Dubious Facts: The Evidence of Early Chinese Historiography

Appendices

177 Appendices A. LI ZUOCHE (李左車) A ND CHEN Y U’S (陳餘) EXCH A NGE SHIJI 92.26151 Han Xin and Zhang Er with their army of many tens of thousands of men desired to march east through the Jing Gorge to attack Zhao. The king of Zhao (Zhao Xie 趙歇) and Chen Yu, lord of Cheng’an, heard that the Han forces were about to launch a surprise attack against them and that they had gathered an army at the mouth of the Jing Gorge which was said to have numbered 200,000 men.2 Lord of Guangwu, Li Zuoche, persuaded Chen Yu, saying, 信與張耳以兵數萬， 欲東下井陘擊趙． 趙王 ﹑ 成安君陳餘聞漢 且襲之也， 聚兵井陘口， 號稱二十萬． 廣武君李左車說成安君曰： A. “I have heard that the Han general Han Xin has forded the Yellow River to the west, taken the king of Wei hostage and captured Xia Yue, and spilled blood anew at Yanyu. Now with the help of Zhang Er he has held council discussions and desires to send his troops against Zhao. The blades of such an army, riding a wave of victory and fighting far from its state, cannot be opposed. 「聞漢將韓信涉西河， 虜魏王， 禽夏說， 新喋血閼與， 今乃輔以張耳， 議欲下趙， 此乘勝而去國遠鬭， 其鋒不可當． B. “I, Your servant, have heard it said that, when provisions must be transported a thousand leagues, the shi-officers have a malnourished look. They gather wood and straw for the fire after which they cook their meals. The troops do not go to sleep with a full stomach. Now, the road through the Jing Gorge is such that two carts cannot drive side by side, nor two horsemen ride in formation. On a march of several hundred leagues in such a disposition their provisions are sure to be in the rear. 「臣聞千里餽 糧， 士有飢色， 樵蘇後爨， 師不宿飽． 今井陘之道， 車不得方軌， 騎不得成列， 行數 百里， 其勢糧食必在其後． 178 Dubious Facts C. “I beg Your Majesty to lend me a force of 30,000 surprise troops which I can lead by an obscure route to cut off their supply wagons. If Your Majesty deepens his moats, heightens his ramparts, strengthens his camp, and forbids [his generals] to engage in battle, they will be unable either to advance and fight, or to retreat and return home. With my surprise force I will cut off their rear and cause these men from the wilds to have no way to plunder. Before ten days are out, the heads of their two commanders will be brought and laid beneath Your banners. 「願足下假臣 奇兵三萬人， 從閒道絕其輜重； 足下深溝高壘， 堅營勿與戰． 彼前不得鬭， 退不得 還， 吾奇兵絕其後， 使野無所掠， 不至十日， 而兩將之頭可致於戲下 ． D. “I beg my Lord to give heed to Your servant’s plan. If You do not, You will most certainly find Yourself the captive of these two men (i.e., Han Xin and Zhang Er).” 「願君留意臣之計． 否， 必為二子所禽矣． 」 But Chen Yu, the lord of Cheng’an, was a Ru scholar who always called for “righteous campaigns” and had no use for deceptive schemes or surprise strategies. Chen Yu said: 成安君，儒者也，常稱義兵不用詐謀奇計。曰： 1. “I have heard that by the principles of warfare if [you outnumber the enemy] ten to one, you surround him, but if [you outnumber him] two to one, you engage him in battle.3 Now although Han Xin’s forces are reputed to be several tens of thousands, they do not in fact exceed several thousand. Furthermore, he has marched a thousand miles to launch a surprise attack against us, so he must also already be thoroughly exhausted. 「吾聞兵法十則圍之， 倍則戰． 今韓信兵號數萬， 其實不過數千 ． 能千 里而襲我， 亦已罷極． 2. “Now, in accord with Your suggestion, if we were to flee and not fight, later when there is a larger force, how would we fight them? The many lords would call me coward and think nothing of coming to attack me!” 「 今如此避而不擊， 後有大者， 何以加之！ 則諸侯謂吾怯， 而輕來伐我． 」 Thus he refused to listen to the lord of Guangwu’s policy-statements, and the policy-statements went unheeded. 不聽廣武君策， 廣武君策不用 B. LIU (LOU) JING’S (劉/婁敬) A DDR ESS TO THE HIGH EMPEROR (LIU BA NG 劉邦) SHIJI 99.2719 Liu Jing came from the Xiongnu to court. He thereupon said: 劉敬從匈 奴來， 因言 A. “Among the Xiongnu, the King of Baiyang and the King of Loufan in South of the Yellow River are at the nearest point 700 leagues distant from Chang’an. Their light cavalry, riding only over a day and a night, would be able to arrive at the Area-Within-Qin. Though the AreaWithin -Qin is newly destroyed, with few commoners, its soil is fat and rich and the area is ripe for growth. 「匈奴河南白羊、 樓煩王, 去長安近者七 百里， 輕騎一日一夜可以至秦中． 秦中新破， 少民， 地肥饒， 可益實． Appendices 179 B. “As for the period of the initial uprising among the feudal lords against Qin, only the members of the Tian of Qi, the Zhao, the Qu, or the Jing households of Chu were able to rise up against Qin. Now, even though Your Majesty has set up...