The Road to Gaixia: A Kingdom Divided

In the winter of 203 BCE, news of the crushing defeat of Long Ju, Xiang Yu’s most trusted general, sent shockwaves through the rival camps of Chu and Han at Guangwu Mountain. The Han camp erupted in jubilation—warriors of the Baidun Man tribe danced on the ramparts all night, while the Chu camp lay shrouded in ominous silence.

For Liu Bang, the Han king, this victory was a turning point. With three-quarters of Chu’s forces obliterated, his strategist Han Xin had secured the Qi territories, positioning himself to encircle Xiang Yu from the east. Yet when Han Xin, now the de facto ruler of Qi, audaciously requested the title of “Acting King of Qi,” Liu Bang’s initial fury gave way to pragmatism. As his advisors Zhang Liang and Chen Ping subtly reminded him, denying Han Xin’s ambition risked rebellion. Thus, Liu Bang theatrically proclaimed, “A true man who conquers kingdoms should be a true king—why settle for ‘acting’?” and sent envoys to formally crown Han Xin.

Meanwhile, in the Chu camp, despair festered. Xiang Yu, the self-proclaimed “Hegemon-King of Western Chu,” dismissed pleas to retreat to Pengcheng, his capital. His generals—Ji Bu, Zhongli Mo, and Yu Ziqi—mourned Long Ju’s death, but Xiang Yu, ever prideful, refused public mourning, fearing it would demoralize his troops.

The Diplomatic Gambit: A Truce Shattered

By autumn 202 BCE, both sides were exhausted. Liu Bang, under pressure from his advisors, proposed the Treaty of Hong Canal, dividing China along the canal’s east-west axis: Han would rule the west, Chu the east. Xiang Yu, his supply lines severed by Han Xin and Peng Yue’s raids, reluctantly agreed. The treaty was signed, prisoners exchanged—including Liu Bang’s father and wife, held hostage for years—and celebrations erupted in both camps.

But the peace was short-lived. Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, recognizing Chu’s vulnerability, convinced Liu Bang to betray the treaty. “To spare the tiger is to invite calamity,” they argued. In a stunning reversal, Han forces pursued Xiang Yu’s retreating army, igniting the final campaign.

The Siege of Gaixia: The Conqueror’s Last Stand

Trapped at Gaixia with dwindling supplies, Xiang Yu’s 100,000-strong army faced Han’s 600,000-strong coalition. Han Xin, commanding the center, lured Chu forces into a deadly trap: as Xiang Yu’s elite troops charged, Han’s flanks—led by generals Kong Ju and Chen He—closed in like a vise. Despite heroic resistance, Chu’s lines collapsed.

By nightfall, Han soldiers encircled Gaixia, singing haunting Chu folk songs. The melodies, evoking homesickness, shattered Chu morale. Desertions soared; even Xiang Yu’s uncle, Xiang Bo, fled. Only 4,000 loyalists remained.

In his tent, Xiang Yu composed his famous lament:
“My strength uprooted mountains, my spirit shadowed the world;
Yet time turns against me, my steed will not run.
If my steed runs no more, what then can I do?
Ah, Yu, my Yu, what will become of you?”

His beloved consort, Lady Yu, responded by taking her own life rather than burden his escape.

The Flight and Fall: Death on the Wu River

With 800 cavalry, Xiang Yu broke through Han lines, but relentless pursuit whittled his band to 28 by the Wu River. An old ferryman offered escape to Jiangdong (modern Jiangsu), Chu’s heartland. Xiang Yu refused: “How could I face the fathers of the 8,000 Jiangdong youths who followed me to their graves?”

After a final charge that left hundreds of Han dead, he turned his sword on himself. His body was dismembered by five Han officers, each rewarded with a marquisate.

Legacy: The Birth of Han Supremacy

Xiang Yu’s death in 202 BCE marked the end of the Chu-Han Contention. Liu Bang, crowned Emperor Gaozu, unified China under the Han Dynasty, which would rule for four centuries. Yet Xiang Yu’s legend endured—a tragic hero whose flaws (pride, distrust of advisors) contrasted with Liu Bang’s pragmatism.

The Battle of Gaixia reshaped Chinese warfare: Han Xin’s encirclement tactics became doctrine, while Xiang Yu’s reliance on personal bravery was relegated to poetry. Culturally, the conflict birthed idioms like “surrounding a rival with songs of Chu” (四面楚歌, psychological warfare) and “no face to return to Jiangdong” (无颜见江东父老, shame after failure).

Today, Gaixia’s ruins near modern Lingbi County remain a pilgrimage site. Xiang Yu’s story—a conqueror undone by hubris—resonates as a cautionary tale of leadership, while Liu Bang’s triumph heralded the Han’s golden age, bridging the Qin’s tyranny and China’s imperial zenith.

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### Key Themes:
– Leadership Contrasts: Xiang Yu’s brilliance in battle vs. Liu Bang’s strategic alliances.
– Betrayal & Realpolitik: The broken Hong Canal Treaty mirrors China’s cyclical history of “winning by any means.”
– Cultural Memory: Chu songs, Xiang Yu’s suicide, and Lady Yu’s sacrifice became staples of opera and literature.

This article blends historical analysis with narrative drama, optimized for readability while preserving the original’s depth. Subheadings guide readers through the conflict’s phases, and vivid details (e.g., the ferryman’s offer) humanize the tragedy.