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93-482: Liu Ji may refer to: Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 BC – 195 BC), born Liu Ji (劉季) Liu Ji (Eastern Wu) (劉基; 185–233), Eastern Wu politician in the Three Kingdoms period Liu Ji (Tang chancellor) (劉洎; died 646), Tang dynasty chancellor Liu Ji (general) (劉濟; 757–810), Tang dynasty general Liu Bowen (1311–1375), military strategist, statesman and poet of

186-533: 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 ( 大風歌 ). 大風起兮 雲飛揚 威加海內兮 歸故鄉， 安得猛士兮 守四方！ A great wind came forth the clouds rose on high Now that my might rules all within the seas, I have returned to my old village Where will I find brave men to guard the four corners of my land? Liu Bang

279-586: 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

372-549: 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, 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

465-586: A desperate attempt to escape Xiang Yu's men, and it is only the repeated intervention of 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 states of Qi and Zhao , which were previously at war with Chu, also requested to make peace. Upon reaching Xiayi ( 下邑 ; east of present-day Dangshan County , Suzhou, Anhui ), which

558-410: A few Yong soldiers were guarding the gates of the pass at night, and the Han soldiers took out swords hidden within their loads of firewood. They killed the guards and opened the gates, allowing Han Xin to march on the town of Chencang on the southern edge of Guanzhong's Wei River Basin. Under attack by the Han army, the surprised garrison and its commander abandoned the town and reported the presence of

651-495: 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 Records of the Grand Historian recounts an event during this conflict, an event omitted from Liu Bang's own biography but present in the biography of Xiang Yu, where Liu Bang pushed his own children out of his carriage three times to lighten it in

744-459: A long period of time and ordered his guards to deny entry to everyone who tried to visit him. After several days, Fan Kuai barged into the chambers to see the emperor and the other subjects followed behind him. They saw Emperor Gaozu lying on his bed and attended to by a eunuch . Fan Kuai said, "How glorious it was when Your Majesty first led us to conquer the empire and how weary we are now. Your subjects are worried when they learn that Your Majesty

837-512: 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

930-415: 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

1023-452: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Emperor Gaozu of Han Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC ), also known by his given name Liu Bang , was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty , reigning from 202 to 195 BC. He is considered by traditional Chinese historiography to be one of

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1116-419: Is ill, but Your Majesty refuses to see us and prefers the company of a eunuch instead. Has Your Majesty forgotten the incident about Zhao Gao ?" The emperor laughed and got out of bed to meet his subjects. 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

1209-543: Is one of the 32 historical figures who appear as special characters in the video game Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI by Koei . His life story has also been dramatized in numerous TV series and films (see Chu–Han Contention ). Three Qins In late 208 BC the rebel king of Chu , King Huai II , promised that whoever invaded Guanzhong first would rule the region. In late 207 the Chu rebel Liu Bang became

1302-548: The Feast at Swan Goose Gate . In early 206 Han Xin was a logistics prefect, and in this capacity he impressed Liu Bang's Prime Minister Xiao He , perhaps because he performed exceptionally well in securing and transporting the food resources of Ba and Shu from the far south-west of China to the army's position in Hanzhong. Although Han Xin had never commanded an army, Xiao He argued vigorously in favour of giving Han Xin command of

1395-573: The Qinling Mountains , following the Ziwu Road to Hanzhong. After reaching the Han River Basin in Hanzhong, Liu Bang, on the advice of his advisor Zhang Liang , burned the wooden gallery road to prove his commitment to follow Xiang Yu's orders and remain within his own dominion. Xiang Yu wished to rule his Chu homeland rather than Guanzhong, and so he divided the region between three former Qin generals who had surrendered to Xiang Yu after

