Sima Xin bypassed the battlefield and came to Xiang Yu's military camp. When Xiang Yu heard that Sima Xin was coming, he said to Fan Zeng: "In the past, Mr. Wu Xin was captured by the Qin people and imprisoned in Yueyang County. It was Sima Xin's help that saved Mr. Wu Xin from prison. This man is kind to me. Xiang Family, what's the matter with coming here now?" Fan Zeng said: "He must be here to request an armistice. If Sima Xin comes to request an armistice on behalf of Zhang Han and intends to surrender, you must agree to his request. Our military rations are about to be exhausted. It's over. If we continue to fight, it will be very detrimental to our army. But once Zhang Han surrenders to the Chu State, not only will the problem of food and grass be solved, but the war in Hebei will also stop. Then we can successfully march into Xianyang. What's the matter? Are you happy but not doing it?" Xiang Yu nodded and immediately sent Sima Xin to see him.
After a while, Sima Xin walked in. As expected, Xiang Yu treated him very well and left his seat to greet him. When Sima Xin saw Xiang Yu, he saluted and said: "The general's martial arts are unparalleled in the world, and he is invincible. He is indeed a descendant of Xiang Yan! Originally, the Qin army could deal with the Chu army for a period of time, but unfortunately, the powerful ministers of the Qin state were monopolistic, and the second generation also They are stupid and cruel. They either kill or persecute the heroes. The morale of the army has been lost long ago. Therefore, all of us in the Qin Army no longer want to work for the treacherous ministers and foolish kings. Now, on behalf of General Zhang Han, I have come to make a sincere promise to surrender with General Xiang. We We are willing to unite with the Chu army to divide Qin. This is our true idea. We hope that the general will not doubt and can sympathize with our situation at this moment, General Zhang, and then agree to the surrender of the Qin army. General Xiang is the reincarnation of the Qin people. Parents!”
Xiang Yu felt that the matter was sudden and didn't know how to answer, and Fan Yafu couldn't make his own decision, so the two of them didn't speak yet. Sima Xin said respectfully: "General, please accept my request as a defeated general out of past friendship? All our soldiers hope to be forgiven by you!" Xiang Yu then looked up to the sky and sighed sadly, saying: " The general was very kind to my Xiang family. How dare I forget it? It's just that Zhang Han killed my uncle. This hatred is irreconcilable. How can I shake hands with him and make peace?" Fan Zeng then smiled heartily and said: " The young generals used to be their own masters. How could General Zhang not serve Qin at that time? Now he has sincerely submitted and has come to express his feelings twice. I think the young general agreed to General Sima's request, right? "Sima Xin said sincerely: "General Zhang's family was killed by the emperor. He has been grieving for days and has become disheartened. Now he is really desperate and sincerely surrenders. Can General Xiang also understand his difficulties? "Xiang Yu was always a hard-nosed man who was most pitiable. Now after listening to Sima Xin's words, he was finally moved and said: "Alas! All this can only be done for the sake of General Sima! Seeing that Xiang Yu agreed, Sima Xin fell to the ground and said, "General, you understand the righteousness well. The survival of the entire Qin army today is a gift from the general! If General Xiang can really forgive General Zhang Han from his heart, then please You and General Zhang meet at the Yin Ruins on the south bank of the Huan River and ask him to transfer the seal and command of the Qin army to General Xiang. I also hope that you will not mention the past when you meet General Zhang. After all, it was all in the past. Everyone is his own master!" Xiang Yu came over and pulled Sima Xin up, saying, "Since I agreed to Yan He, I will never blame him again. Please rest assured, General Sima!" Sima Xin burst into tears and said, "In that case , please ask General Xiang to notify Ying Bu, Zhong Limei and other generals as soon as possible to stop attacking Qin immediately." Xiang Yu sadly agreed.
When Sima Xin came to Zhangshui again, the two sides had stopped fighting. The Chu army has also withdrawn. But when Sima Xin saw the corpses on the battlefield, he felt very depressed and burst into tears. Sima Xin came to see Zhang Han and told Xiang Yu his promise to surrender. Seeing that Xiang Yu promised them to surrender and stop fighting, Zhang Han felt a little comforted, so he led everyone to the Zhangshui River and stood and watched. However, everyone couldn't calm down for a long time, so they all went to the bank to pay tribute on the battlefield. Sacrificial souls.
