Xiang Yu Benji — Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian, chapter 7
Sima Qian (c. 145–c. 86 BCE) completed the Shiji, the first comprehensive history of China, while serving under Emperor Wu of Han. Its twelve Basic Annals (本紀) open the work, tracing paramount power dynasty by dynasty and reign by reign; this is the seventh, and the first to give a full annals chapter to a man who never held the title of emperor.
This chapter follows Xiang Ji, styled Yu, from his youth at Xiaxiang and his uncle Xiang Liang's uprising against Qin, through his seizure of command by killing the general Song Yi, his victory at Julu, the mass burial of two hundred thousand surrendered Qin soldiers at Xin'an, his entry into the Land Within the Passes and the tense banquet at Hongmen with the Lord of Pei (the future Han Gaozu), his carving of the fallen Qin empire into eighteen kingdoms and his own title of Hegemon-King of Western Chu, the killing of the Righteous Emperor he had installed, the years of war against the King of Han fought across Pengcheng, Xingyang, and Chenggao, the standoff across the ravine at Guangwu, the final encirclement at Gaixia with its night song for Lady Yu, the breakout south, and Xiang Yu's death by his own sword at the Wu River — closing with the Grand Historian's appraisal, which weighs his violent rise against his refusal, to the end, to blame himself rather than Heaven.
The section headings inside the chapter are editorial conveniences of the Wikisource transcription, not divisions of Sima Qian's own, and the Sanjia commentary (集解, 索隱, 正義) that travels with the source text is presented below but not translated; passages opening 太史公曰 are marked 'The Grand Historian says.' Names and titles are given in Hanyu pinyin (Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, Fan Zeng, Han Xin), with Chinese characters at first appearance.
Translated for the Good Works Library directly from the classical Chinese printed in full below. Burton Watson's Records of the Grand Historian (1961; 1993) and the Nienhauser team's The Grand Scribe's Records (1994–) already cover the Basic Annals; they are named here as controls-in-existence that were not consulted, and no live search for other prior translations could be made when this file was prepared, so no claim of firstness is made.
Contents
- Annals of Xiang Yu (項羽本紀)
- Xiang Yu (項羽)
- Appraisal (評論)
Translation
Annals of Xiang Yu (項羽本紀)
Xiang Yu (項羽)
Xiang Ji (項籍) was a man of Xiaxiang; his courtesy name was Yu. When he first rose up he was twenty-four years old. His youngest uncle was Xiang Liang (項梁), and Liang's father was Xiang Yan, the Chu general who was put to death by the Qin general Wang Jian. The Xiang clan had been generals of Chu for generations and were enfeoffed at Xiang; hence they took Xiang as their surname.
When Xiang Ji was young he studied writing and did not finish; he gave it up and studied swordsmanship, and again did not finish. Xiang Liang was angry with him. Ji said, "Writing is only good enough to record a name and a surname. The sword is a match for one man and is not worth studying. I will study what is a match for ten thousand men." So Xiang Liang taught Ji the arts of war. Ji was greatly pleased, but once he had grasped their general sense he again refused to study them to the end. Xiang Liang was once under arrest at Yueyang; he asked Cao Jiu, a prison clerk of Qi, to write to Sima Xin, a prison clerk of Yueyang, and by this means the matter was dropped. Xiang Liang killed a man, and he and Ji fled from the vengeance to Wuzhong. The worthy gentlemen and grandees of Wuzhong all ranked below Xiang Liang. Whenever there was a great corvée levy or a funeral in Wuzhong, Xiang Liang would take charge of it, secretly using the arts of war to marshal and drill his retainers and the young men, and by this he learned what each of them was capable of. The First Emperor of Qin traveled to Kuaiji and crossed the Zhe River, and Liang and Ji watched together. Ji said, "That man can be taken and supplanted." Liang covered his mouth and said, "Do not talk wildly, or we shall be exterminated to the clan." From this Liang thought Ji a remarkable man. Ji stood over eight chi tall; he was strong enough to lift a bronze cauldron; his talent and spirit surpassed other men, and even the young men of Wuzhong already stood in awe of him.
In the seventh month of the first year of the Second Emperor of Qin, Chen She and others rose up in the Great Marsh. In the ninth month of that year Tong, the governor of Kuaiji, said to Liang, "West of the river all have rebelled. This too is the time when Heaven destroys Qin. I have heard that he who moves first controls other men, and he who moves later is controlled by them. I wish to raise troops and to make you and Huan Chu my generals." At that time Huan Chu was a fugitive in the marshes. Liang said, "Huan Chu is in flight and no one knows where he is; only Ji knows." Liang then went out and instructed Ji to hold his sword and wait outside. Liang went back in, sat with the governor, and said, "Let Ji be summoned, so that he may receive the order to summon Huan Chu." The governor said, "Agreed." Liang called Ji in. After a moment Liang gave Ji a look and said, "Now you may act." Thereupon Ji drew his sword and cut off the governor's head. Xiang Liang took up the governor's head and hung the governor's seal and ribbon at his own belt. The men of the office were greatly alarmed and fell into confusion; Ji struck down and killed something near a hundred of them. The whole office cowered in submission and none dared rise. Liang then summoned the powerful officials he had formerly known, told them of the great enterprise he was raising, and so called out the troops of Wuzhong. He sent men to gather in the subordinate counties and obtained eight thousand picked soldiers. Liang assigned the eminent men of Wuzhong as colonels, watch-officers, and marshals. One man was given no post and spoke of it to Liang. Liang said, "At a certain funeral some time ago I put you in charge of a certain matter, and you could not manage it. For that reason I do not employ you." Then the whole company submitted. Thereupon Liang became governor of Kuaiji, and Ji his lieutenant general, and they went out to win over the subordinate counties.
Shao Ping, a man of Guangling, was at that time subduing Guangling for King Chen and had not been able to take it. Hearing that King Chen had been defeated and had fled, and that Qin troops were moreover about to arrive, he crossed the river and, forging King Chen's command, appointed Liang Supreme Pillar of the State to the king of Chu, saying, "The country east of the river is settled. Lead your troops west at once and strike Qin." Xiang Liang thereupon crossed the river westward with his eight thousand men. Hearing that Chen Ying had already taken Dongyang, he sent an envoy wishing to join with him in alliance and go west together. Chen Ying had formerly been a clerk to the magistrate of Dongyang. Living in the county, he had always been trustworthy and careful, and was spoken of as a man of worth. The young men of Dongyang killed their magistrate and gathered several thousand strong. They wanted to appoint a chief, but there was no one fit for it, and so they invited Chen Ying. Ying declined, saying he was not able; but they set Ying up as their chief by force, and the followers in the county came to twenty thousand men. The young men wanted to set Ying up outright as king and to raise a separate army distinguished by dark headcloths. Chen Ying's mother said to Ying, "Since I became a wife in your house I have never heard that any of your forebears was a man of rank. Now suddenly to get a great name is not auspicious. Better to be attached to someone else. If the enterprise succeeds you may still be enfeoffed as a marquis; if it fails, escape will be easy, since you are not one whom the age points out by name." Ying then did not dare become king. He said to his officers, "The Xiang clan have been a house of generals for generations and have a name in Chu. Now if we wish to raise a great enterprise and the commander is not the right man, it cannot be done. If I lean on a famous lineage, the destruction of Qin is certain." Thereupon the multitude followed his words and attached their troops to Xiang Liang. Xiang Liang crossed the Huai, and Qing Bu and General Pu also attached their troops to him. Altogether they were sixty or seventy thousand men, and they encamped at Xiapi.
At that time Qin Jia had already set up Jing Ju as king of Chu and was encamped east of Pengcheng, meaning to block Xiang Liang. Xiang Liang said to his officers, "King Chen was the first to begin this enterprise. His battles went against him and we have not heard where he is. Now Qin Jia has turned his back on King Chen and set up Jing Ju. This is rebellious and without principle." He then advanced his troops and struck Qin Jia. Qin Jia's army was defeated and fled, and he pursued them to Huling. Jia turned and fought for a day; Jia died and his army surrendered. Jing Ju fled and died in the land of Liang. Having absorbed Qin Jia's army, Xiang Liang encamped at Huling and was about to lead his army west. Zhang Han's army reached Li, and Xiang Liang sent his detached generals Zhu Jishi and Lord Yufan to fight it. Lord Yufan died. Zhu Jishi's army was defeated and he fled to Huling. Xiang Liang then led his troops into Xue and put Jishi to death. Earlier Xiang Liang had sent Xiang Yu on a separate attack against Xiangcheng; Xiangcheng held firm and did not fall, and when at last he took it he buried all its people alive. He returned and reported to Xiang Liang. Xiang Liang heard that King Chen was certainly dead, and summoned his detached generals to assemble at Xue and plan affairs. At this time the Lord of Pei had also risen at Pei, and he went there.
Fan Zeng (范增), a man of Juchao, seventy years old, who had always lived at home and was fond of extraordinary schemes, went to persuade Xiang Liang, saying, "Chen Sheng's defeat was only proper. When Qin extinguished the six states, Chu was the least guilty of them. Ever since King Huai went into Qin and never returned, the men of Chu have pitied him to this day; therefore the Duke of the South in Chu said, 'Though Chu be but three households, it is Chu that will destroy Qin.' Now Chen Sheng was the first to begin the enterprise, but he did not set up an heir of Chu and set himself up instead, and so his power will not last. Now, my lord, you have risen east of the river, and the generals of Chu who have swarmed up like bees all contend to attach themselves to you, because your house has been generals of Chu for generations and can restore an heir of Chu to his place." Thereupon Xiang Liang held his words to be right. He sought out among the common people Xin, the grandson of King Huai of Chu, who was herding sheep for another man, and set him up as King Huai of Chu, following what the people longed for. Chen Ying became Supreme Pillar of the State of Chu, was enfeoffed with five counties, and made his capital with King Huai at Xuyi. Xiang Liang styled himself Lord Wuxin.
After some months he led his troops to attack Kangfu, and together with Tian Rong of Qi and the marshal Long Ju he brought his army to the relief of Dong'e and heavily defeated the Qin army at Dong'e. Tian Rong at once led his troops home and drove out his own king, Jia. Jia fled to Chu. Jia's chancellor Tian Jue fled to Zhao. Jue's younger brother Tian Jian, formerly a general of Qi, was staying in Zhao and did not dare return. Tian Rong set up Shi, the son of Tian Dan, as king of Qi. Xiang Liang, having broken the army below Dong'e, then pursued the Qin forces. He repeatedly sent envoys to urge on the troops of Qi, wishing to go west together with them. Tian Rong said, "Let Chu kill Tian Jia and Zhao kill Tian Jue and Tian Jian, and then I will send out troops." Xiang Liang said, "Tian Jia was the king of an allied state; in his extremity he came and followed me. I cannot bear to kill him." Zhao likewise would not kill Tian Jue and Tian Jian to make a bargain with Qi. So Qi in the end refused to send out troops to help Chu. Xiang Liang sent the Lord of Pei and Xiang Yu on a separate attack against Chengyang, and they massacred it. Westward they defeated a Qin army east of Puyang, and the Qin troops drew back into Puyang. The Lord of Pei and Xiang Yu then attacked Dingtao. Dingtao did not fall; they left it and went west, seizing territory as far as Yongqiu, where they heavily defeated a Qin army and beheaded Li You. They turned back to attack Waihuang, and Waihuang did not fall.
Xiang Liang had set out from Dong'e and gone west, and by the time he reached Dingtao he had twice broken Qin armies; Xiang Yu and the others had also beheaded Li You. He grew more contemptuous of Qin and wore a proud look. Song Yi then remonstrated with Xiang Liang: "When battles are won and the general grows proud and the soldiers slack, defeat follows. Now the soldiers are somewhat slack and the Qin troops increase daily. For your sake, my lord, I fear it." Xiang Liang did not listen, and sent Song Yi as envoy to Qi. On the road Song Yi met Xian, the Lord of Gaoling, an envoy of Qi, and said, "Are you going to see Lord Wuxin?" He said, "I am." Song Yi said, "In my judgment Lord Wuxin's army will certainly be defeated. If you travel slowly you will escape death; if you travel fast you will meet disaster." Qin did indeed call out all its troops to reinforce Zhang Han, struck the Chu army, heavily defeated it at Dingtao, and Xiang Liang died. The Lord of Pei and Xiang Yu left Waihuang and attacked Chenliu; Chenliu held firm and could not be taken. The Lord of Pei and Xiang Yu consulted together and said, "Now that Xiang Liang's army is broken, the soldiers are afraid." They therefore led their troops east together with Lü Chen's army. Lü Chen encamped east of Pengcheng, Xiang Yu west of Pengcheng, and the Lord of Pei at Dang.