1488-544: The Battle of Yushui River back in July 207. The former General-in-Chief of Qin, Zhang Han , received the kingdom of Yong ( 雍 ), occupying present-day central Shaanxi. Xiang Yu's intention to use Zhang Han was partly influenced by the latter's exceptional successes as a general. In 209 Zhang Han had trained an army of convicts to fight the rebels, saved Xianyang and Xingyang and annihilated the rebel armies of Zhou Wen, Wu Guang and

1581-902: The Central Plain, annexing the State of Henan in that month, the State of Han in November, and the States of Western Wei and Yin in March 205. In April he used Xiang Yu's assassination of King Huai II of Chu in October 206 to launch a full-scale war against Xiang Yu for control over China (see the Chu-Han Contention ). That same month, in alliance with the State of Zhao , Liu Bang briefly seized Xiang's capital city, Pengcheng , while Xiang

1674-591: 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

1767-604: The Chu rebel Xiang Yu , the most powerful rebel warlord at the time and Liu Bang's rival, ignored Huai's promise, and in January 206 he instead gave Liu the former Qin territories of Hanzhong, Ba and Shu in present-day Sichuan , which he would rule as the king of Han . Ba and Shu were grain-rich, but they were remote from the rest of China. Xiang Yu allowed Liu Bang to take only 30,000 soldiers to go with him to Hanzhong, although 10,000 further men from Chu and other states voluntarily joined his army. Liu Bang's army marched south across

1860-476: The Han forces at Haozhi, and Zhang Ping broke out of the encirclement. The Han army assaulted Haozhi, with Fan Kuai again leading a force onto the walls, and they captured the city, with the Prefect and Assistant Prefect of Haozhi killed in the fighting. Instead of focusing on Feiqiu, the main Han army then marched past the city towards Xianyang further to the east. The Sai army under Zhao Ben and Neishi Bao left

1953-536: The Han general Li Shang took control of the Beidi and Shangchun Commanderies in the north, defeating a Yong general at Yenchih, a force under Zhou Lei at Xunyi, and a force under Su Tsu at Niyang. The main Han army marched north-east to Gaonu, the capital of Zhai, where Dong Yi surrendered without a fight. Although Feiqiu remained under siege, by September Guanzhong had become the administrative centre of Liu Bang's growing dominion, and in October he began expanding into

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2046-577: 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

2139-597: The King of Hán; Han Xin , the King of Chu; Peng Yue , the King of Liang; Ying Bu , the King of Huainan; Zhang Er, the King of Zhao; Wu Rui , the King of Changsha. However, later, the emperor became worried that the vassal kings might rebel against him because they, after all, had no blood relations with him. Han Xin and Peng Yue were (falsely) accused of treason, arrested and executed along with their families. Ying Bu and Zang Tu rebelled against him but were defeated and killed. Only Wu Rui and Zhang Er were left. The Xiongnu to

2232-543: The Qin capital at Xianyang , 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

2325-418: The Qin regime and reducing the severity of certain penalties. In January to February 195 BC, after suppressing a rebellion by Ying Bu , he passed by Shandong , the birthplace of Confucius , and personally prepared for a ceremony to pay respect to the philosopher. In his later years, Emperor Gaozu favoured Consort Qi and neglected Empress Lü Zhi . He thought that Liu Ying , his heir apparent (born to

2418-416: The Qin's former 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 emperor. During his reign, Liu Bang reduced taxes and corvée labour, promoted Confucianism , and suppressed revolts by the lords of non-Liu vassal states, among many other actions. He also initiated

2511-545: The State of Sai ( 塞 ), occupying present-day northeastern Shaanxi, and Dong Yi received Zhai ( 翟 ), occupying present-day northern Shaanxi. These three kingdoms came to be collectively known as the Three Qins, since they occupied the heartland of the former Qin state . Confronted by the sheer distance between Hanzhong and their homeland of Chu in eastern China, Liu Bang's army and its leadership suffered from supply shortages and mass desertions. However, this coincided with