In Handan City, that night, Chen Ping said to Xiang Yu: "Zhang Han is eager to seek peace. Although it is because his family was killed, the Qin army may not truly surrender. If the Qin army successfully crosses the Zhang River and regains its strength, Flag and drum, we will inevitably have a big fight. Now please ask the general to urgently order Ying Bu, Zhong Limei and others to lead the army to launch an attack on the Qin army again, pretending not to receive your order. The Qin army must not have Prepare, you will definitely be defeated, and you will be afraid of the Chu army in the future. This is to psychologically destroy the enemy. And General Xiang should lead all the troops to approach the Qin army southward, forming a north-south encirclement of the Qin army. The purpose is to prompt the Qin army to surrender as soon as possible." Xiang Yu thought Chen Ping's suggestion was reasonable, so he immediately ordered Ying Bu and Zhong Limei to cross the Zhang River from Sanhujin overnight, and then launch a sudden attack on the Qin army. Xiang Yu led all the coalition soldiers to leave Handan City and approach Zhangshui.
In accordance with Xiang Yu's instructions, Ying Bu and others crossed Sanhujin overnight and launched a surprise attack on the Qin army the next day. The Qin army was unprepared and suffered nearly a thousand casualties. Zhang Han saw that the Chu army suddenly attacked them again and was still unable to fight back, so he hurriedly sent someone to ask Xiang Yu for a ceasefire again. After Xiang Yu received the letter, he formally issued a military order to stop the attack. At this time, Zhang Han had reached the end of his rope, and the morale of the Qin army had been completely lost. The only way waiting for them was surrender.
One day in late August of the third year of Qin II, Xiang Yu led the Chu army to the Zhangshui River. When he saw that Yingbu and the others had passed Sanhujin, he said to the generals: "I heard that although Chu has three households, Chu will surely destroy Qin." '. What does this 'three households' mean?" Fan Zeng explained: "Ten years ago, Nangong of the Chu State said this, and people understood it to mean that even if there were only a few households left in the Chu State, it would be destroyed. The people of Qin are still our Chu people. Now it seems that this is a wrong explanation. Today the Chu army has crossed Sanhujin and will accept Zhang Han's surrender. If Zhang Han surrenders, Qin will be destroyed. Nan Gong's prophecy said that ' "San Hu'" probably refers to this place name, right?" After hearing Fan Zeng's words, all the generals thought it made sense, and when they crossed the Zhang River, everyone was amazed.
After Xiang Yu crossed the river, he gathered all the troops and horses, and then marched towards Yin Ruins. At this time, the Allied troops already numbered 400,000, and the soldiers were all full of energy and high in fighting spirit. They advanced in an orderly manner. They come with power and mission. At this time, the autumn wind whistled, the military flags were hunting, the war horses were neighing, and the military drums were sounding. The tapping of the horses' hooves, the grinding of the wheels, and the cheers of the soldiers made it seem as if the whole earth was shaking and the rivers were groaning. When Xiang Yu led all the soldiers to Yinxu, 200,000 Qin soldiers had already formed a rectangular queue and were waiting there. The soldiers of the Qin army also led their horses and stood under the flags billowing in the strong wind. It was impossible to tell that they were one and the same. A failed army. Although the Qin army surrendered, they were not pessimistic because they were relieved and no longer worked for that brutal dynasty. Therefore, everyone did not feel how humiliated they were. Instead, everyone thought that they could only fight with the armies of the Six Nations. Uniting is the way out and there is hope for future survival.
