Han Xin (231 – 196 BC), a military strategist at the beginning of the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), was from Huaiyin (modern day Jiangsu Province). He was one of the three heroes who helped establish the Han Dynasty.

Both of his parents passed away when he was young. Although Han Xin was very poor, he studied hard and became familiar with military strategy and tactics. He had great ambition and wanted to help bring stability and peace to the nation. Without any source of income, he often had to go to the houses of different friends to eat. Sometimes he went to the Huai River to catch fish in exchange for money. He was often discriminated by people around him. Once, a gang of ruffians humiliated him in public. A butcher said to him: "Although you are tall and big and like to carry a sword, I know you are a coward. Do you dare to kill me with your sword? If you dare not, you have to crawl between my legs." Han Xin had a lot of ambition and knew that if he killed the man he'd be paying for it with his life. How could he just casually kill a man? His mind wasn't moved by it, he thus crawled between the butcher's feet in front of everyone. Historical records call it: "The humiliation of crawling between the legs."

In 209 BC, two farmers, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, started an uprising against the corrupt Qin Dynasty. Soon rebellions broke out everywhere in China. Han Xin went to join the rebel army of Xiang Liang, who founded the nation of West Chu. After Xiang Liang was killed in a battle, his nephew Xiang Yu became the ruler of West Chu. Xiang Yu didn't think much of Han Xin and only gave him a position as an armed guard. Han Xin made numerous strategic suggestions to Xiang Yu, but none of them were adopted. He resented the treatment and left the Chu camp to join the King of Han under Lord Liu Bang.

At the beginning, Liu Bang didn't think much of him either and only appointed him as an officer to manage the food supply. Han Xin realized Liu Bang wouldn't give him any important role and decided to leave again. But Liu Bang's Prime Minister, Xiao He, was aware of Han Xin's ability. When he heard the news that Han Xin had left, he rode his horse chasing after Han Xin all night and persuaded him to return. There is a phrase about this story: "Xiao He pursuing Han Xin under the moon."

Later, after numerous persuasions by Xiao He, Liu Bang discussed military strategy with Han Xin personally and realized that Han Xin was a rare military talent. Liu Bang thus held a ceremony and appointed Han Xin as a general.

In May of 206 BC, the Han army won a major victory against the King of Yong, Lord Zhang Han's army. Lord Zhang Han's army was based in the region of Guanzhong. The plank road there had been destroyed by the Han army previously. Han Xin openly sent many soldiers to repair the road. Zhang Han learned about it and thus lowered his defense thinking that the Han army wouldn't be able to mount an attack until the road was repaired. In the mean time, Han Xin himself quietly led troops along an old back road near Nanzheng that led to the town of Chen Cang. When Han Xin appeared, Zhang Han's army was totally surprised and was decimated by the Han army. Because of the victory, Liu Bang was able to conquer the entire Guanzhong region.

In February of 205 BC, Han Xin led his troop out of the Hanguguan pass and marched eastward towards the city of Luoyang. He won a series of victories on the eastward march. In April, the Han army arrived at Peng, the capital of Chu, ruled by Xiang Yu. The ferocity of the attacks left the people in awe. At the time, Xiang Yu was engaging a battle with the kingdom of Qi. When he heard of the fall of Peng, he led 30,000 highly trained cavalry towards Peng during the night and defeated the Han army quickly. Han Xin regrouped the defeated troops and joined force with Liu Bang in the Luoyang region. He used warfare tactics of blocks and strikes to stop Xiang Yu's army from advancing westward. Finally, the battlefront stabilized at Xingyang (in today's Henan Province).

打下汉朝天下的第一名将─韩信 (上)

韩信（前231─前196），汉初军事家。淮阴（今属江苏）人。年少时父母双亡，家道贫寒，却刻苦读书，熟演兵法，怀安邦定国之抱负。苦于生计无着，于不得已时，在熟人家里吃口闲饭，有时也到淮水边上钓鱼换钱，屡屡遭到周围人的歧视和冷遇。一次，一群恶少当众羞辱韩信。有一个屠夫对韩信说：你虽然长得又高又大，喜欢带刀配剑，其时你胆子小得很。有本事的话，你敢用你的配剑来刺我吗？如果不敢，就从我的裤裆下钻过去。韩信素有大志，那时杀人也要报官偿命，能够随便杀人吗？韩信心无所动，当着许多围观人的面，从那个屠夫的裤裆下钻了过去。史书上称“跨下之辱”。

公元前209年，陈胜、吴广揭竿而起。韩信佩剑从军，投身项梁的西楚军。项梁战死后，继随项羽，但未受项羽重用，只是充当一名执戟卫士。他多次向项羽献策，均不被采纳。于是他愤然逃出楚营，投奔汉王刘邦。刘邦初始也没把他当将才使用，只任命他为治粟都尉。韩信见刘邦不肯重用，决意离汉营而去。丞相萧何素知韩信之才，闻讯即刻骑马月夜苦追，将他劝回，由此留下了“萧何月下追韩信”的美谈。后来，刘邦在萧何的屡次劝说下，亲自与韩信讨论军国大事，确信韩信为稀世之才，遂举行仪式，拜为大将。

汉高祖元年（公元前206年）五月，韩信派人修复刘邦进入汉中时烧毁的栈道，迷惑雍王章邯，自己却率军悄悄沿南郑故道东出陈仓，大败章邯军，一举拿下了关中地区。

汉高祖二年（公元前205年）二月，韩信引兵出函谷关，将兵锋逼至洛阳。四月，大军就已进至楚都彭城。攻势之凌厉，令人赞叹。未想刘邦进入彭城后疏于防务，正在与齐军鏖战的项羽听说彭城失守，急率三万精骑星夜赶回，一战将刘邦击败。韩信闻讯即刻赶来收集溃败的部队，和刘邦在洛阳地区会师，又成功地进行了阻击战，使项羽西进的兵锋顿挫。战线最后在荥阳稳定了下来。