Full-text translation of historical records of Xiang Yu

Xiang Ji, a photographer, has a feather. He was twenty-four years old when he started to fight against Qin. His uncle is Xiang Liang, and Xiang Liang's father is Xiang Yan, the general of Chu, who was killed by Wang Jian, the general of Qin. Xiang was a general of Chu for several lifetimes, and was sealed in Xiangdi (originally a small vassal state in the Western Zhou Dynasty, then Chu City), so he was surnamed Xiang. When Xiang Ji was a teenager, learning to read and write was not completed, so he gave up. He also studied martial arts such as fencing, but he didn't succeed. Xiang Liang was very angry with him. Xiang Ji said, "Writing can be used to remember names. Swordsmanship, which can be resisted by one person, is not worth learning. We must learn the skills that thousands of people can resist (that is, the art of war). " So Xiang Liang taught Xiang Ji military knowledge. Xiang Ji was very happy. He understood the meaning of the art of war and refused to finish his studies. Xiang Liang was once arrested and imprisoned by Liyang County because of his involvement in the crime. He asked Cao Qian, the prison supervisor of Qi County, to write a love letter to Sima Xin, the prison supervisor of Liyang County, and things were settled. Xiang Liang killed a man and ran to Wudi with Xiang Ji to escape his enemy. He fled to Wuzhong County with Xiang Ji. The talented elites in Wuzhong County are all exposed under Xiang Liang. Whenever there is a large-scale corvee in Wuzhong County (the labor that the ancient rulers forced the people to bear, such as civil engineering, etc.) and funeral matters, Xiang Liang often presides over them and secretly uses the art of war to deploy and restrain the guests and Wuzhong youth, so as to understand their abilities. When Qin Shihuang visited Huiji County and crossed Zhejiang, Xiang Liang and Xiang Ji went to watch it together. Xiang Ji said, "I can take that place!" Xiang Liang covered his mouth and said, "Don't talk nonsense, (otherwise) it will be genocide!" " Xiang Liang therefore thinks that Xiang Ji is different from the common people. Xiang Ji is more than eight feet tall, with great strength and extraordinary talent and courage. Even the local young people in Wuzhong are afraid of him. In July of the first year of Qin Ershi (Hu Hai) (29 BC), Chen She (Sheng) and others revolted in Daze Township. In September of that year, Yin Tong, the chief of Huiji County, said to Xiang Liang, "All the western parts of the great river have rebelled, and this is also the time when God will destroy the Qin Dynasty. I heard that those who start first can control others, and those who start later will be controlled by others. I intend to arise and let you and Huan Chu command the army. " At this time, Huan Chu was fleeing in the wilderness swamp. Xiang Liang said: "Huan Chu is a fugitive. No one knows where he is hiding. Only Xiang Ji knows." So Xiang Liang went out and told Xiang Yu to wait outside with a sword. Then he came in and sat down with Yin Tong, the county magistrate, and said, "Please allow me to summon Xiang Ji and ask him to accept the order to summon Huan Chu." The sheriff said, "Good." Xiang Liang called Xiang Ji in. After a while, Xiang Liang winked at Xiang Ji and said, "It's time to act!" So Xiang Ji drew his sword and cut off the chief's head. Xiang Liang holds the head of the county magistrate in his hand, and wears the official seal of the county magistrate and the printed ribbon. The attendants and guards of the county government were greatly alarmed, and there was chaos. There were dozens and hundreds of people hacked and killed by Xiang Ji. The whole county was too scared to move and no one dared to get up. Xiang Liang then summoned the powerful county officials he had known before, and announced to them that he wanted to revolt against Qin, so he launched Wu Jun's army to revolt. Send someone to collect the counties belonging to this county, and get 8, chosen men. He also deployed famous and talented people in Wuzhong county, and sent them to be a captain (a military attache lower than the general), a military officer (an officer in charge of military affairs), and a Sima (an official who executes military law). One of them was not appointed, and he came to Xiang Liang to complain. Xiang Liang said, "I asked you to preside over a funeral a few days ago, so you couldn't be appointed." The people were very respectful. Then, Xiang Liang became the guard of Huiji County, and Xiang Ji was the lieutenant (the general who assisted the Lord), leading troops to patrol and collect places. Chu and Han have been at loggerheads for a long time, and the outcome is undecided. Young people are tired of long-term military life, and the old and the weak are also very tired because of land and water transportation. Xiang Wang said to Hanwang: "The world has been in chaos for several years, just because of the two of us. I hope to challenge Hanwang and fight it out. Don't let the people suffer in vain. " Hanwang smiled and refused, saying, "I'd rather fight for wisdom than strength." Xiang Wang sent the warriors out to challenge, and the Han army had Lou Fan who was good at riding and shooting. Chu Bing