Zhang Han, having broken Xiang Liang's army, considered that the troops of the land of Chu were not worth worrying about. He crossed the Yellow River, struck Zhao, and heavily defeated it. At that time Zhao Xie was king, Chen Yu was general, and Zhang Er was chancellor, and they all fled into the city of Julu. Zhang Han ordered Wang Li and She Jian to besiege Julu, while Zhang Han himself encamped south of it and built a walled road to convey grain to them. Chen Yu as general led several tens of thousands of soldiers and encamped north of Julu; this was what was called the army north of the river.
The Chu troops having been broken at Dingtao, King Huai was afraid. He moved from Xuyi to Pengcheng, combined the armies of Xiang Yu and Lü Chen, and took command of them himself. He made Lü Chen minister of education, and Lü Chen's father Lü Qing chief minister. He made the Lord of Pei chief of Dang commandery, enfeoffed him as Marquis of Wu'an, and gave him command of the troops of Dang commandery.
Earlier, Xian, the Lord of Gaoling, the Qi envoy whom Song Yi had met on the road, was with the Chu army. He had audience with the king of Chu and said, "Song Yi judged that Lord Wuxin's army would certainly be defeated, and within a few days the army was indeed defeated. To see the signs of defeat before the troops have even fought may be called understanding war." The king summoned Song Yi, planned affairs with him, and was greatly pleased with him, and accordingly appointed him supreme general, with Xiang Yu as Lord of Lu and second general and Fan Zeng as rear general, to rescue Zhao. All the detached generals were placed under Song Yi, who was styled the Noble Son, Foremost of the Army (卿子冠軍). They marched as far as Anyang and there halted for forty-six days without advancing. Xiang Yu said, "I hear that the Qin army has surrounded the king of Zhao at Julu. If we lead our troops swiftly across the river, Chu striking from without and Zhao answering from within, the breaking of the Qin army is certain." Song Yi said, "Not so. The gadfly that strikes an ox cannot crush a louse or its nit. Now Qin attacks Zhao: if Qin wins the battle its troops will be worn out and we shall take advantage of their exhaustion; if it does not win, then we shall lead our troops west with drums beating and shall certainly take Qin. So it is better first to let Qin and Zhao fight it out. In donning hard armor and grasping the sharp weapon, I, Yi, am not your equal; in sitting still and turning plans over, you are not the equal of Yi." He then issued an order in the army: "Any who are fierce as tigers, stubborn as rams, greedy as wolves, headstrong and not to be used, shall all be beheaded." He sent his son Song Xiang to be chancellor of Qi, escorted him in person as far as Wuyan, and there drank wine at a grand gathering. The weather was cold and the rain heavy, and the soldiers were frozen and starving. Xiang Yu said, "We were to join our strength and attack Qin, yet we have long halted and do not move. This year there is famine and the people are poor; the soldiers eat taro and beans; the army has no grain in hand — and he drinks wine at a grand gathering. He does not lead the troops across the river to feed on Zhao's supplies and join strength with Zhao to attack Qin, but says instead that we shall take advantage of their exhaustion. With Qin as strong as it is, attacking a Zhao only newly made, the outcome must be that Zhao is taken. Zhao once taken, Qin will be stronger still: what exhaustion is there to take advantage of? Moreover the state's army has just been broken, the king cannot sit easy on his mat, he has swept the whole country within its borders and entrusted it wholly to the general, and the safety or peril of the altars of soil and grain rests on this one stroke. Now he does not care for the soldiers but pursues his private ends. He is no servant of the altars." At dawn Xiang Yu attended the supreme general Song Yi at his morning audience, and in his very tent cut off Song Yi's head. He came out and gave an order in the army: "Song Yi was plotting with Qi to rebel against Chu. The king of Chu secretly ordered me, Yu, to put him to death." At that moment all the generals cowered in submission and none dared resist. They all said, "It was your house, general, that first set up Chu. Now the general has put down a rebel." Together they set Yu up as acting supreme general. He sent men after Song Yi's son, caught him in Qi, and killed him. He sent Huan Chu to report back to King Huai. King Huai thereupon made Xiang Yu supreme general, and the Lord of Dangyang and General Pu were both placed under Xiang Yu.
Having killed the Noble Son, Foremost of the Army, Xiang Yu's awe shook the state of Chu and his name was heard among the feudal lords. He sent the Lord of Dangyang and General Pu with twenty thousand soldiers across the river to rescue Julu. The fighting brought little advantage, and Chen Yu again asked for troops. Xiang Yu then led all his troops across the river. He sank every boat, smashed the cooking pots and steamers, burned the huts, and carried three days' rations, to show the soldiers that they must die and that not one of them had a thought of returning. Thereupon, on arriving, he surrounded Wang Li. Meeting the Qin army, he fought nine engagements, cut their walled supply road, heavily defeated them, killed Su Jue, and took Wang Li prisoner. She Jian would not surrender to Chu and burned himself to death. At that time the troops of Chu were foremost among the feudal lords. The armies of the lords that had come to the relief of Julu held more than ten fortified camps, and none of them dared loose their troops. When Chu struck Qin, all the generals watched from atop their walls. Every fighting man of Chu was a match for ten; the shouting of the Chu troops shook Heaven; and in the armies of the lords there was not a man who was not trembling with fear. Having thus broken the Qin army, Xiang Yu summoned the generals of the lords to an audience. As they entered the shaft-gate of his camp, there was not one who did not go forward on his knees, and none dared look up. From this Xiang Yu first became supreme general of the feudal lords, and the lords were all placed under him.
Zhang Han encamped at Jiyuan and Xiang Yu south of the Zhang River; they faced each other without fighting. The Qin army repeatedly fell back, and the Second Emperor sent men to reprove Zhang Han. Zhang Han was afraid and sent his chief clerk Xin to ask for instructions. Xin reached Xianyang and waited at the Sima Gate for three days; Zhao Gao would not see him, and harbored a distrustful heart. The chief clerk Xin took fright and fled back to his army; he did not dare go out by the road he had come, and Zhao Gao did in fact send men after him, but they did not catch him. Xin reached the army and reported, "Zhao Gao wields power within, and beneath him there is no one who can act. If we now win our battles, Gao will surely hate and envy our merit; if we cannot win, we shall not escape death. I beg the general to consider it well." Chen Yu also sent Zhang Han a letter, saying: "Bai Qi was a general of Qin. In the south he campaigned against Yan and Ying, in the north he buried alive the men of Mafu; the cities he attacked and the lands he seized were past counting — and in the end he was given death. Meng Tian was a general of Qin. In the north he drove off the Rong people and opened up the land of Yuzhong for several thousand li — and in the end he was executed at Yangzhou. Why? Because their merits were many and Qin could not enfeoff them all, and so used the law to put them to death. Now, general, you have been a general of Qin for three years; your losses are counted in the hundred thousands, while the feudal lords rise together and grow ever more numerous. That Zhao Gao has practiced flattery for a long time; now that matters are urgent he too fears the Second Emperor will put him to death, and so he wishes to use the law to put you to death and stop up the blame, and to send someone to replace you and so escape the disaster himself. You, general, have long been outside, and many at court are set against you: with merit you will be put to death, without merit you will be put to death. Moreover that Heaven is destroying Qin — foolish and wise alike, all know it. Now, general, within you cannot remonstrate straightly, and without you are the general of a doomed state. Standing alone and solitary, you wish to endure forever: is that not pitiable? Why, general, do you not turn your troops about and join the vertical alliance with the feudal lords, agreeing to attack Qin together, dividing its lands as kings, facing south and calling yourself the solitary one? Which is better — that, or your own body laid on the block beneath the axe and your wife and children slaughtered?" Zhang Han was full of doubts, and secretly sent his watch-officer Shi Cheng as envoy to Xiang Yu, wishing to make an agreement. Before the agreement was concluded, Xiang Yu sent General Pu to lead troops day and night across the ford at Sanhu; he encamped south of the Zhang, fought Qin, and defeated them twice. Xiang Yu led all his troops to strike the Qin army on the Wu River and heavily defeated it.
Zhang Han sent men to see Xiang Yu, wishing to make an agreement. Xiang Yu summoned his officers and consulted them: "Our grain is short. I wish to accept his agreement." The officers all said, "Good." Xiang Yu then set a meeting with him south of the Huan River on the ruins of Yin. When the covenant had been made, Zhang Han saw Xiang Yu and wept, and spoke to him of Zhao Gao. Xiang Yu then set Zhang Han up as king of Yong and kept him within the Chu army. He made the chief clerk Xin supreme general, commanding the Qin army as the vanguard.
They came to Xin'an. The officers and men of the feudal lords had in former times been sent on corvée duty and garrison service and had passed through the Qin heartland, and the officers and men of Qin had often treated them outrageously. Now that the Qin army had surrendered to the lords, the officers and men of the lords, riding their victory, mostly treated them as slaves and captives, and lightly humiliated and abused the officers and men of Qin. Many of the Qin officers and men said secretly, "General Zhang and the rest tricked us into surrendering to the feudal lords. If they can enter the Pass and break Qin, very well; but if they cannot, the lords will carry us east as captives, and Qin will surely put to death all our parents, wives, and children." The lords caught faint word of this talk and reported it to Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu then summoned Qing Bu and General Pu and consulted them: "The Qin officers and men are still numerous and their hearts are not submissive. If, when we reach the Land Within the Passes, they do not obey, the enterprise will certainly be in peril. Better to strike and kill them, and to enter Qin only with Zhang Han, the chief clerk Xin, and the commandant Yi." Thereupon the Chu army by night struck and buried alive more than two hundred thousand Qin soldiers south of the city of Xin'an.
They marched on, seizing and settling the land of Qin. At Hangu Pass there were troops guarding the pass, and they could not enter. He also heard that the Lord of Pei had already taken Xianyang. Xiang Yu was greatly enraged and sent the Lord of Dangyang and others to attack the pass. Xiang Yu then entered and came to the west of Xi. The Lord of Pei was encamped at Bashang and had not yet been able to meet Xiang Yu. Cao Wushang, the Lord of Pei's marshal of the left, sent a man to say to Xiang Yu, "The Lord of Pei means to be king within the Passes, to make Ziying his chancellor, and to keep all the treasures for himself." Xiang Yu was greatly enraged and said, "Tomorrow at dawn feast the soldiers; we will strike and break the Lord of Pei's army." At that time Xiang Yu had four hundred thousand troops at Hongmen in Xinfeng, and the Lord of Pei a hundred thousand at Bashang. Fan Zeng urged Xiang Yu: "When the Lord of Pei was east of the mountains he was greedy for goods and property and fond of beautiful women. Now that he has entered the Pass he has taken none of the goods and favored none of the women. This shows that his ambition is not a small one. I had men observe the emanations above him: they are all dragons and tigers, forming the five colors. These are the emanations of a Son of Heaven. Strike at once and do not let him slip."
Xiang Bo (項伯), the intendant of the left of Chu, was Xiang Yu's youngest uncle, and had long been on good terms with Zhang Liang (張良), the Marquis of Liu. Zhang Liang was at that time following the Lord of Pei. Xiang Bo therefore rode by night to the Lord of Pei's camp, saw Zhang Liang privately, told him the whole matter, and wanted to call Zhang Liang away with him, saying, "Do not follow him and die with him." Zhang Liang said, "I am escorting the Lord of Pei on behalf of the king of Han. Now that his affairs are urgent, to run away would not be righteous; I cannot but tell him." Liang then went in and told the Lord of Pei everything. The Lord of Pei was greatly alarmed and said, "What is to be done about it?" Zhang Liang said, "Who was it that made this plan for your majesty?" He said, "A petty fellow advised me: 'Hold the pass and do not let the feudal lords in, and you may be king over all the land of Qin.' So I listened to him." Liang said, "Do you reckon your soldiers enough to withstand King Xiang?" The Lord of Pei was silent, and then said, "Certainly they are not. What then is to be done?" Zhang Liang said, "Let me go and tell Xiang Bo that the Lord of Pei does not dare turn his back on King Xiang." The Lord of Pei said, "How is it that you have an old connection with Xiang Bo?" Zhang Liang said, "In the time of Qin he traveled with me; Xiang Bo killed a man and I saved his life. Now that matters are urgent he has kindly come to tell me." The Lord of Pei said, "Which of you is the younger and which the elder?" Liang said, "He is older than I." The Lord of Pei said, "Call him in for me. I shall serve him as an elder brother." Zhang Liang went out and invited Xiang Bo, and Xiang Bo at once went in to see the Lord of Pei. The Lord of Pei raised a goblet of wine to his long life and made an agreement of marriage alliance with him, saying, "When I entered the Pass I did not dare come near so much as an autumn hair. I registered the officials and the people, sealed the storehouses and treasuries, and waited for the general. My reason for sending a general to guard the pass was to guard against other bandits going in and out, and against emergencies. Day and night I have looked for the general's coming — how should I dare rebel? I beg you, sir, to tell him fully that I do not dare turn my back on his kindness." Xiang Bo assented, and said to the Lord of Pei, "Tomorrow you must come early in person and make your apologies to King Xiang." The Lord of Pei said, "Agreed." Thereupon Xiang Bo went off again by night, reached the camp, and reported the Lord of Pei's words in full to King Xiang. He added, "If the Lord of Pei had not first broken the Land Within the Passes, would you have dared to enter? Now that a man has great merit, to strike him would not be righteous. Better to take the occasion and treat him well." King Xiang assented.
