xiao rongsheng liu bang made in china

The Chu–Han Contention (Chinese: 楚漢相爭) or Chu–Han War (楚漢戰爭) was an interregnum period in ancient China between the fallen Qin dynasty and the subsequent Han dynasty. After the third and last Qin ruler, Ziying, unconditionally surrendered to rebel forces in 206 BCE, the former Qin Empire was divided by rebel leader Xiang Yu into the Eighteen Kingdoms, which were ruled by various rebel leaders and surrendered Qin generals. A civil war soon broke out, most prominently between two major contending powers – Xiang Yu"s Western Chu and Liu Bang"s Han. Some of the other kingdoms also waged war among themselves but these were largely insignificant compared to the main conflict between Chu and Han. The war ended in 202 BCE with a total Han victory at the Battle of Gaixia, where Xiang Yu fled to Wujiang and committed suicide after a violent last stand. Liu Bang subsequently proclaimed himself Emperor and established the Han dynasty as the ruling dynasty of China.

While the Qin army was fighting Chu forces at the Battle of Julu, another rebel force led by Liu Bang advanced into the Guanzhong region, the heartland of Qin, and faced minimal resistance from Qin forces along the way. In 206 BCE, the last Qin emperor, Ziying, surrendered the capital Xianyang to Liu Bang, thus bringing an end to the Qin dynasty. Liu Bang treated Ziying respectfully and forbade his followers from harming civilians and looting the city when they occupied it. However, he was pressured into ceding the control of Guanzhong region over to Xiang Yu when the latter arrived, despite the earlier promise by King Huai that the first to invade Guanzhong would rightfully own it as fief. After Xiang seized control of the city Xianyang allowed his troops to pillage and plunder the former Qin capital, and even ordered the Epang Palace to be burnt down. He also tried to assassinate Liu Bang at the Feast of Hong Gate (who only narrowly escaped due to Xiang"s indecisiveness), and later forced Liu to relocate to the remote and underdeveloped Bashu region (present-day Chongqing and Sichuan).

In 206 BCE, after the former Qin Empire was divided into the Eighteen Kingdoms, Liu Bang was made King of Han and relocated to the Bashu region (present-day Chongqing and Sichuan) along with 30,000 troops and thousands of civilians. Upon reaching his destination, Liu Bang ordered the destruction of the gallery roads leading into Bashu in order to trick Xiang Yu into believing that he had no intention of leaving Bashu, and as a precautionary move against any attack from outside Bashu.

While Xiang Yu was away suppressing the rebellions in Qi and Zhao, Liu Bang seized the opportunity to attack the territories ruled by three former Qin generals which were collectively known as the Three Qins. He ordered his general Han Xin to pretend to repair the gallery roads leading from Bashu to the Three Qins in order to put the enemy off guard, while secretly taking another route through Chencang (present-day Chencang District, Baoji, Shaanxi) to get to the Three Qins. Han Xin took Zhang Han, the King of Yong, by surprise and defeated him in two consecutive battles.

Riding on the tide of victory, Liu Bang proceeded to conquer Longxi (the area in present-day Gansu located west of Mount Long), Beidi (北地, eastern Gansu and Ningxia) and Shangjun (上郡; around present-day Yulin, Shaanxi). He also sent his men to fetch his family in Pei (沛; in present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu). Upon receiving news of Liu Bang"s attacks, Xiang Yu sent an army to Yangjia (陽夏; present-day Taikang County, Henan) to block Liu Bang"s forces, and appointed Zheng Chang as the King of Hán to help him cover his flank.

In 205 BCE, after conquering the Guanzhong region, Liu Bang advanced to the east of Hangu Pass to prepare for an attack on the Henan region. Sima Xin, the King of Sai, Dong Yi, the King of Di, and Shen Yang, the King of Henan, surrendered to Liu Bang. Zheng Chang, the King of Hán, refused to submit to Liu Bang so Liu Bang sent Hán Xin to attack and defeat him. Liu Bang then replaced Zheng Chang with Hán Xin as the new King of Hán. Zhang Er, the former King of Changshan, joined Liu Bang after losing his domain to Zhao Xie and Chen Yu.

In the third lunar month of 205 BCE, Liu Bang attacked Henei with help from Wei Bao, the King of Western Wei. When Liu Bang received news that Xiang Yu had ordered the assassination of Emperor Yi, the nominal sovereign over the Eighteen Kingdoms, he held a memorial service for the emperor and accused Xiang Yu of committing regicide, using this incident as political propaganda to justify his war against Xiang Yu.

Meanwhile, Liu Bang had mustered an army of about 560,000 with support from the kings who surrendered to him. In the eighth lunar month of 205 BCE, the Chu capital, Pengcheng (彭城; present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu), fell to a coalition force led by Liu Bang. When Xiang Yu received news that Liu Bang had occupied Pengcheng, he led 30,000 troops to retake Pengcheng. Liu Bang was caught off guard and his army suffered heavy casualties and his family members were captured by Chu forces. After the battle, Liu Bang lost his territorial gains in Chu and the support of his allies.

After their defeat at Pengcheng, the strength of the Han forces decreased drastically. Liu Bang"s family members were captured by Chu forces and kept as hostages. Many of the kings who had surrendered to Liu Bang earlier defected to Xiang Yu"s side after Liu Bang"s defeat. Moreover, the Qi and Zhao kingdoms, which were previously at war with Chu, also requested to make peace with Chu.

Upon reaching Xiayi (下邑; east of present-day Dangshan County, Anhui), which was guarded by his brother-in-law, Liu Bang reorganised his troops for a retreat. Meanwhile, Han Xin led reinforcements from Guanzhong into the Central Plain and attacked and defeated a Chu army between Jing County (京縣) and Suo Village (索亭), both in present-day Henan.

Liu Bang then sent a messenger to meet Ying Bu, the King of Jiujiang, to persuade Ying Bu to support him. In November, after Han Xin"s victory in the battle of Jingxing (see below), Ying Bu agreed to join Liu Bang and rebelled against Xiang Yu. Upon learning about it, Xiang Yu sent Long Ju to attack Ying Bu.

In the sixth lunar month of 205 BCE, Liu Bang named his son Liu Ying as his heir apparent and put him in charge of Yueyang (櫟陽; present-day Yanliang District, Xi"an, Shaanxi). Shortly after, Han forces conquered Feiqiu (廢丘; present-day Xingping, Shaanxi), which was guarded by Zhang Han, who committed suicide after his defeat.

In 205 BCE, Wei Bao, the King of Western Wei, left Liu Bang on the pretext of visiting an ill relative and secretly returned to his domain. He pledged allegiance to Xiang Yu and rebelled against Liu Bang. Liu Bang sent Li Yiji to persuade Wei Bao to surrender but Wei Bao refused, so Liu Bang ordered Han Xin to attack Wei Bao.

In the ninth lunar month of 205 BCE, Wei Bao personally led an attack on Han Xin but lost the battle and was captured. When he surrendered, Liu Bang accepted his surrender and appointed him as a general. Within the same month, Han Xin attacked the Kingdom of Dai with support from Zhang Er, the former King of Changshan, scored a decisive victory against Dai, and captured Xia Shuo, the Dai chancellor.

