汉王欲捐成皋以东，屯巩、洛以距楚。The King of Han intended to abandon the area east of Chenggao and station troops in Gong and Luo to resist the Chu.郦生曰：“臣闻‘知天之天者，王事可成’，王者以民为天，而民以食为天。Li Yiji said, "I have heard that 'he who knows the essence of heaven can achieve the kingly enterprise'. The king regards the people as heaven, and the people regard food as heaven.夫敖仓，天下转输久矣，臣闻其下乃有藏粟甚多。The Ao Granary has been a major transit point for grain in the whole country for a long time. I have heard that there is a huge amount of stored grain beneath it.楚人拔荥阳，不坚守敖仓，乃引而东，令適卒分守成皋，此乃天所以资汉也。When the Chu army captured Yingyang, they did not firmly hold the Ao Granary but instead led their troops eastward and ordered conscripted soldiers to separately defend Chenggao. This is an opportunity bestowed by heaven upon the Han.方今楚易取而汉反却，自夺其便，臣窃以为过矣。Nowadays, the Chu is easy to defeat while the Han is retreating instead, giving up this favorable opportunity. I privately think this is a mistake.且两雄不俱立，楚、汉久相持不决，海内摇荡，农夫释耒，红女下机，天下之心未有所定也。Moreover, two heroes cannot coexist. The Chu and Han have been in a stalemate for a long time without a decisive outcome. The whole country is in turmoil. Farmers have dropped their ploughs and women have left their looms. The hearts of the people in the whole country have not yet settled.愿足下急复进兵，收取荥阳，据敖仓之粟，塞成皋之险，杜太行之道，距蜚狐之口，守白马之津，以示诸侯形制之势，则天下知所归矣。”I hope Your Highness will quickly advance troops again, recapture Yingyang, seize the grain in the Ao Granary, block the strategic passes of Chenggao, close off the Taihang Mountains, guard the entrance of Feihu, and hold the Baima Ford, thus showing the vassal states the dominant situation. Then the whole country will know where to pledge allegiance."王从之，乃复谋取敖仓。The King of Han followed his advice and then planned to capture the Ao Granary again.
食其又说王曰：“方今燕、赵已定，唯齐未下，诸田宗强，负海、岱，阻河、济，南近于楚，人多变诈；Li Yiji also advised the King of Han, saying, "Nowadays, Yan and Zhao have been pacified. Only Qi has not been conquered. The Tian clan in Qi is powerful. It is backed by the sea and Mount Tai, blocked by the Yellow River and the Ji River, close to the Chu in the south, and its people are cunning and changeable.
足下虽遣数万师，未可以岁月破也。臣请得奉明诏说齐王，使为汉而称东籓。”Even if Your Highness dispatches tens of thousands of troops, it may not be possible to conquer it within a short period of time. I request to receive a clear imperial edict to persuade the King of Qi to submit to the Han and become an eastern vassal."
上曰：“善！”乃使郦生说齐王曰：“王知天下之所归乎？”The King of Han said, "Good!" Then he sent Li Yiji to persuade the King of Qi, saying, "Does Your Majesty know where the allegiance of the whole country lies?"王曰：“不知也。天下何所归？”The King of Qi said, "I don't know. Where does the whole country pledge allegiance?"郦生曰：“归汉。”Li Yiji said, "To the Han."曰：“先生何以言之？”The King of Qi said, "How can you say that, sir?"曰：“汉王先入咸阳，项王负约，王之汉中。项王迁杀义帝，汉王闻之，起蜀、汉之兵击三秦，出关而责义帝之处。Li Yiji said, "The King of Han was the first to enter Xianyang. King Xiang violated the agreement and sent the King of Han to Hanzhong. King Xiang relocated and killed Emperor Yi. When the King of Han heard about it, he raised troops from Shu and Han to attack the Three Qins, marched out of the pass and demanded an explanation for the treatment of Emperor Yi.收天下之兵，立诸侯之后；降城即以侯其将，得赂即以分其士；He collected the weapons of the whole country, established the descendants of the vassal states as kings; when a city surrendered, he enfeoffed its general as a marquis; when he received bribes, he distributed them among his soldiers;
与天下同其利，豪英贤才皆乐为之用。he shared the benefits with the whole country, and all the heroes, the wise and the talented were willing to serve him.
项王有倍约之名，杀义帝之实；于人之功无所记，于人之罪无所忘；King Xiang has the reputation of breaking agreements and the fact of killing Emperor Yi; he never remembers others' merits but never forgets others' sins;
战胜而不得其赏，拔城而不得其封，非项氏莫得用事；Those who win battles do not get rewards, those who capture cities do not get enfeoffments, and only those of the Xiang clan can hold power;
天下畔之，贤才怨之，而莫为之用。故天下之事归于汉王，可坐而策也！The whole country has rebelled against him, the wise and the talented resent him, and no one is willing to serve him. Therefore, it can be easily predicted that the affairs of the whole country will fall to the King of Han!夫汉王发蜀、汉，定三秦；涉西河，破北魏；出井陉，诛成安君；此非人之力也，天之福也！The King of Han set out from Shu and Han, pacified the Three Qins; crossed the Western River, defeated the Northern Wei; marched out of Jingxing, executed Chen Anjun; this is not due to human strength but due to the blessing of heaven!今已据敖仓之粟，塞成皋之险，守白马之津，杜太行之阪，距蜚狐之口；天下后服者先亡矣。Now that he has already seized the grain in the Ao Granary, blocked the strategic passes of Chenggao, held the Baima Ford, closed off the slopes of the Taihang Mountains, and guarded the entrance of Feihu; those who submit to the Han later will perish first.
王疾先下汉王，齐国可得而保也；不然，危亡可立而待也！”Your Majesty should quickly submit to the King of Han so that the State of Qi can be preserved; otherwise, danger and destruction will be imminent!"
先是，齐闻韩信且东兵，使华无伤、田解将重兵屯历下以距汉。Previously, when Qi heard that Han Xin was about to march eastward with troops, it sent Hua Wushang and Tian Jie to lead a large number of troops to station in Lixia to resist the Han.及纳郦生之言，遣使与汉平，乃罢历下守战备，与郦生日纵酒为乐。After accepting Li Yiji's advice, Qi sent envoys to make peace with the Han and then dismissed the defensive preparations of the troops in Lixia and indulged in drinking and merry-making with Li Yiji.韩信引兵东，未度平原，闻郦食其已说下齐，欲止。Han Xin led his troops eastward. Before crossing the Plain, when he heard that Li Yiji had already persuaded Qi to submit, he wanted to stop.辨士蒯彻说信曰：“将军受诏击齐，而汉独发间使下齐，宁有诏止将军乎？何以得毋行也？The debater Kuai Che advised Han Xin, saying, "General, you have received the imperial edict to attack Qi, but the Han alone sent an undercover envoy to persuade Qi to submit. Has there been an imperial edict to stop you, General? How can you not continue?"
且郦生，一士，伏轼掉三寸之舌，下齐七十馀城，将军以数万众，岁馀乃下赵五十馀城。为将数岁，反不如一竖儒之功乎！”Moreover, Li Yiji is just a scholar. He leaned on the carriage railing and used his eloquent tongue to persuade Qi to submit more than seventy cities. General, with tens of thousands of troops, it took you more than a year to capture more than fifty cities in Zhao. After being a general for several years, are you going to be outperformed by a mere pedant?"
于是信然之，遂渡河。So Han Xin agreed with him and then crossed the river.
太祖高皇帝上之下四年（戊戌，公元前二零三年）In the fourth year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty (WuXu, 203 BC)
冬，十月，信袭破齐历下军，遂至临淄。In winter, in October, Han Xin launched a surprise attack and defeated the Qi troops stationed in Lixia and then reached Linzi.
齐王以郦生为卖己，乃烹之；引兵东走高密，使使之楚请救。The King of Qi thought that Li Yiji had betrayed him and then boiled him alive. He led his troops eastward to Gaomi and sent envoys to the Chu to ask for help.
田横走博阳，守相田光走城阳，将军田既军于胶东。Tian Heng walked to Boyang, the Prefect of Defense Tian Guang walked to Chengyang, and General Tian Ji stationed his troops in Jiaodong.