The next day at dawn the Lord of Pei came with something over a hundred horsemen to see King Xiang. Reaching Hongmen, he made his apologies: "The general and I joined our strength to attack Qin. The general fought north of the river and I fought south of the river; yet I did not myself expect to be able to enter the Pass first and break Qin, and so to see the general again here. Now there has been the talk of a petty man, which has made a rift between the general and me." King Xiang said, "It was Cao Wushang, your marshal of the left, who said it. Otherwise how should I, Ji, have come to this?" That same day King Xiang kept the Lord of Pei and drank with him. King Xiang and Xiang Bo sat facing east; the Second Father sat facing south — the Second Father was Fan Zeng; the Lord of Pei sat facing north, and Zhang Liang attended facing west. Fan Zeng repeatedly gave King Xiang meaningful looks, and three times raised the jade tablet at his belt to signal to him; King Xiang was silent and did not respond. Fan Zeng rose, went out, called Xiang Zhuang, and said to him, "Our lord and king is by nature unable to be ruthless. Go in, step forward, and drink to his health; and when the toast is done, ask leave to dance with the sword, and take the chance to strike the Lord of Pei where he sits and kill him. If you do not, your whole party will be made his captives." Zhuang then went in and drank the toast, and when it was done he said, "My lord and king is drinking with the Lord of Pei, and there is nothing in the camp for entertainment. Let me dance with the sword." King Xiang said, "Agreed." Xiang Zhuang drew his sword and rose to dance, and Xiang Bo also drew his sword and rose to dance, constantly shielding the Lord of Pei with his own body as with a wing, so that Zhuang could not strike. Thereupon Zhang Liang went to the camp gate and saw Fan Kuai. Fan Kuai said, "How do matters stand today?" Liang said, "Very urgent. Just now Xiang Zhuang drew his sword and danced, and his intent is all the while upon the Lord of Pei." Kuai said, "This is pressing. Let me go in and share his fate." Kuai at once girded on his sword, took up his shield, and went in at the camp gate. The guards with crossed halberds tried to stop him and not let him in; Fan Kuai turned his shield sideways and rammed them, and the guards fell to the ground. Kuai then entered, pushed the curtain aside, and stood facing west. He glared at King Xiang; his hair stood on end and the corners of his eyes were split wide. King Xiang laid his hand on his sword and rose to his knees, saying, "What is this guest?" Zhang Liang said, "This is Fan Kuai, the Lord of Pei's carriage companion." King Xiang said, "A stout fellow. Give him a goblet of wine." They gave him a goblet holding a dou. Kuai bowed his thanks, rose, and drank it standing. King Xiang said, "Give him a shoulder of pork." They gave him one raw shoulder of pork. Fan Kuai laid his shield face down on the ground, set the shoulder of pork on it, drew his sword, cut it, and ate it. King Xiang said, "A stout fellow. Can you drink again?" Fan Kuai said, "I do not even shun death; how should a goblet of wine be worth declining? The king of Qin had the heart of a tiger or a wolf. He killed men as though he could never get through them all and punished men as though afraid he could not finish, and all the world rebelled against him. King Huai made an agreement with the generals: 'Whoever first breaks Qin and enters Xianyang shall be king over it.' Now the Lord of Pei was the first to break Qin and enter Xianyang, and he did not dare come near so much as a hair. He sealed and closed the palaces and buildings, brought his army back to Bashang, and waited for your majesty's coming. His reason for sending a general to guard the pass was to guard against other bandits going in and out, and against emergencies. His toil and hardship and his high merit are such as this, and he has had no reward of enfeoffment as a marquis; yet you listen to petty talk and wish to put to death a man of merit. This is only doomed Qin continued. Privately, for your majesty's sake, I would not take that course." King Xiang had nothing to answer with, and said, "Sit." Fan Kuai took his seat beside Liang. After they had sat a little while, the Lord of Pei rose to go to the privy, and took the chance to beckon Fan Kuai out with him.
When the Lord of Pei had gone out, King Xiang sent the commandant Chen Ping to call him back. The Lord of Pei said, "I have just come out without taking leave. What is to be done?" Fan Kuai said, "Great conduct does not fuss over small scruples, and great ritual does not stand upon small courtesies. As things are now, they are the knife and the chopping block and we are the fish and the meat. Why take leave?" So they went. He ordered Zhang Liang to stay behind and make his excuses. Liang asked, "What did your majesty bring with you?" He said, "I brought a pair of white jade discs to present to King Xiang and a pair of jade ladles to give to the Second Father; but meeting with his anger I did not dare present them. Present them for me." Zhang Liang said, "Respectfully, I shall." At that time King Xiang's army was below Hongmen and the Lord of Pei's army at Bashang, forty li apart. The Lord of Pei left his carriages and horsemen behind and slipped away alone on horseback, while Fan Kuai, Xiahou Ying, Jin Qiang, and Ji Xin, four men, went on foot with swords and shields, along the foot of Mount Li and by the road at Zhiyang, traveling by byways. The Lord of Pei said to Zhang Liang, "By this road it is no more than twenty li to my camp. When you reckon that I have reached the camp, then go in." When the Lord of Pei had gone and had come by the byways to his camp, Zhang Liang went in and made his excuses, saying, "The Lord of Pei could bear no more of cup and ladle and was not able to take his leave. He respectfully sends his servant Liang to offer a pair of white jade discs, presented with a double bow at your majesty's feet, and a pair of jade ladles, offered with a double bow at the feet of the grand general." King Xiang said, "Where is the Lord of Pei?" Liang said, "Hearing that your majesty meant to call him to account for his fault, he slipped away alone and has already reached his camp." King Xiang then accepted the jade discs and set them on his mat. The Second Father took the jade ladles, set them on the ground, drew his sword, struck them, and shattered them, saying, "Bah! This boy is not worth planning with. The one who takes King Xiang's empire from him will surely be the Lord of Pei, and we shall now be his captives." The Lord of Pei reached his camp and at once put Cao Wushang to death.
After some days Xiang Yu led his troops west, massacred Xianyang, killed Ziying, the surrendered king of Qin, and burned the palaces of Qin, and the fire did not go out for three months. He gathered up their goods, treasures, and women and went east. Someone urged King Xiang, saying, "The Land Within the Passes is barred by mountains and rivers and shut in on four sides, and its soil is rich and fertile. You may make your capital there and become hegemon." King Xiang saw that the palaces of Qin had all been burned and ruined, and his heart also longed to go back east. He said, "To be rich and honored and not to go home to one's own village is like walking abroad by night in embroidered clothes: who is there to know of it?" The man who had urged him said, "People say that the men of Chu are bathed monkeys wearing caps, and so it turns out." King Xiang heard of it and had the man boiled.
King Xiang sent a man to report to King Huai. King Huai said, "As we agreed." So King Xiang honored King Huai with the title of Righteous Emperor. King Xiang wished to make himself king, and first made kings of his generals and chancellors. He said to them, "When the trouble first broke out in the world, we provisionally set up the heirs of the feudal lords in order to attack Qin. But those who wore hard armor and grasped the sharp weapon and began the enterprise, who were exposed in the open field for three years, who extinguished Qin and settled the world, were you gentlemen, my generals and chancellors, and Ji, by your strength and mine. The Righteous Emperor, though he has no merit, should still have a share of land divided off and be made king over it." The generals all said, "Good." So he divided the empire and set up his generals as marquises and kings. King Xiang and Fan Zeng suspected that the Lord of Pei would gain the empire; but a reconciliation had already been made, and they also disliked breaking the agreement and feared that the feudal lords would revolt against them. So they plotted in secret, saying, "The roads of Ba and Shu are difficult, and all the men Qin banished dwelt in Shu." Then they said, "Ba and Shu are also lands within the Passes." Therefore they set up the Lord of Pei as king of Han, ruling Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong, with his capital at Nanzheng; and they divided the Land Within the Passes into three, making kings of the surrendered generals of Qin in order to block and bar the king of Han. King Xiang set up Zhang Han as king of Yong, ruling the lands west of Xianyang, with his capital at Feiqiu. The chief clerk Xin had formerly been a prison clerk at Yueyang and had once done Xiang Liang a kindness, and the commandant Dong Yi had originally urged Zhang Han to surrender to Chu; therefore Sima Xin was set up as king of Sai, ruling from east of Xianyang to the Yellow River, with his capital at Yueyang, and Dong Yi as king of Zhai, ruling Shang commandery, with his capital at Gaonu. Bao, king of Wei, was transferred to be king of Western Wei, ruling Hedong, with his capital at Pingyang. Shen Yang of Xiaqiu was a favored retainer of Zhang Er; he had been the first to take Henan and had welcomed Chu on the river, and therefore Shen Yang was set up as king of Henan, with his capital at Luoyang. Cheng, king of Han, kept his former capital, at Yangdi. The Zhao general Sima Ang had settled Henei and had repeatedly gained merit, and therefore Ang was set up as king of Yin, ruling Henei, with his capital at Zhaoge. Xie, king of Zhao, was transferred to be king of Dai. Zhang Er, chancellor of Zhao, had long been reputed worthy and had also followed him into the Pass, and therefore Er was set up as king of Changshan, ruling the land of Zhao, with his capital at Xiangguo. Qing Bu, the Lord of Dangyang, was a general of Chu and had constantly been foremost in the army, and therefore Bu was set up as king of Jiujiang, with his capital at Lu. Wu Rui, the Lord of Po, had led the Hundred Yue to assist the feudal lords and had also followed them into the Pass, and therefore Rui was set up as king of Hengshan, with his capital at Zhu. Gong Ao, Pillar of the State to the Righteous Emperor, had led troops to strike Nan commandery and had much merit, and accordingly Ao was set up as king of Linjiang, with his capital at Jiangling. Han Guang, king of Yan, was transferred to be king of Liaodong. The Yan general Zang Tu had followed Chu in the rescue of Zhao and had then followed them into the Pass, and therefore Tu was set up as king of Yan, with his capital at Ji. Tian Shi, king of Qi, was transferred to be king of Jiaodong. The Qi general Tian Du had joined in the rescue of Zhao and had then followed them into the Pass, and therefore Du was set up as king of Qi, with his capital at Linzi. Tian An, grandson of Jian, the king of Qi whom Qin had destroyed, had, at the time when Xiang Yu was crossing the river to rescue Zhao, taken several cities in Jibei and led his troops to surrender to Xiang Yu, and therefore An was set up as king of Jibei, with his capital at Boyang. Tian Rong had repeatedly failed Xiang Liang and had also refused to lead troops with Chu to strike Qin, and for this reason he was not enfeoffed. Chen Yu, Lord of Cheng'an, had thrown down his general's seal and gone away and had not followed them into the Pass; but he had long been reputed worthy and had merit in Zhao, and it was heard that he was at Nanpi, and so he was enfeoffed with the three counties round about it. Mei Xuan, a general of the Lord of Po, had much merit, and so was enfeoffed as a marquis of a hundred thousand households. King Xiang set himself up as the Hegemon King of Western Chu, ruling nine commanderies, with his capital at Pengcheng.
In the fourth month of the first year of Han, the feudal lords dispersed from below Xi and each went to his own state. King Xiang went out to his own state and sent men to move the Righteous Emperor, saying, "The emperors of antiquity had land a thousand li square and always dwelt upstream." So he sent envoys to move the Righteous Emperor to Chen county in Changsha. They pressed the Righteous Emperor to set out; his ministers little by little turned their backs on him; and King Xiang secretly ordered the kings of Hengshan and Linjiang to strike and kill him in the middle of the river. Cheng, king of Han, had no military merit, and King Xiang did not let him go to his state but took him along to Pengcheng, degraded him to a marquis, and afterwards killed him too. Zang Tu went to his state and thereupon drove Han Guang off to Liaodong; Guang would not obey, and Tu struck and killed Guang at Wuzhong and ruled his lands as well.
