1
張耳、陳餘
Zhang Er and Chen Yu.
2
張耳，大梁人也，少時及魏公子毋忌為客。 嘗亡命遊外黃，外黃富人女甚美，庸奴其夫，亡邸父客。 父客謂曰：「必欲求賢夫，從張耳。」 女聽，為請決，嫁之。 女家厚奉給耳，耳以故致千里客，宦為外黃令。
Zhang Er was from Daliang. As a young man, he served among the retainers of the Wei prince Wuji. While living as a fugitive in Waihuang, he stayed at the home of a wealthy man's guest. That man's daughter was famed for her beauty, though she had treated her husband as a menial. A retainer of her father told her, "If you truly want a worthy husband, take Zhang Er." She agreed, secured a separation, and married Zhang Er. Her family funded him lavishly. With those resources he gathered talented followers from far and wide and eventually became magistrate of Waihuang.
3
陳餘，亦大梁人，好儒術。 遊趙苦陘，富人公乘氏以其女妻之。 餘年少，父事耳，相與為刎頸交。
Chen Yu, also from Daliang, was devoted to classical learning. While in Zhao at Kujing, he married the daughter of the wealthy Gongcheng family. Though younger, Chen Yu treated Zhang Er like a father, and the two became sworn friends willing to die for each other.
4
高祖為布衣時，嘗從耳遊。 秦滅魏，購求耳千金，餘五百金。 兩人變名姓，俱之陳，為里監門。 吏嘗以過笞餘，餘欲起，耳攝使受笞。 吏去，耳數之曰：「始吾與公言何如？ 今見小辱而欲死一吏乎？」 餘謝罪。
Before he rose to power, Gaozu had once traveled with Zhang Er. After Qin conquered Wei, bounties were posted: one thousand jin for Zhang Er and five hundred for Chen Yu. They changed their identities, fled to Chen, and worked as local gatekeepers. Once, when an official beat Chen Yu for a minor fault, Chen Yu tried to resist, but Zhang Er restrained him and made him endure it. After the official left, Zhang Er rebuked him, saying, "What did I tell you from the start? Would you throw your life away over a petty insult from a minor clerk?" Chen Yu apologized.
5
陳涉起蘄至陳，耳、餘上謁涉。 涉及左右生平數聞耳、餘賢，見，大喜。
When Chen She's uprising reached Chen, Zhang Er and Chen Yu came to pay their respects. Chen She and his aides had long heard of their reputation; when he met them, he was delighted.
6
陳豪桀說涉曰：「將軍被堅執銳，帥士卒以誅暴秦，復立楚社稷，功德宜為王。」 陳涉問兩人，兩人對曰：「將軍瞋目張膽，出萬死不顧之計，為天下除殘。 今始至陳而王之，視天下私。 願將軍毋王，急引兵而西，遣人立六國後，自為樹黨。 如此，野無交兵，誅暴秦，據咸陽以令諸侯，則帝業成矣。 今獨王陳，恐天下解矣。」 涉不聽，遂立為王。
A leading man of Chen urged Chen She, saying, "General, you have taken up armor and arms, led soldiers to punish brutal Qin, and restored the state of Chu — your merit entitles you to kingship." Chen She asked the two of them. They replied, "General, you have faced death without flinching and taken measures that risked everything to rid the realm of cruelty. But they warned that if he proclaimed himself king immediately, all under Heaven would see it as private ambition. They advised him not to take kingship yet, but to march west, restore heirs of the six states, and build alliances. Then he could defeat Qin, seize Xianyang, command the feudal lords, and complete an imperial enterprise. If he made only Chen his kingdom at once, they feared the movement would splinter. Chen She did not accept their advice and declared himself king.
