项燕 / Xiang Yan
项燕 / Xiang Yan enters the wiki through 《资治通鉴·秦纪》117-2｜学着点！秦朝武将竟然如此高情商？ as the 楚国 commander who turns 李信’s first campaign from early success into defeat. The source text renders him as “向燕”; this page normalizes the figure to 项燕 while keeping that wording as a source-scoped transcript issue.
In the source’s account, Xiang Yan first seeks peace or appears willing to settle, encouraging Li Xin to believe Chu has lost confidence. He then sends a smaller force against 南郡, drawing Li Xin into a rapid return movement while the Chu main force follows behind.
The trap succeeds after Li Xin repels the smaller attack. As the Qin army comes out of Nan Commandery, Xiang Yan surrounds it with a much larger Chu force. The episode reports a day-and-night battle, seven Qin generals killed, Li Xin’s prolonged flight, and 蒙恬 also being defeated when he comes to help.
Xiang Yan’s role is therefore not only that of a battlefield opponent. He is the source’s example of strategic rhythm control: he lets Qin’s young commander believe he is choosing the timing, then makes the Qin army respond to Chu’s staged signals.
《资治通鉴·秦纪》118-1｜王翦率六十万大军 对战项燕！好戏开场了！ gives Xiang Yan the next and fatal campaign. 楚国 mobilizes nationally after 王翦 returns with 600,000 Qin troops, and Xiang Yan repeatedly tries to force a battle. Wang Jian’s refusal leaves Xiang Yan facing a worsening supply and morale problem, so the source presents him as capable but structurally disadvantaged against Qin’s larger logistical base.
When Chu begins to withdraw, Wang Jian attacks and defeats Xiang Yan near 蕲南. The episode says Xiang Yan dies after leaving the line “楚虽三户，亡秦必楚,” which it interprets through 楚虽三户式反秦记忆. It also connects Xiang Yan to 项羽 as his grandfather, making his death a prehistory to later Chu-Han anti-Qin memory.
Qinji 118-2 gives a more extended terminal sequence. After defeat, Xiang Yan retreats north of the Huai and enthrones 昌平君 as Chu king, but the resistance is framed as doomed. 王翦 and 蒙武 attack again; Changping Jun dies, and Xiang Yan commits suicide. The wiki treats this as a source-scoped refinement or variant beside Qinji 118-1’s compressed death-memory account.
《资治通鉴·秦纪》128-2｜起来！被压迫的人们！ adds Xiang Yan’s afterlife as a rebel banner. 陈胜 and 吴广 claim that Xiang Yan and 扶苏 are still alive when launching the 大泽乡起义, using his Chu military memory as part of 起义天命制造.
Connections
- 楚国 - state he defends.
- 秦国, 李信, and 蒙恬 - attacking state and defeated commanders.
- 南郡 - diversion and trap location in the source.
- 诈降麻痹 and 战场信息控制 - tactics and information frames used to read the episode.
- 王翦 and 蒙武 - Qin’s corrected command response after Xiang Yan’s victory.
- Qinji 118-1, 坚壁耗敌式耐心, 蕲南, 楚虽三户式反秦记忆, and 项羽 - final campaign, defeat, death-memory line, and later Chu-Han resonance.
- Qinji 118-2, 昌平君, and 灭国后的郡县化过渡 - retreat, Changping Jun enthronement, final suicide, and Chu’s administrative conversion after defeat.
- Qinji 128-2, 大泽乡起义, 陈胜, 吴广, 扶苏, and 起义天命制造 - later rebel use of Xiang Yan’s name as anti-Qin legitimacy.