《资治通鉴·汉纪》149｜西楚霸王项羽为何弑君（1）

Summary

This 芮淇讲透资治通鉴 episode completes the 芈心 / 楚怀王 thread opened by Hanji 143 and continued through Hanji 148-2: 项羽 forces Yi Emperor Mi Xin toward 郴县 and then has him killed. The source argues that the killing is not only personal revenge for the 怀王之约, but also Xiang Yu’s attempt to prevent Liu Bang or other lords from using Mi Xin as a political banner. The death backfires by giving 刘邦 a public pretext to summon the lords, while the same episode tracks 陈馀, 张耳, and 张良 moving the early Chu-Han alignment further toward Liu Bang.

Key Claims

• Mi Xin’s death marks the end of the post-Qin revived-kings order and pushes the lords into a sharper 刘邦 versus 项羽 struggle.
• Xiang Yu first removes Mi Xin from the practical center by forcing him away from Pengcheng toward 郴县, continuing the isolation recorded in Hanji 143 and Hanji 144.
• Xiang Yu orders 英布, 吴芮, and 共敖 to attack Mi Xin on the river route; the episode stresses that all three initially hesitate because Mi Xin still carries盟主 and大义 standing.
• 英布 ultimately carries out the killing at Chenxian near Qiongquan, and local people bury Mi Xin with sympathy.
• The episode gives two motives for Xiang Yu’s decision: old resentment over Mi Xin’s insistence on the 怀王之约, and fear that Mi Xin could be received by 刘邦 or other anti-Xiang actors as a legitimacy banner.
• The killing gives Liu Bang a usable accusation against Xiang Yu and lets him call lords into a large anti-Xiang coalition, turning the attempted removal of symbolic risk into mobilizing proof.
• 陈馀 defeats 张耳 at Xiangguo with Qi support, restores 赵歇 from Dai to Zhao, and receives the Dai kingship in return.
• Chen Yu stays in Zhao to support Zhao Xie rather than immediately returning to Dai, appointing 夏说 to manage Dai affairs on his behalf.
• Zhang Er flees to Liu Bang after defeat. 甘公 advises him not to return to Xiang Yu but to join Liu Bang, predicting Liu Bang’s future victory.
• 张良 also moves decisively into Liu Bang’s camp after 韩成 is killed, turning Han restoration disappointment into stronger Han-side strategy.

Key Quotes

“义帝究竟因何而死” - the episode’s guiding question.

“成为号召军队的政治旗号” - the source’s explanation of why Mi Xin remained dangerous despite lacking direct military control.

Connections

• 芈心 / 楚怀王, 项羽, 郴县, and 复国王室名义合法性 - symbolic authority moved from useful figurehead to perceived threat.
• 怀王之约, 关中, and 刘邦 - the old promise that remains a legal-political weapon after Xiang Yu tries to override it.
• 英布, 吴芮, and 共敖 - kings ordered to execute Xiang Yu’s command against Yi Emperor Mi Xin.
• 联军战后安排失败 and 分配反噬 - the settlement’s unresolved grievances now include the murder of the nominal senior ruler.
• 陈馀, 张耳, 赵歇, 夏说, and 齐国 - Zhao-side settlement reversal after the partition.
• 张良, 韩成, 甘公, and 谋略知己式归附 - adviser movement toward Liu Bang as Xiang Yu’s order alienates useful people.

Contradictions

• No settled contradiction is recorded. This source resolves the earlier Hanji 143 title note by narrating the final killing that Hanji 143 only set up through Mi Xin’s title elevation, relocation, and loss of practical power.