About Chu-Han War 4

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  The war was caused by Xiang Yu's annihilation of the main force of 400,000 Qin troops in the Battle of Julu, and he became the supreme commander-in-chief of the vassals, commanding the armies of the vassals, with great military strength. At the same time, Liu Bang led his righteous army to enter Xianyang first, according to the agreement of King Huai of Chu "the one who enters Guanzhong first will be king", Liu Bang wanted to become king in Guanzhong. Xiang Yu also led the armies of the vassals with more than 400,000 troops to rush to Guanzhong. Xiang Yu thought he had great merit and was very powerful, so he divided the world by himself and refused to make Liu Bang, who entered Guanzhong first, king of Guanzhong, instead demoting him to be king of Hanzhong (now Hanzhong, Shaanxi), which eventually led to war.

  项羽与刘邦的矛盾由来已久。早在楚怀王任命宋义为上将军、项羽为次将北上救赵时，项羽就对此不满。后来，项羽杀死了宋义，并被楚怀王任命为上将军。项羽率领5万余楚兵继续北上，迎战章邯、王离所率40余万秦军主力。在巨鹿之战中，项羽大败王离所部20余万秦军主力，威震诸侯，成为诸侯上将军，统领诸侯之兵。

  汉元年十月（前207年，汉初承鸿门宴(6张)秦制，十月为岁首），刘邦进至灞上（今陕西西安市东南），秦王子婴投降，秦朝灭亡。依据反秦义军“盟主”楚怀王与天下“先入定关项羽、章邯等人极大程度的丧失了关中民心。与此同时，十月，沛公刘邦乘隙攻入关中，进入咸阳，秦王子婴投降，秦朝灭亡（《史记·项羽本纪》）。

  Victory was within reach, but Liu Bang seized the opportunity to enter Guanzhong first and snatched the fruits of victory. Naturally, Xiang Yu's anger reached the sky, and he led an army of over 400,000 troops into Guanzhong. In December of the first year of Han (207 BCE), Xiang Yu ordered Ying Bu to attack and break through Hangu Pass, advancing to Hongmen in Xinfeng (present-day Lintong, Shaanxi). He intended to eliminate Liu Bang's army. Liu Bang's forces were less than 100,000, and he knew he was no match for them, so he retreated to Bashang and tried his best to win over Xiang Yu's uncle, Xiang Bo, to mediate on his behalf. He personally went to Hongmen to apologize and show his sincerity, expressing his willingness to surrender. Xiang Yu's determination wavered, and he let Liu Bang go. Several days later, Xiang Yu led his troops west into Xianyang, killing the surrendered King of Qin, Ziying, and burning down the palace. The fire raged for three months without being extinguished. At that time, Han Sheng advised Xiang Yu: "Guanzhong is a place of strategic importance...

  The situation developed after the initial victory Main article: Feast at Hongmen In October of the first year of Han (207 BC, the beginning of the Han dynasty), Liu Bang arrived in Xianyang (now Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province) and accepted the surrender of Qin King Ziying, marking the end of the Qin Dynasty. According to the agreement between the leader of the anti-Qin coalition, Chu Huaiwang, and the "first to enter Guanzhong will be king", Liu Bang should have been declared King of Guanzhong. However, he heard that Xiang Yu wanted to establish Zhang Han as King of Yong in Guanzhong, so he sent troops to guard Hangu Pass (now north of Lingbao City, Henan Province) to prevent other vassals from entering the region. At the same time, he announced the abolition of the harsh policies of the Qin Dynasty and made an agreement with the people of Guanzhong, "Three Articles of Law": "Those who kill will be executed, those who injure others or steal will be punished" (Shiji·Gaozu Benji). Xiang Yu destroyed the main force of the Qin army, ensuring the inevitable trend of the fall of the Qin Dynasty. He believed that he had made the greatest contribution to the victory. However, just as victory was within reach, Liu Bang seized the opportunity to enter Guanzhong first and took the fruits of victory, naturally arousing Xiang Yu's anger. Therefore, he led an army of over 400,000 vassals into Guanzhong. In December of the first year of Han (207 BC), Xiang Yu ordered Ying Bu to attack Hangu Pass, advance to Hongmen in Xinfeng (now Lintong District, Shaanxi Province), and intended to eliminate Liu Bang's army. Liu Bang's army was less than 100,000 strong, and he knew that he could not defeat the enemy, so he retreated to Xianyang and tried his best to win over Xiang Yu's uncle, Xiang Bo, to mediate, and personally went to Hongmen to apologize and show his sincerity. Xiang Yu's determination wavered, and he let Liu Bang go. A few days later, Xiang Yu led his army westward into Chang'an, killed the surrendered Qin King Ziying, and burned down the palace, with the fire raging for three months. At that time, Han Xin advised Xiang Yu: "Guanzhong is a place of strategic importance, surrounded by mountains and rivers on all sides, with fertile land and abundant resources, it can be used as the capital." However, Xiang Yu said: "Wealth and honor do not return to one's hometown, like wearing embroidered clothes at night, who knows about it?" (Shiji·Xiangyu Benji), so he killed Han Xin and gave up the good opportunity to establish his capital in Guanzhong.

  In February of the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), Xiang Yu divided the land and granted titles to 18 vassal kings, restoring feudalism and dividing the land. He also established himself as the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, governing the nine commanderies of Liang, Chu, and the lower reaches of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, with his capital in Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu). Xiang Yu suspected that Liu Bang had ambitions for the empire and was dissatisfied with the agreement, fearing that the vassal kings would rebel against him. He said, "Ba and Shu are also part of the Guanzhong region." (Shiji: Xiang Yu Benji) Therefore, he granted Liu Bang the three commanderies of Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, making him the King of Hanzhong, with his capital in Nanzheng (now Hanzhong, Shaanxi). He also divided the Guanzhong region into three parts, granting Qin's surrendered generals Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi the titles of Yong Wang, Sai Wang, and Di Wang, respectively, collectively known as the "Three Qins". This was an attempt to control the Guanzhong region through them and confine Liu Bang to the Hanzhong-Ba-Shu region. At the same time, he also granted titles to Wei Bao as the King of Western Wei, Shen Yang as the King of Henan, Han Cheng as the King of Han, Sima Ang as the King of Yin, Zhao Xie as the King of Dai, Zhang Er as the King of Changshan, Ying Bu as the King of Jiujiang, Wu Rui as the King of Hengshan, Gong Ao as the King of Linjiang, Han Guang as the King of Liaodong, Zang Tu as the King of Yan, Tian Shi as the King of Jiaodong, Tian Du as the King of Qi, and Tian An as the King of Jibei.

  Liu Bang went to Han Liu Bang was changed to be sealed in Hanzhong, and initially did not want to take the country. He planned to attack Xiang Yu, and Xiao He spoke out: "The Han River is above the sky, and Hanzhong has a strategic location, advancing can be attacked, retreating can be defended, Qin used it to have the world." Liu Bang then adopted Xiao He's suggestion, humbly accepted the title of King of Han, recruited talents to plan for the world, and at the same time determined to use Ba (the county seat is Jiangzhou, now north of Chongqing City, on the north bank of Jialing River), Shu (the county seat is Chengdu, now Sichuan Chengdu), and also fixed three Qin, facing east to contend for the world's strategy. In April, Liu Bang went to Hanzhong (the county seat is Nanzheng, now east of Hanzhong City) to take the country, with 30,000 soldiers sent by Xiang Yu following him. Along the way, he burned and destroyed the plank roads he passed through, preventing the sneak attacks of the vassal armies, and also used this to show that he had no intention of going east, in order to numb Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu also demobilized his troops at Pengcheng at the same time.

  项羽与刘邦的矛盾由来已久。早在楚怀王熊心在世时，项羽就因功劳最大而自恃强大，多次违背楚怀王之命，擅自杀死宋义，并且不听从楚怀王“先入定关中者王之”的约定，而是自行分封天下，将刘邦改封到汉中为王。

  汉元年十月（前207年，汉初承鸿门宴(6张)秦制，十月为岁首），刘邦进至灞上（今陕西西安市东南），秦王子婴投降，秦朝灭亡。依据反秦义军“盟主”楚怀王与天下“先入定关项羽、章邯等人极大程度的丧失了关中民心。与此同时，十月，沛公刘邦乘隙攻入关中，进入咸阳，秦王子婴投降，秦朝灭亡（《史记·项羽本纪》）。

  Victory was within reach, but Liu Bang seized the opportunity to enter Guanzhong first and snatched the fruits of victory. Naturally, Xiang Yu's anger reached the sky, and he led an army of over 400,000 troops into Guanzhong. In December of the first year of Han (207 BCE), Xiang Yu ordered Ying Bu to attack and break through Hangu Pass, advancing to Hongmen in Xinfeng (present-day Lintong, Shaanxi). He intended to eliminate Liu Bang's army. Liu Bang's forces were less than 100,000, and he knew he was no match for them, so he retreated to Bashang and tried his best to win over Xiang Yu's uncle, Xiang Bo, to mediate on his behalf. He personally went to Hongmen to apologize and show his sincerity, indicating his submission. Xiang Yu's determination wavered, and he let Liu Bang go. Several days later, Xiang Yu led his troops west into Xianyang, killed the surrendered King of Qin, Ziying, and set fire to the palace, which burned for three months without being extinguished. At that time, Han Sheng advised Xiang Yu: "Guanzhong is a place of strategic importance...

  The situation developed after the initial victory Main article: Feast at Hongmen In October of the first year of Han (207 BC, the beginning of the Han dynasty), Liu Bang arrived in Bashang (now southeast of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province) and accepted the surrender of Qin King Ziying, marking the end of the Qin Dynasty. According to the agreement between the leader of the anti-Qin coalition, Chu Huaiwang, and the "first to enter Guanzhong will be king", Liu Bang should have been declared King of Guanzhong. However, he heard that Xiang Yu wanted to establish Zhang Han as King of Yong in Guanzhong, so he sent troops to guard Hangu Pass (now northeast of Lingbao City, Henan Province) to prevent other vassals from entering Guanzhong. At the same time, he announced the abolition of the harsh policies of the Qin Dynasty and made a covenant with the people of Guanzhong: "Those who kill will be killed, those who injure others or steal will be punished" (Shiji·Gaozu Benji). Xiang Yu had destroyed the main force of the Qin army, ensuring the inevitable downfall of the Qin Dynasty. He believed that he had made the greatest contribution to the victory. However, just as victory was within reach, Liu Bang seized the opportunity to enter Guanzhong first and snatched the fruits of victory, naturally arousing Xiang Yu's anger. As a result, Xiang Yu led an army of over 400,000 soldiers into Guanzhong. In December of the first year of Han (207 BC), Xiang Yu ordered Ying Bu to attack Hangu Pass, advance to Hongmen in Xinfeng (now east of Lintong District, Shaanxi Province), and intended to eliminate Liu Bang's army. Liu Bang's army was less than 100,000 strong, and he knew that he could not defeat Xiang Yu, so he retreated to Bashang and tried his best to win over Xiang Yu's uncle, Xiang Bo, to mediate, and personally went to Hongmen to apologize and show his sincerity. Xiang Yu's determination wavered, and he let Liu Bang go. A few days later, Xiang Yu led his army westward into Xianyang, killed the surrendered Qin king Ziying, and burned down the palace, with the fire raging for three months. At that time, Han Xin advised Xiang Yu: "Guanzhong is a place of strategic importance, surrounded by mountains and rivers on all sides, with fertile land and abundant resources, it can be made into a capital." However, Xiang Yu said: "Wealth and honor do not return to one's hometown, like wearing embroidered clothes at night, who knows about it?" (Shiji·Xiangyu Benji), and then boiled and killed the advisor, giving up the excellent choice of building his capital in Guanzhong.

