Rebirth: I am Liu Bang Liu Bang's Life and Evaluation

  Liu Bang was the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, one of the great founders of the Han nation and culture, an outstanding politician, strategist, and military commander in Chinese history. He was born in 256 BC in Pei County, Chu State (now Fengyi Town, Fengxian County, Jiangsu Province), to Liu Taigong (also known as Liu Jian) and Liu Ao (also known as Wang Yuan). Liu Bang had two older brothers, one sister, and a younger brother. He was the third son, hence his name "Liu Ji", also known as Liu Season.

  In 221 BC, Qin unified the six states and established a powerful empire. Liu Bang served as a minor official in Pei County. In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led a rebellion against the Qin dynasty, and Liu Bang joined the uprising in his hometown of Pei County. In 206 BC, Liu Bang was the first to enter Guanzhong, the strategic region of Qin, and accepted the surrender of Qin king Ziying.

  Liu Bang was then appointed as the King of Han by Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu. After a four-year struggle against Xiang Yu, Liu Bang defeated him and unified China, establishing the Han Dynasty. On February 28, 202 BC, he ascended to the throne in Dingtao, established his capital in Luoyang, and later moved it to Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an, Shaanxi Province).

  During his twelve-year reign (206-195 BC), Liu Bang suppressed rebellions by regional kings, consolidated unity, established laws and institutions, and adopted a lenient policy of "restoring production and promoting economic development". He quickly restored the economy, comforted the people, and united the Chinese nation. His contributions to the unification of the Han nation, China's strength, and the protection and promotion of Han culture were decisive.

  After his death, he was posthumously honored as "Emperor Gao" (Gao Huangdi) and given the temple name Taizu.

  The "Taizu" and "Gaozu" After Liu Bang's death, the temple name decided by the ministers was "Taizu", the posthumous title was "Gaohuangdi", and the formal full title was "Han Taizu Gaohuangdi". The abbreviated temple name should be "Han Taizu", and the abbreviated posthumous title is "Han Gaodi", rather than the commonly used "Han Gaozu".

  The Records of the Grand Historian, Volume 8, Gaodi Ji, Chapter 8, states: "On the day of Bingyin, he was buried. On the day of Jisi, the crown prince was established, and he went to the Temple of the Supreme Emperor. All the ministers said: 'Gaodi rose from humble beginnings, reversed the chaos of the world, and brought peace to the empire, becoming the Han Taizu, with the highest merit.' The emperor's honorable title is Gaohuangdi. The crown prince inherited the title as Huangdi, who was Emperor Huidi. It was ordered that all commanderies, states, and marquises establish temples for Gaodi, and make sacrifices at the appropriate times."

  The Book of Han, Volume 1, Gaodi Ji, Chapter 1, has the same text, but with some changes to avoid ambiguity, replacing "Gaodi" in The Records of the Grand Historian with "Emperor". Sima Qian wrote The Records of the Grand Historian during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, who was the son of Emperor Jing. Emperor Jing's father was Emperor Wen, and Emperor Wen's father was Gaohuangdi. Therefore, for Emperor Wu, Gaohuangdi was his great-grandfather.

  According to Erya: "The great-grandfather is the father of the grandfather, called Gaodi." Logically speaking, Emperor Wu should have called Taishanghuang (Liu Bang's father) Gaodi, but according to Guo Pu's annotation on Erya: "Gao means the highest." Shiming says: "Gaodi, Gao means the highest, the most supreme." Qianqiu Zaji says: "The father of the great-grandfather is also called Gaodi. However, from this point upwards, it is also commonly referred to as Gaodi." The Book of Zhou, Kangwang Zhigao, states: "Do not destroy my Gaodi's lonely order", where Gaodi refers to Kings Wen and Wu, which is an example of using the term "Gaodi" for great-grandfathers.

  Because King Wen and King Wu were the founders of the Zhou Dynasty, their merits were extremely high, so they were called Gaodi, which was the highest honorific title. Similarly, Emperor Wu's use of the term "Gaodi" to refer to his great-grandfather Liu Bang also carried this meaning, as a way for later generations to respectfully address their ancestors. Sima Qian should have used the respectful title that the Han Dynasty used for Gaohuangdi, referring to Liu Bang as "Gaodi".

  Here is the translation:

  Liu Bang's Timeline

  256 BC (or 247 BC): Liu Bang was born in Pei County, Fengyi Town, Jiangsu Province (then part of Chu State).

  209 BC: Liu Bang led a peasant uprising in Pei County and became one of the main leaders.

  208 BC: Liu Bang received orders from King Huai of Chu to conquer Qin.

  207 BC: Liu Bang defeated the Qin army at Blue Dragon Pass and destroyed the main force of the Qin capital.

  206 BC: Liu Bang was appointed as the King of Han, establishing the Han Dynasty.

  205 BC: Liu Bang appointed Han Xin as his general.

  203 BC: Liu Bang won the Battle of Gaixia, defeating Chu's General Cao Jiu and Sima Xin.

  202 BC: Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu at the Battle of Gaixia, unifying China under the Han Dynasty.

  Liu Bang's Reign

  202 BC: Liu Bang established his capital in Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an).

  202 BC: Liu Bang appointed Wu Zhen as the King of Minyue and Dongyue.

  201 BC: Liu Bang suppressed a rebellion by the King of Linjiang.

  200 BC: Liu Bang suppressed a rebellion by the King of Yan.

  199 BC: Liu Bang made peace with the Xiongnu tribe.

  Later Life

  198 BC: Liu Bang handled the treason case of Zhao Guo's minister, Geng Shu.

  197 BC: Liu Bang suppressed a rebellion by Chen Ao, the minister of Zhao.

  196 BC: Liu Bang appointed Zhao Tuo as the King of Nanyue.

  195 BC: Liu Bang wrote the "Great Wind Song" and the "Swan Goose Song".

  195 BC: Liu Bang issued an edict seeking wise men to serve in his government.

  Death

  April 25, 195 BC (June 1, 195 BC): Liu Bang died at the age of 62, buried in Maoling, Shaanxi Province. His temple name was "Taizu", and his posthumous title was "Gao Huangdi".

  Liu Bang's Contributions Liu Bang, the first emperor of China, made 16 significant contributions to Chinese history.

  1. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to rise from a commoner to the throne.

  2. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to unify the country through military campaigns.

  3. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to invent the military strategy of "recruiting and surrendering" and "unifying the war front".

  4. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to adopt a national policy of "restoring agriculture and sericulture" to promote economic development nationwide.

  5. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to release slaves, which struck at the slave system and liberated productive forces to some extent.

  6. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to implement a national policy of "light labor and low taxes", with a tax rate as low as 15%.

  7. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to adopt a fiscal austerity policy of "measuring official salaries, regulating official expenses, and levying taxes on the people" while promoting frugality.

  8. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to establish rituals and consolidate imperial power.

  9. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to issue an edict seeking wise men and talents nationwide.

  10. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to write poetry, with his poem "The Great Wind Song" being hailed as the "first poem of a thousand-year-old ruler".

  11. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to worship Confucius and employ Confucian scholars, laying the foundation for the Han Dynasty and later generations to govern the country with Confucian culture as the main ideology.

  12. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to rule the world with filial piety.

  13. He was the first emperor of the Liu surname in Chinese history.

  14. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to unify the country with simple and unadorned generals.

  15. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to establish his capital in Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an).

  16. He was the first emperor in Chinese history to use a system of enfeoffment and prefectures concurrently.

  Here is the translation:

  The Western evaluation of Liu Bang

  British historian Arnold Toynbee commented: "In human history, there are two politicians with great foresight and influence on later generations. One is Caesar, who founded the Roman Empire, and the other is Han Taizu Liu Bang, who created the Great Han civilization. Caesar did not live to see the establishment of the Roman Empire and its rise to greatness, but was assassinated. In contrast, Liu Bang personally created a prosperous era with his far-sighted leadership ability, opening up a new chapter in human history!"

  Toynbee discussed history with Japanese scholar Ikeda Daisaku: "From the experience of maintaining unity for two thousand years, the Chinese people have the qualifications to become the new axis of a unified world. This statement has important implications for considering future global problems." He said: "Han Gaozu Liu Bang's reunification of China is an historical achievement that deserves high praise."

  He continued: "If I am not mistaken, I predict that the unification of the world will be achieved through peaceful means. This is the only feasible path in the atomic age. However, even though it is the Chinese nation, it has not always been peaceful throughout history. The Warring States period and ancient Greece and modern Europe also experienced division and conflict. Nevertheless, after the Han dynasty, China abandoned its militaristic spirit of the Warring States period. The reunification of China by Liu Bang was completed as early as 202 BC. Prior to this, Qin Shi Huang's political unification was achieved through military force, resulting in a backlash of local nationalism after his death."

  Toynbee praised Liu Bang: "He skillfully used his leadership ability to complete the task, unlike Qin Shi Huang's autocratic and tyrannical behavior. He shifted China's nationalist sentiment from localism to worldliness." He concluded: "In the future, those who unify the world will need to have a global perspective like Liu Bang, as well as the talent required to achieve this goal. The unification of the world is the only way to avoid collective suicide for humanity."

  Toynbee looked forward to the future and said: "Those who unify the world in the future must possess a global perspective, just like China's second great unifier... In the entire world where people live or interact, the original model for future politicians who will definitely achieve unity is Han dynasty's Liu Bang."

  Mao Zedong's comment on Liu Bang: Liu Bang is the most powerful emperor in feudal China. Liu Bang was the best at using people among Chinese emperors, knowing how to appoint the right person for the job and not doubting them. He established the longest unified dynasty in Chinese history, with the Han Dynasty lasting over 400 years. As the founder of the great Han Dynasty, one of the most prosperous periods in Chinese history, his great historical achievements have been praised and admired by later generations.

  Liu Bang was the creator of the Han ethnic group name. Through his creation and the further development of his descendants, the Han people became the main ethnic group of the Chinese nation, with "Han" becoming a synonym for Chinese people, language, characters, and culture. Liu Bang was also one of the founders of Han culture and its protector.

  As a Chu state native, Liu Bang combined Chu culture with Central Plains culture, merging southern and northern cultures to form an inclusive Han culture that expanded China's diverse civilization. He eliminated the divided and contentious state, ending the history of brutal taxation and exploitation, and established a unified and peaceful society through his governance, protecting the development of Han culture and allowing Chinese civilization to be passed down.

  He ended the nearly thousand-year-long slave system in China from the Xia Dynasty to the Warring States period, establishing a truly unified era. He ended the over 570 years of turmoil and brutal taxation from the Eastern Zhou to the Qin Dynasty, creating an era of low taxes and economic development. He ended the Qin Dynasty's destruction of culture and suppression of speech, establishing a tolerant and inclusive political environment.

  He unified China, creating a dynasty that lasted over 400 years, with "Han" becoming synonymous with the entire nation. The Han Dynasty became one of the strongest and most developed countries in the world at that time, and the Han and Tang Dynasties became the proudest periods in Chinese history. He rose from commoner to emperor, creating a precedent for "commoners becoming officials," ending the theory of noble birth, and realizing the legend of "whether kings, dukes, or generals have any inherent nobility." He became a shining example inspiring ordinary people, especially those at the bottom of society, to strive for success.

  Liu Bang was China's first emperor to focus on nurturing the economy and developing production. He unified China by eliminating vassal kingdoms and relocating powerful tribes from the six states to the capital region, thoroughly ending the nearly thousand-year-long slave system in China from the Xia Dynasty to the Warring States period. He implemented policies to nurture the economy, ending the over 570 years of turmoil and brutal taxation from the Eastern Zhou to the Qin Dynasty.

  Here is the translation:

  Liu Bang was born in Zhongyangli, Jincheng Village, Feng County. He and Lü Zhi were born on the same day of the same month of the same year, so their families were very close. In his childhood, he studied with Lü Zhi under Master Ma Wei at the Ma Gong Academy. As he grew older, he often skipped school and was scolded by his teacher, but he had a generous personality and was tolerant of others. He also disliked manual labor, so he was often scolded by his father, who said he was not as capable as his brother in managing the family business. Later, after unifying China, Liu Bang would joke about this with Empress Lü: "Look at me and my brother Liu Zhong, who has achieved greater things?" The elders thought that Liu Bang lacked ambition, could not manage a business, and was lazy, without any income. But Liu Bang remained true to himself. When he grew up, he became the head of the local government in Si County, a minor official in charge of governing within a radius of ten miles. Over time, he became familiar with the officials in the county and gained some reputation locally. Liu Bang had a broad mind, and on one occasion when he was escorting conscripts to Xianyang, he encountered Qin Shi Huang's grand procession. From afar, he saw Qin Shi Huang sitting in his beautifully decorated carriage, looking majestic, and exclaimed, "A great man should be like that!"

  Lü Zhi was the daughter of Lü Gong and became Liu Bang's wife. Lü Gong had moved to Pei County after a feud with his neighbors, as he was friends with the magistrate there. When he first arrived in Pei, many people came to visit him due to his connection with the magistrate. Liu Bang also went to pay his respects, where he met Xiao He, who was then the main clerk of Pei County. Xiao He announced that anyone who did not bring a gift worth at least 1,000 coins would have to sit in the lower seats. Liu Bang ignored this and told the servant who had brought him there that he would give 10,000 coins as a gift. Lü Gong heard about this and hurried out to personally welcome Liu Bang. When they met, Lü Gong was very impressed with Liu Bang's demeanor and invited him to sit in the upper seats. Not only did Liu Bang get a free meal, but after dinner, Lü Gong also asked him to stay overnight and proposed that his daughter marry Liu Bang. Liu Bang eagerly agreed to this proposal and, after obtaining his parents' consent, married Lü Zhi. She would later become Empress Lü. Their children included Emperor Hui of Han and Princess Yuan of Lu, who was married to the weak but filial Zhang Ao.