2604-469: 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

2697-458: The Three Qins so quickly, they could capitalize on the fact that Zhang Han, Sima Xin and Dong Yi had not ruled the region for very long. As Han Xin argued and predicted, the people of Guanzhong would welcome Liu Bang as their king as they despised Xiang Yu for his brutality, they hated the fact that the former Qin generals had defected to Xiang Yu, and they respected Liu Bang for the clemency shown when he had first entered Guanzhong. Moreover, Xiang Yu

2790-487: The Wu River (near present-day He County , Chaohu City , Anhui ). He made a last stand and managed to slay several hundred Han soldiers before eventually committing suicide. In 202 BC, 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

2883-523: The Xiang's advance between the rebel victory at Julu in January 207 and Zhang's own surrender in July. Xiang Yu thus recognized Zhang Han's talent and tasked him with defending the passes of the Qinling Mountains should Liu Bang attempt to re-cross north into Guanzhong from Hanzhong to the south. Xiang Yu also rewarded Zhang Han's former subordinates Sima Xin and Dong Yi . Sima Xin received

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2976-549: The Yellow Emperor to justify their right to rule . Liu Bang was born during the late years of the Warring States period ; his parents are only remembered as " Liu Taigong " and "Liu Ao" ( 劉媪 ; 'Old Madam Liu'). His family was from Zhongyang ( 中陽里 ) in the state of Chu . According to legend, Liu Bang was conceived after Liu Ao encountered a jiaolong dragon during a rainstorm. According to records,

3069-429: The army. Liu Bang not only made Han Xin a general, but strikingly, he made him his General-In-Chief, promoting him above generals like Cao Shen , Fan Kuai , Zhou Bo and Guan Ying , competent generals who had served under Liu since his original rebellion against Qin in 209 (or since 208 in the case of Guan Ying). Han Xin soon urged Liu Bang to authorize an invasion of Guanzhong within a few months’ time. By conquering

3162-442: The battles of Linji (208) and Dingtao (208) by making surprise marches against the enemy position after appearing to be at a disadvantage. However, this time Zhang Han was intercepted by Han Xin and Cao Shen east of Rang and suffered another defeat. Zhang Han returned to Feiqiu, and Zhao Ben withdrew further east to the former Qin capital Xianyang, which was being garrisoned by Sai troops under Neishi Bao. Han Xin and Cao Shen re-joined

3255-514: The border again. In 201 BC, 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 . Acting on 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 Jing, initiated

3348-531: 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, 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

3441-551: 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

3534-430: The central government would provide for them for a year. He also granted freedom to those who had sold themselves into slavery to avoid hunger during the wars. In 195 BC, the emperor issued two decrees: the first officialised the lowering of taxes and corvée; the second set the amount of tribute to be paid by the vassal kings to the imperial court in the 10th month of every year. The land tax on agricultural production

3627-460: The city for twenty days and then sallied out and defeated the Sai-Yong coalition, causing it to retreat. Cao Shen was one of the generals in the city, and Han Xin was either within the city as well or assisted from outside. Zhang Ping retreated north to Qi, where he joined forces with a Zhai force under Yao Rui, but they were defeated by a Han detachment under Zhou Bo, who then marched west to pacify

3720-559: The city to do battle with Han Xin but were defeated and fled east, causing Xianyang as well as the counties of Mei, Huaili and Liuchung to surrender. Liu Bang renamed Xianyang Xincheng, and the Han army garrisoned Jingling further to the east. Jingling's proximity to Yueyang , the capital of Sai, prompted Sima Xin to lead the main Sai army to besiege Jingling, where he was joined by the forces under Zhang Ping. The Han garrison in Jingling defended

3813-479: 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. Later that year, while Xiang Yu was away suppressing the rebellion in Qi, Li Yiji advised Liu Bang to use the opportunity to attack Western Chu. Han forces conquered Chenggao and defeated

