In 205 BC, the Battle of the Chasm was in full swing. Just when Liu Bang and Xiang Yu were confronting, a cold arrow suddenly broke through the air and pointed directly at Liu Bang's heart. This arrow was supposed to take Liu Bang's life, but it accidentally achieved a story for the ages. Why was Liu Bang able to escape death? How did this bizarre arrow affect the rules of chess in later generations? Was the duel between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang already destined the future direction of history? Let us walk into this confusing past and explore the mysteries.
Chu and Han competed, and the rise of heroes in troubled times
In 207 BC, the rule of the Qin Dynasty was already in turmoil. The prophecy of the death of Qin Shi Huang and the death of the second emperor is becoming a reality step by step. Qin II Hu Hai was young, and the state affairs fell into the hands of the eunuch Zhao Gao. Zhao Gao was arbitrary, brutal and unreasonable, arousing public anger and resistance. Various places have risen one after another, and the most powerful of them is the rebel army led by Xiang Liang and Liu Bang.
Xiang Liang was originally a descendant of the nobles of the Chu State, with a family history and excellent martial arts. He was invincible in the field of swords, and soon gathered a group of loyal subordinates, including his nephew Xiang Yu. Liu Bang was born in a commoner, once served as a pavilion chief and a county lieutenant, although his background was not as prominent as Xiang Liang, but he was benevolent, good at employing people, and his subordinates were loyal to him. After Liu Bang raised his troops, he soon gathered a group of elite troops.
In 207 BC, the armies of Xiang Liang and Liu Bang met at Julu (southwest of present-day Pingxiang, Hebei). Xiang Liang wanted to establish King Chu Huai as king, and Liu Bang supported Liu Yi, the king of Han. The two have their own ghosts, and it is difficult to reach an agreement. Xiang Liang had a strong temperament and a strong fighting faction, while Liu Bang was better at weighing the pros and cons and advocated uniting to overthrow the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty first. The contradiction between the two was thus foreshadowed.
At this moment, the Qin general Zhang Han led a large army to press the border, and Xiang Liang and Liu Bang had to put aside their prejudices and join forces to meet the enemy. In the battle of the giant deer, Xiang Yu won the first battle and killed the Qin general Wang Li, and became famous for a while. And Liu Bang was nervous because of his subordinates, causing the soldiers to disperse and almost die. After this battle, Xiang Liang was even more dissatisfied with Liu Bang, and Liu Bang also secretly hated Xiang Yu's complacency.
Soon, Xiang Liang and Zhang Han fought a decisive battle under Julu City, and unfortunately were killed by an arrow. Before dying, Xiang Liang handed over the military power to Xiang Yu and asked him to avenge himself. After Xiang Yu took over the military power, he was murderous and vowed to avenge his uncle. He fought bravely to kill the enemy and was invincible, and even Liu Bang sighed to himself.
In 206 BC, Xiang Yu finally annihilated Zhang Han's army in one fell swoop, invaded Xianyang, and captured Prince Ying of Qin. At this point, the Qin Dynasty fell, and the world was divided into three. Xiang Yu was arrogant, proclaimed himself the overlord of Western Chu, gave the land of Guanzhong to Emperor Yi, and only named Liu Bang as the king of Han, and ordered him to guard the land of Bashu.
Liu Bang was unwilling to do this, he secretly contacted the princes, waiting for an opportunity to launch an attack, and his ambition to dominate the world was clearly revealed. And Xiang Yu is by no means an idle person, he is ambitious and vows to achieve hegemony. The battle between the two has entered a white-hot stage.
From this history, it can be seen that Xiang Yu and Liu Bang can be described as strange in troubled times. They are equipped with unique skills and courage, and they are destined to make waves in the torrent of the times. They have very different personalities and are destined to follow two different paths. Liu Bang is good at taoguang and obscurity, judging the situation, while Xiang Yu is rigid and self-serving, and does not know how to be flexible. The battle between the two is not only a contest of strength, but also a collision of personalities, and a confrontation of two different concepts.
The curtain of the struggle between Chu and Han has been opened, and Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, these two heroes in troubled times, will finally compete on the stage of history. Their duel is not only about the rise and fall of personal honor and disgrace, but also will determine the trend of this era. In this game of thrones, who will die depends on their respective strategies and luck.