challenged several times, and Lou Fan shot them to death every time. King Xiang was furious, so he personally armored himself and went out to challenge with a halberd. Loufan took an arrow and was about to shoot, when Xiang Wang shouted at him with his eyes wide open. Loufan was too scared to look straight in the eye, and both hands were afraid to shoot an arrow. He turned and fled back to the camp, afraid to come out again. Hanwang sent someone to inquire privately, only to know that it was Xiang Wang. Hanwang was greatly surprised. At this time, Xiang Wang approached Hanwang and stood on the east and west sides of Guangwujian to talk to each other. Hanwang listed Xiang Wang's crimes one by one. Xiang Wang was very angry and wanted to fight Hanwang. Hanwang didn't listen, and the archers ambushed by Xiang Wang shot Hanwang. Hanwang was injured and ran into Chenggao. King Xiang heard that Huaiyin Hou Han Xin had conquered Hebei, defeated Qi and Zhao, and was preparing to attack Chu, so he sent Long Qie to meet him. Huaiyin Hou was at war with Long Qie, and the Han rider Guan Ying also came here, and defeated the Chu army and killed Long Qie. Han Xin took this opportunity to establish himself as king. King Xiang was frightened when he heard the news of Long Qie's defeat. He sent a military force to lobby Huaiyin Hou, urging him to unite with Chu and divide the world with Chu. Huaiyin Hou wouldn't listen. At that time, Peng Yue returned to Liangdi and cut off the food of Chujun. Xiang Wang said to Cao Qian, Hou Fu of Haichun, "You should guard Cheng Gao carefully. If the Han army challenges you, don't fight them, as long as you don't let them advance eastward. Within fifteen days, I will kill Peng Yue, pacify Liangdi and meet the generals when I come back. " So he led his troops to the east and attacked Chen Liu and Waihuang along the way. Waihuang didn't yield at first. After a few days, he finally surrendered. Xiang Wang was very angry and ordered all men over the age of 15 to go to the east of the city and bury them alive. The 13-year-old son of the magistrate of Waihuang County went to persuade Xiang Wang and said, "Peng Yue threatened Waihuang by force, and the Waihuang people were afraid, so he just surrendered to wait for the king. Now that the king has come and wants to bury them all alive, where will the people have the heart to join in? From here to the east, the people in more than a dozen cities in Liangdi will be very afraid, and no one will join you. " Xiang Wang thought what he said was right, so he pardoned those who were going to be buried alive. Suiyang County, Wang Dongjin, Suiyang people are scrambling to join Xiang Wang when they hear this. The Han army really challenged Chu army many times, but Chu army didn't come out. The Han army sent people to insult them. For five or six days in a row, Fu Cao couldn't help being angry and sent troops to cross Si Shui. The foot soldiers had just passed halfway when the Han army attacked, defeated the Chu army and seized all the supplies of the Chu army. Cao Cao, Zhang Shi Dong, and Sima Xin, the king of Sai, all committed suicide at the edge of Si Shui. Cao Fu's blame was the original prison rafter of Qi County, and Sima Xin, a long history, was the former prison officer of Liyang. Both of them had been kind to Xiang Liang, so Xiang Wang trusted them. At this time, Xiang Wang was in Suiyang, and when he heard that Hai Chunhou's army was defeated, he led his troops back. At that time, the Han army was surrounding Zhong Limei (Mi Yi, younger sister) in the east of Xingyang. When Xiang Wang arrived, the Han army was afraid of the Chu army and all fled to the nearby mountains. Xiang Yu's troops were stationed in the camp wall, and there were fewer and fewer soldiers, and the food was finished. The Han army and the vassal army surrounded Xiang Wang for several layers. At night, the Han army sang the folk songs of Chu on all sides. Xiang Yu said in amazement, "Have the Han army captured Chu?" Why are there so many Chu people here? " Xiang Yu got up at night and drank in the chancellorsville. There is a beautiful woman named Yu, who is favored by Xiang Wang and often follows her around; There is a fine horse called Jing, who often rides it. So Xiang Yu sang a song sadly, and his emotions were high. He wrote a poem by himself: "Strength can pull out mountains, heroism can overwhelm life, and the weather is unfavorable." What can I do if I don't like it? Concubine, how did Concubine arrange you? " After singing several times, Yu Ji should also sing with him. Xiang Yu tear drops came for several lines, and the guards around him shed tears. No one could look up at Xiang Yu. So Xiang Yu got on his horse, and more than 8 men rode with him. That night, he broke through the encirclement and rushed out to the south, galloping his horse. At dawn, the Han army realized that Xiang Yu had broken through and ordered Guan Ying, the general of the cavalry, to lead five thousand cavalry to pursue Xiang Yu. When Xiang Yu crossed the Huaihe River, only more than 1 cavalry could keep up. Xiang Yu reached Yin Ling (the name of Qin County), lost his way and couldn't find the way. He asked an old farmer, who lied to him and said, "Turn left." Xiang Yu left and got stuck in a swamp. For this reason, the Han army caught up with Xiang Wang. Xiang Yu led his troops to the east again and arrived in Dongcheng (the name of Qin County), leaving only 28 cavalry. There are thousands of people pursued by Han cavalry. Xiang Yu himself estimated that he could not escape, and said to his cavalry: "I have been fighting for eight years, and I have experienced more than 7 battles. I have defeated all the enemies I met; All those I attacked surrendered, so I dominated and occupied the world. But today I am finally besieged here. This is because God wants to destroy me, not because I command the war. Today, I am bound to die. I am willing to fight a battle for you to decide the final victory or defeat. I must defeat the enemy three times, highlight the encirclement for you, slay the Han generals, and cut down the enemy's flag, so that you can know that this is the fate of God, not the mistake of my fighting. " So he divided his cavalry into four teams, facing four directions. The Han army surrounded them layer by layer. Xiang Yu said to his cavalry, "I'll chop him off for you." Command points in all directions of cavalry rushed to kill, agreed to meet in three places in the east of the mountain. So Xiang Yu shouted and rushed down, and the Han army went belly-up (invincible: this describes the appearance of scattered vegetation), so he killed a general of the Han army. At this time, Hou Yangxi of Chiquan served as a cavalry general and pursued Xiang Wang. Xiang Wang glared at him and shouted at him. Hou himself and his horse were both taken aback and retreated for several miles. Meet his cavalry at three places, and the Han army doesn't know where Xiang Wang is. So (the Han army) divided the army into three parts and surrounded them again. King Xiang attacked and beheaded a captain of the Han army, killing dozens of people. Assemble his cavalry again, only losing two of his cavalry, so he asked his rider, "How's it going?" The cavalry all admired and said, "It's just like what you said!" So Xiang Yu wanted to cross the Wujiang River eastward (Wujiangpu on the west bank of the Yangtze River). The director of Wujiang Pavilion docked the boat on the shore and waited for Xiang Yu. He said to Xiang Yu, "Although Jiangdong is small, with a land of thousands of miles and hundreds of thousands of people, it is enough to be king. I hope the king will cross the river quickly. Now only I have a boat, and even if the Han army catches up with it, there is no way to cross the river. " Xiang Yu smiled and said, "Since heaven is going to destroy me, why should I cross the river? Besides, I, Xiang Yu (who led) 8, children of Jiangdong, crossed the Wujiang River and marched westward. Now, none of them survived. Even if my elder brothers in Jiangdong love me and make me king, how can I face them? Even if they don't say anything, aren't I ashamed in my heart? " So he said to the director of the pavilion, "I know you are a man of high morality." I have been riding this horse for five years, and I have met no rivals. I have traveled thousands of miles every day, so I can't bear to kill it and give it to you! " So he ordered the cavalry to dismount and walk and engage with short and light weapons. Xiang Ji alone killed hundreds of people in the Han army, and Xiang Wang himself suffered more than a dozen injuries. Looking back, I saw Sima Lv Matong (originally Xiang Yu's Ministry, but now he has returned to Han) in the cavalry of the Han army and said, "Aren't you an old friend of mine?" Facing Xiang Yu, Lv Matong instructed Wang Yi to say, "This is Xiang Yu." Xiang Yu said, "I heard that Hanwang offered a reward of 1,2 gold and 1, fiefs for my head. I will give you some benefits." He cut his neck and killed himself. Tai Shigong said: I heard from Zhou Sheng that "Yu Shun probably has two pupils in his eyes". I also heard that Xiang Yu is also a double pupil. Is Xiang Yu a descendant of Shun? Why did it rise so suddenly? Qin made a major mistake in political measures, and Chen She attacked first. Heroes flew like bees, and * * * competed with each other, which was countless. However, Xiang Yu has no foundation (including land and power), but took advantage of the chaotic situation in the world to start an uprising among the people. In three years, he led five governors (five anti-Qin armed forces outside Chu) to destroy Qin, divide the land in the world, and raise princes. All decrees were issued by Xiang Yu, so-called overlord. Although the overlord's power can't be maintained to the end, this remarkable achievement has never been seen since recent times. When Xiang Yu gave up Guanzhong, missed Chu and returned to the east, exiled Yidi, stood on his own feet as king, and did these things that lost people's hearts, but blamed the princes for betraying themselves, it would be very difficult to achieve hegemony. It is wrong to boast of one's merits and talents, but not to imitate the ancients, to think that the overlord has achieved, and to conquer and govern the world by force. After five years of war, one finally perished his country and died in Dongcheng, but he still didn't realize it, let alone blame himself. Isn't it ridiculous to say that "it's not my fault that God wants to destroy me"?