楚使者在九江，舍传舍，方急责布发兵。The envoy of Chu was in Jiujiang, staying at the post house. He was urgently demanding that Ying Bu dispatch troops. 随何直入，坐楚使者上，曰：“九江王已归汉，楚何以得发兵？”布愕然。楚使者起。Sui He walked straight in and sat above the envoy of Chu, saying, "The King of Jiujiang has already submitted to Han. How can Chu dispatch troops?" Ying Bu was astonished. The envoy of Chu stood up.何因说布曰：“事已构，可遂杀楚使者，无使归，而疾走汉并力。”布曰：“如使者教。”于是杀楚使者，因起兵而攻楚。Then Sui He persuaded Ying Bu, saying, "The situation has been set. You can immediately kill the envoy of Chu so that he can't return, and then quickly go to Han to join forces." Ying Bu said, "I'll do as you've instructed." So he killed the envoy of Chu and then raised troops to attack Chu.楚使项声、龙且攻九江，数月，龙且破九江军。布欲引兵走汉，恐楚兵杀之，乃间行与何俱归汉。十二月，九江王至汉。Chu sent Xiang Sheng and Long Ju to attack Jiujiang. After several months, Long Ju defeated the army of Jiujiang. Ying Bu wanted to lead his troops to go to Han, but was afraid that the Chu soldiers would kill him. So he went secretly together with Sui He to return to Han. In December, the King of Jiujiang arrived in Han.汉王方踞床洗足，召布入见。布大怒，悔来，欲自杀；The King of Han was sitting on his bed, washing his feet when he summoned Ying Bu to enter and see him. Ying Bu was extremely angry and regretted coming. He wanted to commit suicide. 及出就舍，帐御、饮食、从官皆如汉王居，布又大喜过望。But when he went out to his lodging, the tents, attendants, food and drink, and his subordinates were all the same as those of the King of Han. So Ying Bu was overjoyed.于是乃使人入九江；楚已使项伯收九江兵，尽杀布妻子。Then he sent people into Jiujiang. Chu had already sent Xiang Bo to take over the troops of Jiujiang and had killed all of Ying Bu's wife and children. 布使者颇得故人、幸臣，将众数千人归汉。汉益九江王兵，与俱屯成皋。The envoys of Ying Bu managed to get quite a number of his old acquaintances and favored ministers, and led several thousand people to return to Han. Han increased the troops of the King of Jiujiang and camped together with him at Chenggao.楚数侵夺汉甬道，汉军乏食。汉王与郦食其谋桡楚权。Chu repeatedly invaded and seized the supply roads of Han, and the Han army was short of food. The King of Han discussed with Li Yiji about weakening the power of Chu.食其曰：“昔汤伐桀，封其后于杞；武王伐纣，封其后于宋。Li Yiji said, "In the past, when Tang attacked Jie, he enfeoffed his descendants in Qi. When King Wu attacked Zhou, he enfeoffed his descendants in Song.
今秦失德弃义，侵伐诸侯，灭其社稷，使无立锥之地。Now Qin has lost virtue and abandoned righteousness. It has invaded and attacked the feudal lords, destroyed their altars of the state, leaving them without even a place to stand.
陛下诚能复立六国之后，此其君臣、百姓必皆戴陛下之德，莫不乡风慕义，愿为臣妾。Your Majesty, if you can truly re-establish the descendants of the six states, their rulers and ministers, as well as the common people, will surely all be grateful for Your Majesty's kindness. All of them will look up to Your Majesty's virtue and be eager to follow righteousness, and be willing to serve as your subjects.
德义已行，陛下南乡称霸，楚必敛衽而朝。”Once virtue and righteousness are implemented, Your Majesty can face south and claim hegemony. Chu will surely come to pay homage with folded clothes."
汉王曰：“善！趣刻印，先生因行佩之矣。”The King of Han said, "Good! Hurry up and engrave the seals. Sir, you can take them with you when you go."
食其未行，张良从外来谒。汉王方食，曰：“子房前！客有为我计桡楚权者。”Before Li Yiji set out, Zhang Liang came to pay a visit from outside. The King of Han was having a meal and said, "Zifang, come here! There is a guest who has devised a plan for me to weaken the power of Chu."