Tian Rong heard that Xiang Yu had transferred Shi, king of Qi, to Jiaodong and had set up the Qi general Tian Du as king of Qi. He was greatly enraged, refused to send the king of Qi off to Jiaodong, and used Qi to rebel, going out to meet and strike Tian Du. Tian Du fled to Chu. Shi, king of Qi, feared King Xiang and so slipped away to Jiaodong to take up his state. Tian Rong was angry, pursued and struck him, and killed him at Jimo. Rong then set himself up as king of Qi, and went west, striking and killing Tian An, king of Jibei, and ruled the three Qi together as king. Rong gave Peng Yue a general's seal and ordered him to raise a revolt in the land of Liang. Chen Yu secretly sent Zhang Tong and Xia Yue to persuade Tian Rong, king of Qi, saying, "Xiang Yu, as steward of the empire, has been unfair. He has made all the former kings kings over bad lands, while making his own ministers and generals kings over good lands, and has driven out their former lord, the king of Zhao, so that he now dwells north in Dai. I, Yu, think this cannot stand. I hear that your majesty has raised troops and will not submit to what is unrighteous. I beg your majesty to supply me with troops; let me strike Changshan and restore the king of Zhao, and let my state serve as your shield and screen." The king of Qi granted it and sent troops to Zhao. Chen Yu called out all the troops of his three counties and joined strength with Qi to strike Changshan, and heavily defeated it. Zhang Er fled and went over to Han. Chen Yu welcomed the former king of Zhao, Xie, back from Dai and restored him to Zhao. The king of Zhao thereupon set Chen Yu up as king of Dai.
At this time Han came back and settled the Three Qin. Xiang Yu heard that the king of Han had already annexed the whole Land Within the Passes and was about to move east, and that Qi and Zhao had revolted against him, and he was greatly enraged. He therefore made Zheng Chang, formerly magistrate of Wu, king of Han, in order to block Han. He ordered Jue, the Lord of Xiao, and others to strike Peng Yue, and Peng Yue defeated Jue, the Lord of Xiao, and the rest. Han sent Zhang Liang to win over Han, and he then sent King Xiang a letter saying, "The king of Han has lost what was due to him and wishes to obtain the Land Within the Passes. If the agreement is kept he will stop at that and will not dare go east." He also sent King Xiang the letters of the revolts in Qi and Liang, saying, "Qi wishes to join with Zhao to destroy Chu." For this reason Chu had no intention of going west, and struck north at Qi instead. He levied troops from Bu, king of Jiujiang. Bu pleaded illness and did not go, but sent a general with several thousand men. From this King Xiang bore Bu a grudge. In the winter of the second year of Han, Xiang Yu went north as far as Chengyang, and Tian Rong also led troops to join battle. Tian Rong did not prevail and fled to Pingyuan, and the people of Pingyuan killed him. He then went north, burning and leveling the walls and houses of Qi, buried alive all of Tian Rong's surrendered soldiers, and bound and carried off their old and weak and their women. He overran Qi as far as the Northern Sea, destroying much. The men of Qi gathered together and revolted against him. Thereupon Tian Heng, Tian Rong's younger brother, collected the scattered soldiers of Qi, got tens of thousands of men, and rebelled at Chengyang. King Xiang accordingly stayed there, fighting battle after battle without being able to take it.
In spring the King of Han (漢王) marshalled the troops of the five feudal lords, five hundred and sixty thousand men in all, and marched east to attack Chu. When King Xiang (項王) heard of it, he at once ordered his generals to attack Qi, while he himself took thirty thousand picked troops south by way of Lu and came out at Huling. In the fourth month the Han forces had all entered Pengcheng; they gathered up its goods and treasures and its beautiful women, and day after day set out wine for grand feasting. King Xiang then went west by way of Xiao, struck the Han army at dawn and pressed eastward, reached Pengcheng, and by midday had utterly broken the Han army. The Han troops all fled, one following another into the Gu and the Si; more than a hundred thousand Han soldiers were killed. The rest of the Han soldiers all fled south into the hills, and Chu again pursued and struck them as far as the Sui River east of Lingbi. The Han army fell back, was crushed together by Chu, and many were killed: more than a hundred thousand Han soldiers went into the Sui River, and the Sui stopped flowing because of them. They surrounded the King of Han three rings deep. Then a great wind rose out of the northwest, snapping trees, tearing off roofs, and flinging up sand and stones; the sky darkened and the day went black, and the wind came head-on into the Chu army. The Chu army fell into great confusion and broke apart, and the King of Han was able to slip away with a few dozen horsemen. He meant to pass through Pei, take up his household, and go west; but Chu had also sent men to pursue him to Pei and seize the King of Han's family. The family had all fled, and did not meet with the King of Han. On the road the King of Han came upon Xiaohui (孝惠) and Luyuan (魯元) and took them up into his carriage. The Chu cavalry pursued the King of Han; hard pressed, he pushed Xiaohui and Luyuan down out of the carriage, and each time the Duke of Teng got down, gathered them up, and put them back in. This happened three times. He said, "Urgent as it is, we cannot drive any faster for it. How can you cast them away?" And so at last he got clear. He looked for Taigong (太公) and Empress Lü (呂后) but did not meet with them. Shen Yiji, travelling by byways with Taigong and Empress Lü in search of the King of Han, ran into the Chu army instead. The Chu army took them back with it and reported to King Xiang, and King Xiang kept them always in his camp.
At that time Empress Lü's elder brother, the Marquis of Zhoulü, was commanding Han troops and stationed at Xiayi. The King of Han went to him quietly and little by little gathered in his own soldiers. When he reached Xingyang all the defeated armies assembled there, and Xiao He called up the old and the weak of Guanzhong and those not yet of registered age and sent them all to Xingyang, so that Han was greatly restored. Chu, setting out from Pengcheng, rode its victory and pursued the routed, and fought Han between Jing and Suo south of Xingyang. Han defeated Chu, and for that reason Chu could not pass Xingyang and go west.
While King Xiang was relieving Pengcheng and pursuing the King of Han as far as Xingyang, Tian Heng was able to recover Qi, and set up Tian Rong's son Guang as king of Qi. After the King of Han's defeat at Pengcheng, the feudal lords all sided with Chu again and turned their backs on Han. The Han army encamped at Xingyang and built a walled corridor road linking it to the Yellow River, in order to draw grain from the Ao granary. In the third year of Han, King Xiang repeatedly raided and cut the Han corridor road. The King of Han ran short of food, grew afraid, and sued for peace, offering to make the land west of Xingyang Han's portion.
King Xiang was inclined to agree to it. Fan Zeng (范增), Marquis of Liyang, said, "Han is easy to deal with now. If you release them and do not take them, you will certainly regret it later." So King Xiang and Fan Zeng pressed the siege of Xingyang hard. The King of Han was troubled by this and used Chen Ping's plan to drive a wedge into King Xiang's camp. When King Xiang's envoy came, they prepared the full sacrificial feast of ox, sheep, and pig, and were lifting it to serve him; then, catching sight of the envoy, they feigned astonishment and said, "We took you for the Second Father's envoy, and instead you are King Xiang's envoy." They carried the food away again and fed King Xiang's envoy with poor fare. The envoy went back and reported to King Xiang, and King Xiang came to suspect that Fan Zeng had private dealings with Han, and gradually stripped him of authority. Fan Zeng was furious and said, "The affairs of the empire are largely settled. Let my lord king see to them himself. I ask that my bones be granted me and that I return to the ranks." King Xiang allowed it. Before he had reached Pengcheng an ulcer broke out on his back and he died.
The Han general Ji Xin urged the King of Han: "Matters are now desperate. Let me deceive Chu by playing the king for you, and Your Majesty may slip out unseen." So by night the King of Han sent out through the east gate of Xingyang two thousand women in armor, and the Chu troops struck at them from all four sides. Ji Xin rode in a yellow-canopied carriage with the plumed standard fixed at its left and declared, "The food in the city is gone; the King of Han surrenders." The Chu army all shouted, "Ten thousand years!" Meanwhile the King of Han went out by the west gate with a few dozen horsemen and made for Chenggao. King Xiang saw Ji Xin and asked, "Where is the King of Han?" He answered, "The King of Han has already gone out." King Xiang burned Ji Xin to death.
The King of Han set the imperial secretary Zhou Ke, Zong Gong, and Wei Bao to hold Xingyang. Zhou Ke and Zong Gong took counsel and said, "A king who has turned against his own state is hard to hold a city with." So together they killed Wei Bao. Chu brought down the city of Xingyang and took Zhou Ke alive. King Xiang said to Zhou Ke, "Be my general, and I will make you supreme general and enfeoff you with thirty thousand households." Zhou Ke cursed him: "If you do not hasten to surrender to Han, Han will soon make a captive of you. You are no match for Han." King Xiang was enraged, boiled Zhou Ke alive, and killed Zong Gong with him.
When the King of Han came out of Xingyang he fled south to Wan and She, obtained Bu, king of Jiujiang, gathered troops as he went, and again entered Chenggao and held it. In the fourth year of Han, King Xiang advanced his troops and besieged Chenggao. The King of Han escaped; with only the Duke of Teng he went out by the north gate of Chenggao, crossed the Yellow River, made for Xiuwu, and joined the army of Zhang Er and Han Xin (韓信). His generals got out of Chenggao little by little and followed the King of Han. Chu then took Chenggao and meant to go west, but Han sent troops to block them at Gong so that they could not go west.
At this time Peng Yue (彭越) crossed the Yellow River and struck Chu at Dong'e, killing the Chu general the Lord of Xue. King Xiang therefore went east himself to strike Peng Yue. The King of Han obtained the troops of the Marquis of Huaiyin and wished to cross the river southward; Zheng Zhong advised him against it, and he halted and fortified himself in Henei. He sent Liu Jia to lead troops to assist Peng Yue and burn Chu's stores. King Xiang struck them in the east and broke them, and put Peng Yue to flight. The King of Han then led his troops across the river, retook Chenggao, encamped at Guangwu, and drew his food from the Ao granary. When King Xiang had settled the region of the Eastern Sea he came back west, and he and Han both encamped facing each other at Guangwu; they held their ground against one another for several months.
At this time Peng Yue repeatedly rose in revolt in the land of Liang and cut off Chu's grain supply, and King Xiang was troubled by it. He set up a high chopping-block, placed Taigong upon it, and announced to the King of Han, "If you do not come down at once, I will boil Taigong." The King of Han said, "Xiang Yu and I both faced north and received our commission from King Huai, and we said, 'Let us be bound as brothers.' My father is therefore your father. If you are determined to boil your own father, then be so good as to share a cup of the broth with me." King Xiang was enraged and wanted to kill him. Xiang Bo said, "The affairs of the empire cannot yet be known. Besides, a man who contends for the empire pays no regard to his family. Killing him would bring no advantage; it would only add to the trouble." King Xiang followed his advice.
Chu and Han had long faced each other without a decision. The able-bodied suffered under campaigning, and the old and the weak were worn out hauling supplies by cart and boat. King Xiang said to the King of Han, "The empire has been in uproar these several years only because of the two of us. I ask to challenge the King of Han to single combat and settle which is the cock and which the hen, and not go on making the fathers and sons of the empire suffer for nothing." The King of Han laughed and declined: "I would rather contend in wits; I cannot contend in strength." King Xiang ordered a strong man to go out and offer challenge. Han had a man of Loufan skilled in riding and shooting; three times Chu came out to challenge, and each time the Loufan shot the man dead. King Xiang was greatly enraged, and himself put on armor, took up a halberd, and went out to challenge. The Loufan made to shoot him, but King Xiang glared and roared at him; the Loufan dared not look with his eyes nor loose with his hand, and fled back inside the wall and dared not come out again. The King of Han sent someone to ask about it quietly, and it was King Xiang. The King of Han was greatly startled. Then King Xiang came up to the King of Han, and the two of them talked across the ravine at Guangwu. The King of Han counted over his offenses. King Xiang was angry and wanted to fight it out. The King of Han would not agree, and King Xiang had a crossbowman lying in wait shoot and hit the King of Han. Wounded, the King of Han fled into Chenggao.