In 204 BCE, after the Kingdom of Yan surrendered to him, Liu Bang made Zhang Er the new King of Zhao. Xiang Yu constantly sent his armies to attack the Kingdom of Zhao, but Han Xin and Zhang Er managed to hold their ground. Xiang Yu then turned his attention towards Xingyang, where Liu Bang was stationed. Liu Bang was forced to retreat to Chenggao, but he eventually abandoned Chenggao and headed north of the Yellow River to where Han Xin was. In a surprise move, Liu Bang seized control over the troops under Han Xin"s command and ordered Han Xin to attack the Kingdom of Qi.

Just as Han Xin was preparing to attack Qi, Liu Bang sent Li Yiji to persuade Tian Guang, the King of Qi, to surrender. He did not inform Han Xin of this. Tian Guang decided to surrender so he ordered to withdraw from Lixia (歷下; present-day Jinan, Shandong). However, as Han Xin did not know that Tian Guang had the intention of surrendering, he followed Kuai Tong"s advice and launched an attack on Qi. Han Xin conquered Lixia and attacked the Qi capital, Linzi. Tian Guang thought that Li Yiji had lied to him so he had Li Yiji boiled alive. Then, he retreated to Gaomi and requested aid from Xiang Yu. In the meantime, Han Xin conquered Linzi and continued to pursue the retreating Qi forces to Gaomi.

After his victory, Han Xin swiftly took control of the Qi territories and then sent a messenger to Liu Bang, requesting that Liu Bang make him the new King of Qi. At the time, Liu Bang was under attack by Xiang Yu in Xingyang and was eagerly awaiting reinforcements from Han Xin. He was furious when he received Han Xin"s request. However, he eventually acted on the advice of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, and reluctantly approved Han Xin"s request. At the same time, Xiang Yu felt worried after losing Long Ju, so he sent Wu She to attempt to persuade Han Xin to rebel against Liu Bang and declare himself king. However, despite Kuai Tong"s urging, Han Xin refused to betray Liu Bang. Han Xin later organised an army to move southward and attack Xiang Yu.

On the southern front, Liu Bang"s forces started building supply routes from Xingyang to Aocang (敖倉; northwest of Xingyang, Henan). In 204 BCE, after sustaining losses from Chu attacks on the routes, the Han army ran short of supplies. Liu Bang negotiated for peace with Xiang Yu and agreed to cede the lands east of Xingyang to Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu wanted to accept Liu Bang"s offer, but Fan Zeng advised him to reject and use the opportunity to destroy Liu Bang. Xiang Yu changed his mind, pressed the attack on Xingyang and besieged Liu Bang"s forces inside the city. Liu Bang heeded Chen Ping"s suggestion to bribe Xiang Yu"s men with 40,000 catties of gold for them to spread rumours that Fan Zeng had the intention of betraying Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu fell for the ruse and dismissed Fan Zeng.

In late 204 BCE, while Xiang Yu was away suppressing the rebellion in the Kingdom of Qi, Li Yiji had advised Liu Bang to use the opportunity to attack Xiang Yu. Han forces conquered Chenggao and defeated the Chu army led by Cao Jiu near the Si River. Liu Bang"s forces advanced further until they reached Guangwu (廣武; present-day Guangwu Town, Xingyang, Henan). Chu forces led by Zhongli Mo were trapped by the Han army at the east of Xingyang. Following Han Xin"s victory in the Battle of Wei River, the Chu army"s morale fell and it ran short of supplies months later. Xiang Yu had no choice but to request to make peace with Liu Bang and release Liu Bang"s family members, who were held hostage by him. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang agreed to a ceasefire at the Treaty of Hong Canal, which divided China into east and west under the Chu and Han domains respectively.

In 203 BCE, while Xiang Yu was retreating eastward, Liu Bang, acting on the advice of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, renounced the Treaty of Hong Canal and ordered an attack on Xiang Yu. He also requested assistance from Han Xin and Peng Yue to attack Xiang Yu simultaneously from three directions. However, as Han Xin and Peng Yue did not mobilise their troops, Liu Bang was defeated by Xiang Yu at Guling (固陵; south of present-day Taikang County, Henan). He retreated and reinforced his defences. At the same time, he sent messengers to meet Han Xin and Peng Yue again, promising them land and titles if they joined him in attacking Xiang Yu.

Three months later, in 202 BCE, Liu Bang, Han Xin and Peng Yue attacked Xiang Yu from three directions. Xiang Yu"s army ran low on supplies and were trapped in Gaixia (垓下; southeast of present-day Lingbi County, Anhui). Han Xin ordered his troops to sing Chu folk songs to create a false impression that Chu had fallen to Han forces. The Chu army"s morale plummeted and many soldiers deserted.

After Xiang Yu"s death, the rest of the Kingdom of Chu surrendered to the Kingdom of Han, and China was unified under Han rule. Liu Bang granted Peng Yue, Ying Bu and Han Xin the titles of King of Liang, King of Huainan and King of Chu respectively. Months later, at the urging of his followers and vassals, Liu Bang declared himself emperor and established the Han dynasty as the ruling dynasty in China. The imperial capital was at Luoyang but later moved to Chang"an (present-day Xi"an, Shaanxi). Liu Bang made his wife Lü Zhi empress and his eldest son Liu Ying crown prince.

Although Liu Bang initially handsomely rewarded subjects who helped him become emperor, he gradually became suspicious of them and started to doubt their loyalties. Han Xin was demoted from King of Chu to Marquis of Huaiyin in late 202 BCE, and was subsequently arrested and executed by Empress Lü in 196 BCE for allegedly plotting a rebellion with Chen Xi. In the same year, Liu Bang believed rumours that Peng Yue was also involved in the plot, so he demoted Peng Yue to the status of a commoner. Peng Yue and his family members were subsequently executed by Empress Lü.

Feast at Swan Goose Gate (鴻門宴), used figuratively to refer to an ostensibly joyous occasion which is actually a dangerous trap. It originated from an incident in 206 BCE when Xiang Yu invited Liu Bang to attend a feast while secretly planning to assassinate Liu Bang during the feast. The saying "Xiang Zhuang performs a sword dance with his attention directed towards the Duke of Pei" (項莊舞劍，意在沛公) also originated from this event. It is used figuratively to refer to a person"s action being a veiled attack on another person.

Beauties of the Emperor is a 2012 Chinese television series produced by Yu Zheng. It romanticises the life stories of Liu Bang and Xiang Yu (played by Luo Jin and Ming Dow respectively), with the focus on Liu Bang"s wife Lü Zhi (played by Joe Chen), who loves and desires both of the two men.

action RPG. The protagonist is the former Qin crown prince Fusu. He witnesses how the Qin dynasty becomes corrupted by Qin Er Shi and Zhao Gao, and decides to help Liu Bang and Xiang Yu overthrow the dynasty.

This article is about the Western Han dynasty emperor. For the Later Han emperor, see Liu Zhiyuan. For the mythological Chinese ruler also known as Emperor Gaozu Zhuanxu, see Zhuanxu. For other uses, see Gaozu.

Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BCLiu Bang (Chinese: 劉邦; pinyin: Liú Bāng) with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emperor Gao, or Gaodi; "Gaozu of Han", derived from the

Liu Bang was one of the few dynasty founders in Chinese history who was born into a peasant family.Qin dynasty as a minor law enforcement officer in his home town Pei County, within the conquered state of Chu. With the First Emperor"s death and the Qin Empire"s subsequent political chaos, Liu Bang renounced his civil service position and became an anti-Qin rebel leader. He won the race against fellow rebel leader Xiang Yu to invade the Qin heartland and forced the surrender of the Qin ruler Ziying in 206 BC.

