1
劉焉字君郎，江夏竟陵人也，漢魯恭王之後裔，章帝元和中徙封竟陵，支庶家焉。
Liu Yan, courtesy name Junlang, came from Jingling in Jiangxia. His line descended from Han Prince Gong of Lu; during Emperor Zhang’s Yuanhe reign the fief was reassigned to Jingling, where a younger branch of the house made its home.
2
焉少仕州郡，以宗室拜中郎，後以師祝公喪去官。 〈臣松之案：祝公，司徒祝恬也。〉 居陽城山，積學教授，舉賢良方正，闢司徒府，歷雒陽令、冀州刺史、南陽太守、宗正、太常。 焉睹靈帝政治衰缺，王室多故，乃建議言：「刺史、太守，貨賂為官，割剝百姓，以致離叛。 可選清名重臣以為牧伯，鎮安方夏。」 焉內求交阯牧，欲避世難。 議未即行，侍中廣漢董扶私謂焉曰：「京師將亂，益州分野有天子氣。」 焉聞扶言，意更在益州。
As a young man Liu Yan held posts in local government; his status as imperial clansman won him appointment as a gentleman of the palace. He later resigned to observe mourning for his teacher, Duke Zhu. 〈Pei Songzhi remarks: “Duke Zhu was Zhu Tian, who served as minister of education.”〉 He withdrew to Mount Yangcheng, where he studied deeply and taught. Recommended as a worthy and upright candidate, he entered the minister of education’s bureau and rose through Luoyang magistrate, inspector of Ji, grand administrator of Nanyang, director of the imperial clan, and grand master of ceremonies. Seeing Emperor Ling’s government falter and the house of Han beset by crisis, Liu Yan proposed: “Prefectural inspectors and grand administrators are buying their posts; they bleed the people until the realm splinters into revolt. Choose men of unimpeachable name and real weight as regional governors, and charge them with restoring calm across the land.” Behind the scenes he angled for the governorship of Jiaozhi, hoping to sit out the gathering storm. Before the plan could take effect, Palace Attendant Dong Fu of Guanghan took him aside: “Luoyang is heading for turmoil, and the stars over Yizhou show the aura of an emperor.” Those words fixed his mind on Yizhou more firmly than ever.
3
是時 （涼） 州逆賊馬相、趙祗等於綿竹縣自號黃巾，合聚疲役之民，一二日中得數千人，先殺綿竹令李升，吏民翕集，合萬馀人，便前破雒縣，攻益州殺儉，又到蜀郡、犍為，旬月之間，破壞三郡。 相自稱天子，眾以萬數。 州從事賈龍 （素） 領兵數百人在犍為東界，攝斂吏民，得千馀人，攻相等，數日破走，州界清靜。 龍乃選吏卒迎焉。 焉徙治綿竹，撫納離叛，務行寬惠，陰圖異計。 張魯母始以鬼道，又有少容，常往來焉家，故焉遣魯為督義司馬，住漢中，斷絕谷閣，殺害漢使。 焉上書言米賊斷道，不得複通，又託他事殺州中豪強王咸、李權等十馀人，以立威刑。 〈《益部耆舊雜記》曰：李權字伯豫，為臨邛長。 子福。 見犍為楊戲《輔臣贊》。〉 犍為太守任岐及賈龍由此反攻焉，焉擊殺岐、龍。 〈《英雄記》曰：劉焉起兵，不與天下討董卓，保州自守。 犍為太守任岐自稱將軍，與從事陳超舉兵擊焉，焉擊破之。 董卓使司徒趙謙將兵向州，說校尉賈龍，使引兵還擊焉，焉出青羌與戰，故能破殺。 岐、龍等皆蜀郡人。〉
At that juncture Some manuscripts insert “Liang” here (often emended to “Yizhou”). Rebels Ma Xiang and Zhao Qi raised the Yellow Turban banner in Mianzhu, sweeping up the worn-out conscripts. Within a day or two they had thousands of followers; they slew Magistrate Li Sheng, and officials and townsfolk rallied until their host passed ten thousand. They took Luoxian, struck down Inspector Jian of Yizhou, then swept through Shu and Qianwei—three commanderies ruined inside a month. Ma Xiang proclaimed himself emperor, and his following ran to tens of thousands. The provincial clerk Jia Long Alternate wording marks Jia Long as having long enjoyed local trust. He led a few hundred soldiers on Qianwei’s eastern march, rallied officials and townsfolk to more than a thousand, struck Ma Xiang’s host, and within days routed them; peace returned to the province. Jia Long then picked officers and troops to escort Liu Yan in. Liu Yan shifted his seat to Mianzhu, offering refuge to deserters and rebels while preaching mercy—yet all the while he nursed designs of his own. Zhang Lu’s mother practiced spirit mediumship and still looked young; she was a frequent guest in Liu Yan’s house, so Yan appointed Zhang Lu marshal of righteous command and posted him in Hanzhong. Zhang Lu sealed the mountain defiles and murdered imperial messengers. Liu Yan memorialized that “rice-bandit” cultists had severed the roads and cut him off from court, then used other excuses to execute a dozen leading local families—Wang Xian and Li Quan among them—to cow the gentry. 