The chasm is confronted, and Xiang Yu plots against Liu Bang
In 205 BC, the Chu-Han War entered a white-hot stage. Liu Bang and Xiang Yu's armies met near the chasm (present-day Huainan, Anhui), and the two armies faced each other across the ditch, and the sabre rattling was tense.
The Battle of the Chasm was an important turning point in the Chu-Han War. Previously, Liu Bang encountered Xiang Yu in Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu) and was defeated due to being outnumbered. Xiang Yu took advantage of the victory to pursue, attacking the city all the way, and the momentum was like a bamboo. Liu Bang retreated to Xingyang (now Zhengzhou, Henan) in an attempt to wait for work and recuperate.
At this moment, Liu Bang's advisor Zhang Liang offered a plan and suggested that Liu Bang transfer his army to the chasm in order to approach Xiang Yu's base camp. Liu Bang adopted this suggestion and led his army to the chasm, facing Xiang Yu's army across the ditch.
On both sides of the chasm, the flag covers the sun, and the sword shines. Xiang Yu's army was outnumbered and morale was at its peak, while Liu Bang's army was slightly tired. But Liu Bang was not discouraged by this, he responded calmly and waited for the battle.
Just when the two armies were facing each other, Xiang Yu suddenly came up with a plan, he ordered his subordinates to pretend to surrender, but in fact they were spying on the military situation. When the baby came to Liu Bang's army, Liu Bang did not notice it, but gave him warm hospitality. Guan Ying took the opportunity to explore the reality of Liu Bang's army, and returned to Xiang Yu's army to resume his life.
Xiang Yu learned that Liu Bangjun was disheartened and demoralized, so he decided to take a sneak attack. He selected a group of elite soldiers, took advantage of the cover of night, secretly crossed the chasm, and went straight to Liu Bang's camp.
Liu Bang never expected that Xiang Yu would make such a trick. He was still in the tent discussing the military situation with the generals, and suddenly the sound of killing sounded outside the tent. Liu Bang was shocked and hurriedly put on the battle, but saw that Xiang Yu's soldiers had already killed him.
For a time, Liu Bang's army was in chaos, and the soldiers fled in a hurry. At this moment, a cold arrow flew from the shadows and pointed directly at Liu Bang's heart. In a hurry, Liu Bang flashed sideways, and the arrow flew over his shoulder, sinking into the ground behind him.
Although Liu Bang dodged this arrow, he also realized the urgency of the situation. He hurriedly called out to his subordinates and resisted desperately. After a fierce battle, Xiang Yu's sneak attack troops were finally repulsed, and Liu Bang was able to breathe.
Afterwards, Liu Bang learned that this cold arrow was sent by Xiang Yu himself. Xiang Yu has always been brave and good at fighting, and his archery skills are also outstanding. He was bent on getting rid of Liu Bang in order to prevent future troubles. If Liu Bang hadn't dodged in time, this arrow would have been enough to kill him.
In the battle of the chasm, although Xiang Yu failed to succeed, he also severely damaged Liu Bang's army. Liu Bang had to temporarily retreat and reorganize the morale of the army. And Xiang Yu was also quite resentful because of the failure of this sneak attack.
It can be seen from this incident that although Xiang Yu is brave, he is also scheming and ruthless. He does not hesitate to use despicable means, but also to get rid of the thorn in the side of his heart. And although Liu Bang almost died, he was also a blessing in disguise, and he saw Xiang Yu's personality clearly, and became more vigilant.
The First Battle of the Chasm seems to be just a small episode in the Chu-Han War, but it actually has a far-reaching impact. It made Liu Bang realize that in order to defeat Xiang Yu, courage alone is not enough, but also resourcefulness and strategy. It was also from this time that Liu Bang began to change his tactics and adopted the policy of waiting for work at ease and avoiding his edge.
And this bizarre cold arrow has also become the source of the rule of "generals do not meet" in chess in the future. People incorporate this allusion into the chess game to commemorate this period of history. Whenever the "generals" look at each other across the river, we seem to be able to see that night thousands of years ago, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang confronted and competed on both sides of the chasm.
