Before I (re)start, here's a bit of imagery comparison...
As Nightcrawler famously said in Marvel Heroes...
"Let the show begin!"
[汉元年正月，沛公为汉王，王巴蜀。汉王赐良金百镒，珠二斗，良具以献项伯。汉王亦因令良厚遗项伯，使请汉中地。项王乃许之，遂得汉中地。汉王之国，良送至褒中，遣良归韩。良因说汉王曰：“王何不烧绝所过栈道，示天下无还心，以固项王意。”
乃使良还。行，烧绝栈道。]
《史记; 留侯世家》
司马迁著
Trans:
[During the first year of Han, the Duke of Pei became the King of Han, ruler of Bashu. The King of Han paid tribute amounting to one hundred gold coins and two measures of pearls. Acting on behest of his liege's orders, Liang offered these gifts to Xiang Bo. Upon requesting for the land of Han, the King of Xiang agreed to this proposal. After escorting the King of Han till Baozhong, Liang was sent back to Han.
Liang advised the King of Han: "Why not m'lord burn off all the bridges passing through, so that all will believe you have no wish to return? Via this message, the King of Xiang will be convinced of such."
Afterwards, Liang was sent away with all the bridges burnt soon after.]
《Annals of History: Marquis of Liu》
Written by Sima Qian
Analysis:
Continuing where we left off previously, allow me to rectify a common misconception on the correct Han. Whenever PRCs call themselves the Han people, it's a reference to history. Ethnicity has got nothing to do with this since the original residents of Han were anything but Chinese. Sounds confusing? Do not fret.
Just like America in the beginning wasn't populated by white Americans, likewise the land of Han in the beginning wasn't populated by the Han Chinese.
The land of Han in this context is most likely referring to Hanzhong plus the surrounding area of Ba. Many years later, this very territory would part of the state of Shu. [1] Terrain wise, this was an area easily defensible and difficult to breach. Going by the Law of Inverse Military [2], it also means easily defensible, BUT difficult to launch an attack. If my estimation is spot on, it means there could only be two main routes to advance.
1. Via the Yangtze river flowing east. Liu Bei tried pulling off this stunt in a bid to seek revenge on Sun Quan. As it turned out, the Battle of Xiaoting (better known as the Battle of Yiling) proved to be Liu Bei's military swan song in ways more than just one. [3]
2. Via the northern tip aka Hanzhong. [4]
Route 1 was a no-go as the onus for Liu Bang was to allay whatever suspicions legit.
Route 2 was the only viable path since it's easier to say "ninja" [5], which was why Zhang Liang advised Liu Bang to burn all the bridges.
In Rurouni Kenshin, the notorious villain Shishio Makoto once stated that it takes an assassin to understand an assassin. If I sound guilty of shameful plugging, it's b/c the Kyoto Inferno sub-plot actually got that part in the original manga. [6]
For Zhang Liang's case, it takes a conman to know another conman. Without a doubt, Fan Zeng should AND would have sensed something amiss. Understanding Xiang Yu was alrdy imba enough, having the same lvl of imba INT against Fan Zeng should be seen as 2 x scarier.
Why I said this is b/c of one very simple reason: Zhang Liang was NOT telling Liu Bang to say "I quit!"
Rather, it's giving Xiang Yu the false impression despite Fan Zeng's vehement argument otherwise. Reverse psychology has rarely been so high end b/c we're talking abt nailing 2 targets for the price of 1.
In short, 'tis one thing to claim you have nothing, quite another to prove it beyond doubt. [7]
RL Application
If you are Karanka, what would you do during this entire international break? What's over is alrdy over, no point whining like Ser A.Fergie himself b/c we're not gonna get ourselves into Howard Webb's good little black book. I rather every single process to be done low-profile mode. After all, it's not really bad thing for major sports media caring nothing next to shit abt your team at best.
Interestingly enough...
...nothing is said abt Liu Bang paying bitcoin currency where donating tribute was concerned. Why? Because when you spend, you don't spend virtual currency cursed with 0 value. If you're guilty of crimes like being a pedo or rapist, you do NOT depend on BTC for survival unless you're pretty sure all those BTC tributes will fetch you a tidy sum of real $$$. Like say... £85.3 million? That plus the Feds are capable of tracking down this kind of childish bullshit anyway...
[良至韩，韩王成以良从汉王故，项王不遣成之国，从与俱东。良说项王曰：“汉王烧绝栈道，无还心矣。”
乃以齐王田荣反，书告项王。项王以此无西忧汉心，而发兵北击齐。]
《史记; 留侯世家》
司马迁著
Trans:
[Upon reaching Han, the King of Xiang refused to allow Liang to return (back to his home country) due to his ties with the King of Han. Instead, Liang had to follow Xiang Yu eastbound. Liang said to the King of Xiang: "The King of Han has burnt all the bridges, hence showing his sincerity in not returning."