〈The Miscellaneous Records of the Elders of Yibu records: Li Quan, courtesy Boyu, served as magistrate of Linqiong. His son was named Fu. See Yang Xi of Qianwei’s Encomia on Ministers. Ren Qi, grand administrator of Qianwei, and Jia Long then turned their arms on Liu Yan; Yan defeated them and put both men to death. 〈The Record of Heroes states: Liu Yan mobilized his forces but refused to march with the coalition against Dong Zhuo, holding Yizhou for himself. Ren Qi of Qianwei declared himself a general and, with Clerk Chen Chao, marched against Liu Yan; Yan shattered their army. Dong Zhuo dispatched Minister Zhao Qian against the province and won over Colonel Jia Long, turning him against Liu Yan. Yan answered with Qingqiang auxiliaries and so crushed the attack. Ren Qi, Jia Long, and their confederates were natives of Shu Commandery.
4
焉意漸盛，造作乘輿車具千馀乘。 荊州牧劉表表上焉有似子夏在西河疑聖人之論。 時焉子範為左中郎將，誕治書御史，璋為奉車都尉，皆從獻帝在長安， 〈《英雄記》曰：範 （聞） 父焉為益州牧，董卓所徵發，皆不至。 收范兄弟三人，鎖械於郿塢，為陰獄以系之。〉 惟 （小） 子別部司馬瑁素隨焉。 獻帝使璋曉諭焉，焉留璋不遣。 〈《典略》曰：時璋為奉車都尉，在京師。 焉託疾召璋，璋自表省焉，焉遂留璋不還。〉 時征西將軍馬騰屯郿而反，焉及範與騰通謀，引兵襲長安。 範謀洩，奔槐里，騰敗，退還涼州，範應時見殺，於是收誕行刑。 〈《英雄記》曰：範從長安亡之馬騰營，從焉求兵。 焉使校尉孫肇將兵往助之，敗於長安。〉 議郎河南龐羲與焉通家，乃募將焉諸孫入蜀。
Liu Yan’s ambitions swelled until he was building over a thousand sets of imperial carriage fittings. Governor Liu Biao of Jing memorialized the throne, likening Liu Yan to Zixia west of the River—whose teaching had led men to doubt Confucius himself. His sons held court rank in Chang’an with Emperor Xian: Fan as left general of the gentlemen of the palace, Dan as imperial clerk censor, Zhang as commandant for the imperial chariot, 〈The Record of Heroes adds: Fan One manuscript reads ‘heard’ here. He learned that his father was governor of Yizhou and that none of Dong Zhuo’s summons had been obeyed. Dong Zhuo clapped all three brothers in irons at the Mei bastion and locked them in a secret cell. Only Some texts read “younger” (son). The youngest, Mao, a major of a separate division, had stayed with his father in the west. The emperor sent Liu Zhang west to reason with his father; Liu Yan kept him and never let him return. 〈The Compendium notes: Liu Zhang was then commandant for the chariot in Luoyang. Liu Yan feigned illness to summon him; Zhang asked leave to visit his father—and never came back to court. When Ma Teng, general who conquers the west, rose in rebellion from his camp at Mei, Liu Yan and Liu Fan conspired with him to strike Chang’an. The plot unraveled: Fan fled to Huaili; Ma Teng was beaten back into Liangzhou; Fan was caught and killed, and Dan went to the executioner’s block. 〈The Record of Heroes says: Fan slipped out of Chang’an to Ma Teng’s camp and begged his father for reinforcements. Liu Yan sent Colonel Sun Zhao with troops; they were routed before Chang’an. Pang Xi of Henan, a gentleman-adviser who was tied to the Liu family by marriage, raised men and shepherded Liu Yan’s grandsons to safety in Shu.
