Chapter 27 Chapter 2 Hongmen Sword Banquet

So Xiang Bo got up and said: "It's boring to dance sword alone, let me accompany you for a while!" Then he drew his sword to cooperate with Xiang Zhuang's sword dance performance, but deliberately blocked Liu Bang with his body, so that Xiang Zhuang had no chance to get close to Liu Bang. . Dramatic Hongmen Banquet Hongmen, in the northwest of Xianyang, the capital of the Qin Dynasty, is a small platform, facing Bashang in the southeast. After Xiang Yu entered Xinfeng, he set up his base camp here.And Liu Bang followed Zhang Liang's advice and came here to meet Xiang Yu in person, and the famous Hongmen Sword Banquet took place.

Sima Qian's "Historical Records" has a very special description in this section, which is rich in text and emotion, almost more exciting than ordinary novels; his literary foundation is also fully revealed here. In fact, the literary quality of this record is more important than the value of historical materials. It describes the personalities and behaviors of Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, Fan Zeng, Zhang Liang, Fan Han and others in detail, just like the report that Sima Qian himself watched on the spot. Xiang Bo repays his kindness and warns, Zhang Liang defends the Lord The guide of the Hongmen Banquet is Xiang Yan's concubine, that is, Xiang Yu's uncle Xiang Bo.

According to "Historical Records Suoyin", Xiang Bo's name is "Bo", but it seems unlikely that he used "Bo" as the character. Because the sons of ancient Chinese are generally called "Bo", "Zhong" and "Shu". For example, Liu Bang He was called Liu Ji. Since Bo Xiang is Xiang Yu's Ji father (little uncle), it is inappropriate to call him Bo Shi." Maybe it's a matter of seniority. 2 Because Xiang Liang's generation doesn't seem to be able to stay many, so Xiang Bo was called "Bo" because of his seniority, just like the current "Olisang" generic name.

After Xiang Yan's death, Xiang Bo, like Xiang Liang, escaped from the Qin army under the protection of the elders and wandered around.Since he is a bastard and his status is not high, his life may be more miserable than Xiang Liang's. According to historical records, Uncle Xiang killed someone when he was young, and later fled to Xiapi. Because he was entangled with Yongjing and did not dare to reveal his identity, and the government was eager to hunt him down, Uncle Xiang was almost desperate. Zhang Liang, who failed to assassinate Qin Shihuang in Bolangsha, happened to escape to Xiapi City at this time.Since Zhang Liang was prepared to flee in advance, his economic situation was better, and he was good at communicating. "There are a lot of homeless friends in the underground class."

Zhang Liang was very courageous, and he often took a walk on the streets of Xiapi. On the one hand, he could inquire about news, and on the other hand, he was looking for comrades who resisted the Qin Dynasty. Soon, the two met by chance, and because of Zhang Liang's unique affinity, Xiang Bo asked Zhang Liang for help. Based on the same anti-Qin comrades, Zhang Liang gave Xiang Bo considerable relief from a chivalrous standpoint, and provided a safe place to hide until the wind died down. Xiang Bo later followed Xiang Liang, and after Xiang Liang died, he stayed by Xiang Yu's side, calling himself "Oli Sang, so he held a considerable position in Xiang's army."

Xiang Bo also valued friendship very much. He knew that Zhang Liang was currently serving as a guest military advisor in Liu Bang's camp, and wanted to meet him very much, but the war continued and there was no chance. When he heard that Xiang Yu's army planned to attack Liu Bang's army in Bashang early tomorrow morning, he was taken aback.What he worried about was not Liu Bang's life or death, but that his benefactor Zhang Liang might be in danger of being destroyed. "It's time to repay the favor!" He disguised himself, prepared his fast horse, and arrived at Zhang Liang's camp under the cover of night, and asked the sentinel to inform "the old Xiang Bo is here in a hurry!"

Zhang Liang has always had a headache about Xiang Yu's camp at Xinfeng. Whether it's war or peace, Liu Bang doesn't seem to have made up his mind, what should he do next? . Hearing that Xiang Bo was visiting, Zhang Liang had an intuition that something important was about to happen, so he hurried out to greet him. "Come with me quickly! It will be too late." As soon as Xiang Bo met, he urged Zhang Liang to follow him and escape. Zhang Liang has always been bold and never cared about life and death. He immediately asked Xiang Bo how serious the crisis was. "What, the attack will be launched tomorrow!?"

