Source: Historical Records of Xiang Yu by Sima Qian in the Western Han Dynasty
Original text:
Tai Shigong said: I heard Zhou Sheng say: "Follow the eyes to cover the heavy pupil." I also smell that Xiang Yu is also heavy. Are feathers evil in the origin of seedlings? He Xingzhi's violence? Chen She was the first to bear the brunt of his father's loss of government, and the list goes on and on. However, feathers have no size. In three years, the five princes were annihilated and the world was divided. However, the government was crowned with a feather crown and named overlord. Although it didn't end, it hasn't appeared since recently. It is difficult for northern Henan to take care of Chu, exile the righteous emperor to stand on his own feet, and blame the princes for betraying themselves. Conceited meritorious service, striving for personal wisdom, but not drawing lessons from the past, is called the industry of overlord, and wants to govern the world by force. In five years, he died in his own country and in Dongcheng, but he still didn't feel guilty, but he didn't blame himself. It is a fallacy to quote "God kills me, not the crime of using troops"!
Translation:
Tai Shigong said: I heard Zhou Sheng say that "Shun's eyes are probably binocular" and Xiang Yu is also binocular. Xiang Yu also has eyes. Is Xiang Yu a descendant of Shun? Why did he rise so fast? When the politics of the Qin Dynasty was poor and chaotic, Chen She was the first to challenge the Qin Dynasty. At that time, heroes came forth in large numbers, competing with each other in countless numbers.
However, Xiang Yu has no strength of one foot and one inch to rely on. He has just risen to the forefront of the people. In three years, it developed to lead the governors of the five countries to destroy Qin in one fell swoop, carve up the world of Qin and stand on their own feet. All the decrees were issued by Xiang Yu, who called himself "overlord". Although the hegemony did not last to the end, there was no such figure in recent times.
When Xiang Yu gave up Guanzhong, missed his hometown of Chu, exiled the righteous emperor, and became king on his own, it would be difficult to complain that his ministers betrayed him. He boasted of his own merits and showed his own selfish desires, instead of imitating the ancients. He thought that the overlord's achievements could rule the world by force, and as a result, his country died in just five years. Until he died in Dongcheng, he didn't realize it and refused to blame himself, which was obviously wrong. But it is also an excuse to say, "God wants to destroy me, not my fault for fighting." Isn't that ridiculous?
Extended data:
It is the eulogy part of Historical Records of Xiang Yu and Sima Qian's evaluation of Xiang Yu. Sima Qian affirmed Xiang Yu's historical achievements in opposing and overthrowing the Qin Dynasty after Chen She, analyzed the reasons for Xiang Yu's failure, and refuted his fatalism.
However, Sima Qian failed to see that the more important reason for Xiang Yu's failure was that he harmed the interests of the people and divided the world caused by the enfeoffment of princes, which deviated from the direction of historical progress. On the contrary, it is affirmed that "dividing the world and sealing the princes" is the achievement of Xiang Yu and reflects the limitations of Sima Qian.