The Desperate Struggle at Xingyang

The Chu-Han Contention (206–202 BCE) witnessed one of ancient China’s most dramatic power struggles between Liu Bang, founder of the Han Dynasty, and his formidable rival Xiang Yu. Following his catastrophic defeat at Pengcheng in 205 BCE, Liu Bang retreated to Xingyang, where he established a defensive line against Xiang Yu’s relentless attacks. For months, Liu Bang endured a grueling stalemate—outmatched in open battle but refusing to collapse.

His advisor Li Yiji proposed a critical solution: securing the Ao Granary, a massive Qin-era food reserve near the Yellow River. Liu Bang constructed a fortified “corridor path” (甬道) with walls on either side to protect grain shipments. This ingenious supply line allowed his forces to hold Xingyang for over a year—until Xiang Yu’s elite troops severed it in late 204 BCE, plunging Liu Bang into crisis.

Strategic Blunders and Brilliance

Facing starvation, Liu Bang considered Li Yiji’s radical proposal: reviving the pre-Qin six states as buffer kingdoms against Xiang Yu. He ordered royal seals prepared—until strategist Zhang Liang intervened with a devastating critique. “If you reward old nobles instead of your followers,” Zhang argued, “your men will abandon you for their former lords.” Liu Bang famously spat out his food mid-bite, cursing Li Yiji as a “useless scholar” before scrapping the plan.

This episode revealed Liu Bang’s desperation—and his willingness to heed counsel. When deception became his only recourse, he entrusted advisor Chen Ping with 40,000 catties of copper to execute an audacious spy operation. Chen’s disinformation campaign successfully turned Xiang Yu against his top general Zhongli Mo and chief strategist Fan Zeng. The latter, accused of treason, resigned in fury and died en route home—a catastrophic loss for Xiang Yu’s camp.

The Art of Asymmetric Warfare

By 203 BCE, Liu Bang adopted guerrilla tactics through General Peng Yue, who harassed Xiang Yu’s supply lines. Historian Wang Liqun notes Peng pioneered “China’s earliest mobile warfare”—drawing Xiang Yu’s forces back and forth across Henan while Liu Bang recaptured key cities. A pivotal moment came when 13-year-old boy from Waihuang persuaded Xiang Yu to spare local men from execution, demonstrating how Liu Bang’s faction skillfully exploited Xiang Yu’s brutality to turn populations against him.

Meanwhile, Liu Bang pulled off a brazen power grab by seizing control of Han Xin’s elite northern army at Xiushou. This move, coupled with advisor Zheng Zhong’s recommendation to reinforce Peng Yue, allowed Han forces to sever Xiang Yu’s logistics completely.

The Domino Effect of Han Xin’s Qi Campaign

The conflict’s climax unfolded in modern Shandong, where diplomat Li Yiji seemingly secured Qi’s surrender—only for Han Xin to attack anyway, exterminating Qi’s unprepared army. When Xiang Yu sent 200,000 troops under General Long Ju to retaliate, Han Xin engineered one of history’s most brilliant riverbank ambushes at the Wei River, annihilating Chu’s reinforcements.

This victory triggered four seismic reactions:
1. Han Xin demanded recognition as “Acting King of Qi”—a request Liu Bang reluctantly granted
2. Xiang Yu, facing imminent encirclement, dispatched diplomat Wu She to woo Han Xin, warning: “If Chu falls, you’re next”
3. Strategist Kuai Tong urged Han Xin to declare independence, proposing a tripartite division of China
4. Liu Bang played for time, secretly preparing his final offensive

Legacy of the Contention

The Xingyang campaign redefined Chinese warfare through:
– Logistical innovation: Protected supply lines like the Ao Granary corridor
– Psychological operations: Chen Ping’s masterful espionage
– Mobility tactics: Peng Yue’s prototype guerrilla warfare
– Strategic patience: Liu Bang’s willingness to trade space for time

Modern military theorists still study how Liu Bang—despite repeated battlefield losses—outmaneuvered a superior foe through adaptability, intelligence operations, and ruthless pragmatism. The Chu-Han transition established patterns of Chinese statecraft that would endure for millennia, proving that wars are won not just by valor, but by the shrewd management of resources, information, and alliances.