How did Sima Qian evaluate Xiang Yu?

On Xiang Yu

1. Xiang Yu in Sima Qian's works

We cannot forget the character of Xiang Yu, and we cannot bypass Sima Qian and his heart-breaking work "Historical Records" Let’s talk about Xiang Yu. In "Historical Records: The Chronicles of Xiang Yu", Xiang Yu went from a lowly "unlearned" boy to an ordinary soldier to become a senior general and even leader of the anti-Qin allied forces. Self-willed, he slipped step by step into the trap woven by himself and others, leading to death. Today, in numerous cultural classics and film and television dramas, Xiang Yu is still powerful and alive. We feel pity, indignation, and curse for this tragic hero. Perhaps, we are still just living in that era of turbulent times, strong armies and iron horses, and heroes are no different from ants.

Liu Zhiji of the Tang Dynasty said: "History has three qualities: talent, learning, and knowledge" [1], "and Sima Qian is one of the few great historians who possesses these three qualities at the same time" [2], In "Historical Records: The Chronicles of Xiang Yu", Sima Qian described and analyzed the historical figure Xiang Yu with a realistic attitude and bravery and fearlessness of "no false beauty, no hidden evil".

According to the style of "Historical Records", from "Benji of Five Emperors" to "Benji of Xiaowu", most of the records in these twelve books are emperors. Xiang Yu did not complete his imperial career, but Sima Qian was able to proceed from the objective reality of history and found out that at the end of Qin and the beginning of Han, it was Xiang Yu who dominated the political power and current situation at that time. And the title of prince, the government comes from Yu" [3], it can be seen that Sima Qian correctly analyzed Xiang Yu's historical achievements and role in promoting the times, just as Guo Songtao of the Qing Dynasty pointed out in "Notes of the Historian Volume 1": "The Qin Dynasty was destroyed. , Xiang Yu led the alliance, divided the world, and created princes and princes, all of whom were served by Yu, and implemented the power of the emperor. The example should be "Benji" [4]. "Historical Records", written during the heyday of the Han Dynasty, is not limited by the feudal rulers' view of "successful kings and defeated bandits". It does not reduce or even deny Xiang Yu's historical achievements because of his failure. It can be seen that Sima Qian's kind of failure is not based on success or failure. On the Heroic Perspective. At the same time, when Sima Qian affirmed and praised Xiang Yu's status and role in the fall of Qin, he also dialectically criticized Xiang Yu's mistake of trying to conquer the world with his own private wisdom and force. The cause of the overlord is to conquer the world with force, and his country will be destroyed in five years." In addition, Xiang Yu's self-righteousness is severely criticized, and Xiang Yu's view of destiny that "it is not the crime of using troops to destroy me" is strong. The commentator said, "Isn't that absurd?" He pointed out that the reason for its failure was man and nature, and that the root cause of the tragedy lay in its own shortcomings.

Sima Qian loved Xiang Yu. Shang Qi's personality hobbies and sensitive and imaginative psychological characteristics made him deeply attracted by Xiang Yu's short and extraordinary life. He even did not want to appear in "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu". Exposing so many shortcomings of this lost hero. Therefore, Xiang Yu is often commented on from the standpoint and tone of other characters in the biographies of other characters. For example, in "The Benji of Emperor Gaozu", "The King of Han counts Xiang Yu guilty of ten crimes", in which Xiang Yu is severely criticized for betraying his gratitude, killing the Yi Emperor and becoming self-reliant, and being cruel and ruthless. , massacred the city and harmed the people; and in the biographies of Chen Ping, Han Xin and other ministers in the early Han Dynasty, they directly evaluated Xiang Yu's behavior and treatment of others, pointing out his contradictions in character, not being good at using people and other shortcomings. The comments were often pertinent. Praise is clear.

In terms of shaping Xiang Yu’s image, Sima Qian was even more devoted, devoting all his enthusiasm and energy at every moment, and using his most outstanding artistic talent to create the hero in his mind. . In "Historical Records", Xiang Yu's image and related characters' deeds are not only concentrated in "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu", but also are covered in many other biographies, from "The Chronicles of Gaozu" to "The Biography of Fan Li Tengguan", involving more than ten chapters. , these chapters supplement and complete the image of Xiang Yu in "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu". This side-by-side narrative method not only enhances the vividness of Xiang Yu's character, but also makes the plot and character's personality characteristics realistic and clear. Three years after the fall of Qin, four years of fighting between Chu and Han, there were more than 70 battles between Chu and Han, and more than 40 small battles. Sima Qian briefly explained the small battles in "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu", and wrote about the three major battles in detail: The Battle of Lu, the Hongmen Banquet, and the Siege of Gaixia.

