Jun and General Pu to lead 20,000 soldiers. After crossing the Yellow River and rescuing the giant deer, Chen Yu asked Xiang Yu for reinforcements. Xiang Yu led his entire army across the river. They scuttled the ships, smashed the cooking utensils, burned down the camps, and carried three days' rations as a sign of their will. They fought to the death and had no intention of coming back alive. So the army surrounded Wang Li as soon as they arrived, met the Qin army, fought nine times, cut off the enemy's corridor, defeated the enemy, killed Su Jiao, and captured Wang Li. He surrendered to the Chu army and burned himself to death.

At this time, the Chu army was more brave than the princes. The princes sent troops to rescue Julu, and no one dared to attack the Qin army easily. At that time, the generals from all walks of life stood on the camp and watched. The Chu soldiers were one against ten. The shouts of the Chu soldiers shook the sky, and everyone in the princes' army was frightened. So after the Chu army defeated the Qin army, Xiang Yu summoned the princes and generals. When they entered the gate, they all knelt on the ground and no one dared to look up at Xiang Yu. From then on, Xiang Yu became the general of the coalition of princes, and the princes all obeyed his orders.

Zhang Han's army was stationed in Jiyuan. Xiang Yu's army was stationed south of Zhangshui, and the two armies were facing each other. The Qin army retreated several times. Zhang Han was frightened and sent Commander Shi Simaxin to Xianyang for instructions. Sima Xin stayed at Sima Gate for three days, but Zhao Gao did not receive him, showing his distrust. Chief Shi Sima Xin was very frightened and fled back to the army, not daring to take the original route. As expected, Zhao Gao sent people to chase him, but did not pursue him. Go up. Sima Xin returned to the army and reported to Zhang Han: "Zhao Gao is in power, and no one below dares to act without authorization. If we can win the battle now, Zhao Gao will definitely be jealous of our achievements; if we can't win the battle, we will definitely die. I hope the general will consider it carefully. "Chen Yu also wrote to Zhang Han, saying: "Bai Qi served as a Qin general. He conquered Yan and Ying in the south, killed Ma Fujun in the north, captured cities and territories, and made countless military achievements, but in the end he was given death. Meng Tian served as a Qin general, expelled the Rong and Di to the north, opened up thousands of miles of territory in Yuzhong, and was finally beheaded in Yang Zhou. Why is this? Because they had made too many contributions, the Qin State could not reward them, so it punished them for their crimes. Now that the general has been the general of Qin for three years, he has lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and the princes have raised more and more troops at the same time. That Zhao Gao has been in power for a long time with the help of flattery. Now the situation is critical. He is also worried that the second generation will kill him, so he wants to kill the general to shirk responsibility and send someone to replace the general to get rid of the disaster. The general has been away fighting for too long, and has many grudges with people in the court. He will be killed if he has meritorious service, and he will be executed if he has no merit. Moreover, God is going to destroy the Qin State. Both stupid and smart people know this truth. Now the general cannot speak out and give advice at home, but outside he is a general who will subjugate his country. He is isolated and helpless but wants to survive for a long time. Isn't it sad? Why didn't the general return his army and unite with the princes, make an appointment to attack Qin together, divide the land of Qin and call him king, and face the south and call him a lonely country? Which is better than being bent over and being executed, and having his wife and children slaughtered? Zhang Han was hesitant and secretly sent an envoy named Shicheng to Xiang Yu's army to make an agreement against Qin. Before the alliance was concluded, Xiang Yu sent General Pu to lead his troops across Sanhujin day and night and stationed them beyond the Zhang River. In the south, he fought with the Qin army and defeated the Qin army again. Xiang Yu led the entire army to attack the Qin army in Shuihui and defeated the Qin army.

Zhang Han sent people to see Xiang Yu and wanted to form an alliance. The officials discussed and said: "The army is short of food, and I want to approve the conclusion of an alliance with them. The military officials all said, "Okay." Xiang Yu made an appointment with Zhang Han to meet at Yinxu, south of Huan River. After signing the alliance, Zhang Han shed tears when he saw Xiang Yu and spoke ill of Zhao Gao. Xiang Yu appointed Zhang Han as King Yong and sent him to the throne. He was placed in the army of Chu State. Xiang Yu appointed Chief Shi Sima Xin as the general and led the Qin army to march in front.

