The Great Battle Of The Four-Sided Square - Han Xin'S Final Blow That Killed Liu Overlord

Welcome to the Battlecry Chinese History Series. This is the latest project from the Battlecry team. A place to share our passion for history, especially that of our northern neighbor. I believe to defeat an opponent, one must truly understand them. So join Battlecry as we explore their history. Welcome back to the Battlecry Chinese History Series. Xiang Yu rose at 24, three years later, he ruled all under heaven, his fame shaking the world. Yet by 31, he took his own life on the banks of the Wu River. His life was one long string of victories, every campaign he led was a masterpiece of warfare. Yet, that single defeat would haunt him until his final breath. After a life of conquest, the defeat at Geisha was the only one for this legendary general. So, how did this final battle of the overlord play out? How did the Great Chuhan Contention finally come to an end? Let Battlecry find the answers in today's video. The Han Canal Treaty and the Han Army's Betrayal. After the state of Qi was pacified, Han Exian asked Lu Bang to appoint him as acting king of Qi. In terms of merit, no one in the Han army could surpass Han Exian at that time. Other generals had already been granted their titles and lands. Only Han Exian remained ignored by Lu Bang. It must be said that Qi was in chaos after the Han conquest, with bandits everywhere, without swift action, the consequences would be dire. Concerned for the state, Han Exian boldly asked Lu Bang to name him acting king, intending to return power once peace was restored. Many say this was the start of Han Exian's tragedy, but it wasn't the first time Lu Bang grew suspicious of him. The rift in their relationship existed from the very beginning. Had it not been for Xiao He, Han Exian never would have risen to become the commander-in-chief. Ever since leaving Han Zhong, his military power was repeatedly stripped away by Lu Bang, until there was no way out. Lu Bang grew wary of Han Exian, yet reluctantly named him king of Qi. The growing rift was evident to all, and Xiang Yu noticed it too. Many felt Han Exian's vast achievements went unrewarded, despite his immense power. Han Exian could have split the realm or claimed the throne entirely for himself. Xiang Yu once scorned Han Exian's past humiliation, blinded by his own vanity. Now, with his forces waning, Xiang Yu was desperate for Han Exian's support. He sent his envoy, Wuxi, to convince Han Exian to betray Lu Bang. Han Exian calmly rejected the offer, forcing Wuxi to return empty-handed. Even his strategist, Huai Tong, urged him to revolt, but Han Exian refused. Han Exian valued loyalty, remembering how Lu Bang had promoted him from a soldier. Lu Bang might be ruthless, but Han Exian refused to be ungrateful. He remained committed to the Han cause, striving to unify the broken land. Yet, a life of such glory was destined for a tragic end. With Han Exian unpersuaded, Xiang Yu was forced to shift his strategy. Years of relentless war had shattered the Chu army's morale and strength. With his advisor Fan Zengan, many allies began to defect to the Han side. Surrounded by enemies, the overlord grew increasingly despondent. Across the front, Lu Bang proved that while he lacked martial skill, he could lead men. His long struggle with Xiang Yu saw constant shifts between victory and defeat. Unlike the exhausted Chu forces, the Han side was constantly bolstered by Han Exian. Thus, despite repeated losses, Lu Bang managed to hold his own against Xiang Yu. Yet, both rulers remained deeply wary of Han Exian's true potential. Though he pledged loyalty, none truly knew what was in Han Exian's heart. His successful campaigns had given him power that rivaled both Lu Bang and Xiang Yu. He did not rebel then, but no one could say for certain what the future held. Both Xiang Yu and Lu Bang feared that Han Exian might betray them at any moment. Thus, they agreed to a truce, dividing the empire along the Han Canal. The east went to Chu, the west to Han, as Lu Bang withdrew his troops. Xiang Yu agreed, returning Lu Bang's father and wife to the Han camp. In September 202 BC, Xiang Yu began his retreat toward the east. While Lu Bang prepared to pull his forces back to Guangzhou, peace seemed finally within reach for the weary people of the realm. Yet, the Han ambition was greater, they sought total control, not just a shared land. Lu Bang's advisors, Zhang Liang and Qin Ping, urged him to strike. As the people had grown weary of the Chu army's cruelty and constant warfare, the Han army enjoyed widespread support, even among those living under Chu rule. This was their golden opportunity to unify the land and secure the Han dynasty. Ignoring the treaty, Lu Bang marched to strike the retreating Chu forces from behind. Caught off guard, the Chu army crumbled as the Han forces surged forward to capture Xiang Yu. Emboldened by success, Lu Bang recklessly engaged Xiang Yu directly without waiting for reinforcements. The planned three-pronged pincer attack dissolved into a head-on confrontation. When Lu Bang faced Xiang Yu in direct combat, he was inevitably defeated. Xiang Yu had spared Lu Bang before out of mercy, only to be betrayed repeatedly. Now, with the broken treaty fueling his rage, Xiang