During the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu, the king of Western Chu, and Liu Bang, the king of Han, were in a bitter and bloody conflict. Following years of vicious fighting, there was still no clear outcome or decisive winner. The situation remained a stalemate.
As a result of the years of bitter fighting, the soldiers suffered terribly, and the people likewise endured great hardship; old and young fled their homes to escape the carnage. No one was spared the ravages of the cold, hunger, and famine.
The decisive battle for Waihuang
Xiang Yu sent troops to attack the strategic town of Waihuang during the height of the conflict. The army defending Waihuang was stubborn, and he wondered whether he should lead his main army to take the town. Suddenly, a scout came to report: “Your Majesty, it is not good; your army in Waihuang has surrendered to General Peng Yue.”
Xiang Yu, who had always been headstrong and self-opinionated, became furious and said: “Well, how can Peng Yue help Liu Bang to take advantage of the fire and reap the benefits without making any effort? Order the entire army to Waihuang and capture General Peng Yue alive!”
How Peng Yue evaded a clash with Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu was furious as he led his army toward Waihuang. Peng Yue, however, was a skilled military man who knew strategy and tactics. Knowing it would be difficult to fight Xiang Yu with limited strength, he avoided directly clashing with his army and led a strategic retreat away from Waihuang.
The cruel fate of Waihuang City was sealed
Xiang Yu eventually retook Waihuan, but his remaining anger was unabated, and he vented his resentment toward the people of Waihuang. He gave a savage order: “All men over 15 years of age in Waihuang are to be buried alive in the city’s eastern part!” Suddenly, Waihuang was filled with miserable cries. Some people tried to persuade Xiang Yu to withdraw his order, but in vain.
Divine intervention was the only means of rescue
At that moment, a 13-year-old child of a gatekeeper of the magistrate of Waihuang volunteered to call out: “Let me go and persuade King Xiang Yu!” The doorkeeper hurriedly pulled his son back and said: “You must not go; Xiang Yu will kill you like an ant!”
The son comforted his father and said: “Don’t worry, I’m sure to be successful, and there will be no disaster!” The father could not convince his son, so he let him go.
The boy ran to the barracks where Xiang Yu was staying and told the sentry: “I have important information to tell the king.” The sentry went in to report the news, and Xiang Yu was summoned immediately.
The art of persuasion
When the boy met Xiang Yu, he said aloud: “All the soldiers and people in the city were afraid Peng Yue would destroy the city, so we surrendered to him for the time being to be safe. Our purpose was to wait for you, my lord, to come and receive us!”
Now that you have come but want to bury us alive, may I ask: “If people of the cities several dozen miles to the east of Waihuang know about this, how can they still be willing to submit to you obediently?”
Hearing this, Xiang Yu nodded and immediately sent an order to pardon those men over 15 years old who would be buried alive. So the people in the vast area from Waihuang to Su Yang proclaimed: “Hail to King Xiang Yu!”
This 13-year-old child with wisdom and who applied the art of peaceful persuasion saved the lives of the local people. Who can believe that the words of a 13-year-old boy can have such an immeasurable impact?
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