Chapter 55 6. The tricks in the chasm

Chess is no stranger to everyone. The red and black sides face off against each other in the Chuhe-Han realm.The real Chu River-Han boundary is a canal called Honggou, which connects the Yellow River and Yingshui to the east of Xingyang. It was dug by Wei State during the Warring States Period.The gap negotiation also marked the complete end of the tug-of-war in Xingyang that lasted two years and three months. However, the boundaries in chess have not changed for thousands of years, and the red and black sides can win and lose each other, but the real history is embarrassing.The gap negotiation only maintained a momentary peace, and then there was no suspense that there was a one-sided trend.Because when Xiang Yu signed the contract to withdraw troops, Liu Bang suddenly tore up the contract, launched a hunt for Xiang Yu, and finally won the Chu-Han War.

Liu Bang also did the thing of breaking promises in Xiaoguan. The difference is that that time it was only a verbal agreement, but the peace negotiation in the gap was a very formal peace talk, written in black and white, and vowed.So this time Liu Bang's dishonesty is at home. Liu Bang took the initiative to attack Xiang Yu, provoked a war, and was finally forced by Xiang Yu, but he didn't get any advantage.Although Liu Bang adjusted his strategy later, he no longer simply confronted Xiang Yu head-on, but started with Xiang Yu's defense and periphery.Let Peng Yue harass Liang, cut off Xiang Yu's supply of grain and grass, let Han Xin attack northward, pacify several small countries such as Yan, Zhao, and Wei, and finally pacify Chu's neighbor Qi, forming a strategic encirclement of Xiang Yu. In order to improve, he also got rid of the embarrassing situation of being passively beaten all the time.

Even so, Liu Bang was not very sure about defeating Xiang Yu for the following reasons: First of all, on the front line of Xingyang, Liu Bang has never been able to fully gain the initiative on the battlefield.There is no doubt about Xiang Yu's military prowess. The tug-of-war in Xingyang lasted for more than two years. Liu Bang was on the verge of danger many times, and he was able to barely support it by relying on Peng Yue's harassing guerrillas behind Xiang Yu.In other words, it is almost impossible for Liu Bang to defeat Xiang Yu on the frontal battlefield. Secondly, Liu Bang's camp is not monolithic.Although Liu Bang formed a strategic encirclement of Xiang Yu in the end, his initial situation has quietly changed.Because both Peng Yue and Han Xin gained a certain territory at this time, the increase in power will inevitably produce new ideas, and they may not actively cooperate with Liu Bang to complete the next military deployment.

In the fourth year of the Han Dynasty (203 BC), Han Xin pacified the land of Qi, and then wrote a letter to Liu Bang, asking Liu Bang to make him a "false king of Qi", that is, temporarily acting as the king of Qi, and reaching out to demand powerful officials.Liu Bang was trapped by Xiang Yu at that time, and he was so angry that he wanted to kill Han Xin, but in the end he listened to the suggestions of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, and simply made Han Xin the real king of Qi.According to Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, "Han Fang is unfavorable, would you rather ban the king of faith?" Now that the situation is so unfavorable to us, can we stop Han Xin from becoming king?It means that Han Xin can give Liu Bang a lot of face by making a report and asking for instructions.It's better to be a favor and meet Han Xin's request, otherwise I'm afraid there will be problems.It can be seen that Liu Bang's camp is not monolithic, and internal crises are always brewing.

The reason why Peng Yue has been fighting guerrillas behind Xiang Yu is also selfish.Because although he was appointed Minister of Wei at that time, his ultimate goal was to become the king of Wei, seize the old land of Wei and Liang, and expand his own power. This was his military focus, not entirely for Liu Bang. Liu Bang later tore up the contract to hunt down Xiang Yu, and sent a letter asking Peng Yue and Han Xin to send troops together to encircle and wipe out Xiang Yu. As a result, Liu Bang chased to Guling (now northwest of Huaiyang County, Henan Province) and was defeated by Xiang Yu.It has been able to explain this problem.

Third, Liu Bang has scruples.Liu Bang's parents and wife are both in Xiang Yu's place.Needless to say, no matter how dishonest Liu Bang is, no matter how insidious and cunning, his parents and wife still can't ignore him, and he can't even keep his family and face. But for Xiang Yu, the situation is even more unfavorable, mainly reflected in the following aspects: First of all, Xiang Yu was not sure of defeating Liu Bang.The two sides of Chu and Han fought in Xingyang for so long, and Xiang Yu had a military advantage, but Liu Bang either insisted on not fighting, or made a roundabout attack, which also made up for his military weakness to a certain extent, so the two sides have been in a stalemate.