7
耳、餘復說陳王曰：「大王興梁、楚，務在入關，未及收河北也。 臣嘗遊趙，知其豪桀，願請奇兵略趙地。」 於是陳王許之，以所善陳人武臣為將軍，耳、餘為左右校尉，與卒三千人，從白馬渡河。 至諸縣，說其豪桀曰：「秦為亂政虐刑，殘滅天下，北為長城之役，南有五領之戍，外內騷動，百姓罷敝，頭會箕斂以供軍費，財匱力盡，重以苛法，使天下父子不相聊。 今陳王奮臂為天下倡始，莫不嚮應，家自為怒，各報其怨，縣殺其令丞，郡殺其守尉。 今以張大楚，王陳，使吳廣、周文將卒百萬西擊秦。 於此時而不成封侯之業者，非人豪也。 夫因天下之力而攻無道之君，報父兄之怨而成割地之業，此一時也。」 豪桀皆然其言。 乃行收兵，得數萬人，號武信君。 下趙十餘城，餘皆城守莫肯下。 乃引兵東北擊范陽。 范陽人蒯通說其令徐公降武信君，又說武信君以侯印封范陽令。 語在通傳。 趙地聞之，不戰下者三十餘城。
Zhang Er and Chen Yu again advised him that Hebei was still unsecured and his priority remained entering the passes. They said they knew Zhao's local strongmen and asked to take a special force to seize Zhao territory. He agreed, appointing his trusted countryman wuchen day as commander, with Zhang Er and Chen Yu as deputy commandants. They crossed at Baima with three thousand troops. As they advanced, they told local elites that Qin's violent rule had ruined the realm with forced labor, harsh levies, exhausted households, and brutal law. They said Chen She had raised the banner for all under Heaven and everywhere people were responding by killing Qin officials. They added that Chu had been restored and huge armies were already striking west at Qin. At such a moment, they said, anyone who failed to win a marquisate was no true hero. To use the realm's strength against a lawless ruler, avenge one's kin, and carve out a domain was a once-in-an-age chance. The local strongmen accepted their argument. They raised forces as they went, gathering tens of thousands, and wuchen day took the title Lord Wuxin. They captured over ten Zhao cities, while the rest held behind their walls. Then they marched northeast on Fanyang. A Fanyang native, Kuai Tong, persuaded Magistrate Xu to surrender and convinced Lord Wuxin to reward him with a marquis seal. The full exchange is recorded in Kuai Tong's biography. After news spread, more than thirty Zhao cities surrendered without fighting.
8
至邯鄲，耳、餘聞周章軍入關，至戲卻； 又聞諸將為陳王徇地，多以讒毀得罪誅。 怨陳王不以為將軍而以為校尉，乃說武臣曰：「陳王非必立六國後。 今將軍下趙數十城，獨介居河北，不王無以填之。 且陳王聽讒，還報，恐不得脫於禍。 願將軍毋失時。」 武臣乃聽，遂立為趙王。 以餘為大將軍，耳為丞相。
At Handan, Zhang Er and Chen Yu heard that Zhou Zhang had entered the passes but been repulsed at Xi. They also heard that many commanders serving Chen She were ruined by slander and executed. Resentful that they had only deputy rank, they told wuchen day that Chen She could not be trusted to restore the six states. They said wuchen day now held dozens of Zhao cities in Hebei and could not stabilize them without kingship. They warned that Chen She listened to slander and that reporting back might be fatal. They urged him not to miss the moment. wuchen day accepted and proclaimed himself King of Zhao. He appointed Chen Yu grand general and Zhang Er chancellor.
