Chen Xi (rebel)

[2] The Chu king Xiang Yu defeated Zhang Han at Julu (within present-day Pingxiang County, Xingtai, Hebei) in 207 BC, effectively ending the Qin Empire.

The emperor's son Prince Ruyi was named to succeed him as king of Zhao, and in 197 BC Chen Xi was sent from Chang'an to act as chancellor for the young boy's realm.

[6] At some time before the end of the year,[a] Chen himself joined Wang Huang and other rebels against the Han,[2] declaring himself the independent "king of Dai"[6] at Julu (within present-day Pingxiang County, Xingtai, Hebei).

[8] Liu Bang was satisfied when he reached Zhao's natural and traditional stronghold at Handan, which was well protected against armies from the south by the course of the Zhang River;[2] as Chen's forces had not rushed to secure and fortify it ahead of the invasion, neither he nor his advisors could be expected to do well in the coming campaign.

For his part, the king of Yan sent Zhang Sheng (t 張勝, s 张胜, Zhāng Shèng) to convince the Xiongnu that Chen's rebellion stood no chance of success and that they should refrain from involving themselves.

Zang was able to convince him that the emperor would only permit independent states like Yan for as long as they were useful for suppressing others' rebellions; once the country was at peace, the imperial clan would begin dismantling them and executing their royal houses for treason, whether deserved or not.

[6] When his other commanders protested at the unfairness of this action to men who had served him loyally for years without any such reward, he complained again of the fickleness of his vassals—all of whom had been his comrades in the wars against Qin or Chu—and admonished them that he would need to depend on the local people of the north to defeat Chen's insurrection.

Han was waiting for some message from Chen, whereupon he would forge an imperial pardon for everyone held in the prisons of Chang'an; in the ensuing chaos, he supposedly planned to attack the empress and the crown prince, seizing control of the city.

[10] Such good news required that nobles in the capital, no matter how ill, should visit the palace to offer congratulations; when Xiao He persuaded Han Xin to do so, he was arrested and executed,[10] along with his family.

In the field, the year began with Chen Xi's general Wang Huang and his thousand cavalry at Quni[11] (present-day Shunping County, Hebei);[10] Hou Chang (侯敞, Hóu Chǎng) raiding the countryside with a force of around ten thousand men; and Zhang Chun (t 張春, s 张春, Zhāng Chūn) crossing the Yellow River with a similar force in order to attack Liaocheng.

[11] From Handan, the emperor dispatched forces under his general Guo Meng (郭蒙, Guō Méng)[11] and the army of the princely state of Qi under its chancellor Cao Shen.

Its governor Zhao Li held out more than a month, with some of his defenders lampooning the emperor from the battlements; upon the town's surrender, Liu Bang—still incensed—offered amnesty for all the rebels provided that they bring him the comics in their midst for execution.