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3906-513: The counties of Xiabian and Gudao and overwhelmed the Yong garrison manning the Sanguan Pass. Supposedly, Han Xin ordered Cao Shen to select fifty exceptional soldiers and order them to disguise themselves as woodcutters, enter the pass with other people and take the pass at midnight from within. The soldiers entered with heavy loads of firewood on their backs and hid themselves as night fell. Only

3999-544: The county of Dian. Zhang Ping retreated to Longxi Commandery in the far west. A Han detachment under Guan Ying approached Yueyang, and Sima Xin, having lost too many soldiers, surrendered. Liu Bang subsequently moved his headquarters from Nanzheng in Hanzhong to Yueyang. Meanwhile, part of the Han army encircled Feiqiu, with Zhou Bo and Guan Ying among the generals present. The Han general Jin Xi defeated what remained of Zhang Ping's force and took control of Longxi Commandery, and

4092-406: 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

4185-411: The crown prince. The emperor was pleased to see that Liu Ying had their support so he dismissed the idea of changing his heir apparent. After establishing the Han dynasty, Emperor Gaozu appointed princes and vassal kings to help him govern the Han Empire and gave each of them a piece of land. There were seven vassal kings who were not related to the imperial clan: Zang Tu , the King of Yan; Han Xin ,

4278-480: 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." Zhou Chang

4371-513: The death of Qin Shi Huang , who had been the first emperor in Chinese history , Liu renounced his civil service position and became a rebel leader, taking up arms against the Qin. He outmanoeuvred rival 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 rebels, divided

4464-541: 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

4557-572: 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

4650-526: 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 Consort 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

4743-689: The far-west, who defeated the Assistant Prefect of Xi County north of the Pai River. For these reasons, Zhang Han was enticed into concentrating his main forces around the northern ends of these passes. Meanwhile, Han Xin and Liu Bang marched their main force along the less-used Chencang Road, which was one of the paths located between the Qishan and Ziwu Roads, near the south-west of the Guanzhong Plain. His forces quickly took control of

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4836-539: The first anti-Qin rebel to enter the Guanzhong region, capturing the Qin capital Xianyang and receiving the surrender of Ziying , the last king of Qin. He also won the support of the people of Guanzhong by abolishing the harsh Qin laws and by forbidding his troops from killing and robbing the locals. For these reasons, Liu Bang had a strong claim to Guanzhong, which was grain-rich, populous, easily defensible and ideal for expansion into China's Central Plain . However,

4929-534: 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

5022-523: The former Qin empire into the Eighteen Kingdoms , with Liu Bang forced to accept control of the poor and remote region of Bashu (present-day Sichuan , Chongqing , and southern Shaanxi ), and assuming the title "King of Han". Within the year, Liu Bang broke out with his army and conquered the Three Qins , which started the Chu–Han Contention , a civil war between various forces seeking to inherit

5115-464: The greatest emperors in history, credited with establishing the first Pax Sinica , one of China's longest golden ages. Liu Bang was among the few dynastic founders to have been born into a peasant family. He initially entered the Qin dynasty bureaucracy as a minor law enforcement officer in his home town in Pei County , within the conquered state of Chu . During the political chaos following

5208-438: 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. He named Cao Shen as

5301-518: The late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, personal name Liu Ji (劉基) Liu Ji (Grand Secretary)  [ zh ] (劉吉; 1427–1493), Ming dynasty mandarin Liu Ji (politician) (劉驥; 1887–1967), General and Politician in the Republic of China Liu Ji (footballer) (刘骥; born 1990), Chinese footballer Ji Liu (pianist) (刘骐; born 1990), U.K.-based Chinese pianist [REDACTED] Topics referred to by

5394-440: The latter went into hiding after the 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 corvée labour in

5487-518: 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

5580-501: The main Han army to Zhang Han. Zhang Han sent envoys to his former subordinates, the kings Sima Xin and Dong Yi, asking for help. He and his brother Zhang Ping then marched against Han Xin's army but were defeated in a battle outside Chencang. Zhang Han retreated to his capital Feiqiu with the majority of his remaining force, and Zhang Ping led a smaller part of the army towards the city of Haozhi. Han Xin judged that they should attack Zhang Ping rather than try to take Feiqiu, since Feiqiu