These three events are not only the key to the success or failure of Xiang Yu's career, but also the most intense struggle between Chu and Han. As Zheng Banqiao said: "Among the 130 chapters in "Historical Records", "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu" is the most important. , and in "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu", the Battle of Julu, the Banquet at Hongmen, and the Siege of Gaixia are the most important. I can recite them repeatedly, and I can be both happy and weeping. There are several passages like these." [5] Xiang Yu's success, change, and personality all come from these three events. Of course, the tension formed by the duration of time and compactness of space of these three events also strengthens the sense of high-handedness and haste of Xiang Yu, a mighty figure. The tragedy of "destroying his country". Sima Qian focused on the pursuit of legendary plots in selecting examples to express Xiang Yu's character and narrating the story, such as Xiang Yu's "double pupils", "he can carry a tripod", and his emotion after seeing Qin Shihuang traveling south of the Yangtze River, "he can take his place." , as well as the detailed portrayal of details such as his failure to learn books, as well as the portrayal of Xiang Yu's heroic deeds in the battles of Pengcheng, Chenggao, Xingyang and other battles, all adding to the character's personality. In addition, details such as the "Gaixia Song" written by Xiang Yu during his defeat and the dialogue with the Wujiang Pavilion Chief were too bizarre and may even be fabricated, but they have convinced future generations and greatly increased the charm of Xiang Yu.

When it comes to expressing Xiang Yu's character, Tai Shigong likes to use contrasting techniques. For example, before the Battle of Julu, Xiang Yu was brave and fearless, while Song Yi was timid and cautious; after the Battle of Julu, , the comparison between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang appears constantly and repeatedly. In contrast to Xiang Yu's own personality, Sima Qian also used different styles of writing to exaggerate it, sometimes speaking vomitingly, sometimes screaming. "Gaixia Song" written by Xiang Yu in Gaixiawei, "Strength is overwhelming the mountains, the world is overwhelming, the times are unfavorable, and the immortals will not die, what can be done if the immortals are not gone, what can be done if the enemy is worried?" Sobs and sorrows, desolate and moving, it is completely Xiang Yu's personal experience and the portrayal of his mentality in the face of failure, "Heroes are short-tempered, children are deeply affectionate, and all those who have a heart will burst into tears through the ages." [6] From this, we can see that Xiang Yu has another side of deep affection besides being brave and killing people on the battlefield. This multi-faceted and multi-dimensional perspective makes Xiang Yu a full and colorful image of a tyrant and a lover. This is one of the reasons why Xiang Yu has been cared for and admired by people for thousands of years. It can be said that Xiang Yu is the first vivid character with multiple personalities in the history of ancient Chinese literature.

At the same time, we cannot ignore that from the beginning, Tai Shigong wrote about Xiang Yu from the perspective of tragedy. The entire "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu" is always shrouded in a strong tragic atmosphere. The hero is arrogant, the hero stands upright, the hero dominates the situation, and the hero goes to death in an instant. The reason why Sima Qian described it so vigorously has nothing to do with his personal destiny. After suffering the humiliation of castration due to the Li Ling case, he worked harder to write "Historical Records". He was worried, angry and painful in his heart. Even in "The Benji of Xiaowu", he did not conceal the absurdity of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in his later years. Sima Qian wrote that Xiang Yu would not cross the river until death and would not surrender until death. It is better to say that he was writing about his own proud and tenacious, even deeply hurt heart. Therefore, he criticized Xiang Yu's "Heaven will kill me" and criticized him for his reasons. Not wanting to be humiliated and committing suicide is full of sympathy and admiration.

Thanks to Sima Qian, he made Xiang Yu exude infinite charm; thanks to Xiang Yu, he added infinite glory to Sima Qian and the infinite admiration of future generations for him.