9
使人報陳王，陳王大怒，欲盡族武臣等家，而發兵擊趙。 相國房君諫曰：「秦未亡，今又誅武臣等家，此生一秦也。 不如因而賀之，使急引兵西擊秦。」 陳王從其計，徙繫武臣等家宮中，封耳子敖為成都君。 使使者賀趙，趣兵西入關。 耳、餘說武臣曰：「王王趙，非楚意，特以計賀王。 楚已滅秦，必加兵於趙。 願王毋西兵，北徇燕、代，南收河內，以自廣。 趙南據大河，北有燕、代，楚雖勝秦，必不敢制趙。」 趙王以為然，因不西兵，而使韓廣略燕，李良略常山，張黶略上黨。
When news reached Chen, Chen She was enraged and wanted to annihilate wuchen day's families and attack Zhao. Chancellor Fang remonstrated that Qin still stood and such punishment would create a second Qin. He said it was better to accept the situation, congratulate Zhao, and press them to attack Qin in the west. Chen She accepted: he kept their families under palace custody and enfeoffed Zhang Er's son Ao as Lord of Chengdu. He sent an envoy to congratulate Zhao and urge immediate westward operations into the passes. Zhang Er and Chen Yu warned wuchen day that Chu's congratulations were tactical and not sincere. They said Chu would certainly turn on Zhao once Qin was defeated. They advised him not to go west but to expand north into Yan and Dai and secure land south of the river. With the Great River in front and Yan and Dai behind, they argued, Zhao would be hard to subdue even after Chu's victory. The King of Zhao agreed, kept troops from the western front, and sent commanders into Yan, Changshan, and Shangdang.
10
韓廣至燕，燕人因立廣為燕王。 趙王乃與陳、餘北略地燕界。 趙王間出，為燕軍所得。 燕囚之，欲與分地。 使者往，燕輒殺之，以固求地。 耳、餘患之。 有廝養卒謝其舍曰：「吾為二公說燕，與趙王載歸。」 舍中人皆笑曰：「使者往十輩皆死，若何以能得王？」 乃走燕壁。 燕將見之，問曰：「知臣何欲？」 燕將曰：「若欲得王耳。」 曰：「君知張耳、陳餘何如人也？」 燕將曰：「賢人也。」 曰：「其志何欲？」 燕將曰：「欲得其王耳。」 趙卒笑曰； 「君未知兩人所欲也。 夫武臣、張耳、陳餘，杖馬箠下趙數十城，亦各欲南面而王。 夫臣之與主，豈可同日道哉！ 顧其勢初定，且以長少先立武臣，以持趙心。 今趙地已服，兩人亦欲分趙而王，時未可耳。 今君囚趙王，念此兩人名為求王，實欲燕殺之，此兩人分趙而王。 夫以一趙尚易燕，況以兩賢王左提右挈，而責殺王，滅燕易矣。」 燕以為然，乃歸趙王。 養卒為御而歸。
When Han Guang arrived, the Yan people proclaimed him King of Yan. The Zhao king then moved north with Zhang Er and Chen Yu to secure territory on Yan's frontier. During one excursion, the Zhao king was captured by Yan forces. Yan imprisoned him and demanded a partition of land. Each envoy sent to negotiate was killed by Yan to harden its demands. Zhang Er and Chen Yu were deeply troubled. A groom went to his quarters and said, "Let me go persuade Yan for you two lords and bring the Zhao king back in the same carriage with me." Everyone in the quarters laughed and said, "Ten envoys have already gone and been killed — how can you bring back the king?" He went straight to the Yan camp. A Yan general received him and asked, "Do you know what I want?" The general said he wanted only the Zhao king. The soldier said, "Do you know what sort of men Zhang Er and Chen Yu are?" The general replied that they were worthy men. He said, "What do you think they desire?" The general said they wanted their king back. The Zhao soldier laughed. He said, "You do not understand what those two want. wuchen day, Zhang Er, and Chen Yu had taken dozens of cities by force, and each had ambitions to rule. Lord and minister, he said, cannot be spoken of on the same footing! They had only backed wuchen day first to stabilize Zhao while things were unsettled. Now that Zhao was largely secure, they too wanted to divide and rule it, but were waiting for the right time. If Yan kept the Zhao king captive, they might publicly demand him yet privately hope Yan killed him so they could split Zhao. One Zhao was already dangerous to Yan; with two capable rulers blaming Yan for regicide, Yan would be easy to destroy. Yan accepted this reasoning and released the Zhao king. The stable-hand himself drove the king back.