When they arrived at Xin'an, the soldiers of the princes had passed through Qin for doing corvee service or garrisoning the border. Most of Qin's officers and soldiers were very rude to them. When the Qin army surrendered to the princes, most of the princes' officers and soldiers took advantage of the opportunity of victory to treat them like slaves and prisoners, humiliating the Qin officers and soldiers at will.

Most of the Qin officers and soldiers discussed privately: "General Zhang and others deceived us into surrendering to the princes. Now we can enter the pass and conquer Qin. It would be great. If not, the princes will capture us and take us to the east. Qin will definitely take away our parents, wives and children." Put them all to death." The generals vaguely heard of these discussions and reported to Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu then summoned Generals Yingbu and Pu to make plans and said: "The Qin army has a large number of officers and soldiers, and they are dissatisfied. They still do not obey orders when they reach Guanzhong, and the situation is dangerous. It is better to attack and kill them, and only fight with Zhang Han and Chang Shi Sima Xin." , Commander-in-Chief Dong Yi entered Qin’s territory.” So the Chu army killed more than 200,000 Qin soldiers in the south of Xin’an City at night.

The princes marched to capture Qin. Hangu Pass is heavily guarded and the army cannot enter. Xiang Yu also heard that Pei Gong had conquered Xianyang and was very angry. He sent Dangyang Lord and others to attack Hangu Pass. Xiang Yu then entered Guanzhong and came to the west of Playing Water. Pei Gong was stationed at Bashang and could not meet Xiang Yu. Cao Wushang, the left Sima of Pei Gong, sent someone to tell Xiang Yu: "Pei Gong wants to become king in Guanzhong, appoint Ziying as prime minister, and take all the rare treasures as his own." Xiang Yu was very angry and said, "I will reward you tomorrow morning." Soldiers, in order to defeat Peigong's army!" At this time, Xiang Yu's soldiers were 400,000, stationed at Xinfenghongmen, and Peigong's soldiers were only 100,000, stationed at Bashang. Fan Zeng advised Xiang Yu: "When Pei Gong was in Shandong, he was greedy for money and loved beautiful women. Now that he has entered Guanzhong, he does not collect money or get close to women. From this, it seems that his ambition must be not small. I ordered people to watch the hair on his head. The clouds are all in the shape of dragons and tigers, and they appear in five colors. These are the clouds of the emperor. Attack quickly and don't lose the opportunity." Xiang Bo, Zuo Yin of Chu State, was Xiang Yu's uncle. Liang has always had a good relationship. Zhang Liang was following Pei Gong at that time. Xiang Bo rode to Pei Gong's army at night, met with Zhang Liang privately, told Zhang Liang the whole situation, and wanted to ask Zhang Liang to leave with him. Xiang Bo said: "Don't die with them." Zhang Liang said: "I escort Pei Gong for the King of Han. Pei Gong is in danger now. It would be unkind for me to run away. I have to tell him." Zhang Liang then went in and told him everything. Inform Pei Gong. Pei Gong was shocked and said, "What should we do?" Zhang Liang asked, "Who gave the king this idea?" Pei Gong said, "A villain advised me: 'If you refuse to defend Hangu Pass and don't let the princes in, just You can become king after fully occupying the land of Qin. "So I listened to his words." Zhang Liang said, "Does the king think that his soldiers can resist King Xiang?" Pei Gong was silent for a moment and said, "Of course he can't resist, so what?" What should I do?" Zhang Liang said, "Please let me tell Xiang Bo that Pei Gong does not dare to betray King Xiang." Pei Gong said, "How can you have friendship with Xiang Bo?" Zhang Liang said, "Qin Chao?" When we were young, Xiang Bo had a relationship with me. He killed someone and I saved his life. Now he is in critical condition, so he came to tell me." Pei Gong said, "Who is older than you, Uncle Xiang?" Zhang Liang said, "He is older than me." Pei Gong said, "Call him in for me. I will treat him like an elder brother." Zhang Liang went out and invited Xiang Bo. Xiang Bo went in to see Pei Gong. Pei Gong held a wine glass and wished Uncle Xiang a long life. He met his children and their relatives and said, "When I entered Guanzhong, I did not dare to accept any property. I registered the officials and people, sealed up the treasury, and waited for the arrival of the general. The reason why I sent generals to guard the pass It is to prevent other thieves from coming in and accidents. I look forward to the general's arrival from morning to night. How dare I rebel? Please explain to the general that I dare not betray my kindness." Xiang Bo agreed and said to Pei Gong: "I have to come over early tomorrow to apologize to King Xiang in person." Pei Gong said, "Okay." So Xiang Bo left overnight and returned to the army. He told King Xiang all what Pei Gong said, and then said to him, "Pei Gong doesn't If you attack Guanzhong first, how can you easily get in? It would be unethical to attack him now that he has accomplished great feats. It is better to take the opportunity to treat him kindly." King Xiang agreed.