5673-428: 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

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5766-524: 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

5859-568: The overall rebel leader Chen Sheng (the King of "Rising Chu"). In 208 he defeated and killed the new overall rebel leader Xiang Liang (Xiang Yu's uncle) and also defeated Tian Dan, Zhou Shi, Wei Jiu, Tian Rong and Chen Yu. In 207 he surrendered to Xiang Yu after discovering that the Qin Prime Minister Zhao Gao intended to have him executed and then suffering defeat at Yushui River, but Xiang Yu's army had been struggling as well due to food shortages, and Zhang Han had halted

5952-455: The person who made the greatest contributions in battle and rewarded him and the others accordingly. Emperor Gaozu disbanded his armies and allowed the soldiers to return home. He gave an order stating that the people who remained in Guanzhong were exempted from taxes and corvée for 12 years, while those who returned to their respective native territories were exempted for six years and that

6045-554: The policy of heqin , a system of arranged marriages between nobles, to maintain peace between the Han and the Xiongnu following the Han defeat at the Battle of Baideng in 200 BC. He died in 195 BC and was succeeded by his son Liu Ying . According to the Han imperial mythology, Liu Bang's ancestors were the mythical Emperor Yao and the Yellow Emperor . Many ancient Chinese noble families claimed descent from

6138-478: The policy of heqin , which involved sending noble ladies to marry the Xiongnu leaders and paying annual tribute to the Xiongnu in exchange for peace between the Han Empire and the Xiongnu. Gaozu is also recorded as having a male lover known as Jiru , who was said to have more access to the emperor than his own ministers. Emperor Gaozu was wounded by a stray arrow during the campaign against Ying Bu . He became seriously ill and remained in his inner chambers for

6231-415: 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 the Three Qins became part of Liu's Kingdom of Han. With Xiang Yu occupied to

6324-419: The race with Xiang to seize the Guanzhong , arriving outside Xianyang. Ziying of Qin 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

6417-592: The rise of the officer Han Xin . A precocious young talent, Han Xin was well read on the art of war and vocal about his ideas and merits. Having served as a guard or junior officer in Xiang Yu's army, he had deserted Xiang Yu for Liu Bang because Xiang had refused to listen to his suggestions. He was recommended for promotion by Liu Bang's Minister Coachman Xiahou Ying , and in December 207 he and Zhang Liang presented gifts to Xiang Yu on Liu Bang's behalf after Liu fled

6510-400: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liu_Ji&oldid=1168647584 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

6603-462: 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

6696-406: The south, and so Han Xin began repairing Ziwu Road in the eastern part of the Qinling Mountains to give Zhang Han the false impression that the offensive would come from that direction. In August 206 Han Xin launched the invasion. In addition to repairing Ziwu Road, Han Xin had a skeleton force threaten Zhang Han from that quarter. He also sent Fan Kuai with a diversionary force along Qishan Road in

6789-473: 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 state of Qi in late 206, and Xiang Yu left Western Chu to suppress the revolt. Under Han Xin's advice, Liu Bang sent men to pretend trying to repair

6882-522: The town of Rang, to the east of Haozhi, and a Han detachment under Zhou Bo captured the county of Huali. Sima Xin sent General Zhao Ben to reinforce Zhang Han in Feiqiu, and an army sent by Dong Yi arrived in the area of the Jingshui River. Zhang Han, who had likely hoped to distract Han Xin at Feiqiu, led the combined Yong, Sai and Zhai forces to relieve Haozhi. Previously, Zhang Han had won both

6975-414: The vicinity of Yong as well and defeated a force of cavalry and chariots to the south of the town before re-joining the main Han army. They captured the two towns, with Fan Kuai seizing the walls with his vanguard, and they then pursued Zhang Ping, defeating him in a battle outside Haozhi. Zhang Ping retreated within the walls and a siege ensued. Meanwhile, Han Xin and Cao Shen used part of the army to capture

