He once commanded thousands of armies, and his words and deeds were highly respected; He was in power, and everyone in the world obeyed his orders. However, while he was immersed in the pinnacle of power, who could have foreseen his future fall?
Today, he is imprisoned in a turbulent cage, barely able to walk with the help of his servants. At this moment, his heart must be full of mixed feelings and mixed feelings.
Fan Zeng, who is close to his prime, now only hopes to return to his hometown calmly and stay away from this dispute with Xiang Yu for the world. However, his heart is not really so peaceful.
Since that day, he has returned to the countryside, and his heart has always been haunted by that grand Hongmen feast. The images of the past, as clear as yesterday, linger - does he really regret it?
If he took the initiative to kill Liu Bang at the Hongmen banquet, what would be the fate of the Chu State? These questions will stay with him for the rest of his life.
In the winter of 202 B.C., six years after the Hongmen Feast, sixty-seven-year-old Fan Zeng sat on a bumpy ox cart and was slowly carried forward by his servants. He had just received an order from Xiang Yu and was ordered to go to Pengcheng in Jiangdong to retire behind closed doors.
The Chu-Han War was coming to an end, and Fan Zeng, as an important strategist of the Chu State, was unable to reverse the situation. He knew that his fate had come to an end, but his stubborn personality made him unwilling to leave without wishing to leave.
Closing his eyes, Fan Zeng's mind drifted uncontrollably back to the Hongmen Banquet six years ago - that day was the turning point in his fate with Liu Bang.
The ox cart shook in the bumps, and Fan Zeng felt a burst of pain. He couldn't help but wonder in his heart, is the pain that he hasn't experienced for many years an external manifestation of his inner depression?
The old servant hurriedly comforted: "Master, the overlord is only because of a momentary mistake in decision-making, he will never give up your loyalty." Fan Zeng knew in his heart that going to Jiangdong might mean that it would be difficult to look back in this life.
Fan Zeng was a powerful minister of the Western Chu State back then, and no one in the world dared to disobey his orders. At this time, Liu Bang had captured Guanzhong and was stationed outside Xianyang City. Fan Zeng tried to persuade Xiang Yu many times to take the opportunity to kill Liu Bang, but Xiang Yu did not take it to heart.
Xiang Yu was proud of his exploits and thought that Liu Bang would not make any moves. However, Fan Zeng could see that Liu Bang had bad intentions and insisted on killing him immediately. Although Fan Zeng made many statements, Xiang Yu did not listen to his advice, and Fan Zeng's words were like the sea crashing on the shore, and finally fell silent.
At the end of the argument, Xiang Yu said self-righteously: "Father, you are already old and confused! Liu Bang was under my deterrence, and he didn't dare to take any offense. Fan Zeng listened, feeling very depressed in his heart, he deeply understood that the current Xiang Yu had become arrogant and arrogant, and Liu Bang's threat was approaching day by day.
At the Hongmen Banquet, under the seemingly calm surface, an undercurrent is gathering momentum. Xiang Yu once intended to release the news, claiming to get rid of Liu Bang at the banquet. Outside the tent, there was a crowd of people, and Zhang Liangli persuaded Liu Bang not to participate in the banquet.
However, Liu Bang said with an open-minded attitude: "In life, the most fearful thing is to be afraid of the head and tail!" The grievances between me and Xiang Yu must be fought openly. ”
Liu Bang's ambition was admired by everyone present. In the early morning of the next day, Liu Bang arrived as promised and attended the banquet without fear. At the banquet, Liu Bang expressed his loyalty to Xiang Yu many times.
Fan Zeng was anxious on the side, casting a suggestive glance at Xiang Yu.
Fan Zeng saw that Xiang Yu was indifferent, and he was extremely dissatisfied in his heart. He took the opportunity to take a walk and found Xiang Zhuang. He ordered Xiang Zhuang to take the opportunity to dance his sword and try to kill Liu Bang at the banquet.
Xiang Zhuang immediately accepted this secret mission. At the banquet, Xiang Zhuang suddenly stood up and danced his sword, and the more he danced, the closer he got to Liu Bang, and the killing intention was already very obvious. At this critical moment, Xiang Bo saw through his intentions, and also drew his sword, successfully blocking the blow.
Liu Bang's advisor Zhang Liang took the opportunity to take Liu Bang away from the scene, and Fan Zeng's plan fell through. Fan Zeng felt dizzy at the moment, he never expected that Xiang Yu would let Liu Bang go and not stop him from leaving.
Reflecting on it afterwards, Fan Zeng made a mistake in judging the situation, which led to taking risks. He could have used the opportunity of the banquet to poison directly, but he was too expecting Xiang Yu to make the first move, and he missed the opportunity.
Maybe Fan Zeng still had hope in his heart, and he firmly believed that Xiang Yu would follow his advice and kill Liu Bang. Therefore, he kept glancing at Xiang Yu at the banquet, trying to push him to act.
In the end, Fan Zeng had to personally let Xiang Zhuang assassinate. Sadly, he underestimated Xiang Yu's arrogance and arrogance, ignored the existence of the strategist Xiang Bo, and did not expect Xiang Bo to sabotage his plans.
At the Hongmen Banquet, Fan Zeng made a mistake that ultimately led to defeat.
After the Hongmen banquet, Liu Bang's strength is growing day by day, and Xiang Yu's defeat has appeared. Today's Chu and Han worlds are turbulent, and Fan Zeng is deeply remorseful. If he could bravely kill Liu Bang back then, even if he was accused of being unjust, he would be willing to remove the troubles for Xiang Yu.
At that time, Xiang Yu was still a hero who could succeed in the hegemony, as long as Liu Bang died, the world undoubtedly belonged to the Chu State. However, Xiang Yu, who underestimated the enemy and was vain, let Liu Bang take advantage of the weakness, and only then did today's Chu and Han turmoil occur.
A miscalculation put the state of Chu in a predicament. Fan Zeng couldn't understand the ruthlessness of fate, and he actually missed the best opportunity to kill Liu Bang. Looking back now, the moment that decided the rise and fall of Chu Han was in that moment of hesitation, which created a long period of ups and downs in the future.
Looking back on the past, Fan Zeng has no power to return to the sky. He sighed silently in the bumpy ox cart, the trajectory of his life had led him to the setting sun. As he fell into deep thought, a cry of pain cut through the silence of the night.
It turned out that the old disease on Fan Zeng's back suddenly attacked, and blood instantly soaked his clothes. The servants hurriedly picked up Fan Zeng, but it was too late.
There are words in his mouth, "Hongmen, Hongmen......."His eyes gradually dimmed. The long-standing troubles were transformed into instant awakening at this moment, and Fan Zeng left the world with endless regrets.
Perhaps, at the end of his life, he finally understood the vicissitudes of fate and his own shortcomings. However, the world is impermanent and does not stop with the departure of a person.
The Han army soon captured Pengcheng, and Xiang Yu killed himself at Wujiang. At this point, this bloody era has come to an end, and China has since entered a new era.
In life, you must know that you must be happy. Gu Youfan Zeng, supported Xiang Yu, founded the momentum of Han Chu Dingli, and achieved fame, but regretted that he could not witness his great cause.
However, the world is unpredictable, who can foresee the arrangement of fate? Although he died, Fan Zeng relieved the depression that had accumulated in his heart. The ancients said that the eldest husband should calmly face the inevitable stage of life, such as birth, old age, sickness and death.
Wouldn't it be happy to retire after success, the clouds are light and the wind is light, wave goodbye? Although Fan Zeng had regrets, he was finally relieved. People in the world must not care about temporary gains and losses, but must have ambitions and be at peace with what they encounter, so that they can be calm.
Good beginning, good end, good end, although no one knows a hundred years later, you can have no regrets until you die.