Pei Gong led more than a hundred cavalry to see King Xiang the next day. When he arrived at Hongmen, he apologized and said: "The general and I joined forces to attack Qin. The general fought in Hebei and I fought in Henan. However, I didn't expect to be able to enter the pass first and defeat the Qin army, so I could see the general here again. Now there are villains who are slandering me and causing conflict between the general and me." King Xiang said, "This is Cao Wushang, the commander of Pei Gong. If that were not the case, how could I be here?" King Xiang left Pei Gong to feast with him that day. King Xiang and Bo Xiang sat facing east. Yafu sat facing south. Yafu is Fan Zeng. Pei Gong sat facing north, and Zhang Liang sat with him facing west. Fan Zeng winked at King Xiang many times and raised the jade ornament he was wearing to signal to King Xiang many times, but King Xiang remained silent and did not respond. Fan Zeng got up, went out to find Xiang Zhuang, and said to him: "The king is not cruel enough. You go in and propose a toast. After the toast, ask for a sword dance and take the opportunity to attack Pei Gong in his seat and kill him. Otherwise, you will all He will be captured." Xiang Zhuang went in to make a toast. After the toast, he said: "The king and Pei Gong are drinking, and there is nothing to do in the army. Please let me dance with the sword." King Xiang said, "Okay." Xiang Zhuang drew his sword and danced. , Xiang Bo also drew his sword and danced, always protecting Pei Gong with his body, Xiang Zhuang had no chance to attack Pei Gong.

At this time Zhang Liang came to the military gate and saw Fan Kuai. Fan Kuai said: "How is the situation today?" Zhang Liang said: "It is very critical. Now Xiang Zhuang draws his sword and dances with the intention of assassinating Pei Gong." Fan Kuai said: "This is too urgent. Please let me go in and fight them desperately!" "Fan Kuai immediately entered the military gate with his sword and shield.

The guard who was guarding the door tried to stop him from entering. Fan Kuai side-stepped his shield and bumped into him. The guard fell to the ground. Fan Kuai then entered the tent. He opened the curtain and stood facing west, staring at King Xiang with his hair He raised his eyes upward, and his eye sockets were about to burst. King Xiang immediately stretched out his hand, grasped the sword, straightened his upper body and said, "What is the guest doing?" Zhang Liang said, "This is Fan Kuai, the chariot of Pei Gong." King Xiang said, "Strong man, give him a glass of wine." Guards Then he gave him a cup filled with a measure of wine. After Fan Kuai thanked him, he stood up and drank it all in one gulp. King Xiang said, "Give him a pig's leg." The guard gave him a raw pig's leg. Fan Kuai put the shield on the ground, put the pig's leg on the shield, took out his sword and cut the meat to eat. King Xiang said: "My strong man, can you still drink?" Fan Kuai said: "I am not even afraid of death, so how can I refuse a glass of wine! Then King Qin has the heart of a tiger and a wolf. He kills people as if he is worried that he will not be able to kill them all, so he just uses torture. As if he was not worried enough, everyone in the world betrayed him. King Huai made an agreement with the generals: "Whoever defeats the Qin army first and enters Xianyang can become king in Guanzhong." Now Pei Gong is the first to defeat the Qin army and enter Xianyang, and he will not lose any money. Dare to accept it, but also closed the palace and returned to Bashang to wait for the arrival of the king. The reason for sending soldiers to guard the pass was to prevent other thieves from coming in and accidents. Not only was there no reward for such hard work, but also the reward of being a prince. And listening to gossip and wanting to kill meritorious people is just following the old path of the destroyed Qin Dynasty. I privately think that the king's approach is not advisable." King Xiang could not respond and just said: "Please sit down." Sit down next to Zhang Liang. After sitting for a while, Pei Gong got up to go to the toilet and asked Fan Kuai to come out.