  In the second month of the first year of Han (206 BC), Xiang Yu divided the land and granted titles to 18 vassal kings, restoring feudalism and dividing the land. He also established himself as the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, governing the nine commanderies of Liang, Chu, and the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, with his capital in Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu). Xiang Yu suspected that Liu Bang had ambitions for the empire and was dissatisfied with the agreement, fearing that the vassal kings would rebel against him. He said, "Ba and Shu are also territories within the Pass." (Shiji: Xiang Yu Benji) Therefore, he granted Liu Bang the three commanderies of Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, making him the King of Hanzhong, with his capital in Nanzheng (now Hanzhong, Shaanxi). He also divided the Guanzhong region into three parts, granting Qin's surrendered generals Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi the titles of Yong Wang, Sai Wang, and Di Wang, respectively, collectively known as the "Three Qins". This was an attempt to control Guanzhong through them and confine Liu Bang to the Hanzhong-Ba-Shu region. At the same time, he also granted titles to other vassal kings: Wei Bao as the King of Western Wei, Shen Yang as the King of Henan, Han Cheng as the King of Han, Sima Ang as the King of Yin, Zhao Xie as the King of Dai, Zhang Er as the King of Changshan, Ying Bu as the King of Jiujiang, Wu Rui as the King of Hengshan, Gong Ao as the King of Linjiang, Han Guang as the King of Liaodong, Zang Tu as the King of Yan, Tian Shi as the King of Jiaodong, Tian Du as the King of Qi, and Tian An as the King of Jibei.

  Liu Bang went to Han Liu Bang was changed to be sealed in Hanzhong, and at first he did not want to take the country. He planned to attack Xiang Yu, and Xiao He spoke out: "The Han River is above the sky, and Hanzhong has a geographical advantage. It can be attacked and defended, and Qin used it to have the world." Liu Bang then adopted Xiao He's suggestion, humbly accepted the title of King of Han, recruited talents to plan for the world, and determined to use Ba (the county seat is Jiangzhou, now north of Chongqing City) and Shu (the county seat is Chengdu, now Sichuan Province). , And also fixed three Qin, facing east to contend for the world's strategy. In April, Liu Bang went to Hanzhong (the county seat is Nanzheng, now east of Hanzhong City) to take the country, and Xiang Yu sent 30,000 soldiers to follow him. On the way, he burned and destroyed the plank roads he had passed through, preventing the sneak attacks of the vassal states' armies, and also used this to show that he had no intention of going east, in order to numb Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu also demobilized his troops at Pengcheng at the same time.

  In the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), in April, the vassals were dismissed and returned to their respective countries. King Cheng of Han had no merit and his prime minister Zhang Liang defected to Liu Bang's side. The king of Nanyue was independent and did not participate in the Chu-Han War, maintaining a neutral position. The kings of Hengshan and Linjiang obtained the title of Supreme General of the Vassals and commanded the armies of the vassals, with great military power.

  At the same time, Liu Bang's army entered Xianyang, according to the agreement "whoever enters Guanzhong first will be king". Liu Bang wanted to proclaim himself king in Guanzhong. Xiang Yu also led his army of over 400,000 soldiers to Guanzhong.

  Xiang Yu considered himself to have great merit and was proud of his strength, so he divided the world among the vassals without authorization and refused to make Liu Bang the king of Guanzhong. He instead made him the king of Hanzhong (with its capital in Nanzheng, now in Shaanxi province).

  In June of the following year (207 BC), Zhang Han and others were forced to surrender with their remaining 200,000 soldiers, ending the Battle of Julu. The victory at Julu had tied down the main force of the Qin army and ultimately led to its defeat.

  In August, Zhao Gao killed the Second Emperor of Qin and installed Ziying as the new emperor. In November, Xiang Yu massacred the 200,000 surrendered Qin soldiers in Xinan (now in Henan province), shocking the world.

  This war was caused by Xiang Yu's destruction of the main force of the Qin army at Julu, which made him consider himself to have the greatest merit and obtain the title of Supreme General of the Vassals. He then divided the world among the vassals without authorization and refused to make Liu Bang the king of Guanzhong.

  At the same time, Liu Bang's army entered Xianyang and he wanted to proclaim himself king in Guanzhong according to the agreement "whoever enters Guanzhong first will be king". Xiang Yu also led his army of over 400,000 soldiers to Guanzhong.

  The historical background of this section is the main entry: Qin End Peasant Uprising. In the 37th year of Qin Shi Huang (210 BC), Qin Shi Huang died in Shaqiu (now northwest of Guangzong, Hebei Province). The middle car commander Zhao Gao and others launched a coup at Shaqiu, forged an imperial edict to kill the eldest son Fusu and the general Meng Tian, and established the youngest son Huhai as the Second Emperor. Qin II Huhai was tyrannical and dissolute, and Zhao Gao also monopolized power and governed chaotically, with increasingly heavy taxes and labor services, causing the world to become more and more exhausted, and the people were suffering. The empire was in a state of decline, and ten years of brutal rule finally triggered the great peasant uprising at the end of Qin. In July of the first year of Qin II (209 BC), Chen Sheng and Wu Guang launched a large-scale war. Xiang Yu annihilated the main force of the Qin army with more than 40 million people in the Battle of Julu, and he was proud of his great merit and obtained the position of General-in-Chief of the vassals, commanding the armies of the vassals, with strong forces. At the same time, Liu Bang's righteous army in another route in Chu territory took advantage of the situation to enter Xianyang first. According to the agreement of "the one who enters Guanzhong first will be king" made by King Huai of Chu, Liu Bang wanted to be king in Guanzhong. Xiang Yu also led more than 40 million vassal troops to rush to Guanzhong. Xiang Yu thought he was meritorious and powerful, so he divided the world on his own and refused to make Liu Bang, who entered Guanzhong first, the King of Guanzhong, instead making him the king of Hanzhong (the county seat is Nanzheng, now in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province), which eventually led to war.

  项羽与刘邦的矛盾由来已久。早在楚怀王熊心在世时，项羽就因功劳最大而自恃强大，多次违背楚怀王之命，擅自杀死宋义，并且不听从刘邦的建议，独断专行。楚怀王去世后，项羽更是恣意妄为，将天下分封给诸侯，拒绝把先入关的刘邦封为关中王，将其改封到汉中（郡治南郑，今陕西汉中）为王。

  汉元年十月（前207年，汉初承鸿门宴(6张)秦制，十月为岁首），刘邦进至灞上（今陕西西安市东南），秦王子婴投降，秦朝灭亡。依据反秦义军“盟主”楚怀王与天下“先入定关项羽、章邯等人极大程度的丧失了关中民心。与此同时，十月，沛公刘邦乘隙攻入关中，进入咸阳，秦王子婴投降，秦朝灭亡（《史记·项羽本纪》）。

  Victory was within reach, but Liu Bang seized the opportunity to enter Guanzhong first and snatched the fruits of victory. Naturally, Xiang Yu's anger reached the sky, and he led an army of over 400,000 troops into Guanzhong. In December of the first year of Han (207 BCE), Xiang Yu ordered Ying Bu to attack and break through Hangu Pass, advancing to Hongmen in Xinfeng (present-day Lintong, Shaanxi). He intended to eliminate Liu Bang's army. Liu Bang's forces were less than 100,000 strong, and he knew he was no match for Xiang Yu, so he retreated to Bashang and tried his best to win over Xiang Yu's uncle, Xiang Bo, to mediate on his behalf. He personally went to Hongmen to apologize and show his sincerity, expressing his willingness to surrender. Xiang Yu's determination wavered, and he let Liu Bang go. Several days later, Xiang Yu led his troops westward into Xianyang, killing the surrendered King of Qin, Ziying, and burning down the palace. The fire raged for three months without being extinguished. At that time, Han Sheng advised Xiang Yu: "Guanzhong is a place of strategic importance...

  The situation developed after the initial victory Main article: Feast at Hongmen In October of the first year of Han (207 BC, the beginning of the Han dynasty inherited the Qin system, with October as the beginning of the year), Liu Bang arrived in Bashang (now southeast of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province) and accepted the surrender of King Ziying of Qin. The Qin dynasty was destroyed. According to the agreement between the leader of the anti-Qin coalition "Chu Huai Wang" and the "first to enter Guanzhong will be king", Liu Bang should have been called the King of Guanzhong, but he heard that Xiang Yu wanted to establish Zhang Han in Guanzhong as the King of Yong. Therefore, he sent troops to guard Hangu Pass (now northeast of Lingbao City, Henan Province) to prevent other vassals from entering Guanzhong. At the same time, he announced the abolition of the harsh policies of the Qin dynasty and made an agreement with the elders of Guanzhong "to establish three chapters of law": "those who kill will be killed, those who injure others or steal will be punished" (Historical Records: The Basic Annals of Gaozu). Xiang Yu broke through the enemy lines and destroyed the main force of the Qin army, determining the inevitable trend of the downfall of the Qin dynasty. He thought he had made the greatest contribution. However, when victory was imminent, Liu Bang seized the opportunity to enter Guanzhong first and took the fruit of victory, naturally making Xiang Yu furious. Therefore, he led more than 400,000 troops into Guanzhong. In December of the first year of Han (207 BC, the beginning of the Han dynasty inherited the Qin system, with October as the beginning of the year), Xiang Yu ordered Ying Bu to attack and break through Hangu Pass, advancing to Hongmen in Xinfeng (now east of Lintong District, Shaanxi Province). He intended to eliminate Liu Bang's army. Liu Bang's army was less than 100,000 strong, and he knew that his strength was not enough to resist the enemy. Therefore, he retreated to Bashang and tried his best to win over Xiang Yu's uncle Xiang Bo to mediate, personally going to Hongmen to apologize and show his sincerity, indicating his submission. Xiang Yu's determination wavered, and he let Liu Bang go. A few days later, Xiang Yu led his troops westward into Xianyang, killing the surrendered King Ziying of Qin, burning down the palace, and setting a great fire that lasted for three months. At that time, Han Xin advised Xiang Yu: "Guanzhong is surrounded by mountains and rivers on all sides, with fertile land, it can be used as the capital." However, Xiang Yu said: "Wealth and honor do not return to one's hometown, like wearing embroidered clothes at night, who knows about it?" (Historical Records: The Basic Annals of Xiang Yu), and he boiled and killed the advisor, giving up the good opportunity to establish his capital in Guanzhong.