2. The interpretation of Xiang Yu’s tragedy

In the entire "Historical Records", researchers found that Sima Qian portrayed more than a hundred tragic characters of various sizes and shapes [ 7], but Xiang Yu's tragedy is unique and different from other characters. He is more of a tragic character who leads to a dead end step by step due to his own personality and other reasons. The strong tragic trait is that he did not have superhuman leadership qualities and leadership qualities, but he became the leader of the era and was given the pursuit and call of that era. Zhu Guangqian said: "Tragic characters generally have extraordinary strength, strong will and indomitable spirit. They often represent a certain strength and ideal, and they persist to the end with superhuman determination and perseverance" [8]. Xiang Yu is tragic. He is unable to improve his deep-rooted shortcomings of ordinary people. He is hastily and at a loss when he is involved in the big choices of the times and history. He even behaves like a clown with ridiculous and clumsy behavior. It is even more sad and makes us unable to Sitting quietly, he was serious and serious, even tenaciously determined to fulfill the "mission" he had given himself, and would not change it until his death.

(1) Facilitators and blockers of the wheel of the times

Xiang Yu was born in a noble family of the Chu State that "has been a Chu general for generations". His grandfather Xiang Yan was a general of the Chu State. He was killed by Wang Jian in the war between Qin and Chu. His uncle Xiang Liang was the leader of the early anti-Qin allied forces. Xiang Yu lived in his childhood during the period when Chu gradually fell and Qin became more prosperous and gradually ruled the country. The suffering of family and country brought Xiang Yu a deep hatred for the ruler of Qin. He seemed to be born with only one goal, which was to overthrow the Qin Dynasty. In "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu", words such as "Bitter Qin" and "Destroyed Qin" appear repeatedly. When Xiang Yu refused to save Zhao from Song Yi, this 24-year-old young man said something like this :

The general will attack Qin with all his strength, but he will not be able to stay for a long time. This year, the people are hungry and poor. The soldiers eat taro and sweet potato. The army has no food, so they drink and have a party. They do not lead the troops across the river because Zhao is eating. They attack Qin together with Zhao, so they say: "take its cover." If you use the strength of Qin to attack the newly created Zhao, you will definitely lift Zhao. If Zhao is lifted and Qin is strong, how can you hide the inheritance?

Xiang Yu’s analysis of the entire current situation at that time was brief and insightful, indicating that the Qin army was powerful at that time, and the anti-Qin army urgently needed to unite with each other and unify the camp. Xiang Yu pointed the finger directly at Song Yi, the supreme leader of the anti-Qin allied forces, and severely scolded him for ignoring the overall situation of anti-Qin and being afraid to move forward. It can be seen that in terms of the goal of resisting Qin, the young Xiang Yu had a mature and majestic view of the situation, coupled with military strategy and personal strength, he replaced Song Yi, and finally won the decisive battle of Julu with less to win more Victory, and step by step to the position of leader of the anti-Qin allied forces.

In 206 BC, after a banquet at Hongmen, Xiang Yu had seemingly gained leadership of the entire anti-Qin alliance. At that time, the people were shouting for peace, and the era also hoped for reunification. However, Xiang Yu, who had the blood of Chu aristocrats in his bones, just wanted to return to the era when King Chuzhuang aspired to conquer the Central Plains and was so arrogant. He hoped to once again win "from all countries" like King Chu. "Chief" status, and hopes to maintain this status of being the largest in the feudal and separatist regime for a long time. He enfeoffed various anti-Qin generals and established himself as the overlord of Western Chu. He stayed away from the important places in Guanzhong, which were difficult to defend and difficult to attack, and the land was fertile. Instead, he used Pengcheng, which was remote and relatively lacking in material resources, as his capital. Returning to my hometown is like walking at night in fine clothes."

It can be said that in the struggle to subdue Qin, Xiang Yu had a precise and single goal, which was in line with the aspirations of the entire era and even the people. However, after overthrowing the Qin Dynasty, he was short-sighted and even politically reverted to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period. In a state of attacking each other, this is a historical retrogression. The so-called historical trend is vast; those who follow it will prosper, and those who go against it will perish. From this point of view, Xiang Yu was unable to follow the historical trend in his later period, and could only struggle hard in the historical trend and lead to destruction. The true cruelty of reality and the fallacy of ideals will inevitably form a dignified and profound tragic tension.

(2) A contradictory body with polarized and opposite personalities

In addition to adapting to the trend of the times in the early stage and being unable to follow in the later stage, Xiang Yu’s tragedy is more a tragedy of his personal character flaws. . In terms of character, Xiang Yu can be described as a complete split and contradictory person. On the one hand, he is heroic and invincible. From the beginning of the incident in Wuzhong, Xiang Yu has been all-powerful and invincible. He "conquered Tao", "pulled Xiangyang", "killed Li You", "killed Song Yi", "all the generals were intimidated and no one dared" "Zhiwu" saved Qi Di in the east and defeated Zhanghan in the west. In the battle of Julu, he even risked his life and death, risked his life and took the lead, and achieved a crucial victory. "Summoning the princes and generals, entering the camp gate, they all kneeled down and no one dared to advance." Looking up", the spirit can be described as majestic and heroic. But on the other hand, Xiang Yu showed the habits of a man who is self-willed, arrogant, and jealous of talented people. Since the execution of Emperor Yi, Xiang Yu rarely heard the sounds around him. He would kill those who made irritating remarks at the slightest displeasure. When dividing the kings, Xiang Yu treated those close to him in a special way based on his personal feelings. He has made many political enemies. Chen Yu, who was also a hero against the Qin Dynasty, said: "Xiang Yu was responsible for the injustice of the world, exterminating the good land of the king and generals, and moving the old king to the bad land" [9]; when it comes to treating talents, Xiang Yu cannot select talents and promote them. On the contrary , the extensive use of relatives also reduced the effectiveness of its army. "The one he loves is not Zhu Xiang, that is, his wife's brother, even if there are extraordinary people, he cannot use it." [10] For example, over-indulgence of Xiang Bo, a so-called "spy" character, directly leads to The defeat of the Hongmen political struggle.

Several of Liu Bang's military generals, such as Han Xin and Chen Ping, were once Xiang Yu's subordinates. They defected to Liu Bang because they were not reused by Xiang Yu. As for meritorious titles, Xiang Yu had a deep greed that almost reached perversion, " As a result, people who have meritorious service and become knights will be unable to bear the consequences of being ennobled." [11] How can such a mentality prevent the loss of talents? How can one succeed in politics?

At the same time, he has the heart of respecting, loving and benevolent people and the heart of being a murderer and a violent person. Every time after conquering a city, Xiang Yu would often brutally kill the surrendered soldiers: after the battle of Xin'an City, Xiang Yu killed more than 200,000 Qin surrendered soldiers; when he conquered Xianyang, he did so because of the Western Massacre, burning, killing, and looting, which is known for later generations. Literati and historians criticized it. However, he can also treat the people around him with the same heart as a benevolent person. "Xiang Yu is a man who respects and loves others. Those who are upright and courteous as a scholar will often return to him." [12] When someone is sick, he weeps and shares food and drink." [13]; He did not kill Liu Bang, nor did he kill his father, wife and children; during the siege of Gaixia, he even sang tragic songs about beauties with a generous spirit; by the Wujiang River, he gave horses to pavilions Long, with a sad mood, he committed suicide and became a "virtue" for his enemies.

In addition, he is straightforward, honest and honest, and treats others with sincerity. After capturing Waihuang City, he listened to the suggestions of twelve or thirteen-year-old children in Waihuang City on how to win over the people; at the Hongmen Banquet, he was unwilling to follow the advice of his adviser Fan Zeng several times and used plots to kill Liu Bang; he also responded to Fan Kuai's "banquet invasion" "He was magnanimous and tolerant just because he admired Fan Kuai's heroic temperament; he even told Liu Bang of Cao Wushang's informant at the banquet without restraint; in the fight with Liu Bang, he divided the gap between Liu Bang and the agreement. The peace treaties that divide the world are believed to be true and work hard to maintain them. But he was such a person who had no ambitions and no tricks, but he was full of suspicion and cunning towards the people around him: he killed Song Yi and lied that he was following the emperor's order; he first exiled Emperor Yi, and then conspired to send someone to assassinate him; Zhong Chen In order to calm the relationship, he lost trust in the general Zhongliquan and pushed him to the enemy; even Fan Zeng, the last and only counselor he respected and was closest to most, also seized power because of Xiang Yu's own suspicion.

It can be said that Xiang Yu’s character is diverse and contradictory. “If they are all opposites and contradictory, but they are all in one person, like a book with two hands and a different tune in one throat, they are no different.” Be coherent, learn the principles from the heart, and plow the plow properly” (14). It can be seen that Xiang Yu's character has outstanding advantages but also strong flaws. In fact, it is the split and opposition of his own personality, which manifests as subjective psychological immaturity. Like an active volcano, it may explode at any time due to imbalance or loss of control. This also This determines the inevitability of his tragedy.

(3) A deformed child who has become a giant in terms of military ability and a dwarf in political ambitions

"He is more than eight feet long, can carry a cauldron, and is extremely talented. Although Wuzhong All my children are afraid of their country." This is the 24-year-old Xiang Yu. Living in Wuzhong, a place known for its riots and bravery, Xiang Yu shocked the locals with his burly and heroic appearance. When Xiang Yu raised his troops for the first time, he followed Xiang Liang. He issued an order and drew his sword to kill the head of the guard. "Everyone in the house is in awe, no one dares to rise." Throughout the entire attack on Qin, Xiang Yu always charged forward, leading the way and being invincible. In fact, throughout the entire army attacking Qin, the army led by Xiang Yu dealt with most of the troops from the Qin Dynasty, including Zhang Han in the Battle of Julu. Department and Ziying Department in Guanzhong. As for the struggle between Chu and Han, Xiang Yu defeated Liu Bang many times with less and more. He used his incomparable courage and strength to deal devastating blows to all those who stood in his way. He advocated force. When he faced off against the Han army in Guangwu, he defeated Liu Bang Said:

Those who are several years old in the world, just for the sake of my two ears, are willing to challenge the king of Han to a fight between men and women, and do not suffer the consequences of fathers and sons of the people of the world.

These words not only show Xiang Yu's extreme worship of force, his fascination with personal heroism and his high confidence in his own strength, and his hope to use personal force to dominate the world, but they are also more about Xiang Yu personally. Character flaws and political ignorance. Judging from the previous analysis, Xiang Yu was not completely without political intentions: he killed Song Yi, exiled Emperor Yi, constantly restricted Liu Bang's power and controlled it in Guanzhong, and divided the princes and kings to restrain each other's power.

However, Xiang Yu's political vision became extremely short-sighted and weak after the fall of Qin. He advocated returning to the era of disputes in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods to achieve the same hegemony as King Zhuang of Chu. Therefore, he missed many opportunities to eliminate his rival Liu Bang. He repeatedly missed the opportunity to fight and unify the country, lost his way in the Chu-Han conflict that Liu Bang and others were forced out of, and killed himself like a giant who was full of strength but could not find a place to use it, or naively faced the Manchurian. Say this to your opponents who are full of ideas and tricks - let's challenge each other.

The world says that Yu and Han compete for the world, but that is not true. Yu Hao has the ambition to compete in the world! Yu saw that Qin destroyed the princes and gained possession of them, so he wanted to destroy Qin and restore the princes, just like in the past, when he was the leader of the alliance. Therefore, after he was divided into Pengcheng, the capital of the royal prefecture, and after joining the Han Dynasty, he returned to the east. Yu Jian thought that when he retired his troops according to armor and became the leader of the world, he did not know that the Han Dynasty was not full of heart and the world would not stop. He died in Dongcheng, just because he wanted to fight well in the world, and he felt a little sad that he could not fulfill his achievements. However, the heart of the Han Dynasty did not know that Yu Hao had the ambition to compete in the world! 〔15〕

Huang Zhen of the Song Dynasty hit the nail on the head. He saw that Xiang Yu had no ambition to establish a dynasty at all and would inevitably lose in the battle between Chu and Han. "Chu was destroyed without any heroic plans, and Han was resurrected successfully" [16]. Xiang Yu's excessive military strength has led to the expansion of the vision of force, while the short-sightedness of political intentions has led to the dwarfing of political opinions. At the same time, the expansion of the vision of force has also continued to restrict the political vision, making the latter more To be narrow or even shaded. The two are intertwined with each other, deepening Xiang Yu's tragedy, making people sympathize, laugh or disgust.

(4) Struggling in the constraints and transcendence of the "moral" category

"Moral", the modern Chinese dictionary explains this: one of the social ideologies, based on the common understanding of people The norms and norms of life and behavior, morality constrains social life through social or certain class public opinion [17].

In "History of Chinese Civilization", Mr. Qiliang believes that the conflict between Chu and Han was actually a battle between two cultures, namely the southern Chu culture represented by Xiang Yu - Shang Li but not virtue and Liu Bang. The Confucian culture of the Central Plains - a duel between virtue and strength. In the confrontation between virtue and strength, Liu Bang, who was virtuous and weak, defeated Xiang Yu, who was strong and ungrateful [18]. However, in the turbulent political changes, morality is no longer a standard for pursuing justice and getting tired of rhetoric, nor is it a differentiation of who is right and who is wrong. Morality has been distorted and has become the pursuit of maximizing political interests and gaining personal fame and fortune. The guise has become synonymous with insidiousness, hypocrisy and coercion. At this point, the battle that took place more than 2,200 years ago can actually be seen as a cruel and false moral battle behind benevolence and righteousness, the support of the people, and the corporal etiquette: to see who can not be restricted by superficial morality. , can be more cruel, more transcendent and beyond morality, and can even pick up the sword of morality and stab it until the opponent is knocked off his horse.

——Obviously, Xiang Yu is a loser.

Liu Bang, who was born in a civilian family, did not receive a good systematic education. In his position as the head of the pavilion in Surabaya, he developed a vulgar style of greed for money, lust, alcoholism, and neglect of family property. He behaved everywhere He has the appearance of a petty bourgeoisie and even a ruffian: he doesn't hold a single penny, but he pays a visit to Lu Gong in the name of "congratulations on ten thousand yuan"; during the escape, he pushed his daughter and son out of the car many times to reduce the weight of the car in order to escape faster; when Xiang Yu threatened to When he was "cooking Er Taiweng", he ignored his father's life and wanted to "get a share of the pie". He insulted his Confucian scholars many times and even after he ascended the throne, he still did what Confucian scholars in the past peed on their hats. In the process of fighting for the world with Xiang Yu, he often went back on his word, fled when defeated, sued for peace when he escaped, and secretly planned military operations when he took a breather; during the duel between Guangwu and Xiang Yu, he was clearly shot in the center by Xiang Yu, but pretended to shoot. In order to better escape, he brought out the entire city and even let women wear soldiers' clothes to cover him... Liu Bang's words and deeds can be said to be a complete gangster, and what he reveals is deep-rooted vulgarity. Gangster blood.

However, it was precisely this ruffian temperament and smooth and profound character that allowed him to let go of his hands and feet in the political battles of the era, which was all about moral restrictions and superficial "good names and good deeds". Restricted, he showed the potential of being an agile, flexible, and flexible person: when he entered Guanzhong, he listened to Zhang Liang's advice and made a three-chapter agreement with the people. He was originally lustful and greedy, but he "had nothing to gain and women had no luck." Qin's treasures and treasury are returned to the army." [19] At the Hongmen Banquet, he first approached Xiang Bo to show his sincerity and strive for opportunities, and then he was cautious and respectful at the banquet. However, even in the cowardly defeat, When escaping, Liu Bang never gave up the idea of ??seizing the country. At every critical moment, Liu Bang was able to restrain his original desires, constantly check himself, actively listen to the opinions and suggestions of his subordinates, and continue to complete his dominance of the world.

Let’s take a look at Xiang Yu, who was born in a Chu family. He was deeply influenced by the Chu style of Chu. The influence of Chu culture made him show his moral understanding of a good reputation, trustworthiness and maintaining individual perfection. and the pursuit of independence. Xiang Yu established his capital in Pengcheng just because "wealth and wealth are not returned home like silk at night". He did not want to take the opportunity to kill Liu Bang at the Hongmen Banquet because he was loyal, stingy about his official position, and had a perverted pursuit of reputation. However, there is a huge contrast in the environment. In the struggle for power, Xiang Yu has been conflicted in abandoning and supporting morality:

King Xiang wanted to be king himself, and all the previous kings and generals. It said: "When the world was in trouble for the first time, it was assumed that the princes were established to attack Qin. However, wearing a strong and sharp leader, he was exposed in the wild for three years, destroyed Qin and established the world, all because of the power of the generals, ministers, princes and their country." Although the emperor has no merit, he should divide his land and rule it."

From this passage, we can get a glimpse of Xiang Yu's complicated and contradictory mood at that time. If you plan to be the king, you must first be the king of the generals and ministers. If you want to take credit, you must first praise the generals and ministers. If you have a grudge against the Righteous Emperor, you must be divided among the kings of the earth. In the face of the shy morality that only needs to be pierced through a layer of paper, the young and energetic Xiang Yu has to take into account his credibility, reputation, and the opinions and opinions of the people around him. Although he was powerful and had the greatest merit, he felt uneasy because of the clause of King Huai's agreement that "the one who breaks Qin first and enters Xianyang will be king." In the battles between Xiang Yu and Xiang Yu, he was tormented by the moral stick wielded by Liu Bang at every turn. In the Guangwu Duel, Xiang Yu's ten major crimes announced by Liu Bang were admittedly not without being woven, but what Liu Bang firmly grasped was Xiang Yu brutally massacred the city, secretly killed the Righteous Emperor, unfairly enfeoffed and other unkind and unjust things, and had some moral braids that were unfaithful.

It can be said that on the one hand, Xiang Yu hopes to establish an example and model of virtue among the princes and the people around him, but on the other hand, he has to destroy this example and model at any time, and even constantly accepts righteousness from Liu Bang and other princes. The king's moral crusade and ridicule, and the sensitivity deep in his heart made him deeply hate this kind of ridicule and criticism. His own quality and character flaws prevented him from becoming a virtuous man like Shun, Yu, and King Wen of Zhou. Jun, can't even be a complete ruffian like his opponent Liu Bang. He can only fall deeper and deeper into the moral trap woven by others and himself, unable to extricate himself.

In the end, Liu Bang, the immoral person who transcended the name of morality, defeated Xiang Yu, who struggled to stick to morality. Zhuangzi, who preceded them, had already seen at a glance the moral unfairness of "Those who steal hooks will be punished, and those who steal the country will be treated as princes" [20]. However, the trend of history and the times will not favor small details more. and stay, they are more biased towards those who are outside of morality and have no regard for morality. As for Xiang Yu, who was struggling with the bottom line of morality and benevolence, justice and propriety, he finally died by his own hands on the bank of Wujiang River in order to preserve his excessive self-esteem and reputation. We can only say that his death is tragic. As for whether he was a martyr with true morals or a person who worshiped power without virtue, there is no need to think too much.

Taiwanese scholar Ke Qingming pointed out that the temperament of a tragic hero is "a strong self-awareness, as well as an absolutely strong self-shaping, desire and will for self-fulfillment" [21].

No matter from the perspective of the times, Xiang Yu's own personality contradictions or his struggle in morality, Xiang Yu was destined to be a tragic figure from the beginning. His life can be described as a "violence of prosperity", beautiful and beautiful, and what he pursued throughout his life His good reputation and credibility were not lost due to his stubborn, almost stubborn and arrogant self-respecting character. He was obsessed with the life and lifestyle he chose, even if this life and lifestyle were wrong from the beginning. Yes, but he was willing and put in the effort. Only when the lifestyle he has chosen cannot continue, or even suffers reputation or psychological torture and loss for it, will he hastily choose death instead of living in this world.

3. Thousand-year echoes of Wujiang’s suicide

For thousands of years, Xiang Yu’s story is still circulating and being interpreted. In the last moment of the mighty hero of the past, he sobbed and bid farewell to his beauty. This classic scene with ups and downs in people's minds was frozen at that moment, and Xiang Yu's tragedy reached its highest point.

"Siege at Gaixia", "Besieged on All Sides", "Farewell My Concubine", we give these words a broader meaning today because Sima Qian's vivid and sentimental depictions are wonderful and tragic.

We saw that Xiang Yu said goodbye to his beautiful lady, and more than a hundred of his followers broke through the siege and went south. They fell into Daze by mistake and could not escape. He said to Qi Qi:

I have been eight years old since I raised the army. I have fought more than seventy battles. Those who were attacked were defeated and those who were attacked were subjugated. I was not defeated, and thus I dominated the world. But now I am stuck here. What kills me here is not a crime of war. Today I will fight to the death, and I hope that I will fight quickly for you, and I will win three times. I will break the siege for you, cut off the generals and cut the flags, so that you will know that God will destroy me, and it is not a crime of war.

What we can see from Xiang Yu’s tone and words is that he is highly confident in his own strength and is almost obsessed with it. He is full of the proud look and majesty of a hegemon, and he is also contemptuous and disapproving of the end of defeat. It can be said that Quick people, quick words, quick heart, just want to fight quickly to relieve the depression in my heart. Here, Xiang Yu has not yet made up his mind to die, and he still hopes to break out. However, the words of the Wujiang Pavilion Chief who was waiting in the boat made him not know what to do, and he only wanted to die with a clear conscience.

"Although Jiangdong is small, the area is thousands of miles away, and there are hundreds of thousands of people, which is enough for a king. May the king rush to cross. Now I only have a boat, and the Han army arrives, and there is no way to cross." King Xiang said with a smile. "Heaven is destroying me, how can I cross the river! Ji and eight thousand people from the east of the Yangtze River crossed the river to the west, but now no one has returned. Even if my father and brother from the east of the river take pity on me and king of me, how can I see them with my own eyes? Even if they don't say anything, how can I cross the river to the west?" Are you worthy of your heart? ”

Today, countless years later, we have no way of verifying whether this thrilling dialogue is real or a work of fiction based on Tai Shigong Shangqi’s psychology. However, it can be seen that What is remarkable is that whether it is the sincere pavilion chief or the complicated and uneasy King Chu, both have natural expressions and their language is consistent with their identities.

However, these are still left to future generations for endless speculation and reverie and laborious speculation and verification. "Historical Records Jinghua Lu" commented on Xiang Yu's "Why am I crossing" in this way: "King Xiang's intention is not to fall into the pit of his hands with his seven-foot body. Watch it collapse? Don't you want to escape? Hear the words of the pavilion chief. He refused to get on his boat, so he gave him his beloved horse to comfort him, which was rough and straightforward, good and cute." [22] In addition to pointing out that Xiang Yu's straightforward, honest and lovely character, the most important point in the analysis is that the reason for Xiang Yu's suicide was that he had no hope of life, and it was not a real matter of whether he could survive or not. "I don't want to fall into his hands with my seven-foot body.", op. Arita's father deceived him into pointing the way and fell into a swamp. Could it be that the current pavilion chief was an ambush arranged by Liu Bang in advance? After escaping from the ambush on all sides, he walked in fear and hurriedly, accidentally entered the swamp, and fell into the trap of his own psychology. He did not explain it because of his inner self-esteem and maintenance of his good reputation and aristocratic spirit. Modern scholars studying "Historical Records" believe that this plot may come from Sima Qian's artistic fiction. Sima Qian, who respected the spirit of "honoring shame", added such a dialogue to the heroes on the way to defeat, sincerely and sincerely writing the voices of the heroes at the end of their lives, looking back on the past, maintaining dignity, confronting humiliation, and facing death. Never look back. This reason can also be said to be quite reasonable.

No matter whether Sima Qian was a fictitious or a true description at the time, and under what circumstances he wrote the plot of resisting the crossing, what Taishigong did not expect was that later generations would regard Xiang Yu's "crossing and not crossing" and "king and not king". "More discussions and discourses, as well as the various attitudes behind these discussions, lead to deeper conflicts in Chinese culture and psychology.

(1) "crossing" and "king"

Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty wrote this in his poem "Ti Wujiang Pavilion":

Victory and defeat, military and family affairs Unexpectedly, being shy and enduring shame is also a man.

The children of Jiangdong are so talented that their comeback is unknown. 〔23〕

Du Mu, who has traveled north and south all his life, expressed in his poem that he hopes to see the King of Chu be a man who can tolerate shame, not to mention that the outcome of a battlefield dispute is unpredictable and is not a matter of life and death. , Xiang Yu should be defeated but not give up, base himself on Jiangdong, and make a comeback. There is deep regret and sorrow in his poems. This attitude of hoping that Xiang Yu would cross the river and come back to fight for the king deeply reflects the traditional Confucianism - "the spirit of tolerance of shame", "a small impatience will mess up a big plan", in the face of greater interests and greater disasters, people's tendencies The psychology of benefit and avoidance of harm clearly shows that for the sake of a more valuable and beneficial goal, one would rather endure it, encounter the pain and trauma in the process of obtaining higher benefits, and even give up and reject all aspects of the process. The temptation of different small benefits and small enjoyments.

For thousands of years, countless moralists have been like this, countless politicians have been like this, and so have the people who have been educated and influenced by them. Only through hardship can one become a master." Metaphysically speaking, this kind of tolerance for life setbacks including shame, and the forbearing attitude towards rejecting small favors and enjoying life, guides the strong and perseverance spirit that is traditional and endless in the Chinese nation.

Finally, looking at Xiang Yu through Du Mu's poem "Ti Wu Jiang Pavilion", we will be surprised to see the other two key figures mentioned in this article - Sima Qian and Liu Bang. Without exception, they were all Xiang Yu who had crossed the Wujiang River. Sima Qian and Liu Bang both experienced the "Wujiang" port in their lives: Sima Qian advocated the spirit of shame and believed that "there is no dirt greater than castration" [24], but he suffered the most shameful castration; while Liu Bang's life was also full of twists and turns. But both of them were able to pursue greater values ??(Sima Qian wrote "Historical Records" and Liu Bang ruled the world), endured mental and physical trauma, and safely crossed the "Wujiang" port. The difference is in the process of crossing the Wujiang River