Chapter 61 General Han Xin, the more the better

Han Xin is a famous general who grew up in the Chu-Han War.Whether it is in tactical command or in the use of troops, Han Xin's deeds are remarkable, and he is known as "the famous general among the famous generals".In terms of political judgment, Han Xin seems to be as lacking as Xiang Yu. He, who has won the world, finally died under the butcher's knife of Queen Lu.People once commented on Han Xin's life, saying that he lived and died with two wives.It is said that Han Xin was very poor when he was a child, and he often received help from a laundry woman, so he survived.In the end, he was killed because of Empress Lu's scheme.It is amazing that a generation of famous generals ended up like this.

Han Xin has been familiar with military books since he was a child, and he has the ambition to stabilize the country and stabilize the country.Because of his poor family, he often has nothing to eat.Suffering from lack of livelihood, when he had to, he ate at acquaintance's house, and sometimes went fishing by the Huai River to exchange money, and was often discriminated against and treated coldly by the people around him.Once, a group of villains humiliated Han Xin in public.A butcher said to Han Xin: "Although you are tall and big, you like to carry a knife and a sword, but you were very timid at that time. If you have the ability, would you dare to stab me with your sword? If not , just slipped under my crotch." Han Xin knew that he was weak, and he would definitely suffer a loss if he fought hard.So, in front of many onlookers, he slipped under the butcher's crotch.It is called "the disgrace of stepping down" in the history books.Later, Han Enfeng became the king, recruiting those who had insulted him to "think of him as a lieutenant" and repaying his grievances with virtue. Although he was suspected of boasting, his bearing was very human.

In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rose up.Han Xin joined the army with a sword and joined Xiang Liang's Western Chu army.After Xiang Liang died in battle, he followed Xiang Yu, but he was not reused by Xiang Yu, but only served as a guard with a halberd.He offered advice to Xiang Yu many times, but none of them were adopted.So he fled from the Chu camp angrily and went to Liu Bang, the king of Han.Liu Bang didn't use him as a general at the beginning, but only appointed him as the captain of Zhisu.Seeing that Liu Bang refused to reuse him, Han Xin decided to leave Hanying.Prime Minister Xiao He knew Han Xin's talent, and when he heard the news, he rode a horse and chased him hard in the moonlight night, and persuaded him to come back.Later, under Xiao He's repeated persuasion, Liu Bang personally discussed military affairs with Han Xin, convinced that Han Xin was a rare talent, so he held a ceremony and worshiped him as a general.

In May of the first year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty (206 BC), Han Xin sent people to repair the plank road that was burned when Liu Bang entered Hanzhong, and confused Yong Wang Zhanghan. After leaving the Guanzhong area, Liu Bang was able to return to the Sanqin.This is the origin of "clearly repairing the plank road and secretly crossing the old warehouse". In February of the second year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty (205 BC), Han Xin led his troops out of Hangu Pass and forced them to Luoyang.Then he joined forces with Qi and Zhao to attack Chu. In April, the army had already entered Pengcheng, the capital of Chu.The fierceness of the offensive is amazing.But I didn't expect Liu Bang to leave defense aside after entering Pengcheng, searching for treasures and beauties.Xiang Yu, who was fighting fiercely with the Qi army, heard that Pengcheng had fallen, so he rushed back with 30,000 fine riders and defeated Liu Bang in the first battle.Upon hearing the news, Han Xin rushed to collect the defeated troops, joined forces with Liu Bang in the Luoyang area, and successfully carried out a blocking battle, defeating the Chu army between Jingxian County and Suoting, which made Xiang Yu's westward marching troops frustrating.The battle line finally stabilized in Xingyang.

Liu Bang defeated Pengcheng, and Qi, Zhao, Wei and others turned to Chu again.In August, Liu Bang appointed Han Xin as Prime Minister Zuo and led the army to attack Wei.Wei Wangbao and Chen Chongbing were in Puban on the east bank of the Yellow River. In response to the deployment of the Wei army, Han Xin concentrated a large number of ships in Linjin opposite Puban, pretending to cross the river head-on, and secretly used wooden frames to tie earthen pots to make temporary river crossings. Upstream, Xia Yang crossed the river and attacked Anyi, suddenly appeared behind the Wei army, defeated the Wei army, and captured Wei Wangbao.

In September of the third year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty (204 BC), Han Xin led his troops eastward to Yanyu, captured Daixiang Xia Shuo alive, and recovered Daijun.At this time, Liu Bang ordered Han Xin to dispatch his main force to Xingyang to strengthen the defense of the area, so Han Xin only brought more than 10,000 troops east to Jingxing to attack Zhao.Zhao Wangxie and Cheng Anjun Chen Yu, commander of the Zhao army, gathered 200,000 troops at Jingxingkou in the Taihang Mountains, occupying favorable terrain, and preparing for a decisive battle with Han Xin.Han Xin first used two thousand light cavalry to go to the side and rear of Zhao Jun's camp by night to ambush.After dawn, he personally led the main force to go out to the river to back the water and line up, luring Zhao Jun to come out of the camp to attack.The Han army fought with their backs to the river, and there was no way to retreat, and everyone fought desperately.The two thousand light cavalry who had laid down in advance took the opportunity to attack Zhao Jun's air camp, and planted the red flags of the Han Army all over the place. Seeing this, Zhao Jun was in a state of chaos.Taking advantage of the situation, Han Xin counterattacked, defeated 200,000 Zhao troops, beheaded Chen Yu, the commander-in-chief of the Zhao army, and captured Zhao Wangxie alive.Then, Han Xin surrendered Yan by means of "soldiers and conquests".

In November of the fourth year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty (203 BC), Han Xin attacked Linzi, the capital of Qi, again with heavy troops.Chu general Long Qie hurriedly led 200,000 horsemen to aid him, joined forces with the retreating Qi army at Gaomi, and then confronted the Han army across the Huai River.Han Xin secretly sent people to use more than 10,000 sandbags to block the Huai River upstream in the dark night.After dawn, some troops were sent across the Huai River to attack the Chu army from behind, and then pretended to be defeated.Long Qie misunderstood that the Han army was timid, so he led the main force across the Huai River in pursuit.Han Xin ordered his subordinates to dig the upstream dam and divide the Chu army into two sections. The Han army used the method of half-crossing and attacking to wipe out the Chu army that had already crossed the water, and Long Qie was killed.The Qi-Chu coalition forces that hadn't crossed the water collapsed without a fight.Taking advantage of the situation, Han Xin sent his army to chase and annihilate the fleeing enemy, captured Qi Wang Tianguang, and pacified all of Qi.

After Han Xin captured Qi, Xiang Yu panicked and sent people to lobby Han Xin, hoping that Han Xin would fight against Han and unite Chu with the condition of three parts of the world, but Han Xin refused.Kuai Tong, Han Xin's counselor, advised him: "Hasn't the general heard of the truth that those who are brave enough to shake the Lord will be in danger, and those who have made great achievements in the world will not be rewarded?...General now has the prestige of the Lord, but also the great achievements that are difficult to reward. , return to Chu, Chu does not believe it; return to Han, the king of Han is terrified. If you don’t make yourself king, where will you end up?” Han Xin waved his hands again and again and said: “Please don’t say any more, the king of Han has treated me very kindly, and put Give me his car, give me his clothes, and give me his food. The ancients said: Take someone else's car, you should share your worries; wear someone else's clothes, you should also share your worries; If I eat other people's food, I should work hard for them. How can I forget my righteousness for the sake of profit?" So Kuai Tong's suggestion was declined.However, Qi is initially determined, and a king needs to be in charge to reassure the people.So Han Xin sent an envoy to write a letter and asked Liu Bang to make him a false king of Qi (acting as king of Qi).At that time, Liu Bang was trapped in Xingyang by Xiang Yu, unable to take care of himself. After reading the book, he was furious and didn't want to agree.Later, after listening to the opinions of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, he said: "The man who has put down the princes is the real king. Why should he be a false king!" So Han Xin was made king of Qi and his troops were mobilized to attack Chu.

In December of the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty (202 BC), the two armies of Chu and Han fought a decisive battle in Gaixia (now Lingbinan, Anhui).Liu Bang, with Han Xin as the main general, unified command of all armies.Xiang Yu commanded 100,000 Chu troops to attack the Han army from the front.Han Xin adopted a typical flank attack strategy, ordered the Han army's central army to retreat a little, avoiding the Chu army's vigor, and spread its two wings to carry out a flank attack, and then ordered the central army to advance, completing the encirclement in one fell swoop.At night, Han Xin ordered the Han army to sing Chu songs on all sides, which finally made the Chu army lose their fighting spirit, and was gathered and wiped out by the Han army in Gaixia.Seeing that the general situation was over, Xiang Yu generously committed suicide by the Wujiang River.The Chu-Han War, which lasted for five years, ended with Han King Liu Bang winning the world.