  In the second month of the first year of Han (206 BC), Xiang Yu divided the land and granted titles to 18 vassal kings, restoring feudalism and dividing the land. He also established himself as the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, ruling over nine counties in Liang and Chu, with his capital in Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu). Xiang Yu suspected that Liu Bang had ambitions for the whole country and was dissatisfied with the agreement, fearing that the vassal kings would rebel against him. He said, "Ba and Shu are also part of the Guanzhong region." (Historical Records: Biography of Xiang Yu) Therefore, he granted Liu Bang the title of King of Hanzhong, ruling over the three counties of Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, with his capital in Nanzheng (now Hanzhong, Shaanxi). He also divided the Guanzhong region into three parts, granting Qin's surrendered generals Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi the titles of King of Yong, King of Sai, and King of Di, respectively, collectively known as the "Three Qins". This was an attempt to control the Guanzhong region through them and confine Liu Bang to the Hanzhong-Ba-Shu region. At the same time, he also granted titles to other vassal kings: Wei Bao, King of Western Wei; Shen Yang, King of Henan; Han Cheng, King of Han; Sima Ang, King of Yin; Zhao Xie, King of Dai; Zhang Er, King of Changshan; Jibu, King of Jiujiang; Wu Rui, King of Hengshan; Gong Ao, King of Linjiang; Han Guang, King of Liaodong; Zang Tu, King of Yan; Tian Shi, King of Jiaodong; Tian Du, King of Qi; and Tian An, King of Jibei.

  Liu Bang went to Han Liu Bang was changed to be sealed in Hanzhong, and initially did not want to take the country. He planned to attack Xiang Yu, and Xiao He spoke out: "The Han River is above the sky, and Hanzhong has a strategic location, advancing can be attacked, retreating can be defended, Qin used it to have the world." Liu Bang then adopted Xiao He's suggestion, humbly accepted the title of King of Han, recruited talents to plan for the world, and at the same time determined to use Ba (the county seat is Jiangzhou, now north of Chongqing City, on the north bank of Jialing River), Shu (the county seat is Chengdu, now Sichuan Province, Chengdu), and also fixed three Qin, facing east to contend for the world's strategy. In April, Liu Bang went to Hanzhong (the county seat is Nanzheng, now in the eastern part of Hanzhong City) to take the country, with 30,000 soldiers sent by Xiang Yu following him. Along the way, he burned and destroyed the plank roads he passed through, preventing the sneak attacks of the vassal states' armies, and also used this to show that he had no intention of going east, in order to numb Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu also demobilized his troops at Pengcheng at the same time.

  In the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), in April, the vassals ended their games and each returned to their respective countries. The King of Han, Liu Bang, was appointed as the Marquis of Wu'an and led the army of Pei County. He was ordered to attack Guanzhong (the area west of Hangu Pass) and was promised that whoever entered Guanzhong first would be made king.

  In October of the same year, the King of Chu, Xiang Yu, defeated the Qin army at the Battle of Julu and became the leader of the allied forces. He then led his troops to enter Guanzhong and attack the Qin capital, Xianyang.

  In November, Liu Bang entered Guanzhong and captured the city of Xi'an. The last emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Ziying, surrendered to Liu Bang, marking the end of the Qin Dynasty.

  Xiang Yu, who had been appointed as the leader of the allied forces, was dissatisfied with the distribution of power among the vassals. He believed that he should be the one to rule China and began to plot against Liu Bang.

  In 206 BC, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang clashed at the Battle of Pengcheng. Although Xiang Yu emerged victorious, his army suffered heavy casualties. The battle marked the beginning of a long and bloody conflict between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, which would eventually lead to the downfall of Xiang Yu and the establishment of the Han Dynasty.

  In 202 BC, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu at the Battle of Gaixia, marking the end of the Chu-Han Contention. Xiang Yu was killed in the battle, and Liu Bang became the sole ruler of China, establishing the Han Dynasty.

  The Chu-Han Contention was a pivotal period in Chinese history, marked by the downfall of the Qin Dynasty and the establishment of the Han Dynasty. It was a time of great upheaval and transformation, during which the fate of China hung in the balance. The contention between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang ultimately led to the emergence of the Han Dynasty, which would go on to become one of the greatest dynasties in Chinese history.

  The situation developed into a gap between the initial victory and the subsequent defeat. The main entry is: Hongmen Banquet In October of the first year of Han (207 BC, the beginning of the Han Dynasty), Liu Bang arrived at Xianyang (now Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province) and accepted the surrender of Qin King Ziying, marking the end of the Qin Dynasty. According to the agreement between the leader of the anti-Qin coalition, Chu Huaiwang, and the "first to enter Guanzhong will be king", Liu Bang should have been crowned king of Guanzhong. However, he heard that Xiang Yu wanted to establish Zhang Han as king of Guanzhong, with the title of Yong Wang, so he sent troops to guard Hangu Pass (now in Lingbao City, Henan Province) to prevent other lords from entering Guanzhong. At the same time, he announced the abolition of the harsh policies of the Qin Dynasty and made an agreement with the people of Guanzhong, "Three Chapters of Law": "Those who kill will be killed, those who injure others or steal will be punished" (Historical Records: The Basic Annals of Emperor Gaozu). Xiang Yu broke through the enemy lines and destroyed the main force of the Qin army, determining the inevitable trend of the downfall of the Qin Dynasty. He believed that he had made the greatest contribution. However, just as victory was within reach, Liu Bang seized the opportunity to enter Guanzhong first and took the fruits of victory, naturally arousing Xiang Yu's anger. He led an army of over 400,000 soldiers into Guanzhong. In December of the first year of Han (207 BC), Xiang Yu ordered Ying Bu to attack Hangu Pass, advance to New Feng (now Lintong District, Shaanxi Province), and intended to eliminate Liu Bang's army. Liu Bang's army was less than 100,000 strong, and he knew that he could not defeat the enemy, so he retreated to Xianyang and tried his best to win over Xiang Yu's uncle, Xiang Bo, to mediate, and personally went to Hongmen to apologize and show his sincerity. Xiang Yu's determination wavered, and he let Liu Bang go. A few days later, Xiang Yu led his army westward into Chang'an (now Xi'an City), killed the surrendered Qin king Ziying, burned down the palace, and the fire raged for three months without being extinguished. At that time, Han Xin advised Xiang Yu: "Guanzhong is a place with mountains and rivers on all sides, rich and fertile land, it can be used as the capital." Xiang Yu said: "Wealth and honor do not return to one's hometown, like wearing embroidered clothes at night, who knows about it?" (Historical Records: The Basic Annals of Xiang Yu), so he killed Han Xin and gave up the good opportunity to establish his capital in Guanzhong.

  In February of the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), Xiang Yu divided the land and granted titles to 18 vassal kings, restoring feudalism and dividing the land. He also established himself as the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, ruling over nine counties in the Yangtze River valley and the Yellow River, with his capital at Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu). Xiang Yu suspected that Liu Bang had ambitions for the throne and was dissatisfied with the agreement, fearing that the vassal kings would rebel against him. He said, "The Bashu region is also part of Guanzhong" (Historical Records: Biography of Xiang Yu), and granted Liu Bang the title of King of Hanzhong, ruling over the three counties of Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, with his capital at Nanzheng (now Hanzhong, Shaanxi). He also divided the Guanzhong region into three parts, granting the titles of Yong Wang, Sai Wang, and Di Wang to Qin's surrendered generals Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi respectively, collectively known as the "Three Qins". This was an attempt to control Guanzhong through them and confine Liu Bang to the Hanzhong-Bashu region. At the same time, he also granted titles to other vassal kings: Wei Bao as King of Western Wei, Shen Yang as King of Henan, Han Cheng as King of Korea, Sima Ang as King of Yin, Zhao Xie as King of Dai, Zhang Er as King of Changshan, Jiao Bu as King of Jiujiang, Wu Rui as King of Hengshan, Gong Ao as King of Linjiang, Han Guang as King of Liaodong, Zang Tu as King of Yan, Tian Shi as King of Jiaodong, Tian Du as King of Qi, and Tian An as King of Jibei.

  Liu Bang went to Han Liu Bang was changed to be sealed in Hanzhong, and initially did not want to take the country. He planned to attack Xiang Yu, but Xiao He spoke out and said: "The Han River is above the sky, and Hanzhong has a strategic location, advancing can be attacked, retreating can be defended, Qin used it to have the world." Liu Bang then adopted Xiao He's suggestion, humbly accepted the title of King of Han, recruited talents to plan for the world, and at the same time determined to use Ba (the county seat is Jiangzhou, now north of Chongqing City, on the north bank of Jialing River), Shu (the county seat is Chengdu, now Sichuan Chengdu), and also fixed three Qin, facing east to contend for the world's strategy. In April, Liu Bang went to Hanzhong (the county seat is Nanzheng, now east of Hanzhong City) to take the country, with 30,000 soldiers sent by Xiang Yu following him. Along the way, he burned and destroyed the plank roads he passed through, preventing the sneak attacks of the vassal armies, and also used this to show that he had no intention of going east, in order to numb Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu also demobilized his troops at Pengcheng at the same time.

  In the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), in April, the vassals were dismissed and each returned to their respective countries. King Cheng of Han was left behind by Xiang Yu in Pengcheng due to his lack of merit, and was demoted to a marquis. He was killed soon after. In May, Tian Rong, the prime minister of Qi, dissatisfied with Xiang Yu's division of land, welcomed back the king of Qi, Tian Du, who had gone into exile. Tian Du fled to Chu, where he was killed by Xiang Yu. The original king of Qi and newly appointed king of Jiaodong, Tian Shi, feared Xiang Yu and went to Jiaodong to take up his position. Tian Rong angrily pursued and killed him, then declared himself the king of Qi. He soon attacked and killed the king of Jibei, Tian An. In August, the king of Liaodong, Han Guang (formerly the king of Yan), was unwilling to relocate to Liaodong and was killed by Yan Wang Zang, who incorporated Liaodong into the state of Yan. At the same time, Xiang Yu changed his appointment of Zheng Chang to king of Han. Also in August, Zhao Tuo, the former magistrate of Longchuan (now Longchuan County, Guangdong Province), declared himself the king of Nanyue and occupied the Lingnan region (now most of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces). In October of the second year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC, the beginning of the Han Dynasty followed the Qin system, with the tenth month as the start of the year), Chen Yu, a general of Zhao, dissatisfied with Xiang Yu's division of land, joined forces with the king of Qi, Tian Rong, who had already rebelled, and defeated Zhang Er, the king of Changshan. Zhang Er surrendered to Han. Chen Yu welcomed back the former king of Dai, Zhao Xie, as the king of Zhao, and declared himself the king of Dai. He appointed Xia Yue as his prime minister to guard Dai, while he himself stayed behind to assist the king of Zhao. Also in October, Xiang Yu secretly ordered Ying Bu, the king of Jiujiang, to send a general to kill Emperor Yi in Chen County. In August, the Han army also began to attack the three Qins, and from then on, the situation among the vassals in the Central Plains underwent great changes. The regions of Lingnan and Minzhong (now most of Fujian Province and parts of Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces), which had not yet been divided, were occupied by Zhao Tuo, the king of Nanyue, and Wu Zhen, the magistrate of Minzhong. Among these eighteen vassals, as well as Nanyue and Minzhong, the king of Nanyue was relatively independent and did not participate in the Chu-Han War, remaining neutral. The kings of Hengshan and Linjiang belonged to the Chu camp but never intervened in the war. At the end of the Chu-Han War, the king of Hengshan surrendered to Han. The original king of Minyue and the magistrate of Minzhong, Wu Zhen, had contributed to the destruction of Qin but were not appointed as kings by Xiang Yu. Later, they also led troops in resistance against Chu. All the other vassals in the Central Plains, as well as those that evolved from them, directly or indirectly, actively or passively participated in the Chu-Han War.