King Xiang heard that the Marquis of Huaiyin had already taken the country north of the Yellow River, had broken Qi and Zhao, and meant to strike Chu; so he sent Long Ju to attack him. The Marquis of Huaiyin fought him, the cavalry general Guan Ying struck them, the Chu army was utterly broken, and Long Ju was killed. Han Xin thereupon set himself up as king of Qi. When King Xiang heard that Long Ju's army had been broken he grew afraid, and sent Wu She, a man of Xuyi, to go and persuade the Marquis of Huaiyin; the Marquis of Huaiyin would not listen. At this time Peng Yue revolted again, brought down the land of Liang, and cut off Chu's grain. King Xiang then said to Cao Jiu, grand marshal and Marquis of Haichun, and the others, "Guard Chenggao carefully. If Han wishes to draw you into battle, take care not to fight them; only see that they cannot come east. Within fifteen days I will surely put Peng Yue to death and settle the land of Liang, and then I shall rejoin you, general." So he went east, attacking Chenliu and Waihuang as he went.
Waihuang did not fall. After several days it surrendered, but King Xiang was angry and ordered all the males of fifteen years and upward to go to the east of the city, meaning to bury them alive. The thirteen-year-old son of a retainer of the magistrate of Waihuang went and pleaded with King Xiang: "Peng Yue coerced Waihuang by force, and Waihuang out of fear submitted for the time being while waiting for Your Majesty. Now Your Majesty has come, and would bury them all alive as well. How then should the common people have any heart to turn to you? From here eastward the ten and more cities of Liang will all take fright, and none will be willing to come down." King Xiang thought his words right, and pardoned those of Waihuang who were to have been buried alive. As he went east to Suiyang, all who heard of it vied with one another to submit to King Xiang.
Han did indeed challenge the Chu army to battle again and again, and the Chu army would not come out. Han sent men to insult them, and after five or six days the grand marshal grew angry and took his troops across the Si River (汜水). When half the soldiers had crossed, Han struck them and utterly broke the Chu army, taking all the goods and treasure of the state of Chu. The grand marshal Jiu, the chief clerk Yi, and Xin, the king of Sai, all cut their own throats on the banks of the Si. The grand marshal Jiu had formerly been a prison clerk at Qi, and the chief clerk Xin had likewise been a prison officer at Liyang; both men had once done a kindness to Xiang Liang, and for that reason King Xiang trusted them. At that time King Xiang was at Suiyang, and when he heard that the Marquis of Haichun's army had been defeated he led his troops back. The Han army was then besieging Zhongli Mo east of Xingyang; when King Xiang arrived, the Han army feared Chu and withdrew entirely into broken ground.
At this time the Han troops were many and their food abundant, while King Xiang's troops were worn out and their food cut off. Han sent Lu Jia to persuade King Xiang and to ask for Taigong, but King Xiang would not listen. The King of Han then sent Hou Gong to persuade King Xiang, and King Xiang made an agreement with Han to divide the empire down the middle: the land west of the Hong Canal was to be Han's, and the land east of the Hong Canal Chu's. King Xiang consented to it and returned the King of Han's father and mother, wife and children. The armies all shouted, "Ten thousand years!" The King of Han then enfeoffed Hou Gong as Lord Who Settles the State, but hid him away and would not consent to see him again, saying, "This man is the empire's great persuader; wherever he stays he can overturn a state. Therefore he is styled Lord Who Settles the State." King Xiang, the agreement made, led his troops away, broke up his lines, and returned east.
Han wished to go back west, but Zhang Liang and Chen Ping urged: "Han holds more than half the empire and the feudal lords have all attached themselves to it. The Chu troops are exhausted and their food is gone. This is the moment when Heaven is destroying Chu. Better to take the opening and finish them now. To let them go and not strike is what is called rearing a tiger and leaving trouble for oneself." The King of Han listened to them. In the fifth year of Han the King of Han pursued King Xiang as far as south of Yangxia, halted his army, and set a date to meet Han Xin, Marquis of Huaiyin, and Peng Yue, Marquis of Jiancheng, and strike the Chu army together. He reached Guling, but the troops of Xin and Yue did not come to the meeting. Chu struck the Han army and utterly broke it. The King of Han went back inside his fortifications, deepened his moat, and held his own. He said to Zhang Zifang, "The feudal lords do not keep the agreement. What is to be done about it?" He replied, "Chu is on the point of being broken, but Xin and Yue have as yet no lands of their own; that they did not come is only to be expected. If Your Majesty can share the empire with them, they can be brought here at once. If you cannot, the outcome cannot be foreseen. If Your Majesty can give Han Xin the whole country from Chen eastward to the sea, and give Peng Yue the land from Suiyang north to Gucheng, so that each fights for himself, then Chu will be easy to defeat." The King of Han said, "Good." He then dispatched envoys to tell Han Xin and Peng Yue: "Join your strength and strike Chu. When Chu is broken, the land from Chen eastward to the sea shall go to the king of Qi, and the land from Suiyang north to Gucheng to Peng, chancellor of state." When the envoys arrived, Han Xin and Peng Yue both answered, "We beg leave to advance our troops at once." Han Xin then came from Qi; Liu Jia's army marched with him from Shouchun, put Chengfu to the sword, and reached Gaixia. The grand marshal Zhou Yin turned against Chu; with the troops of Shu he put Lu to the sword, raised the troops of Jiujiang, and followed Liu Jia and Peng Yue, all of them assembling at Gaixia and converging upon King Xiang.
King Xiang's army was walled in at Gaixia; his troops were few and his food was gone, and the Han army and the troops of the feudal lords ringed him about several rings deep. In the night he heard the Han army on all four sides singing the songs of Chu, and King Xiang was greatly startled and said, "Has Han already taken all of Chu? How many men of Chu they have!" King Xiang rose in the night and drank in his tent. He had a beautiful woman named Yu (虞), always favored and always with him, and a fine horse named Zhui (騅), which he always rode. Then King Xiang sang a sorrowful song out of the fullness of his grief, and made a poem of his own:
My strength uprooted mountains, my spirit covered the age;
the times are against me, and Zhui runs no more.
Zhui runs no more — what is there to do?
Yu, O Yu, what shall become of you!
He sang it through several times over, and the lady sang in answer. Tears ran down King Xiang's face in streams; all those about him wept, and not one could raise his eyes to look at him.
Then King Xiang mounted his horse; the stout men under his banner who rode after him were more than eight hundred. In the depth of night they burst the encirclement, came out to the south, and galloped away. At first light the Han army became aware of it and ordered the cavalry general Guan Ying to pursue him with five thousand horse. King Xiang crossed the Huai, and of his horsemen only a hundred or so were able to keep with him. King Xiang reached Yinling, lost his way, and asked an old farmer; the farmer lied and said, "To the left." He went left, and so was mired in a great marsh. Because of this the Han pursuit caught up with him. King Xiang then led his men east again, and by the time he reached Dongcheng he had only twenty-eight horsemen, while the Han cavalry pursuing him were several thousand. King Xiang judged for himself that he could not get away. He said to his horsemen, "It is now eight years since I raised troops. I have fought more than seventy engagements in my own person. Whatever stood against me I broke; whatever I struck submitted. I was never once defeated, and so came to hold the empire as hegemon. Yet now at last I am brought to bay here. This is Heaven destroying me; it is no fault of my fighting. Today I am resolved to die, but I will fight one good fight for you, gentlemen. I shall surely conquer three times over, break the ring for you, cut down a general, and cut down a standard, so that you gentlemen may know that Heaven destroys me and it is no fault of my fighting." He divided his horsemen into four companies facing four ways. The Han army ringed them several rings deep. King Xiang said to his horsemen, "I will take one of their generals for you, sirs." He ordered the horsemen on all four sides to gallop down, appointing three places east of the hill where they should meet. Then King Xiang gave a great shout and galloped down; the Han troops all gave way before him, and he cut down one Han general. At that time the Marquis of Chiquan was a cavalry general and pursued King Xiang; King Xiang glared and roared at him, and the Marquis of Chiquan and his horse alike took fright and shrank back several li. King Xiang then rejoined his horsemen at the three appointed places. The Han army did not know where King Xiang was, and so divided its force into three and surrounded them again. King Xiang galloped out, cut down another Han commandant, and killed some scores of men, a hundred or so. He gathered his horsemen once more, having lost only two of them. Then he said to his horsemen, "How was that?" The horsemen all bowed low and said, "It is as Your Majesty said."
Then King Xiang wished to cross eastward at the Wu River. The station head of Wujiang had a boat moored and waiting, and said to King Xiang, "Jiangdong may be small, but its land is a thousand li square and its people are several hundred thousand; it is enough to be king over. I beg Your Majesty to cross quickly. I alone have a boat; when the Han army comes there will be no way across." King Xiang laughed and said, "Heaven is destroying me — what should I cross for? Besides, I, Ji, crossed this river westward with eight thousand sons and younger brothers of Jiangdong, and now not one of them returns. Even if the fathers and elder brothers of Jiangdong pitied me and made me king, with what face could I meet them? Even if they said nothing of it, would I, Ji, feel no shame in my own heart?" Then he said to the station head, "I know you for an honorable man. I have ridden this horse for five years; nothing has stood against it, and once it went a thousand li in a day. I cannot bear to kill it, and give it to you." He then ordered all his horsemen to dismount and go on foot, and to close with short weapons. Ji alone killed several hundred of the Han army. King Xiang himself took more than ten wounds. Looking back, he saw the Han cavalry marshal Lü Matong and said, "Are you not an old acquaintance of mine?" Matong faced him and, pointing him out to Wang Yi, said, "This is King Xiang." King Xiang then said, "I hear that Han has set a price on my head of a thousand catties of gold and a fief of ten thousand households. I will do you this kindness." And he cut his own throat and died. Wang Yi took his head; the rest of the horsemen trampled one another fighting over King Xiang, and several tens of them killed one another. In the end the palace cavalryman Yang Xi, the cavalry marshal Lü Matong, and the palace gentlemen Lü Sheng and Yang Wu each got one part of his body. The five men put the parts together, and all of them matched. Therefore the fief was divided into five: Lü Matong was enfeoffed as Marquis of Zhongshui, Wang Yi as Marquis of Duyan, Yang Xi as Marquis of Chiquan, Yang Wu as Marquis of Wufang, and Lü Sheng as Marquis of Nieyang.
King Xiang being dead, all the lands of Chu surrendered to Han; only Lu did not come down. Han then led the troops of the empire, meaning to put it to the sword; but because Lu had kept ritual and righteousness and would die in fidelity to its lord, Han carried King Xiang's head and showed it to Lu, and then the fathers and elder brothers of Lu surrendered. At the outset King Huai of Chu had first enfeoffed Xiang Ji as Duke of Lu, and when he died Lu was the last to come down; therefore King Xiang was buried at Gucheng with the rites due a duke of Lu. The King of Han held mourning for him, wept over him, and departed.
None of the collateral branches of the Xiang clan were put to death by the King of Han. He enfeoffed Xiang Bo as Marquis of Sheyang. The Marquis of Tao, the Marquis of Pinggao, and the Marquis of Xuanwu were all of the Xiang clan, and were granted the surname Liu.
Appraisal (評論)
The Grand Historian says: I have heard it from Master Zhou that "Shun's eyes had double pupils," and I have also heard that Xiang Yu had double pupils. Could Yu have been a distant descendant of his? How violent was his rise! When Qin lost its government, Chen She was the first to raise the trouble; bold and able men rose up like swarming bees and contended together beyond counting. Yet Yu had not a foot or an inch of land. He rode the moment and rose out of the field-ridges, and in three years he led the five feudal lords to destroy Qin, carved up the empire and enfeoffed kings and marquises, so that government issued from Yu, and he was styled Hegemon-King. Though his place did not last to the end, there has been nothing like it since near antiquity. But when Yu turned his back on the passes and hankered after Chu, banished the Righteous Emperor and set himself up, and then resented the kings and marquises for turning against him — that was hard indeed. He boasted of his own achievements, gave rein to his private cleverness and did not take antiquity for his teacher; he called it the enterprise of a Hegemon-King and wished to order the empire by force of conquest. In five years he lost his state at last and died at Dongcheng, and still he did not wake to it and did not blame himself. That was his fault. And then to invoke the words, "Heaven destroys me; it is no fault of my use of arms" — is that not absurd!
Colophon
This file was prepared for the Chinese shelf of the Good Works Library, translated independently from the classical Chinese text printed below. The chapter alternates between compressed annal-style narration and extended set-piece scenes rendered as continuous direct speech — the Hongmen banquet, the naming of the eighteen kingdoms, the exchange across the Guangwu ravine, the last night at Gaixia — which are kept in full rather than condensed; Xiang Yu's song to Lady Yu is set as verse, with line breaks preserved.
No live search for prior translations could be made when this file was prepared. Burton Watson's Records of the Grand Historian (1961; 1993) and William H. Nienhauser Jr. and colleagues' The Grand Scribe's Records (1994–2002) are known to cover this chapter and are named here as controls-in-existence; neither was fetched or consulted in making this translation. No claim of firstness is made for this Good Works Translation.
