The Collapse of the Western Chu and the Death of a Warlord

The Battle of Gaixia in 202 BCE marked the dramatic end of Xiang Yu, the once-invincible Hegemon-King of Western Chu. After confirming his rival’s death at the Wujiang River, Liu Bang—later Emperor Gaozu of Han—mobilized his coalition forces to systematically dismantle the remnants of the Chu state and its allies. Among these was the Kingdom of Linjiang, a loyal vassal of Xiang Yu.

Linjiang, established by Xiang Yu during his feudal reorganizations, controlled territories including the former Qin Dynasty’s Nan Commandery, with its capital at Jiangling (modern Hubei). Its first ruler, Gong Ao, had risen to prominence under King Huai of Chu, conquering Nan Commandery and earning his kingship. When Gong Ao died in 204 BCE, his son Gong Wei inherited the throne and continued resisting Liu Bang even after Xiang Yu’s demise. The Han forces, led by generals Lu Wan and Liu Jia, besieged Jiangling for months before capturing Gong Wei, who was executed in Luoyang.

The Unyielding Loyalty of Lu County

A striking episode unfolded in Lu County (modern Qufu, Shandong), Xiang Yu’s fiefdom and the ancient heartland of the Zhou-era Lu State (1046–256 BCE). Steeped in Confucian traditions—Lu was Confucius’s homeland—its people adhered to feudal ideals of loyalty. Even as neighboring cities fell to Han Xin’s armies before Gaixia, Lu alone held out, refusing to surrender.

Enraged, Liu Bang threatened annihilation. Yet the cultural prestige of Lu gave him pause. A pragmatist with a rogue’s appreciation for honor, Liu Bang compromised: he displayed Xiang Yu’s severed head to Lu’s elders, symbolically releasing them from their oath. The city surrendered peacefully, sparing its cultural legacy.

A King’s Funeral and the Seeds of Imperial Rule

Liu Bang’s handling of Xiang Yu’s aftermath revealed his political acumen. He interred his rival with full ducal rites at Gucheng (modern Pingyin, Shandong), personally mourning at the funeral—a gesture blending respect and realpolitik. The Xiang clan was pardoned and later ennobled; Xiang Yu’s uncle Xiang Bo became Marquis of Sheyang, while other relatives received titles and the imperial Liu surname, assimilating them into the new order.

Meanwhile, Liu Bang moved swiftly to consolidate power. At Dingtao, he stripped Han Xin—architect of Gaixia’s victory—of military command, neutralizing a potential rival. This mirrored earlier tensions: Han Xin, the brilliant strategist, thrived in war but lacked political vision; Liu Bang, the consummate statesman, was already plotting peacetime governance.

Forging an Empire: The Han Dynasty Rises

By 202 BCE, Liu Bang began restructuring the realm. He relocated Han Xin to Chu as its king and enfeoffed Peng Yue as King of Liang, rewarding key allies while dispersing their power bases. In a choreographed political theater, six kings—including Han Xin and Ying Bu—petitioned Liu Bang to assume the title of Emperor. After ceremonial reluctance, he ascended on February 28, 202 BCE, at the banks of the Si River in Dingtao.

The coronation, streamlined by advisor Shu Suntong, blended Qin protocols with Han pragmatism. With armies as witnesses and nobles pledging allegiance, Liu Bang inaugurated the Han Dynasty—a “joint empire” balancing centralized authority and feudal compromises. Empress Lü Zhi and Crown Prince Liu Ying were elevated, while posthumous honors formalized dynastic continuity.

Legacy: The Han Blueprint for Imperial China

The Gaixia aftermath set enduring precedents. Liu Bang’s synthesis of military force and cultural diplomacy—exemplified by sparing Lu—became a Han hallmark. His co-option of rivals (like the Xiang clan) and bureaucratic centralization (evident in curtailing Han Xin) shaped China’s imperial template.

Moreover, the Han’s embrace of Confucian values, foreshadowed in the Lu episode, would later crystallize under Emperor Wu, making Confucianism state orthodoxy. The dynasty’s 400-year reign, emerging from Gaixia’s ashes, defined Chinese civilization’s golden age—proving that the truest victor in 202 BCE was not just Liu Bang, but the enduring order he crafted.