Zhang Liang was also quite shocked by Xiang Yu's decisiveness. After thinking for a while, he said to Xiang Bo: "The matter is not too serious. It should be too late! I came to help Peigong as a special envoy of the King of Han. Now that Peigong is in emergency, it would be a great injustice for me to flee without permission. You must tell Peigong about this kind of thing." Liu Bang's superior adaptability Zhang Liang brought Xiang Bo to meet Liu Bang quickly. Outside the tent, Zhang Liang asked Xiang Bo to wait for a while, while he went inside to report the emergency to Liu Bang.

Liu Bang was naturally taken aback after hearing this, but he was still calm, and only asked Zhang Liang: "So what are we going to do now?" Zhang Liang: "If we force ourselves to fight, will Pei Gong's men be able to stop Xiang Yu's attack?" Liu Bang: "Impossible, it will definitely be defeated! What better way?" Zhang Liang: "Then there is only a chance for peace talks. Uncle Xiang is here. Please tell him sincerely that you dare not confront Xiang Yu, and beg him to intercede." Liu Bang: "How did you know Uncle Xiang? Is he reliable?"

Zhang Liang: "Uncle Xiang once killed people during the Qin Dynasty, and I protected him, so I have a deep friendship. Now he risked his life to come here, showing that this person values ​​loyalty and is absolutely reliable!". Liu Bang: "Which of the two of you is older?" Zhang Liang: "Xiang Bo is older than me!" Liu Bang: "Since he is your elder brother, I will call him elder brother and invite him to come in and talk!" Zhang Liang came out to invite Xiang Bo, and the two entered together. At this moment, Liu Bang had already prepared the food and wine, and he did not wait for Xiang Bo to agree to the scene of receiving his sworn brother. He made the etiquette of meeting his elder brother and raised wine to congratulate him.

