A Thousand Pieces of Gold (19 page)

Liu Bang and Zhang Liang first met in February 208
B.C.E.
, two years after the death of the First Emperor. Although he had a frail physique and was frequently ill, Zhang Liang finally felt secure enough to emerge from his self-imposed exile. He gathered about a hundred followers and was wandering around in search of a king to whom he could attach himself when he met Liu Bang by chance while he was passing through the city of Pei.

The two became friends, and Zhang Liang imparted to Liu Bang much of what he had learned from the old man’s book. Meanwhile, Liu Bang became increasingly impressed by Zhang Liang’s incisive mind and broad vision.

Perhaps because of his heritage, Zhang was determined to restore the monarchy in his native state of Haan. So he left Liu Bang and spent the next year living a hand-to-mouth existence while fighting a guerrilla war. No sooner did he take a city than the Qin forces would retrieve it a few weeks later.

When Zhang Liang heard that Liu Bang was in the area and had just taken the nearby city of Chenliu, he went to congratulate him. The two friends met again in May 207
B.C.E.
and decided to join forces. With Zhang Liang planning the strategy and Liu Bang making overall decisions, they thought they would make a good team.

Almost immediately they won a major victory against the Qin general Yang Xiong, routing him and sending him fleeing. The Second Emperor was so irate that he sent a special messenger to behead Yang Xiong as an example to others. This did not endear the monarch to the other generals in the Qin army.

Following this breakthrough, Liu Bang conquered more than ten cities with ease and seized the entire former state of Haan for Zhang Liang. The two friends established the ancient capital of Haan as their base of operations and left the newly installed King Cheng of Haan in charge. After that Zhang accompanied Liu Bang, and the duo continued westward toward Xianyang.

In August 207
B.C.E.
Liu Bang reached the city of Wan (present-day Nanyang in Henan Province). He saw the sturdy ramparts and row upon row of archers standing in position with their crossbows above the city walls. Recognizing that the city was well defended, he bypassed Wan and had moved some miles west of the city when Zhang Liang said to him, “Your Lordship is naturally anxious to be the first to enter the pass and take the capital. But we must be aware that Qin’s strongest defensive force is still ahead, holding the most strategic positions. Now that we have bypassed the city of Wan, what if the army of Wan should follow and attack from the back while we are fighting the Second Emperor’s troops in front? Would that not make us highly vulnerable? This is a dangerous policy.”

Liu Bang agreed. The two friends conferred and drew up a plan. They waited till nightfall then returned to Wan quietly by an alternate route. Liu Bang ordered that all the flags and banners be rolled up and the horses’ tongues be tied so that they would not neigh. As a final precau
tion, he issued small sticks for the soldiers to bite between their teeth so that they would not converse with each other.

When dawn broke Liu Bang’s soldiers had surrounded Wan and stood three deep in the early morning silence. The chief administrator of Wan took one look over the wall and wanted to slit his own throat. But one of his retainers, named Chen Hui, said to him, “You have a lot of time to cut your throat if that’s what you want to do. But why be in such a hurry? Please allow me to speak to Liu Bang first.”

Retainer Chen climbed over the wall and was admitted into Liu Bang’s tent. “I have heard that Your Lordship has made a covenant with Xiang Yu that the man who first enters the capital city of Xianyang will be made king of the Land Within the Passes,” Chen began. “But at present Your Lordship is detained here in Wan and unable to move on. Everyone in Wan believes that you will kill us if we surrender. That is why we are mounting such a strong defense. If you decide to attack us it will doubtless take you many days and delay you further. The battle will also inflict heavy casualties on both sides.

“Should you abandon the siege and bypass us, our troops will probably pursue you and attack you from the back. Thus you run the risk of losing the covenant by attacking us, but you run the risk of an assault from the back if you bypass us.

“From your vantage point, there is nothing better than accepting a conditional surrender from us. Appoint our chief administrator as an official in your new government, elevate his status and grant him a noble title, order him to go on defending the city of Wan, and take some of his troops into your army.

