Xiang Yu has escaped from the encirclement of the Han army, why did he commit suicide in Wujiang? The history books record why
Xiang Yu broke through with only 800 warriors after the Battle of Xiaxia, which was essentially to regroup and gather strength, even if the battlefield was lost, there was still a chance to regroup. With the belief of "staying in the green mountains, not afraid of running out of firewood", they are unwilling to give up easily. The reason why Xiang Yu chose to break through instead of choosing to die on the battlefield was because he didn't want to be caught, but preferred to keep the last chance. His suicidal behavior was actually a manifestation of his inner breakdown, but this collapse gradually intensified as the situation changed.
First of all, Xiang Yu had led a huge army, but in the Battle of Qixia, only a few hundred people were able to follow him to break through, and the remaining soldiers were either captured, killed on the battlefield, or surrendered. This huge disparity in numbers made him feel the pain of betrayal and separation. He broke through with 800 men, but when he reached the Wujiang River, only 26 people remained, and this loss made his heart ache.
Secondly, Xiang Yu's strategy is to break through with a small number of elite soldiers, not afraid of the opponent's numerical superiority. However, he was betrayed and deceived while he was lost in the Tomb, causing his troops to be in a dangerous situation of being pursued. After fierce fighting, his troops were drastically reduced in number, and in the end only a handful survived.
In the end, although Xiang Yu was once described as a respectful and loving leader, the failure of this breakthrough made him feel great frustration and isolation. From 800 warriors to only a handful of survivors remained, a reduction in numbers that made him feel irretrievably betrayed.
Most of the soldiers died in the battle, and even the remaining 20 were Jiangdong disciples, but this drastic reduction made Xiang Yu feel extremely desperate. Failure is not unacceptable, as long as you persist in your heart, you can continue to survive even if you fail. However, a mental breakdown is the most terrible, once it happens, survival loses its meaning, and even suicidal thoughts will arise, which is also one of the reasons why Xiang Yu committed suicide.
From Xiang Yu's army to the battle of Xiaxia, he has never encountered such a situation of rebellion and separation. Even at critical junctures such as the Battle of Pengcheng and the Battle of Julu, there were a large number of Jiangdong disciples who united around Xiang Yu to fight side by side. But what about now? There are only 26 people left.
Perhaps many people can't understand Xiang Yu's state of mind. A person who has never tasted defeat in his life may be more likely to collapse if he encounters a failure, or a person who has been struggling with failure is more likely to collapse?
Obviously, the former is more susceptible to frustration. Xiang Yu couldn't accept failure, couldn't accept the betrayal of his relatives, and couldn't bear to be seen as a loser. He was an aristocrat with great self-esteem and could not bear this humiliation.
This collapse of mentality eventually led to Xiang Yu's suicide. Before Wujiang, Xiang Yu once said:
There were once 8,000 Jiangdong children who crossed the west with me, but now none of them have returned, even if Jiangdong's father and brother pity me, how can I face them? Even if they don't say anything, how can my own conscience not feel guilty? "
Once the mood collapses, suicide becomes understandable. This collapse gradually reached its culmination with the continuous reduction of soldiers in the last battle of Xiang Yu's life.
When Xiang Yu was only carrying 28 cavalrymen, he felt that he could not escape, so he said to his entourage:
I have been raising armies for eight years and have personally participated in more than 70 battles. Whenever an enemy resists, I can always defeat them; Whenever they attacked, they surrendered. I've never experienced failure, I've always ruled the world.
But now, I am in this predicament, and it is not my fault for fighting, but that God is dooming me to defeat. Today I am determined to fight to the death, and I am willing to fight you all once, and I will win three victories, so that I will open the way for you to live, and to kill the enemy generals, and to seize the enemy's flag, so that you will understand that it is not my defeat, but the decision of God.
With that, Xiang Yu separated from his cavalry and rushed to the thousands of Han troops alone, killing a general, a lieutenant, and hundreds of soldiers. Xiang Yu's purpose was to prove to his subordinates that his failure was not due to his wrong tactics, but that God had doomed him to fail.
Subsequently, Xiang Yu asked his cavalry: "Have you seen it?" The horsemen replied, "It is exactly as the king said." ”
He ordered the cavalry to dismount and walk, personally fought with the enemy with short soldiers, and killed hundreds of Han soldiers alone, wounded many times.
On the Wujiang River, in the face of a bleak future, Xiang Yu was angry and helpless towards the sky in his heart. Again, he asked himself, "What is the providence?" Why should I cross the river? Xiang Yu has always believed in the destiny of heaven and believes that his failure is the will of heaven, and he is unwilling to do so. He wants to prove his bravery and kill a large number of enemies in every battle.
However, even if he fled to Jiangdong, Xiang Yu knew that there was no place to stand. He had planned to make a comeback, but his inner confusion and dissatisfaction with his destiny had led him to despair. When his mind completely collapsed, he chose to end his life, which was the final response to adversity and despair.