Although the coalition forces did not have a major battle with the Qin army on the battlefield, they relied on the majesty of the Chu army and now seemed to be invincible. It was as if they were responsible for rescuing Julu, defeating the Great Wall Army, and forcing Zhang Han to surrender. . However, Xiang Yu, the general of Chu who really achieved great success at this time, did not show much arrogance. He led his generals to the front of the Qin army. Looking at the huge lineup of the Qin army, he also said with emotion: "Back then, Qin's cavalry swept across the battlefield. How majestic they were during the Six Kingdoms! Now they have to accept the forgiveness of the Chu people here. Things in the world are really unpredictable!" At this time, the officers and soldiers of the Qin Army saw the heroic and dazzling General Xiang Yu of the Chu Kingdom. , but my heart was filled with awe.
Zhang Han led a group of Qin generals. When they saw Xiang Yu approaching, they all dismounted to greet him. Zhang Han took off his helmet and held the sword seal in his hand. However, he walked to Xiang Yu's horse anxiously, knelt down and bowed down, and then said with fear and fear: "The defeated general, Zhang Han, the general of the Qin State, visited Xiang Yu of the Chu State. General!" Xiang Yu quickly jumped off his horse, walked up to Zhang Han, helped Zhang Han up personally and said, "General, you are admirable for solving problems for Qin and fighting on the battlefield. But the second generation has done many unjust things, Zhao Gao He acted recklessly and lost the hearts of the people, which led to the rise of all the heroes in the world. Now the general can abandon the dark and turn to the bright, just like the villain abandons business and Zixu surrenders to Wu. This is a righteous move that understands righteousness and distinguishes right from wrong. The general's move will also be for future generations. Respected by everyone!" After Xiang Yu and Zhang Han met, Fan Zeng and other generals also met with Zhang Han and others.
After everyone met, Zhang Han invited Xiang Yu to the Qin camp to swear an alliance. At this time, Zhang Han, although Xiang Yu had forgiven him on the surface, was still worried. He was very worried that Xiang Yu would suddenly mention Xiang Liang, so he wanted to use the oath of alliance to eliminate his confusion, so he told Xiang Yu Said: "I heard that during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the two countries had good relations and the commander-in-chief had to form an alliance. Today I am lucky enough to meet the general. It is not only the luck of all the officers and soldiers of the Qin Army, but also the luck of the people all over the world. Therefore, I want to imitate the benevolent gentlemen in ancient times. I want to swear an oath of alliance with the general and become brothers. I wonder if General Xiang can agree?" Xiang Yu heard that Zhang Han wanted to become a brother with him, but he was completely unprepared. Because the age difference between the two parties was very different, how could they be considered brothers? But the other party had already proposed it, so I had no choice but to agree.
At this time, Zhang Han had already built a high wooden altar between the two armies, called the Alliance Altar. It was surrounded by five-color flags, and a large flag stood in the center with a big word "righteousness" written on it. Many sacrificial items were also placed. Zhang Han and Xiang Yu came to the altar. Fan Zeng led the allied generals. Sima Xin led the generals of Qin to stand in order. Zhang Han asked Xiang Yu to come to the altar first. Xiang Yu said that they would go to the altar side by side without distinguishing between them. Zhang Han was moved when he saw that Xiang Yu could treat everyone equally and did not look down upon him. The two of them arranged their armors and stepped onto the high altar simultaneously. Zhang Han then carried a sword, a whip, and a black shirt. Although he was tall and tall, he was a bit old-fashioned. Xiang Yu's appearance was completely different. He was also wearing a sword and a whip, but he was wearing a dark red shirt. He was not only tall and tall, but also young, handsome, and majestic. The two of them climbed onto the high altar and stood side by side in front of the altar. They bowed to each other first and then lit the incense candles. First they kowtowed to heaven and earth, and then broke their blood to form an alliance. The two of them swore together: "Qin's rule was ruthless, laws and disciplines were corrupted, and the thief Zhao Gao brought disaster to the world, making the people miserable, so there were many heroes. Now that the sky is high, I can understand the situation below and be a good person. It proves that I, Xiang Yu (Zhang Han) and Zhang Han (Xiang Yu) both have a heart for the people, so they turned their conflicts into friendship, agreed to stop killing, and are now brothers with different surnames. From now on, we advocate the alliance between Chu and Qin, attack Qin in the west, and swear to punish the treacherous ministers. Foolish king, divide the Qin Dynasty. If the two of us betray our trust and harm each other, we will definitely die a good death! Emperor Tianhou Tu, please watch over everything!"
Their voices were very loud and their words were generous and tragic. Xiang Yu called Zhang Han his elder brother, and Zhang Han called Xiang Yu his wise brother. Their actions also infected every soldier under the altar. In terms of age alone, there is a huge age difference between the two, but as the military commanders of the two countries, they have to treat themselves as brothers. This kind of thing was common in alliances during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Therefore, Zhang Han did not feel inferior because of his age at this time, and Xiang Yu did not feel uneasy because of his youth. After the two formed an alliance, they walked down from the altar. Zhang Han then invited Xiang Yu, Fan Zeng and others to discuss matters in the Qin army's camp. Zhang Han said it was a discussion, but in fact he arranged a banquet in the camp first, hoping to enhance understanding through the banquet, eliminate some of the previous resistance, and then resolve the hatred in his heart. When everyone came to the camp, the banquet was arranged in the open space of the camp. The main seats of Zhang Han and Xiang Yu were located directly in front of the Chinese army's tent. The soldiers on both sides sat in two rows, arranged according to their positions and ages. After a while, military music sounded, and the two sides began to exchange cups and toast each other.
Zhang Han said to Xiang Yu: "I, Zhang Han, should have been loyal to the Qin State, but I never expected that Zhao Gao controlled the court and acted recklessly. The second-generation boy also confused right and wrong, and did not distinguish between right and wrong, which made the Qin State's government become increasingly unstable and the people's hearts and minds. The people in Guanzhong are still in dire straits, so I vow to work with the Chu army to break into Guanzhong, eradicate the evil government, and rescue the people of Xianyang as soon as possible!" Xiang Yu also said: "Brother can understand the righteousness deeply. It is not only the good fortune for the people in Guanzhong, but also the good fortune for all the people in the world. If you can rebel today and work together to fight violence, your name will go down in history!"
Zhang Han thought about the murder of his family again and burst into tears. He said, "Now that all my family members are dead, I hate the treacherous ministers and foolish kings. But in the past, I also offended my virtuous brothers because I acted for my own master. Thinking about it now, I feel very guilty. Please forgive me for my past sins. Now that Zhang is able to survive from a desperate situation, it is also a gift from my dear brother! But I will do my best to repay my kindness in the future. Forgiveness!" After saying this, he burst into tears. Zhang Han was not only grateful to Xiang Yu for accepting him, but more importantly, he was crying for his family. Xiang Yu saw Zhang Han's behavior and was moved by his words, so he said emotionally: "Brother, please rest assured that you and I have become brothers. I will never blame your brother for what happened in the past. From now on, we will destroy Qin together." We share the hardship, but we share the blessing, and we will never break our promise!" Zhang Han quickly thanked him. Xiang Yu asked Zhang Han to visit Fan Zeng again, and told Zhang Han how he honored Fan Zeng as his second father. Zhang Han saw that Fan Zeng was seventy years old, but he was extremely resourceful and highly respected, so he also called him Yafu from then on. Fan Zeng was very happy when he saw that he had gained another nephew.
Later, Xiang Yu named Zhang Han King Yong and stayed with him to plan affairs together. The "Book of Xia Yu Gong" in "Shangshu" records that during the time of Yu the Great, the world was divided into "Jiuzhou", and Yongzhou refers to the Guanzhong area. Xiang Yu named Zhang Han King Yong, which meant that Guanzhong was promised to him. It meant incentives and rewards. It also indirectly showed that Xiang Yu did not want to occupy Guanzhong at all. At this time, Xiang Yu did not ask King Huai of Chu for instructions, but decided to make him king on his own initiative, which also shows that he already had the idea of dominating the world. He also appointed Sima Xin as the general, and Dong Yi, Zhang Ping, Zhang Xi, Zhang Qu and other deputy generals and generals, and asked them to lead the army as the vanguard of the attack on Qin. From then on, Xiang Yu became the military commander of the 600,000-strong army in the world, which once again laid the foundation for his lifelong hegemony.