7068-464: The young Liu was outspoken, charismatic, generous, and forbearing, but he had little interest in education or work and frequently ran into trouble with the law; he was dependent on his brother for subsistence and his father called him "little rascal". Later, he became good friends with Zhang Er ( 張耳 ; d. 202 BC), the magistrate of the nearby Waihuang County and former retainer of Lord Xinling . Liu lived with Zhang Er for several months, until

7161-423: Was a stronger city protected by a larger army than that under Zhang Ping, and Zhang Han was an especially formidable general. A siege of Feiqiu could stall the progress of the invasion and give Zhang Ping, Sima Xin, Dong Yi and Xiang Yu himself more opportunity to crush the Han army before they had taken control of much of Guanzhong. Therefore, Han Xin focused first on the walled towns of Yong and Tai. Fan Kuai reached

7254-552: 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 BC 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

7347-628: 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 BC, 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

7440-471: 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, Han forces led by Liu Bang, Han Xin and Peng Yue attacked Western Chu from three directions. The Chu army

7533-698: Was defended by his brother-in-law, Liu Bang reorganised his troops for a retreat. When he arrived at Yu (present-day Yucheng County , Shangqiu , Henan), he sent an envoy to meet Ying Bu , the 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

7626-440: Was distracted by a war with the State of Qi that was gradually increasing in intensity. Han Xin argued that they could then use Guanzhong as a food-rich base with which to rapidly seize territories in the Central Plain (Guanzhong had seen much less warfare on its soil compared with other parts of China). Liu Bang took Han Xin's advice. Zhang Han had manned the passes of the Qinling Mountains that divided Guanzhong from Hanzhong to

7719-573: 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 alongside Han Xin 's troops, and attacked Chu at Jing County ( 京縣 ; around present-day Xingyang , Zhengzhou , Henan) and Suoting ( 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

7812-474: 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, Liu won

7905-537: Was outspoken and had a stutter, which to some made his speech very amusing. The emperor laughed. After that, the Four Whiteheads of Mount Shang (also known as the Four Haos of Mount Shang) showed up in the court. Emperor Gaozu was surprised to see them because they had previously declined to join the civil service when he invited them. The four men promised to help Liu Ying in the future if he were to remain as

7998-439: 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

8091-429: 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. 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

8184-505: Was reduced to a rate of 1/15 of crop yield. He also privatised the coinage. In his early days, Emperor Gaozu disliked reading and scorned Confucianism . After becoming the emperor, he still held the same attitudes towards Confucianism as he did before until he encountered the scholar Lu Jia . Lu wrote the Xinyu ( 新語 ), a 12-volume book which espoused the benefits of governing by moral virtue as opposed to using harsh and punitive laws (as it

8277-643: 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 punishment, 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

8370-454: 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. Xiang Yu attempted to break out of the siege, and after fighting out of repeated traps was left with only 28 men when he reached the northern bank of

8463-484: Was still campaigning in Qi. By June Han Xin had taken command of the siege of Feiqiu, and he ordered Fan Kuai to dig a channel from the Wei River to divert water to the mudbrick walls of the city. This caused a section of the walls to soften and collapse after a few days, and as the Han troops entered the city, Zhang Han committed suicide. The three states of Qin thus became three prefectures. After Liu's victory in

8556-414: Was under the Qin dynasty). Lu Gu read each volume to the emperor after he finished writing it. The emperor was deeply impressed. Under Emperor Gaozu's reign, Confucianism flourished and gradually replaced Legalism (of Qin times) as the state ideology. Confucian scholars, including Lu Gu, were recruited to serve in the government. The emperor also reformed the legal system by relaxing some laws inherited from

8649-541: Was very unhappy with his own predicament. One night, rumour 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

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