Liu Bangzhi fights Xiang Yu, and Taoguang is obscure
In the first battle of the chasm, although Liu Bang escaped by luck, he also saw Xiang Yu's ruthlessness and scheming. He realized that in order to defeat this formidable enemy, it was not enough to be brave, but also to be resourceful and strategic.
Liu Bang judged the situation and decided to take a defensive position and wait for work. He ordered his troops to strengthen the defense of Zhou Bo and Chen Ping, strictly defend the city, and not confront Xiang Yu head-on. At the same time, he sent people to secretly contact the princes of Qi and Zhao to win their support.
Xiang Yu saw that Liu Bang was closed, and he was a little anxious. He led his army to besiege Xingyang in an attempt to force Liu Bang to submit. But Liu Bang couldn't hold on, and Xiang Yu was helpless.
At this moment, reinforcements from Qi and Zhao arrived one after another to join Liu Bang's army. Xiang Yu suffered from the enemy on his back and had to withdraw his troops. Liu Bang took advantage of the situation to pursue and recaptured a large area of lost territory in one fell swoop.
Although Liu Bang has achieved some victories, he is not complacent. He knew very well that Xiang Yu was still a formidable opponent, and the slightest mistake might lead to the loss of his previous achievements.
As a result, Liu Bang continued to take a defensive position to avoid a head-to-head confrontation with Xiang Yu. He ordered his generals Guan Ying, Cao Shen and others to lead the army to defend Guanzhong, and he himself led the army north to attack Qi State, Zhao State and other places to disperse Xiang Yu's forces.
Xiang Yu saw Liu Bang going north, and also led the army to pursue. However, Liu Bang adopted guerrilla tactics to avoid his edge, and Xiang Yu was unable to succeed for a while.
At this moment, Chen Ping, another of Liu Bang's advisors, suggested that Liu Bang send people to spread rumors that Xiang Yu was going to attack Qi and Zhao in order to drive a wedge between Xiang Yu and the princes. Liu Bang adopted this suggestion and sent people to various countries to spread rumors.
Sure enough, Qi State, Zhao State and other countries were a little flustered when they heard that Xiang Yu was going to attack them. They began to contact Liu Bang and expressed their willingness to support the Han army.
Xiang Yu was furious when he heard the news, and he realized that he had fallen for Liu Bang's tricks. But it was too late, the princes had already defected, and Xiang Yu was in a difficult situation.
Liu Bang took advantage of the situation to launch a general attack, and Xiang Yu retreated. In the end, Xiang Yu was trapped in Qixia (now southeast of Lingbi, Anhui) and was defeated.
Although Liu Bang was victorious, he did not take advantage of the situation to pursue. He knew that although Xiang Yu failed, there was still a possibility of recovery. If it is not completely eradicated, the future troubles are endless.
So, Liu Bang took a surprise move. He sent a letter in which he said that he admired Xiang Yu's bravery and hoped to make peace with him. After Xiang Yu saw the letter, he was overjoyed, thinking that Liu Bang really wanted to negotiate peace.
Just when Xiang Yu relaxed his vigilance, Liu Bang suddenly launched an attack and annihilated the remnants of Xiang Yu in one fell swoop. Xiang Yu saw that the general trend had gone, and he killed himself by the Wujiang River, and since then he has disappeared in the long river of history.
Liu Bang finally achieved the final victory and established the Western Han Dynasty. The reason why he was able to defeat the strong enemy Xiang Yu was not only his bravery, but more importantly, he was good at judging the situation and maintaining his obscurity.
In the confrontation with Xiang Yu, Liu Bang was not in a hurry to achieve a momentary success, but took a defensive position and waited for work. He avoided its edge and waited for the opportunity to move, and finally forced Xiang Yu to suffer the enemy on his back and go to defeat.
At the same time, Liu Bang was also good at using tactics to drive a wedge between Xiang Yu and the princes and disintegrate their alliances. These tactics are all valuable experiences summed up by Liu Bang in the course of the long-term struggle.
From Liu Bang's experience, we can see that in the contest with a strong enemy, sometimes the defensive position is more important than the offensive position. Taoguang is obscure, waiting for opportunities, and can often win by surprise.
At the same time, Liu Bang's story also tells us that in the struggle, in addition to bravery, strategy and wisdom are also indispensable. Only by integrating these qualities can we be invincible.