After the fall of the Qin, Xiang Yu, as the de facto chief of the rebel forces, divided the former Qin Empire into the Eighteen Kingdoms, and Liu Bang was forced to accept the poor and remote Bashu region (present-day Sichuan, Chongqing, and southern Shaanxi) with the title "King of Han". Within the year, Liu Bang broke out with his army and conquered the Three Qins, starting a civil war known as the Chu–Han Contention as various forces battled for supremacy over China.

In 202 BC, Liu Bang emerged victorious following the Battle of Gaixia, unified most of China under his control, and established the Han dynasty with himself as the founding emperor. During his reign, Liu Bang reduced taxes and corvée, promoted Confucianism, and suppressed revolts by the lords of non-Liu vassal states, among many other actions. He also initiated the policy of Xiongnu after losing the Battle of Baideng in 200 BCE. He died in 195 BCE and was succeeded by his son, Liu Ying.

Liu Bang was born during the late years of the Warring States period;Liu Taigong" (劉太公; lit. "Old Sir Liu") and "Liu Ao" (劉媪; lit. "Old Madam Liu")中陽里) (Feng (丰邑) district, Pei County (沛縣)) in the state of Chu.

According to records, the young Liu was outspoken, charismatic, generous, and forbearing, but he had little interest in education or workZhang Er (Chinese: 張耳, ?–202 BCE), the magistrate of the nearby Waihuang County and former retainer of Lord Xinling. Liu lived with Zhang Er for several months,conquest of Chu by Qin.

Liu returned to Pei County. His close friends at the county office, Xiao He and Cao Shen, hid his delinquent behaviour and helped him to be appointed as the local sheriff (亭長) at Sishui Pavilion (泗水亭). Liu Bang forged close relationships with most of the local county bureaucrats, and earned a small reputation in the district. While performing statute labour in Xianyang, the Qin capital, he witnessed Qin Shi Huang undertaking an inspection tour; the royal procession impressed Liu.

Liu"s wife, Lü Zhi, was the daughter of Lü Wen (呂文), a wealthy and influential gentry from Shanfu County. After moving to Pei County, Lü Wen held a feast for the local elite. Xiao He, who helped to collect gifts from the guests, declared that a seat inside the hall required gifts worth at least a thousand coins. Liu attended the feast without money, and made an offer of ten thousand coins which Xiao He realized was not serious. Nonetheless, Lü had Liu seated beside him based on appearance alone. Lü, further impressed by Liu in conversation, offered his daughter in marriage. Liu and Lü Zhi were married and had two children, Liu Ying (the future Emperor Hui) and the future Princess Yuan of Lu.

Liu was responsible for escorting a group of penal laborers to the construction site of the First Emperor"s mausoleum at Mount Li. During the journey, some prisoners escaped; under Qin law, allowing prisoners to escape was punishable by death. Rather than face justice, Liu freed the remaining prisoners and fled. Liu was joined by some of the grateful ex-prisoners, and he became their leader. They took over an abandoned stronghold on Mount Mangdang. Liu secretly remained in contact with some old friends, including Xiao He and Cao Shen in Pei County.

According to the legend of the "Uprising of the Slaying of the White Serpent" (Chinese: 斬白蛇起義), Liu"s ascension to rulership was prophesied after becoming an outlaw. In the legend, a gigantic white serpent killed some of the outlaws with its poisonous breath; the serpent was killed by a drunk Liu during the night. The next morning, the outlaws encountered an old woman along the road; when asked why she was crying she mysteriously disappeared after replying: "My child, the White Emperor"s son, has been slain by the son of the Red Emperor." Liu"s reputation grew among his followers, who became convinced of his destiny.

In 209 BCE, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang started the anti-Qin Dazexiang Uprising. The magistrate of Pei County considered joining the rebellion, and – on the advice of Xiao He and Cao Shen – invited Liu"s group to the county to support him; the invitation was transmitted by Fan Kuai, Liu"s brother-in-law. However, the magistrate changed his mind and rescinded the offer; he also ordered Xiao and Cao to be killed lest they open the gates for Liu, but they escaped and joined Liu. On Xiao"s advice, Liu secured the aid of commoners from the county beside Pei through written appeals delivered by arrows fired across the border. Peasants responded by killing the Pei County magistrate and welcoming Liu"s return. Liu became known as the self-styled "Duke of Pei" (沛公).

In 208 BC, the Qin empire faced rebellions that sought to restore the states conquered during the wars of unification. In Wu County, the uprising of Xiang Liang – a commoner and son of a Chu general – installed Xiong Xin as "King Huai II" (楚後懷王) of Chu. Liu joined Xiang Liang"s uprising. After Xiang Liang was killed at the Battle of Dingtao, Huai II sent Xiang Yu – Xiang Liang"s nephew – and minister Song Yi to lead an army to reinforce the Zhao state against the attacking Qin.

Liu Bang was made "Marquis of Wu"an" (武安侯) and ordered to lead an army against Guanzhong in the Qin heartland. Huai II promised to grant rulership of Guanzhong as "King of Guanzhong" to whoever entered the region first. In 206 BC, Liu Bang won the race to Guanzhong over Xiang and arrived outside Xianyang, the Qin capital. The last Qin ruler, Ziying, surrendered the city without resistance. Liu"s occupation policies were informed by Fan Kuai – now his bodyguard – and Zhang Liang – his strategist. Troops were forbidden from mistreating the population and looting. The harsh Qin laws were abolished; murder, robbery and burglary remained subject to strict punishments. Order was quickly restored in the city, and Liu won the respect of the Guanzhong population. Xiao He ordered the collection of all legal documents in the Qin palace and government facilities for preservation.

A Western Han female dancer in silk robes, 2nd century BC, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Xiang Zhuang intended to assassinate Liu Bang by pretending to do a sword dance

Xiang Yu disliked losing the race to Guanzhong. On the advice of Fan Zeng – his advisor – and Cao Wushang (曹無傷) – an informer from Liu"s camp – Xiang Yu planned to hold a banquet in which to assassinate Liu. Xiang Yu was persuaded by Xiang Bo, his uncle and a close friend of Zhang Liang, not to order the assassination during the banquet. Frustrated by the indecision, Fan Zeng ordered Xiang Zhuang, Xiang Yu"s cousin, to perform and kill Liu during a sword dance, but this was stymied by Xiang Bo joining the dance and protecting Liu. Zhang Liang slipped away and summoned Fan Kuai, who arrived at the banquet in full armor and scolded Xiang Yu for the sinister plot. Embarrassed by Fan Kuai"s accusation, Xiang Yu ordered the sword dance to stop and rewarded Fan Kuai for his bravery. Liu Bang escaped Xiang Yu"s camp after pretending to go to the latrine, and then led his army westward. Xiang Yu then sacked Xianyang and burned the Epang Palace.

After occupying Xianyang, Xiang Yu proclaimed himself the "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" and split the former Qin Empire into the Eighteen Kingdoms. He gave Guanzhong to three former Qin generals – Zhang Han, Sima Xin and Dong Yi – instead of to Liu. Liu received the isolated Bashu region (Sichuan Basin and upper Han River valley), then a place used for exiling prisoners, as Xiang Yu claimed that Bashu was part of Guanzhong. Zhang Liang, who was leaving for his native state of Han, negotiated a better arrangement on Liu"s behalf after bribing Xiang Yu through Xiang Bo. To Liu, Xiang Yu added Nanzheng, the surrounding rift valley region around the (then) middle Han River, and the title of "King of Han".