  Here is the translation:

  In May of Han's first year (206 BC), Qi noble Tian Rong, who was not enfeoffed by Xiang Yu, rebelled against Chu in Qi territory (present-day Shandong province) and drove out Xiang Yu's newly appointed Qi King Tian Du. He killed Jiaodong King Tian Shi and declared himself the King of Qi. Soon after, he ordered Peng Yue to kill Jibei King Tian An and unify the three Qis under his rule. He also gave Peng Yue a general's seal and ordered him to rebel in Liang territory while borrowing troops from Chen Yu to help defeat Changshan King Zhang Er, who then surrendered to Han. Chen Yu welcomed Zhao King Zhao Xie back as the King of Zhao and declared himself the King of Dai, appointing Xia Shuo as his chancellor to guard Dai while he assisted the King of Zhao. The land of Zhao was also won over.

  Xiang Yu then sent troops to attack Qi. Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's distraction and the instability of the three Qin kings to "decide on a strategy to turn eastward and contend for the empire" (Shiji, Gaozu Benji). He ordered Xiao He to collect taxes from Ba and Shu to supply the army and, with Xiao He's strong recommendation, appointed Han Xin as a general. With Cao Can as his vanguard, he led tens of thousands of troops in an active deployment eastward.

  In August, the Han army used Han Xin's plan of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing Chen Cang" to sneak out of the old path (named after the waterway that passed through it, now in Shaanxi province) and arrived at Chen Cang (present-day Baoji, Shaanxi), where they launched a surprise attack on Yong State and besieged Zhang Han's army at Yongdu.

  In August of Han's second year (205 BC), Wei King Piao rebelled against Han and surrendered to Chu, threatening the Han army's flank. Liu Bang first sent Lü Shizhong to persuade him, but when that failed, he ordered Han Xin to lead troops in an attack. In September, Han Xin launched a surprise attack on Anyi (present-day Xia county, Shanxi province), capturing Wei Piao alive and destroying the state of Wei.

  The main article is: Battle of Jieqiao, Backwater War, Han Xin's conquest of Dai, Zhao, Yan and Qi. After the Battle of Ancheng, Liu Bang adopted Han Xin's suggestion to "go north to Yan and Zhao, east to attack Qi, south to cut off Chu's grain road, and west to meet with the Great King at Jieqiao" (Hanshu·Hanxinzhuan), and gave Han Xin an additional 30,000 troops to open up the northern battlefield, in order to eliminate Chu's wings and achieve a strategic encirclement of Chu. In the same year, in the ninth month of the intercalary period, Han Xin first conquered the Dai state, capturing the Prime Minister Xia Shuo, and the Dai state was destroyed. In the third year of the Han dynasty (205 BCE, the beginning of the Han dynasty followed the Qin system, with October as the start of the year), in the tenth month, Han Xin and Zhang Er led the Han army across the Taihang Mountains, and fought against the Zhao state, a wing of Chu, at Jieqiao Pass (now southeast of Jiexiu, Hebei). Han Xin went against convention, setting up his formation with his back to the water, and defeated 200,000 Zhao troops, killing the main commander of the Zhao army, Chen Yu, and capturing the King of Zhao, Xie. With one battle, he destroyed the Zhao state. Following this, he adopted the suggestion of the surrendered general of Zhao, Li Zuiche, and took advantage of the momentum to force the surrender of the King of Yan, Zang Tu, without a fight, and pacified the Yan state.

  The main article is: Battle of Wei River In the eleventh month of the fourth year of the Han Dynasty (204 BC, the beginning of the Han Dynasty followed the Qin system, with October as the first month), Xiang Yu again defeated the combined forces of Chu and Qi at the banks of the Wei River (now Weihui, Shandong) and pacified the state of Qi. By this time, Xiang Yu had advanced more than 2,000 li to the east, forming a strategic encirclement of the Chu army from both the east and north, directly threatening the rear of the Chu army.

  After the defeat of Han at Pengcheng in April 205 BC, Peng Yue retreated westward and abandoned all the cities he had captured. He led his troops north to guard the Yellow River. In 204 BC, Peng frequently launched surprise attacks on the Chu army, disrupting their supply lines in Liang territory. In winter 203 BC, while the Han and Chu armies were locked in a stalemate at Xingyang, Peng Yue attacked and seized seventeen cities including Yingyang and Waihuang. When Xiang Yu learned of this, he sent Cao Jiu to guard Chenggao and personally led an army east to retake the cities captured by Peng Yue, restoring them to Chu control. Peng Yue then marched his troops north to Guicheng. In autumn 202 BC, when the Chu army retreated south to Xiayang, Peng Yue attacked and seized more than twenty cities including Changyi, capturing over a million hu of grain for the Han king's army.

  The war was caused by Xiang Yu's annihilation of the main force of 400,000 Qin troops in the Battle of Julu, and he became the supreme commander-in-chief of the vassal states. At the same time, Liu Bang led his righteous army to enter Xianyang first, according to the agreement of King Huai of Chu "the one who enters Guanzhong first will be king". Xiang Yu also led 400,000 troops to rush to Guanzhong. Xiang Yu thought he was superior and powerful, so he divided the world by himself and refused to make Liu Bang the king of Guanzhong, instead making him the king of Hanzhong (now Hanzhong, Shaanxi). This eventually led to war.

  Historical background Main article: Qin's end peasant uprising In the 37th year of Qin Shi Huang (210 BC), Qin Shi Huang died in Shaqiu (now Hebei Guangzong northwest). The middle car commander Zhao Gao and others launched a coup, forged an imperial edict to kill his eldest son Fusu and General Meng Tian, and established his youngest son Huhai as the Second Emperor. Qin II Hu Hai was tyrannical and dissolute, and Zhao Gao also had exclusive power to govern, with increasingly heavy taxes and labor, causing the world to become more and more exhausted, and the people were suffering from unbearable hardships. The empire was getting worse and worse, and ten years of brutal rule finally triggered a large-scale peasant uprising at the end of Qin Dynasty. In July of the first year of Qin II (209 BC), Chen Sheng and Wu Guang first launched the Daze Village Uprising, establishing the "Zhang Chu" regime, with Chen Sheng claiming to be the King of Chu, and for a time, heroes from all over the world responded. In September, Xiang Yan, the former general of the State of Chu, and his nephew Xiang Yu launched the Kuaiji Uprising, with Xiang Liang calling himself the Lord of Wu Xin; in the same month, Liu Bang, the pavilion owner of Sishui, also rose up in Pei County (now Jiangsu Pei County) to respond, claiming to be the Duke of Pei. After Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's peasant uprising failed, in February of the second year of Qin II (208 BC), Xiang Liang gathered the leaders of various righteous armies in Chu at Xue County (now Shandong Tengzhou). Among these eighteen vassals, as well as the two vassals of Nanyue and Minzhong, the King of Nanyue was relatively independent, did not participate in the Chu-Han War, and remained neutral. The Kings of Hengshan and Linjiang belonged to the Chu camp but never intervened in the war, and the King of Hengshan surrendered to Han at the end of the Chu-Han War. The original king of Minyue, the former Qin Minzhong prefect Wu Zuo, had contributed to the destruction of the vassals, but was not enfeoffed by Xiang Yu, and later led his army to resist Chu. All other central vassals, as well as those that evolved into vassals, participated directly or indirectly, actively or passively, in the Chu-Han War.

  In May of the first year of Han (206 BC), Tian Rong, a Qi noble who was not enfeoffed by Xiang Yu, rebelled against Chu in the Qi region (present-day Shandong province) and drove out the newly appointed "Three Qins", attempting to control Guanzhong and trap Liu Bang in the Hanzhong-Ba-Shu area.

  Liu Bang went to Han Liu Bang was changed to be sealed in Hanzhong, and initially did not want to take the country. He planned to attack Xiang Yu, but Xiao He spoke out and said: "The Han River is above the sky, and Hanzhong has a strategic location, with a strong shape that can be attacked and defended. The Qin used it to have the world." Liu Bang then adopted Xiao He's suggestion, humbly accepted the title of King of Han, recruited talents to plan for the world, and at the same time determined to use Ba (the county seat is Jiangzhou, now north of Chongqing City, on the north bank of the Jialing River), Shu (the county seat is Chengdu, now Sichuan Chengdu), and also fixed the three Qin, facing east to contend for the world's strategy. In April, Liu Bang went to Hanzhong (the county seat is Nanzheng, now east of Hanzhong City) to take the country, with 30,000 soldiers sent by Xiang Yu following him. Along the way, he burned and destroyed the plank roads he passed through, preventing the vassal armies from launching a surprise attack, and also used this to show that he had no intention of going east, in order to numb Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu also demobilized his troops at Pengcheng at the same time.

  In the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), in April, the vassals were dismissed and each returned to their respective countries. The King of Han, Xiang Yu, left the King of Korea, Cheng, in Pengcheng, demoted him to a marquis, and soon killed him. In May, the Prime Minister of Qi, Tian Rong, was dissatisfied with Xiang Yu's division of territory and welcomed back the King of Qi, Tian Du, who had returned to his country. Tian Du fled to Chu, and Xiang Yu killed him. The original King of Qi and the newly appointed King of Jiaodong, Tian Shi, were afraid of Xiang Yu and went to Jiaodong to take up their posts. Tian Rong was furious and pursued and killed him, then declared himself King of Qi. Soon after, he also attacked and killed the King of Jibei, Tian An. In August, the King of Liaodong, Han Guang (formerly the King of Yan), did not want to move to Liaodong and was killed by the King of Yan, Zang Tu, who then incorporated Liaodong into the territory of Yan. At the same time, Xiang Yu changed his appointment of Zheng Chang as King of Korea. In the same month, Zhao Tuo, the former magistrate of Longchuan (now in Guangdong Province), declared himself King of Nanyue and occupied the region of Lingnan (now most of Guangdong and Guangxi).

  Here is the translation:

  In May of Han's first year (206 BC), Qi noble Tian Rong, who was not enfeoffed by Xiang Yu, rebelled against Chu in Qi territory (present-day Shandong province) and drove out Xiang Yu's newly appointed Qi King Tian Du. He killed Jiaodong King Tian Shi and declared himself the King of Qi. Soon after, he ordered Peng Yue to kill Jibei King Tian An and unify the three Qis under his rule. He also gave Peng Yue a general's seal and ordered him to rebel in Liang territory while borrowing troops from Chen Yu to help defeat Changshan King Zhang Er, who then surrendered to Han. Chen Yu welcomed Zhao King Zhao Xie back as the King of Zhao and declared himself the King of Dai, appointing Xia Shuo as his chancellor to guard Dai while he assisted the King of Zhao. The land of Zhao was also won over.

  Xiang Yu then sent troops to attack Qi. Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's distraction and the instability of the three Qin kings to "decide on a strategy to turn eastward and contend for the empire" (Shiji, Gaozu Benji). He ordered Xiao He to collect taxes from Ba and Shu to supply the army and, with Xiao He's strong recommendation, appointed Han Xin as a general. With Cao Can as his vanguard, he led tens of thousands of troops in an active deployment eastward.

  In August, the Han army used Han Xin's plan of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing Chen Cang" to sneak out of the old path (which was named after the water nearby and is now located in Fengxian County, Shaanxi province) and arrived at Chen Cang (present-day Baoji, Shaanxi), where they launched a surprise attack on Yong State and besieged Zhang Han's army at Yongdu Feiqiu.