After Pei Gong left, King Xiang sent Captain Chen Ping to call Pei Gong back. Pei Gong said: "We are going out now without saying goodbye. What should we do?" Fan Kuai said: "When doing big things, don't take into account small etiquette. When upholding great integrity, don't shy away from small criticisms. Now others are knives and chopping boards, and we are waiting to be slaughtered. "What else are you going to do if you don't want to eat fish and meat?" So he left. Before Pei Gong left, he ordered Zhang Liang to stay and apologize. Zhang Liang asked, "What did the king bring when he came?" Pei Gong said, "I brought a pair of white jade stones to present to King Xiang, and a pair of jade buckets to give to Yafu, but they were angry and did not dare to offer them. You dedicate it to them for me." Zhang Liang said, "Yes." At this time, King Xiang's army is at Hongmen, and Pei Gong's army is at Bashang, a distance of forty miles. Peigong left his horse behind and escaped on horseback alone. Fan Kuai, Xia Houying, Jin Qiang and Ji Xin ran with swords and shields, taking a small road from the foot of Mount Li to Zhiyang. Pei Gong said to Zhang Liang: "It's only twenty miles from this road to my camp. I guess I've returned to the army. You can go in again." After Pei Gong left, he took a small road back to the army. Zhang Liang went in to apologize and said, "Pei Gong is too drunk to say farewell in person. I specially asked me to present a pair of white jade to the king and a pair of jade jade to the general." King Xiang said, "Where is Pei Gong?" Liang said: "I heard that the king wanted to rebuke him, so he left alone. Now he has returned to the army." King Xiang took the jade and placed it on the table. Yafu took the jade bucket, threw it on the ground, drew his sword and chopped it into pieces, saying: "Alas! This boy is not good enough for great things. The one who takes over King Xiang's world must be Pei Gong, and we will all be captured by him." Pei Gong. After returning to the army, he immediately killed Cao Wushang.

A few days later, Xiang Yu led his troops westward to massacre Xianyang, killing Prince Ying of Qin who had surrendered, and burned down the palaces of Qin Dynasty. The fire was not extinguished for three months, and he confiscated treasures and robbed women. Head east. Someone tried to dissuade King Xiang by saying: "There are mountains and the Yellow River in Guanzhong, which are dangerous obstacles. There are forts on all sides. The land is fertile and rich. We can establish a capital and establish a hegemony." King Xiang saw that the palaces of the Qin Dynasty were burned to pieces, and he longed for it in his heart. He wanted to return to his hometown and wanted to return to the east, so he said: "Having wealth and honor but not returning to your hometown is like walking at night wearing embroidered clothes. Who would know?" The person who advised King Xiang said: "People say that the Kingdom of Chu People are just macaques wearing hats, that's it." When King Xiang heard this, he cooked the man to death.

King Xiang sent someone to ask King Huai for instructions. King Huai said: "As agreed." Xiang Yu then respected King Huai as the Righteous Emperor. King Xiang wanted to claim the title of king himself, so he first divided among the generals and ministers. He said to everyone: "When the people of the world first started to rebel, they temporarily supported the descendants of the princes as kings to attack the Qin Dynasty. However, he personally wore armor and held sharp weapons and took the lead in the rebellion. For three years, he lived in the open and wind, destroyed the Qin Dynasty and put it down. The world relies on the strength of the generals and me, but Emperor Yi has no merit, so his land should be divided and given to everyone as kings." All the generals said, "Okay." King Xiang then divided the world. All the generals are princes.