Yu sought only Lu Bang's head. Xiang Yu realized that Han Xi'an and Ying Bu's reinforcements had not yet arrived. It was only Lu Bang's main force chasing his exhausted men. Though they were alone, the Han army still heavily outnumbered the desperate Chu troops. Xiang Yu sought a path to victory, hoping a swift strike could capture Lu Bang and turn the tide. With no other option, the Chu army chose to counterattack before the Han reinforcements could regroup. The Chu soldiers, loyal to the end, followed Xiang Yu into the desperate fight. They fought desperately against the Han, led by Lu Bang. The Chu troops charged, driven by the overlord's command. Like tigers descending the mountain, they crushed the Han line, quickly overwhelming Lu Bang's forces. Without Han Xi'an, the Han army was merely a disorganized mob. Lu Bang was defeated, trapped in the city, drifting in despair. In desperation, he turned his thoughts to his greatest rival, Han Xi'an. Yet, after seizing his command and lands, Lu Bang felt too ashamed to ask for help. Xiang Liang, knowing his lord's plight, noted that Lu Bang only stood against Xiang Yu because of Han Xi'an. With the added support of Ping Yu and Ying Bu, the Chu forces would surely crumble. Yet as Chu nears collapse, these key figures, especially Han Xi'an, remain unrewarded. Their land, soldiers, and spoils were stripped away by Lu Bang, leaving them only empty, meaningless titles. Logically and morally, it was impossible to ask for their aid again. Thus, he proposed granting them Xiang Yu's lands, and then calling upon them to break the siege at Guling. With no better strategy, Lu Bang reluctantly agreed. As for Han Xi'an, he was indeed conflicted. Though unable to match Lu Bang's vanguard speed, he focused on surrounding Xiang Yu's rear guard, easing the pressure on the Han king's front lines. By this time, Han Xi'an felt little loyalty to Lu Bang. Yet he lacked the ambition to act on his own. Driven by the crisis and Xiang Liang's promises of land, Han Xi'an finally joined the fray. He donned his armor and led a massive army south to break the siege. The war turned rapidly. Han Xi'an prepared his final strike, and Lu Bang neared total victory. The Battle of Geisha, where the songs of Chu echoed from all sides. The Chu forces were then largely concentrated between Guling and Shoushuan. Meanwhile, their capital, Pengcheng, remained poorly defended. Han Xi'an immediately spotted this critical vulnerability. He ordered his troops to bypass Guling and march straight for Pengcheng. First, he joined forces with Guan Ning. Striking at Shopei, they captured Pengcheng in a single blow. With their capital lost, the foundation of Chu crumbled. This turn of events brought back uneasy memories. Years earlier, Lu Bang had also seized Pengcheng, only to be crushed by 30,000 of Xiang Yu's cavalry against his 560,000 men. Yet the tides had shifted, the Chu army was not the same force it once was. And this time, it was Han Xi'an who took Pengcheng, not Lu Bang. The fate of the realm had changed, the balance of power in the central plains had shifted. The Han army held the initiative now, under the command of Han Xi'an. Terrified by the loss of Pengcheng, Xiang Yu abandoned Guling and retreated to Geisha to regroup. Hearing of the retreat, Han Xi'an signaled the entire Han force to converge on Geisha for the final clash. Han Xi'an moved west to join Lu Bang at Geisha, near modern-day Luoyang. With Ying Bu and Ping Yu arriving, the combined Han forces grew immensely powerful. They gave chase, hounding the Chu army all the way to Geisha. In a frantic campaign, they marched thousands of miles from Guanzhong to the central plains, then to Geisha. The thundering of horses shook the earth, the final battle of the Chu-Han contention was about to begin. Xiang Yu arrived at Geisha, in present-day Lingbi, Anhui province. Watching the approaching Han tide, he sighed to the heavens, regretting his mercy toward Lu Bang. He foolishly broke his word, trapping himself in Han territory. Looking back, his veteran troops were decimated. He hoped for a final decisive victory, but Han Xi'an arrived to shatter his last dreams. The Han forces numbered over 700,000, while the Chu army had fewer than 100,000. With morale shattered and supplies cut, their strength withered like dry branches in a gale. Yet Xiang Yu was valiant, he was no stranger to winning against impossible odds. At Jilu, he led 30,000 men to crush a Qin army of 400,000. At Pengcheng, he defeated 560,000 Han troops with only 30,000 soldiers. He had never known defeat. With 100,000 men, he believed a miracle was still possible. He concentrated his forces to break the Han line and seize a strategic breakthrough. But Xiang Yu forgot, his opponent was no longer Zhang Han or Lu Bang, but Han Xi'an. Lu Bang appointed Han Xi'an as commander-in-chief. Han Xi'an understood Xiang Yu all too well. Anticipating Xiang Yu's tactics, Han Xi'an deployed the five-legion formation to neutralize Chu strength. Han Xi'an led the vanguard, supported by Kang Xi and Fei Jiang, while Lu Bang held the center. With the five wings in place, Han Xi'an knew the moment for the final strike had arrived. The Han soldiers sang, Chu hearts have turned, the empire belongs to Lu. Han Xi'an is at Gaixia, seeking the overlord's