  In 209 BC, the peasant uprising broke out at the end of Qin Dynasty. After Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led the insurgent army to occupy Chen (Henan Huaiyang), Chen Sheng established the "Zhang Chu" regime and openly opposed the Qin Dynasty. At that time, the county magistrate of Pei also wanted to respond and continue to control the politics of Pei Prefecture. Xiao He and Cao Shen were both main officials under the county magistrate at that time, and they advised the county magistrate to summon back the people who had fled from the county, which could increase their strength and prevent future troubles. The county magistrate thought it was reasonable, so he let Liu Bang's close friend Fan Kuai bring Liu Bang back, and Liu Bang brought his men back in a hurry. However, the county magistrate regretted it later, fearing that Liu Bang would be uncontrollable when he returned, and might even kill him, which would be like inviting a wolf into the house. Therefore, he ordered the city gate to be closed and prepared to capture Xiao He and Cao Shen. Xiao He and Cao Shen heard about it and hurriedly escaped outside the city. Liu Bang shot an arrow with a message into the city, mobilizing the people in the city to rise up and kill the county magistrate who had betrayed them. The people were very dissatisfied with the county magistrate who had not been kind to them before, so they killed him, opened the city gate, and welcomed Liu Bang back, pushing him to become the leader of Pei Prefecture. Liu Bang followed the will of the people, set up an altar, raised a red flag, claimed himself as the son of the Red Emperor, and led the people to raise the banner against Qin Dynasty. This year was already October 209 BC, and Liu Bang was already 48 years old. In the peasant war at the end of Qin Dynasty, there was another powerful force, which was the descendants of the aristocratic family of Chu State, Xiang Liang and his nephew Xiang Yu (also known as Xiang Ji). They started an uprising in Wu County (Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province), and their army quickly grew to nearly 10,000 people. After Xiang Liang's death, Xiang Yu decided to join forces with Liu Bang and march west into Guanzhong together.

  At first, Liu Bang was not very smooth, but after several battles, Liu Bang stepped westward and defeated the Qin army. In December 207 BC, Liu Bang led his troops to Xianyang, where he accepted the surrender of the last Qin emperor, Ziying, who handed over the imperial seal. The Qin dynasty came to an end, having lasted only 15 years. Liu Bang was pleased with himself as he entered the city, referring to himself as the "King of Guanzhong". As he looked at the magnificent palaces, he felt a pang of attachment and considered staying there to enjoy the luxuries. Fan Kuai advised him not to forget that the world had not yet been pacified and reminded him of the lessons of Qin's downfall. Liu Bang did not listen until Zhang Liang came to advise him personally, at which point he realized the gravity of the situation. He then withdrew his troops to Xianyang.

  After Liu Bang arrived at the banks of the Wei River, he gathered local scholars and made a pact with them: those who kill will be killed, those who injure others or steal will be punished. All other harsh laws of the Qin dynasty were abolished, which earned him popular support.

  Xiang Yu, after defeating Zhang Han and forcing him to surrender, also led his troops to Guanzhong. Fan Zeng advised him to take the opportunity to eliminate Liu Bang, this rival, and Xiang Yu ordered preparations for an attack on the next day. At that time, Liu Bang's military strength was no match for the powerful Xiang Yu, with only 100,000 troops, it was impossible to defeat Xiang Yu's 400,000 elite soldiers. In the end, it was Xiang Yu's uncle, Xiang Bo, who "saved" Liu Bang: Xiang Bo and Liu Bang's strategist Zhang Liang were very close, seeing that Xiang Yu was about to attack, he sneaked into the camp at night and told Zhang Liang to leave quickly to avoid being killed. Zhang Liang said he couldn't abandon Liu Bang, so he revealed the news to him. In a panic, Liu Bang hastily asked Zhang Liang for a plan, and Zhang Liang told Liu Bang to go see Xiang Bo immediately and explain that he had no intention of competing with Xiang Yu for the throne.

  Liu Bang made an appointment with Xiang Bo and explained that he had no intention of becoming king, and also became in-laws with Xiang Bo. That night, Xiang Bo returned to the military camp and said to Xiang Yu: "Because the Duke of Pei entered Guanzhong first and cleared the obstacles for us to enter the pass, we were able to pass through Hangu Pass smoothly. The Duke of Pei has made contributions, we should not suspect him, but treat him sincerely." After hearing this, Xiang Yu decided not to attack Liu Bang again.

  The next day, Liu Bang arrived at Xiang Yu's military camp with only Fan Kuai, Zhang Liang and 100 elite personal soldiers. When he arrived at the grand tent of Xiang Yu, he apologized and paid his respects to Xiang Yu, who was there to greet him. Xiang Yu invited Liu Bang in for a banquet, but his advisor, Fan Zeng, repeatedly signaled to Xiang Yu to give the order to kill Liu Bang during the feast, yet Xiang Yu hesitated and did not respond. Fan Zeng summoned Xiang Zhuang to perform a sword dance to liven up the party, intending to use the opportunity to kill Liu Bang, but Xiang Bo also drew his sword and danced, protecting Liu Bang and foiling the attempt. This is the origin of the idiom "Xiang Zhuang dances with his sword, aiming at the Duke of Pei". Later, Liu Bang excused himself and left, returning to his own camp.

  At the Hongmen Banquet, Liu Bang showed extremely high composure and calmness. Being able to retreat wholeheartedly, apart from Zhang Liang, Xiang Bo, and Fan Kuai's protection, the key was Liu Bang's calmness and composure.

  After the Hongmen Banquet, Xiang Yu led his troops westward and enfeoffed various generals as kings. Liu Bang was enfeoffed as King of Han, with a territory comprising 41 counties including Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, and his capital at Nanzheng (in present-day Shaanxi). Xiang Yu proclaimed himself the Overlord of Western Chu, holding the highest military command. The former king of Chu, Xiong Xin, was honored as Emperor Yi.

  In December 207 BC, Liu Bang declared himself king in Guanzhong after overthrowing the Qin dynasty. In January 206 BC, Xiang Yu led his army to break through the Hangu Pass and attempted to eliminate Liu Bang's forces. Knowing he was no match for Xiang Yu, Liu Bang personally went to Hongmen (now Lintong District, Shaanxi Province) to apologize.

  Later, Xiang Yu entered Xianyang, burned down the Epang Palace, and killed Ziying, the king of Qin. In the spring, Xiang Yu nominally respected King Huai of Chu as Emperor Yi, but in reality, he exiled him to Jiangnan and declared himself the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, establishing his capital in Pengcheng (now Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province). He also divided the land into 18 kingdoms, appointing Liu Bang as the King of Han, ruling over Bashu and Hanzhong, and intentionally appointed Qin's surrendered generals Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi as kings of Yong, Sai, and Di, respectively, to rule over Guanzhong and restrict Liu Bang.

  In November 206 BC, Xiang Yu defeated Peng Yue and then besieged Liu Bang in Xianyang. However, he was unable to capture the city and retreated. In 205 BC, Liu Bang formed an alliance with other kingdoms and launched a counterattack against Xiang Yu. The war between Chu and Han lasted for four years.

  In October 203 BC, Xiang Yu led his army back to Chu. After the alliance between Chu and Han was formed, Liu Bang initially wanted to withdraw his troops, but under the advice of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, he ordered a full-scale pursuit of the Chu army. In November 203 BC, the two armies clashed at Guling (now Huaiyang County, Henan Province), with Xiang Yu emerging victorious.

  In January 202 BC, Liu Bang used rewards to win over Han Xin, Peng Yue, and Ying Bu, and then launched a decisive battle against the Chu army. The Chu army was heavily defeated, and Xiang Yu was forced to flee to the Wujiang River (now Anhui Province), where he took his own life, ending the four-year-long Chu-Han War.

  The Battle of Gaixia

  In January 202 BC, Liu Bang, Han Xin, Liu Jia, Peng Yue, Ying Bu, and other Han armies, totaling around 700,000 soldiers, clashed with the 100,000 exhausted Chu soldiers at Gaixia (now Lingbi County, Anhui Province). The Han army was led by Han Xin, with Kong He as the left wing and Chen He as the right wing. Liu Bang followed with his troops, while Zhou Bo cut off the rear.

  Han Xin launched a surprise attack, using the tactic of feigning defeat to lure the enemy in deep. The front army pretended to retreat, and Han Xin ordered the left and right wings to encircle and attack the Chu army's infantry from behind. The exhausted Chu soldiers were unable to withstand the attack, and the Han army split the Chu army into two halves, separating Xiang Yu's vanguard cavalry from his main force.

  The Chu army suffered heavy casualties, with over 40,000 killed, 20,000 captured, and 20,000 scattered. Only less than 20,000 wounded soldiers remained with Xiang Yu as he retreated back to his camp. The Chu army was heavily besieged by the Han army, and their food supplies were exhausted.

  Han Xin ordered his soldiers to sing Chu songs at night, which went like this: "The hearts of the people are towards Chu, but the world already belongs to Liu; Han Xin is stationed at Gaixia, waiting to behead the Hegemon-King!" This caused the Chu soldiers to become homesick and disheartened, leading to a collapse in morale.

  Xiang Yu was left with only 800 men and attempted to break through the siege but was defeated. He then fled to the Wujiang River (now Anhui Province) with only 28 cavalrymen remaining. A local official offered to help Xiang Yu escape to Jiangdong to revive his power, but Xiang Yu refused.

  Xiang Yu fought bravely with his 28 men against the Han army but was eventually defeated. Not wanting to be captured and humiliated, he took his own life in the Wujiang River. Liu Bang then returned to Dingtao, entered Han Xin's camp, and seized control of his army. Later, he appointed Han Xin as the King of Chu, with his capital in Xiayi (now Yixing City, Jiangsu Province).

  In February 202 BC, Liu Bang fulfilled his previous promise and appointed Han Xin as the King of Chu and Peng Yue as the King of Yue. The newly appointed Han Xin and Peng Yue joined forces with the original Yan Wang Zang Tu, Zhao Wang Zhang Yi, and Changsha Wang Wu Rui to jointly petition Liu Bang to ascend to the throne as emperor. Liu Bang initially pretended to decline, but Han Xin and others said: "Although Your Majesty comes from a humble background, you have led the people to eliminate the Qin dynasty, punish the unrighteous, and stabilize the world. Your merits exceed those of all the kings in the Han court. It is only right that you ascend to the throne." Liu Bang acquiesced, saying: "Since everyone thinks so, and it will benefit the officials and civilians, then let's do as you say." On February 28, 202 BC, Liu Bang held a grand ceremony at Dingtao in Shandong Province, proclaiming himself emperor and establishing the Han dynasty. In June of the same year, Liu Bang hosted a celebratory banquet at the South Palace in Luoyang, where he summarized the reasons for his victory: "In terms of strategic planning, I am not as good as Zhang Liang; in terms of comforting the people and supplying grain, I am not as good as Xiao He; in terms of leading troops and winning battles, I am not as good as Han Xin. However, I can recognize talent and use it effectively, which is the true reason for our victory. As for Xiang Yu, he only had Fan Zeng, but he suspected him, which was the reason for his ultimate defeat." Liu Bang's summary was indeed accurate, as human factors are always the most important in determining the outcome of war. Later, Liu Bang decided to establish his capital at Chang'an because of a suggestion from a soldier named Lou Jing (also known as Liu Jing), who pointed out that Liu Bang's empire was different from the previous Zhou dynasty and should not follow its example by establishing its capital at Luoyang. Instead, he suggested that the capital be established in Guanzhong, which would allow the country to defend itself securely and maintain long-term stability. Zhang Liang agreed with Lou Jing's suggestion, saying that Guanzhong was a "golden city of a thousand miles, a heavenly kingdom," where one could retreat to defend or advance to attack. Liu Bang listened and agreed, and soon moved his capital to Chang'an.

  在中国历史上，汉朝的建立者刘邦是一个非常重要的人物。他不仅推翻了秦朝的统治，还创立了汉朝，使得中国进入了一个新的时代。在巩固强化皇权方面，刘邦也是想尽了办法，一是通过尊父亲太公为太上皇，二是通过对季布和丁公的处理。这两件事最终达到了他的目的。

  After experiencing the long-term chaos of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, followed by a short period of Qin Dynasty rule, as well as the wars at the end of the Qin Dynasty, people did not have the concept of loyalty to the monarch in their minds. They still maintained the idea of "scholars having no constant lord, countries having no fixed ministers" that had been formed since the Warring States Period, which was unfavorable to the consolidation of imperial power.

  Liu Bang educated his ministers and subjects to follow the rites and respect their elders and monarchs by respecting his father. Liu Bang lived with his father, Liu Taigong, and visited him every five days to show his filial piety. Taigong thought it was nothing special and got used to it. However, Taigong's officials felt that this was not proper and advised him, saying: "As the saying goes, 'heaven has no two suns, earth has no two masters.' The current emperor is your son, but he is also a monarch. You are his father, but you are also his minister. Letting him, as the master, visit you, the minister, does not conform to etiquette. Moreover, this also fails to show the majesty of the emperor."

  When Liu Bang visited his father again, Taigong took a broom and went out to greet him in advance, then retreated into the house, not giving Liu Bang an opportunity to pay his respects. Liu Bang was shocked, and he jumped down from his carriage to support his father. Taigong hastily said: "The emperor is noble as a monarch, and cannot destroy the rites of the state because of me alone." Liu Bang then issued an edict, honoring Taigong as the Supreme Emperor, thus achieving two goals at once - not only did he demonstrate the dignity of the emperor, but he could also reasonably visit his father.

