ExclusiveThe death of Han Xin. A peerless hero in history met a tragic end at the hands of several women.

Han Xian was one of the three heroes of the early Han dynasty and a famous general in history known for his many victories. He fought for Lubang, conquering cities and territories with great success, ultimately defeating Xiang Yu at the Battle of Beixia and securing half of the empire for the Han dynasty. In the records of the Grand Historian, he was praised as a peerless hero of the state, indicating his unparalleled talent and intelligence. Despite his remarkable achievements, this extraordinary hero met a tragic end at the hands of several women. In front of Han Xian's tomb, there is a pair of couplets that read, In life and death, one true friend, in survival and demise, two women. These couplets highlight three significant individuals who played crucial roles in Han Xian's life and death, one man and two women. Who are these three people? Hello, I'm Sarah. Today, let's talk about the death of Han Xian. By the way, I want to share some good news with everyone. The Gongjing World is currently airing the TV series, Han Xian. Interested friends may consider registering on the platform and watch it. By using the exclusive discount code Sarah, you can enjoy a 15% discount. A link related is provided below the video. The first person is the Driftwood Mother, a woman who washed clothes by the water's edge. Since childhood, Han Xian disliked physical labor and was only passionate about studying military strategy. He often visited the home of the village head to have meals, which earned him the disdain of the village head's wife. Once, he even suffered public humiliation in the streets, enduring it in hopes of achieving his lofty ambitions in the future. Eventually, Han Xian found himself wandering, facing hunger and hardship. It was during this desperate time that a woman washing clothes by the water's edge, the Driftwood Mother, shared her food with him. He ate her food for several weeks. Han Xian promised this woman that he would repay her kindness in the future. The Driftwood Mother saved Han Xian's life, and he never forgot her kindness. Later, after Han Xian became a king, he sought out this benefactor and generously rewarded her with a thousand gold coins as a token of gratitude. This demonstrates Han Xian's sense of gratitude and his willingness to repay kindness. What's more, instead of seeking revenge against the man who mocked and embarrassed him on the street, Han Xian appointed him to a position of authority. This shows Han Xian's wisdom and magnanimity. Xiao He was instrumental in Han Xian's rise and fall. Han Xian found himself unable to gain significant roles, both under Xiang Yu, and initially under Lu Bang. Despite multiple recommendations from Xiao He, Lu Bang remained unmoved. Feeling disheartened, Han Xian decided to leave the Han camp. Xiao He, realizing Han Xian's talents, went after him and persuaded Lu Bang that without Han Xian, Lu Bang's ambition to conquer all under heaven would be impossible. Lu Bang then followed Xiao He's advice, performing a grand ceremony to appoint Han Xian as his chief general. Han Xian lived up to expectations, devising strategies like building roads by day while concealing movements by night, which allowed him to seize the strategic region of Guanzhong, laying a foundation for Lu Bang's eventual victory. Han Xian further led successful campaigns, such as crossing the Yellow River using wooden rafts to defeat the Wei kingdom. He also proposed strategic moves like attacking Yan and Zhao in the north, striking Qi in the east, cutting off Qi's food supply in the south, and meeting Lu Bang and Xingyang in the west. These strategies turned the tide of the war in favor of the Han army, culminating in the decisive Battle of Gaixia, where Han Xian's brilliant tactics led to the annihilation of Xiang Yu's forces. Despite his unparalleled military achievements, Han Xian's success led to Lu Bang's suspicion and paranoia. Initially, Lu Bang seized the opportunity presented by the stalemate between Han Xian and Xiang Yu to strip Han Xian of his military power, ordering him to recruit surrendered soldiers from the Zhao state to attack the Qi state. Han Xian, employing ingenious tactics, first defeated the unprepared Qi army and then utilized naval warfare to vanquish the joint forces of Qi and Chu led by Longzhu. Han Xian occupied the territory of Qi, effectively establishing a three-way balance of power between himself, Lu Bang, and Xiang Yu. To appease Han Xian and prevent him from proclaiming himself king, Lu Bang conferred upon him the title of King of Qi. In the fifth year of the Han dynasty, taking advantage of Xiang Yu's lack of preparation and his army's exhaustion, Lu Bang once launched a sudden attack against the Chu army. However, this resulted in a counterattack by the Chu forces, leading to Lu Bang's significant defeat. To mobilize Han Xian and Ping Yu for assistance, Lu Bang employed the strategies of Zhang Liang. He designated a vast region extending from Chen, Huaiyang, to the east coast as Han Xian's territory and the area north of Suiyang to Gucheng, in present-day Shandong, as Ping Yu's territory, conferring upon Ping Yu