5
時焉被天火燒城，車具蕩盡，延及民家。 焉徙治成都，既痛其子，又感祅災，興平元年，癰疽發背而卒。 州大吏趙韙等貪璋溫仁，共上璋為益州刺史，詔書因以為監軍使者，領益州牧，以韙為征東中郎將，率眾擊劉表。 〈《英雄記》曰：焉死，子璋代為刺史。 會長安拜潁川扈瑁為刺史，入漢中。 荊州別駕劉闔，璋將沈彌、婁發、甘寧反，擊璋不勝，走入荊州。 璋使趙韙進攻荊州，屯朐䏰。 上蠢，下如振反。〉
Heaven-sent fire then consumed his city, devouring the carriage stockpiles and spreading into the commoners’ quarters. He moved his government to Chengdu. Grief for his executed sons and shock at these portents broke him; in the first year of Xingping a carbuncle on his back killed him. Senior officers led by Zhao Wei, liking Liu Zhang’s mild temper, jointly nominated him inspector of Yizhou. The court named him military overseer and governor of the province, appointed Zhao Wei general of the east who expands might, and ordered him to campaign against Liu Biao. 〈The Record of Heroes adds: When Liu Yan died, his son Liu Zhang succeeded as inspector. Just then Chang’an named Hu Mao of Yingchuan inspector and sent him toward Hanzhong. Liu He, chief clerk on Liu Biao’s staff, with Liu Zhang’s officers Shen Mi, Lou Fa, and Gan Ning rose against their master, failed, and bolted into Jingzhou. Liu Zhang dispatched Zhao Wei against Jingzhou; he encamped at Quyi. Phonetic gloss for the toponym Quyi (first syllable as noted in the commentary; second like zhèn).
6
璋字季玉，既襲焉位，而張魯稍驕恣，不承順璋，璋殺魯母及弟，遂為讎敵。 璋累遣龐羲等攻魯，〔數為〕所破。 魯部曲多在巴西，故以羲為巴西太守，領兵禦魯。 〈《英雄記》曰：龐羲與璋有舊，又免璋諸子於難，故璋厚德羲，以羲為巴西太守，遂專權勢。〉 後羲與璋情好攜隙，趙韙稱兵內向，眾散見殺，皆由璋明斷少而外言入故也。 〈《英雄記》曰：先是，南陽、三輔人流入益州數万家，收以為兵，名曰東州兵。 璋性寬柔，無威略，東州人侵暴舊民，璋不能禁，政令多闕，益州頗怨。 趙韙素得人心，璋委任之。 韙因民怨謀叛，乃厚賂荊州請和，陰結州中大姓，與俱起兵，還擊璋。 蜀郡、廣漢、犍為皆應韙。 璋馳入成都城守，東州人畏 （威） ，咸同心並力助璋，皆殊死戰，遂破反者，進攻韙於江州。 韙將龐樂、李異反殺韙軍，斬韙。 《漢獻帝春秋》曰：漢朝聞益州亂，遣五官中郎將牛亶為益州刺史； 徵璋為卿，不至。〉
Liu Zhang, courtesy Jiyu, inherited his father’s post. Zhang Lu grew insolent and defied him, so Liu Zhang executed Lu’s mother and brother, and the two became bitter enemies. Liu Zhang sent Pang Xi and others against Zhang Lu time and again, only to be routed repeatedly. Most of Zhang Lu’s followers were in Ba Commandery, so Liu Zhang named Pang Xi grand administrator there and put him on the northern front against Lu. 〈The Record of Heroes notes: “Pang Xi was an old friend who had rescued Liu Zhang’s sons from peril, so Liu Zhang heaped favor on him, named him grand administrator of Ba, and let him dominate local power.”〉 Later Pang Xi and Liu Zhang fell out; Zhao Wei turned his army on Chengdu, his troops melted away, and he was killed—all because Liu Zhang seldom judged matters for himself and let rumor rule his court. 〈The Record of Heroes explains: Refugees from Nanyang and the Three Adjuncts had poured into Yizhou by the tens of thousands; Liu Zhang drafted them as the so-called Eastern Province host. Liu Zhang was easygoing and lacked firm authority, so the easterners bullied the old families unchecked. Edicts went unenforced, and resentment spread through Yizhou. Zhao Wei enjoyed wide popularity, and Liu Zhang leaned on him heavily. Playing on popular anger, Zhao Wei plotted revolt: he bought a truce with Jingzhou in secret, won the great clans of the province, and marched on Chengdu against Liu Zhang. Shu, Guanghan, and Qianwei all rose in his name. Liu Zhang raced within Chengdu’s walls. The Eastern Province troops, fearing disaster if the city fell (some editions insert the graph wei here), closed ranks behind Liu Zhang and fought to the last man. They shattered the rebels and drove the siege against Zhao Wei at Jiangzhou. Zhao Wei’s own generals Pang Le and Li Yi mutinied, cut down his troops, and took his head. The Annals of Emperor Xian records: Learning of the turmoil, the court dispatched Niu Dan, general of the household for all purposes, as inspector of Yizhou; it also summoned Liu Zhang to a ministerial post—which he ignored.
