The Race to the Qin Heartland
After the death of Xiang Liang, King Huai II of Chu faced a critical decision. With the Qin dynasty still formidable – and the rebel cause reeling from recent defeats – he sought to strike at its core. Gathering his generals, he declared:”Whoever first enters Guanzhong (the Qin heartland around Xianyang) shall be made King of Guanzhong.”
Xiang Yu, burning with vengeance for his slain uncle, immediately volunteered:”My uncle was killed by the Qin – I must repay this debt in blood!”
Liu Bang also stepped forward:”I, too, am willing to go.”
But King Huai and his advisors distrusted Xiang Yu’s ferocity. “He is too brutal – every city he takes runs red with blood,” they warned. “Liu Bang is older, wiser, and kinder to the people.” Just then, a desperate envoy from Zhao arrived, weeping:”General Zhang Han has besieged Julu with 300,000 men! Neighboring states fear him and dare not fight. Only Chu can save us!”
Moved – and seeing strategic opportunity – King Huai assigned Xiang Yu to relieve Julu in the north, while Liu Bang would march west toward Xianyang.
The Stalemate at Anyang
In 207 BCE, the Chu relief force – 200,000 strong – set out under Song Yi, whom the king had appointed “Shang Jiangjun” (Supreme General) with the honorary title”Qingzi Guanjun” (“Champion of the Nobles”). Xiang Yu was made his deputy; Fan Zeng served as junior general.
But upon reaching Anyang (in Henan), Song Yi halted. For 46 days, he refused to advance, claiming it was wiser to let Qin and Zhao exhaust each other. “When both are weakened,” he told Xiang Yu smugly, “we strike the weary victor. You may wield a sword better than I – but strategy? That’s my domain.”
While Song Yi feasted in his tent, winter rains soaked the camp. Soldiers froze and starved. Xiang Yu pleaded:”If Qin crushes Zhao, it grows stronger – not weaker! This delay betrays the king’s trust and our cause!”
Song Yi snapped back:”Dare you defy my command?”
Enraged, Xiang Yu drew his sword and beheaded Song Yi on the spot. He announced to the army:”Song Yi betrayed the king’s orders. By secret decree, I have executed him.” The troops – long resentful of Song Yi’s inaction – cheered:”The Xiang family restored Chu! Now you must lead us!” King Huai, with no choice, confirmed Xiang Yu as Supreme General.
Breaking Pots, Sinking Boats
Xiang Yu moved swiftly. He sent Ying Bu and Pu Jiangjun across the Zhang River with 20,000 men. They routed Qin outposts led by Sima Xin and Dong Yi. Once the bridgehead was secure, Xiang Yu ordered the entire army to cross.
Then came his legendary command:
“Smash the cooking pots! Sink the boats! Carry only three days’ rations. We either win – or die here.”
This act – “po fu chen zhou” – became immortal: no retreat, only victory or death.
The Battle of Julu: Nine Victories in Three Days
The Qin commander Wang Li, besieging Julu, laughed at the sight of Chu troops encamped riverside with no escape route.”Fools! They’ll drown in their own panic!” He left Su Jiao and She Jian to maintain the siege and marched out to meet Xiang Yu.
But the Chu soldiers – fueled by desperation and fury – fought like demons. Xiang Yu, astride his black steed Wuzhui, charged with terrifying speed. His halberd cut through ranks; his men fought ten-to-one. Wang Li’s army collapsed within hours.
Zhang Han, hearing of the disaster, devised a trap: nine layered ambush lines, meant to lure and encircle the Chu. But when Xiang Yu smashed through the first line, the Qin troops didn’t feign retreat – they panicked in earnest, trampling their own reserves. The entire formation unraveled.
For three days, Xiang Yu’s forces won nine consecutive battles. Wang Li was captured mid-flight; Su Jiao died in the chaos; She Jian, seeing total defeat, set fire to his camp and burned himself alive. Half the Qin army – over 100,000 men – was annihilated.
The Submission of the Warlords
Throughout the battle, dozens of allied warlords – sent to aid Zhao – watched from their fortified camps, too terrified to join. Only when Xiang Yu summoned them did they emerge, trembling.
Entering his tent, they kowtowed so deeply they dared not sit. One finally stammered:”Your might surpasses all in history! We pledge our armies to your command!”
Thus, Xiang Yu was proclaimed “Commander-in-Chief of All Allied Armies.”
Zhang Han’s Surrender and Zhao Gao’s Treachery
Though Zhang Han still commanded 200,000 men, Fan Zeng advised caution:”Let Qin’s court devour itself. Zhao Gao will turn on Zhang Han after this defeat.”
Indeed, when Zhang Han requested reinforcements, Zhao Gao accused him of incompetence. Fearing execution, Zhang Han’s officers urged surrender. He sent Sima Xin to negotiate. Xiang Yu, heeding Fan Zeng, accepted. He spared Zhang Han, naming him King of Yong, and placed Sima Xin and Dong Yi in command of the surrendered Qin troops – who now marched ahead of the rebel army toward Xianyang.
Back in the capital, panic spread – except in Zhao Gao’s mind. He planned to blame Emperor Er Shi for the defeat, kill him, and offer Qin’s surrender to Xiang Yu in exchange for kingship.
To test loyalty, he staged his infamous “deer-as-horse” spectacle: presenting a stag to court and declaring,”Behold – a fine horse for the emperor!”
When Er Shi protested, Zhao Gao demanded the ministers decide. Those who said “deer” were soon executed or imprisoned. Fear silenced the court. Even the emperor trembled before his own chancellor.
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