Han Xin

A meritorious vassal of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty in China. A military commander skilled in military strategy. Born into a poor family in Huaiyin (Jiangsu Province), he was unable to even afford to hold a funeral for his mother. One day, while fishing in the city, an old woman washing dishes nearby saw that he was starving and gave him food, and he continued to live off her for several dozen days. When he said he would one day repay her kindness, she scolded him, saying that he could not feed himself and was not worthy of repaying her kindness. He was also mocked in town, but endured the momentary shame and slipped under the legs of a scoundrel. All of these anecdotes from his youth show his great ambition. During the rebellion at the end of the Qin Dynasty, he initially joined Xiang Yu's camp, but was dissatisfied with his misfortune and tried to serve Liu Bang. He was nearly executed at that time, but was found and saved by his senior vassal Xiahou Ying, and was later promoted to general with the recommendation of Prime Minister Xiao He. He proposed one plan after another to defeat Xiang Yu, and Liu Bang said he wished he had had him under his command sooner. In 206 BC, Liu Bang rescued him when he was in danger after attacking Xiang Yu's capital Pengcheng. He then conquered the lands of Zhao and Qi, securing the area along the lower reaches of the Yellow River, giving the Han dynasty the upper hand, and was enfeoffed as King of Qi. After the Han Dynasty achieved unification of the country, he was faced with the policy of Liu Bang to eliminate the kings of different surnames, and his boasting that the more the better, even though he was only a commander of 100,000 soldiers, led to his tragic later years. He was transferred to the position of King of Chu, then demoted to the position of Marquis of Huaiyin on suspicion of treason, and in 196 BC, he was captured by a plot by Empress Lü and wiped out along with his entire family.

[Akira Kasugai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、漢の高祖劉邦(りゅうほう)の功臣。軍略にたけた武将。淮陰(わいいん)（江蘇(こうそ)省）の貧家に生まれ、母親の葬儀も出せなかった。ある日城下で釣りをしていたとき、近くで洗い物をしていた老女が彼の飢えを見かねて食を与え、そのまま寄食すること数十日。いつの日かこの恩に報いるといったところ、自分で食えずにいて何が報恩だと叱(しか)り飛ばされた。また、町なかでばかにされながらも一時の恥を忍んで無頼者の股(また)の下をくぐったという。これらの若いころの逸話は、いずれも彼の大志あるをうかがわせるものである。秦(しん)末の乱に際し、初め項羽(こうう)陣営に属したが、不遇を不満として劉邦に仕えようとした。その際危うく斬(き)られそうになったが、重臣夏侯嬰(かこうえい)にみいだされて救われ、さらに丞相(じょうしょう)蕭何(しょうか)の推薦でやがて大将となり、項羽討滅の策を次々と献じ、劉邦をして、もっと早くこの男を幕下に入れたかったといわしめた。紀元前206年、項羽の都彭城(ほうじょう)を襲った劉邦が危機に陥るやそれを救い、ついで趙(ちょう)、斉(せい)の地を攻略して黄河下流一帯を確保し、漢を優勢たらしめ、斉王に封ぜられた。漢の天下統一が達成されると、異姓の諸王を廃除しようとする劉邦の政策にあい、また、陛下はせいぜい10万の兵の将だが、自分は多々ますます弁ず（多ければ多いほどよい）と豪語した有能さが災いし、しだいに悲劇的な晩年になってゆく。楚(そ)王に移され、次には反逆の疑いで淮陰侯に落とされ、前196年、呂后(りょこう)の謀計にかかって捕らわれ、一族もろとも滅ぼされた。

［春日井明］

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