11
李良已定常山，還報趙王，趙王復使良略太原。 至石邑，秦兵塞井陘，未能前。 秦將詐稱二世使使遺良書，不封，曰：「良嘗事我，得顯幸，誠能反趙為秦，赦良罪，貴良。」 良得書，疑不信，之邯鄲益請兵。 未至，道逢趙王姊，從百餘騎。 良望見，以為王，伏謁道旁。 王姊醉，不知其將，使騎謝良。 良素貴，起，慚其從官。 從官有一人曰：「天下叛秦，能者先立。 且趙王素出將軍下，今女兒乃不為將軍下車，請追殺之。」 良以得秦書，欲反趙，未決，因此怒，遣人追殺王姊，遂襲邯鄲。 邯鄲不知，竟殺武臣。 趙人多為耳、餘耳目者，故得脫出。 收兵得數萬人。 客有說耳、餘曰：「兩君羈旅，而欲附趙，難可獨立； 趙後，輔以誼，可就功。」 及求得趙歇，立為趙王，居信都。
After pacifying Changshan, Li Liang reported back, and the Zhao king sent him on to take Taiyuan. At Shiyi, Qin forces blocked Jingxing Pass and stopped his advance. A Qin commander sent an unsealed forged letter in the Second Emperor's name, promising pardon and reward if Li Liang turned Zhao back to Qin. Li Liang read it with suspicion and headed to Handan to request reinforcements. Before reaching Handan, he met the Zhao king's elder sister traveling with over a hundred horsemen. Seeing the procession from a distance, he thought the king was present and knelt in formal greeting. The princess, drunk, did not recognize him and had her riders dismiss him. Li Liang, normally treated with deference, stood up humiliated before his subordinates. One officer said the whole realm was in revolt and the able should establish themselves first. He added that even a woman now refused proper respect to Li Liang and urged him to pursue and kill her. Already wavering because of Qin's letter, Li Liang acted in anger, had the princess killed, and then attacked Handan. Handan was caught off guard, and wuchen day was ultimately killed. Because many locals informed for Zhang Er and Chen Yu, they managed to escape. They regrouped and raised tens of thousands of troops. A retainer said to them, "You two are strangers here; though you wish to attach yourselves to Zhao, you can hardly stand on your own; He advised them to find a descendant of Zhao and support him with legitimate authority; only then could they succeed." They located Zhao Xie, enthroned him as King of Zhao, and set his court at Xindu.
12
李良進兵擊餘，餘敗良。 良走歸章邯。 章邯引兵至邯鄲，皆徙其民河內，夷其城郭。 耳與趙王歇走入鉅鹿城，王離圍之。 餘北收常山兵，得數萬人，軍鉅鹿北。 章邯軍鉅鹿南棘原，築甬道屬河，饟王離。 王離兵食多，急攻鉅鹿。 鉅鹿城中食盡，耳數使人召餘，餘自度兵少，不能敵秦，不敢前。 數月，耳大怒，怨餘，使張黶、陳釋往讓餘曰：「始吾與公為刎頸交，今王與耳旦暮死，而公擁兵數萬，不肯相救，相不赴奏俱死？ 且什一二相全。」 餘曰：「所以不俱死，欲為趙王、張君報秦。 今俱死，如以肉餧虎，何益？」 張黶、陳釋曰：「事已急，要以俱死立信，安知後慮！」 餘曰：「吾顧以無益。」 乃使五千人令張黶、陳釋先嘗秦軍，至皆沒。
Li Liang advanced and attacked Chen Yu, but Chen Yu defeated him. Li Liang fled and went over to Zhang Han. Zhang Han brought his army to Handan, moved its people to Henei, and leveled the city walls. Zhang Er and King Xie of Zhao fled into Julu, where Wang Li besieged them. Chen Yu gathered Changshan troops in the north, gained tens of thousands, and camped north of Julu. Zhang Han camped south of Julu at Jiyuan, built a supply corridor to the river, and provisioned Wang Li. Wang Li had ample supplies and pressed the assault on Julu. Food inside Julu ran out. Zhang