Although Xiang Bo was a little overwhelmed with reaction, he was also moved by Liu Bang's enthusiasm, so he had to continue to act out the scene. At this moment, Liu Bang still drank calmly, showing very affectionate, this courage and adaptability also made Xiang Bo admire. After several rounds of drinking, Liu Bang began to complain to Xiang Bo. "General Xiang's misunderstanding is too great. We used to have a good friendship. He has always been the leader and I am the deputy. How could I violate this principle? "Since entering the customs, I have not dared to take anything for myself, and all the materials have been sealed, just to wait for General Xiang Yu to receive them. "The reason why I sent troops to defend Hangu Pass was because I was afraid that other troops would invade and I would not be able to explain to General Xiang. I prepared day and night and waited for the general to arrive. How could I rebel? "Brother Xiang, please, for the sake of our brotherhood, intercede with General Xiang for me, saying that I have never forgotten the kindness of the past!" Although Xiang Bo didn't necessarily believe Liu Bang's words, he had a guarantee from his benefactor Zhang Liang, and seeing that Liu Bang was so sincere, he thought that saving people was always a good thing, so he promised to intercede with Xiang Yu for Liu Bang on the spot. He said to Liu Bang: "I'll go back and talk to General Xiang about this first. You must come and tell him in person tomorrow morning, so that this war can be avoided." "Okay, I will definitely go!" Liu Bang also agreed. Xiang Bo hurried back to Xinfeng again, and went to Xiang Yu's tent to report the matter to Xiang Yu in detail. In fact, Xiang Yu was just angry at Liu Bang's lack of respect for him. He didn't feel that Liu Bang was "dangerous" at all. " Xiang Bo said again: "If Peigong hadn't broken through the pass first, how could we have entered the pass so easily!? Now that he has made great contributions, we attack him. Doesn't it mean that we are jealous of his achievements? It is better to treat him well, on the contrary it will be more Accept the hearts of the heroes of the world." Master Thick Black, Survival in the Devil's Nest In the early years of the Republic of China, a strange writer in China wrote a strange book, which fully revealed the true colors of heroes in China and foreign countries in ancient and modern times. That is Mr. Li Zongwu's. As soon as this book was published, it was condemned by scholars who thought they were the heirs of Confucianism. Unfortunately, Mr. Zongwu could write but could not write. This book with strong Taoist philosophy was once again overwhelmed by the trend of exclusive Confucianism. The respect that Mr. should have received gradually disappeared in the torrent of hypocrisy. Li Zongwu admires two people the most in Zhongzhong, one is Guan Zhong and the other is Liu Bang. They are all the highest state of thick black, thick and invisible, black and colorless. Only such people are true fighters. Lao Tzu's so-called "those who overcome others are powerful, and those who overcome themselves are strong, which is almost vividly expressed in their behavior." From the joy of success once again, to the brink of extinction.Liu Bang gave up his own fate completely, betting on his good luck, and would rather sacrifice himself than bring disaster to his army. At this time, the weaker you are, the more likely you are to survive. Liu Bang deeply understands this truth of Lao Tzu. Therefore, early in the morning, he brought only a few entourages to meet Xiang Yu, because it would be useless to have more people.A few can show their weakness, garner more sympathy, and, if necessary, escape less conspicuously. He is followed by two super warriors. Zhang Liang, the great planner who dared to assassinate Qin Shihuang, has always been bold and cautious, and once again threw himself into "Adventures in the Devil's Cave." In addition, the most important team member of Liu Bang, who is extremely powerful and loyal, Fan Kui, this partner with no brains but vision and courage, launched his most famous struggle in history. In the headquarters of Xinfeng Hongmen, Fan Zeng, who has always boasted of his wisdom, fell into a bitter battle. He repeatedly told Xiang Yu that Liu Bang's "dangerousness must be eliminated today. Even if a war is launched, the Chu army (Liu Bang's army is also the Chu army camp) will not hesitate to kill each other, because the only way to let Liu Bang disappear from this world , to ensure Xiang Yu’s safety.” Xiang Yu really couldn't see any danger to himself, so he had no choice but to listen to Fan Zeng's eloquent speech with a puzzled look in his helpless and uneasy eyes. "Okay! Since Yafu insists so much, let's see what to do! Anyway, Liu Ji is going to die by himself, we have no problem killing him at any time, let's play it by ear! But don't let others think that we can't tolerate others, or we will lose the world. Heart of a hero." Finally, they decided that if Xiang Yu wanted to kill Liu Bang during the banquet, he would make a gesture, and the assassin who had ambushed in advance could take Liu Bang's life under Fan Zeng's instructions. Xiang Zhuang's sword dance is aimed at Peigong Sure enough, not long after dawn, Liu Bang came to Hongmen with about a hundred cavalry. Liu Bang, who had gone all out, seemed quite calm, still looking relaxed and indifferent. Zhang Liangshou, the think tank, was smiling and courteous, as if attending a formal banquet. On the other hand, Fan Kui's attitude was serious, a little nervous, and indeed he looked determined to sacrifice. As agreed with Xiang Bo in advance, Xiang Yu personally led the team to greet them, and the two sides did not seem to have any particularly nervous attitude on the surface. After his anger dissipated, Xiang Yu immediately resumed his general style, still showing the way of hospitality as a host, and did not take the initiative to raise questions about this conflict after the meeting. On the contrary, Liu Bang was a little embarrassed, so he had to cut to the topic immediately: "The minister and the general