Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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The Noose Tightens at Gaixia By winter of 203 BCE, Liu Bang had finally united his coalition. Han Xin, Peng Yue, and Ying Bu – now fully committed with promised lands – joined forces with the main Han army. Together, they pursued Xiang Yu relentlessly, capturing Pengcheng and cutting off his retreat.
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The Eastern Campaign and the Fall of Pengcheng In the spring of 205 BCE, Xiang Yu (the “Hegemon-King”) led his main army east to crush Tian Rong, King of Qi. After repeated defeats, Tian Rong fled to Pingyuan, where he brutally extorted grain from locals. Enraged, the people rose up and killed him.
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Forging an Army, Crafting a Plan After his dramatic appointment as Grand General, Han Xin swiftly transformed Liu Bang’s ragged forces into a disciplined army. Through rigorous drills, clear commands, and fair discipline, he earned the loyalty even of skeptical veterans like Fan Kuai and Zhou Bo. Working closely with Liu Bang and Xiao…
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A Boy of Promise, a Youth of Shame In the riverside town of Huaiyin (modern Huai’an, Jiangsu), a young man named Han Xin struggled to survive. Orphaned and penniless, he spent his days fishing by the river – selling what he caught for meager meals, often going hungry. One day, an old woman washing…
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The Execution of Ziying and the Sack of Xianyang Days after the Hongmen Banquet, Xiang Yu marched into Xianyang city at the head of a coalition of feudal lords, with Liu Bang following cautiously behind. The first order of business was the fate of Ziying, the last ruler of Qin, who had reigned for…
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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…
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The Last Days of Qin As rebel armies closed in on Xianyang, panic gripped the Qin court. Emperor Er Shi (The Second Emperor of Qin), trembling with fear, ordered Zhao Gao to mobilize troops – but Zhao Gao had other plans. Fearing that defeat would expose his treachery, he assassinated Er Shi and sought…
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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…
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Liu Bang (256 or 247 BCE – 195 BCE), posthumously known as Emperor Gaozu of Han, was the founder of the Western Han dynasty and reigned from 202 to 195 BCE. His courtesy name was Ji, and he was from Pei County (in present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu). He initially served as a minor local official…