Author: Yoon-Ngan CHUNG (---.uwa.edu.au)
Date: 06-06-02 08:50
62. The only one in the country
國土無雙 (Guo2 Tu3 Wu2 Shuang)
國 (Guo2) means: country
土 (Tu3) means: land
無 (Wu2) means: none
雙 (Shuang) means: double; two
Han Xin (韓信 ? to 196BC) was from the county of Huai Yin (淮陰縣 in the southeast present day Huai Yin county in Jiangsu province 江蘇省). His father died when Han Xin was only a little boy. His family was very poor. Han Xin did not want to become a farmer and he did not have the know-how to be a businessman. He could not become an official as he had little education. He was just doing nothing but loitering around. Soon after his mother died. Han Xin was so poor that he had to beg for food. There was an old lady who felt pity on him and gave him two square meal a day. The old lady advised him to do something useful to the country.
The time was the period of the Qin Dynasty (秦朝 221BC to 207BC). The people suffered greatly under the Qin Authority and people were organizing themselves into armed bands to rebel against the Qin Authority. Han Xin joined the band that organized by Xiang Liang (項梁), who was a descendant of the former state of Chu (楚國). Soon after another armed band organized by Liu Bang (劉邦) joined Xiang Liang's group. The allied groups grew into a large army. Han Xin was only a junior officer. When Xiang Liang died in battle Xiang Yu, his nephew, became the leader of the rebellion army. However, Han Xin remained as a junior officer and he was not happy.
In 206BC, the Qin Dynasty was overthrown by the forces of Xiang Yu and Liu Bang. Han Xin continued to serve as a junior officer in the army under the command of Xiang Yu. Liu Bang was bestowed upon by Xiang Yu the title of Han Wang (漢王) or the Prince of Han. Liu Bang and his army were transferred to be stationed in Han Zhong (漢中 present day Nan Zheng county 南鄭縣 in Shaanxi province 陜西省).
Since he was not promoted to a higher rank in Xiang Yu's army Han Xin defected to Liu Bang. While Han Xin was in Han Zhong he met Xiao He (蕭何), who was appointed the Prime Minister of the Han army by Liu Bang. Han Xin and Xiao He became good friend and they often had long discussion on the subject that sooner or later Xiang Yu would attack Liu Bang. Xiao He discovered that Han Xin was a
military strategist. Liu Bang appointed Han Xin as an officer-in-charge of provision.
It was a junior post and Han Xin was greatly disappointed.
One day in the late afternoon, Han Xin decided to leave Han Zhong for good. He packed his belongings and rode off with a horse. After work, Xiao He heard that Han Xin had left town. He rode off through the east gate of the city. Xiao He was in panic and immediately he was riding a horse going after Han Xin. He wanted to call Han Xin back. Xiao He pursued Han Xin throughout the night. Eventually he got up with Han Xin. Xiao He persuaded Han Xin to return to Han Zhong.
On hearing that Xiao He was chasing after Han Xin in the middle of the night, Liu Bang was not happy. Finally, Xiao He and Han Xin returned to the city. The next day, when Liu Bang met Xiao He, he asked Xiao He, "During a short period many officers left Han Zhong why you did not care. However, when Han Xin left you were in panic. After all, Han Xin is just a junior officer. What is the cause of this great stir? Xiao He answered Liu Bang, "Han Xin is a great military strategist. There is no second one like him in the country 國土無雙 Guo Tu Wu Shuang. You need him to fight the war with Xiang Yu."
Soon after, a civil war broke out between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu. Liu Bang appointed Han Xin as the commander-in-chief of the Han Army. The civil war lasted until 202BC. Han Xin helped Liu Bang in defeating Xiang Yu and established the Han Dynasty (漢朝 206BC to 220AD). Liu Bang became the first emperor of the Han Dynasty. Han Xin was rewarded the title "大將軍 or The Great General."
The original source:
諸將易得耳﹐ 至如信者﹐國土無雙。
王必欲長王漢中﹐無所事信﹔必欲爭天下﹐
非信無所與計事者﹐顧王策安所決耳。
From chapter 92 in the book entitled Shi Ji (史記)
By Si-Ma Qian (司-馬遷 145BC to 86BC).
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 2002
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