were ordered to attack Qin, the general fought in Hebei, and the minister fought in Henan. In fact, I didn't deliberately want to compete with the general, but I didn't expect that I could easily break through and enter Xianyang, the capital of Qin. It is a very happy thing for the local government to meet with the general, but it is a pity that there are villains in the midst of soliciting truth and causing misunderstandings between the general and his ministers." Xiang Yu still didn't care.He said half reassuringly: "Actually, all of this is also a secret report from Pei Gong's Zuo Sima Cao Wushang, otherwise I, Xiang Ji, would not rush here. After explaining the matter a little, Xiang Yu invited Liu Bang to a banquet. In the east-facing seat, Liu Bang sat in the north-facing seat as the host and guest, and Fan Zeng sat opposite Liu Bang; Zhang Liang was specially arranged to accompany Xiang Yu opposite Xiang Yu because he was also a nobleman himself. Soon after the banquet began, Fan Zeng repeatedly hinted to Xiang Yu that he was going to assassinate Liu Bang.I saw Xiang Yu talking and laughing freely, pretending that he didn't see it at all. Fan Zeng especially held up the jade ring on his body, hoping that Xiang Yu could give a signal so that the ambush assassin could act immediately. But seeing that Xiang Yu still refused in silence, he just kept persuading Liu Bang to drink, and talked about his struggle in Hebei; Liu Bang frequently expressed his appreciation for the bravery of Xiang Yu's army. The more Fan Zeng thought about it, the more angry he became, and he couldn't sit still any longer, so he went out of the camp with an excuse, and said to the leader of the assassins who had been lying in wait—that is, Xiang Yu's cousin—Xiang Zhuang: "The king is too soft-hearted. I don't think the pre-arranged assassins will be used, but Peigong must be killed! So you use congratulations as an excuse to ask for a sword dance at the banquet as a gift, and find an opportunity to get close to Peigong." Only by killing him can we completely end our crisis." Xiang Zhuang immediately entered the banquet hall, and congratulated Xiang Yu and Liu Bang for their misunderstanding and successful defeat of Qin. After the congratulations, Xiang Zhuang said to Xiang Yu: "The King and Peigong have a banquet, there is nothing to entertain in the army, please let me perform a sword dance for everyone!" Although Xiang Yu had doubts in his heart, he couldn't think of an excuse to stop him, so he had no choice but to say no: "Okay!" Xiang Zhuang drew his sword and danced, and approached Liu Bang intentionally or unintentionally; although Liu Bang felt it, he couldn't get angry at the banquet, so he had to be vigilant secretly, pretending to be calm on the surface. Zhang Liang then winked at Bo Xiang, and Bo Xiang immediately understood, stood up and said: "It's boring to dance sword alone, let me accompany you for a while too!" He immediately drew his sword to cooperate with Xiang Zhuang's sword dance performance, but deliberately blocked Liu Bang with his body, so that Xiang Zhuang had no chance to get close to Liu Bang. Seeing this, Xiang Yu was really angry in his heart, but due to the etiquette of the banquet and it was inconvenient to attack, he had no choice but to witness this farce. Xiang Bo was older, not as skilled as Xiang Zhuang, and he had to deliberately defend Liu Bang, which soon became a bit difficult. Zhang Liang also went out immediately with an excuse, and found Fan Kuai waiting at the military gate.Seeing that Zhang Liang came out alone, Fan Kui knew that there was a change, so he hurriedly asked: "What's going on inside now?" Zhang Liang said softly: "Xiang Zhuang is dancing his sword. It seems that he intends to attack Pei Gong!" Fan Kuai immediately interfaced: Xiang Yu and Fan Kuai, heroes cherish each other Fan Kuai took his sword and shield and rushed straight to the gate of the army. Seeing this, the guarding soldiers immediately rushed forward and surrounded Fan Kuai, and Fan Kui, who was extremely powerful, charged in all directions with his shield, causing the soldiers to fall to the ground one after another. Fan Kuai took the opportunity to rush into the banquet tent. Because of the accident, everyone was startled. Even Xiang Zhuang and Xiang Bo stopped dancing their swords and stared intently at Fan Kuai standing there like a mountain. Fan Kui stared at Xiang Yu angrily, with a fierce look on his face. Seeing a giant man bursting in with anger, Xiang Yu also vigilantly changed his sitting position to a kneeling one, pressed the long sword in his hand and asked in a deep voice: "What is the identity of this guest?" Zhang Liang, who was chasing after him, immediately added: "He is Fan Kuai, the officer in charge of the Duke of Pei." Xiang Yu knew in his heart that he could take advantage of this to end the trouble, so he generously ordered his attendants: "What a strong man, give him a bucket of wine." Left and right gave Fan Kui a Douhu wine, Fan Hachang knelt down to thank him, then stood up and drank it all in one gulp. Xiang Yu said loudly: "Give it to the pig's shoulder (pig's front foot)!" Left and right gave Fan Kuai a piece of raw pig shoulder. Fan Kuai put the shield on the ground, put the shoulder on the shield and cut it with the sword, and then put the meat piece by piece in his mouth, all movements were so natural and stable, without panic. Xiang Yu said with a smile: "Can a strong man still drink?" Seeing Xiang Yu's friendly attitude, Fan Kui withdrew his long sword and said loudly: "I don't want to avoid death, why would I refuse to drink? The Qin State is tyrannical and lawless, killing people is invincible, and the punishment is extremely harsh. The whole world rebelled against it." "King Huai made an agreement with the generals at that time: 'The person who enters Guanzhong first has the most merit, and he will be named the king of Guanzhong.'" "Now the Duke of Pei broke Qin and entered the pass, but he dared not heal himself and returned to the army to wait for the arrival of the general. Not only did he not reward those who worked hard, but he listened to the slander of the villain and wanted to kill them. This is not the death of Qin. Is it a consistent style? I thought to myself that this must not be the king's idea!" Xiang Yu did not explain, but only said to the right and left attendants: "Give the guests a seat!" Man is the sword, walking is the best policy The tension passed, and the two sides resumed toasting and greetings. Not long after, Liu Bang left his seat on the pretext of going to the bathroom. Zhang Liang and Fan Kui immediately followed and left the feast. Xiang Yu knew it well, so he didn't express his opinion. On the contrary, Fan Zeng felt very bad, and glared at all the guests who left the table rudely. As soon as Liu Bang was outside, Zhang Liang urged him to escape quickly. Liu Bang said; "It's very impolite to leave without saying goodbye to General Xiang!" Fan Kuai said disapprovingly: "Nowadays people are knives and I am fish. Do you want to stay here and be slaughtered?" Zhang Liang believed that Xiang Yu had no intention of killing Liu Bang, so he would definitely forgive Liu Bang for leaving without saying goodbye. But in order to explain to Xiang Yu, Zhang Liang asked Liu Bang if he had brought any gifts. Liu Bang said: "I brought a pair of white walls, which I want to present to King Xiang, and a pair of jade buckets, which I want to give to Yafu (referring to Fan Zeng). Because Yafu has been acting very unfriendly, I have no chance to take them out, please sir Present it for me!." Zhang Liang agreed generously. Since Hongmen was about forty miles away from Ba, and he left privately without being too open, Liu Bangnai left the carriage and hundreds of guards behind him. Xin and others walked down Lishan Mountain with shields and swords as guards, first entered Zhiyang Road, and then turned to Bashang by the small road. Zhang Liang followed him all the way to Mangyang, when Liu Bang said to him: "It's about 20 miles from here to our camp. Sir, you can estimate our arrival time, and then go in to bid farewell to King Xiang." In ancient times, 20 miles was about 6 kilometers today. If you walk fast, it will take about 2 hours to go back and forth. Xiang Yu waited for 2 hours in the middle of the banquet, which is really hard to imagine. This record in "Historical Records" seems to be quite problematic. In short, Liu Bang escaped in private, but Xiang Yu didn't seem to be angry. It can be seen that although Xiang Yu is cruel, "friends of his peers are quite tolerant." When Zhang Liang presented Liu Bang's gift to Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng, although Xiang Yu was a little sullen, he still accepted it.Fan Zeng smashed the jade bucket with his sword very angrily, and sighed to himself: "Hey, this young man is really confused! In the future, the one who will take over King Xiang's world must be Pei Gong! If Liu Ji is not eliminated today, our days to dominate will not be too long!" Liu Bang returned to Bashang and immediately beheaded Cao Wushang. 【Chen Wende Commentary】 Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching Chapter 22": "The crooked is complete, the crooked is straight, the hollow is full, the crooked is new, the less is gained, and the more is confused. The sage embraces one as the world. The style does not see itself, so it is clear; If you are not self-righteous, you will be outstanding; if you are not self-defeating, you will be meritorious; if you are not self-confident, you will grow. The husband is the only one who does not compete, so the world cannot compete with him. The ancient saying that music is complete is not a lie? .” Lao Tzu often said that the opposite is the movement of the Tao.The principle of changing things in the world is that the positive and negative complement each other. If there is benefit, there will be harm, and when there is harm, the benefit is often hidden in it.If you can truly understand this truth, you will be able to endure to the end, persist in struggle, and turn the crisis into peace after the power of "benefit" is stabilized. This is what Buddhism calls "Dharma". Because those who are wronged are easy to preserve, and they often need to be bent before being stretched, and the low places are filled with water, and the old ones can be renewed. The sage knows how to keep the most basic form (one is the way, one is the beginning of number, that is, the root of everything), and serves as a model for the people of the world. Don't rush to express yourself, but you can make others see your attitude more clearly; don't be self-righteous, but can express your mind more clearly; don't boast about yourself, but can show your abilities; Happiness can last forever. Only those who do not fight on any occasion can achieve results that no one in the world can compete with. Since ancient times, only those who endure grievances can preserve themselves. Trend is the most important rule of success. On the eve of the Hongmen Banquet, Liu Bang's advantage in entering Guanzhong first took a turn for the worse, and he became Xiang Yu's top meat for the Qin Army on the northern line.Many people are often unable to adapt to this critical situation of climbing high and falling fast, so they often try their best, but instead end up with a complete collapse. Liu Bang followed the advice of Fan Kuai and Zhang Liang, withdrew from Xianyang and stationed troops in Bashang, which suppressed his desire and gave him a chance of survival. If he was still in Xianyang at that time, Bo Xiang would not be able to notify Zhang Liang in time, and Xiang Yu would attack Xianyang directly and would not give up on Liu Bangshan. Less is gain, more is confusion, indeed there is quite a fatalistic truth. In the Hongmen Banquet, the performances of Liu Bang, Zhang Liang, and Fan Kuai were all admirable.Because they are able to go all out and comply with the arrangement of fate when they are faced with the knife and the fish, and they can get out of danger smoothly and regain their vitality. Persevere to the end in a crisis, accept the test and arrangement of fate, this is the best "Dharma" in everyone's heart.