King Xiang and Fan Zeng suspected that Pei Gong had the idea of ​​seizing the world, but they had already reconciled with him. They did not want to break the agreement and were worried that the princes would betray him, so they secretly discussed: "The road to Ba and Shu is difficult and dangerous, and it is difficult for Qin to do so." The criminals who were demoted by the imperial court all lived in Shu. "He said: "Ba and Shu are also in the Guanzhong area." So Xiang Yu made Peigong the king of Han and ruled the three counties of Ba, Shu and Hanzhong, and made Nanzheng the capital. And the Guanzhong was divided into three, and the descendants of the Qin Dynasty were given the title to stop the Han king.

King Xiang then granted Zhang Han the title of King Yong, ruling west of Xianyang and making Feiqiu his capital. Sima Xin, the chief historian, once served as the prison warden of Yueyang and was kind to Xiang Liang. Captain Dong Yi was the one who initially persuaded Zhang Han to surrender to Chu. Therefore, King Xiang made Sima Xin the king of Sai, ruling from the east of Xianyang to the Yellow River, and made Yueyang his capital. Dong Yi was granted the title of King Zhai, ruled over Shangjun, and made Gaonu the capital. He renamed King Bao of Wei as King of Western Wei, ruled the Hedong area, and made Pingyang his capital.

Shen Yang, a native of Xiaqiu, was Zhang Er's favorite. He conquered Henan first and met the Chu army at the Yellow River. Therefore, King Xiang made Shen Yang king of Henan and made Luoyang his capital. Han Wangcheng established his country in the old capital and made Yangdi his capital. Zhao general Sima Yan pacified Hanoi and made many military exploits. Therefore, he was named King of Yin and ruled the Hanoi area, making Chaoge his capital. He changed the title of King Zhao Xie to acting king. Zhang Er, the prime minister of Zhao, has always been a virtuous man, and he followed King Xiang into Guanzhong. Therefore, Zhang Er was granted the title of King of Changshan, ruling the land of Zhao, and making his capital Xiangguo. Dangyang Jun Yingbu served as a Chu general and often defeated the entire army bravely. Therefore, Yingbu was granted the title of King of Jiujiang and made six counties his capital. Pojun Wu Rui led Baiyue to assist the princes, and followed King Xiang into Guanzhong. Therefore, Wu Rui was named King of Hengshan and made Lu County his capital. Ao, the pillar of the Righteous Emperor, led soldiers to attack Nanjun and achieved many military exploits. Therefore, Ao was granted the title of King of Linjiang and his capital was Jiangling. The title of King Han Guang of Yan was changed to King of Liaodong. Yan general Zang Tu once followed the Chu army to rescue the Zhao army, so he followed King Xiang into Guanzhong. Therefore, Zang Tu was named King of Yan and his capital was Jixian. The title of King Qi Tianshi was changed to King Jiaodong. Qi general Tiandu once followed the Chu army to rescue Zhao State, so he followed King Xiang into Guanzhong, so Tiandu was granted the title of King of Qi and his capital was Linyi. Tian An, the grandson of King Jian of Qi who was destroyed by the Qin Dynasty in the past, captured several cities north of Jishui when Xiang Yu crossed the river to rescue Zhao State, and led his army to surrender to Xiang Yu. Therefore, Tian An was granted the title of King of Jibei and was appointed King of Jibei. Du Boyang. Tian Rong failed Xiang Liang many times and was unwilling to lead the army to follow the Chu army to attack the Qin army, so he did not seal it. Chen Yu, Lord of Cheng'an, left his seal and left without following King Xiang into Guanzhong. However, King Xiang had always heard that he was a virtuous man and had made great contributions to the State of Zhao. He heard that he was in Nanpi, so he took the opportunity to move the three counties around Nanpi. Seal it to him. Fan Jun's general Mei Wei had many military exploits, so he was granted the title of 100,000 household lords. King Xiang established himself as the overlord of Western Chu, ruling nine counties and making Pengcheng his capital.