A note on names: the source itself shifts between Xiang Ji, Xiang Yu, and 項王 ('King Xiang') as its own register changes, and this translation follows that shift rather than flattening it to one name throughout; Liu Bang likewise appears as the Lord of Pei and then the King of Han, matching his changing rank in the source.
Prepared for the Good Work Library by the Tianmu Anglican Church with AI-assisted translation and editorial work.
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Source Text: 史記 卷7 項羽本紀
Classical Chinese text in the Chinese Wikisource transcription, with the Sanjia commentary set in 〔 〕 as the transcription carries it. Presented complete for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above; the commentary is not translated.
項羽
項籍者，下相人也，字羽。初起時，年二十四。其季父項梁，梁父即楚將項燕，為秦將王翦所戮者也。項氏世世為楚將，封於項，故姓項氏。
項籍少時，學書不成，去，學劍，又不成。項梁怒之。籍曰：「書足以記名姓而已。劍一人敵，不足學，學萬人敵！」於是項梁乃教籍兵法，籍大喜，略知其意，又不肯竟學。項梁嘗有櫟陽逮，乃請蘄獄掾曹咎書抵櫟陽獄掾司馬欣，以故事得已。項梁殺人，與籍避仇於吳中。吳中賢士大夫皆出項梁下。每吳中有大繇役及喪，項梁常為主辦，陰以兵法部勒賓客及子弟，以是知其能。秦始皇帝游會稽，渡浙江，梁與籍俱觀。籍曰：「彼可取而代也。」梁掩其口，曰：「毋妄言，族矣！」梁以此奇籍。籍長八尺餘，力能扛鼎，才氣過人，雖吳中子弟皆已憚籍矣。
秦二世元年七月，陳涉等起大澤中。其九月，會稽守通謂梁曰：「江西皆反，此亦天亡秦之時也。吾聞先即制人，後則為人所制。吾欲發兵，使公及桓楚將。」是時桓楚亡在澤中。梁曰：「桓楚亡，人莫知其處，獨籍知之耳。」梁乃出，誡籍持劍居外待。梁復入，與守坐，曰：「請召籍，使受命召桓楚。」守曰：「諾。」梁召籍入。須臾，梁眴籍曰：「可行矣！」於是籍遂拔劍斬守頭。項梁持守頭，佩其印綬。門下大驚，擾亂，籍所擊殺數十百人。一府中皆慴伏，莫敢起。梁乃召故所知豪吏，諭以所為起大事，遂舉吳中兵。使人收下縣，得精兵八千人。梁部署吳中豪傑為校尉、候、司馬。有一人不得用，自言於梁。梁曰：「前時某喪使公主某事，不能辦，以此不任用公。」眾乃皆伏。於是梁為會稽守，籍為裨將，徇下縣。
廣陵人召平於是為陳王徇廣陵，未能下。聞陳王敗走，秦兵又且至，乃渡江矯陳王命，拜梁為楚王上柱國。曰：「江東已定，急引兵西擊秦。」項梁乃以八千人渡江而西。聞陳嬰已下東陽，使使欲與連和俱西。陳嬰者，故東陽令史，居縣中，素信謹，稱為長者。東陽少年殺其令，相聚數千人，欲置長，無適用，乃請陳嬰。嬰謝不能，遂彊立嬰為長，縣中從者得二萬人。少年欲立嬰便為王，異軍蒼頭特起。陳嬰母謂嬰曰：「自我為汝家婦，未嘗聞汝先古之有貴者。今暴得大名，不祥。不如有所屬，事成猶得封侯，事敗易以亡，非世所指名也。」嬰乃不敢為王。謂其軍吏曰：「項氏世世將家，有名於楚。今欲舉大事，將非其人，不可。我倚名族，亡秦必矣。」於是眾從其言，以兵屬項梁。項梁渡淮，黥布、蒲將軍亦以兵屬焉。凡六七萬人，軍下邳。
當是時，秦嘉已立景駒為楚王，軍彭城東，欲距項梁。項梁謂軍吏曰：「陳王先首事，戰不利，未聞所在。今秦嘉倍陳王而立景駒，逆無道。」乃進兵擊秦嘉。秦嘉軍敗走，追之至胡陵。嘉還戰一日，嘉死，軍降。景駒走死梁地。項梁已幷秦嘉軍，軍胡陵，將引軍而西。章邯軍至栗，項梁使別將朱雞石、餘樊君與戰。餘樊君死。朱雞石軍敗，亡走胡陵。項梁乃引兵入薛，誅雞石。項梁前使項羽別攻襄城，襄城堅守不下。已拔，皆阬之。還報項梁。項梁聞陳王定死，召諸別將會薛計事。此時沛公亦起沛，往焉。
居鄛人范增，年七十，素居家，好奇計，往說項梁曰：「陳勝敗固當。夫秦滅六國，楚最無罪。自懷王入秦不反，楚人憐之至今，故楚南公曰『楚雖三戶，亡秦必楚』也。今陳勝首事，不立楚後而自立，其勢不長。今君起江東，楚蠭起之將皆爭附君者，以君世世楚將，為能復立楚之後也。」於是項梁然其言，乃求楚懷王孫心民間，為人牧羊，立以為楚懷王，從民所望也。陳嬰為楚上柱國，封五縣，與懷王都盱台。項梁自號為武信君。
居數月，引兵攻亢父，與齊田榮、司馬龍且軍救東阿，大破秦軍於東阿。田榮即引兵歸，逐其王假。假亡走楚。假相田角亡走趙。角弟田閒故齊將，居趙不敢歸。田榮立田儋子市為齊王。項梁已破東阿下軍，遂追秦軍。數使使趣齊兵，欲與俱西。田榮曰：「楚殺田假，趙殺田角、田閒，乃發兵。」項梁曰：「田假為與國之王，窮來從我，不忍殺之。」趙亦不殺田角、田閒以市於齊。齊遂不肯發兵助楚。項梁使沛公及項羽別攻城陽，屠之。西破秦軍濮陽東，秦兵收入濮陽。沛公、項羽乃攻定陶。定陶未下，去，西略地至雝丘，大破秦軍，斬李由。還攻外黃，外黃未下。
項梁起東阿，西，（北）［比］至定陶，再破秦軍，項羽等又斬李由，益輕秦，有驕色。宋義乃諫項梁曰：「戰勝而將驕卒惰者敗。今卒少惰矣，秦兵日益，臣為君畏之。」項梁弗聽。乃使宋義使於齊。道遇齊使者高陵君顯，曰：「公將見武信君乎？」曰：「然。」曰：「臣論武信君軍必敗。公徐行即免死，疾行則及禍。」秦果悉起兵益章邯，擊楚軍，大破之定陶，項梁死。沛公、項羽去外黃攻陳留，陳留堅守不能下。沛公、項羽相與謀曰：「今項梁軍破，士卒恐。」乃與呂臣軍俱引兵而東。呂臣軍彭城東，項羽軍彭城西，沛公軍碭。
章邯已破項梁軍，則以為楚地兵不足憂，乃渡河擊趙，大破之。當此時，趙歇為王，陳餘為將，張耳為相，皆走入鉅鹿城。章邯令王離、涉閒圍鉅鹿，章邯軍其南，筑甬道而輸之粟。陳餘為將，將卒數萬人而軍鉅鹿之北，此所謂河北之軍也。
楚兵已破於定陶，懷王恐，從盱台之彭城，并項羽、呂臣軍自將之。以呂臣為司徒，以其父呂青為令尹。以沛公為碭郡長，封為武安侯，將碭郡兵。
初，宋義所遇齊使者高陵君顯在楚軍，見楚王曰：「宋義論武信君之軍必敗，居數日，軍果敗。兵未戰而先見敗徵，此可謂知兵矣。」王召宋義與計事而大說之，因置以為上將軍，項羽為魯公，為次將，范增為末將，救趙。諸別將皆屬宋義，號為卿子冠軍。行至安陽，留四十六日不進。項羽曰：「吾聞秦軍圍趙王鉅鹿，疾引兵渡河，楚擊其外，趙應其內，破秦軍必矣。」宋義曰：「不然。夫搏牛之蝱不可以破蟣蝨。今秦攻趙，戰勝則兵罷，我承其敝；不勝，則我引兵鼓行而西，必舉秦矣。故不如先鬬秦趙。夫被堅執銳，義不如公；坐而運策，公不如義。」因下令軍中曰：「猛如虎，很如羊，貪如狼，彊不可使者，皆斬之。」乃遣其子宋襄相齊，身送之至無鹽，飲酒高會。天寒大雨，士卒凍飢。項羽曰：「將戮力而攻秦，久留不行。今歲饑民貧，士卒食芋菽，軍無見糧，乃飲酒高會，不引兵渡河因趙食，與趙并力攻秦，乃曰『承其敝』。夫以秦之彊，攻新造之趙，其勢必舉趙。趙舉而秦彊，何敝之承！且國兵新破，王坐不安席，埽境內而專屬於將軍，國家安危，在此一舉。今不恤士卒而徇其私，非社稷之臣。」項羽晨朝上將軍宋義，即其帳中斬宋義頭，出令軍中曰：「宋義與齊謀反楚，楚王陰令羽誅之。」當是時，諸將皆慴服，莫敢枝梧。皆曰：「首立楚者，將軍家也。今將軍誅亂。」乃相與共立羽為假上將軍。使人追宋義子，及之齊，殺之。使桓楚報命於懷王。懷王因使項羽為上將軍，當陽君、蒲將軍皆屬項羽。
項羽已殺卿子冠軍，威震楚國，名聞諸侯。乃遣當陽君、蒲將軍將卒二萬渡河，救鉅鹿。戰少利，陳餘復請兵。項羽乃悉引兵渡河，皆沈船，破釜甑，燒廬舍，持三日糧，以示士卒必死，無一還心。於是至則圍王離，與秦軍遇，九戰，絕其甬道，大破之，殺蘇角，虜王離。涉閒不降楚，自燒殺。當是時，楚兵冠諸侯。諸侯軍救鉅鹿下者十餘壁，莫敢縱兵。及楚擊秦，諸將皆從壁上觀。楚戰士無不一以當十，楚兵呼聲動天，諸侯軍無不人人惴恐。於是已破秦軍，項羽召見諸侯將，入轅門，無不膝行而前，莫敢仰視。項羽由是始為諸侯上將軍，諸侯皆屬焉。
章邯軍棘原，項羽軍漳南，相持未戰。秦軍數卻，二世使人讓章邯。章邯恐，使長史欣請事。至咸陽，留司馬門三日，趙高不見，有不信之心。長史欣恐，還走其軍，不敢出故道，趙高果使人追之，不及。欣至軍，報曰：「趙高用事於中，下無可為者。今戰能勝，高必疾妒吾功；戰不能勝，不免於死。願將軍孰計之。」陳餘亦遺章邯書曰：「白起為秦將，南征鄢郢，北阬馬服，攻城略地，不可勝計，而竟賜死。蒙恬為秦將，北逐戎人，開榆中地數千里，竟斬陽周。何者？功多，秦不能盡封，因以法誅之。今將軍為秦將三歲矣，所亡失以十萬數，而諸侯并起滋益多。彼趙高素諛日久，今事急，亦恐二世誅之，故欲以法誅將軍以塞責，使人更代將軍以脫其禍。夫將軍居外久，多內卻，有功亦誅，無功亦誅。且天之亡秦，無愚智皆知之。今將軍內不能直諫，外為亡國將，孤特獨立而欲常存，豈不哀哉！將軍何不還兵與諸侯為從，約共攻秦，分王其地，南面稱孤；此孰與身伏鈇質，妻子為僇乎？」章邯狐疑，陰使候始成使項羽，欲約。約未成，項羽使蒲將軍日夜引兵度三戶，軍漳南，與秦戰，再破之。項羽悉引兵擊秦軍汙水上，大破之。
章邯使人見項羽，欲約。項羽召軍吏謀曰：「糧少，欲聽其約。」軍吏皆曰：「善。」項羽乃與期洹水南殷虛上。已盟，章邯見項羽而流涕，為言趙高。項羽乃立章邯為雍王，置楚軍中。使長史欣為上將軍，將秦軍為前行。
到新安。諸侯吏卒異時故繇使屯戍過秦中，秦中吏卒遇之多無狀，及秦軍降諸侯，諸侯吏卒乘勝多奴虜使之，輕折辱秦吏卒。秦吏卒多竊言曰：「章將軍等詐吾屬降諸侯，今能入關破秦，大善；即不能，諸侯虜吾屬而東，秦必盡誅吾父母妻子。」諸侯微聞其計，以告項羽。項羽乃召黥布、蒲將軍計曰：「秦吏卒尚眾，其心不服，至關中不聽，事必危，不如擊殺之，而獨與章邯、長史欣、都尉翳入秦。」於是楚軍夜擊阬秦卒二十餘萬人新安城南。
行略定秦地。函谷關有兵守關，不得入。又聞沛公已破咸陽，項羽大怒，使當陽君等擊關。項羽遂入，至于戲西。沛公軍霸上，未得與項羽相見。沛公左司馬曹無傷使人言於項羽曰：「沛公欲王關中，使子嬰為相，珍寶盡有之。」項羽大怒，曰：「旦日饗士卒，為擊破沛公軍！」當是時，項羽兵四十萬，在新豐鴻門，沛公兵十萬，在霸上。范增說項羽曰：「沛公居山東時，貪於財貨，好美姬。今入關，財物無所取，婦女無所幸，此其志不在小。吾令人望其氣，皆為龍虎，成五采，此天子氣也。急擊勿失。」
楚左尹項伯者，項羽季父也，素善留侯張良。張良是時從沛公，項伯乃夜馳之沛公軍，私見張良，具告以事，欲呼張良與俱去。曰：「毋從俱死也。」張良曰：「臣為韓王送沛公，沛公今事有急，亡去不義，不可不語。」良乃入，具告沛公。沛公大驚，曰：「為之柰何？」張良曰：「誰為大王為此計者？」曰：「鯫生說我曰『距關，毋內諸侯，秦地可盡王也』。故聽之。」良曰：「料大王士卒足以當項王乎？」沛公默然，曰：「固不如也，且為之柰何？」張良曰：「請往謂項伯，言沛公不敢背項王也。」沛公曰：「君安與項伯有故？」張良曰：「秦時與臣游，項伯殺人，臣活之。今事有急，故幸來告良。」沛公曰「孰與君少長？」良曰：「長於臣。」沛公曰「君為我呼入，吾得兄事之。」張良出，要項伯。項伯即入見沛公。沛公奉巵酒為壽，約為婚姻，曰：「吾入關，秋豪不敢有所近，籍吏民，封府庫，而待將軍。所以遣將守關者，備他盜之出入與非常也。日夜望將軍至，豈敢反乎！願伯具言臣之不敢倍德也。」項伯許諾。謂沛公曰：「旦日不可不蚤自來謝項王。」沛公曰：「諾。」於是項伯復夜去，至軍中，具以沛公言報項王。因言曰：「沛公不先破關中，公豈敢入乎？今人有大功而擊之，不義也，不如因善遇之。」項王許諾。
沛公旦日從百餘騎來見項王，至鴻門，謝曰：「臣與將軍戮力而攻秦，將軍戰河北，臣戰河南，然不自意能先入關破秦，得復見將軍於此。今者有小人之言，令將軍與臣有郤。」項王曰：「此沛公左司馬曹無傷言之；不然，籍何以至此。」項王即日因留沛公與飲。項王、項伯東嚮坐。亞父南嚮坐。亞父者，范增也。沛公北嚮坐，張良西向侍。范增數目項王，舉所佩玉珪以示之者三，項王默然不應。范增起，出召項莊，謂曰：「君王為人不忍，若入前為壽，壽畢，請以劍舞，因擊沛公於坐，殺之。不者，若屬皆且為所虜。」莊則入為壽，壽畢，曰：「君王與沛公飲，軍中無以為樂，請以劍舞。」項王曰：「諾。」項莊拔劍起舞，項伯亦拔劍起舞，常以身翼蔽沛公，莊不得擊。於是張良至軍門，見樊噲。樊噲曰：「今日之事何如？」良曰：「甚急。今者項莊拔劍舞，其意常在沛公也。」噲曰：「此迫矣，臣請入，與之同命。」噲即帶劍擁盾入軍門。交戟之衛士欲止不內，樊噲側其盾以撞，衛士仆地，噲遂入，披帷西向立，瞋目視項王，頭髪上指，目眥盡裂。項王按劍而跽曰：「客何為者？」張良曰：「沛公之參乘樊噲者也。」項王曰：「壯士，賜之巵酒。」則與斗巵酒。噲拜謝，起，立而飲之。項王曰：「賜之彘肩。」則與一生彘肩。樊噲覆其盾於地，加彘肩上，拔劍切而㗖之。項王曰：「壯士，能復飲乎？」樊噲曰：「臣死且不避，巵酒安足辭！夫秦王有虎狼之心，殺人如不能舉，刑人如恐不勝，天下皆叛之。懷王與諸將約曰『先破秦入咸陽者王之』。今沛公先破秦入咸陽，豪毛不敢有所近，封閉宮室，還軍霸上，以待大王來。故遣將守關者，備他盜出入與非常也。勞苦而功高如此，未有封侯之賞，而聽細說，欲誅有功之人。此亡秦之續耳，竊為大王不取也。」項王未有以應，曰：「坐。」樊噲從良坐。坐須臾，沛公起如廁，因招樊噲出。
沛公已出，項王使都尉陳平召沛公。沛公曰：「今者出，未辭也，為之柰何？」樊噲曰：「大行不顧細謹，大禮不辭小讓。如今人方為刀俎，我為魚肉，何辭為。」於是遂去。乃令張良留謝。良問曰：「大王來何操？」曰：「我持白璧一雙，欲獻項王，玉斗一雙，欲與亞父，會其怒，不敢獻。公為我獻之」張良曰：「謹諾。」當是時，項王軍在鴻門下，沛公軍在霸上，相去四十里。沛公則置車騎，脫身獨騎，與樊噲、夏侯嬰、靳彊、紀信等四人持劍盾步走，從酈山下，道芷陽閒行。沛公謂張良曰：「從此道至吾軍，不過二十里耳。度我至軍中，公乃入。」沛公已去，閒至軍中，張良入謝，曰：「沛公不勝桮杓，不能辭。謹使臣良奉白璧一雙，再拜獻大王足下；玉斗一雙，再拜奉大將軍足下。」項王曰：「沛公安在？」良曰：「聞大王有意督過之，脫身獨去，已至軍矣。」項王則受璧，置之坐上。亞父受玉斗，置之地，拔劍撞而破之，曰：「唉！豎子不足與謀。奪項王天下者，必沛公也，吾屬今為之虜矣。」沛公至軍，立誅殺曹無傷。
居數日，項羽引兵西屠咸陽，殺秦降王子嬰，燒秦宮室，火三月不滅；收其貨寶婦女而東。人或說項王曰：「關中阻山河四塞，地肥饒，可都以霸。」項王見秦宮皆以燒殘破，又心懷思欲東歸，曰：「富貴不歸故鄉，如衣繡夜行，誰知之者！」說者曰：「人言楚人沐猴而冠耳，果然。」項王聞之，烹說者。
項王使人致命懷王。懷王曰：「如約。」乃尊懷王為義帝。項王欲自王，先王諸將相。謂曰：「天下初發難時，假立諸侯後以伐秦。然身被堅執銳首事，暴露於野三年，滅秦定天下者，皆將相諸君與籍之力也。義帝雖無功，故當分其地而王之。」諸將皆曰：「善。」乃分天下，立諸將為侯王。項王、范增疑沛公之有天下，業已講解，又惡負約，恐諸侯叛之，乃陰謀曰：「巴、蜀道險，秦之遷人皆居蜀。」乃曰：「巴、蜀亦關中地也。」故立沛公為漢王，王巴、蜀、漢中，都南鄭。而三分關中，王秦降將以距塞漢王。項王乃立章邯為雍王，王咸陽以西，都廢邱。長史欣者，故為櫟陽獄掾，嘗有德於項梁；都尉董翳者，本勸章邯降楚。故立司馬欣為塞王，王咸陽以東至河，都櫟陽；立董翳為翟王，王上郡，都高奴。徙魏王豹為西魏王，王河東，都平陽。瑕丘申陽者，張耳嬖臣也，先下河南（郡），迎楚河上，故立申陽為河南王，都雒陽。韓王成因故都，都陽翟。趙將司馬卬定河內，數有功，故立卬為殷王，王河內，都朝歌。徙趙王歇為代王。趙相張耳素賢，又從入關，故立耳為常山王，王趙地，都襄國。當陽君黥布為楚將，常冠軍，故立布為九江王，都六。鄱君吳芮率百越佐諸侯，又從入關，故立芮為衡山王，都邾。義帝柱國共敖將兵擊南郡，功多，因立敖為臨江王，都江陵。徙燕王韓廣為遼東王。燕將臧荼從楚救趙，因從入關，故立荼為燕王，都薊。徙齊王田市為膠東王。齊將田都從共救趙，因從入關，故立都為齊王，都臨菑。故秦所滅齊王建孫田安，項羽方渡河救趙，田安下濟北數城，引其兵降項羽，故立安為濟北王，都博陽。田榮者，數負項梁，又不肯將兵從楚擊秦，以故不封。成安君陳餘棄將印去，不從入關，然素聞其賢，有功於趙，聞其在南皮，故因環封三縣。番君將梅鋗功多，故封十萬戶侯。項王自立為西楚霸王，王九郡，都彭城。
漢之元年四月，諸侯罷戲下，各就國。項王出之國，使人徙義帝，曰：「古之帝者地方千里，必居上游。」乃使使徙義帝長沙郴縣。趣義帝行，其群臣稍稍背叛之，乃陰令衡山、臨江王擊殺之江中。韓王成無軍功，項王不使之國，與俱至彭城，廢以為侯，已又殺之。臧荼之國，因逐韓廣之遼東，廣弗聽，荼擊殺廣無終，並王其地。
田榮聞項羽徙齊王市膠東，而立齊將田都為齊王，乃大怒，不肯遣齊王之膠東，因以齊反，迎擊田都。田都走楚。齊王市畏項王，乃亡之膠東就國。田榮怒，追擊殺之即墨。榮因自立為齊王，而西殺擊濟北王田安，并王三齊。榮與彭越將軍印，令反梁地。陳餘陰使張同、夏說說齊王田榮曰：「項羽為天下宰，不平。今盡王故王於醜地，而王其群臣諸將善地，逐其故主趙王，乃北居代，餘以為不可。聞大王起兵，且不聽不義，願大王資餘兵，請以擊常山，以復趙王，請以國為捍蔽。」齊王許之，因遣兵之趙。陳餘悉發三縣兵，與齊并力擊常山，大破之。張耳走歸漢。陳餘迎故趙王歇於代，反之趙。趙王因立陳餘為代王。
是時，漢還定三秦。項羽聞漢王皆已并關中，且東，齊、趙叛之：大怒。乃以故吳令鄭昌為韓王，以距漢。令蕭公角等擊彭越。彭越敗蕭公角等。漢使張良徇韓，乃遺項王書曰：「漢王失職，欲得關中，如約即止，不敢東。」又以齊、梁反書遺項王曰：「齊欲與趙并滅楚。」楚以此故無西意，而北擊齊。徵兵九江王布。布稱疾不往，使將將數千人行。項王由此怨布也。漢之二年冬，項羽遂北至城陽，田榮亦將兵會戰。田榮不勝，走至平原，平原民殺之。遂北燒夷齊城郭室屋，皆阬田榮降卒，系虜其老弱婦女。徇齊至北海，多所殘滅。齊人相聚而叛之。於是田榮弟田橫收齊亡卒得數萬人，反城陽。項王因留，連戰未能下。
春，漢王部五諸侯兵，凡五十六萬人，東伐楚。項王聞之，即令諸將擊齊，而自以精兵三萬人南從魯出胡陵。四月，漢皆已入彭城，收其貨寶美人，日置酒高會。項王乃西從蕭，晨擊漢軍而東，至彭城，日中，大破漢軍。漢軍皆走，相隨入穀、泗水，殺漢卒十餘萬人。漢卒皆南走山，楚又追擊至靈壁東睢水上。漢軍卻，為楚所擠，多殺，漢卒十餘萬人皆入睢水，睢水為之不流。圍漢王三匝。於是大風從西北而起，折木發屋，揚沙石，窈冥晝晦，逢迎楚軍。楚軍大亂，壞散，而漢王乃得與數十騎遁去，欲過沛，收家室而西；楚亦使人追之沛，取漢王家：家皆亡，不與漢王相見。漢王道逢得孝惠、魯元，乃載行。楚騎追漢王，漢王急，推墮孝惠、魯元車下，滕公常下收載之。如是者三。曰：「雖急不可以驅，柰何棄之？」於是遂得脫。求太公、呂后不相遇。審食其從太公、呂后閒行，求漢王，反遇楚軍。楚軍遂與歸，報項王，項王常置軍中。
是時呂后兄周呂侯為漢將兵居下邑，漢王閒往從之，稍稍收其士卒。至滎陽，諸敗軍皆會，蕭何亦發關中老弱未傅悉詣滎陽，復大振。楚起於彭城，常乘勝逐北，與漢戰滎陽南京、索閒，漢敗楚，楚以故不能過滎陽而西。
