Duy Thuy Great Battle - Han Tin Destroys The Dragon Book

Xiang Yu's life was defined by three legendary battles. First was Jiu Liu, where he seized command and crushed Wang Yi's 200,000 troops with 50,000, achieving eternal fame. Second was Kang Cheng, where with just 30,000 elite cavalry, he decimated Liu Bang's 560,000 strong army. This feat propelled him to the pinnacle of history, a triumph unmatched since the dawn of time. The final battle, Gai Xia, ended in his bitter defeat and tragic suicide on the banks of the Wu River. Of the three, the battle of Kang Cheng stands alone as his most remarkable feat. It was not only a majestic epic of Xiang Yu's divine military strategy, but also the turning point that would lead to his ultimate failure. Xiang Yu pulverized Liu Bang's 560,000 men. Yet he later fell to Han Xian, the man he once despised, during the siege of Xinjiang. A campaign where the overlord tasted both the sweetness of victory and the bitterness of defeat. How did he manage to break such a massive army with so few? Join us today as we explore the truth behind the legend. Pacifying Guangzhou, the Han king seizes power. After reorganizing his forces into an elite army and employing the strategy of marching through the Qinsong pathway, Liu Bang successfully crossed the Qinling Mountains. He reached Guangzhou, defeated the three Qin leaders in under four months, and secured the entire region. While Xiang Yu was bogged down in Qi, Liu Bang seized the chance to build a formidable power base. With talents like Han Xian, Zhang Liang, and Qin Ping joining his ranks, the Han king was like a tiger gaining wings. By the time Xiang Yu realized the threat posed by Liu Bang, it was already too late, the situation was set. Liu Bang's territory had expanded, his army swelled to hundreds of thousands, and he held both the hearts of the people and his troops. With such power, Liu Bang dreamed of confronting the overlord, eager to avenge his exile to Han Zhong. At the same time, Liu Bang grew wary of Han Xian, fearing his rising prestige. With Zhang Liang back by his side, he no longer prioritized Han Xian, viewing his own great general as a potential threat instead. Using Xiang Yu's murder of empire as a pretext, the puppet ruler he himself had installed. Liu Bang launched a campaign to avenge the emperor, effectively usurping command from Han Xian. In March 205 BC, Liu Bang led his army to Luoyang, and upon entering the city, following Zhang Liang's plan, he wailed bitterly, crying to the heavens, mourning Emperor Yi, whom Xiang Yu had murdered, and ordered the army into three days of mourning. He sent envoys to all the lords, calling for a crusade against Xiang Yu to avenge the emperor. Having long favored the Han cause, the lords grew eager to strike and flocked to Dain County. Liu Bang seized this opportunity, using the popular sentiment as a righteous pretext for war. Under the banner of avenging Emperor Yi, Liu Bang amassed 560,000 troops within a single month. One would expect Han Xian to lead, but Liu Bang, wary of his general's rising power, seized Han Xian's command seals the night before the campaign began. He ordered Han Xian and Xiao He to stay behind to hold the city and suppress any dissent. Deeply frustrated, Han Xian had no choice but to obey the order. Led by Liu Bang, the 560,000-strong army surged toward the Chu capital of Pengqing like a tidal wave. With Xiang Yu's main force pinned down in Qi, his rear was left wide open. It was no surprise that they struggled to withstand the sheer force of such an army. Liu Bang advanced 2,000 miles with zero resistance, seizing Pengqing in no time. Blind with victory, Liu Bang deluded himself into thinking Pengqing meant the empire was won. He failed to realize that Xiang Yu's main force was still in distant Qi. A single decisive strike could bring Xiang Yu back to face the Han army head-on. Liu Bang indulged in wine and women, ignoring the pleas of his advisors. With Pengqing's defenses neglected, the army was like a fish on a chopping block, vulnerable to any attack. News of the capital's fall reached Xiang Yu instantly, he had always underestimated Liu Bang. Now that Pengqing had fallen, he regretted his mercy at Hongmen for sparing Liu Bang's life. He was curious that Liu Bang dared to wreak havoc within his own palace. Burning with rage, he ordered his main army to continue the battle against Qi, while he personally led 30,000 elite cavalry to march through the night to reclaim Pengqing. It was a daring, almost reckless, decision. 