The Battle of Julu

After Xiang Liang reorganized his army, he won several battles in succession and defeated Qin general Zhang Han. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang led another team and killed the Qin general Li Yu. Xiang Liang became proud and thought that the Qin army was nothing great and let down his guard. Zhang Han resupplied his troops and launched a fierce counterattack while Xiang Liang was unprepared. Xiang Liang was killed in the battle. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang also had to retreat to Pengcheng.

When Zhang Han defeated Xiang Liang, he thought that the Chu army was greatly wounded, so he temporarily left this end south of the Yellow River and led the Qin army north to attack Zhao (this Zhao was not the Zhao of the Warring States period, but a newly established regime), and soon captured Handan, the capital of Zhao, and the king of Zhao, Xie, fled to Julu (southwest of Pingxiang in modern Hebei).

Zhang Han sent Qin general Wang Li to surround July, and he led a large army stationed in the Echingyuan, south of July. He also built a grain road between Echingyuan and Julu to transport grain and provisions to Wang Li's army.

King Xie of Zhao sent several times to King Huai of Chu to ask for help. At that time, King Huai of Chu was trying to send his men westward to attack Xianyang. Xiang Yu was eager to take revenge for his uncle and asked to bring his troops into the past.

Some old ministers around King Huai secretly said to King Huai, "Xiang Yu is too violent and kills too many people; Liu Bang is a loyal man, so why not send him." It so happened that Zhao came to ask for help. King Huai of Chu sent Liu Bang to fight in Xianyang, and sent Song Yi as his general and Xiang Yu as his vice-general, leading an army of 200,000 to Julu to rescue Zhao.

When Song Yi's army arrived at Anyang (now southeast of Anyang in Henan Province), he heard that the Qin army was very powerful and ordered the Chu army to stop, wanting to wait for the Qin army and Zhao army to fight for a while, so that the Qin army could consume some of its strength before attacking.

Song Yi did not move his troops and stopped at Anyang for 46 days. Xiang Yu could not stand it, so he went to Song Yi and said, "The Qin army has surrounded July, the situation is so urgent, let's cross the river quickly and attack with the Zhao army from inside and outside, we can defeat the Qin army."

Song Yi said, "We'd better wait until after the duel between the Qin and Zhao armies." He also said to Xiang Yu, "I am no match for you when it comes to fighting the enemy in battle, but you are no match for me when it comes to sitting in a tent and coming up with a plan."

He also gave an order, "If any of the generals disobey the command, they shall be beheaded according to the military law!"

This order was directed at Xiang Yu, who was furious. It was already November, the weather in the north was cold and there was heavy rain. The soldiers in the camp complained about the cold and hunger.

Xiang Yu said, "Now there is no food in the camp, but the general is not moving his troops, but drinking and having fun by himself, so he does not care about the country and does not consider the soldiers.

The next day, Xiang Yu took advantage of the court meeting to pull out his sword and kill Song Yi. He carried Song Yi's head and said to his generals, "Song Yi betrayed the great king (referring to King Huai of Chu), and I have executed him by the order of the great king."