Preface
Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, is a hero of the powerful generation. However, what interests did his ingenious idea of dividing the princes serve? This seemingly clever strategy eventually led the overlord of Western Chu to the point of no return. Today, let's delve into the historical background of Xiang Yu's strategy and intertwined interests, revealing how he achieved a brief victory in the midst of power and conspiracy, but ultimately led to the tragic fate of the overlord of Western Chu.
It's a story of intrigue, triumph and defeat, how a hero's clever strategy can end up being a regrettable moment of its own demise. Follow us through time, feel the heroic Warring States Era, and decipher the legend of the overlord of Western Chu.
1. The Great Unified Empire has collapsed, who will rebuild the order of the world?
In 206 BC, the Qin Dynasty quickly collapsed after a brief period of unification, and the powerful county system collapsed. Qin II died tragically, and the clan was almost extinct except for a few survivors. This raises a serious question for Xiang Yu and the other rebel leaders - the collapse of order has quickly plunged the world into chaos, who will re-establish order and re-establish a stable regime?
Xiang Yu was the leader of the rebel army, he broke Zhang Han in Dingtao, killed 200,000 Qin troops in Xin'an, and completely ended the rule of the Qin Dynasty. Now he led the Western Chu army into Xianyang, killed the prince of Qin, and wrote the last pen for Qin II. There is no one in the world to compare.
However, Xiang Yu had a violent personality, and after he entered the Guanzhong, he indulged in the slaughter of his soldiers, and at the same time could not fully unite the forces of the various rebels. Liu Bang and Zhang Chu returned south one after another, and Chen Sheng and others could hardly sincerely obey Xiang Yu's rule. Xiang Yu must weigh it carefully. He could not sit on a large army and stay in Guanzhong for a long time, which would inevitably cause greater resentment, and he would not be able to exterminate Liu Bang and other meritorious people, which would inevitably lead to internal strife.
In this case, Xiang Yu finally made a choice - he decided to give up the pursuit of Liu Bang and set up another righteous emperor (Xiong Xin) in Pengcheng, and himself as the overlord of Western Chu, coexisting with other vassal states. This is what later generations called the "system under the play".
Second, the capital of Pengcheng was fixed, and the balance of power policy stabilized the strength of Western Chu
Why did you choose Pengcheng instead of Guanzhong as the capital? Xiang Yu's decision has been criticized by historians. However, after thinking about it, we will find that Peng Cheng's choice is not completely unreasonable.
First of all, Pengcheng had already been occupied by Xiang's army; secondly, it was adjacent to the eastern and western Chu regions, which could integrate the forces of Chu; secondly, Pengcheng had a developed economy, convenient grain transportation, and logistical guarantees. Last but not least, Pengcheng was bordered by Sanqin to the west, which was conducive to controlling Liu Bang, and the rebel army of Chu was dominated by Chu people, and Dupengcheng also had the advantage of appeasing homesickness.
After Xiang Yu was in Pengcheng, he also formulated a set of balance of power policies, allowing the vassal states to check and balance each other and ensure that the strength of the Western Chu State was maximized. He adopted the method of dividing his homeland, which greatly weakened the momentum of the Seven Heroes; he made the three Chu in the south contain each other, making it difficult for them to go north; he set up three Qins to control Liu Bang, and he divided them into three Qi to control the Qi state......
This ingenious balance of power strategy made Xiang Yu a veritable lord of the princes, and the Western Chu State was always at an advantage. However, the wheels of history do not stand still forever. The loopholes in Xiang Yu's policies also caused violent turmoil in the future.
Third, there are mistakes in the establishment, and internal and external troubles are brewing turmoil
Although Xiang Yu has made great efforts to build a "system under the play", it is still difficult to hide the various flaws of the system itself. This laid a hidden danger for the future dispute between Qi and Chu.
First, the balance of power policy only benefits Xichu. The princes surrendered on the surface, but they inevitably complained behind their backs. Second, the division was not based on military merits, and Liu Bang and other important princes had to be in remote and small counties, which had hidden dangers. Third, there is a leakage - Chen Yu has no prince, Tian Rong has no position, and the army of Peng Yue Wangling has no belonging. All of this is a matter of variables.
On the other hand, external threats are also becoming more and more severe. The Xiongnu in the north rose up and invaded Yan and Zhao several times; the Linjiang State in the southeast was ready to move; and the Sanqin in the west could not guarantee that nothing was out of line. There are all kinds of indications that peace has not been maintained for a long time, and chaos is brewing.
At the beginning, Xiang Yu asked Liu Bang to guard Shu Han, and his purpose seemed to be to contain the southwestern princes and prevent them from invading eastward. However, this move may have fulfilled the Han state. Because the corner of Bashu is far away from the Central Plains, Liu Bang can have enough time to reap the harvest - train soldiers, reserve grain and grass, and unite with Shandong heroes to wait for him to pass the Central Plains at sunrise.
Fourth, the historical significance of the "system under the drama" is in the transformation
Although the "drama system" will inevitably fall in the end, it has existed after all and has played an important role in China's historical transformation. In a sense, this system was a product of China's transition from the Qin to the Han dynasty. It divided the kingdom on the basis of the county system, which laid the foundation for the formation of the parallel system of counties and states in the future. It also reflects China's historical inertia from great unification to division.
In addition, the "drama system" also created a precedent for dividing the feudal system according to military merit. This greatly inspired the future division of the Han Dynasty, and also achieved Liu Bang's final road to becoming emperor.
epilogue
The "system under the play" is like a revelation stone in the long river of history, on which we can see the overall trend of China's reunification to division, and then from division to reunification.
It is a flash in the pan, and it is fleeting after blooming. But in the long scroll of China's thousands of years, it has indeed left a distinct mark, becoming a microcosm of that turbulent era. Perhaps it is precisely because of its transience and fragility that we should continue to examine and explore again and again, and gain wisdom from its historical significance.