  Liu Bang highly esteemed filial piety. After becoming emperor, he had his father, Liu Zhijia, move to the imperial palace and granted him the title of Supreme Emperor. The Supreme Emperor lived in the palace for a long time and became increasingly unhappy every day. Liu Bang was worried and secretly asked the attendants of the Supreme Emperor, who replied: "The Supreme Emperor used to live in Fengyicheng, his hometown, where he would play cuju, fight cocks, drink wine, and have fun with his neighbors and friends every day...

  He also moved some relatives and neighbors from Feng County to live here. The layout of the streets and alleys in Xinfeng City is exactly the same as that of his hometown, Fengyi Town, and even the elderly and children who moved with him can recognize their own homes. The second thing was how he dealt with his half-brothers, Ji Bu and Ding Gong. During the struggle for the throne between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, they were both high-ranking generals under Xiang Yu's command. Ji Bu led troops to defeat Liu Bang several times, and Ding Gong also led troops to pursue Liu Bang but ultimately let him go. After Liu Bang became emperor, he remembered his grudge against Ji Bu for defeating him and had him arrested. However, thinking that he needed such loyal ministers to assist him, he put aside his resentment, not only releasing Ji Bu but also appointing him as a Langzhong. Ding Gong heard about this and thought that if even Ji Bu, who had given Liu Bang a hard time, could be released and made an official, then he, who had shown kindness to Liu Bang, would certainly be treated even better. Unexpectedly, however, he was arrested by Liu Bang. Liu Bang told the crowd, "Ding Gong was disloyal when he served as a general under Xiang Yu, it was people like him that caused Xiang Wang to lose the world." Liu Bang ordered Ding Gong's execution and displayed his body in the army as a warning to everyone to be loyal ministers and not follow Ding Gong's example.

  After the unification of China and the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang ruled the world with benevolence, recruited Confucian scholars, issued decrees to the whole country, and widely sought talents. In politics, Liu Bang inherited the centralized power system and county system of the Qin Dynasty, while abolishing the harsh laws and criminal laws of the Qin Dynasty. When Liu Bang entered Xianyang, he immediately abolished the harsh laws of the Qin Dynasty. He made a covenant with the people to have only three articles of law, sealed up the treasury, and did not offend the people in the slightest, thus gaining their hearts. After pacifying the world, Liu Bang ordered Xiao He to refer to the Qin Dynasty's laws and "take what is suitable for the times" to create the "Nine Chapters of Law", also known as the "Han Nine Chapters". This was based on the six articles of the "Fa Jing" (laws related to theft, banditry, nets, capture, miscellaneous, and equipment) compiled by Li Kui during the Warring States period, supplemented by household laws (household registration, marriage system, and tax collection), Xing laws (mainly regulating conscription and city defense), and Yu laws (mainly regulating cattle and horse breeding and post transmission). Generally speaking, the "Han Law" refers to the "Nine Chapters of Law". Liu Bang reused his uncle Sun Tong to organize the imperial court, and Sun Tong established a set of political etiquette systems suitable for the needs of the time. He wrote specialized books on ritual laws such as "Han Yi Twelve Articles", "Han Li Du", and "Lv Ling Pei Zhang Eighteen Articles", which played an important role in the establishment and consolidation of the Han Dynasty, leaving behind a valuable cultural heritage. In terms of legal thought, Confucianism was the mainstay, with Legalism as a supplement. The Qin Dynasty's practice of "severe punishment" was abolished, the law of collective punishment and the extermination of three clans were repealed, and the idea of "De Zhu Xing Fu" (using virtue as the mainstay and punishment as a supplement) was put forward. This achieved a balanced effect of leniency and strictness. In terms of economy, Liu Bang abolished the harsh laws of the Qin Dynasty, exempted its corvée labor, reduced the burden on the people, such as reducing land rent, five-tenths tax one, "resting with the people", releasing slaves, and exempting those who sold themselves into slavery due to hunger from being commoners. He liberated productive forces, "dismissed soldiers to return home" "rewarded them with land and houses" let soldiers return home, gave them land and housing, and made them engage in productive labor, quickly restoring and improving the national economy. At the same time, he encouraged childbirth and expanded the labor force. He also vigorously developed agriculture, suppressed and attacked profit-seeking merchants and the remaining slave-owning class. Liu Bang accepted Lou Jing's suggestion of "strong trunk and weak branches" and moved more than 100,000 people from the six states of Guandong to settle in Guanzhong. Liu Bang allowed the people to live and work in peace, the people's hearts were gathered, and the country was consolidated.

  In the development of cultural undertakings, Liu Bang established a large-scale "National Library" Tianlu Pavilion, Stone Canal Pavilion and other institutions. After the country was settled, he ordered Xiao He to review laws and orders, Han Xin to explain military law, Zhang Cang to establish regulations, Shusun Tong to create rituals and etiquette, and Jia Yi to compile "New Language". He also made a vow with his meritorious officials, inscribing it in blood on iron tablets, storing them in the ancestral temple. Although he was busy every day, his vision was far-reaching. Liu Bang's relaxed and non-interfering policies not only comforted the people and united China, but also laid the foundation for the grand and elegant culture of the Han Dynasty. It can be said that Liu Bang truly unified a divided China and gradually gathered the scattered hearts of the people. He made decisive contributions to the formation of the Han nation, the unity and strength of China, and the protection and development of Han culture.

  The experience of the Battle of Julu was applied

  Determination and courage are the sources of strength.

  At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the world was in great chaos, with various princes occupying different regions and warlords fighting each other.

  In 208 BC, Zhao King Xie was besieged by the Qin army led by Wang Li with an army of 200,000 in Julu. In desperation, he sent an envoy to seek help from Chu Huaiwang. At that time, the Qin army was very powerful, and no one dared to go forward to fight. Xiang Yu volunteered to avenge his father's death at the hands of the Qin army, so Chu Huaiwang appointed Xiang Yu as the Supreme General, leading an army of 50,000 to relieve Julu.

  Xiang Yu first sent his generals, Ying Bu and Pu General, to lead 20,000 soldiers as the vanguard, crossing the Zhang River and cutting off the Qin army's supply lines. Then, Xiang Yu personally led the entire main force across the river and ordered all soldiers to break their cauldrons and sink their boats, each carrying only three days' worth of dry rations, to show their determination to fight to the death. Xiang Yu said to his generals: "This time we have come out of Julu with no retreat, within three days we must defeat the Qin army."

  Xiang Yu's determination and bravery in breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats greatly boosted the morale of his soldiers. The Chu army was filled with enthusiasm, with each soldier fighting as if he were ten men, bravely battling to the death. They won nine battles in a row, defeating the Qin army soundly. At this time, the relief troops from Qi and Yan also broke out of their camps to join the battle, eventually capturing the commander-in-chief of the Qin army, Wang Li, killing his deputy general, and lifting the siege of Julu.

  This is the famous Battle of Julu in history, a war with decisive significance. It not only suddenly defeated the main force of the Qin army, reversed the entire war situation, and laid the foundation for the downfall of the Qin Dynasty; Moreover, after this battle, Xiang Yu was unanimously elected as the "Supreme General of the Vassals", becoming a heroic leader in the anti-Qin camp.

  In terms of the ratio of forces, at that time, the Qin army had 200,000 soldiers, while Xiang Yu's troops were only about 50,000. The Qin army had an absolute advantage. The main reason why Xiang Yu ultimately defeated the Qin army was his determination and bravery. This kind of determination and bravery not only greatly boosted the morale of the Chu army, inspiring their fighting spirit, but also greatly intimidated the will to fight of the Qin army, causing them to lose heart at the mere mention of it.

  The battlefield is the same, and so are the business world and personal development. As a leader, you inevitably have to face fierce competition, confront strong enemies' challenges and difficulties, and "harassment" of setbacks and frustrations. For these, you must be able to respond calmly and have the determination and courage to overcome them. If so, you can fully tap your potential, gain great spiritual strength, and directly promote your extraordinary actions.

  No ship sails the seas without scars

  Have you ever seen a warship without scars? If you have, I'm sure it was either in a shipyard or a model of a warship. A warship that sails the seas will never be unscathed.

  In the famous National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, there is a ship that was bought by Lloyd's of London from an auction and donated to the museum. This ship has had an incredible history and brought considerable profit to Lloyd's in terms of insurance premiums. It was launched in 1894 and encountered icebergs 138 times, ran aground 116 times, caught fire 13 times, and had its mast blown off by storms 207 times. Despite all this, it always reached the end of its voyage, completed all its historical tasks, and never sank.

  In the history of navigation, this may be just an ordinary ship. Think about it, which ship sailing in the ocean is not hurt? But can a warship not sail in the ocean because it fears injury? As a leader, aren't you and your company also a ship sailing on the ocean? In the long journey of life, in the process of operating and developing a company, once you set sail, you will inevitably encounter icebergs, hidden reefs, storms, and sometimes lose the guidance of navigation markers. On the road ahead, you will experience wind and rain, and may be injured all over, but these should not become excuses for quitting halfway.

  Ninety-nine failures can be exchanged for one success.

  Success is just an accidental event that occurs after 99 failures, and it's called accidental, but it has a sense of necessity. As long as you are not afraid of failure, bravely persist, failure will eventually be conquered by you. If you are afraid of failure, you will never achieve success. Failure is like this, the more you fear it, the more you want to stay away from it, the closer it will get to you.

  Federal Express is now a world-renowned package delivery service provider, but its status and achievements were not achieved overnight. Below I will tell you the story about it, hoping that you can gain something from it.

  Fred. Smith is a retired Navy 6 fleet member from the Vietnam battlefield, an early graduate of Yale University. The dream of setting up a company to provide overnight express delivery services has been in existence since his university days. On June 28, 1971, Fred. Smith finally took a solid step towards realizing his dream, and he formally established Federal Express Corporation in Little Rock, specializing in providing overnight express delivery services.

  After the company was formally established, Fred Smith actively sought cooperation with the Federal Reserve System of the United States. For this first major customer, he made every effort to make a good impression, spending countless sleepless nights and traveling back and forth between New York and Washington many times.

  In Fred Smith's view, the overnight delivery service provided by Federal Express could save a lot of money and time for the other party, the benefits were obvious, and there was no reason for the other party to refuse this service. Moreover, even the name of his own company was very similar to that of the Federal Reserve System, so he was confident in getting this order.

  Meanwhile, Fred Smith, in negotiations with the Federal Reserve System, had already confidently purchased two turboprop-powered Dassault Falcon 20s from Pan American Airways and had them converted to pure cargo aircraft for hauling packages.

  Fred Smith had no idea that just a few weeks after purchasing the plane, he would receive some devastating news: The Federal Reserve refused to accept Federal Express's overnight delivery service, citing that individual banks within the Federal Reserve system were opposed to Fred Smith's proposal. For years, regional Federal Reserve Banks had been autonomous and had their own spheres of influence; using planes for overnight delivery of bank documents could save time and money but would also cut off lucrative business from many people, a point that Fred Smith apparently underestimated.

  The plan to use airplanes for overnight delivery of Federal Reserve checks had failed miserably, and the two planes that had been purchased specifically for this purpose were now sitting idle in a hangar. The newly formed Federal Express Corporation and 26-year-old Fred Smith faced their first major setback.

  And the bad news didn't end there. After the initial failure, Federal Express faced not only the rejection of the Federal Reserve System but also widespread skepticism that Fred Smith had wasted his inheritance on a harebrained scheme to deliver packages overnight. As described in "Playing to Win," "Everyone told Fred Smith he was crazy to think he could make a business out of delivering packages overnight. If there was a market for it, one of the big airlines would have already done it."

  Facing defeat and other people's comments, Fred Smith also felt tremendous pressure. However, Fred Smith was clearly not the kind of person who would easily give up when encountering difficulties, nor was he intimidated by this overwhelming opposition.

  In early 1973, Fred Smith took a huge risk and decided to put his entire net worth of $8.5 million into Federal Express. At the same time, he used his silver tongue to persuade Wall Street bankers and investors. Fred Smith's vision, efforts, confidence, extraordinary leadership ability, especially his courage and adventurous spirit in putting all his assets into Federal Express, left a deep impression on these bosses. Soon, he raised $91 million, which set the record for the highest single investment capital in the history of American business at that time.

  After securing the investment, Fred Smith's first order of business was to purchase 33 Dassault Falcon jets. With everything in place, Federal Express officially began overnight operations on April 3, 1973.

  However, fate was unpredictable and Federal Express's business did not become smooth sailing because of this.

  When Federal Express first started, it served 25 cities but only delivered 186 packages on its first night. In the first 26 months of operation, Federal Express lost $29 million and had a debt of $49 million, with a very real possibility of bankruptcy at any moment. Moreover, the company's early investors lost confidence in the company and refused to continue investing. This was the most difficult period for Federal Express, and Fred Smith recalled that year: "No one knew what I went through that year, the depth of pain, the magnitude of pressure, the number of events, the amount of travel, the meetings with investment bankers, General Dynamics, and hundreds of different people in Memphis. At the same time, I had to run a company."

  In July 1973, Fred Smith flew to Chicago in an attempt to secure a much-needed infusion of capital from the General Dynamics investment firm, but was rebuffed. On his return to Memphis, he impulsively boarded a flight to Las Vegas with several hundred dollars and won $27,000 at the blackjack tables, which he used to pay employees.

  To pay off the company's debts, Fred Smith sold his private plane.