7
璋聞曹公徵荊州，已定漢中，遣河內陰溥致敬於曹公。 加璋振威將軍，兄瑁平寇將軍。 瑁狂疾物故。 〈臣松之案：魏台訪「物故」之義，高堂隆答曰：「聞之先師：物，無也； 故，事也； 言無復所能於事也。」〉 璋復遣別駕從事蜀郡張肅送叟兵三百人並雜御物於曹公，曹公拜肅為廣漢太守。 璋復遣別駕張松詣曹公，曹公時已定荊州，走先主，不復存錄松，松以此怨。 會曹公軍不利於赤壁，兼以疫死。 松還，疵毀曹公，勸璋自絕， 〈《漢書春秋》曰：張松見曹公，曹公方自矜伐，不存錄松。 松歸，乃勸璋自絕。 習鑿齒曰：昔齊桓一矜其功而叛者九國，曹操暫自驕伐而天下三分，皆勤之於數十年之內而棄之於俯仰之頃，豈不惜乎！ 是以君子勞謙日昃，慮以下人，功高而居之以讓，勢尊而守之以卑。 情近於物，故雖貴而人不厭其重； 德洽群生，故業廣而天下愈欣其慶。 夫然，故能有其富貴，保其功業，隆顯當時，傳福百世，何驕矜之有哉！ 君子是以知曹操之不能遂兼天下者也。〉 因說璋曰：「劉豫州，使君之肺腑，可與交通。」 璋皆然之，遣法正連好先主，尋又令正及孟達送兵數千助先主守禦，正遂還。 後松復說璋曰：「今州中諸將龐羲、李異等皆恃功驕豪，欲有外意，不得豫州，則敵攻其外，民攻其內，必敗之道也。」 璋又從之，遣法正請先主。 璋主簿黃權陳其利害，從事廣漢王累自倒縣於州門以諫，璋一無所納，敕在所供奉先主，先主入境如歸。 先主至江州北，由墊江水 〈墊音徒協反。〉 詣涪， 〈音浮。〉 去成都三百六十里，是歲建安十六年也。 璋率步騎三萬馀人，車乘帳幔，精光曜日，往就與會； 先主所將將士，更相之適，歡飲百馀日。 璋資給先主，使討張魯，然後分別。 〈《吳書》曰：璋以米二十萬斛，騎千匹，車千乘，繒絮錦帛，以資送劉備。〉
When Liu Zhang learned that Cao Cao was moving on Jingzhou and had already taken Hanzhong, he sent Yin Pu of Henei with gifts to court Cao’s favor. The court added the title general who shakes might to Liu Zhang and named his elder brother Liu Mao general who pacifies bandits. Liu Mao died of madness. 〈Pei Songzhi cites the Wei court’s query on the term wu gu (“passed away”). Gao Tanglong replied: “My teacher explained: wu means ‘nothing’; gu means ‘affair’; that is, no longer able to act in the world.””〉" Liu Zhang next dispatched chief clerk Zhang Su of Shu with three hundred veteran troops and assorted tribute. Cao Cao rewarded him with the grand administrator’s seal of Guanghan. He then sent chief clerk Zhang Song. By then Cao Cao had overrun Jingzhou and routed Liu Bei; he treated Zhang Song with cold neglect, and Song nursed a grudge. Then came Cao Cao’s defeat at Red Cliffs and the epidemic that decimated his army. Zhang Song returned to paint Cao Cao in the worst colors and urge Liu Zhang to break with the north, 〈The Springs and Autumns of the Han Book records: Zhang Song found Cao Cao swollen with pride over his victories and dismissive of him. On his return he pressed Liu Zhang to cut ties with Cao Cao. Xi Zuochi comments: Duke Huan’s single burst of vanity cost him nine allies; Cao Cao’s moment of swagger cost him the unity of the empire. Decades of toil undone in an instant—could anything be more wasteful? Hence the gentleman works tirelessly yet stays humble, thinks downward toward those below him, holds great merit with deference, and wields supreme power meekly. Staying close to the human condition, he can bear rank without wearying the world; where virtue touches every life, his sway widens and the realm rejoices in his fortune. Only so can wealth and titles be sustained, achievement preserved, glory fixed in one’s own age, and blessings passed down for generations—where then is room for arrogance? From this the gentleman sees why Cao Cao could never finish the conquest of the realm. He went on to tell Liu Zhang: “Liu Bei of Yu Province is your own flesh and blood politically—you should open relations with him.” Liu Zhang agreed, sent Fa Zheng to treat with Liu Bei, and shortly had Fa Zheng and Meng Da deliver several thousand soldiers to stiffen Liu Bei’s line. Fa Zheng then came home. Later Zhang Song warned him again: “Pang Xi, Li Yi, and the other generals swagger on old laurels and eye independence. Without Liu Bei to stiffen your front, enemies will strike from without and your own people from within—that is the road to ruin.” Liu Zhang consented again and sent Fa Zheng to invite Liu Bei in. Registrar Huang Quan laid out the risks; Wang Lei of Guanghan hanged himself upside down at the gate of the yamen in protest. Liu Zhang brushed every warning aside, ordered the route provisioned, and Liu Bei crossed the border as though coming home. North of Jiangzhou, Liu Bei turned up the Dian River Commentary: “Dian” is read like tu in the entering tone (dié).〉 He went on to Fu, 〈gloss: read like fú.〉 He halted three hundred sixty li short of Chengdu, in the sixteenth year of Jian’an. Liu Zhang rode out with thirty thousand foot and horse, chariots draped in silk that flashed like sunlight, to meet him in person; and for more than a hundred days Liu Bei’s officers and Liu Zhang’s hosts feasted together in easy camaraderie. Liu Zhang provisioned Liu Bei and sent him to campaign against Zhang Lu, expecting afterward to go their separate ways. 〈The Book of Wu records that Liu Zhang sent Liu Bei two hundred thousand hu of grain, a thousand mounts, a thousand wagons, and bales of silk and brocade.〉
8
明年，先主至葭萌，還兵南向，所在皆克。 十九年，進圍成都數十日，城中尚有精兵三萬人，谷帛支一年，吏民咸欲死戰。 璋言：「父子在州二十馀年，無恩德以加百姓。 百姓攻戰三年，肌膏草野者，以璋故也，何心能安！」 遂開城出降，群下莫不流涕。 先主遷璋於南郡公安，盡歸其財物及故佩振威將軍印綬。 孫權殺關羽，取荊州，以璋為益州牧，駐秭歸。
The next year Liu Bei reached Jiameng, then wheeled his army south; every place he struck fell to him. In the nineteenth year of Jian’an he pressed a siege on Chengdu for many days. The city still held thirty thousand picked troops and grain and cloth enough for a year, and officials and townspeople were ready to fight to the last. Liu Zhang said, “My father and I have held this province for more than twenty years, yet we have done little real good for the people. For three years they have borne our wars; their bones lie on the fields—for my sake. How could I live with myself in comfort?” He opened the gates and surrendered; every man in his train wept. Liu Bei resettled Liu Zhang at Gong’an in Nan commandery and returned all his goods, together with the old seal and ribbon of the general who shakes might. After Sun Quan killed Guan Yu and seized Jingzhou, he named Liu Zhang governor of Yizhou and stationed him at Zigui.