“When the other cities hear of this, they will bend themselves backward to open their gates and welcome you. From then on, Your Lordship will have
tong xing wu zhu,
‘free passage without hindrance,’ all the way to the capital.” Liu Bang was pleased and replied, “Excellent!”

Toward the beginning of September 207
B.C.E.
, the two parties signed an agreement. Liu Bang accepted the formal surrender of Wan, conferred on the administrator the noble title of marquis of Yin, and rewarded the retainer Chen with an income of one thousand households. After that all cities yielded to him.

Discipline in Liu Bang’s army was strict. His soldiers were orderly and polite. Pillage and plunder were forbidden. As a result the people were
delighted with him. More and more rebelled against Qin to follow him. His army swelled to 100,000 men as he climbed the mountains surrounding the capital city of Xianyang.

Instead of approaching Xianyang from the heavily guarded Hangu Pass, Liu Bang avoided it altogether and took the southern Wu Pass instead. By then he was impatient. He wanted to attack the defensive forces head-on and take the pass by storm. But strategist Zhang Liang restrained him.

“Never underestimate your enemy!” Zhang Liang advised. “The Qin forces are still strong. However, I have heard that the local commander is the son of a butcher. Coming from that type of family, he probably has a tradesman’s mentality and may be susceptible to bribery.

“I suggest that Your Lordship send some men to the highest mountaintop. Put up as many flags as possible with your name, Liu Bang, prominently displayed so as to be visible for miles around. This way, the enemy will believe that there are enormous numbers of troops awaiting them. Meanwhile, send Mad Master to meet with the Qin commander. Order him to wag his
san cun bu lan zhi she,
‘three inches of immortal tongue,’ and lure the Qin generals to surrender with promises of gain.”

The Qin generals proved amenable to Mad Master’s “immortal tongue,” but Zhang now said, “This just means that the top generals wish to rebel. Their juniors may not follow. However, it proves that they are not motivated to fight and are off their guard. We must attack right now and finish them off.”

Liu Bang therefore made a surprise attack and routed the Qin troops completely. He then entered the Land Within the Passes. The prime minister, Zhao Gao, became fearful. He had the Second Emperor murdered and sent a messenger to Liu Bang suggesting that they divide the kingdom of Qin between them. But Liu Bang distrusted the eunuch and would not consent. The eunuch then, as we have seen, set up an uncle of the Second Emperor, Zi Ying, as King of Qin but was himself murdered.

After a series of further defeats, King Zi Ying surrendered to Liu Bang. Some of Liu Bang’s followers wanted to execute King Zi Ying. His brother-in-law and bodyguard, the powerfully built former butcher, Fan Kuai, whipped out his sword and begged for permission to behead Zi Ying on the spot. But Liu Bang said, “His Majesty, the King of Chu, selected me to come west and capture the capital city for one reason and one reason only. He had heard of my reputation for generosity and kindness. Besides, when
a man has made an unconditional surrender and thrown himself at our mercy, it is neither right nor auspicious to execute him.” So he turned to the terrified Zi Ying lying prostrate at his feet and proclaimed, “Your life and the life of your family will be spared. The past is past. My officials will protect you.”

Liu Bang continued west and finally entered Xianyang in triumph. It was an exhilarating moment. To the peasant leader, the capital city was both familiar and strange. As chief of a
ting,
he used to escort conscripts occasionally from Pei to work on the palaces and tomb of the First Emperor. In those days, while not working, he would stay at minor hostels and frequent cheap wineshops. Sometimes he caught a glimpse of the First Emperor’s imperial carriage, surrounded by pomp and circumstance. As an ordinary man, however, he had no chance of ever speaking to the emperor or visiting any of his palaces.

Now, in front of his eyes, lay the splendid sight of the greatest city under Heaven: two hundred and seventy magnificent palaces, gardens extending for miles and miles, massive highways lined by trees, all at his mercy and under his command.

Xianyang, striding both banks of the River Wei, was China’s largest city as well as its financial and political center. The First Emperor had conscripted the most skillful workers from all over China to build a model city that was unparalleled in its grandeur, beauty, and orderliness. Waste-water, for instance, was carried away by two separate waterways: one above ground and one underground. Spanning the Wei River and connecting the two banks was a massive stone bridge sixty feet wide and a thousand feet long, probably the longest bridge existing at that time anywhere in the world.

He drove to the emperor’s main palace and visited all the rooms, storehouses, and treasuries and could hardly believe what he was seeing. The throne room alone could seat 10,000 people. The main door of the palace was made of magnetic stone so as to prevent hidden metal weapons from being smuggled in. Outside the massive doors were colorful black and white flags fluttering on poles fifty feet high, each scripted with the word
Qin.
Leading away from the palace was a long, covered walkway that extended all the way to the top of South Mountain. Twelve colossal metal figures were lined up like monster toy soldiers in the garden, each weighing over a quarter of a million pounds. Inside the rooms of the palace were
jade and pearl ornaments, drums made of alligator skins, gold and silver containers, coral bowls, and beautiful embroidered silks.

Among the rarities was a tall lamp made of blue jade. It was six feet high and sculpted in the shape of five coiled dragons covered by scales, each holding a light in its mouth. When lit, the scales quivered from the heat. The dragons appeared to come alive, spitting fire from their mouths and filling the room with luminous light.

In another room he found twelve men made of bronze sitting on a mat. They were about two feet high, dressed in brightly colored silk robes, and each held a lute or a reed organ. Below the mat were two bronze pipes that ran beneath each figure and protruded behind the mat several feet into the air. One pipe was empty while the other contained a rope the size of a finger. Two men were needed to operate the “orchestra,” with one blowing into the empty pipe and the other making knots with the rope. When they did so, the group of little bronze figures would make music and play together like real musicians.

He also came across a jade flute about two feet long containing six holes. When the flute was blown, Liu Bang saw a succession of carriages, horses, and miscellaneous exotic animals rushing past mountains, forests, and other beautiful scenery.

Liu Bang was, of course, thrilled by all this. He was especially enraptured with the thousands of beautiful women, all of them alluring and eager to please. For someone of his peasant background, this was heady stuff. He decided to stay and rest for a few days.

But his bodyguard and brother-in-law, Fan Kuai, objected. “Is Your Lordship interested in being ruler of the entire country or merely becoming a rich warlord of Xianyang?” Fan asked.

“My goal is to reunite all the states and become their overall ruler, of course. You know the answer! Why do you ask?”

“We have seen wondrous sights today,” Fan said, “marvelous objects surpassing belief and beautiful women lovely to behold. The Second Emperor had them all. Look how long he lasted! We still have much to accomplish. I beg Your Lordship to return to camp and not linger here.”

“Has my wife been telling you to spy on me again?” Liu Bang grumbled good-naturedly. “She and that wife of yours are always telling me what to do. I’ve never seen a pair of sisters more alike. Nag! Nag! Nag!”

But strategist Zhang Liang overheard and said, “Your Lordship is here today because of the Second Emperor’s tyranny. During his rule he lived in wanton luxury while the people suffered. Show the world that you are different. Cleanse out all the previous rottenness. Live modestly! Keep in mind the following maxims:
Zhong yan ni er li yu xing,
‘loyal advice that sounds unpleasant must still be followed.’
Liang yao ku ko li yu bing,
‘effective medicine that tastes bitter must still be swallowed.’ I beg Your Lordship to heed Fan’s words.”

Liu Bang acquiesced and sealed all the treasures. Before returning to camp he allowed Administrator Xiao He to gather all the charts, maps, registers, documents, and other important writings. From these he learned the terrain of the country, the records of harvests and famines, the sites of granaries, and the people’s complaints.

A few days later he summoned the most distinguished elders from Xianyang and the surrounding provinces and respectfully said to them, “Fathers and elders, you have long suffered from the cruel laws of Qin. Those of you who dared to criticize the Qin government used to be executed with their entire families. Even talking in pairs was considered a crime and could result in public execution in the marketplace. We revolutionaries have made a covenant among ourselves that whoever enters first through the passes will be king of the Land Within the Passes (Guanzhong). Therefore, as King of Guanzhong, I wish to come to an agreement with you regarding my new code:
yue fa san zhang,
‘a code that consists of only three laws’: