For those of you that know something about Chinese history, this is probably a really good story. I don’t know enough to really get the impact of it, but its strength is still pretty apparent.
I didn’t footnote anything from this story because all the research I did was just looking up a couple of battles on Wikipedia, so I don’t feel authoritative enough to try and explain any of the references. I think it’s a fine story to read anyway.
This story in the original Japanese can be found here.
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A Hero’s Caliber
“Anyway, Xiang Yu does not have a hero’s caliber,” said the Han general Lu Ma Tong. He was possessed of a rather long face, and an even longer, yet wispy mustache which he was stroking. Around his face were about ten more faces, all bathed in the light of a torch which had been placed in the center of them all. The light rose up redly in the center of the camp into the night. All of the faces, unusually, were painted with smiles. The delight of today’s decisive victory, in which the high king Xiang Wu had been killed, had not yet vanished.
“Indeed,” said a proud, sharp-eyed face. The remark escaped the man’s lips with a half-sarcastic smile, his gaze fixed between Tong’s eyebrows. For some reason, Tong appeared a bit confused. “Strength is strength. At any rate, even the sacred vessel at the tomb of Yu the Great on Mount Tushan must bend, as they say. And today’s battle was such. For a moment I thought my life was no more. Li Zuo was killed, Wang Heng was killed. Were you to speak of life I had none. In reality, strength is strength.”
“Ah-ha.”
Tong’s conversation partner, still smiling, generously inclined his head. It was quiet outside the camp. From far off all that could be heard was a horn sounding twice, then three times, and the neighing of horses. In the middle of it all, there was the faint scent of leaves.
“However.” Tong looked around at all of the faces, and gave a “However”-esque wink.
“However, that is not a hero’s caliber. The proof, of course, is in today’s battle! At the time Xiang Yu was driven to the Wu River, his army was a mere twenty-eight horsemen. In contrast to his fellow general possessed of a large retinue, he fought, although he had no choice. Besides, the ferryman was heard to offer to take him across to the other side. If there was a hero in Xiang Yu, he would have crossed the river, even if it were shameful. Then he could have regrouped and made a second attack. That was no time to be concerned about honor.”
“So then, what you call a hero’s caliber is cool calculation.” Along with the words, a quiet chuckle came from the man’s mouth. But Tong, unexpectedly, did not back down. He took his hand from his mustache, and with a glance at the strutting, proud, sharp-eyed face he made a strong motion with his hand.
“No, that is not my intention. Xiang Yu. Before today’s battle, Xiang Yu said to his twenty-eight subordinates, ‘Xiang Yu’s killer is heaven. It is not a deficiency in human strength. I will show you by routing the Han army with just our small forces three times over.’ In reality he won not three times, but nine times over. When he spoke to me, that was why I thought him a coward! Making heaven responsible for his failure—as if heaven hasn’t enough to worry about. And if he had crossed the Wu, rallied some strong young men on the other side, and refocused his aim in the campaign, there would have been nothing we could do to stop him. But that’s not what happened. Remarkably, he dies where he lived. When I make it that Xiang Yu does not have a hero’s caliber I am not just talking about his lack of calculation. To try and deceive all by using heaven—you simply can’t do that. I do not think a hero does that sort of thing. I don’t know what a scholar like Xiao Cheng Xiang would think about that.”
Tong pursed his lips, looking to the left and right in triumph. It seemed that his argument was superior. All of them were nodding to each other, silent as if they were satisfied with the argument. In the middle, the proud face, unexpectedly, showed some sign of emotion in his eyes. His black pupils were glittering with passion.
“I see. Xiang Wu said those things.”
“That’s what I heard.” Tong moved his tall face up and down.
“It’s not that he’s weak? No, it’s not that he is in the least unmanly? You think that a hero is one who battles with heaven.”
“That’s right.”
“That even if one knows the will of heaven, he battles all the more.”
“That’s right.”
“So then Xiang Wu—“ Liu Bang raised his sharp gaze, staring at the light of the torch sparkling in autumn. Then, he trailed off in his soliloquy and softly answered. “So, he did have a hero’s caliber.”