Gaozu of Han: Encyclopedia II - Gaozu of Han - Insurrection against Qin

Gaozu of Han - Insurrection against Qin

In 209 BC Chen Sheng led an uprising against Qin Dynasty and assumed the title "King of Great Chu." Pei was in old Chu territory. At the time that Liu released the prisoners he was to escort to Mount Li and then became a fugitive himself, Xiao He was serving as a secretary to the county magistrate of Pei County. When Chen Sheng started his rebellion, the county magistrate considered joining the rebellion, and at the advice of Xiao and Cao Can (曹參) (who was then a county police official), he sent Liu's brother-in-law Fan Ceng (樊噌) to invite Liu and his company of bandits back to Pei County to support the rebellion. Fan found Liu, but on their way back, the magistrate changed his mind and closed the city gates against them, and also, afraid that Xiao and Cao would open the gates themselves, wanted to execute them. They jumped off the city wall and joined Liu. Liu, apparently at Xiao's suggestion, then sent letters to city elders urging surrender into the city by shooting them in on arrows. The elders agreed, and they assassinated the county magistrate and opened the gates to let Liu in, offering him the title the Duke of Pei.

Liu Bang served first as a subordinate of Xiang Liang and then, after Xiang Liang was killed in action, became a subordinate of Mi Xin, Prince Huai of Chu, who was also the nominal leader of the coalition of the rebel states. Prince Xin created Liu Bang as Marquess of Wu'an. It was about this time that he met Zhang Liang, who would become a chief strategist of his.

Prince Xin made a promise that whoever occupied Guanzhong (the plain of Central Shaanxi, the Qin homeland, and the core of Qin Dynasty) first should be awarded Guanzhong as his kingdom. He then sent Liu Bang for this mission, partly because he considered Liu Bang a kind and merciful man, and partly because he did not like Xiang Yu, whom he considered cruel and impetuous. When Xiang Yu was busy fighting the main force of Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang invaded Guanzhong with relative ease.

In December 207 BC, the last Qin ruler Ziying surrendered to Liu Bang and his rebel army, and in 206 BC Liu Bang entered the Qin capital Xianyang. However, now Xiang Yu was the most powerful rebel at that time Instead, both Ziying and Xianyang was forced to be handed to Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu even considered killing Liu Bang in one dinner party (later known as the Feast at Hong Gate) but decided otherwise.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Insurrection against Qin", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki