Classical Chinese Assigment 3

垓下之圍(霸王別姬)
Beleaguered in KaiXia(Farewell My Concubine)

The army of XiangYu’s (項羽) camped and defended in KaiXia (垓下). Their soldiers were few, their food was consumed and they were encompassed by layers of Han Army (漢軍) together with some ally vassal armies. At that night, XiangYu heard people in the surroundings of Han Army sang the ballads of Chu(楚). He was astounded and said, “Has Han Army already overcome Chu as a whole? Why there are so many Chu people in their camps? ”

He then woke up and drank in his tent. There was a fair concubine named Yu(虞) who was always favored by and followed XiangYu. There was a courser named Zhui(騅) rode by XiangYu all the time. Thinking of these, XiangYu felt so sad and sang sorrowful songs with great emotions. He sang his lyrics with rhythm as such, “I own the power to yank the mountain. I have the vigor to dominate the world. In such an unfavored moment, my horse was ceased to course. If my horse won’t course what should I do？ My fairly concubine what should we do？ ” He sang several songs. The fairly concubine was singing together. XiangYu couldn’t help but cried with tears. People around him all cried; no one was able to look up to the sorrowful XiangYu.

And so XiangYu rode on his horse, leading more than eight hundred stalwart under his banner. They broke the adversary’s encirclement the whole night and fled in the direction of south. The Han Army did not notice their escape until first light. GuanYing(灌嬰), a commander in Han Army, was appointed to pursue after XiangYu with 5000 mounted soldiers. XiangYu was going to cross the river Huai(淮河), only about thousand mounted soldiers could still follow him at that time. They arrived at YinLing(陰陵) and were lost. They asked directions from a farmer. But the farmer deceived them and gave a wrong direction. He said to them, “Go left.” They turned to left and trapped in a swamp. The Han Army therefore was able to reach them.

Then XiangYu turned to east with his followers. There were only twenty-eight mounted soldiers still there when they got to the east village. Meanwhile, the mounted force of Han was thousands of people. XiangYu did not expect to escape from this. He talked to his followers, “It’s been eight years since I have lived in the battle field. I personally experienced more than seventy battles. I broke whatever I encountered. I beat whatever submitted and I never taste the feeling of being defeated. That’s why I can dominant the world. But now I end up like this, trapped here. This is my destiny to die now. This is not because I cannot fight or I don’t know how to fight! Since I’ve determined to holdout until death today. I will bring you an enjoyable fast battle, and I shall not fail to defeat them. I will break the encirclement, kill the enemy commanders and cut down adversary’s banners. I will let you know it’s my destiny that I should die. It’s not because I don’t know how to fight! ”

Next, XiangYu divided his mounted force into four groups, which moved toward four directions. The Han Army beleaguered XiangYu and his mounted soldiers at that time. XiangYu said to his men, “I’m going to capture a comrade for you! ” He ordered the soldiers to spread out in four directions, and they shall meet at three places at the mountain east side. Then XiangYu shouted with command. They broke down the defense of Han Army and scattered them. Finally, XiangYu also killed a commander of Han, as he promised. At that time, the appointed commander to pursue XiangYu of Han’s mounted force was ChihChiuanHou(赤泉侯). When XiangYu looked at him with wide-open eyes and railed, ChihChiuanHou and his horse were both frightened. They were so scared that they moved back a couple kilometers.

Because that XiangYu would meet up at three possible places with his soldiers. Han Army had no idea where XiangYu would be. They divided the army into three and begun to beleaguer again. Therefore XiangYu killed another commander and almost a hundred soldiers of Han. When XiangYu reassembled his army, he found he lost two men only. Then he said to his men, “How do you think about this fight? ” All his men admired and said, “It was exactly same as our lord you said. ” Then XiangYu went east, wanted to cross WuChiang(烏江)

The station manager of WuChiang moored a boat there and waited for XiangYu. He said to XiangYu, “The territory eat of the river although small, there are still thousands of kilometers, hundred thousands of people that you can rule. Would you please, my lord, cross the river quickly? Now only I have a boat. The Han Army cannot cross the river! ” XiangYu smiled and answered, “ As I have said, now is my destiny that I must die. There is no reason for me to cross the river. Besides, I set out with eight thousand sons and brothers from the families of east of the river. They followed me and crossed west. But now I return with no one. Although the respectful brothers and fathers in the families of our river east might be willing to sympathize and support me to be a king. I don’t have a face to see them. Even they don’t speak out their thoughts. Can I the only one not feel ashamed and guilty? ” Therefore he said to the station manager, “I know you are a respectful senior. This horse has been with me for five years. It is outstanding and no other could compare. It has run a long distance of thousand kilometers in one day. My heart really refuses to kill it. Let it be yours. ”

Then XiangYu asked the mounted soldiers to abandon their horses and walk. They fought with short knives, came to handgrips. XiangYu alone killed more than hundred soldiers but also got more than ten wounds on his body. When he turned around, he saw LuMaTong(呂馬童), the commander of Han mounted force. He said to him, “What an old friend I meet here!” LuMaTong faced to XiangYu and indicated him to show WongYi(王翳), “This IS the XiangYu. ” XiangYu then said, “I heard that your king wants to buy my head for thousand pieces of gold and will offer million houses as rewards. Just let me give you this benefit. ” He himself cut his throat and died in the end.