Er repeatedly summoned Chen Yu, but Chen Yu judged his forces too small to face Qin and would not advance. After months, Zhang Er was furious and sent Zhang Yan and Chen Shi to reproach Chen Yu, saying, "We swore we would die for each other. Now the king and I face death at any moment, yet you sit with tens of thousands of troops and refuse to come to our aid — will you not come and die with us? At the very least, one or two in ten of us might still be saved." Chen Yu replied that he was not dying with them because he still wished to avenge Zhao and Zhang against Qin. If all died together now, he said, it would be like throwing meat to a tiger, with no gain. Zhang Yan and Chen Shi said the crisis required dying together to keep faith, not planning for a distant future. Chen Yu answered that he saw no benefit in that. He then sent five thousand men under Zhang Yan and Chen Shi to test Qin first; all were lost.
13
當是時，燕、齊、楚聞趙急，皆來救。 張敖亦北收代，得萬餘人來，皆壁餘旁。 項羽兵數絕章邯甬道，王離軍乏食。 項羽悉引兵渡河，破章邯軍。 諸侯軍及敢擊秦軍，遂虜王離。 於是趙王歇、張耳得出鉅鹿。 與餘相見，責讓餘，問張黶、陳釋所在。 餘曰：「黶、釋以必死責臣，臣使將五千人先嘗秦軍，皆沒。」 耳不信，以為殺之，數問餘。 餘怒曰：「不意君之望臣深也！ 豈以臣重去將哉？」 乃脫解印綬與耳，耳不敢受。 餘起如廁，客有說耳曰：「天予不取，反受其咎。 今陳將軍與君印綬，不受，反天不祥。 急取之。」 耳乃佩其印，收其麾下。 餘還，亦望耳不讓，趨出。 耳遂收其兵。 餘獨與麾下數百人之河上澤中漁獵。 由此有隙。
At that time, Yan, Qi, and Chu all heard Zhao was in danger and came to aid it. Zhang Ao also gathered over ten thousand in Dai and arrived, all camping beside Chen Yu. Xiang Yu repeatedly cut Zhang Han's supply corridor, and Wang Li's forces ran short of food. Xiang Yu then led all forces across the river and broke Zhang Han's army. The feudal armies then dared attack Qin and captured Wang Li. King Xie of Zhao and Zhang Er were thus able to emerge from Julu. When they met Chen Yu, they reproached him and asked where Zhang Yan and Chen Shi were. Chen Yu said they had demanded certain death, so he sent them with five thousand men to test Qin first, and all perished. Zhang Er did not believe him and thought Chen Yu had killed them, questioning him repeatedly. Chen Yu angrily replied, "I did not expect you to distrust me so deeply! Do you think I would cast away my generals because of mere subordinates?" He then removed his seal and sash and handed them to Zhang Er. Zhang Er did not dare accept. While Chen Yu stepped out, a retainer advised Zhang Er that refusing Heaven's gift would invite disaster. The retainer said Chen Yu was offering the seal now, and refusing it would be an ill omen. He urged Zhang Er to take it at once. Zhang Er then wore the seal and took over Chen Yu's troops. When Chen Yu returned and saw Zhang Er had not yielded, he withdrew in anger. Zhang Er then fully absorbed his forces. Chen Yu remained only with a few hundred followers, fishing and hunting in marshes by the river. From this point, a deep rift formed between them.
14
趙王歇復居信都。 耳從項羽入關。 項羽立諸侯，耳雅遊，多為人所稱。 項羽素亦聞耳賢，乃分趙立耳為常山王，治信都。 信都更名襄國。
King Xie of Zhao returned to reside at Xindu. Zhang Er entered the passes with Xiang Yu. When Xiang Yu enfeoffed the lords, Zhang Er was widely praised because he had long-standing connections. Xiang Yu had also heard of Zhang Er's worth and therefore made him King of Changshan, ruling at Xindu. Xindu was renamed Xiangguo.
15
餘客多說項羽：「陳餘、張耳一體有功於趙。」 羽以餘不從入關，聞其在南皮，即以南皮旁三縣封之。 而徙趙王歇王代。
Many of Chen Yu's followers told Xiang Yu that Chen Yu and Zhang Er had jointly earned merit for Zhao. Because Chen Yu had not entered the passes, Xiang Yu only granted him three counties near Nanpi when he heard he was there. He moved King Xie of Zhao to rule Dai instead.
16
耳之國，餘愈怒曰：「耳與餘功等也，今耳王，餘獨侯。」 及齊王田榮叛楚，餘乃使夏說說田榮曰：「項羽為天下宰不平，盡王諸將善地，徙故王王惡地，今趙王乃居代！ 願王假臣兵，請以南皮為扞蔽。」 田榮欲樹黨，乃遣兵從餘。 餘悉三縣兵，襲常山王耳。 耳敗走，曰：「漢王與我有故，而項王彊，立我，我欲之楚。」 甘公曰：「漢王之入關，五星聚東井。 東井者，秦分也。 先至必王。 楚雖彊，後必屬漢。」 耳走漢。 漢亦還定三秦，方圍章邯廢丘。 耳謁漢王，漢王厚遇之。
When Zhang Er took his kingdom, Chen Yu grew even angrier and said, "Zhang Er and I rendered equal service, yet he is king while I am only a marquis." When Qi's king Tian Rong rebelled against Chu, Chen Yu sent Xia Yue to persuade Tian Rong that Xiang Yu ruled the realm unjustly, giving good lands to his own generals and moving former kings to bad lands. Chen Yu asked to borrow troops, offering Nanpi as a defensive screen. Tian Rong wanted to build his own faction and sent troops to aid Chen Yu. Chen Yu gathered all forces from his three counties and struck Zhang Er, King of Changshan. Defeated, Zhang Er fled and said, "The Han king and I have old ties, but King Xiang is strong and installed me as king, so I mean to go to Chu." Gan Gong said that when the Han king entered the passes, the Five Planets gathered in Eastern Well. Eastern Well belonged to Qin's celestial division. He who arrived first would surely become king. So although Chu was strong, it would ultimately submit to Han. Zhang Er therefore fled to Han. Han had also turned back to pacify the Three Qins and was besieging Zhang Han at Feiqiu. Zhang Er met the Han king, who received him generously.
17
餘已敗耳，皆收趙地，迎趙王於代，復為趙王。 趙王德餘，立以為代王。 餘為趙王弱，國初定，留傅趙王，而使夏說以相國守代。
After defeating Zhang Er, Chen Yu recovered all Zhao territory, welcomed King Xie back from Dai, and restored him as king. King Xie, grateful to Chen Yu, made him King of Dai. Chen Yu judged King Xie weak and the state newly settled, so he stayed as his tutor and sent Xia Yue to guard Dai as chancellor.
18
漢二年，東擊楚，使告趙，欲與俱。 餘曰：「漢殺張耳乃從。」 於是漢求人類耳者，斬其頭遺餘，餘乃遣兵助漢。 漢敗於彭城西，餘亦聞耳詐死，即背漢。 漢遣耳與韓信擊破趙井陘，斬餘泜水上，追殺趙王歇襄國。
In Han year two, Han attacked Chu in the east and notified Zhao, seeking joint action. Chen Yu said, "I will join you only if Han kills Zhang Er." Han then found a man who resembled Zhang Er, beheaded him, and sent the head to Chen Yu, who then dispatched troops to help Han. After Han's defeat west of Pengcheng, Chen Yu learned Zhang Er had only feigned death and therefore turned against Han. Han sent Zhang Er with Han Xin, who broke Zhao at Jingxing, beheaded Chen Yu at the Zhi River, and pursued and killed King Xie at Xiangguo.
19
七年，高祖從平城過趙，趙王旦暮自上食，體甚卑，有子婿禮。 高祖箕踞罵詈，甚慢之。 趙相貫高、趙午年六十餘，故耳客也，怒曰：「吾王孱王也！」 說敖曰：「天下豪桀並起，能者先立，今王事皇帝甚恭，皇帝遇王無禮，請為王殺之。」 敖齧其指出血，曰：「君何言之誤！ 且先王亡國，賴皇帝得復國，德流子孫，秋豪皆帝力也。 願君無復出口。」 貫高等十餘人相謂曰：「
In year seven, when Gaozu passed through Zhao from Pingcheng, the Zhao king personally served meals from morning to night with extreme humility, like a son-in-law. Gaozu sat with legs spread, cursing and insulting him, and treated him with great contempt. Zhao's chancellor Guan Gao and Zhao Wu, both over sixty and former retainers of Zhang Er, grew angry and said, "Our king is a weakling!" They urged Zhang Ao, saying, "Heroes are rising everywhere, and the able establish themselves first. You serve the emperor with great respect, yet he treats you without courtesy — let us kill him for you." Zhang Ao bit his finger until it bled and said, "How wrong you are to speak of this! My father lost his state, and only through the emperor did he recover it; his kindness extends to his descendants — even the smallest benefit comes from the emperor. Please never speak of this again." Guan Gao and more than ten others then discussed the matter among themselves.
20
吾等非也。 吾王長者，不背德。 且吾等義不辱，今帝辱我王，故欲殺之，何乃汙王為？ 事成歸王，事敗獨身坐耳。」
They said, "The fault is ours. Their king was an honorable elder who would not betray gratitude. Moreover, we cannot bear this insult to our honor; the emperor has humiliated our king, so we wish to kill him — why should we involve the king and stain him? If the plan succeeds, the credit goes to the king; if it fails, we alone will bear the punishment."
21
八年，上從東垣過。 貫高等乃壁人柏人，要之置廁。 上過欲宿，心動，問曰：「縣名為何？」 曰：「柏人。」 「柏人者，迫於人！」 不宿去。
In year eight, the emperor passed through Dongyuan. Guan Gao's group secretly placed men at Bairen to strike him in a latrine. The emperor considered lodging there, then felt uneasy and asked the county name. He was told it was Bairen. He said, "Bairen — that sounds like being forced by men!" So he did not stay and left.
22
九年，貫高怨家知其謀，告之。 於是上逮捕趙王諸反者。 趙午等十餘人皆爭自剄，貫高獨怒罵曰：「誰令公等為之？ 今王實無謀，而并捕王； 公等死，誰當白王不反者？」 乃檻車與王詣長安。 高對獄曰：「獨吾屬為之，王不知也。」 吏榜笞數千，刺爇，身無完者，終不復言。 呂后數言張王以魯元故，不宜有此。 上怒曰：「使長敖據天下，豈少乃女虖！」 廷尉以貫高辭聞，上曰：「壯士！ 誰知者，以私問之。」 中大夫泄公曰：「臣素知之，此固趙國立名義不侵為然諾者也。」 上使泄公持節問之箯輿前。 卬視泄公，勞若如平生歡。 與語，問張王果有謀不。 高曰：「人情豈不各愛其父母妻子哉？ 今吾三族皆以論死，豈以王易吾親哉！ 顧為王實不反，獨吾等為之。」 具道本根所以，王不知狀。 於是泄公具以報上，上乃赦趙王。
In year nine, an enemy of Guan Gao learned of the plot and reported it. The emperor then arrested the King of Zhao and those implicated in the plot. Zhao Wu and more than ten others all struggled to cut their own throats, but Guan Gao alone cursed them angrily, saying, "Who told you to do this? The king in truth had no plot, yet he is being arrested along with us; if you all die, who will clear the king of the charge of rebellion?" He and the king were taken in caged carts to Chang'an. In interrogation, Guan Gao said only his own group had acted and the king knew nothing. Officials beat him with thousands of strokes and burned him with irons; his body had no uninjured part, yet he never changed his statement. Empress Lu repeatedly said Zhang Ao, because of his tie to Princess Lu Yuan, should not be treated this way. The emperor angrily replied, "If Zhang Ao held the realm, would your daughter be the only woman he took?" When the chief justice reported Guan Gao's testimony, the emperor said, "What a strong man! Whoever knows him, go and question him privately." Grandee Xie Gong said, "I have long known him; he is exactly the sort of man in Zhao who values honor and will not break a sworn promise." The emperor sent Xie Gong with tally-staff credentials to question Guan Gao before his prison litter. Guan Gao raised his head, recognized Xie Gong, and greeted him as warmly as in earlier days. In conversation, Xie Gong asked whether Zhang Ao had truly plotted rebellion. Guan Gao said, "Does not every man love his parents, wife, and children? Now my three clans are already condemned to death — how could I trade the king for my kin! In truth the king did not rebel; only we did this." He laid out the full roots and circumstances in detail, showing the king had no knowledge of it. Xie Gong reported all this fully to the emperor, and the emperor then pardoned the King of Zhao.
23
上賢高能自立然諾，使泄公赦之，告曰：「張王已出，上多足下，故赦足下。」 高曰：「所以不死，白張王不反耳。 今王已出，吾責塞矣。 且人臣有篡弒之名，豈有面目復事上哉！」 乃仰絕亢而死。
The emperor admired Guan Gao for holding to his pledged word. He ordered Xie Gong to release him and tell him: Zhang Wang has already been released; the emperor greatly values you, so you are pardoned. Guan Gao said, "The reason I did not die was to clear the King of Zhao of rebellion. Now that the king is out, my duty is fulfilled. Moreover, a subject who bears the name of plotting regicide — how could he face serving the ruler again!" He then threw back his head and died by cutting his throat.
24
敖已出，尚魯元公主如故，封為宣平侯。 於是上賢張王諸客，皆以為諸侯相、郡守。 語在田叔傳。 及孝惠、高后、文、景時，張王客子孫皆為二千石。
After Zhang Ao was released, he remained married to Princess Luyuan as before and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Xuanping. The emperor then valued the retainers of the Zhao king and appointed them as chancellors of feudal states and commandery governors. This account appears in the biography of Tian Shu. By the reigns of Emperor Hui, Empress Gao, Emperor Wen, and Emperor Jing, descendants of the Zhao king's retainers were all serving at the two-thousand-shi rank.
25
贊曰：張耳、陳餘，世所稱賢，其賓客廝役皆天下俊桀，所居國無不取卿相者。 然耳、餘始居約時，相然信死，豈顧問哉！ 及據國爭權，卒相滅亡，何鄉者慕用之誠，後相背之盭也！ 勢利之交，古人羞之，蓋謂是矣。
Appraisal: Zhang Er and Chen Yu were praised in their age as worthy men. Even their retainers and servants were outstanding heroes of the realm, and in whatever state they lived, men from their circle rose to become chancellors and chief ministers. Yet when Zhang Er and Chen Yu were first in hardship, they trusted each other to die for one another without a second thought. Once they held states and contended for power, however, they ended by destroying each other. How sincere their earlier mutual admiration was, and how perverse their later betrayal became. Friendship founded on power and profit was something the ancients were ashamed of; this is exactly what they meant.