9
璋卒，南中豪率雍闓據益郡反，附於吳。 權復以璋子闡為益州刺史，處交、益界首。 丞相諸葛亮平南土，闡還吳，為御史中丞。 〈《吳書》曰：闡一名緯，為人恭恪，輕財愛義，有仁讓之風，後疾終於家。〉 初，璋長子循妻，龐羲女也。 先主定蜀，羲為左將軍司馬，璋時從羲啟留循，先主以為奉車中郎將。 是以璋二子之後，分在吳、蜀。
When Liu Zhang died, the southern magnate Yong Kai seized Yi commandery in revolt and pledged himself to Wu. Sun Quan then appointed Liu Zhang’s son Liu Chan inspector of Yizhou and posted him on the Jiao–Yi frontier. After Chancellor Zhuge Liang pacified the south, Liu Chan returned to Wu and was promoted to palace assistant censor-in-chief. 〈The Book of Wu adds that Liu Chan was also called Liu Wei: a courteous man who prized honor over money and died of illness at home.〉 Earlier, Liu Zhang’s eldest son Liu Xun had married a daughter of Pang Xi. After Liu Bei conquered Shu, Pang Xi served as major to the general of the left. Liu Zhang had prevailed on Pang Xi to keep Liu Xun in the west, and Liu Bei then commissioned Liu Xun as gentleman of the household for the chariot. Thus the two sons of Liu Zhang afterward lived out their lives apart, one in Wu and one in Shu.
10
【評】
【Appraisal】
11
評曰：昔魏豹聞許負之言則納薄姬於室， 〈孔衍《漢魏春秋》曰：許負，河內溫縣之婦人，漢高祖封為明雌亭侯。 臣松之以為今東人呼母為負，衍以許負為婦人，如為有似，然漢高祖時封皆列侯，未有鄉亭之爵，疑此封為不然。〉 劉歆見圖讖之文則名字改易，終於不免其身，而慶鍾二主。 此則神明不可虛要，天命不可妄冀，必然之驗也。 而劉焉聞董扶之辭則心存益土，聽相者之言則求婚吳氏，遽造輿服，圖竊神器，其惑甚矣。 璋才非人雄，而據土亂世，負乘致寇，自然之理，其見奪取，非不幸也。 〈張璠曰：劉璋愚弱而守善言，斯亦宋襄公、徐偃王之徒，未為無道之主也。 張松、法正，雖有君臣之義不正，然固以委名附質，進不顯陳事勢，若韓嵩、 （劉光） 〔劉先〕之說劉表，退不告絕奔亡，若陳平、韓信之去項羽，而兩端攜貳，為謀不忠，罪之次也。〉
The historian’s judgment runs: Long ago Wei Bao listened to the soothsayer Xu Fu and welcomed Lady Bo into his harem, 〈Kong Yan’s Springs and Autumns of Han and Wei identifies Xu Fu as a woman of Wen county in Henei whom Han Gaozu supposedly ennobled as mistress of Mingci village. Pei Songzhi notes that eastern dialects used fu for “mother,” which may explain Kong Yan’s treating Xu Fu as a woman—yet Gaozu’s reign ennobled only full marquises, never mere village titles, so that fief is almost certainly wrong. Liu Xin changed his name after reading prognosticating texts, yet could not save himself, while the omen’s fulfillment fell instead upon two other sovereigns. So it is: the spirits cannot be coaxed with empty prayers, and the mandate of Heaven cannot be forced—that is the hard lesson of their fates. Liu Yan took Dong Fu’s talk to heart and fixed his ambition on Yizhou, listened to a physiognomist and wed the Wu family, rushed out imperial-style carriages and robes, and angled for the throne—folly in its purest form. Liu Zhang was no champion of men, yet he clutched a rich province in an age of chaos—a lesser man in a high carriage invites robbers by nature. That he lost his domain was less misfortune than inevitability. 〈Zhang Fan remarks: “Liu Zhang was dull and pliant yet clung to fine phrases—much like Duke Xiang of Song or King Yan of Xu; he hardly ranks among the truly lawless rulers.” Zhang Song and Fa Zheng broke the bond between lord and vassal, yet they had formally pledged themselves: they did not lay the strategic facts plainly before their master, as did Han Song, Some manuscripts read “Liu Guang” here instead of the name in the following line. 〔Liu Xian〕 in counseling Liu Biao, or on retreating failed to announce a clean break before fleeing, as Chen Ping and Han Xin had done when they left Xiang Yu—yet they played both sides; such disloyal scheming is the lesser crime.