  In 1974, Fred Smith even forged a lawyer's signature to withdraw money from the family trust fund that belonged to his two sisters. His two sisters were furious when they found out and took him to court in January 1975. Fortunately, Smith was eventually acquitted.

  But none of this could stop Fred Smith and Federal Express from succeeding. The reason why Federal Express became Federal Express, and Fred Smith was hailed as one of the greatest corporate leaders of our time, apart from his extraordinary vision and wisdom, is because of the indomitable will and spirit he showed in the face of all sorts of difficulties and setbacks, which is something that a truly exceptional leader cannot do without.

  During the most trying times of Federal Express's early years, it was Fred Smith's unyielding spirit, boundless confidence in the future and extraordinary courage that attracted employees to join him in navigating through difficulties.

  As one longtime FedEx employee put it, "For the first three or four years after FedEx was founded, it was always on the verge of bankruptcy, and at least by July 1973, Fred Smith had flown to Chicago in an attempt to secure a much-needed infusion of additional investment from General Dynamics, but was rebuffed. On his way back to Memphis, Fred Smith impulsively got on a flight to Las Vegas, where he hoped Lady Luck would smile on him. With just a few hundred dollars in his pocket, he played blackjack at the tables and won $27,000, which he used to pay some of the employees' wages.

  To pay off the company's debts, Fred Smith sold his private plane.

  In 1974, Fred Smith even forged a lawyer's signature to withdraw money from the family trust fund that belonged to his two sisters. His two sisters were furious when they found out and took him to court in January 1975. Fortunately, Smith was eventually acquitted.

  But none of this could stop Fred Smith and Federal Express from succeeding. The reason why Federal Express became Federal Express, and Fred Smith was hailed as one of the greatest corporate leaders of our time, apart from his extraordinary vision and wisdom, is because of the indomitable will and spirit he showed in the face of all sorts of difficulties and setbacks, which is something that a truly exceptional leader cannot do without.

  During the most trying times of Federal Express's early years, it was Fred Smith's unyielding spirit, boundless confidence in the future and extraordinary courage that attracted employees to join him in navigating through difficulties.

  As a veteran employee of Federal Express put it, "In the first three or four years after Federal Express was founded, it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy at least five or six times, but fortunately Fred Smith refused to give up. He is truly an indomitable leader with boundless confidence in his vision and full courage, who finally created a miracle."

  He went bankrupt five or six times, but what is precious is that Fred Smith did not give up. He was a leader who never gave up, with infinite confidence in the future and full of courage, he finally created a miracle.

  在中国历史上，汉朝的建立者刘邦是一个非常重要的人物。他不仅推翻了秦朝的统治，还创立了汉朝，使得中国进入了一个新的时代。在巩固强化皇权方面，刘邦也是想尽了办法，一是通过尊父亲太公为太上皇，二是通过对季布和丁公的处理。这两件事最终达到了他的目的。

  After experiencing the long-term chaos of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, followed by a short period of Qin Dynasty rule, and then the wars at the end of the Qin Dynasty, people did not have the idea of loyalty to the monarch in their minds. They still maintained the idea of "scholars having no constant lord, countries having no fixed ministers" that had been formed since the Warring States Period, which was unfavorable to the consolidation of imperial power. Liu Bang educated his ministers and the common people to follow the rites and respect their elders and monarchs by respecting his father. Liu Bang lived with his father, Liu Taigong, and visited him every five days to show his filial piety. Taigong felt that it was nothing special and got used to it. However, Taigong's officials thought it was inappropriate and advised him, saying: "As the saying goes, 'heaven has no two suns, earth has no two masters.' The current emperor is your son, but he is also the monarch. You are his father, but you are also his minister. Letting him, as the master, visit you, the minister, does not conform to etiquette. Moreover, this also fails to show the majesty of the emperor." When Liu Bang visited his father again, Taigong took a broom and went out to greet him in advance, then retreated into the house, not giving Liu Bang a chance to pay his respects. Liu Bang was very surprised, and he jumped down from his carriage to support his father. Taigong hurriedly said: "The emperor is noble as the monarch, and cannot destroy the country's rites for one person." Liu Bang then issued an edict, respecting Taigong as the Supreme Emperor, which achieved two goals at once. Not only did it demonstrate the dignity of the emperor, but he could also reasonably visit his father. Liu Bang highly esteemed filial piety, and after becoming emperor, he had his father, Liu Zhijia, move to the imperial palace to live with him, and granted him the title of Supreme Emperor. The Supreme Emperor lived in the palace for a long time and became depressed every day. Liu Bang was worried and secretly asked the attendants of the Supreme Emperor, who replied: "The Supreme Emperor used to live in Fengyicheng, his hometown, where he would play cuju, fight cocks, drink wine, and have fun with his neighbors and friends every day...

  He also moved some relatives and neighbors from Feng County to live here. The layout of the streets and alleys in Xinfeng City is exactly the same as that of his hometown, Fengyi Town, and even the elderly and children who moved with him can recognize their own homes. The second thing was how he dealt with his half-brothers, Ji Bu and Ding Gong. During the struggle for the throne between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, they were both high-ranking generals under Xiang Yu's command. Ji Bu led troops to defeat Liu Bang several times, and Ding Gong also led troops to pursue Liu Bang but eventually let him go. After Liu Bang became emperor, he remembered his grudge against Ji Bu for defeating him and had him arrested. However, thinking that he needed such loyal ministers to assist him, he put aside his resentment, not only releasing Ji Bu but also appointing him as a Langzhong. Ding Gong heard about this and thought that if even Ji Bu, who had given Liu Bang a hard time, could be released and made an official, then he, who had shown kindness to Liu Bang, would certainly be treated even better. Unexpectedly, however, he was arrested by Liu Bang. Liu Bang told the crowd, "Ding Gong was disloyal when he served as a general under Xiang Yu's command; it was people like him that caused Xiang Wang to lose the world." Liu Bang ordered Ding Gong to be executed and displayed his body in the army as a warning to everyone to be loyal ministers and not follow Ding Gong's example.

  After experiencing the long-term chaos of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, followed by a short period of Qin Dynasty rule, as well as the wars at the end of the Qin Dynasty, people did not have the idea of loyalty to the monarch in their minds. They still maintained the idea of "scholars having no constant lord, countries having no fixed ministers" that had been formed since the Warring States Period, which was unfavorable to the consolidation of imperial power.

  Liu Bang educated his ministers and the common people to follow the rites and respect their elders and monarchs by respecting his father. Liu Bang lived with his father, Liu Taigong, and visited him every five days to show his filial piety. Taigong thought it was nothing special and got used to it.

  However, Taigong's officials felt that this was not proper and advised him, saying: "As the saying goes, 'heaven has no two suns, earth has no two masters.' Today, the emperor is your son, but he is also the master of men. You are his father, but you are also his minister. Letting him, as the master, pay respects to you, the minister, does not conform to etiquette. Moreover, this also fails to display the majesty of the emperor."

  When Liu Bang visited his father again, Taigong took a broom and went out to greet him in advance, then retreated into the house, not giving Liu Bang an opportunity to pay respects. Liu Bang was shocked, and he jumped down from his carriage to support his father. Taigong hastily said: "The emperor is noble as the master of men; because of me alone, we cannot destroy the rites of the state."

  Liu Bang then issued a decree, honoring Taigong as the Supreme Emperor, thus achieving two goals at once - not only did he demonstrate the dignity of the emperor, but he could also reasonably pay respects to his father. Liu Bang highly esteemed filial piety and after becoming emperor, brought his father, Liu Zhijia, to live in the imperial palace, enfeoffing him as the Supreme Emperor.

  The Supreme Emperor lived a long time in the palace, but every day was dull and unhappy. Liu Bang was worried and secretly asked the attendants of the Supreme Emperor, who replied: "In the past, when the Supreme Emperor lived in Fengyi City, his hometown, he would spend his days playing cuju (a traditional Chinese sport), fighting cocks, drinking wine, and having fun with his neighbors and friends...

  He also moved some relatives and neighbors from Feng County to live here. The layout of the streets and alleys in Xinfeng City is exactly the same as that of his hometown, Fengyi Town, and even the elderly and children who moved with him can recognize their own homes. The second thing was how he dealt with his half-brothers, Ji Bu and Ding Gong. During the struggle for the throne between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, they were both high-ranking generals under Xiang Yu's command. Ji Bu led troops to defeat Liu Bang several times, and Ding Gong also led troops to pursue Liu Bang but ultimately let him go. After Liu Bang became emperor, he remembered his grudge against Ji Bu for defeating him and had him arrested. However, thinking that he needed such loyal ministers to assist him, he put aside his resentment, not only releasing Ji Bu but also appointing him as a Langzhong. Ding Gong heard about this and thought that if even Ji Bu, who had given Liu Bang a hard time, could be released and made an official, then he, who had shown kindness to Liu Bang, would certainly be treated even better. Unexpectedly, however, he was arrested by Liu Bang. Liu Bang told the crowd, "Ding Gong was disloyal when he served as a general under Xiang Yu's command; it was people like him that caused Xiang Wang to lose the world." Liu Bang ordered Ding Gong to be executed and displayed his body in the army as a warning to everyone to be loyal ministers and not follow Ding Gong's example.

  This is the famous Battle of Julu in history, a decisive battle. It not only suddenly defeated the main force of the Qin army, reversed the entire war situation, and laid the foundation for the downfall of the Qin Dynasty; Moreover, after this battle, Xiang Yu was unanimously elected as the "Supreme General of the Vassals", becoming a heroic leader in the anti-Qin camp.

  In terms of the ratio of forces, at that time, the Qin army had 200,000 soldiers, while Xiang Yu's troops were only about 50,000. The Qin army had an absolute advantage. The main reason why Xiang Yu ultimately defeated the Qin army was his determination and bravery. This kind of determination and bravery not only greatly boosted the morale of the Chu army, inspiring their fighting spirit, but also greatly intimidated the will to fight of the Qin army, causing them to lose heart at the mere mention of battle.

  The battlefield is the same, and so are the business world and personal development. As a leader, you inevitably have to face fierce competition, confront strong enemies' challenges and difficulties, and "harassment" of setbacks. For these, you must be able to respond calmly and have the determination and courage to overcome them. If so, you can fully stimulate your potential, gain great spiritual strength, and directly promote your extraordinary actions.

  No ship sails the seas without scars

  Have you ever seen a warship without scars? If you have, I'm sure it was either in a shipyard or a model of the ship. A ship that sails the seas will never be unscathed.

  In the famous National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, there is a ship that was bought by Lloyd's of London from an auction and donated to the museum. This ship has had an incredible history and brought considerable profit to Lloyd's in terms of insurance premiums. It was launched in 1894 and on the Atlantic it encountered icebergs 138 times, ran aground 116 times, caught fire 13 times, and was blown off course by storms 207 times, yet each time it managed to reach its destination, completing all its historical tasks without ever sinking.

  In the history of navigation, this may be just an ordinary ship. Think about it, which ship sailing in the ocean is not hurt? But can a ship not sail in the ocean because it's afraid of getting hurt? As a leader, aren't you and your company also a ship sailing on the ocean? In the long journey of life, in the process of operating and developing a company, once you set sail, you will inevitably encounter icebergs, reefs, storms, and sometimes lose the guidance of navigation. On the road ahead, you will experience wind and rain, and may be injured all over, but these should not become excuses for quitting halfway.

  Ninety-nine failures can be exchanged for one success.

  Success is just an accidental event that occurs after 99 failures, and it's called accidental, but it has a sense of necessity. As long as you are not afraid of failure, bravely persist, failure will eventually be conquered by you. If you are afraid of failure, you will never achieve success. Failure is like this, the more you fear it, the more you want to stay away from it, the closer it will get to you.

  Federal Express is now a world-renowned package delivery service provider, but its status and achievements were not achieved overnight. Below I will tell you the story about it, hoping that you can gain something from it.

  Fred Smith is a retired Navy lieutenant who graduated from Yale University. Starting a company to provide overnight delivery service was a dream he had in college. On June 28, 1971, Fred Smith finally took the first solid step towards realizing his own dreams and officially founded Federal Express Corporation in Little Rock, which specializes in providing overnight express services.

  After the company was formally established, Fred Smith actively sought cooperation with the Federal Reserve System of the United States. For this first major customer, he made every effort and spent countless sleepless nights, running back and forth between New York and Washington many times.

  In Fred Smith's view, the overnight delivery service provided by Federal Express could save a lot of money and time for the other party, the benefits were obvious, and the other party had no reason to refuse this service. Moreover, even the name of his own company was very similar to that of the Federal Reserve System, so he was confident in getting this order.

  Meanwhile, Fred Smith, in negotiations with the Federal Reserve System, had already confidently purchased two turboprop-powered Dassault Falcon 20s from Pan American Airways and had them converted to pure cargo aircraft for hauling packages.

  Fred Smith had no idea that just a few weeks after purchasing the plane, he would receive some devastating news: The Federal Reserve refused to accept Federal Express's overnight delivery service, citing that individual banks within the Federal Reserve system were opposed to Fred Smith's proposal. For years, regional Federal Reserve Banks had been autonomous and each had their own fiefdoms; using planes for overnight delivery of bank documents could save time and money but would also cut off lucrative revenue streams for many people, a point that Fred Smith apparently underestimated.

  The plan to use airplanes for overnight delivery of Federal Reserve checks had failed miserably, and the two planes that had been purchased specifically for this purpose were now sitting idle in a hangar. The newly formed Federal Express Corporation and 26-year-old Fred Smith faced their first major setback.

