Luu Bang’s “bitter” move

After defeating Xiang Yu, Save state gained domination, established the Western Han dynasty.

For those brothers who were born and died, fought in the north and fought with him, Han Cao To bestowed honors and rewards. The profit from the title, money made many mandarins compete to “catch them as them” for the purpose of pursuing wealth.

In the sixth year of Gaozu’s reign, Liu Bang did something that shook the court at that time. That is ordination Cancer – one’s own sworn enemy.

So, why did a famous “hostile” Emperor like Luu Bang make such a confusing action?

The word “compatriot” turned into an “invincible” enemy

Ung Xi (? – 192 BC) was from Bai district (now in Jiangsu – China). During his life, Xi and Liu Bang were once compatriots (Luu Bang was from Phong district, also in Jiangsu).

This Ung himself was once a “brother” trusted by Luu Bang in the meeting.

At that time, the tyranny and cruelty of the Qin Dynasty made people lament and lament everywhere. After the death of Thuy Hoang and Tan Nhi The ascended the throne, a series of peasant uprisings broke out on a large scale.

Nhi The Ho Hoi is a lowly but brutal king. Under this emperor’s rule, the working people were oppressed by taxes and extremely harsh punishments.

Not resigned to the tyrant’s cruelty, many peasants raised their flags to revolt against the Qin Dynasty.

The first year Nhi The reigned (209 BC), the Tran Thang – Ngo Quang uprising broke out in Dai Trach commune (now in Tuc district, Anhui province).

Before Thang – Quang betrayed Qin, Luu Bang at Cham Phong Tay station meticulously laid out a plan to “launch the uprising”, secretly raising troops and waiting for the right opportunity.

After a while, Liu Bang’s insurgent army grew stronger and more influential. Many people came to the base to join the army, including Ung Xi.

When news of Tran Thang uprising came, Luu Bang did not join forces with Thang – Quang, but raised the flag of the uprising himself, commanded the insurgent army to move north, quickly capturing Phong land.

At home, under the support of the people, Luu Bang’s insurgent army quickly grew. Under the influence of Cao Tham, he quickly captured Bai district and was honored by the military and people as “Bai Cong”.

After the power grew, Luu Bang advocated “recovering Phong”, digging deep tunnels, building high citadel in Phong land, turning this place into a base.

In 208 BC, the Sichuan commander of the Qin Dynasty named Binh brought his army to surround Phong, and Liu Bang led his army to welcome victory. Then, he ordered Ung Xi to guard the base, while he brought his troops to the land of Tiet.

This action shows the trust of “Bieu Cong” to his compatriot Ung for two reasons:

First, Phong land is the base, has an important position, is also the “heart” of the whole insurgent army. Second, this is the place to gather many core members of the insurgent army, and Liu Bang’s relatives and family members.

In other words, Liu Bang gave his friends, generals, and family into Ung Chi’s hands. However, this seemingly close “compatriot” gave him a “painful memory of life”!

When Luu Bang returned to station in Cang Phu and advanced to Phuong Du district, the Wei general Chu Thi also wanted to capture Phuong Du. Before fighting, Chu Thi sent someone to lure Ung Xi to surrender. Sure enough, Xi surrendered to Wei, offering Phong land to the Chu family.

Having lost the land of Phong, Luu Bang was extremely angry, but could not take it back. This blatant betrayal made Ung Xi his sworn enemy.

After the recapture of Phong failed, Luu Bang had to return to Bai district to join the army for Xiang Luong. Later, Xi brought Phong to submit to the Trieu country, but eventually surrendered to Luu Bang, once again under the command of his compatriots.

Han Cao To’s puzzling act of generosity

In 201 BC, Han Cao To Luu Bang defeated Xiang Wu, unified the world, and awarded the title of twenty several public gods. In the face of glory and wealth, the Han court fell into the situation of people “fighting for merit day and night”.

The newly established dynasty fell into internal turmoil, and Liu Bang immediately consulted the great minister Truong Luong.

Luong said:His Majesty was originally from cloth clothes, and thanks to the help of his courtiers, he won the world. Now that Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the people who are re-designated are old, close friends such as Tieu Ha, Cao Tham, and those who have been killed are those who give birth to your Majesty’s hatred.

Now the army (only Luu Bang) counts the merit, I think that even if taking the whole world, it is not enough to ennoble everyone. They were afraid that His Majesty might not be able to bestow them all, and they suspected that they would be killed for their previous mistakes, so they gathered together to plot a riot.”

Hearing this, Cao To sadly asked: “So what should I do now?”? Truong Luong continued: “Among the people your Majesty still hates and all the officials know, who is the most hated?”

Luu Bang said at once: “Ung Xi with me is an old acquaintance, often making me miserable and humiliated. I wanted to kill him, but because he had made many merits, I couldn’t bear it.”

Hearing that, Truong Luong immediately offered a plan: “Now, hurry and bestow Ung Xi on first, to show the officials. If you see that Ung Xi has been ordained, everyone will be at ease.”

Liu Bang then set up a wine party, named Ung Xi as the Marquis of the Ten Directions, and urgently urged the Prime Minister and Yu to take care of the merits and dedication of the land. When the banquet was over, the officials were all happy and said: “If Scum is still ordained, we don’t have to worry anymore!”

Just like that, Ung Xi was a traitor, but was ordained a marquis, enjoying 2500 households of real hamlets, ranked 57th among the public gods. Peacefully served as the Marquis of Thap Phuong for 12 years, in 192 BC under Emperor Hue, Ung Xi died, and Thuy became the Marquis of Tuc.

In the fifth Yuan Ding year (112 BC) under Emperor Wu, Yong Xi’s great-grandson was stripped of his title for violating imperial laws. Thus, the Ung family enjoyed the marquis for a total of 89 years.

The depth of Luu Bang’s calculated chess move

At a pivotal moment, Ung Xi played up the role of a chess piece, helping Liu Bang to win people’s hearts and reorganize the court. Thanks to that, this traitor compatriot was able to keep his life at the hands of Han Cao To.

Liu Bang himself has never ceased to hold grudges towards Ung Xi. Tolerating him also because he wanted to join forces to fight the enemy in the war, pardoning him was just a scheme to “buy people’s hearts”.

In fact, Luu Bang’s confusing “generosity” is just a deliberate and profound move advised by great minister Truong Luong. However, the “bitter fruit” that Ung Xi gave to Luu Bang when he was still young always made this Emperor feel good!

After conquering Hoai Nam, King Anh Bo, Luu Bang visited Bai district again. He and the village elders held a drinking party, making the people here extremely happy.

On this occasion, the people of Bai district bowed their heads and said: “Dat Bai is fortunate to be exempt from tax, but Phong land has not yet, please have mercy!”

Luu Bang says: “Land Phong is the place where I grew up, how could I forget. But only because Ung Xi in the past betrayed me to follow Wei…”.

The people of Bai district tried to beg, and Cao To exempted the whole Phong land from tax. After that, the king named Bai Hau Luu Ty as Ngo Vuong.

So you see, because of his hatred for Ung Xi, Luu Bang is always dissatisfied with the people of Phong, even if it is the hometown where he was born and raised.

If it wasn’t for the people of Bai district desperately begging, this land would not know what year it would be granted “long grace”.

Ung Xi’s position of the Ten Directions is like a gift falling from the sky. Based on Luu Bang’s “pseudo-junior” temperament, it was a blessing for a traitor like Xi to be spared death, not to mention the granting of titles and titles.

However, even in the throne of Thien Tu, Luu Bang still had to do things against his heart because of the rules and the big picture. For this king, it was more painful to give a title to a sworn enemy than to cut the flesh.