  In August of Han's second year (205 BC), Wei King Piao rebelled against Han in He Dong (the capital of Hedong Commandery, now Xiangyuan County, Shanxi province) and threatened the flank of the Han army. Liu Bang first sent Lü Sheng to persuade him but was unsuccessful, so he ordered Han Xin to lead troops to attack. In September, Han Xin launched a surprise attack on Anyi (now Xiaxian County, Shanxi province), captured Wei Piao alive, and destroyed the state of Wei.

  The Battle of Jingxing Main article: Battle of Jingxing, Battle of the Wei River, Han Xin's conquests of Dai, Zhao, Yan, Qi After the Battle of Anixi, Liu Bang adopted Han Xin's suggestion to "march north to capture Yan and Zhao, east to strike Qi, south to cut off Chu's supply lines, and west to meet with the King of Han at Jingxing" (Hanshu: Han Xin zhuan), giving him 30,000 more troops to open up a northern front, eliminate Chu's wings, and achieve strategic encirclement. In the same year, in the ninth month, Han Xin first defeated Dai, capturing its king Xia Yue, and Dai was destroyed.

  Here is the translation:

  In May of Han's first year (206 BC), Qi noble Tian Rong, who was not enfeoffed by Xiang Yu, rebelled against Chu in Qi territory (present-day Shandong province) and drove out Xiang Yu's newly appointed Qi King Tian Du. He killed Jiaodong King Tian Shi and declared himself the King of Qi. Soon after, he ordered Peng Yue to kill Jibei King Tian An and unify the three Qis under his rule. He also gave Peng Yue a general's seal and ordered him to rebel in Liang territory while borrowing troops from Chen Yu to help defeat Changshan King Zhang Er, who then surrendered to Han. Chen Yu welcomed Zhao King Zhao Xie back as the King of Zhao and declared himself the King of Dai, appointing Xia Shuo as his chancellor to guard Dai while he assisted the King of Zhao. The land of Zhao was also turned against Chu.

  Xiang Yu then sent troops to attack Qi. Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's distraction and the instability of the three Qin kings to "decide on a strategy to turn eastward and contend for the empire" (Shiji, Gaozu Benji). He ordered Xiao He to collect taxes from Ba and Shu to supply his troops and, with Xiao He's strong recommendation, appointed Han Xin as a general. With Cao Can as his vanguard, he led tens of thousands of soldiers in an active deployment eastward.

  In August, the Han army used Han Xin's plan to "openly repair the plank road while secretly crossing Chen Cang" to sneak out of their usual route (the river was named after this event and is now located in Shaanxi province). They arrived at Chen Cang (present-day Baoji, Shaanxi) and launched a surprise attack on Yong State, surrounding Zhang Han's army at the abandoned hill of Yongdu.

  The Northern Front: The Battle of An Yi

  In August of Han's second year (205 BC), Wei King Piao rebelled against Han in He Dong (the capital was located in present-day Shanxi province) and threatened the flank of the Han army. Liu Bang first sent Lü Sheng to persuade him, but when that failed, he ordered Han Xin to lead troops to attack. In September, Han Xin launched a surprise attack on An Yi, capturing Wei Piao alive and destroying the state of Wei.

  The northern expedition to rescue Zhao, while sending Liu Bang to attack Guanzhong (referring to the area west of Hangu Pass), divided the Chu army into two routes to attack Qin, and agreed that "the first to enter and settle Guanzhong would be king" (Historical Records: High Ancestor's Basic Annals). In the third year of Qin Er Shi (208 BCE), Song Yi's army arrived at Anyang (now southeastern Henan) and stopped for 46 days without advancing. Xiang Yu then killed Song Yi, and Chu Huai Wang had no choice but to appoint him as the Supreme General. Xiang Yu led more than 50,000 Chu soldiers to continue northward, welcoming the battle against Zhang Han and Wang Li's 400,000-strong Qin army main force.

  At that time, the anti-Qin armed groups of Chu and Qi had just been defeated, and Zhao was in danger of being destroyed. This battle had essentially become a decisive battle between the main forces of the Qin army and the various anti-Qin forces, while the rescue armies of Zhao were watching from the sidelines, not daring to fight. The situation was extremely critical.

  In December, Xiang Yu broke through the cauldron and personally led more than 20,000 Chu soldiers to defeat Wang Li's 200,000-strong Qin army main force outside Julu City. Xiang Yu's prestige shook the feudal lords, and he became the Supreme General of the feudal lords, commanding the armies of the feudal lords.

  The next year (207 BCE) in June, Zhang Han and others were forced to surrender with their remaining troops of 200,000 people, and the Battle of Julu ended in victory. The Battle of Julu not only restrained the main force of the Qin army but also ultimately achieved victory, creating the most favorable conditions for Liu Bang's western route army to enter Guanzhong smoothly.

  After this battle, the Qin dynasty was already in name only (see Battle of Julu). In August, Zhao Gao killed Qin Er Shi and enthroned Ziying as the King of Qin. In November, Xiang Yu, fearing that the 200,000 surrendered soldiers would rebel, massacred them all at Xin'an (now eastern Henan), shocking the world. This also made Xiang Yu and Zhang Han lose the hearts of the people in Guanzhong to a great extent.

  At the same time, in October, Liu Bang took advantage of the opportunity to attack and enter Guanzhong, entering Xianyang, and King Ziying of Qin surrendered, marking the downfall of the Qin dynasty (Historical Records: Xiang Yu's Basic Annals).

  The situation developed after the initial victory Main article: Feast at Hongmen In October of the first year of Han (207 BC, the beginning of the Han dynasty), Liu Bang arrived in Xianyang (now Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province) and accepted the surrender of Qin King Ziying, marking the end of the Qin dynasty. According to the agreement between the leader of the anti-Qin coalition, Chu Huaiwang, and the "first to enter Guanzhong will be king", Liu Bang should have been declared King of Guanzhong. However, he heard that Xiang Yu wanted to establish Zhang Han as King of Yong in Guanzhong, so he sent troops to guard Hangu Pass (now north of Lingbao City, Henan Province) to prevent other vassals from entering Guanzhong. At the same time, he announced the abolition of the harsh policies of the Qin dynasty and made an agreement with the people of Guanzhong, "Three Articles of Law": "Those who kill will be executed, those who injure others or steal will be punished" (Shiji·Gaozu Benji). Xiang Yu destroyed the main force of the Qin army, determining the inevitable trend of the fall of the Qin dynasty. He believed that he had made the greatest contribution to the victory. However, just as victory was within reach, Liu Bang seized the opportunity to enter Guanzhong first and took the fruits of victory, naturally arousing Xiang Yu's anger. Therefore, he led an army of over 400,000 soldiers into Guanzhong. In December of the first year of Han (207 BC), Xiang Yu ordered Ying Bu to attack Hangu Pass, advance to Hongmen in Xinfeng (now Lintong District, Shaanxi Province), and intended to eliminate Liu Bang's army. Liu Bang's army was less than 100,000 strong, and he knew that he could not defeat the enemy, so he retreated to Xianyang and tried his best to win over Xiang Yu's uncle, Xiang Bo, to mediate, and personally went to Hongmen to apologize and show his sincerity. Xiang Yu's determination wavered, and he let Liu Bang go. A few days later, Xiang Yu led his army westward into Xianyang, killed the surrendered Qin king Ziying, burned down the palace, and the fire raged for three months. At that time, Han Xin advised Xiang Yu: "Guanzhong is a place with mountains and rivers on all sides, rich and fertile land, it can be used as the capital." However, Xiang Yu said: "Wealth and honor do not return to one's hometown, like wearing embroidered clothes at night, who knows?" (Shiji·Xiangyu Benji), so he boiled and killed the advisor and gave up the good opportunity to establish his capital in Guanzhong.

  In the second month of the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), Xiang Yu divided the land and granted titles to 18 vassal kings, restoring feudalism and dividing the land. He also established himself as the King of Western Chu, governing the nine counties of Liang, Chu, and the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, with his capital in Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu). Xiang Yu suspected that Liu Bang had ambitions for the throne and was dissatisfied with the agreement, fearing that the vassal kings would rebel against him. He said, "Ba and Shu are also part of the Guanzhong region." (Historical Records: Biography of Xiang Yu) Therefore, he granted Liu Bang the title of King of Hanzhong, governing the three counties of Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, with his capital in Nanzheng (now Hanzhong, Shaanxi). He also divided the Guanzhong region into three parts, granting the titles of Yong Wang, Sai Wang, and Di Wang to Qin's surrendered generals Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi respectively, collectively known as the "Three Qins". This was an attempt to control the Guanzhong region through them and confine Liu Bang to the Hanzhong-Ba-Shu region. At the same time, he also granted titles to other vassal kings: Wei Bao, King of Western Wei; Shen Yang, King of Henan; Han Cheng, King of Korea; Sima Mao, King of Yin; Zhao Xie, King of Dai; Zhang Er, King of Changshan; Jibu, King of Jiujiang; Wu Rui, King of Hengshan; Gong Ao, King of Linjiang; Han Guang, King of Liaodong; Zang Ju, King of Yan; Tian Shi, King of Jiaodong; Tian Du, King of Qi; and Tian An, King of Jibei.

  Liu Bang went to Han Liu Bang was changed to be sealed in Hanzhong, and initially did not want to take the country. He planned to attack Xiang Yu, and Xiao He spoke out: "The Han River is above the sky, and Hanzhong has a strategic location, advancing can be attacked, retreating can be defended, Qin used it to have the world." Liu Bang then adopted Xiao He's suggestion, humbly accepted the title of King of Han, recruited talents to plan for the world, and at the same time determined to use Ba (the county seat is Jiangzhou, now Chongqing City North Jialing River North Bank), Shu (the county seat is Chengdu, now Sichuan Chengdu), and also fixed three Qin, facing east to contend for the world's strategy. In April, Liu Bang went to Hanzhong (the county seat is Nanzheng, now Hanzhong City East) to take the country, with 30,000 soldiers sent by Xiang Yu following him. Along the way, he burned and destroyed the plank roads he passed through, preventing the sneak attacks of the vassal armies, and also used this to show that he had no intention of going east, in order to numb Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu also demobilized his troops at Pengcheng at the same time.