  And the bad news didn't end there. After the initial failure, Federal Express faced not only the rejection of the Federal Reserve System but also widespread skepticism that Fred Smith had wasted his inheritance on a harebrained scheme to deliver packages overnight. As described in Playing to Win: "Everyone told Fred Smith he was crazy to think he could make money delivering small packages overnight. There just wasn't a market for it, they said. If there were, the big airlines would have already done it."

  Facing defeat and other people's comments, Fred Smith also felt tremendous pressure. However, Fred Smith was clearly not the kind of person who would easily give up when encountering difficulties, nor was he intimidated by this overwhelming opposition.

  In early 1973, Fred Smith took a huge risk and decided to put his entire net worth of $8.5 million into Federal Express. At the same time, he used his silver tongue to persuade Wall Street bankers and investors. Fred Smith's vision, efforts, confidence, extraordinary leadership ability, especially his courage and adventurous spirit in putting all his assets into Federal Express, left a deep impression on these bosses. Soon, he raised $91 million, which set the record for the highest single investment capital in the history of American business at that time.

  After securing the investment, Fred Smith's first move was to once again purchase 33 Dassault Falcon jets. With everything in place, Federal Express officially began large-scale operations on April 3, 1973.

  However, fate was unpredictable and Federal Express's business did not become smooth sailing because of this.

  When Federal Express first started, it served 25 cities but only delivered 186 packages on its first night. In the first 26 months of operation, Federal Express lost $29 million and had a debt of $49 million, with a very real possibility of bankruptcy at any moment. Moreover, the company's early investors lost confidence in the company and refused to continue investing. This was the most difficult period for Federal Express, and Fred Smith recalled that year: "No one knew what I went through that year, the depth of pain, the magnitude of pressure, the number of things that happened, the number of trips I made, the meetings with investment bankers, General Dynamics, and hundreds of different people in Memphis. At the same time, I had to run a company."

  In July 1973, Fred Smith flew to Chicago in an attempt to secure a much-needed infusion of capital from the General Dynamics investment firm, but was rebuffed. On his way back to Memphis, he impulsively boarded a flight to Las Vegas, where he hoped to win enough money at blackjack to cover the company's payroll. With just $27,000 left in the bank, Smith used it all for a stake and won $27,000 playing blackjack, which he used to pay employees.

  To pay off the company's debts, Fred Smith sold his private plane.

  In 1974, Fred Smith even forged a lawyer's signature to withdraw money from the family trust fund that belonged to his two sisters. His two sisters were furious when they found out and took him to court in January 1975. Fortunately, Smith was eventually acquitted.

  But none of this could stop Fred Smith and Federal Express from succeeding. The reason why Federal Express became Federal Express, and Fred Smith was hailed as one of the greatest corporate leaders of our time, apart from his extraordinary vision and wisdom, is because of the indomitable will and spirit he showed in the face of all sorts of difficulties and setbacks, which is something that a truly exceptional leader cannot do without.

  During the most trying times of Federal Express's early years, it was Fred Smith's unyielding spirit, boundless confidence in the future and extraordinary courage that attracted employees to join him in navigating through the difficulties.

  As one longtime FedEx employee put it, "For the first three or four years after FedEx was founded, it was always on the verge of bankruptcy, and at least by July 1973, Fred Smith had flown to Chicago in an attempt to secure a much-needed infusion of additional investment from General Dynamics, but was rebuffed. On his way back to Memphis, Fred Smith impulsively got on a flight to Las Vegas, where he hoped Lady Luck would smile on him. With just a few hundred dollars in his pocket, he played blackjack at the tables and won $27,000, which he used to pay employees' wages.

  To pay off the company's debts, Fred Smith sold his private plane.

  In 1974, Fred Smith even forged a lawyer's signature to withdraw money from the family trust fund that belonged to his two sisters. His two sisters were furious when they found out and took him to court in January 1975. Fortunately, Smith was eventually acquitted.

  But none of this could stop Fred Smith and Federal Express from succeeding. The reason why Federal Express became Federal Express, and Fred Smith was hailed as one of the greatest corporate leaders of our time, apart from his extraordinary vision and wisdom, is because of the indomitable will and spirit he showed in the face of all sorts of difficulties and setbacks, which is something that a truly exceptional leader cannot do without.

  During the most trying times of Federal Express's early years, it was Fred Smith's unyielding spirit, boundless confidence in the future and extraordinary courage that attracted employees to join him in navigating through the difficulties.

  As a veteran employee of Federal Express once said, "In the first three or four years after Federal Express was founded, it teetered on the brink of bankruptcy and could have gone bankrupt at least five or six times. But fortunately, Fred Smith refused to give up. He is truly an indomitable leader with boundless confidence in the future and full courage, who finally created a miracle."

  He went bankrupt five or six times, but what is precious is that Fred Smith did not give up. He was a leader who never gave up, with infinite confidence in the future and full of courage, he finally created a miracle.

  Consolidating imperial power Liu Bang, although he became the emperor, did not dare to take his throne lightly. When hosting a grand banquet for ministers such as Ying Bu, he boasted to his father, Taigong, saying: "In the past, you often said that I had no way to make a living and could not manage my property. Now, look at whose wealth is greater, mine or my brother's?" However, while enjoying himself, he also took measures to consolidate his imperial power. The first thing that made him uneasy was the kings of different surnames in various regions. They all had troops, and some were even two-faced. The second problem was other generals who fought over their merits and rewards, and if not appeased properly, they would join those kings with different surnames to rebel. Moreover, the descendants of the six states could not be taken lightly either. In the central government, the power of the prime minister also posed a threat to him as emperor. From the time Liu Bang became emperor until his death eight years later, he spent most of his time resolving these issues that made him uneasy. He first dealt with Han Xin. In 201 BC, during the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, someone reported that Han Xin was plotting a rebellion. Liu Bang asked what to do, and everyone suggested sending troops to suppress it. However, Chen Ping opposed this idea, saying that the Chu state had strong soldiers and sufficient supplies, and Han Xin was skilled in warfare, making it difficult to win by force. He advised Liu Bang to use the pretext of touring Yunmeng to summon all the kings with different surnames to Chen County (Henan Huaiyang), where Han Xin would surely come, and then capture him. Liu Bang followed this plan and indeed captured Han Xin. When Han Xin heard the charges against him, he loudly proclaimed his innocence: "What the ancients said is true: 'When the cunning rabbit dies, the good dog is cooked; when the high bird flies away, the good bow is hidden; when the enemy state is destroyed, the strategist dies.' The world has already been pacified, and someone like me should have been killed long ago." Liu Bang took Han Xin to Luoyang but released him due to lack of evidence, demoting him to Marquis of Huaiyin. This made Han Xin harbor resentment. The next year, Han Xin plotted with Chen Yi to rebel in a distant land, making Liu Bang personally lead troops to suppress the rebellion, while he himself would attack the crown prince and Empress Lü in the capital. However, the plan was exposed again.

  At that time, Han Xin would definitely come, and then he would be caught and punished. Liu Bang followed the plan and indeed captured Han Xin. When Han Xin heard the accusations against him, he loudly cried out in protest: "What the ancients said is indeed true: 'The cunning rabbit dies, the good dog is cooked; the high bird is gone, the good bow is hidden; the enemy state is destroyed, the strategist dies.' The world has already been pacified, and someone like me should have been killed long ago." Liu Bang had Han Xin taken to Luoyang, but since there was no clear evidence, he released him, demoting him to Marquis of Huaiyin. This made Han Xin harbor resentment in his heart. The next year, Han Xin plotted with Chen Yi to rebel in a distant place, causing Liu Bang to personally go and put down the rebellion, while he himself would attack the crown prince and Empress Lu in the capital. However, things were again exposed.

  Liu Bang was the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, one of the great founders of the Han nation and culture, an outstanding politician, strategist, and military commander in Chinese history. He was born in 256 BC in Pei County, Chu State (now Fengyi Town, Fengxian County, Jiangsu Province), to Liu Taigong (also known as Liu Jian) and Liu Ao (also known as Wang Yuan). Liu Bang had two older brothers, one sister, and a younger brother. He was the third son, hence his name "Liu Ji", also known as Liu Season.

  In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang unified China and established the Qin Empire. Liu Bang served as a minor official in Pei County. In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led a rebellion against the Qin dynasty, and Liu Bang joined the rebels in Pei County. In 206 BC, Liu Bang was the first to enter Guanzhong (the area around modern-day Xi'an), and the last Qin emperor, Ziying, surrendered to him.

  Liu Bang was then appointed as the King of Han by Xiang Yu, the overlord of the Chu State. After a four-year war with Xiang Yu, Liu Bang defeated him and unified China, establishing the Han Dynasty. He ascended to the throne on February 28, 202 BC, in Dingtao (now Dingtao County, Shandong Province), and established his capital in Luoyang.

  Liu Bang ruled for twelve years (206-195 BC), during which he suppressed rebellions by regional kings, solidified national unity, established laws and institutions, and adopted a lenient policy to revive the economy. He restored production, developed the economy, and brought peace to the people, laying the foundation for the grand culture of the Han Dynasty.

  Liu Bang's contributions to the unification of China, the protection and development of Han culture, and the strengthening of national unity are immeasurable. After his death, he was posthumously honored as "Emperor Gao" (Gao Huangdi) and revered as the founder of the Han Dynasty.

  The text translates to:

  "After the death of Liu Bang, the ministers discussed and decided that his temple name would be "Taizu" and his posthumous title would be "Gaohuangdi", with the full title being "Han Taizu Gaohuangdi". The abbreviated form of the temple name should be "Han Taizu", and the abbreviated form of the posthumous title is "Han Gao Di", rather than the commonly used term "Han Gaozu".

  The Records of the Grand Historian, Volume 8, High Ancestor's Basic Annals, states: "On the day of Bingyin, he was buried. On the day of Jisi, the crown prince was established at the Tai Shang Huang Temple. All the ministers said: 'The High Ancestor rose from humble beginnings, reversed the chaos and restored order, pacified the world, and became the Han Taizu, with the highest merit.' The emperor's honorific title was Gaohuangdi. The crown prince succeeded to the throne as Emperor Huidi.

  The Book of Han, Volume 1, High Emperor's Annals, Part 1, has the same text, but changed "High Ancestor" to "Emperor" in order to avoid ambiguity. Sima Qian wrote the Records of the Grand Historian during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, who was the son of Emperor Jing and the grandson of Emperor Wen. According to the Erya: 'The great-grandfather is the father's grandfather, called Gaizu.' Therefore, Emperor Wu should have called his great-grandfather (Liu Bang) "Gaizu", but in fact, he did not.

  In contrast, Fred Smith, the founder of Federal Express, had an unyielding spirit, infinite confidence in the future, and extraordinary courage. He attracted employees to work with him through thick and thin, and together they overcame difficulties."

  As one longtime FedEx employee put it, "For the first three or four years after FedEx was founded, it was always on the verge of bankruptcy, and at least by July 1973, Fred Smith flew to Chicago in an attempt to secure a much-needed infusion of additional investment from General Dynamics, but was rebuffed. On his way back to Memphis, Fred Smith impulsively got on a flight to Las Vegas, where he hoped Lady Luck would smile on him. With just a few hundred dollars in his pocket, he played blackjack at the tables and won $27,000, which he used to pay employees.

  To pay off the company's debts, Fred Smith sold his private plane.

  In 1974, Fred Smith even forged a lawyer's signature to withdraw money from the family trust fund that belonged to his two sisters. His two sisters were furious when they found out and took him to court in January 1975. Fortunately, Smith was eventually acquitted.

  But none of this could stop Fred Smith and Federal Express from succeeding. The reason why Federal Express became Federal Express, and Fred Smith was hailed as one of the greatest corporate leaders of our time, apart from his extraordinary vision and wisdom, is because of the indomitable will and spirit he showed in the face of all sorts of difficulties and setbacks, which is something that a truly exceptional leader cannot do without.

  During the most trying times of Federal Express's early years, it was Fred Smith's unyielding spirit, boundless confidence in the future and extraordinary courage that attracted employees to join him in navigating through difficulties.

  As a veteran employee of Federal Express put it, "In the first three or four years after Federal Express was founded, it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy at least five or six times, but fortunately Fred Smith refused to give up. He is truly an indomitable leader with boundless confidence in his vision and full courage, who finally created a miracle."

  He went bankrupt five or six times, but what is precious is that Fred Smith did not give up. He was a leader who never gave in and had infinite confidence in the future and full courage, and he finally created a miracle.

  Consolidating imperial power Liu Bang, although he became the emperor, did not dare to take his throne lightly. When hosting a grand banquet for ministers such as Ying Bu, he boasted to his father, Taigong, saying: "In the past, you often said that I had no way to make a living and could not manage my property. Now that I have become the emperor, is my wealth more than my brother's?" However, while enjoying himself, he also took measures to consolidate his imperial power. The first thing that made him uneasy was the kings of different surnames in various regions. They all had troops, and some were even two-faced. The second problem was other generals who fought over their merits and rewards, and if they were not appeased properly, they would join forces with those kings to rebel. Moreover, the descendants of the six states could not be taken lightly either. In the central government, the power of the prime minister also posed a threat to him as the emperor. From the time Liu Bang became the emperor until his death eight years later, he spent most of his time resolving these issues that made him uneasy. He first dealt with Han Xin. In 201 BC, during the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, someone reported that Han Xin was plotting a rebellion. Liu Bang asked what to do, and everyone suggested sending troops to suppress him. However, Chen Ping opposed this idea, saying that the Chu state had strong soldiers and sufficient supplies, and Han Xin was skilled in warfare, making it difficult to defeat him through military force. He advised Liu Bang to use the pretext of touring Yunmeng to summon all the kings to Chen County (Henan Huaiyang), where Han Xin would surely come, and then capture him. Liu Bang followed this plan and indeed captured Han Xin. When Han Xin heard the charges against him, he loudly proclaimed his innocence: "What the ancients said is true: 'When the cunning rabbit dies, the good dog is cooked; when the high bird flies away, the good bow is hidden; when the enemy state is destroyed, the strategist dies.' Now that the world has been pacified, someone like me should have been killed long ago." Liu Bang took Han Xin to Luoyang but released him due to lack of evidence, demoting him to Marquis of Huaiyin. This made Han Xin harbor resentment. The next year, Han Xin plotted with Chen Yi to rebel in a distant land, intending for Liu Bang to personally lead troops to suppress the rebellion and then attack the crown prince and Empress Lu in the capital. However, the plan was exposed again.

  At that time, Han Xin would definitely come, and then he would be caught and punished. Liu Bang followed the plan and indeed captured Han Xin. When Han Xin heard the accusations against him, he loudly cried out in protest: "What the ancients said is indeed true: 'The cunning rabbit dies, the good dog is cooked; the high bird is gone, the good bow is hidden; the enemy state is destroyed, the strategist dies.' The world has already been pacified, and someone like me should have been killed long ago." Liu Bang took Han Xin to Luoyang, but since there was no clear evidence, he released him, demoting him to Marquis of Huaiyin. This made Han Xin harbor resentment in his heart. The next year, Han Xin plotted with Chen Yi to rebel in a distant place, causing Liu Bang to personally go and quell the rebellion, while he himself would attack the crown prince and Empress Lü in the capital. However, the plan was still exposed.

  Liu Bang was the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, one of the great founders of the Han nation and culture, an outstanding politician, strategist, and military commander in Chinese history. He was born in 256 BC in Pei County, Chu State (now Fengyi Town, Fengxian County, Jiangsu Province), to Liu Taigong (also known as Liu Jian) and Liu Ao (also known as Wang Yuan). Liu Bang had two older brothers, one sister, and a younger brother. He was the third son, hence his name "Liu Ji", also known as Liu Season.

  In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang unified China and established the Qin Empire. Liu Bang served as a minor official in Pei County. In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led a rebellion against the Qin dynasty, and Liu Bang joined the rebels in Pei County. In 206 BC, Liu Bang entered the Guanzhong region (now Shaanxi Province) and accepted the surrender of Qin Er Shi, marking the end of the Qin dynasty.

  Liu Bang was appointed as the King of Han by Xiang Yu, but later defeated him in the Chu-Han Contention (206-202 BC), unifying China under his rule. He established the Han Dynasty with its capital in Luoyang, and later moved it to Chang'an (now Xi'an, Shaanxi Province). Liu Bang ruled for 12 years (206-195 BC), during which he suppressed rebellions by regional kings, solidified national unity, established laws and institutions, and adopted a lenient policy of "restoring production and promoting economic development". He restored stability to the people, unified the Chinese nation, and laid the foundation for the Han Dynasty's culture.

  Liu Bang died in 195 BC, and was posthumously honored as Emperor Gaozu of Han. His mausoleum is located in Fengxian County, Jiangsu Province.

  The "Taizu" and "Gaozu" Liu Bang died, the temple name decided by the ministers was "Taizu", the posthumous title was "Gaohuangdi", the formal full name was "Han Taizu Gaohuangdi", the abbreviated temple name should be "Han Taizu", and the abbreviated posthumous title is "Han Gaodi", not the commonly used "Han Gaozu". The "Shiji? Volume 8 Gaizu Benji Eighth" says: "Bingyin, buried. Jiwu, established the crown prince, to the Tai Shang Huang Temple. All ministers said: Gaizu rose from humble beginnings, reversed the chaos and returned to normal, pacified the world, as Han Taizu, with the highest merit. The emperor's title was Gaohuangdi. The crown prince inherited the title of Emperor, Emperor Huidi also. Ordered the prefectures, states, and marquises to establish temples for Gaizu, to offer sacrifices at the appropriate times." The "Hanshu? Volume 1 Gaodi Ji First Down" text is identical, only changing the "Gaizu" in "Shiji" to "Emperor". Sima Qian's "Shiji" wrote "Gaizu Benji", first calling Liu Bang "Gaizu". It was because Sima Qian was a person of the Han dynasty during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, and Emperor Wu's father was Emperor Jing of Han, Emperor Jing's father was Emperor Wen of Han, and Emperor Wen's father was Taizu Gaohuangdi. According to the "Er Ya": "The great-grandfather is the father of the grandfather, called Gaizu", logically speaking, Emperor Wu should have called Tai Shang Huang (Gaodi's father) "Gaizu". However, the "Er Ya" annotation by Guo said: "High means the highest." The "Shiming" says: "Gaizu, high, means the highest, hidden among the lower ones." The "Qianqiu Zaji" says: "The great-grandfather's father is Gaizu, but from this point on, it is also commonly called Gaizu." The "Zhou Shu? Kang Wang Zhigao": "Do not destroy my Gaizu's lonely order", Gaizu refers to King Wen and King Wu of Zhou, which is the title for the great-grandfather and grandfather. Because Zhou Wenwang and Wugong were the founding kings, their merits were extremely high, so they were called Gaizu, the highest honorific title. Similarly, Emperor Wu of Han calling his great-grandfather Gaodi "Gaizu" was also this intention, it is the highest honorific title for the descendants to call their ancestors. Sima Qian should have used the respectful title that the Han dynasty used for Gaohuangdi, and called Liu Bang "Gaizu".

  During the most trying times of Federal Express's early years, it was Fred Smith's unyielding spirit, boundless confidence in the future and extraordinary courage that attracted employees to join him in navigating through difficulties.

  As one longtime FedEx employee put it, "For the first three or four years after FedEx was founded, it was always on the verge of bankruptcy, and at least by July 1973, Fred Smith had flown to Chicago in an attempt to secure a much-needed infusion of capital from General Dynamics, but was rebuffed. On his way back to Memphis, Fred Smith impulsively got on a flight to Las Vegas, where he hoped Lady Luck would smile on him. With just a few hundred dollars in the bank, he played blackjack at the tables and won $27,000, which he used to pay employees.

  To pay off the company's debts, Fred Smith sold his private plane.

  In 1974, Fred Smith even forged a lawyer's signature to withdraw money from the family trust fund that belonged to his two sisters. His two sisters were furious when they found out and took him to court in January 1975. Fortunately, Smith was eventually acquitted.

  But none of this could stop Fred Smith and Federal Express from succeeding. The reason why Federal Express became Federal Express, and Fred Smith was hailed as one of the greatest corporate leaders of our time, apart from his extraordinary vision and wisdom, is because of the indomitable will and spirit he showed in the face of all sorts of difficulties and setbacks, which is something that a truly exceptional leader cannot do without.

  During the most trying times of Federal Express's early years, it was Fred Smith's unyielding spirit, boundless confidence in the future and extraordinary courage that attracted employees to join him in navigating through difficulties.

  As a veteran employee of Federal Express put it, "In the first three or four years after Federal Express was founded, it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy at least five or six times, but fortunately Fred Smith refused to give up. He is truly an indomitable leader with boundless confidence in his vision and full courage, who finally created a miracle."

  He went bankrupt five or six times, but what is precious is that Fred Smith did not give up. He was a leader who never gave up, with infinite confidence in the future and full of courage, he finally created a miracle.

  Consolidating imperial power Liu Bang, although he became the emperor, did not dare to take his throne lightly. When hosting a grand banquet for ministers such as Ying Bu, he boasted to his father, Taigong, saying: "In the past, you often said that I had no way to make a living and could not manage my property. Now, look at whose wealth is greater, mine or my brother's?" However, while enjoying himself, he also took measures to consolidate his imperial power. The first thing that made him uneasy was the kings of different surnames in various regions. They all had troops, and some were even two-faced. The second problem was other generals who fought over their merits and rewards, and if not appeased properly, they would join those kings with different surnames to rebel. Also, the descendants of the six original states could not be taken lightly. In the central government, the power of the prime minister also posed a threat to him as emperor. From the time Liu Bang became emperor until his death eight years later, he spent most of his time resolving these issues that made him uneasy. He first dealt with Han Xin. In 201 BC, during the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, someone reported that Han Xin was plotting a rebellion. Liu Bang asked what to do, and everyone suggested sending troops to suppress it. However, Chen Ping opposed this idea, saying that the Chu state had strong soldiers and sufficient supplies, and Han Xin was skilled in warfare, making it difficult to win by force. He suggested that Liu Bang use the pretext of touring Yunmeng to summon all the kings with different surnames to Chen County (Henan Huaiyang), where Han Xin would surely come, and then capture him. Liu Bang followed this plan and indeed captured Han Xin. When Han Xin heard the charges against him, he loudly proclaimed his innocence: "What the ancients said is true: 'When the cunning rabbit dies, the good dog is cooked; when the high bird flies away, the good bow is hidden; when the enemy state is destroyed, the strategist dies.' The world has already been pacified, and someone like me should have been killed long ago." Liu Bang took Han Xin to Luoyang but released him due to lack of evidence, demoting him to Marquis of Huaiyin. This made Han Xin harbor resentment. The next year, Han Xin plotted with Chen Yi to rebel in a distant land, making Liu Bang personally lead troops to suppress the rebellion, while he himself would attack the crown prince and Empress Lü in the capital. However, the plan was exposed again.

  At that time, Han Xin would definitely come, and then he would be caught and punished. Liu Bang followed the plan and indeed captured Han Xin. When Han Xin heard the accusations against him, he loudly cried out in protest: "What the ancients said is indeed true: 'The cunning rabbit dies, the good dog is cooked; the high bird is gone, the good bow is hidden; the enemy state is destroyed, the strategist is dead.' The world has already been pacified, and someone like me should have been killed long ago." Liu Bang took Han Xin to Luoyang, but since there was no clear evidence, he released him, demoting him to Marquis of Huaiyin. This made Han Xin harbor resentment in his heart. The next year, Han Xin plotted with Chen Yi to rebel in a distant place, causing Liu Bang to personally go and quell the rebellion, while he himself would attack the crown prince and Empress Lu in the capital. However, the plan was still exposed.

  Xiang Yu's determination and bravery in breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats greatly boosted the morale of his soldiers. The Chu army was filled with enthusiasm, with each soldier fighting as if he were ten men, bravely battling to the death. They won nine battles in a row, defeating the Qin army soundly. At this time, the relief troops from Qi and Yan also broke out of their camps to join the battle, eventually capturing the commander-in-chief of the Qin army, Wang Li, killing his deputy general, and lifting the siege of Julu.

  This is the famous Battle of Julu in history, a war with decisive significance. It not only suddenly defeated the main force of the Qin army, reversed the entire war situation, and laid the foundation for the downfall of the Qin Dynasty; Moreover, after this battle, Xiang Yu was unanimously elected as the "Supreme General of the Vassals", becoming a heroic leader in the anti-Qin camp.

  In terms of the ratio of forces, at that time, the Qin army had 200,000 soldiers, while Xiang Yu's troops were only about 50,000. The Qin army had an absolute advantage. The main reason why Xiang Yu ultimately defeated the Qin army was his determination and bravery. This kind of determination and bravery not only greatly boosted the morale of the Chu army, inspiring their fighting spirit, but also greatly intimidated the will to fight of the Qin army, causing them to lose heart at the mere mention of it.

  The battlefield is the same, and so are the business world and personal development. As a leader, you inevitably have to face fierce competition, confront strong enemies' challenges and difficulties, and "harassment" of setbacks and frustrations. For these, you must be able to respond calmly and have the determination and courage to overcome them. If so, you can fully stimulate your potential, gain great spiritual strength, and directly promote your extraordinary actions.

  No ship sails the seas without scars

  Have you ever seen a warship without scars? If you have, I'm sure it was either in a shipyard or a model of the ship. A ship that sails the seas will never be unscathed.

  In the famous National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, there is a ship that was bought by Lloyd's of London from an auction and donated to the museum. This ship has had an incredible history and brought considerable profit to Lloyd's in terms of insurance premiums. It was launched in 1894 and on the Atlantic it encountered icebergs 138 times, ran aground 116 times, caught fire 13 times, and was dismasted by storms 207 times. Despite all this, it always reached its destination, completing all its historical tasks, and never sank.

  In the history of navigation, this may be just an ordinary ship. Think about it, which ship sailing in the ocean is not hurt? But can a warship not sail in the ocean because it fears injury? As a leader, aren't you and your company also a ship sailing on the ocean? In the long journey of life, in the process of operating and developing a company, once you set sail, you will inevitably encounter icebergs, reefs, storms, and sometimes lose the guidance of navigation. On the road ahead, you will experience wind and rain, and may be injured all over, but these should not become excuses for quitting halfway.

  Ninety-nine failures can be exchanged for one success.

  Success is just an accidental event that occurs after 99 failures, and it's called accidental, but it has a sense of necessity. As long as you are not afraid of failure and dare to persist, failure will eventually be conquered by you. If you are afraid of failure, you will never achieve success. Failure is like this, the more you fear it, the more you want to stay away from it, the closer it will get to you.

  Federal Express is now a world-renowned package express service provider, but its status and achievements were not achieved overnight. I'll tell you the story about it below, hoping you can gain something from it.

  Fred. Smith is a retired Navy 6th Fleet veteran from the Vietnam battlefield, an early graduate of Yale University. The dream of setting up a company to provide overnight express delivery services has been in existence since his university days. On June 28, 1971, Fred. Smith finally took a solid step towards realizing his dream, and he formally established Federal Express Corporation in Little Rock, specializing in providing overnight express delivery services.