head. In essence, the world has turned against Chu, and the end of the overlord is at hand. Enraged, Xiang Yu donned his armor and led the Chu army out to charge. Like cornered beasts, the Chu soldiers roared, fighting for their final breath. Han Xi'an's vanguard faltered momentarily, but he had foreseen this retreat. As Han units withdrew, the aggressive Chu forces took the bait, charging deep into the trap. Once they were lured inside, the Han flanks closed in to strike. Han Xi'an countered, crushing the Chu army from three sides, their morale finally collapsed. Xiang Yu barely broke the encirclement, retreating to his camp to wait behind closed gates. Han Xi'an did not press the attack, opting instead to surround them completely. The Chu army was halved, starving, freezing, and utterly abandoned by any reinforcements. Starving and freezing, the Chu troops grew restless. Seeing their low morale, Zhang Liang proposed the foresighted Chu songs to Han Xi'an. In the cold night, a mournful melody drifted through the wind. It started faint and distant, then grew clearer and closer. Han Xi'an had ordered the Han soldiers to sing, stirring deep nostalgia within the Chu ranks. Hearing their homeland songs, Xiang Yu's men wept, some even began to hum along involuntarily. One by one, then hundreds, the singing swelled, echoing across the entire Chu encampment. Outside Xiang Yu's tent, soldiers wiped away tears, dropped their weapons, and slipped out of the camp in the dark. Even veterans who served him for years left without a word, and even his own kin abandoned him. By morning, thousands of Xiang Yu's soldiers had deserted. Inside his tent, Xiang Yu struggled to hold back his sorrow. A hero's life was crumbling to dust. His consort, Yu Ji, took her own life before him, a tragedy beyond words. The Overlord had lost. In the bitter wind, a grief-stricken Xiang Yu buried Yu Ji as the songs of Chu filled the air. Once an invincible overlord, he surveyed the desolate camp, knowing his era had ended and destiny was beyond his reach. Mounting his steed, he led the survivors to break through the encirclement, fleeing south under the cover of night. Xiang Yu still commanded 8,000 elite loyalists, a fierce force that remained utterly devoted to him. They fought with unstoppable ferocity, carving a path through the Han ranks and shattering their lines. At dawn, the Han discovered he had escaped. Han Xi'an immediately ordered Guan Ying to pursue him with 5,000 elite cavalry. Lu Bang promised great rewards, whoever killed Xiang Yu would be granted land and noble status. Xiang Yu fled southeast, losing men along the way. After crossing the Huai River, only a hundred remained. Then, a farmer tricked him, leading his party into a swamp. The Han army quickly caught up and surrounded them. Yet, the mere presence of the Overlord still struck terror into their hearts. Not a single Han soldier dared to charge forward. When Guan Ying rushed him, Xiang Yu roared, scaring the enemy's horse into retreating in fear. He managed to escape once again. Xiang Yu rode south toward the Wu River, where he was urged to cross and await his chance to rise again. Yet, ashamed to have lost his empire to Lu Bang, he refused to return. He rallied his final 28 loyal soldiers to face the Han army. Surrounded by thousands, the 28 Chu soldiers stood defiant with Xiang Yu. As a Han commander charged, Xiang Yu calmly spoke to his men. Watch me behead him. With that, he charged and slew the officer in moments. His 28 men followed, slaughtering hundreds and forcing the Han to retreat. Xiang Yu regrouped, having lost only two men. He turned to his troops. Seeing his prowess, they were filled with awe and knelt in respect. As day turned to night, after relentless fighting, Xiang Yu spotted his old acquaintance, Lu Madong, leading the enemy forces. He realized his defeat was not in battle, but in losing the hearts of men. Beyond despair, he spoke to his old acquaintance. I hear Lu Bang offers a thousand gold for my head. I grant you this favor. He took his own life by the Wu River, refusing to fall to the Han. The legendary overlord fell, ending the Chu-Han contention. Xiang Yu rose at 24, became overlord at 27, and died at 31. Geisha was the only defeat of his entire life. With peerless strength, only Han Exian could ever defeat him. Without Han Exian, Lu Bang could never have left Han Zhong. Even if he had, he would have inevitably been crushed by Xiang Yu. It is rare in history to have two such legendary commanders emerge at once. Xiang Yu is the god of war, and Han Exian the military immortal. One is the peerless overlord, the other is the divine strategist, Han Exian. Once these commanders took the field, the outcome was decided before the first clash. For Han Exian, defeating the overlord cemented his genius and historical legacy, earning him the title of military immortal for generations to come. For Xiang Yu, losing to Han Exian did nothing to diminish his glory as the overlord. The Chu-Han contention ended, unifying the central plains and ushering in a new era. Yet, it also marked the beginning of Han Exian's tragic downfall. We have now explored the Battle of Geisha, the final stand of the overlord, Xiang Yu. What are your thoughts on this battle? Share them with us in the comments below.