Liu"s army was escorted across the Qinling Mountains by a detachment of Xiang Yu"s army. On Zhang Liang"s advice, Liu burned the gallery roads behind him to prevent attack by Xiang Yu, and to reassure Xiang Yu that he would not return.

From 206 to 202 BC, Liu Bang engaged Xiang Yu in a power struggle – historically known as the Chu–Han contention – for supremacy over China, while simultaneously attacking and subjugating the other kingdoms.

Liu Bang"s migration into Nanzheng was far from pleasant – his followers were mostly from the Wu and Chu flatland regions and adapted poorly in the mountainous Bashu lands, and deserters grew on a daily basis. Liu Bang also grew temperamental, as he was very unhappy with his own predicament. One night, rumor arrived that Xiao He also disappeared, and Liu Bang almost had a nervous breakdown. When Xiao He returned the following morning, Liu Bang furiously confronted him and demanded an explanation. Xiao He revealed that he was in a rush chasing back an extremely talented military strategist named Han Xin, who was then merely a low-ranking officer only recently recruited into Liu Bang"s army. Xiao He then introduced Liu Bang to Han Xin, who laid out his strategic plan to conquer the states. Impressed and convinced, Liu Bang formally assigned Han Xin as the supreme commander of his army.

Meanwhile, Xiang Yu"s overbearing and arbitrary handling over the enfeoffments created much anger among the rebel leaders. Merely four months after Liu Bang"s departure into Bashu, a rebellion broke out in the Qi kingdom in late 206 BCE, and Xiang Yu left Western Chu to suppress the revolt. Under Han Xin"s advise, Liu Bang sent men to pretend trying to repair the previously burnt gallery roads, drawing away the attention of the Three Qins. At the same time, Han Xin used the distraction to invade Guanzhong unexpectedly via Chencang, and quickly defeated Zhang Han in a surprise attack. Following that, Sima Xin and Dong Yi both surrendered to Liu Bang, and by August or September 205 BC the Three Qins became part of Liu"s Kingdom of Han.

With Xiang Yu occupied to the east, Liu Bang collected a force of 560,000 troops from his subordinate lands, and marched east to attack Western Chu. En route, he encountered Peng Yue, who joined his cause upon promise of a fiefdom in Wei. As opposed to combining forces, Liu Bang sent Peng Yue"s 30,000 troops to pacify the surrounding area. Liu Bang"s army entered Xiang Yu"s capital of Pengcheng apparently unopposed, looting its valuables and taking its women, but discipline had become lax and each day found the Han troops deeper in their cups.

Hearing of the fall of Pengcheng, Xiang Yu ordered the bulk of his forces to maintain the attack on Qi, while he personally led 30,000 crack troops to retake the capital. He encamped about ten miles from a city in present-day Xiao County, Anhui, and launched an attack on Pengcheng at dawn, and by noon had routed the unprepared Han army, driving them into the nearby Gu and Si Rivers, where over 100,000 men drowned or were killed by Chu soldiers. The remaining Han troops fled south to high ground, but were cornered by Chu forces by the Sui River, where another 100,000 drowned, their corpses damming up the river.

Liu Bang escaped the city with a handful of mounted bodyguards, heading to nearby Pei to collect his family. Xiang Yu also dispatched troops to Pei in an attempt to capture Liu Bang"s family. His family had all fled, but Liu Bang encountered on the road his eldest daughter and second eldest son Liu Ying. The Chu army coerced a local into leading them to capture two of Liu Bang"s family as hostages: his father Liu Taigong and wife Lü Zhi. One account states Liu Bang"s mother was also captured. The Xiahou Ying that secures the children"s escape.

After the disastrous defeat at Pengcheng, the strength of the Han forces decreased drastically. Many of the kings who had surrendered to Liu Bang earlier had also defected to Xiang Yu"s side. Moreover, the Qi and Zhao kingdoms, which were previously at war with Chu, also requested to make peace with Chu.

Upon reaching Xiayi (下邑; east of present-day Dangshan County, Suzhou, Anhui), which was defended by his brother-in-law, Liu Bang reorganised his troops for a retreat. When he arrived at Yu (虞; present-day Yucheng County, Shangqiu, Henan), he sent an envoy to meet Ying Bu (King of Jiujiang) to appeal for support. Ying Bu, who held a grudge over Xiang Yu"s unfair enfeoffment over the Eighteen Kingdoms, agreed to join Liu Bang and rebelled against Western Chu. Xiang Yu responded by sending Long Ju to attack Ying Bu.

In 205 BC, Liu Bang named his son Liu Ying as his crown prince and ordered him to defend Yueyang. Shortly after, Han forces conquered Feiqiu (廢丘; present-day Xingping, Shaanxi), which was guarded by Zhang Han, who committed suicide after his defeat. On another front, Ying Bu was unable to defeat Long Ju so he gave up on Jiujiang and went to join Liu Bang. Liu Bang reorganised his army, which now included reinforcements from Guanzhong (sent by Xiao He) and Han Xin"s troops, and attacked Chu at Jing County (京縣; around present-day Xingyang, Zhengzhou, Henan) and Suoting (索亭; near present-day Xingyang, Henan). He emerged victorious, and drove Xiang Yu"s forces east of Xingyang.

In 204 BC, after sustaining losses from Chu attacks on the newly built supply routes from Xingyang, the Han army was running short of supplies. Liu Bang negotiated for an armistice with Xiang Yu and agreed to cede the lands east of Xingyang to Western Chu. Xiang Yu wanted to accept Liu Bang"s offer, but Fan Zeng advised him to reject it and use the opportunity to destroy Liu Bang. Xiang Yu changed his mind, pressed the attack on Xingyang and besieged Liu Bang"s forces inside the city. Liu Bang heeded Chen Ping"s suggestion to bribe Xiang Yu"s men with 40,000 catties of gold for them to spread rumours

Later that year, while Xiang Yu was away suppressing the rebellion in the Qi kingdom, Li Yiji advised Liu Bang to use the opportunity to attack Western Chu. Han forces conquered Chenggao and defeated the Chu army led by Cao Jiu near the Si River. Liu Bang"s forces advanced further until they reached Guangwu (廣武). Chu forces led by Zhongli Mo were trapped by the Han army at the east of Xingyang. Following Han Xin"s victory in the Battle of Wei River, the Chu army"s morale fell and it ran short of supplies months later. Xiang Yu had no choice but to request to make peace with Liu Bang and released Liu"s family members, who were held hostage by him. Chu and Han agreed to a ceasefire at the Treaty of Hong Canal (鴻溝和約), which divided China into east and west under their respective domains.

In 203 BC, while Xiang Yu was retreating eastward, Liu Bang, acting on the advice of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, renounced the Treaty of Hong Canal and ordered an attack on Western Chu. He also requested assistance from Han Xin and Peng Yue to attack Xiang Yu simultaneously from three directions. However, Han Xin and Peng Yue did not mobilise their troops and Liu Bang was defeated by Xiang Yu at Guling (固陵; south of present-day Taikang County, Zhoukou, Henan), and was forced to retreat and reinforce his defences. At the same time, he sent messengers to meet Han Xin and Peng Yue again, and promised to give them land and titles if they joined him in attacking Xiang Yu, and they finally agreed.