  After the company was formally established, Fred Smith actively sought cooperation with the US Federal Reserve System. For this first major customer, he made every effort, spending countless sleepless nights and running back and forth between New York and Washington many times.

  In Fred Smith's view, the overnight delivery service provided by Federal Express could save a lot of money and time for the other party, the benefits were obvious, and there was no reason for the other party to refuse this service. Moreover, even the name of his own company was very similar to that of the Federal Reserve System, so he was confident in getting this order.

  Meanwhile, Fred Smith, in negotiations with the Federal Reserve System, had already confidently purchased two turboprop-powered Dassault Falcon 20s from Pan American Airways and had them converted to cargo planes for use in shipping packages.

  Fred Smith never imagined that just a few weeks after purchasing the plane, he would receive some devastating news: The Federal Reserve refused to accept Federal Express's overnight delivery service, citing that individual banks within the Federal Reserve system disagreed with Fred Smith's proposal. For years, regional Federal Reserve Banks had been autonomous and territorial, and while using planes for overnight delivery of bank documents could save time and money, it also threatened

  In Fred Smith's view, the overnight delivery service provided by Federal Express could save a lot of money and time for the other party, the benefits were obvious, and the other party had no reason to refuse this service. Moreover, even the name of his own company was very similar to that of the Federal Reserve System, so he was confident in getting this order.

  Meanwhile, Fred Smith, in negotiations with the Federal Reserve System, had already confidently purchased two turboprop-powered Dassault Falcon 20s from Pan American Airways and had them converted to pure cargo aircraft for hauling packages.

  Fred Smith never dreamed that just a few weeks after purchasing the plane, he would receive some devastating news: The Federal Reserve refused to accept Federal Express's overnight delivery service, citing that individual banks within the Federal Reserve system were opposed to Fred Smith's idea. For years, regional Federal Reserve Banks had been autonomous and each had their own fiefdoms; using planes for overnight delivery of checks would not only save time and money but also cut into lucrative business for many people, a point that Fred Smith apparently underestimated.

  The plan to use airplanes for overnight delivery of Federal Reserve checks had failed miserably, and the two planes that had been purchased specifically for this purpose were now sitting idle in a hangar. The newly formed Federal Express Corporation and 26-year-old Fred Smith faced their first major setback.

  And the bad news didn't end there. After the initial failure, Federal Express faced not only the rejection of the Federal Reserve System but also widespread skepticism that Fred Smith had wasted his inheritance on a harebrained scheme to deliver packages overnight. As described in "Playing to Win," "Everyone told Fred Smith he was crazy to think he could make a business out of delivering packages overnight. If there really was a market for such a service, the big airlines would have already done it."

  Facing defeat and other people's comments, Fred Smith also felt tremendous pressure. However, Fred Smith was clearly not the kind of person who would easily give up when encountering difficulties, nor was he intimidated by this overwhelming opposition.

  In early 1973, Fred Smith took a huge risk and decided to put his entire net worth of $8.5 million into Federal Express. At the same time, he used his silver tongue to persuade Wall Street bankers and investors. Fred Smith's vision, efforts, confidence, extraordinary leadership ability, especially his courage and adventurous spirit in putting all his assets into Federal Express, left a deep impression on these bosses. Soon, he raised $91 million, which set the record for the highest single investment capital in the history of American business at that time.

  After securing the investment, Fred Smith's first move was to once again purchase 33 Dassault Falcon jets. With everything in place, Federal Express officially began large-scale operations on April 3, 1973.

  However, fate was unpredictable and Federal Express's business did not become smooth sailing because of this.

  When Federal Express began, it served 25 cities but only delivered 186 packages on its first night. In the first 26 months of operation, Federal Express lost $29 million and had a debt of $49 million, with little prospect of turning a profit. The company's early investors lost confidence and withdrew their support, and the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. This was the most difficult period in the company's history, and Fred Smith later recalled: "No one knew what I went through that year, the depth of pain, the pressure, the number of things that happened, the trips to New York to meet with investment bankers, General Motors, and hundreds of different people in Memphis."

  In July 1973, Fred Smith flew to Chicago trying to get a much-needed infusion of capital from the General Dynamics investment firm but was rebuffed. On his way back to Memphis he stopped in Las Vegas on a whim and won $27,000 at the blackjack tables with just $5,000 in chips, which he used to cover the company's payroll.

  To pay off the company's debts, Fred Smith sold his private plane.

  In 1974, Fred Smith even forged a lawyer's signature to withdraw money from the family trust fund that belonged to his two sisters. His two sisters were furious when they found out and took him to court in January 1975. Fortunately, Smith was eventually acquitted.

  But none of this could stop Fred Smith and Federal Express from succeeding. The reason why Federal Express became Federal Express, and Fred Smith was hailed as one of the greatest corporate leaders of our time, apart from his extraordinary vision and wisdom, is because of the indomitable will and spirit he showed in the face of all sorts of difficulties and setbacks, which is something that a truly exceptional leader cannot do without.

  During the most trying times of Federal Express's early years, it was Fred Smith's unyielding spirit, boundless confidence in the future and extraordinary courage that attracted employees to join him in navigating through difficulties.

  As one longtime FedEx employee put it, "For the first three or four years after FedEx was founded, it was always on the verge of bankruptcy, and at least by July 1973, Fred Smith had flown to Chicago in an attempt to secure a much-needed infusion of additional investment from General Dynamics, but was rebuffed. On his way back to Memphis, Fred Smith impulsively got on a flight to Las Vegas, where he hoped Lady Luck would smile on him. With just a few hundred dollars in his pocket, he played blackjack at the tables and won $27,000, which he used to pay some of the employees' wages.

  To pay off the company's debts, Fred Smith sold his private plane.

  In 1974, Fred Smith even forged a lawyer's signature to withdraw money from the family trust fund that belonged to his two sisters. His two sisters were furious when they found out and took him to court in January 1975. Fortunately, Smith was eventually acquitted.

  But none of this could stop Fred Smith and Federal Express from succeeding. The reason why Federal Express became Federal Express, and Fred Smith was hailed as one of the greatest corporate leaders of our time, apart from his extraordinary vision and wisdom, is because of the indomitable will and spirit he showed in the face of all sorts of difficulties and setbacks, which is something that a truly exceptional leader cannot do without.

  During the most trying times of Federal Express's early years, it was Fred Smith's unyielding spirit, boundless confidence in the future and extraordinary courage that attracted employees to join him in navigating through difficulties.

  As a veteran employee of Federal Express put it, "In the first three or four years after Federal Express was founded, it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy at least five or six times, but fortunately Fred Smith refused to give up. He is truly an indomitable leader with boundless confidence in his vision and full courage, who finally created a miracle."

  He went bankrupt five or six times, but what is precious is that Fred Smith did not give up. He was a leader who never gave up, with infinite confidence in the future and full of courage, he finally created a miracle.

  心。

  In 209 BC, the peasant uprising broke out at the end of Qin Dynasty. After Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led the insurgent army to occupy Chen (Henan Huaiyang), Chen Sheng established the "Zhang Chu" regime and openly opposed the Qin Dynasty. At that time, the county magistrate of Pei also wanted to respond and continue to control the politics of Pei County. Xiao He and Cao Shen were both main officials under the county magistrate at that time, and they advised the county magistrate to summon back the people who had fled from the county, which could increase their strength and prevent future troubles. The county magistrate thought it was reasonable, so he let Liu Bang's close friend Fan Zeng bring Liu Bang back, and Liu Bang brought his men back.

  However, the county magistrate regretted it later, fearing that Liu Bang would be difficult to control after returning, and might even kill him, which would be like inviting a wolf into the house. Therefore, he ordered the city gate to be closed and prepared to capture Xiao He and Cao Shen. Xiao He and Cao Shen heard about it and hurriedly escaped outside the city. Liu Bang shot an arrow with a message into the city, mobilizing the people inside the city to rise up and kill the county magistrate who had betrayed them. The people were dissatisfied with the county magistrate who had not been kind to them in the past, so they killed him, opened the city gate, and welcomed Liu Bang back. They also elected him as the Lord of Pei, leading everyone to rebel.

  Liu Bang followed the will of the people, set up an altar, raised a red flag, claimed himself to be the son of the Red Emperor, and led the people to raise the banner against Qin Dynasty. This year was already October 209 BC, and Liu Bang was already 48 years old.

  In the peasant war at the end of Qin Dynasty, there was another powerful force, which was the descendants of the aristocratic family of Chu State, Xiang Liang and his nephew Xiang Yu (also known as Xiang Ji). They started an uprising in Wu County (Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province), and their army quickly grew to nearly 10,000 people. After Xiang Liang's death, Xiang Yu decided to join forces with Liu Bang and march west into Guanzhong together.

  At first, Liu Bang was not very smooth, but after several battles, Liu Bang stepped westward and defeated the Qin army. In December 207 BC, Liu Bang led his troops to Bashang (now Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province), which is not far from Xianyang in the east. When King Ziying of Qin saw that all was lost, he had no choice but to surrender the city and hand over the imperial jade seal to Liu Bang personally. The Qin dynasty perished, having lasted for 15 years and 47 days. Han Gaozu appointed Xiang Yu and Liu Bang as the vanguard of the war against Qin. Liu Bang was very pleased to enter the palace of Xianyang, calling himself the "King of Guanzhong". Looking at the magnificent palaces, Liu Bang felt a little nostalgic and prepared to stay there to enjoy himself. Fan Kuai advised him to pay attention to the fact that the world had not yet been pacified and not to forget the lessons of Qin's past. Liu Bang did not listen to him at all until Zhang Liang came to persuade him personally, and he finally realized the seriousness of the problem. Therefore, Liu Bang withdrew his troops to Bashang.

  After Liu Bang arrived at Xianyang, he gathered local scholars and made a pact with them: those who kill will be killed, those who injure others or steal will be punished. All other harsh laws of the Qin dynasty were abolished, which earned him popular support.

  Xiang Yu, after defeating Zhang Han and forcing him to surrender, also led his troops to Guanzhong. Fan Zeng advised him to take the opportunity to eliminate Liu Bang, this rival, and Xiang Yu ordered preparations for an attack on the next day. At that time, Liu Bang's military strength was no match for the powerful Xiang Yu, with only 100,000 troops, it was impossible to defeat Xiang Yu's 400,000 elite soldiers. In the end, it was Xiang Yu's uncle, Xiang Bo, who "saved" Liu Bang: Xiang Bo and Liu Bang's strategist Zhang Liang were very close, seeing that Xiang Yu was about to attack, he sneaked into the camp at night and told Zhang Liang to leave quickly to avoid being killed. Zhang Liang said he couldn't abandon Liu Bang and revealed the message to him. In a panic, Liu Bang hastily asked Zhang Liang for a plan, and Zhang Liang told Liu Bang to go see Xiang Bo immediately and explain that he had no intention of competing with Xiang Yu for the throne.

  Liu Bang made an appointment with Xiang Bo and explained that he had no intention of becoming king, and also became in-laws with Xiang Bo. That night, Xiang Bo returned to the military camp and said to Xiang Yu: "Because the Duke of Pei entered Guanzhong first and cleared the obstacles for us to enter the pass, we were able to pass through Hangu Pass smoothly. The Duke of Pei has made contributions, we should not suspect him, but treat him sincerely." After hearing this, Xiang Yu decided not to attack Liu Bang again.

  The next day, Liu Bang arrived at Xiang Yu's military camp with only Fan Kuai, Zhang Liang and a hundred elite personal soldiers. When he arrived at the grand tent of Xiang Yu, he apologized and paid his respects to Xiang Yu, who was there to greet him. Xiang Yu invited Liu Bang in for a banquet, but his advisor, Fan Zeng, repeatedly signaled to Xiang Yu to give the order to kill Liu Bang during the feast, yet Xiang Yu hesitated and did not respond. Fan Zeng summoned Xiang Zhuang to dance with swords to liven up the banquet, intending to use this opportunity to kill Liu Bang, but Xiang Bo also drew his sword and danced, protecting Liu Bang and foiling the attempt. This is the origin of the idiom "Xiang Zhuang dances with a sword, aiming at the Duke of Pei". Later, Liu Bang excused himself and left, returning to his own camp.

  At the Hongmen Banquet, Liu Bang showed extremely high composure and calmness. Being able to retreat wholeheartedly, apart from Zhang Liang, Xiang Bo, and Fan Zeng's protection, the key was Liu Bang's calmness and composure.

  After the Hongmen Banquet, Xiang Yu led his troops westward and enfeoffed various generals as kings. Liu Bang was enfeoffed as King of Han, with a territory comprising 41 counties including Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, and his capital at Nanzheng (in present-day Shaanxi). Xiang Yu proclaimed himself the Overlord of Western Chu, holding the highest military command. The former king of Chu, Xiong Xin, was honored as Emperor Yi.

  In December 207 BC, Liu Bang declared himself king in Guanzhong after the fall of Qin. In January 206 BC, Xiang Yu led his army to break through the Hangu Pass and intended to eliminate Liu Bang's forces. Knowing he was no match for Xiang Yu, Liu Bang personally went to Hongmen (now northeast of Lintong, Shaanxi) to apologize.

  Later, Xiang Yu entered Xianyang, burned down the Epang Palace, and killed Ziying, the king of Qin. In the spring, Xiang Yu nominally respected Huai Wang as Emperor Yi, but in reality, he exiled him to Jiangnan and declared himself the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, with his capital at Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu). He also divided the land into 18 kingdoms and appointed Liu Bang as the King of Han, ruling over Bashu and Hanzhong. However, he intentionally appointed Qin's surrendered generals Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi as kings of Yong, Sai, and Di, respectively, to rule over Guanzhong and restrict Liu Bang.