Liu Bang eventually defeated Xiang Yu and established a powerful dynasty. His success is due to both bravery and resourcefulness. These valuable experiences are worthy of learning and reference for future generations.
The endgame of the Chu-Han dispute
In 202 BC, the Chu-Han War entered its final phase. After four years of fierce fighting, both sides are at the end of their crossbows. But Xiang Yu still refused to give up, he gathered the remnants and fought Liu Bang to the death in Qixia (now southeast of Lingbi, Anhui).
The Battle of Qixia was the last battle of the Chu-Han War. Liu Bang personally led the army and confronted Xiang Yu's army across the river. Both sides know that this battle will determine the ownership of the world.
Before the war, Liu Bang's adviser Chen Ping offered a plan and suggested that Liu Bang adopt the strategy of "ambush on all sides", laying heavy troops around Xiang Yu's army and waiting for an opportunity. Liu Bang adopted this suggestion and ordered his troops to lead the army to ambush Guan Ying, Cao Shen and others, and he himself led the army to meet the battle head-on.
Xiang Yu saw Liu Bang set up a position, and also led the army to meet the battle. The two sides launched a fierce battle under the wall. Although Xiang Yu was extremely brave, he was outnumbered and gradually at a disadvantage.
At this moment, Liu Bang's ambush troops suddenly attacked, and Xiang Yu was attacked by the enemy on his back and immediately fell into a heavy siege. Xiang Yu fought hard to kill the enemy, but the enemy was too numerous, and his army soon collapsed.
Xiang Yu saw that the general trend had gone and decided to break through. He led the remnants of his army to break through to the east, attempting to cross the Wujiang River and flee to Jiangdong. But Liu Bang had already anticipated Xiang Yu's attempt, and ordered Peng Yue to lead the army to intercept the Wujiang crossing.
Xiang Yu came to the Wujiang River and found that the ferry had been occupied by the Han army and could not cross the river. He said in despair, "Heaven will kill me!" Then he drew his sword and killed himself, and since then he has disappeared into the long river of history.
Xiang Yu's death marked the end of the Chu-Han War. Liu Bang finally ruled the world and established the Western Han Dynasty. He became the ancestor of Han Gaozu and ushered in an era of prosperity.
The dispute between Chu and Han was an important turning point in Chinese history. Its outcome determined the course of history for hundreds of years to come.
On the surface, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu because he had more troops and resources. But in fact, Liu Bang's victory was more due to his strategy and wisdom.
In the confrontation with Xiang Yu, Liu Bang was not in a hurry to achieve a momentary success, but took a defensive position and waited for work. He avoided its edge and waited for the opportunity to move, and finally forced Xiang Yu to suffer the enemy on his back and go to defeat.
At the same time, Liu Bang was also good at using tactics to drive a wedge between Xiang Yu and the princes and disintegrate their alliances. These tactics are all valuable experiences summed up by Liu Bang in the course of the long-term struggle.
In contrast, although Xiang Yu was brave, he lacked sufficient strategy and wisdom. He has a strong temperament, is not good at scheming, and tends to act impulsively. These weaknesses ultimately led to his failure.
Xiang Yu's tragedy also stems from his character to a certain extent. He is proud and conceited, has no one in his eyes, and refuses to accept the opinions of others. Even when defeat was assured, he refused to back down, preferring to fight to the death.
This character, while admirable, is often a fatal heel in political struggles. It caused Xiang Yu to lose many mistakes that could have been avoided, and eventually went to perdition.
end
Liu Bang and Xiang Yu are two people with different personalities. Liu Bang is calm and wise, and is good at weighing the pros and cons, while Xiang Yu is brave and strong, but lacks strategy. In the end, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and established a powerful dynasty. From the outcome of the Chu-Han dispute, we can see that in political struggles, bravery is important, but strategy and wisdom are even more indispensable. Only by integrating these qualities can we be invincible. At the same time, we must also be wary of Xiang Yu's character weaknesses. Pride and conceit, with no one in sight, often leads to failure. Only by being humble and cautious and being good at listening to the opinions of others can we avoid making fatal mistakes. The dispute between Chu and Han is a magnificent history. Its ending is both a historical inevitability and a personal accident. But in any case, it has left valuable experiences and lessons for future generations, which are worthy of lifelong learning and reflection.