[Upon reaching Han, the King of Xiang refused to allow Liang to return (back to his home country) due to his ties with the King of Han. Instead, Liang had to follow Xiang Yu eastbound. Liang said to the King of Xiang: "The King of Han has burnt all the bridges, hence showing his sincerity in not returning."
At the same time, he informed the King of Xiang about Tian Rong's rebellion. Therefore, the King of Xiang decided to ignore the land of Han while deploying his troops up north against the vassal state of Qi.]
《Annals of History: Marquis of Liu》
Written by Sima Qian
Analysis:
As it turned out, Xiang Yu remained distrustful of Zhang Liang. And why shouldn't he? After all, whatever suspicion against Liu Bang has never been your classic schoolyard bullying culture where forgive+forget is the only enforced golden rule.
Interestingly, Zhang Liang only told Xiang Yu the most damning truth after seeing through Xiang Yu's intent. By disallowing Zhang Liang to return back where he really belonged, Xiang Yu was exhibiting a sense of distrust 100% warranted. On the other hand, Zhang Liang saw through such a situation, hence stashing that proverbial ace in his sleeve beforehand.
Coincidentally, the King of Qi back then also decided to declare vassal independence. To Xiang Yu, this was no different from declaring rebellion. You see, vassal states back then were equally valuable to your everyday global politics. Inter-state diplomacy was quintessentially a coalition government boasting one common goal. Unfortunately (and quite naturally), differences are bound to get out of hand if we're talking abt coalition government. Ditto for inter-state diplomacy under one head honcho. For Xiang Yu, bumping off that troublesome son of a bitch=only priority. After all, no one was able to convince him that Liu Bang should be that greater threat. Either that or nobody even ****ing bothered doing so.
RL parallel
This really feels like the whole under-reported 4chan fallout due to 101-gate itself. Like Xiang Yu's merry castle of cards, it seems that infighting aplenty will plague the board for quite a while. Actually come to think of it, who's really that son of a bitch Tian Rong? Those who disseminate or those who dissent? Or maybe there can only be 1 Tian Rong and he's somewhere laughing at 101-gate plus 4chan-gate.
In footballing speak, it means...
No player is bigger than the team. Recruiting too many new players might actually have a desirable effect in this very context.
To quote Tony Stark in Marvel Heroes...
"That was money well spent."
[项王竟不肯遣韩王，乃以为侯，又杀之彭城。良亡，间行归汉王，汉王亦已还定三秦矣。复以良为成信侯，从东击楚。至彭城，汉败而还。至下邑，汉王下马踞鞍而问曰：“吾欲捐关以东等弃之，谁可与共功者？”良进曰：“九江王黥布，楚枭将，与项王有郄；彭越与齐王田荣反梁地：此两人可急使。而汉王之将独韩信可属大事，当一面。即欲捐之，捐之此三人，则楚可破也。”
汉王乃遣随何说九江王布，而使人连彭越。及魏王豹反，使韩信将兵击之，因举燕、代、齐、赵。然卒破楚者，此三人力也。
张良多病，未尝特将也，常为画策，时时从汉王。]
《史记; 留侯世家》
司马迁著
Trans:
[However, the King of Xiang refused to deploy the King of Han. After making him a marquis, he (Xiang Yu) ordered him (the King of Han) to be executed at the city of Peng. Liang was forced to flee, after which he returned back to the King of Han (i.e. Liu Bang). By then the King of Han had already defeated the three generals of Qin (i.e. Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi). Making Liang the Marquis of Chengxing (trans: Chengxing roughly means success [Cheng] and integrity [Xing]), they attacked the lands of Chu from the east. Upon reaching the city of Peng, the Han army were defeated. Retreating till Xiayi, the King of Han dismounted himself and asked: "It's my wish to cede the land east of the pass. Who then can I give this territory?"
Liang replied: "The King of Jiujiang, Qing Bu, is a fierce general under Chu. Yet, there are already cracks in his relationship with the King of Xiang. Peng Yue and the King of Qi, Tian Rong, has staged their rebellion in the land of Liang. These two generals can also be persuaded as a short term measure. Yet, only m'lord's general, Han Xin, can be trusted with major affairs. Since you have desired to cede the land, you must cede it to those three (i.e. Qing Bu, Peng Yue, and Tian Rong). Once you do so, the forces of Chu can be defeated."