Secondly, the supply of soldiers and food and grass is a big problem.Xiang Yu is far away from the territory and conducts away battles. The army will only be reduced in consumption and will not be replenished in time.In addition, the supply of grain and grass has not been smooth. Since Peng Yue started the guerrilla warfare, Xiang Yu's logistics supply has not been guaranteed.Food has become a problem, and the combat effectiveness of soldiers will naturally decline.Behind Liu Bang is the prosperous Guanzhong, and Xiao He, the head of logistics, is very capable, and the replenishment of soldiers and the supply of food and grass are not problems.This consumption is not good for Xiang Yu.

Third, Pengcheng is under threat.Han Xin occupied Qi, directly threatening Pengcheng, Xiang Yu's hometown. Xiang Yu sent a capable general, Long Qie, to block it, but suffered annihilation of the entire army. This incident dealt a great blow to Xiang Yu. "Historical Records" recorded this incident, saying that Xiang Yu "would be afraid if he heard the dragon and his army was broken."Xiang Yu, who has always been confident and open-minded, felt the crisis behind him for the first time.In this regard, Xiang Yu also made some efforts, sending Wu She to lobby Han Xin, intending to win Han Xin over, but Han Xin refused.

Fourth, Xiang Yu is a little tired of war.In the tug-of-war in Xingyang, Xiang Yu has never made a breakthrough, and the situation is becoming more and more unfavorable to him, and his patience has been greatly challenged.During the confrontation in Guangwu, Xiang Yu threatened Liu Bang with Liu Bang's father and demanded a single duel with Liu Bang, showing a kind of impatience.Furthermore, Xiang Yu is a very family-loving person. At the beginning, he chose to return to Pengcheng instead of Guanzhong, which already illustrates this problem.The war has been fought for almost four years, and he doesn't want to drag it on like this endlessly.

Since it is a peace negotiation, both parties must feel that it is beneficial.Since it is beneficial to both parties, it is reasonable to negotiate a peace.So the two sides took the gap as the boundary and stopped fighting: Liu Bang went to the west of the gap, and Xiang Yu went to the east of the gap.It was supposed to end here.Xiang Yu released Liu Bang's parents and wife, and then withdrew his troops.Liu Bang was reunited with his parents, wife and children, shed a few lines of tears, drank a few cups of wind wine, and "wanted to lure him back to the west", ready to return to Guanzhong to enjoy the happiness.Unexpectedly, another moth appeared in the middle.Who did it?Zhang Liang, Zhang Liang again, why is it always Zhang Liang!

Xu Shi recalled the feat of the Meng people in Xiaoguan again, so Zhang Liang repeated the old trick, and together with Chen Ping urged Liu Bang, saying: "Han has more than half of the world, and all the princes are attached to it. Chu's soldiers are exhausted, and Chu will perish on this day." It’s time, so it’s better to take it because of the opportunity. Today’s Shifu hit, this is the so-called ‘raising a tiger is a legacy’.” Zhang Liang must have twirled his beard (if he had a beard) at that time, with a smile on his face, Putting on a posture of "strategizing and winning thousands of miles", saying that these seemingly well-founded and well-founded theories are actually shameless nonsense.Zhihu also dragged on for a long time, but in fact it was just one sentence: While Xiang Yu withdraws his troops, let's hit him off guard! When Liu Bang heard it, he immediately realized that such a good opportunity could be missed!Although this is unethical, it's not that I haven't done it before. I've been bullied by him for so many years. It's okay, no problem, listen to you, and continue to beat Xiang Yu! In this way, things are complicated, and it can be described as a sudden change.The fairness of the boundary negotiation is only fair when both parties abide by the contract.Now that Liu Bang wants to unilaterally break the contract, this matter has only benefited Liu Bang: first, Xiang Yu released the hostages, and Liu Bang had no worries about the future; second, Xiang Yu withdrew his troops, which naturally lifted the siege of Liu Bang. A dilemma that has not been overcome for many years.In other words, Liu Bang now has neither worries about his future nor the troubles of soldiers pressing down on the country; three things, Xiang Yu didn't expect Liu Bang to renege on the contract, not only was he not mentally prepared, but he was also not prepared for it in the military.Moreover, Xiang Yu was marching on the road, and the team was procrastinating. It was not a situation where the two armies were confronting each other, and there was no barrier in the fight. Xiang Yu was finally forced to a dead end by Liu Bang.I don't know if Xiang Yu should cry when he learned that Liu Bang's pursuers had arrived in Yangxia (now Taikang, Henan).Should I still laugh?Still looking up to the sky and sighing, expressing a concluding sigh about his life: If you give birth to feathers, He Shengbang!How did I meet such a shameless bastard!