  Liu Bang had no choice but to accept the arrangement. He used this opportunity to secretly gather his forces and wait for a chance to strike back.

  In 205 BC, Xiang Yu defeated the combined forces of Qi and Chu at the Battle of Chengyang. However, he was unable to capture the city of Jimo (now Pingdu, Shandong), which was defended by Tian Heng, the king of Qi.

  Liu Bang took advantage of this opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Pengcheng, capturing the city and forcing Xiang Yu to flee. Liu Bang then pursued Xiang Yu to the Wu River, where he defeated him again.

  Xiang Yu retreated to the city of Gaixia (now Lingbi, Anhui), where he was besieged by Liu Bang's forces. The Chu army was exhausted and starving, and Xiang Yu had no choice but to surrender.

  However, before he could be captured, Xiang Yu broke through the siege with 800 cavalrymen and fled to the Wu River. He was pursued by Han soldiers and eventually surrounded. With only 28 men left, Xiang Yu refused an offer from a local official to help him escape and instead chose to die in battle.

  Liu Bang then returned to Dingtao, where he took control of Han Xin's army and stripped him of his command. He later appointed Han Xin as the King of Chu, with his capital at Lu (now Jiangsu).

  In February 202 BC, Liu Bang fulfilled his previous promise and appointed Han Xin as the King of Chu and Peng Yue as the King of Yue. The newly appointed Han Xin and Peng Yue joined forces with the original Yan Wang Zang Tu, Zhao Wang Zhang Yi, and Changsha Wang Wu Rui to jointly petition Liu Bang to ascend to the throne. At first, Liu Bang pretended to decline, but Han Xin and others said: "Although Your Majesty comes from a humble background, you have led the people to eliminate the cruel Qin, punish the unrighteous, stabilize the world, and your merits exceed those of the Han court's meritorious officials. It is only right that you ascend to the throne." Liu Bang then nodded in agreement, saying: "Since everyone thinks so, and it will benefit the people, let us do as you say." On February 28, 202 BC, Liu Bang held a grand ceremony at Dingtao, Shandong Province, where he ascended to the throne and established the Han Dynasty. In June of the same year, Liu Bang hosted a celebratory banquet in the South Palace of Luoyang, where he summarized the reasons for his victory: "In terms of strategic planning, I am not as good as Zhang Liang; in terms of comforting the people and supplying grain, I am not as good as Xiao He; in terms of leading troops and winning battles, I am not as good as Han Xin. However, I can recognize talent and make use of it, which is the true reason for our victory. As for Xiang Yu, he only had Fan Zeng, but he suspected him, which was the reason for his ultimate defeat." Liu Bang's summary was indeed accurate, as human factors are always the most important in determining the outcome of war. Later, when Liu Bang decided to establish his capital in Chang'an, it was because of a suggestion from a soldier named Lou Jing (also known as Liu Jing), who pointed out that Liu Bang's empire was different from the previous Zhou Dynasty and should not follow its example by establishing its capital in Luoyang. Instead, he suggested that the capital be established in Guanzhong, which would allow the country to defend itself securely and maintain long-term stability. Zhang Liang agreed with Lou Jing's suggestion, saying that Guanzhong was a "golden city of a thousand miles, a heavenly kingdom", where one could retreat to defend or advance to attack. Liu Bang listened and agreed, and soon moved his capital to Chang'an.

  Consolidating Imperial Power Liu Bang, although he became the emperor, did not dare to take his imperial position lightly. When hosting a grand banquet for his ministers, including Ying Bu, he boasted to his father, Taigong, saying: "In the past, you often said that I had no way to make a living and manage my property. Now, look at me, I have become the emperor, and my wealth is greater than that of my second brother." However, while enjoying himself, he also took measures to consolidate his imperial power.

  The first thing that made him uneasy was the existence of kings with different surnames in various regions. They all had troops and some were even disloyal. The second problem was the struggle among other generals for rewards and positions based on their merits. If not handled properly, they might join forces with those kings to rebel. Additionally, the descendants of the six states could not be underestimated.

  In the central government, the power of the Chancellor also posed a threat to him as the emperor. From the time Liu Bang became the emperor until his death eight years later, he spent most of his time resolving these issues that made him uneasy. He first dealt with Han Xin. In 201 BCE, during the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, someone reported that Han Xin was planning to rebel. Liu Bang asked for advice on how to handle it, and everyone suggested sending troops to suppress the rebellion.

  However, Chen Ping opposed this idea, saying that the Chu state had strong soldiers and sufficient supplies, and Han Xin was skilled in warfare, making it difficult to defeat him through military force. He suggested that Liu Bang use a tour of Yunmeng as an excuse to summon all the kings with different surnames to Chen County (in present-day Henan Province), where Han Xin would surely appear, and then capture him.

  Liu Bang followed this plan and successfully captured Han Xin. When confronted with the accusations, Han Xin loudly proclaimed his innocence: "As the ancients said, 'When the cunning rabbit dies, the good dog is cooked; when the high bird falls, the good bow is hidden; when the enemy state is defeated, the strategist dies.' Now that the world has been pacified, I should have been killed long ago."

  Liu Bang brought Han Xin to Luoyang but released him due to lack of evidence, demoting him to Marquis of Huaiyin. This made Han Xin harbor resentment.

  The next year, Han Xin plotted with Chen Yi to rebel in a distant land, planning for Liu Bang to personally lead troops to suppress the rebellion while he would attack the crown prince and Empress Lu in the capital. However, the plan was exposed again. Empress Lu adopted Xiao He's idea and lured Han Xin into the palace, where he was captured and eventually executed in the Weiyang Palace.

  Apart from Han Xin, other kings with different surnames, such as Peng Yue, were also eliminated, leaving only Wu Rui, the King of Changsha. Liu Bang also devoted much effort to dealing with his generals. Initially, he had appointed over twenty people, including Xiao He, to official positions, but they struggled with each other for recognition and rewards.

  One time, in the South Palace of Luoyang, Liu Bang saw that his generals were not getting along and decided to host a banquet to ease tensions. During the banquet, he expressed his concerns about their behavior and encouraged them to work together.

  To address the issue of the Chancellor's excessive power, Liu Bang used the opportunity of Xiao He being imprisoned to weaken the Chancellor's authority. After suppressing the rebellion led by Ying Bu and returning to Chang'an, Xiao He suggested opening up the Weiling Forest for peasants to cultivate, as it had become largely deserted and was no longer a place for the emperor to hunt.

  Liu Bang became angry and falsely accused Xiao He of accepting bribes from merchants, speaking on their behalf to benefit them. Liu Bang imprisoned Xiao He, and several days later, when asked about the crime committed by the Chancellor, he justified himself by saying: "In the past, Li Si, as the Chancellor of Qin, attributed all merits to the First Emperor and took responsibility for any wrongdoing.

  However, Chancellor Xiao He accepted bribes from merchants and spoke on their behalf to ask me to open up the Weiling Forest, buying people's hearts. Therefore, I must punish him." Through this move, Liu Bang weakened the power of the Chancellor while increasing his own imperial authority.

  At the Hongmen Banquet, Liu Bang demonstrated remarkable calmness and composure. His ability to extricate himself from danger was not only due to the protection of Zhang Liang, Xiang Bo, and Fan Kuai but also because of his own calmness and composure.

  After the Hongmen Banquet, Xiang Yu led his troops westward and enfeoffed various generals as kings. Liu Bang was enfeoffed as the King of Han, with a territory comprising 41 counties including Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, and his capital at Nanzheng (in present-day Shaanxi). Xiang Yu proclaimed himself the Overlord of Western Chu, holding the highest military command. The former king of Chu, Xiong Xin, was honored as Emperor Yi.

  In December 207 BC, Liu Bang declared himself king in Guanzhong after defeating the Qin dynasty. In January 206 BC, Xiang Yu led his army to break through the Hangu Pass and intended to eliminate Liu Bang's forces. Knowing he was no match for Xiang Yu, Liu Bang personally went to Hongmen (now northeast of Lintong, Shaanxi) to apologize.

  Later, Xiang Yu entered Xianyang, burned down the Epang Palace, and killed Ziying, the king of Qin. In the spring, Xiang Yu nominally respected King Huai of Chu as Emperor Yi, but in reality, he exiled him to Jiangnan and declared himself the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, with his capital in Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu). He also divided the land into 18 kingdoms and appointed Liu Bang as the king of Han, ruling over Bashu and Hanzhong. However, he intentionally appointed Qin's surrendered generals Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi as kings of Yong, Sai, and Dai, respectively, to rule over Guanzhong, in order to restrict Liu Bang.

  In November 206 BC, Xiang Yu defeated Peng Yue and then sought to engage in a decisive battle with the main force of the Han army. However, he was unable to do so and formed a standoff with Liu Bang at Guangwu (now north of Hanyang). Later, Han Xin annihilated the combined forces of Qi and Chu in the Battle of Weishui, completing his strategic encirclement of Chu. He then sent troops to attack Pengcheng.

  Xiang Yu's army was exhausted and hungry, and he eventually made peace with the Han, dividing the land along the Honggou River, with the east belonging to Chu and the west to Han. In October 203 BC, Xiang Yu led his army back to Chu.

  After making peace with Chu, Liu Bang initially wanted to withdraw his troops. However, under the advice of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, he ordered a full-scale pursuit of the Chu army. In November 203 BC, the two armies clashed at Guling (now northwest of Huaiyang), with Xiang Yu emerging victorious.

  In January 202 BC, Liu Bang used rewards to win over Han Xin, Peng Yue, Ying Bu, and others, and then launched a decisive battle against the Chu army at Gaixia. The Chu army was heavily defeated, and Xiang Yu was forced to take his own life in the Wujiang River (now in Anhui Province).

  The Battle of Gaixia took place in January 202 BC, where Liu Bang, Han Xin, Liu Jia, Peng Yue, Ying Bu, and other Han armies totaling around 700,000 soldiers clashed with the exhausted Chu army of 100,000 soldiers. The Han army was led by Han Xin, with Kong He as the left wing and Chen He as the right wing, while Liu Bang followed behind with Zhou Bo cutting off the rear.

  Han Xin launched a surprise attack using the tactic of feigning defeat, where his front line pretended to retreat, and then he ordered his left and right wings to encircle and attack the Chu army's infantry from behind. The exhausted Chu army was unable to withstand the attack, and the Han army split the Chu army into two halves, with Xiang Yu's cavalry being separated from his infantry.

  Han Xin then led a full-scale counterattack, resulting in the heavy defeat of the Chu army, with over 40,000 soldiers killed or captured. The remaining Chu soldiers retreated to their camp and were heavily besieged by the Han army. The Chu army was exhausted and hungry, and Han Xin ordered his soldiers to sing Chu songs at night, which caused the Chu soldiers to become homesick and demoralized.

  As a result, Xiang Yu only had 800 soldiers left and attempted to break through the siege with 28 cavalrymen. However, he was defeated, and Xiang Yu took his own life in the Wujiang River rather than be captured and humiliated. Liu Bang then returned to Dingtao, entered Han Xin's camp, and seized control of his army. He later appointed Han Xin as the king of Chu, with his capital in Xiaoyang (now east of Yizheng, Jiangsu).

  In February 202 BC, Liu Bang fulfilled his previous promise and appointed Han Xin as the King of Chu and Peng Yue as the King of Yue. The newly appointed kings, along with the original King of Yan, Zang Tu, King of Zhao, Zhang Er, and King of Changsha, Wu Rui, jointly petitioned Liu Bang to ascend to the throne as emperor.

  Liu Bang initially pretended to decline, but Han Xin and others said: "Although Your Majesty comes from a humble background, you have led the people to eliminate the Qin dynasty, punish the unrighteous, and bring peace to the world. Your achievements surpass those of all the kings in the Han court. It is only right that you ascend to the throne."

  Liu Bang then agreed, saying: "Since everyone thinks it's a good idea and beneficial to the people, let's do as you say." On February 28, 202 BC, Liu Bang held an enthronement ceremony at Dingtao in Shandong Province and established the Han dynasty.

  In June of the same year, Liu Bang hosted a grand banquet in the South Palace of Luoyang to celebrate his victory. During the banquet, he summarized the reasons for his success: "In terms of strategy and planning, I am not as good as Zhang Liang; in terms of comforting the people and supplying grain, I am not as good as Xiao He; in terms of leading troops and winning battles, I am not as good as Han Xin. However, I have been able to recognize and utilize the talents of others, which is the true reason for our victory."

  Liu Bang's summary was indeed accurate, as human factors are often the most important aspect of war.

  Later, Liu Bang decided to establish his capital in Chang'an due to a suggestion from a soldier named Lou Jing (also known as Liu Jing). Lou Jing pointed out that Liu Bang's situation was different from that of the Zhou dynasty and that he should not follow the example of the Zhou by establishing his capital in Luoyang. Instead, he suggested that Liu Bang establish his capital in Guanzhong, which would allow him to defend the strategic location and ensure long-term stability for the country.

  Zhang Liang agreed with Lou Jing's suggestion, saying that Guanzhong was a "golden city of a thousand miles" and a "land of heavenly blessings," where one could retreat to defend or advance to attack. Liu Bang agreed and soon moved his capital to Chang'an.

  Consolidating imperial power Liu Bang, although he became the emperor, did not dare to take his throne lightly. When hosting a grand banquet for ministers such as Ying Bu, he once boasted to his father, Taigong, saying: "In the past, you often said that I had no way to make a living and manage property, unlike my brother Zhang Li. Now, which of us has achieved more?" ("No way to make a living" means being unable to earn money to support one's family; Xu Shen said "'Rai' means 'profit'")