  In the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), in April, the vassals were dismissed and each returned to their respective countries. The King of Han, Xiang Yu, left the King of Korea, Cheng, in Pengcheng, demoted him to a marquis, and soon killed him. In May, the Prime Minister of Qi, Tian Rong, dissatisfied with Xiang Yu's division of territory, welcomed back the King of Qi, Tian Du, who had returned to his country, but Tian Du fled to Chu, where he was killed by Xiang Yu. The original King of Qi and newly appointed King of Jiaodong, Tian Shi, feared Xiang Yu and went to Jiaodong to take up his position, but Tian Rong angrily pursued and killed him, then declared himself the King of Qi, and soon attacked and killed the King of Jibei, Tian An. In August, the King of Liaodong, Han Guang (formerly the King of Yan), was unwilling to move to Liaodong, so the King of Yan, Zang Tu, attacked and killed him, incorporating Liaodong into the territory of Yan; at the same time, Xiang Yu reappointed Zheng Chang as the King of Korea. In the same month, Zhao Tuo, the former magistrate of Longchuan (now in Guangdong Province), who had not yet been divided up, declared himself the King of Nanyue and occupied the Lingnan region (now most of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces). In the second year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC, the beginning of the Han Dynasty followed the Qin system, with October as the first month), in October, General Chen Yu was dissatisfied with Xiang Yu's division of territory, joined forces with the King of Qi, Tian Rong, who had already rebelled, and defeated the King of Changshan, Zhang Er; Zhang Er surrendered to Han. Chen Yu welcomed back the King of Dai, Zhao Xie, as the King of Zhao, declared himself the King of Dai, appointed Xia Shuo as his prime minister to guard Dai, and stayed behind to assist the King of Zhao. In the same month, Xiang Yu secretly ordered the King of Jiujiang, Ying Bu, to send a general to kill the Emperor Yi in Chen County. Also in August, the Han army began to attack the three Qins, marking a huge change in the situation among the vassals in the Central Plains. The regions of Lingnan and Minzhong (now most of Fujian Province and parts of Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces), which had not yet been divided up, were occupied by the King of Nanyue, Zhao Tuo, and the Magistrate of Minzhong, Wu Zhuo. Among these eighteen vassals, as well as the two vassals of Nanyue and Minzhong, the King of Nanyue was relatively independent, did not participate in the Chu-Han War, and maintained a neutral stance. The Kings of Hengshan and Linjiang belonged to the Chu camp but never intervened in the war; at the end of the Chu-Han War, the King of Hengshan surrendered to Han. The original King of Minyue and Magistrate of Minzhong, Wu Zhuo, had contributed to the destruction of the Qin by the vassals but were not appointed kings by Xiang Yu; later they also led troops in resistance against Chu. All the other vassals in the Central Plains, as well as those that evolved from them, participated directly or indirectly, actively or passively, in the Chu-Han War.

  In May of the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), Tian Rong, a nobleman from the state of Qi who was not enfeoffed by Xiang Yu, rose up in rebellion against Chu in the region of Qi (present-day Shandong Province) and drove out Xiang Yu's newly appointed King of Qi, Tian Du. He also killed Jiaodong King Tian Shi and declared himself King of Qi. Soon after, he had Peng Yue kill Jibei King Tian An and take control of the three Qis. He also gave Peng Yue a general's seal and ordered him to rebel in the region of Liang (present-day Shandong Province), while at the same time lending troops to Chen Yu to help him defeat Changshan King Zhang Er, who then surrendered to Han. Chen Yu welcomed back Zhao King Zhao Xie as king and declared himself King of Dai, appointing Xia Yue as his chancellor to guard Dai, while he himself assisted the King of Zhao, and the region of Zhao was also turned against Chu. As a result, Xiang Yu dispatched troops to attack Qi. Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's distraction and the instability of the three Qin kings to "decide on an eastern campaign (towards) and contend for the empire" (Shiji: Gaozu Benji). He ordered Xiao He to collect taxes from Ba and Shu to supply his army, and with Xiao He's strong recommendation, appointed Han Xin as a general, with Cao Can as his vanguard commanding tens of thousands of troops, actively preparing for an eastern campaign. In August, the Han army used Han Xin's plan of "openly repairing the plank road, secretly crossing Chen Cang" to launch a surprise attack on the enemy (the name "Chen Cang" comes from the fact that there was water in front of the old road, and it is located in present-day Fengxian County, Shaanxi Province). The army arrived at Chen Cang (present-day Baoji, Shaanxi Province), attacked Yong State, and besieged Zhang Han's army at Yongdu Feiqiu (present-day Xingping, Shaanxi Province). At the same time, they divided their troops to attack and capture Longxi (the capital was Didao, present-day Lintao County, Gansu Province), Beidi (the capital was Yiqi, present-day Ningxian County, Gansu Province), and Wangguo (the capital was Fushi, present-day Yulin City, Shaanxi Province), forcing the surrender of Sai King Sima Xin and Diwang Dong Yi. They quickly pacified the three Qins and occupied most of the Guanzhong region. Afterwards, they ordered their general Xue Ou to lead troops out of Wuguan (present-day Danfeng County, Shaanxi Province) to advance on Chu territory, but were blocked by the Chu army at Yangxia (present-day Taikang County, Henan Province). The war was caused by Xiang Yu's annihilation of over 400,000 Qin troops in the Battle of Julu, after which he considered himself the greatest hero and obtained the position of Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies, commanding all the allied troops. At the same time, Liu Bang led his volunteer army to enter Xianyang first, according to the agreement with King Huai of Chu "whoever enters Guanzhong first will be king". Liu Bang wanted to declare himself king in Guanzhong, but Xiang Yu also led over 400,000 allied troops to rush towards Guanzhong. Xiang Yu considered himself powerful and strong, so he unilaterally divided up the empire and refused to enfeoff Liu Bang as King of Guanzhong, instead demoting him to be king of Hanzhong (the capital was Nanzheng, present-day Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province), which ultimately led to war.

  The historical background of the Qin dynasty's collapse began in 210 BCE, when Emperor Qin Shi Huang died at Shaqiu (present-day Guangzong County, Hebei Province). The eunuch Zhao Gao and others staged a coup, forging an edict to have Crown Prince Fusu and General Meng Tian put to death. They then installed the younger son Hu Hai as the Second Emperor of Qin.

  The Second Emperor was incompetent and indulgent, while Zhao Gao dominated the government, imposing heavy taxes and labor burdens on the people. The empire's situation continued to deteriorate, and after ten years of brutal rule, a massive peasant uprising broke out at the end of the Qin dynasty.

  In July 209 BCE, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang launched the Dazexiang Uprising, establishing the "Zhang Chu" regime, with Chen Sheng proclaiming himself King of Chu. Many heroes responded to their call, and in September, Xiang Liang and his nephew Xiang Yu led a rebellion in Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province), with Xiang Liang styling himself as the "Marquis of Wu'an".

  Liu Bang, a local leader from Pei County (present-day Pei County, Jiangsu Province), also rose up in response and was known as the "Duke of Pei". After Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's uprising failed, Xiang Liang summoned the leaders of various rebel forces to a meeting at Xue County (present-day Tengzhou, Shandong Province) in February 208 BCE. Liu Bang also joined forces with Xiang Liang.

  At that time, Yan, Zhao, Qi, and Wei had already declared independence as kings. Xiang Liang adopted the suggestion of Fan Zeng to enthrone the grandson of the former King of Chu, Xiong Xin, as king, still using the title "King Huai of Chu", with his capital at Xiayi (present-day Xuancheng, Anhui Province).

  In August, the Qin general Zhang Han defeated and killed the rebel leaders Wei Jia and Tian Dan, then led his army north to attack the allied forces of Yan and Zhao. Xiang Liang was killed in battle, and Zhang Han besieged the King of Zhao, Zhao Xie, at Julu (present-day Pingxiang, Hebei Province).

  In October 207 BCE, Liu Bang's forces reached Xianyang (present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi Province), and the last Qin emperor, Ziying, surrendered. According to the agreement between the "盟主" King Huai of Chu and the rebel leaders that whoever entered Guanzhong first would be king, Liu Bang should have been declared King of Guanzhong. However, he heard that Xiang Yu intended to enthrone Zhang Han as King of Yong, so he dispatched troops to guard Hangu Pass (present-day Lingbao, Henan Province) and prevent other rebel leaders from entering.

  Liu Bang also abolished the harsh laws of the Qin dynasty and established a new set of rules, known as the "Three Chapters", which stipulated that those who committed murder would be put to death, while those who injured others or stole property would be punished accordingly. Xiang Yu, however, believed he had made the greatest contribution to the victory and was furious when Liu Bang entered Guanzhong first and seized the fruits of victory.

  In December 207 BCE, Xiang Yu led a massive army of over 400,000 soldiers into Guanzhong, intent on destroying Liu Bang's forces. Liu Bang's army was vastly outnumbered, so he retreated to Baocheng (present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi Province) and tried to win over Xiang Yu's uncle, Xiang Bo, as a mediator.

  Liu Bang then went to the Hongmen Banquet (present-day Lintong District, Shaanxi Province), where he apologized and expressed his sincerity, indicating his willingness to submit. Xiang Yu was moved by Liu Bang's words and spared his life. Several days later, Xiang Yu led his army west into Xianyang, killed the surrendered Qin king Ziying, and burned down the palace.

  At that time, Han Xin advised Xiang Yu: "Guanzhong is a land of plenty, surrounded by mountains and rivers on all sides. It would be an ideal place to establish our capital." However, Xiang Yu replied: "A man who becomes rich and noble but does not return to his hometown is like a brocade worn at night – who will know about it?" (Historical Records - Biography of Xiang Yu). He then had Han Xin killed for his advice and abandoned the strategic location of Guanzhong.

  In the second month of the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), Xiang Yu divided the land and granted titles to 18 vassal kings, restoring feudalism and dividing the land. He also established himself as the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, governing the nine commanderies of Liang, Chu, and the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, with his capital in Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu). Xiang Yu suspected that Liu Bang had ambitions for the empire and was dissatisfied with the agreement, fearing that the vassal kings would rebel against him. He said, "Ba and Shu are also territories within the Pass." (Shiji: Xiang Yu Benji) Therefore, he granted Liu Bang the three commanderies of Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, making him the King of Hanzhong, with his capital in Nanzheng (now Hanzhong, Shaanxi). He also divided the Guanzhong region into three parts, granting Qin's surrendered generals Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi the titles of Yong Wang, Sai Wang, and Di Wang, respectively, collectively known as the "Three Qins". This was an attempt to control Guanzhong through them and confine Liu Bang to the Hanzhong-Ba-Shu region. At the same time, he also granted titles to other vassal kings: Wei Bao as the King of Western Wei, Shen Yang as the King of Henan, Han Cheng as the King of Han, Sima Ang as the King of Yin, Zhao Xie as the King of Dai, Zhang Er as the King of Changshan, Ying Bu as the King of Jiujiang, Wu Rui as the King of Hengshan, Gong Ao as the King of Linjiang, Han Guang as the King of Liaodong, Zang Tu as the King of Yan, Tian Shi as the King of Jiaodong, Tian Du as the King of Qi, and Tian An as the King of Jibei.

  Liu Bang went to Han Liu Bang was changed to be sealed in Hanzhong, and at first he did not want to take the country. He planned to attack Xiang Yu, and Xiao He spoke out: "The Han River is above the sky, and Hanzhong has a strategic location, advancing can be attacked, retreating can be defended, Qin used it to have the world." Liu Bang then adopted Xiao He's suggestion, humbly accepted the title of King of Han, recruited talents to plan for the world, and at the same time determined to use Ba (the county seat is Jiangzhou, now north of Chongqing City, on the north bank of Jialing River), Shu (the county seat is Chengdu, now Sichuan Chengdu), and also fixed three Qin, facing east to contend for the world's strategy. In April, Liu Bang went to Hanzhong (the county seat is Nanzheng, now east of Hanzhong City) to take the country, with 30,000 soldiers sent by Xiang Yu following him. Along the way, he burned and destroyed the plank roads he passed through, preventing the sneak attacks of the vassal states' armies, and also used this to show that he had no intention of going east, in order to numb Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu also demobilized his troops at Pengcheng at the same time.