Hence the King of Han sent an envoy (i.e. Sui He per recorded in Qing Bu's account) to persuade Bu while doing the same for Peng Yue. At the same time, the King of Wei, Bao, declared rebellion (against Liu Bang). As a result, Han Xin was sent to quell the uprising due to the states of Yan, Dai, Qi and Zhao following suit. However, it was those three (i.e. Han Xin, Qing Bu, and Peng Yue) who were responsible for the defeat of Chu.
Zhang Liang was know to be frail in health, hence never fighting a battle. As the chief planner, he always followed the King of Han.]
《Annals of History: Marquis of Liu》
Written by Sima Qian
Analysis:
One thing of note before I continue-Tian Rong got KIA [8] halfway through. With that being said though, that was only after Zhang Liang made the bribery proposal to his boss. At that time (i.e. Liu Bang getting arse beat at city of Peng), the Han army was at its all time low. Sounds eerily familiar? Depending on your club allegiance, this can either mean Man Utd or Middlesbrough. Since I'm El Bastardo Locales himself, it means Middlesbrough shocking form thus far.
Like Louis "van Goal" van Gaal, Karanka has also spent quite a hefty bag of northern quids. Unlike Man Utd, however, we're actually facing a somewhat massive turnover. They say desperate circumstances call for desperate measures. Enlisting the aid of the Three Bandidos was something of a super desperation move, but boy did it work wonders.
Telling Liu Bang to cede his hard earned lands to those whom he'd rather piss on is just like telling Tom Cruise to do this:
Yet, Liu Bang had no qualms doing so!
Why?
Because Zhang Liang said so.
This is no different from Guo Jia knowing Cao Cao, Zhou Yu being close to Sun Ce, or Fa Zheng understanding Liu Bei. Indeed Zhang Liang understood Liu Bang 100% just like how he knew each and every individual he had observed.
If you ever want to be Karanka's field strategist, surely you'll have to possess the same nature of knowledge complete with the exact extent, no?
Okay, I'm digressing here.
Liu Bang's final decision is just like the West telling Iran and Syria that...
"Hey, why not be friends since we got a common enemy somewhere near your backyard? You allow us to arm the Kurds with any weapons, but chem and nukes. In return, we allow you to bomb North Korea. Deal?"
Ofc that's NOT gonna happen. I mean, can you imagine the Feds and Anonymous cooperating to deal with whoever is that OriginalGun? Okay, I admit that joke is wee bit too far. My apologies if Anonymous are truly pissed off at the OriginalGuy for making a fool out of 4chan since I truly doubt OriginalGuy is never part of 4chan. Let alone being a man of net integrity.
Meanwhile at somewhere not so far flung, Wei Bao decided to stir up his own shit and fling it at his ex-boss. They say those capable of screwing you the hardest tend to be those knowing you the best. Or at least those capable of screwing you big time tend to be those knowing you quite well. [9]
Per expected by Zhang Liang, only Han Xin waas capable of major affairs in war. After all, do we expect Liu Bang to trust the likes of Qing Bu, Peng Yue, and Tian Rong when it comes to this kind of thing? Their beef was with their ex-boss, NOT their current boss.
It's just like Man City vs Arsenal. Do you expect Samir "not Nazri Nasir" Nasri to say "**** Deschamps!" unless it's a case of wrong identity?
Hello! This lad is a footballer, not some local 369 or foreign sah-lak-kow, okay????!!!!
In short, two factors apply for Han Xin here.
1. His ability as the bastard child of Ares
2. His status as the bastard subject of Liu Bang [10]
To be cont'd... b/c I need dinner and zzzzz liao...
[1]: Or better known as Liu Bei's base.
[2]: You are only allowed to quote me whenever mentioning this term. Don't even try bothering web search engines since I can guarantee you plenty of pr0n, but NO such term.
[4]: Don't quote me on whether Hanzhong truly existed as a name back then.
[5]: Unrelated to ninja, but it must be stressed home that you don't travel rough terrain like this.
[6]: Haven't seen movie yet, but heard the song alrdy.
[7]: Inversely speaking, you can also easily bluff the other party via the vice versa method.
[8]: KIA=/=that Korean car brand, but rather=Killed In Action
[9]: Due to potential implications caused by the content of this post, I'm not insinuating any revenge pr0n agenda. And neither am I implying the hackjob was an inside job since the crux is all about the extent of understanding the infrastructure BEFORE whatever planning done.
[10]: This is no joke b/c he actually angered Liu Bang by demanding to be made the King of Qi. Employees, please take note. The fact that you work for S.A.L.T Entertainment doesn't mean you have the right to demand a romantic date with Park Shin-hye. Ofc as it turned out, Han Xin actually became the King of Qi at the cost of his life N years later.
No comments:
Post a Comment