Three months later in 202 BC, Han forces led by Liu Bang, Han Xin and Peng Yue attacked Western Chu from three directions. The Chu army was running low on supplies and Xiang Yu was trapped in Gaixia. Han Xin ordered his troops to sing Chu folk songs to create a false impression that the Chu homeland had fallen to Han forces. The Chu army"s morale plummeted and many soldiers deserted.He County, Chaohu City, Anhui). He made a last stand and managed to slay several hundred Han soldiers before eventually committing suicide.

In 202 BCE, Liu Bang was enthroned as the emperor with support from his subjects even though he expressed reluctance to take the throne. He named his dynasty "Han", and was historically known as "Emperor Gaozu" (or "Emperor Gao"). He established the capital in Luoyang (later moved to Chang"an) and instated his official spouse Lü Zhi as the empress and their son Liu Ying as the crown prince.

The following year, Emperor Gaozu wanted to reward his subjects who had contributed to the founding of the Han Empire, but the process dragged on for a year because they could not agree on the distribution of the rewards. The emperor thought that Xiao He"s contributions were the greatest, so he awarded Xiao the title "Marquis of Zan" and gave him the largest amount of food stores. Some of the others expressed objections because they thought that Xiao was not directly involved in battle so his contributions should not be considered the greatest. Emperor Gaozu replied that Xiao He should receive the highest credit because he planned their overall strategy in the war against Xiang Yu.Cao Shen as the person who made the greatest contributions in battle and rewarded him and the others accordingly.

In his later years, Emperor Gaozu favoured Concubine Qi and neglected Empress Lü Zhi. He thought that Liu Ying, his heir apparent (born to the empress), was too weak to be a ruler. Thus, he had the intention of replacing Liu Ying with another son, Liu Ruyi, who was born to Concubine Qi. Lü Zhi became worried, so she asked Zhang Liang to help her son maintain his position. Zhang Liang recommended four reclusive wise men, the Four Whiteheads of Mount Shang, to help Liu Ying.

In 195 BC as Emperor Gaozu"s health started to worsen, he desired even more to replace Liu Ying with Liu Ruyi as the crown prince. Zhang Liang tried to dissuade him but was ignored, so he retired on the excuse that he was ill. Shusun Tong (the crown prince"s tutor) and Zhou Chang also strongly objected to the emperor"s decision to replace Liu Ying with Liu Ruyi. Zhou Chang said, "I am not good in arguing, but I know this is not right. If Your Majesty deposes the Crown Prince, I won"t follow your orders any more."

The Xiongnu in the north had been a threat since the Qin dynasty. Qin Shi Huang had sent the general Meng Tian to oversee the defences on the Qin Empire"s northern border and the construction of the Great Wall to repel the invaders. Meng Tian achieved success in deterring the Xiongnu from advancing beyond the border. However, after the Qin dynasty collapsed, the Xiongnu seized the opportunity to move south and raid the border again. In 201 BCE, Hán Xin (King of Hán) defected to the Xiongnu leader, Modu. In the following year, Emperor Gaozu led an army to attack the Xiongnu but was besieged and trapped by the enemy at the Battle of Baideng.Chen Ping"s advice, he bribed Modu"s wife with gifts and got her to ask her husband to withdraw his forces. Modu did so. After returning to the capital, Emperor Gaozu, acting on advice from Liu (Lou) Jing, initiated the policy of

Emperor Gaozu"s health deteriorated later so Empress Lü Zhi hired a famous physician to heal him. When Emperor Gaozu enquired about his condition, the physician told him that his illness could be cured, but the emperor was displeased and he scolded the physician, "Isn"t it Heaven"s will that I managed to conquer this empire in simple clothing and with nothing but a sword? My life is determined by Heaven. It is useless even if Bian Que is here!" He refused to continue with the treatment and sent the physician away. Before his death, he said that Cao Shen could succeed Xiao He as the chancellor after Xiao died, and that Wang Ling could succeed Cao Shen. He also said that Wang Ling might be too young to perform his duties so Chen Ping could assist Wang, but Chen was also qualified to assume the responsibilities of a chancellor all by himself. He also named Zhou Bo as a possible candidate for the role of Grand Commandant. He died in Changle Palace (長樂宮), Chang"an, on 1 June 195 BCE and was succeeded by Liu Ying, who became historically known as Emperor Hui.

The Song of the Great Wind is a song composed by Liu Bang in 195 BC when he visited his hometown in Pei County after suppressing Ying Bu"s rebellion. He prepared a banquet and invited all his old friends and townsfolk to join him. After some drinks, Liu Bang played the guqin and sang the Song of the Great Wind.

Liu Bang is one of the 32 historical figures who appear as special characters in the video game Koei. His life story has also been dramatized in numerous TV series and films (see Chu–Han Contention#Cultural references).

According to Liu Bang"s biography in Book of Han, he was crowned emperor on the jiawu day of the 2nd month of the 5th year of his reign (including his tenure as King of Han). This corresponds to 28 Feb 202 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar.

According to Liu Bang"s biography in Book of Han, he was created King of Han in the 2nd month of the 1st year of his reign (including his tenure as King of Han). This corresponds to 12 Mar to 10 Apr 206 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar.

According to Liu Bang"s biography in Book of Han, he died on the jiachen day of the 4th month of the 12th year of his reign (including his tenure as King of Han). This corresponds to 1 Jun 195 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar.

Note that the Chinese character "媪" (ǎo) was not the personal name of Liu"s mother. It was used as a formal way of addressing an old woman at the time. See the definition of 媪.

“The two most far-sighted and influential political figures in the history of mankind,” wrote the British historian Arnold Toynbee, “are Caesar, who founded the Roman Empire, and Liu Bang, who founded the Han Empire.”

Yet it is undeniable that some individuals do change the course of history through sheer force of will – not to mention a remarkable degree of luck. Such a person was Liu Bang, who rose from obscurity to be crowned emperor of China 2215 years ago this month on the 28th of February, 202 BCE.

As founder of the Han dynasty, Liu Bang also became the symbolic father of the Han people. One fifth of the world’s population now self-identifies as “Han Chinese.” His legacy, then, is a multifaceted one. In the popular imagination in the West, the present-day People’s Republic tends to be regarded as antithetical to the imperial system that preceded it. Yet it is interesting to reflect on the continuities in leadership and culture that persisted across revolutions and upheavals – and on the fact that the founder of China’s greatest imperial dynasty was, like Mao, a commoner.

As with many dynastic founders, it is difficult to separate the truth about Liu Bang—or the Emperor Gaozu of Han, as he came to be known—from the legendary tales about his life and character that proliferated in posthumous histories of his reign. This process of myth-making was initiated by Liu Bang himself upon his ascension to the Dragon Throne. From the chronicles of his reign, we learn that he had a “dragon-like” face, sported an auspicious pattern of moles on his left thigh, and that a glowing dragon appeared in a rainstorm during his mother’s pregnancy as a harbinger of his greatness.

Today, what stands out about Liu Bang’s story is not only his immense importance as a founder of famous dynasty and shaper of Chinese culture, but also his humble origins: Liu Bang was born a peasant. Thus few details about his life before becoming emperor exist.

Whereas his great rival for the throne, Xiang Yu, hailed from an ancient family of patrician military leaders, Liu was an unknown. He was born in a small village in the present-day Jiangsu province on the eastern coast of China. Home to canals, fisherfolk and small-hold farmers, it was a peripheral region relatively far from the centers of power at Xi’an and the North China Plain.