30,000 against 560,000 seemed impossible, but the overlord's will was set, and a legendary battle began. At the Battle of Pengqing, the 560,000-strong Han army faced total defeat. Xiang Yu's 30,000 elite cavalry marched day and night without rest, moving with terrifying speed. They reached Yi County, where Han forces led by Fan Kuai and Zhou Bo were lost and drunk in revelry, their defenses lax. Upon learning this, Xiang Yu ordered his men to rest and wait for nightfall to strike. The Han troops remained oblivious, unaware the Chu army lay in wait on the northern bank, drinking until late. When the moment arrived, Xiang Yu immediately ordered a full-scale assault on the city. Under the cover of darkness, a rain of Chu arrows descended upon the city. The cavalry then thundered forward. Still dazed, the Han soldiers were horrified to see the Chu cavalry charging at them. Terrified, they scrambled to wake their commanders, Fan Kuai and Zhou Bo. The two Han generals, caught off guard, ordered their men to scramble and defend the walls. However, it was already too late. The Chu forces breached the gates and poured into Yi County. Seeing the situation was lost, Fan Kuai and Zhou Bo fled on horseback. Just like that, Yi County fell in a single night. The Chu army was now perfectly positioned to threaten After taking Yi County, Xiang Yu marched west to attack Xiao County. The Han forces stationed there were also completely decimated. The Chu army secured the west of Pingcheng, successfully crushing defenses from the northwest. Enraged, Xiang Yu ordered his main force in Xiao County to strike Pingcheng from the west. The other wing advanced from Yi County, creating a pincer movement from the north. At dawn, Xiang Yu's two wings launched their final assault on Pingcheng. Lu Bang finally awoke to reality, realizing his arrogant underestimation of Xiang Yu. But it was too late to change anything. Desperate, he could only order his men to hold the city. Yet, the tables turned. With only 30,000 troops, the Chu army besieged Pingcheng from two sides. Lu Bang's 560,000 men were caught off guard and lost all will to fight. Despite being outnumbered 20 to 1, they could have won if they had held their formation. But seeing the Chu army's ferocity, terror seized them, and they fled in chaos. Xiang Yu's cavalry charged fearlessly, slaughtering the Han troops without mercy. The Han army collapsed, scattering in every direction in a state of panic. Xiang Yu showed no mercy, ordering an immediate pursuit. With the enemy closing in, Han soldiers trampled each other, fleeing toward the Sui River where over a hundred thousand perished. Trapped between the river and the pursuing Chu forces, another hundred thousand drowned. The Sui River became so clogged with bodies that the flow stopped, blood turned the waters red for miles. In less than a day, Lu Bang's massive army was decimated by Xiang Yu's elite 30,000. Lu Bang himself found his forces completely surrounded by the Chu army. Suddenly, a violent storm erupted, kicking up dust and obscuring the sky as trees were uprooted. Caught in the confusion, the Chu army faltered, allowing Lu Bang to break through with only a dozen horsemen. In the chaos, Lu Bang was separated from his family, his father and wife, Lu Zhi, were captured as hostages. While fleeing, Lu Bang encountered his two children, the future Emperor Hui and Princess Lu Yuan. To lighten his load and escape faster, he pushed his own children off the carriage several times. Fortunately, Xiaohuang kept pulling them back up, saving their lives. In a single battle, Lu Bang's gains after pacifying the Three Qians were completely wiped out. With his army decimated, Lu Bang retreated from Pengcheng towards Xinyang to hold his ground. The warlords who had surrendered to Lu Bang now defected back to Xiang Yu after seeing his victory. The tide had turned, and most of the territory east of Xinyang was seized by the Chu forces. If Xiang Yu launched a full assault, Lu Bang would have no defenses left to rely on. At this point, Lu Bang could only hope for an uprising in the land of Qi. If Xiang Yu went to attack Qi, he might just buy himself enough time to survive. Yet, warlords Tian Heng and Qin Yu, terrified by Xiang Yu's victory, quickly surrendered. The entire region defected back to Chu. Xiang Yu stood alone as the overlord of the Central Plains. His sole ambition now was the total annihilation of Lu Bang. Lu Bang was trapped in Xinyang, his life hanging by a thread, facing imminent destruction. In desperation, Lu Bang risked sending a secret plea to Han Xiyan for reinforcements. Han Xiyan received the message and immediately mobilized his forces to counterattack the Chu army. Records are sparse, but under Han Xiyan's command, the Han forces secured a swift victory. They pushed back Xiang Yu's armies, quickly reclaiming most of the territory east of Xinyang. The front lines expanded rapidly eastward, reaching the divide between Xinyang and Pengcheng. There, Lu Bang and Han Xiyan joined forces to build a formidable defensive line, splitting the land and turning the conflict into a true battle of equals. The Han army shifted from the brink of collapse to a position of strength. Had Han Xiyan not turned the tide and reversed the situation, the fate of the Han would have been dire indeed. Han Xiyan's success reignited the morale of the Han troops, deterring other warlords from taking any rash actions, turning danger into safety and giving Lu Bang a chance to challenge Xiang Yu again. So, we have explored the Battle of Pengcheng, the greatest military achievement in the life of Xiang Yu. What are your thoughts on this battle?