Xiang Yu killed himself in Wujiang, which is regrettable. A generation of famous generals ended their lives in such a tragic way, is this a personal choice or the pressure of the times?
It is often said that times make heroes, but perhaps they never thought that heroes could also destroy their own good cards. In the chaotic moment of the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the group of heroes surged, and the group led by Xiang Yu defeated Zhang Han, but failed to finally dominate the world.
Overlord Xiang Yu ended his life by the Wujiang River, while Liu Bang ushered in a new era.
In this four-year war, why the Xiang Yu group was finally defeated and Liu Bang's group won its first victory was actually closely related to the character and strategy of the two leaders. After the march in Guanzhong, the Shandong soldiers under the command of Xiang Yu launched a bloody revenge action, slaughtering the city, infanticide, burning the palace, the fire for three months has not been extinguished, and the palace, treasures and women of the Qin Dynasty have been looted.
This cruel act has made it difficult for the hearts of the people to be reassured. Some people may think that the plundering of Shandong soldiers in Guanzhong was caused by Xiang Yu's simple mind, but a more peaceful and objective view is that the Qin people's hatred of Guanzhong was deep-rooted, which became the deep reason for the tragedy.
Qin Min was originally a victim of Qin **, and they pinned their hopes on the heroes from Guanzhong. However, Xiang Yu's actions not only disappointed the Qin people, but also caused deep fear. They desperately want a brilliant leader to emerge to protect their interests. However, at the critical moment when Qin's ruling order had just been dismantled by the Shandong soldiers, no new spokesperson could be found, and the Qin people pinned their hopes on Liu Bang.
Unlike Xiang Yu, Liu Bang has always focused on winning the hearts of the people. After entering Guanzhong, he forbade the army to plunder, and after accepting the surrender of Prince Ying of Qin, he sealed Chengyang's treasures and property, and then returned to Bashang to gather the fathers and elders of the counties. He announced to them three important things: first, a promise to claim the throne of Guanzhong;Secondly, the harsh laws of the Qin Dynasty were abolished, and the "Three Chapters of the Law" were established with the people;In the end, the officials who retained the original Qin continued their work.
Subsequently, Liu Bang sent personnel to go to the counties, townships, and towns together with the former Qin officials to publicize his decrees. The Qin people were all overjoyed when they heard this, and they sent cattle, sheep, wine and food to comfort Liu Bang's army. Liu Bang humbly excused himself, saying that there was still enough grain in the warehouse of the Qin State and he did not want to consume their food.
This attitude of treating people is deeply loved by the people of Guanzhong. Liu Bang's actions were highly praised by later generations, and Feng Bi of the Song Dynasty was greatly appreciated for this.
Liu Bang dared to accept defeat, which was an important reason why he was able to finally seize the world. During the Chu-Han War, Liu Bang suffered repeated setbacks, was defeated several times, and was seriously wounded.
In the Battle of Pengcheng and the Siege of Chenggao, he almost died. Liu Bang was often defeated and retreated, but he was never anxious about face, and his only concern was how to save his life. He even went to Hongmen in person, apologized for his sins and begged for peace, and endured humiliation. In the Battle of Xingyang, he desperately asked Ji Xin to die in his place. This unscrupulous leader who did anything to survive laid a solid foundation for the later seizure of the world.
Overall, the differences between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu in terms of personality and style of doing things allowed Liu Bang to recover quickly from defeat and finally win the world. Xiang Yu found it difficult to accept defeat and was unwilling to face the reversal of the battle, and finally chose to kill himself.