  In the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), in April, the vassals were dismissed and each returned to their respective countries. The King of Han, Xiang Yu, left the King of Korea, Cheng, in Pengcheng, demoted him to a marquis, and soon killed him. In May, the Prime Minister of Qi, Tian Rong, was dissatisfied with Xiang Yu's division of territory and welcomed back the King of Qi, Tian Du, who had returned to his country. Tian Du fled to Chu, and Xiang Yu killed him. The original King of Qi and the newly appointed King of Jiaodong, Tian Shi, were afraid of Xiang Yu and went to Jiaodong to take up their posts. Tian Rong was furious and pursued and killed him, then declared himself King of Qi. Soon after, he also attacked and killed the King of Jibei, Tian An. In August, the King of Liaodong, Han Guang (formerly the King of Yan), did not want to move to Liaodong and was killed by the King of Yan, Zang Tu, who then incorporated Liaodong into the territory of Yan. At the same time, Xiang Yu changed his appointment of Zheng Chang as the King of Korea. In the same month, Zhao Tuo, the former magistrate of Longchuan (now in Guangdong Province), declared himself King of Nanyue and occupied the region of Lingnan (now most of Guangdong and Guangxi).

  In May of the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), Tian Rong, a nobleman from the state of Qi who was not enfeoffed by Xiang Yu, rose up in rebellion against Chu in the region of Qi (present-day Shandong province) and drove out Xiang Yu's newly appointed King of Qi, Tian Du. He also killed Jiaodong King Tian Shi and declared himself King of Qi. Soon after, he had Peng Yue kill Jibei King Tian An and take control of the three Qis. He also gave Peng Yue a general's seal and ordered him to rebel in the region of Liang (present-day Shandong province), while at the same time lending troops to Chen Yu to help him defeat Changshan King Zhang Er, who then surrendered to Han. Chen Yu welcomed back Zhao King Zhao Xie as king and declared himself King of Dai, appointing Xia Yue as his chancellor to guard Dai, while he himself assisted the King of Zhao, and the region of Zhao was also turned against Chu. As a result, Xiang Yu dispatched troops to attack Qi. Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's distraction and the instability of the three Qin kings to "decide on a strategy to turn eastward and contend for the empire" (Shiji: Gaozu Benji). He ordered Xiao He to collect taxes from Ba and Shu to supply his army, and with Xiao He's strong recommendation, appointed Han Xin as a general, with Cao Can as his vanguard commanding tens of thousands of troops, actively preparing to march east. In August, the Han army used Han Xin's plan of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing Chen Cang" to launch a surprise attack on the Qin army (because it was located near the old road, it got its name from there, and is now in Shaanxi province), and arrived at Chen Cang (present-day Baoji, Shaanxi), attacking the Yong state and besieging Zhang Han's army at Yongdu Feiqiu (present-day Xingping, Shaanxi). At the same time, they divided their troops to attack and capture Longxi (the capital was Didao, present-day Lintao, Gansu), Beidi (the capital was Yiqu, present-day Ningxian, Gansu), and Wangzhi (the capital was Fushi, present-day Yulin, Shaanxi), forcing the surrender of Sai King Sima Xin and Diwang Dong Yi, quickly pacifying the three Qin regions and occupying most of the Guanzhong region. Afterwards, he ordered his general Xue Ou to exit Wuguan (present-day Danfeng, Shaanxi) and march towards Chu territory, but was blocked by the Chu army at Yangxia (present-day Taikang, Henan). The war began because after Xiang Yu's victory in the Battle of Julu, he annihilated over 400,000 Qin troops and considered himself to have achieved the greatest merit, obtaining the position of Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies and commanding the armies of the various lords. At the same time, Liu Bang led his volunteer army into Xianyang, and according to the agreement made by King Huai of Chu "whoever enters Guanzhong first will be king", Liu Bang wanted to declare himself king in Guanzhong. Xiang Yu also led over 400,000 troops from the various lords to march towards Guanzhong. Xiang Yu considered himself to have achieved great merit and was self-assured of his strength, so he took it upon himself to divide up the empire and refused to enfeoff Liu Bang as King of Guanzhong, instead demoting him to be king of Hanzhong (the capital was Nanzheng, present-day Hanzhong, Shaanxi), which ultimately led to war.

  The historical background of this period is mainly related to the Qin dynasty's peasant uprising. In the 37th year of Qin Shi Huang (210 BC), Qin Shi Huang died in Shaqiu (now Hebei Province, China). Zhao Gao and others launched a coup, forged an imperial edict, and had Fusu, the eldest son, and Meng Tian, a great general, killed. They then established Huhai, the youngest son, as the Second Emperor of Qin. The Second Emperor of Qin, Hu Hai, was incompetent and tyrannical, while Zhao Gao monopolized power and misgoverned, increasing taxes and labor, leading to widespread discontent among the people. The empire's situation continued to deteriorate, and ten years of brutal rule eventually triggered a massive peasant uprising at the end of the Qin dynasty. In July 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang launched the Daze Village Uprising, establishing the "Zhang Chu" regime, with Chen Sheng proclaiming himself King of Chu. Many heroes responded to their call. In September, Xiang Yan, a former general of the State of Chu, and his nephew Xiang Yu launched the Huaiyi Uprising, with Xiang Liang declaring himself the Lord of Wu Xin. Liu Bang, the leader of the Sui Water Pavilion, also rose up in Pei County (now Jiangsu Province) and responded to Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's call, proclaiming himself the Duke of Pei. After Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's peasant uprising failed, Xiang Liang summoned the leaders of various rebel armies in Chu to discuss matters in Xue County (now Shandong Province). Liu Bang also led his troops to surrender to Xiang Liang. At that time, Yan, Zhao, Qi, and Wei had already established themselves as kings. Xiang Liang adopted Fan Zeng's suggestion and released Liu Bang. A few days later, Xiang Yu led his army westward to Xianyang, killed the surrendered King of Qin, Ziying, and burned down the palace, with the fire raging for three months. At that time, Han Xin advised Xiang Yu: "The Guanzhong region is surrounded by mountains and rivers on all sides, and the land is fertile and rich. It would be a good place to establish our capital." However, Xiang Yu said: "If I become rich and noble without returning to my hometown, it's like wearing beautiful clothes at night - who will know about it?" (Historical Records: Biography of Xiang Yu). He then killed the advisor and abandoned the excellent choice of establishing his capital in Guanzhong.

  In the second month of the first year of Han (206 BC), Xiang Yu divided the land and granted titles to 18 vassal kings, restoring feudalism and dividing the land. He also established himself as the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, governing the nine commanderies of Liang, Chu, and the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, with his capital in Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu). Xiang Yu suspected that Liu Bang had ambitions for the empire, and he was also afraid of being betrayed by the vassal kings. He said, "Ba and Shu are also part of the Guanzhong region" (Shiji: Xiang Yu Benji), and so he granted Liu Bang the three commanderies of Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, making him the King of Hanzhong, with his capital in Nanzheng (now Hanzhong, Shaanxi). He also divided the Guanzhong region into three parts, granting Qin's surrendered generals Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi the titles of Yong Wang, Sai Wang, and Di Wang respectively, collectively known as the "Three Qins". This was an attempt to control the Guanzhong region through them and confine Liu Bang to the Hanzhong-Ba-Shu region. At the same time, he also granted titles to Wei Bao as the King of Western Wei, Shen Yang as the King of Henan, Han Cheng as the King of Han, Sima Ang as the King of Yin, Zhao Xie as the King of Dai, Zhang Er as the King of Changshan, Ying Bu as the King of Jiujiang, Wu Rui as the King of Hengshan, Gong Ao as the King of Linjiang, Han Guang as the King of Liaodong, Zang Tu as the King of Yan, Tian Shi as the King of Jiaodong, Tian Du as the King of Qi, and Tian An as the King of Jibei.

  Liu Bang went to Han Liu Bang was changed to be sealed in Hanzhong, and at first he did not want to take the country. He planned to attack Xiang Yu, and Xiao He spoke out: "The Han River is above the sky, and Hanzhong has a strategic location, advancing can be attacked, retreating can be defended, Qin used it to have the world." Liu Bang then adopted Xiao He's suggestion, humbly accepted the title of King of Han, recruited talents to plan for the world, and at the same time determined to use Ba (the county seat is Jiangzhou, now north of Chongqing City, on the north bank of Jialing River), Shu (the county seat is Chengdu, now Sichuan Chengdu), and also fixed three Qin, facing east to contend for the world's strategy. In April, Liu Bang went to Hanzhong (the county seat is Nanzheng, now east of Hanzhong City) to take the country, with 30,000 soldiers sent by Xiang Yu following him. Along the way, he burned and destroyed the plank roads he passed through, preventing the sneak attacks of the vassal states' armies, and also used this to show that he had no intention of going east, in order to numb Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu also demobilized his troops at Pengcheng at the same time.

  In the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), in April, the vassals were dismissed and each returned to their respective countries. The King of Han, Xiang Yu, left the King of Korea, Cheng, in Pengcheng, demoted him to a marquis, and soon killed him. In May, the Prime Minister of Qi, Tian Rong, dissatisfied with Xiang Yu's division of territory, welcomed back the King of Qi, Tian Du, who had returned to his country, but Tian Du fled to Chu, where he was killed by Xiang Yu. The original King of Qi and newly appointed King of Jiaodong, Tian Shi, feared Xiang Yu and went to Jiaodong to take up his position, but Tian Rong angrily pursued and killed him, then declared himself the King of Qi, and soon attacked and killed the King of Jibei, Tian An. In August, the King of Liaodong, Han Guang (formerly the King of Yan), was unwilling to move to Liaodong and was killed by the King of Yan, Zang Tu, who incorporated Liaodong into the territory of Yan; at the same time, Xiang Yu reappointed Zheng Chang as the King of Korea. In the same month, Zhao Tuo, the former magistrate of Longchuan (now in Guangdong Province), declared himself the King of Nanyue and occupied the Lingnan region (now most of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces). In the second year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC, the beginning of the Han Dynasty followed the Qin system, with October as the first month), in October, Chen Yu, a general of Zhao, dissatisfied with Xiang Yu's division of territory, joined forces with the King of Qi, Tian Rong, who had already rebelled, and defeated Zhang Er, the King of Changshan, who then surrendered to Han. Chen Yu welcomed back the former King of Dai, Zhao Xie, as the King of Zhao, declared himself the King of Dai, appointed Xia Yue as his prime minister to guard Dai, and stayed behind to assist the King of Zhao. In the same month, Xiang Yu secretly ordered Ying Bu, the King of Jiujiang, to send a general to kill Emperor Yi in Chen County. Meanwhile, in August, the Han army began to attack the three Qins, marking a significant change in the situation among the vassals in the Central Plains. The regions of Lingnan and Minzhong (now most of Fujian Province and parts of Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces), which had not yet been divided, were occupied by Zhao Tuo, the King of Nanyue, and Wu Zhen, the magistrate of Minzhong. Among these eighteen vassals, as well as Nanyue and Minzhong, the King of Nanyue was relatively independent, did not participate in the Chu-Han War, and maintained a neutral stance. The Kings of Hengshan and Linjiang belonged to the Chu camp but never intervened in the war; at the end of the Chu-Han War, the King of Hengshan surrendered to Han. The original King of Minyue and the magistrate of Minzhong, Wu Zhen, had contributed to the destruction of Qin but were not appointed kings by Xiang Yu; later, they also led troops in resistance against Chu. All the other vassals in the Central Plains, as well as those that evolved from them, directly or indirectly, actively or passively participated in the Chu-Han War.