the title of King of Liang. Han Xian was tasked with commanding the crucial decisive battle against Xiang Yu. Subsequently, Han Xian advanced south, from Qi, while Ping Yu led his troops west from Liang. Lu Jia, a Han general, along with King Ying Bu of Zhejiang, moved from present-day Qingfu town, Anhui province, to the north, while Lu Bang himself led his forces east from Guling. This strategic maneuver encircled the Chu army from the south, north, and west, compelling Xiang Yu to retreat to Geisha. Approximately 400,000 troops from Lu Bang's forces, including Han Xian, Lu Jia, Ping Yu, and Ying Bu, confronted Xiang Yu's 100,000 troops at Geisha. Han Xian's psychological warfare tactic, known as the Surrounded on All Sides by Chu Songs, disintegrated the morale of Xiang Yu's army, allowing Han Xian to launch a decisive attack. The Chu army of 100,000 was completely annihilated, and Xiang Yu fled to the eastern city, lamenting his disgrace and ultimately committing suicide. In the Battle of Geisha, the Han army achieved a resounding victory. However, upon returning to Dingtao, Lu Bang suddenly entered Han Xian's camp, stripped him of his military authority, and demoted him to the title of King of Chu, relocating his capital to Xiapi. A year later, under the pretext of a hunting expedition in Yunming Marsh, Lu Bang lured Han Xian and brought him to Chang'an, where he was further demoted to the Marquis of Huayin on charges of treason. Despite these allegations, Lu Bang did not execute Han Xian, indicating that he did not truly believe Han Xian had plotted against him. After bringing Han Xian to Chang'an, Lu Bang even shared drinks with him. Lu Bang asked Han Xian how many troops he could command. Proudly, Han Xian replied that Lu Bang could only lead 100,000 soldiers, while he himself was capable of much more. However, Han Xian also acknowledged that although Lu Bang could not command more than 100,000 troops, he could still control renowned generals like himself. Lu Bang's suspicions and lack of trust in Han Xian had long been noted by his wife, Lu Zhi. She was another woman who ultimately contributed to Han Xian's downfall. In the eyes of Empress Lu, Han Xian was becoming a threat to the Han court. He was a military genius, commanding thousands of troops for the Han dynasty, strategically adept, and undefeated in battles. Moreover, he was not easily controlled. It is said that during a critical moment in the decisive battle between the Han and Chu armies, Han Xian, upon pursuing Xianyu to Xinyang, halted his troops. When Lu Bang asked Xiaohe for the reason, Xiaohe explained that Han Xian was seeking a title. Lu Bang then bestowed upon Han Xian the title of King of the Three Equals, signifying equal to the heavenly king, equal to the earthly king, and equal to the human king, and granted him the five undying promises, namely, not dying when seeing the sky, not dying when seeing the earth, not dying when seeing the king, not dying when encountering ropes, and not dying when encountering swords. After receiving these honors, Han Xian immediately led his troops to defeat Xianyu. Therefore, although Empress Lu knew that Lu Bang did not intend to execute Han Xian immediately, she had to take the opportunity to kill Han Xian while Lu Bang was absent, to eliminate potential future threats. Thus, Empress Lu conspired with Xiaohe to summon Han Xian to the palace. This is the origin of the idiom Xiaohe made it happen, Xiaohe ruined it. Empress Lu said to Han Xian, you have committed treason, and the king has ordered me to kill you. Han Xian replied, that's not possible. The king granted me undying promises. I must explain this to the king in person. Empress Lu said, you will not see the king. She then had Han Xian suspended inside a large bell in the Lu Palace, covered by the bell, deprived of sunlight, and with his feet hanging above the ground, unable to stand. Instead of strangling or stabbing Han Xian to death, Empress Lu ordered palace maids to pierce Han Xian to death with sharpened bamboo sticks. In this way, she fulfilled the promise of the five undying promises and killed Han Xian. The legendary military genius Han Xian died at the hands of this ruthless woman. Later, this woman successfully seized power and controlled the court. After Han Xian's death, Xiaohe was in tears and uttered a phrase, I, Xiaohe, plan to kill Han Xian, and I never betrayed the people of the world. This statement has been criticized in history as people believe that he, for personal gain, plotted against a military genius who had devoted himself to the nation. Even after killing Han Xian, Empress Lu was not satisfied. She ordered the extermination of all members of Han Xian's fathers, mothers, and wife's families. People wondered how the Marquis of Huayin, who had repaid the kindness of the driftwood mother with a thousand pieces of gold, could betray the emperor who had once helped him in his time of need. If Han Xian truly intended to rebel, why would he easily enter the palace because of a few words from Xiaohe? If Han Xian did not betray the emperor, it was the emperor's heartless betrayal of Han Xian's loyalty. So how unjust was Han Xian's death? Alright, that's it for today's story. See you next time.