具以郦生语告良，曰：“何如？”He told Zhang Liang in detail what Li Yiji had said and asked, "What do you think?"
良曰：“谁为陛下画此计者？陛下事去矣！”Zhang Liang said, "Who devised this plan for Your Majesty? Your Majesty's cause is doomed!"
汉王曰：“何哉？”The King of Han asked, "Why?"对曰：“臣请借前箸，为大王筹之。Zhang Liang replied, "May I borrow the chopsticks in front of you, Your Majesty, to calculate this for you.
昔汤、武封桀、纣之后者，度能制其死生之命也；今陛下能制项籍之死命乎？其不可一也。In the past, when Tang and Wu enfeoffed the descendants of Jie and Zhou, they were certain that they could control their fates of life and death. Now, Your Majesty, can you control the life and death of Xiang Yu? This is the first reason why it won't work.
武王入殷，表商容之闾，释箕子之囚，封比干之墓，今陛下能乎？其不可二也。When King Wu entered Yin (the capital of the Shang Dynasty), he put up a sign at the lane where Shang Rong lived to show honor to him, released Ji Zi from prison, and had the tomb of Bi Gan sealed. Can Your Majesty do the same now? This is the second reason.
发巨桥之粟，散鹿台之钱，以赐贫穷，今陛下能乎？其不可三也。He distributed the grain from Juqiao and the money from Lutai to the poor. Can Your Majesty do this now? This is the third reason.
殷事已毕，偃革为轩，倒载干戈，示天下不复用兵，今陛下能乎？其不可四也。After the affairs of the Shang Dynasty were settled, they turned war chariots into ordinary carts, put weapons upside down on the carts, showing the whole world that there would be no more warfare. Can Your Majesty do this now? This is the fourth reason.
休马华山之阳，示以无为，今陛下能乎？其不可五也。They let the horses rest on the south side of Mount Hua, showing a state of inaction. Can Your Majesty do this now? This is the fifth reason.
放牛桃林之阴，以示不复输积，今陛下能乎？其不可六也。They let the cattle graze on the north side of Taolin, indicating that there would be no more transporting and storing of supplies. Can Your Majesty do this now? This is the sixth reason.天下游士，离其亲戚，弃坟墓，去故旧，从陛下游者，徒欲日夜望咫尺之地；The wandering scholars in the world have left their relatives, abandoned their ancestral graves, and parted from their old acquaintances to follow Your Majesty. All they hope for day and night is to get a small piece of land.今复立六国之后，天下游士各归事其主，从其亲戚，反其故旧、坟墓，陛下与谁取天下乎？其不可七也。Now if the descendants of the six states are re-established, the wandering scholars in the world will go back to serve their former lords, be with their relatives, and return to their old acquaintances and ancestral graves. With whom will Your Majesty conquer the world? This is the seventh reason.且夫楚唯无强，六国立者复桡而从之，陛下焉得而臣之？其不可八也。Moreover, Chu is currently the most powerful. If the six states are re-established and then submit to Chu again out of fear, how can Your Majesty make them your subjects? This is the eighth reason.诚用客之谋，陛下事去矣！”If you really adopt the plan of that guest, Your Majesty, your great cause will be doomed!"汉王辍食，吐哺，骂曰：“竖儒几败而公事！”令趣销印。The King of Han stopped eating, spat out the food in his mouth, and cursed, "That stupid scholar nearly ruined my great cause!" He then ordered to quickly destroy the engraved seals.荀悦论曰：“夫立策决胜之术，其要有三：一曰形，二曰势，三曰情。Xun Yue commented: "The key techniques for formulating strategies and achieving victory mainly consist of three aspects: one is the situation, two is the momentum, and three is the sentiment.形者，言其大体得失之数也；势者，言其临时之宜、进退之机也；情者，言其心志可否之实也。The situation refers to the general numbers of gains and losses; the momentum refers to the appropriateness at the moment and the opportunities for advancing and retreating; the sentiment refers to the reality of whether one's will and mind are willing or not.故策同、事等而功殊者，三术不同也。”Therefore, when the strategies are the same and the situations are equal but the achievements are different, it is because these three techniques are different."