Sources differ on Liu’s temperament as a child: he is variously described as good-natured, slothful, charismatic, and mediocre. His parents’, likewise, are a cipher; even their names are unknown, although they were granted respectful titles upon his coronation (“Sir Liu” and “Madam Liu”). They were farmers, working the rice paddies that stretched out from the Yellow River northward over the low swamplands of Jiangsu.

In his late twenties, however, Liu improved his condition by passing the civil service exam—high marks on government tests were a powerful engine of upward mobility in China, then and today— and he became a minor provincial official. By this time, it would seem, his personal qualities were becoming apparent: Liu married well above his social station, to Lü Zhi, the daughter of a wealthy country gentleman.

By his forties, Liu seems to have become a popular local political figure, noted for his magnanimous nature. But he was not a particularly powerful man. There were thousands like him, local magistrates whose tax-collecting and governance allowed the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi, to sustain his rule.

The event that would change Liu’s life converged in a fascinating way with the vast mausoleum of terracotta soldiers for which Emperor Qin is most famed today. Liu was charged with escorting a group of prisoners to the mausoleum, where they would toil at its construction. By this time, the misrule of Qin’s feckless son had resulted in widespread peasant revolts, and it seems Liu decided to take common cause with his own prisoners, becoming an outlaw and rebel himself.

The story of how Liu gained the throne is incredibly complex, and involves a series of double-dealings between the peasant leader and the man who was widely predicted to become the next emperor, the young nobleman and general Xiang Yu. Despite their vastly different upbringings, the two men had much in common: both scorned books, learning and historical precedent, and both were wildly ambitious. “Books are only useful in helping me remember my name,” Xiang had boasted as a youth. “Mastering swordsmanship allows me to face only one opponent, so it’s not worth learning. I want to learn how to defeat 10,000 enemies.” Liu appears to have shared this sentiment, and the two rebel leaders were initially friends and allies.

This all changed, however, as the rebel forces won a number of victories, and by the time they were encamped outside Xi’an, the Qin capitol, a tense stand-off took place between the supporters of Xiang and Liu. On a dramatic night worthy of a Shakespearian tragedy, the two men and their supporters held an elaborate banquet known as the Feast at Hong Gate at which both had made plans to execute the other.

Liu Bang narrowly avoided his own assassination and fled with his army. Four years later, in 202 BCE, Xiang lay dead by his own hand, clearing the path for Liu to ascend the throne. He was the first peasant to found a Chinese imperial dynasty, and indeed one of the only imperial founders in history from such humble origins.

As emperor, Liu cannily played upon his identity as a farmer and common man, and became famed for his earthy and rustic ways. “Make it simple,” he was famously said to have ordered his chamberlain, when asked about the implementation of courtly etiquette. He lowered taxes on farmers and encouraged peaceful trade, but spent much of the rest of his life quashing rebellions in distant frontier regions to the north and west of the Han heartlands. By his death, the empire had expanded to become one of the largest in history up to that point.

To be sure, Liu was by no means a perfect ruler. Intrigues surrounding him and his numerous family members have been memorialized in a number of sordid stories, the worst of which involve the infighting between his consorts and children at court. (One particularly appalling, and perhaps apocryphal, account holds that Liu’s first wife amputated the limbs of his favorite mistress and forced her to wallow in a pigsty).

What is really important about Liu today, though, isn’t his character, his family or even the specifics of his reign. He was a world-historical figure, as Toynbee noted, and his larger importance stems from the enormous historical changes his reign set in motion. At its greatest extent, the Han empire pushed westward into the Turkic and Iranian western steppes of Asia, a world that we usually regard as separate from China. It was in this time that the Roman empire became aware of China, calling it ‘Seres,’ the land of silk (the Chinese called Rome ‘Da Qin,’ and seem to have regarded it as a sort of western mirror image of the Middle Kingdom). Liu Bang’s reign initiated the cultural connections and long-distance trade that brought about the Silk Road and, at a more distant historical remove, our own contemporary era of globalization.

Liu Bang (256–195 BC), also called Emperor Gaozu when he ruled, was the first emperor of the Han Dynasty from 202 BC till his death. Rising from a humble peasant background, he become an outstanding politician, strategist, and finally emperor. He made great contributions to the development of the Han people and its culture.

Liu Bang was born to a peasant family in 256 in Fenyu Village (枌榆社), Zhongyang Township (中陽里), Feng County (豐邑) in the state of Chu during the late years of the Warring States Period (475–221 BC).

The young Liu Bang was outspoken, charismatic and of great generosity and forbearance. However, he enjoyed loafing, disliked reading, didn’t show any interest in farming and manual labour, and frequently ran into trouble with the law.

Liu Bang rose in rebellion against the Qin Empire in the late Qin Dynasty. He conquered territories and defeated rival armies to emerge as the Emperor of the Han Empire in 202 BC. He established the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) that lasted for over 400 years, the longest dynasty in the history of China.

After the tyrannical rule of the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang’s rule allowed more freedom. He showed particular concern for reviving the rural economy and for lightening the tax burden on the peasants.

Liu Bang inherited a large empire and the foundation of imperial rule laid by the Qin court. He utilized a standardized written language for the whole empire that had been promulgated by the previous system.

The Song of the Great Wind was a song composed by Liu Bang in 195 BC when he visited his hometown in Pei County after suppressing a rebellion. He prepared a banquet and invited all his old friends and townsfolk to join him. After some drinks, Liu Bang played the

Liu Bang was often thought to have the semblance of a dragon. The dragon is an important symbol in China. In the Chinese zodiac, it symbolizes power, nobility, honor, luck, and success.

According to legend, it is said that Liu Bang encountered a snake as it got in his way in the wild, and he cut it into two halves with his sword. An old woman told people that she saw a dragon killing a snake in the wild so people believed that Liu Bang was the incarnation of the Dragon. According to another legend, it is said that Liu Ao (mother of Liu Bang) bore Liu Bang by dreaming of copulating with a dragon.

Liu Bang was wounded by a stray arrow during the campaign against Ying Bu. He became seriously ill and remained in his inner chambers for a long period of time. He died in Changle Palace (長樂宮) on June 1, 195 BC and was succeeded by his son Liu Ying, who became historically known as Emperor Hui.

Cai Bang-cheng, Lu Gen-fa, Han Shang-fu, et al. Evaluation studies on the economic sustainable development of Jiangsu Province [J]. China Environmental Science, 2006, 26(4): 496–499 (in Chinese).

Xiao He 蕭何 (died 193 BCE) was a counsellor or emperor Han Gaozu 漢高祖 (r. 206-195 BCE), the founder of the Former Han dynasty 前漢 (206 BC-8 CE). In his early years he acted as a jail overseer (yuli 獄吏) in the district of Peixian 沛縣. In 209 he became a follower of Liu Bang 劉邦, the eventual Emperor Gaozu, in his rebellion against the Qin dynasty 秦 (221-206 BC). After the conquest of the capital of Qin, Xianyang 咸陽, when everybody ran through the palace and looted gold, silver and other precious objects, Xiao He was the only person caring for the imperial archives. He secured laws and regulations, household register and any reports about the local situation of the empire for Liu Bang, a booty that proved to be more important than anything else for the administration of the future Han dynasty. In 206, when the hegemonial king Xiang Yu 項羽 distributed the regions of the empire among the victors, Liu Bang was invested as king of the remote region of the Han River 漢 valley. Yet Xiao He, his Counsellor-in-chief (cheng 丞) perceived how important it was to secure this region, as well as Shu 蜀 and Ba 巴 (the later province of Sichuan), and the region of the so-called Three Qin 三秦 (south of the modern province of Shaanxi), the old heart of the empire. Liu Band was also, according to Xiao He"s suggestion, to attract competent advisors and to exert a benevolent government in order to gain the support of the population. He also introduced the competent general Han Xin 韓信 to Liu Bang who played an important role in the war against Xiang Yu. The region of Qin was important for the supply of Liu Bang"s armies, especially after the defeats of Xingyang 滎陽 and Chenggao 成臯. For this high merits Xiao He was not only made Counsellor-in-chief after Liu Bang"s accession to the imperial throne in 202, but also given the title of Marquis of Zan 酇. He has been granted the posthumous title of Marquis Wenzhong of Zan 酇文終侯. As an imperial counsellor, Xiao He revised the Qin law and created a new codex of nine chapters, the Jiuzhang lü 九章律. In 196, Xiao he was granted the title of national Counsellor-in-chief (xiangguo 相國) for his plot to arrest the rebellious Han Xin. After the death of emperor Gaozu, Xiao He was very sick and suggested making Cao Shen 曹參 his successor. He died as chief counsellor of Emperor Hui 漢惠帝 (r. 195-188 BCE).

Source: Zhang Lie 張烈 (1992), "Xiao He 蕭何", in Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史 (Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), Vol. 2, p. 1310.

The Chu–Han Contention (206–202 BC) was an interregnum between the Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty in Chinese history. Following the collapse of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu split the former Qin Empire into the Eighteen Kingdoms. Two prominent contending powers, Western Chu and Han, emerged from these principalities and engaged in a struggle for supremacy over China. Western Chu was led by Xiang Yu, while the Han leader was Liu Bang. During this period of time, several minor kings from the Eighteen Kingdoms also fought battles against each other. These battles were independent of the main conflict between Chu and Han. The war ended with total victory for Han, after which Liu Bang proclaimed himself "Emperor of China" and established the Han Dynasty.

In 221 BC, the Qin state unified China by conquering the six other major states and established the Qin Dynasty. However, the dynasty lasted 16 years only as its rule was extremely unpopular due to its oppressive policies. In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led the Daze Village Uprising to overthrow Qin. Although the uprising was crushed, several other rebellions erupted consecutively all around China over the next three years. Many rebel forces claimed to be restoring the former six states and numerous pretenders to the thrones of the states emerged, resulting in the formation of many insurgent states. In 206 BC, the last Qin emperor Ziying surrendered to Liu Bang, bringing an end to the Qin Dynasty.

During the division of the Eighteen Kingdoms, Xiang Yu appointed some rebel generals as vassal kings, even though these generals were subordinates of other lords, who should rightfully be the kings instead. Besides, the Guanzhong region was granted to three surrendered Qin generals, even though the land was rightfully Liu Bang"s, according to an earlier agreement, which stated that the person who conquered Xianyang first would receive the title of "King of Guanzhong". Liu Bang was sent to the remote Bashu region (巴蜀; in present-day Sichuan) instead and granted the title of "King of Han" (漢王). Xiang Yu proclaimed himself "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" (西楚霸王) and ruled nine commanderies in the former Liang and Chu territories, with his capital at Pengcheng (彭城; present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu).

In 206 BC Liu Bang was appointed "King of Han" by Xiang Yu and given the land of Bashu (巴蜀; in present-day Sichuan) as his domain. Liu Bang had about 30,000 troops under his command then and several thousand civilians with him. After reaching his destination, Liu Bang ordered the gallery roads leading into Bashu to be destroyed as a precautionary move against any possible attack from the rear and to trick Xiang Yu that he had no intention of leaving Bashu.

While Xiang Yu was away to suppress the rebellions, Liu Bang used the opportunity to attack the Three Qins in Guanzhong. Liu Bang"s general Han Xin ordered his men to pretend to repair the gallery roads in order to put Zhang Han (King of Yong) off guard, while secretly making advances through Chencang (陳倉; present-day Chencang District, Baoji, Shaanxi). Zhang Han was taken by surprise and defeated by the Han forces in two consecutive battles. Taking advantage of the victory, Liu Bang proceeded to conquer Longxi (隴西), Beidi (北地) and Shangjun (上郡). Liu Bang also sent his men to fetch his family in Pei (沛; in present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu). Upon hearing news of Liu Bang"s attacks, Xiang Yu sent an army to Yangxia (陽夏) to intercept the Han army, and appointed Zheng Chang as "King of Hán" to help him cover his flank. In Yan, Zang Tu killed Han Guang (King of Liaodong) and seized Han"s lands and proclaimed himself ruler of the unified Yan state.

In 205 BC, after establishing his base in Guanzhong, Liu Bang advanced his forces east of Hangu Pass to conquer the Henan region. Sima Xin (King of Sai), Dong Yi (King of Di) and Shen Yang (King of Henan) surrendered to Liu Bang. Zheng Chang (King of Hán) refused to submit to Liu Bang and was defeated by Liu"s general Han Xin in battle, and replaced with Hán Xin. Zhang Er (former King of Changshan) came to join Liu Bang after losing his domain to Zhao Xie and Chen Yu. In the third month, Liu Bang attacked Henei (河內) with help from Wei Bao (King of Western Wei). When Liu Bang received news that Emperor Yi of Chu had been murdered on Xiang Yu"s orders, he held a memorial service for the emperor, accusing Xiang of committing regicide, and using that incident as political propaganda to justify his war against Western Chu.

In the fourth month of 205 BC, Xiang Yu defeated Tian Rong at Chengyang (城陽) and the latter was killed during his retreat to Pingyuan. Although the Qi kingdom surrendered to Western Chu, Xiang Yu did not appease the people and instead allowed his troops to loot and plunder Qi territories. Tian Rong"s younger brother Tian Heng installed Tian Guang (Tian Rong"s son) on the Qi throne, and continued to lead resistance against Chu. Meanwhile, Liu Bang had mustered an army of about 560,000 men with support from the surrendered vassal kings. In the eighth month, Chu"s capital Pengcheng (彭城; present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu) fell to the coalition force led by Liu Bang. When Xiang Yu received news that Liu Bang had occupied Pengcheng, he led 30,000 troops back to retake Pengcheng. Liu Bang was caught off guard and his army suffered heavy casualties and his family was captured by Chu forces. After the battle, Han lost its territorial gains in Chu and most of the kings who surrendered to Han earlier defected to Chu.

After their defeat at Pengcheng, the strength of the Han forces decreased drastically. Liu Bang"s family was captured by Western Chu forces and kept as hostages, and many of the vassal kings who surrendered to Liu Bang earlier defected to Xiang Yu"s side. Besides, the Qi and Zhao kingdoms also requested to make peace with Chu.

Upon reaching Xiayi (下邑; east of present-day Dangshan County, Suzhou, Anhui), which was defended by his brother-in-law, Liu Bang reorganised his troops for a retreat. When he arrived at Yu (虞; present-day Yucheng County, Shangqiu, Henan), Liu Bang sent an envoy to meet Ying Bu, the King of Jiujiang. Ying Bu agreed to join Liu Bang"s side and rebelled against Western Chu. Xiang Yu sent Long Ju to lead an army to attack Ying Bu.

In the sixth month of 205 BC, Liu Bang named his son Liu Ying as crown prince, and ordered him to defend Yueyang (櫟陽; present-day Yanliang District, Xi"an, Shaanxi). Shortly after, Han forces conquered Feiqiu (廢丘; present-day Xingping, Shaanxi), which was guarded by Zhang Han, and Zhang committed suicide.

On another front, Ying Bu was unable to defeat Long Ju and decided to give up, and he went to meet Liu Bang with Sui He. Liu Bang reorganised his army, which now included reinforcements from Guanzhong (sent by Xiao He) and Han Xin"s troops. Liu Bang"s forces attacked Western Chu at Jing County (京縣; around present-day Xingyang, Zhengzhou, Henan) and Suoting (索亭; near present-day Xingyang, Henan) and scored a victory, driving Xiang Yu"s forces east of Xingyang.

In 205 BC Wei Bao (King of Wei) left Liu Bang on the pretext of visiting an ill relative, and returned to his domain. Subsequently, Wei Bao pledged allegiance to Xiang Yu and rebelled against Liu Bang. Liu Bang sent Li Yiji to persuade Wei Bao to surrender but Wei refused, so Liu ordered Han Xin to lead an army to attack Wei.

Wei Bao stationed his army at Puban (蒲阪) and blocked the route to Linjin. Han Xin tricked Wei Bao into believing that he was planning to attack Linjin (臨晉), while secretly sending a force from Xiayang (夏陽) to cross the river and attack Anyi (安邑; present-day Xia County, Yuncheng, Shanxi). In the ninth month, Wei Bao personally led an attack on Han Xin but lost the battle and was captured. Wei Bao surrendered and was accepted by Liu Bang as a general. In the ninth month, Han Xin led his army to attack the Kingdom of Dai with support from Zhang Er (former King of Changshan), and scored another decisive victory against Dai, capturing Dai"s chancellor Xia Shuo in battle.

In 204 BC the Yan kingdom surrendered to Han Xin, and Zhang Er was appointed as King of Zhao. Xiang Yu constantly sent his armies to attack Zhao but Han Xin and Zhang Er managed to hold their positions. Xiang Yu then turned its attention towards Xingyang, where Liu Bang was stationed, and forced Liu to retreat to Chenggao. Liu Bang was besieged in Chenggao and had no choice but to head north of the Yellow River to join Han Xin. In a surprise move, Liu Bang took over Han Xin and Zhang Er"s command of the military in Zhao, and ordered Han to lead an army to attack the Qi kingdom.

Just as Han Xin was preparing to attack Qi, Liu Bang sent Li Yiji to persuade Tian Guang (King of Qi) to surrender, without informing Han Xin. Tian Guang decided to surrender and ordered his troops to withdraw from Lixia (歷下; present-day Lixia District, Jinan, Shandong). However, Han Xin was not aware that Tian Guang had the intention of surrendering, and followed the advice of Kuai Tong to launch an attack. Han Xin"s army conquered Lixia and arrived at Qi"s capital Linzi. Tian Guang thought that Li Yiji had lied to him and he had Li killed, thereafter he retreated to Gaomi and requested aid from Western Chu. Meanwhile, Han Xin conquered Linzi and continued to pursue retreating Qi forces to Gaomi.

After his victory, Han Xin swiftly took control of the Qi territories and he sent an envoy to Liu Bang, requesting that Liu let him be the acting King of Qi. At that time, Liu Bang was besieged in Xingyang by Xiang Yu, and eagerly waiting for reinforcements from Han Xin, but Han made a request to be the acting-"King of Qi" instead, which greatly angered Liu. However, Liu Bang reluctantly approved Han Xin"s request after listening to advice from Zhang Liang and Chen Ping. At the same time, Xiang Yu became worried after losing Long Ju and he sent Wu She to persuade Han Xin to rebel against Liu Bang and declare himself king. However, despite additional urging from Kuai Tong, Han Xin firmly refused to betray Liu Bang. Han Xin later organised an army to move southward and attack Western Chu.

On the southern front, Liu Bang"s forces started building supply routes from Xingyang to Aocang (敖倉). In 204 BC, Xiang Yu led an attack on the routes and the Han army started to run short of supplies. Liu Bang negotiated for peace with Xiang Yu and agreed to cede the lands east of Xingyang to Western Chu. Xiang Yu had the intention of accepting Liu Bang"s offer, but Fan Zeng advised him to reject and urged him to use the opportunity to destroy Liu. Xiang Yu changed his decision and pressed the attack on Xingyang, besieging Liu Bang"s forces inside the city. To lift the siege, Liu Bang followed Chen Ping"s suggestion to bribe Xiang Yu"s men with 40,000 catties of gold, for them to spread rumours that Fan Zeng had the intention of betraying Xiang. Xiang Yu fell for the trick and dismissed Fan Zeng.

In late 204 BC, while Xiang Yu was away suppressing the rebellion in the Qi kingdom, Li Yiji advised Liu Bang to use the opportunity to attack Western Chu. Han forces conquered Chenggao and defeated the Chu army, led by Cao Jiu, at a battle near the Si River. Liu Bang"s forces advanced further until they reached Guangwu (廣武). Chu forces led by Zhongli Mo were trapped by the Han army at the east of Xingyang. Following Han Xin"s victory in the Battle of Wei River, the Chu army"s morale fell and it ran low on supplies months later. Xiang Yu had no choice but to request for an armistice and agreed to release Liu Bang"s family members, who were held hostage by him. Both sides came to the Treaty of Hong Canal (鴻溝和約), which divided China into east and west under the Chu and Han domains respectively.

In 203 BC, while Xiang Yu was retreating eastward, Liu Bang, following the advice of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, renounced the Treaty of Hong Canal and ordered an attack on Western Chu. He also requested assistance from Han Xin and Peng Yue in forming a three-pronged attack on Xiang Yu. However, Han Xin and Peng Yue did not mobilise their troops and Liu Bang was defeated by Xiang Yu at Guling (固陵; south of present-day Taikang County, Zhoukou, Henan). Liu Bang retreated and reinforced his defences, while sending messengers to Han Xin and Peng Yue, promising to grant them fiefs and titles of vassal kings if they joined him in attacking Chu.

Three months later in 202 BC, Han forces led by Liu Bang, Han Xin and Peng Yue, attacked Western Chu from three directions. The Chu army was running low in supplies and Xiang Yu was trapped in Gaixia (垓下; southeast of present-day Lingbi County, Suzhou, Anhui). Han Xin ordered his troops to sing Chu folk songs, to create a false impression that Xiang Yu"s native land of Chu had fallen to Han forces. The Chu army"s morale plummeted and many soldiers deserted.

After the death of Xiang Yu, the rest of Western Chu surrendered to Han and China was unified under Liu Bang"s rule. Liu Bang granted Peng Yue, Ying Bu and Han Xin the titles of "King of Liang", "King of Huainan" and "King of Chu" respectively. Months later, at the urging of his followers and vassals, Liu Bang declared himself "Emperor of China" and named his dynasty "Han". He built his capital in Luoyang (later moved to Chang"an) and named Lü Zhi his empress, and Liu Ying as crown prince.

Although Liu Bang initially handsomely rewarded his subjects who helped him become emperor of China, he gradually became suspicious of them and started to doubt their loyalties towards him. Han Xin was demoted from "King of Chu" to "Marquis of Huaiyin" in late 202 BC. He was subsequently arrested and killed on Empress Lü"s orders in 196 BC after Liu B