張耳陳餘列傳

Zhang Er was a man of Daliang. In his youth, he served as a retainer of Lord Xinling of Wei, Wuji. He once fled the law and traveled to Waihuang, where a wealthy man's beautiful widowed daughter married him on a guest's recommendation. The woman's family provided generously, and through their support Zhang Er attracted retainers from a thousand li around. He entered Wei's service as magistrate of Waihuang. Chen Yu was also from Daliang, a Confucian scholar who frequently traveled in Zhao. A wealthy Gongcheng clan gave him a daughter in marriage. Chen Yu was younger and treated Zhang Er as a father figure; the two became sworn brothers who would die for each other.

When Qin destroyed Daliang, Zhang Er was living in Waihuang. The future Emperor Gaozu often visited him as a commoner. Qin posted bounties of a thousand gold for Zhang Er and five hundred for Chen Yu. The two changed their names and went to Chen, where they served as ward gate-watchers to support themselves.

Chen She rose in revolt at Qi and marched into Chen with tens of thousands. Zhang Er and Chen Yu went to see him. They advised: "Do not take the title of king. March west at once, restore the heirs of the six destroyed states, and multiply Qin's enemies." Chen She did not listen and declared himself king.

Chen Yu then proposed sending a detached force north to take Zhao. King Chen appointed Wu Chen as general with Zhang Er and Chen Yu as colonels, giving them three thousand troops. They took dozens of Zhao cities. At Handan, Zhang Er and Chen Yu persuaded Wu Chen to declare himself King of Zhao.

Zhang Han led his army to Handan, relocated its people, and razed the walls. Zhang Er and King Xie of Zhao fled into Julu, which Wang Li besieged. Chen Yu gathered tens of thousands north of Julu but judged his forces too few to attack Qin. After months, Zhang Er was furious and sent envoys to reproach Chen Yu: "We swore to die for each other, yet you sit with tens of thousands and refuse to help!" Chen Yu replied: "Advancing would only destroy my army for nothing." He gave five thousand men to probe the Qin lines — they were wiped out to the last.

Xiang Yu brought his entire army across the river and shattered Zhang Han's forces. When Zhang Er and Chen Yu met afterward, Zhang Er bitterly reproached him. Chen Yu, furious, threw down his seal of office. On a retainer's advice, Zhang Er took it. From this point on, the rift between them became irreconcilable.

Xiang Yu established the kings. Zhang Er had broad connections, and many lobbied for him, so he was made King of Changshan. Chen Yu, who had not followed the army into the Pass, received only three counties — and was furious. When Tian Rong of Qi revolted, Chen Yu used the opportunity to attack and defeat Zhang Er, who fled to Han.

In the third year of Han, Han Xin, having pacified Wei, marched with Zhang Er to break through Zhao at Jingxing. They killed Chen Yu at the Zhi River. Han installed Zhang Er as King of Zhao. In the fifth year, Zhang Er died (posthumous title: King Jing). His son Ao succeeded, and Emperor Gaozu's eldest daughter, Princess Lu Yuan, became his queen.

In the seventh year of Han, Emperor Gaozu passed through Zhao, sitting with legs sprawled and cursing King Ao contemptuously. The Zhao chancellor Guan Gao was furious: "Our king is a weakling!" He proposed assassinating the Emperor, but King Ao bit his finger until it bled and refused.

In the ninth year, the plot was exposed. Guan Gao was flogged thousands of strokes and pierced with awls until no spot remained to strike, but he never implicated King Ao. The Emperor pardoned the King. Guan Gao said: "Now that my king is free, my duty is fulfilled. I have no regret in dying." He severed his own throat.

The Grand Historian remarks: When Zhang Er and Chen Yu lived in humble circumstances, they trusted each other to the death. When they gained kingdoms and competed for power, they destroyed each other. Was their friendship not founded on advantage and self-interest?