項王之救彭城，追漢王至滎陽，田橫亦得收齊，立田榮子廣為齊王。漢王之敗彭城，諸侯皆復與楚而背漢。漢軍滎陽，築甬道屬之河，以取敖倉粟。漢之三年，項王數侵奪漢甬道，漢王食乏，恐，請和，割滎陽以西為漢。
項王欲聽之。歷陽侯范增曰：「漢易與耳，今釋弗取，後必悔之。」項王乃與范增急圍滎陽。漢王患之，乃用陳平計閒項王。項王使者來，為太牢具，舉欲進之。見使者，詳驚愕曰：「吾以為亞父使者，乃反項王使者。」更持去，以惡食食項王使者。使者歸報項王，項王乃疑范增與漢有私，稍奪之權。范增大怒，曰：「天下事大定矣，君王自為之。願賜骸骨歸卒伍。」項王許之。行未至彭城，疽發背而死。
漢將紀信說漢王曰：「事已急矣，請為王誑楚為王，王可以閒出。」於是漢王夜出女子滎陽東門被甲二千人，楚兵四面擊之。紀信乘黃屋車，傅左纛，曰：「城中食盡，漢王降。」楚軍皆呼萬歲。漢王亦與數十騎從城西門出，走成皋。項王見紀信，問：「漢王安在？」曰：「漢王已出矣。」項王燒殺紀信。
漢王使御史大夫周苛、樅公、魏豹守滎陽。周苛、樅公謀曰：「反國之王，難與守城。」乃共殺魏豹。楚下滎陽城，生得周苛。項王謂周苛曰：「為我將，我以公為上將軍，封三萬戶。」周苛罵曰：「若不趣降漢，漢今虜若，若非漢敵也。」項王怒，烹周苛，井殺樅公。
漢王之出滎陽，南走宛、葉，得九江王布，行收兵，復入保成皋。漢之四年，項王進兵圍成皋。漢王逃，獨與滕公出成皋北門，渡河走修武，從張耳、韓信軍。諸將稍稍得出成皋，從漢王。楚遂拔成皋，欲西。漢使兵距之鞏，令其不得西。
是時，彭越渡河擊楚東阿，殺楚將軍薛公。項王乃自東擊彭越。漢王得淮陰侯兵，欲渡河南。鄭忠說漢王，乃止壁河內。使劉賈將兵佐彭越，燒楚積聚。項王東擊破之，走彭越。漢王則引兵渡河，復取成皋，軍廣武，就敖倉食。項王已定東海來，西，與漢俱臨廣武而軍，相守數月。
當此時，彭越數反梁地，絕楚糧食，項王患之。為高俎，置太公其上，告漢王曰：「今不急下，吾烹太公。」漢王曰：「吾與項羽俱北面受命懷王，曰『約為兄弟』，吾翁即若翁，必欲烹而翁，則幸分我一桮羹。」項王怒，欲殺之。項伯曰：「天下事未可知，且為天下者不顧家，雖殺之無益，秪益禍耳。」項王從之。
楚漢久相持未決，丁壯苦軍旅，老弱罷轉漕。項王謂漢王曰：「天下匈匈數歲者，徒以吾兩人耳，願與漢王挑戰決雌雄，毋徒苦天下之民父子為也。」漢王笑謝曰：「吾寧鬬智，不能鬬力。」項王令壯士出挑戰。漢有善騎射者樓煩，楚挑戰三合，樓煩輒射殺之。項王大怒，乃自被甲持戟挑戰。樓煩欲射之，項王瞋目叱之，樓煩目不敢視，手不敢發，遂走還入壁，不敢復出。漢王使人閒問之，乃項王也。漢王大驚。於是項王乃即漢王相與臨廣武閒而語。漢王數之，項王怒，欲一戰。漢王不聽，項王伏弩射中漢王。漢王傷，走入成皋。
項王聞淮陰侯已舉河北，破齊、趙，且欲擊楚，乃使龍且往擊之。淮陰侯與戰，騎將灌嬰擊之，大破楚軍，殺龍且。韓信因自立為齊王。項王聞龍且軍破，則恐，使盱台人武涉往說淮陰侯。淮陰侯弗聽。是時，彭越復反，下梁地，絕楚糧。項王乃謂海春侯大司馬曹咎等曰：「謹守成皋，則漢欲挑戰，慎勿與戰，毋令得東而已。我十五日必誅彭越，定梁地，復從將軍。」乃東，行擊陳留、外黃。
外黃不下。數日，已降，項王怒，悉令男子年十五已上詣城東，欲阬之。外黃令舍人兒年十三，往說項王曰：「彭越彊劫外黃，外黃恐，故且降，待大王。大王至，又皆阬之，百姓豈有歸心？從此以東，梁地十餘城皆恐，莫肯下矣。」項王然其言，乃赦外黃當阬者。東至睢陽，聞之皆爭下項王。
漢果數挑楚軍戰，楚軍不出。使人辱之，五六日，大司馬怒，渡兵汜水。士卒半渡，漢擊之，大破楚軍，盡得楚國貨賂。大司馬咎、長史翳、塞王欣皆自剄汜水上。大司馬咎者，故蘄獄掾，長史欣亦故櫟陽獄吏，兩人嘗有德於項梁，是以項王信任之。當是時，項王在睢陽，聞海春侯軍敗，則引兵還。漢軍方圍鐘離眛於滎陽東，項王至，漢軍畏楚，盡走險阻。
是時，漢兵盛食多，項王兵罷食絕。漢遣陸賈說項王，請太公，項王弗聽。漢王復使侯公往說項王，項王乃與漢約，中分天下，割鴻溝以西者為漢，鴻溝而東者為楚。項王許之，即歸漢王父母妻子。軍皆呼萬歲。漢王乃封侯公為平國君。匿弗肯復見。曰：「此天下辯士，所居傾國，故號為平國君。」項王已約，乃引兵解而東歸。
漢欲西歸，張良、陳平說曰：「漢有天下太半，而諸侯皆附之。楚兵罷食盡，此天亡楚之時也，不如因其機而遂取之。今釋弗擊，此所謂『養虎自遺患』也。」漢王聽之。漢五年，漢王乃追項王至陽夏南，止軍，與淮陰侯韓信、建成侯彭越期會而擊楚軍。至固陵，而信、越之兵不會。楚擊漢軍，大破之。漢王復入壁，深塹而自守。謂張子房曰：「諸侯不從約，為之柰何？」對曰：「楚兵且破，信、越未有分地，其不至固宜。君王能與共分天下，今可立致也。即不能，事未可知也。君王能自陳以東傅海，盡與韓信；睢陽以北至穀城，以與彭越：使各自為戰，則楚易敗也。」漢王曰：「善。」於是乃發使者告韓信、彭越曰：「并力擊楚。楚破，自陳以東傅海與齊王，睢陽以北至穀城與彭相國。」使者至，韓信、彭越皆報曰：「請今進兵。」韓信乃從齊往，劉賈軍從壽春并行，屠城父，至垓下。大司馬周殷叛楚，以舒屠六，舉九江兵，隨劉賈、彭越皆會垓下，詣項王。
項王軍壁垓下，兵少食盡，漢軍及諸侯兵圍之數重。夜聞漢軍四面皆楚歌，項王乃大驚曰：「漢皆已得楚乎？是何楚人之多也！」項王則夜起，飲帳中。有美人名虞，常幸從；駿馬名騅，常騎之。於是項王乃悲歌忼慨，自為詩曰：「力拔山兮氣蓋世，時不利兮騅不逝。騅不逝兮可柰何，虞兮虞兮柰若何！」歌數闋，美人和之。項王泣數行下，左右皆泣，莫能仰視。
於是項王乃上馬騎，麾下壯士騎從者八百餘人，直夜潰圍南出，馳走。平明，漢軍乃覺之，令騎將灌嬰以五千騎追之。項王渡淮，騎能屬者百餘人耳。項王至陰陵，迷失道，問一田父，田父紿曰「左」。左，乃陷大澤中。以故漢追及之。項王乃復引兵而東，至東城，乃有二十八騎。漢騎追者數千人。項王自度不得脫。謂其騎曰：「吾起兵至今八歲矣，身七十餘戰，所當者破，所擊者服，未嘗敗北，遂霸有天下。然今卒困於此，此天之亡我，非戰之罪也。今日固決死，願為諸君快戰，必三勝之，為諸君潰圍，斬將，刈旗，令諸君知天亡我，非戰之罪也。」乃分其騎以為四隊，四嚮。漢軍圍之數重。項王謂其騎曰：「吾為公取彼一將。」令四面騎馳下，期山東為三處。於是項王大呼馳下，漢軍皆披靡，遂斬漢一將。是時，赤泉侯為騎將，追項王，項王瞋目而叱之，赤泉侯人馬俱驚，辟易數里與其騎會為三處。漢軍不知項王所在，乃分軍為三，復圍之。項王乃馳，復斬漢一都尉，殺數十百人，復聚其騎，亡其兩騎耳。乃謂其騎曰：「何如？」騎皆伏曰：「如大王言。」
於是項王乃欲東渡烏江。烏江亭長檥船待，謂項王曰：「江東雖小，地方千里，眾數十萬人，亦足王也。願大王急渡。今獨臣有船，漢軍至，無以渡。」項王笑曰：「天之亡我，我何渡為！且籍與江東子弟八千人渡江而西，今無一人還，縱江東父兄憐而王我，我何面目見之？縱彼不言，籍獨不愧於心乎？」乃謂亭長曰：「吾知公長者。吾騎此馬五歲，所當無敵，嘗一日行千里，不忍殺之，以賜公。」乃令騎皆下馬步行，持短兵接戰。獨籍所殺漢軍數百人。項王身亦被十餘創。顧見漢騎司馬呂馬童，曰：「若非吾故人乎？」馬童面之，指王翳曰：「此項王也。」項王乃曰：「吾聞漢購我頭千金，邑萬戶，吾為若德。」乃自刎而死。王翳取其頭，餘騎相蹂踐爭項王，相殺者數十人。最其後，郎中騎楊喜，騎司馬呂馬童，郎中呂勝、楊武各得其一體。五人共會其體，皆是。故分其地為五：封呂馬童為中水侯，封王翳為杜衍侯，封楊喜為赤泉侯，封楊武為吳防侯，封呂勝為涅陽侯。
項王已死，楚地皆降漢，獨魯不下。漢乃引天下兵欲屠之，為其守禮義，為主死節，乃持項王頭視魯，魯父兄乃降。始，楚懷王初封項籍為魯公，及其死，魯最後下，故以魯公禮葬項王穀城。漢王為發哀，泣之而去。
諸項氏枝屬，漢王皆不誅。乃封項伯為射陽侯。桃侯、平皋侯、玄武侯皆項氏，賜姓劉氏。
評論
太史公曰：吾聞之周生曰：「舜目蓋重瞳子」，又聞項羽亦重瞳子。羽豈其苗裔邪？何興之暴也？夫秦失其政，陳涉首難，豪傑蠭起，相與并爭，不可勝數。然羽非有尺寸，乘勢起隴畝之中，三年，遂將五諸侯滅秦，分裂天下而封王侯，政由羽出，號為霸王，位雖不終，近古以來未嘗有也。及羽背關懷楚，放逐義帝而自立，怨王侯叛己，難矣。自矜功伐，奮其私智而不師古，謂霸王之業，欲以力征經營天下，五年，卒亡其國，身死東城，尚不覺寤，而不自責，過矣。乃引「天亡我，非用兵之罪也」，豈不謬哉！
【索隱述贊】亡秦鹿走，偽楚狐鳴。雲鬱沛谷，劍挺吳城。勳開魯甸，勢合碭兵。卿子無罪，亞父推誠。始救趙歇，終誅子嬰。違約王漢，背關懷楚。常遷上游，臣迫故主。靈壁大振，成皋久拒。戰非無功，天實不與。嗟彼蓋代，卒為凶豎。
Source Colophon
The Chinese text follows the Chinese Wikisource transcription of Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian (article 史記/卷007, revision of 1 June 2026), inspected from a witness copy captured on 22 August 2026. Chinese Wikisource transcriptions are published under CC BY-SA 4.0 and the GFDL; the text itself is ancient and in the public domain. The wiki header, navigation links, license templates, and modern contributors' footnotes have been removed; the text is otherwise complete and unaltered.
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