mercy vs. strategy

  • The Hongmen Banquet [Western Han]

    A Looming Threat in the West After Liu Bang’s swift capture of Guanzhong and his merciful governance under the “Three Simple Laws,” Xiang Yu – camped with 400,000 troops at Hongmen, just 40li from Bashang – grew suspicious. His chief strategist, Fan Zeng, warned him:“Liu Bang once loved wealth and women. Now he refuses…