Strategic Use of Personnel by Emperor Gaozu of Han (Huxue on Liu Bang)

Author: Li Yin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features:
Fox's——leverage others to gain power, the weak must serve;
Fox's——expand influence, act like a strong leader;
Fox's——increase charisma, strengthen commitment to win hearts;
Fox's——enhance execution, act decisively when necessary.
The two most visionary and influential political figures in human history are Gaius Julius Caesar, who founded the Roman Empire, and Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty. Toynbee was a great historian who published many globally influential comments, and many people regarded his words as classics, using them to support their own views. The origin of this book, The Extraordinary Strategy of Han Gaozu in Using People, lies in a statement by Toynbee: the two most visionary and influential political figures in human history are Gaius Julius Caesar, who founded the Roman Empire, and Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty. Liu Bang was a cunning fox in Chinese history and one of the most visionary and influential political figures.
Niccolò Machiavelli, a renowned political theorist during the Italian Renaissance, said in his classic work The Prince: a competent ruler must possess the ferocity of a lion and the cunning of a fox. However, if both cannot be combined, it is better to have the cunning of a fox than the ferocity of a lion, for wolves will not dare to ( means "to bully" or "to deceive," but the original character is missing here, so I'll keep it as is). Only the cunning of a fox will prevent beinged.
Liu Bang was an ordinary man who rose from poverty to the throne of emperor in Chinese history. People's respect for him seemed less than for other emperors. Ruan Ji of the Eastern Han Dynasty was particularly resentful of Liu Bang, running from Luoyang to Chenggao and sighing deeply, saying, "The world has no heroes, so this scion of a minor family has gained fame!" What does "scion of a minor family" mean? "A young lad." Ancient poetry also contains the line, "Liu and Xiang never read books," showing that Liu Bang held a low status in the hearts of the Chinese people. Even Mao Zedong, a great leader of the 20th century, admired emperors like Qin Shi Huang, Han Wudi, Tang Taizong, Song Taizu, and Genghis Khan, but not Liu Bang. On January 7, 1967, Mao Zedong once said, "Rustics can produce great figures," referring to Liu Bang, a rustic.
In the early years of the Republic of China, Li Zongwu, a native of Sichuan, coined the term "thick-skinned and black-hearted" (), describing Cao Cao as "black but not thick," Liu Bei as "thick but not black," and Liu Bang as the highest archetype of "thick-skinned and black-hearted." The reasoning: Liu Bang became emperor because he was "thick-skinned and black-hearted," while Xiang Yu was neither truly thick-skinned nor truly black-hearted.
Today, some people believe that being "thick-skinned and black-hearted" is a simple yet effective trick for success, constantly mentioning the term. In reality, this is a complete misconception. Are there fewer people "black" than Liu Bang? Are there fewer people "thick" than Liu Bang? Are there fewer people who are both "thick and black" than Liu Bang? Why did all these people lose to Liu Bang? How could Liu Bang emerge victorious from a turbulent and treacherous era? This is certainly worth pondering.
It was precisely because Liu Bang possessed an extraordinary strategy in using people that he had outstanding generals and first-class advisors, consolidating the leadership core. He was able to radiate leader charisma, making his subordinates fully devoted. Liu Bang preferred to fight with wit rather than brute force, leveraging his strengths while avoiding weaknesses, thus surviving in desperate situations and preserving his strength. Due to his initial weakness, Liu Bang was willing to share with others and strengthen his commitments, ultimately becoming a strong leader.
Liu Bang's achievements were astonishing, as a local ruffian managed to defeat the most formidable and brave opponent in history, Xiang Yu. How could a ( means "failing repeatedly but fighting again," but the original character is missing here) soft-spoken weakling defeat an invincible dragon? How did a ( means "pitiful creature," but the original character is missing here) who initially seemed insignificant rise to become a great man? This is the "Fox's Story of Liu Bang"—a gift that The Extraordinary Strategy of Han Gaozu in Using People offers to its readers.