Chapter 1 By the River Wujiang Cross No More
In the year of 202 B.C, Xiang Yu’s troops was forced to retreat in the camp which was attached by the feudatory alliance troop in Gaixia (in the South East of Anhui).
Late in the night, when Xiang Yu the Conqueror of Western Chu has been feeling troubled by his road ahead and he was completed surrounded by the enemy’s troops. All of a sudden, the
folk song
of the Chu appears from the enemy leading the Conqueror panic thinking that “Has the troop of Han has defeated the Empire of Chu all over? Why there were so many Chu people in the enemy?”
In the ancient time of war, the army that has occupied a city would often conquer a city or fortress, the local people would serve as the source of supplementary soldiers. If it was not the Chu people who has been defeated, then of course the folk song of Chu would not be sung. Now Xiang Yu the Conqueror was surrounded by his hometown folk song implies that he las lost all his occupied lands otherwise there would not be so many Chu people within the Han army. Thus the “astonishment” of the Xiang Yu is quite a natural reaction, for one reason, if he has lost his homeland then what on earth can be his land? For the second reason, it was because Liu Bang has swiftly occupied the Land of Chu. Was it because Liu’s army was too strong in terms of the fighting power, or was it because he has reached the end of his destiny and abandon by the people of Chu.
After Xiang Yu was defeated severely, he started to immerse himself into alcohol and sing the legendary “The Elegy of Gaixia” to his cherished horse and concubine: The Consort Yu.
Strong as someone who can move mountains and no man can compare to him all.
The time is not to my advantage yet Zhui (Xiang Yu’s horse) do not run.
Though Zhui cannot run and it was such a waste.
Yu, my Concubine, Yu, my Concubine cannot do anything about it.
If we translate into more colloquial language, It would be:
My strength was enough to move mountains, such strong ambition and valor were second to none.
But the trend is not to my advantage, and my beloved horse Wuzhui cannot run freely.
Horse Wuzhui cannot run, then how can I deal with such plight?
Oh my beloved Consort Yu, my concubine Yu, how would I settle you?
The first sentence of the poem is full of ambition yet the rest of the elegy remains no strength and strong will at all. The scene left was a pathetic view of a hero reaching to the end of his legend and lamenting on the trend. From the point of view of literature, such large contrast of difference can add to more tragedy effect of aesthetics. However, from the military point of view, when the going gets tough, the determination and confidence will become more important, because it is the final pillar to maintain the morale. Napoleon once said, “In war, moral power is to physical as three parts out of four.” No matter the ratios of three to fourth was precise or not. But the importance of morale in the leadership in battle was simply common sense. Take Cao Cao who are so skillful in the techniques of as an example, no matter how hard the situation is, he can always lead in a calm manner to maintain the morale of the troops. Let alone some mediocre military leaders that would go in the outburst of anger if they hear their general or strategist saying “Those who disturb the heart of my army, defeat the courage of my troop and break down the spirit and morale of my regencies who immediately beheaded right on the spot.”
Now let’s look back at Xiang Yu the Conqueror, it never occurred to us that a general and outstanding military leader like him once has led his army to so many victories would say something that is so self-suffocating that has a catastrophic impact on the morale of Chu’s military troop. The Chu side has suffered from severe setback from the war and mentally defeated and they were caught up in the devastating situation. If they have some mere light of hope in their heart, then Xiang Yu the Conqueror of Western Chu can lead them out of the misery and lead them back home, regroup the military and wait for the right time to fight back against the Han. If they have had faith in Xiang Yu, then he can create miracles because Xiang Yu himself is a legend and miracle. In Julu,(on the South Eastern area of Hebei), Xiang Yu led troop of less 100,000 men who had just been defeated and successfully defeated Zhang Han’s military of 400,000 soldiers of Qin’s alliance. In the city of Peng (Xuzhou, Jiangsu), Xiang Yu and his 30,000 calvarymen have tremendous victory over the 600,000 feudatory alliance troops led by Liu Bang. This time at the confrontation of Gaixia, Chu military hold the same high hope for Xiang Yu believing that he can lead the army to victory and turn everything around. He was the last dim light hope yet he himself retreated, defeated without the glamour who used to be dubbed us “the God of War” whereas he had become a whiningly sentimental guy. When the used-to-be invincible Conqueror of the Western has shed the tears of the hero at the end of his legend, his escorting guards cannot help run the tears as well. Though such scene may be touching, yet the military has lost the power of battle force.
After Xiang Yu has made the “The Elegy of Gaixia”, his beloved concubine: the Consort Yu also responds with another Elegy singing: “Han soldiers has swept the land, From all sides the Chu Songs sings. My king has been deprived of his will, Humble me as his concubine shall I live! ”
Shortly after, concubine Yu drew Xiangyu’s sword then killed herself. This elegy was suspect to be an unauthentic work by the later scholars. Now we are not going to focus on the content of this elegy, this song truly reflects the scene and situation back then and it conforms to the viewpoint of the balance of Yin and Yang (Masculinity and Femininity).Xiang Yu with the utmost strength and valor while in the time of requires the courage, he shows the deepest rarely seen sentimentalism for his lover while the Consort Yu with the most fragile and tender temperament, when in the time of the least sense of security demonstrates the unbelievable mental strength and determination.
Xiang Yu’s “The Elegy of Gaixia” not only severely devastate his own troops’ morale, it reveals his major Achilles’ heel: too proud and arrogant. The first line of the Elegy has described himself as the “God of War” superior to none, the second and the third lines are the lines showing cares for his horse. The fourth line is to show care towards his woman. Alas! Xiang Yu was about to lose all his sovereignty over his land and business. So many brotherly soldiers and generals has turned into while bones, 100,000 soldiers need to find their way to survive, however Xiang Yu showed no concern about such plight. What he cared then were only his race horse and woman. Was Xiang Yu numbed without any true affections? No, it was because he was too proud. He never appreciated that his land was built and conquered through other people’s assistance. His fame as the God of war seemed to only be understood by his horse Wuzhui and his Consort Yu. As for those comrades, it is their luck that they can fight alongside with the God of War, instead of he himself give gratitude towards his comrade, it is them that shall give thanks to themselves.
Xiang Yu sang, “Oh my beloved Consort Yu, my concubine Yu, how would I settle you? ”He surely was troubled with how to safely settle the Consort Yu because Gaixia was impossible to be secure for long. Either the Consort Yu shall follow himself or stay in Gaixia. If he took the Concubine with him, Xiang Yu had no confidence at all that he can protect Yu and the Consort Yu can possibly become a burden of his own. If he chose to let the Consort Yu to stay, she would surely be held captive by the enemy of Han troop. That is to say, as the woman belongs to Xiang Yu, she might end up being raped or insulted by the Han military. Thus, there was only one way: the Consort Yu had have to choose to die no matter how. But how Xiang Yu could can say such cruel demand and how can he personally end her life?
We were not sure whether the Consort Yu had fully aware of Xiang Yu’s inner struggle nor do we know there was deep resentment in her heart. Nevertheless, she responded with “My king has been deprived of his will, Humble me as his concubine shall I live! ”, and then using the sword to cut her throat for suicide. For one, the Consort Yu chose death as the action to represent her own fidelity; for two, the Consort chose death rather than becoming a possible burden to Xiang Yu. For three, the Consort wished to use her sacrifice of life to stimulate Xiang Yu’s ambition again.
After Xiang Yu has buried the Consort Yu, he wiped away his tears, and left the big troop of nearly 100,000 soldiers at Gaixia, chose 800 vigorous men to ambush from the South during the night. When Xiang Yu broke through the flank of the enemy, he was discovered by the Han troop the other day in the morning. The Han troop immediately sent out 5,000 cavalry to track him down. When Xiang Yu was crossing the River of Huai, 800 men has left to a little bit more than 100. It was due to the loss from the battle against Han Troop leading to the decreased number, while on the other hand, it was due to the fact that Xiang Yu’s horse’ speed was too fast leading the other followed soldiers falling far behind.
Xiang Yu rode relentlessly all the way through to Yinling (North-Western of Dingyuan in Anhui Province) and lost his direction, so he asked the route from a farmer and was misled to a big swamp and got delayed so that the Han troop had caught him quite near. Until when he has got away with the swamp and reached City Dong (South-Eastern of Dingyuan in Anhui Province), he left only 28 soldiers with him and yet the Han troop followed him got more than a dozen of thousands. Xiang Yu estimated that he must have his doomed, thus, he declared his final speech before his death to his comrades.
I have served in the military for eight years and I have personally experienced more than 70 times of battles. All the people I have defeated would succumb to me and I have never tasted the feeling of defeated. That is I own half of the world. However, I was trapped here, that is the sign God wants me to doom, the sin of being defeated without a fight. Today though I have the realization of my death, I am still willing to fight for you all. “Shiji (Historic Records), Biographic Sketches of Xiang Yu”
There are two layers of meaning we can read from this last speech of Xiang Yu. First, I have led the army to victory for almost eight years, experienced more than 70 times of battles. I defeat all and win all the victories which allows me to be the acclaimed king of the world. Today I have led myself into destruction though God’s will not that I lack such abilities to rule the world. Second, to prove my statement, I can make a bet with you all that I shall have a “swift battle” against the Han military without any hesitation. In such rapid battles, I promised to win Han troops all the way through for three total defeats to break through the encircled status quo, behead the enemy’s general and grab their flags. If I still can win such glorious victory in such disadvantageous surroundings then it can prove that it was God has made today my doom day not that I was incapable of leadership.