  Here is the translation:

  In May of Han's first year (206 BC), Qi noble Tian Rong, who was not enfeoffed by Xiang Yu, rebelled against Chu in Qi territory (present-day Shandong province) and drove out Xiang Yu's newly appointed Qi King Tian Du. He killed Jiaodong King Tian Shi and declared himself the King of Qi. Soon after, he ordered Peng Yue to kill Jibei King Tian An and unify the three Qis under his rule. He also gave Peng Yue a general's seal and ordered him to rebel in Liang territory while borrowing troops from Chen Yu to help defeat Changshan King Zhang Er, who then surrendered to Han. Chen Yu welcomed Zhao King Zhao Xie back as the King of Zhao and declared himself the King of Dai, appointing Xia Shuo as his chancellor to guard Dai while he assisted the King of Zhao. The land of Zhao was also won over.

  Xiang Yu then sent troops to attack Qi. Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's distraction and the instability of the three Qin kings to "decide on a strategy to turn eastward and contend for the empire" (Shiji, Gaozu Benji). He ordered Xiao He to collect taxes from Ba and Shu to supply his army and, with Xiao He's strong recommendation, appointed Han Xin as a general. With Cao Can as his vanguard, he led tens of thousands of troops in an active deployment eastward.

  In August, the Han army used Han Xin's plan of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing Chen Cang" to sneak out of the old path (which was named after the water nearby and is now located in Fengxian County, Shaanxi province) and arrived at Chen Cang (present-day Baoji, Shaanxi), where they launched a surprise attack on Yong State and besieged Zhang Han's army at Yongdu.

  In August of Han's second year (205 BC), Wei King Bao rebelled against Han in He Dong (the capital of which was Anyi, now Xiaxian County, Shanxi province) and threatened the flank of the Han army. Liu Bang first sent Lü Sheng to persuade him but failed, then ordered Han Xin to lead troops to attack. In September, Han Xin launched a surprise attack on Anyi, captured Wei Bao alive, and destroyed the state of Wei.

  The Battle of Jingxing Main article: Battle of Jingxing, Battle of the Back Water, Han Xin's conquests of Dai, Zhao, Yan and Qi The Battle of Ani After the Battle of Ani, Liu Bang adopted Han Xin's suggestion to "march north to capture Yan and Zhao, east to strike Qi, south to cut off Chu's supply lines, and west to meet with the King of Han at Jingxing" (Hanshu: Biography of Han Xin), and gave Han Xin an additional 30,000 troops. He opened up a new battlefield in the north to eliminate Chu's wings and achieve strategic encirclement of Chu. In the same year, in the ninth month of the intercalary period, Han Xin first defeated the Dai state, capturing its prime minister Xia Yue alive, and the Dai state was destroyed. In October of the third year of the Han dynasty (205 BCE), Han Xin and Zhang Er led the Han army across the Taihang Mountains to fight against Zhao, a wing of Chu, at Jingxing Pass (now southeast of Jingxing, Hebei). Han Xin broke with convention by setting up his formation with his back to the water, and defeated 200,000 Zhao troops. He beheaded the commander-in-chief of the Zhao army, Chen Yu, and captured the King of Zhao, Xie, destroying the Zhao state in one stroke. Subsequently, he adopted the suggestion of Li Zuoche, a surrendered general of Zhao, to take advantage of the momentum to force the surrender of Yan Wang Zangtu without a fight, pacifying the Yan state.

  The Battle of Wei Water Main article: Battle of Wei Water In the fourth year of the Han Dynasty (204 BC), in November, Han Xin again defeated the Chu and Qi coalition forces on the banks of the Wei River (now Shandong Province), and pacified the state of Qi. From this point on, Han Xin advanced more than 2,000 miles eastward, forming a strategic encirclement of the Chu army from both the east and north, directly threatening the rear of the Chu army.

  Earlier Battles The Battle to Stabilize the Three Qins Main article: Battle to Stabilize the Three Qins In May of the first year of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), Tian Rong, a Qi noble who had not been enfeoffed by Xiang Yu, rose up in rebellion against Chu in the Qi region (now most of Shandong Province). He drove out Xiang Yu's newly appointed King of Qi, Tian Du, killed the King of Jibei, Tian Shi, and declared himself King of Qi. Soon after, he had Peng Yue kill the King of Jibei, Tian An, and unite the three Qis under his rule. He also gave Peng Yue a general's seal and ordered him to rebel in the Liang region, while borrowing troops from Chen Yu to help defeat the King of Changshan, Zhang Er. Zhang Er surrendered to Han.

  Chen Yu welcomed Zhao Xie back as King of Zhao and declared himself King of Dai. He appointed Xia Shuo as his chancellor and had him guard Dai, while he himself assisted the King of Zhao. The region of Zhao was also won over. Xiang Yu then sent troops to attack Qi. Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's distraction and the instability of the three Qin kings to "decide on a strategy to advance eastward and contend for the empire" (Shiji, Gaozu Benji). He ordered Xiao He to collect taxes from Ba and Shu to supply the army, and with Xiao He's strong recommendation, appointed Han Xin as a general. Cao Can was made the vanguard commander of several tens of thousands of troops, actively preparing to advance eastward.

  In August, the Han army used Han Xin's plan of "openly repairing the plank road, secretly crossing Chen Cang" (the name comes from the fact that the old road had water on it; now in Shaanxi Province) to launch a surprise attack on the Qin region. They reached Chen Cang (now Baoji, Shaanxi), attacked the Yong state, and besieged Zhang Han's army at the abandoned hill of Yongdu.

  Northern Front The Battle of Anyi Main article: Battle of Anyi In August of the second year of the Han Dynasty (205 BC), Wei Bao, who was stationed in Hedong (now Shanxi Province), rebelled against Han and surrendered to Chu, threatening the flank of the Han army. Liu Bang first sent Lü Sheng to persuade him to surrender, but when that failed, he ordered Han Xin to lead an attack.

  In September, Han Xin launched a surprise attack on Anyi, capturing Wei Bao alive and destroying the state of Wei.

  The Battle of Jingxing Main article: Battle of Jingxing, Battle of the Back Water, Han Xin's conquests of Dai, Zhao, Yan and Qi The Battle of Anixi After the Battle of Anixi, Liu Bang adopted Han Xin's suggestion to "march north to capture Yan and Zhao, east to strike Qi, south to cut off Chu's supply lines, and west to meet with the King of Han at Jingxing" (Hanshu: Biography of Han Xin), and gave Han Xin an additional 30,000 troops. He opened up a new battlefield in the north to eliminate Chu's wings and achieve strategic encirclement against Chu. In the same year, in the ninth month of the intercalary period, Han Xin first defeated the Dai state, capturing its prime minister Xia Yue alive, and the Dai state was destroyed. In October of the third year of the Han dynasty (205 BCE, during the early Han period, which followed the Qin system where the tenth month marked the beginning of the year), Han Xin and Zhang Er led the Han army across the Taihang Mountains to fight against Zhao, a wing of Chu, at the mouth of the Jingxing River (now southeast of Jingxing, Hebei). Han Xin broke with convention by setting up his formation with his back to the water, and defeated 200,000 Zhao troops. He beheaded the commander-in-chief of the Zhao army, Chen Yu, and captured the King of Zhao, Xie, destroying the Zhao state in one move. Subsequently, he adopted the suggestion of Li Zuoche, a surrendered general from Zhao, to take advantage of the momentum to force the surrender of Yan Wang Zangtu without a fight, pacifying the Yan state.

  The main article is: Battle of Wei River In the eleventh month of the fourth year of Han (204 BC, the beginning of the Han dynasty followed the Qin system, with October as the first month), Xiang Yu again defeated the combined forces of Chu and Qi at the banks of the Wei River (now Weihui, Shandong) and pacified the state of Qi. From this point on, Xiang Yu advanced over 2,000 li to the east, forming a strategic encirclement of the Chu army from both the eastern and northern sides, directly threatening the great rear base of Chu.

  Here is the translation:

  In May of Han's first year (206 BC), Qi noble Tian Rong, who was not enfeoffed by Xiang Yu, rebelled against Chu in Qi territory (present-day Shandong province) and drove out Xiang Yu's newly appointed Qi King Tian Du. He killed Jiaodong King Tian Shi and declared himself the King of Qi. Soon after, he ordered Peng Yue to kill Jibei King Tian An and unify the three Qis under his rule. He also gave Peng Yue a general's seal and ordered him to rebel in Liang territory while borrowing troops from Chen Yu to help defeat Changshan King Zhang Er, who then surrendered to Han. Chen Yu welcomed Zhao King Zhao Xie back as the King of Zhao and declared himself the King of Dai, appointing Xia Shuo as his chancellor to guard Dai while he assisted the King of Zhao. The land of Zhao was also won over.

  Xiang Yu then sent troops to attack Qi. Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's distraction and the instability of the three Qin kings to "decide on a strategy to turn eastward and contend for the empire" (Shiji, Gaozu Benji). He ordered Xiao He to collect taxes from Ba and Shu to supply the army and, with Xiao He's strong recommendation, appointed Han Xin as a general. With Cao Can as his vanguard, he led tens of thousands of troops in an active deployment eastward.

  In August, the Han army used Han Xin's plan of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing Chen Cang" to sneak out of the old path (which was named after the water nearby and is now located in Feng County, Shaanxi province) and arrived at Chen Cang (present-day Baoji, Shaanxi), where they launched a surprise attack on Yong State and besieged Zhang Han's army at Yongdu Feiqiu.

  In August of Han's second year (205 BC), Wei King Piao rebelled against Han in He Dong (the capital of which was Anyi, now Xia County, Shanxi province) and threatened the flank of the Han army. Liu Bang first sent Lü Sheng to persuade him but failed, then ordered Han Xin to lead troops to attack. In September, Han Xin launched a surprise attack on Anyi, captured Wei Piao alive, and destroyed the state of Wei.

  The main article is: Battle of Jingxing, Back to the Water War, Han Xin's conquest of Dai, Zhao, Yan and Qi. After the Battle of An Yi, Liu Bang adopted Han Xin's suggestion "to raise the banner in the north, attack Qi in the east, cut off the grain road from Chu in the south, and meet with the Great King at Jingxing" (Hanshu·Hanxinzhuan), and gave Han Xin an additional 30,000 troops to open up the northern battlefield, eliminating the wings of Chu and achieving a strategic encirclement of Chu. In the same year, in the ninth month of the intercalary period, Han Xin first conquered the Dai State, capturing the Prime Minister Xia Shuo, and the Dai State perished. In October of the third year of the Han Dynasty (205 BCE, the beginning of the Han Dynasty followed the Qin system, with the tenth month as the start of the year), Han Xin and Zhang Er led the Han army across the Taihang Mountains and fought against the Zhao State, a wing of Chu, at Jingxingkou (now southeast of Jingxing, Hebei). Han Xin broke the convention and set up an array with his back to the water, defeating 200,000 Zhao troops, killing the main commander of the Zhao army, Chen Yu, and capturing the King of Zhao, Xie. With one battle, he destroyed the Zhao State. Then, adopting the suggestion of Li Zuiche, a surrendered general of the Zhao State, he took advantage of the situation to force the surrender of Yan Wang Zangtu without a fight, pacifying the Yan State.

  The Battle of Wei Water Main article: Battle of Wei Water In the eleventh month of 204 BC, Han Xin again defeated the combined forces of Chu and Qi at the banks of the Wei River (now Weihui, Shandong), pacifying the state of Qi. By this time, Han Xin had advanced over 2,000 li to the east, forming a strategic encirclement of the Chu army from both the eastern and northern sides, directly threatening the rear of the Chu forces.

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