This is a rare heroic work by Li Shangyin. It advocates great ambitions and does not forget the importance of "taking advantage of luck".
After Xiang Yu entered Guanzhong, he could have taken advantage of the opportunity to establish his own business and unify the country. However, when he saw that the Qin palace was in ruins, he wanted to return eastward, so he said: "Wealth and honor will not return home, but they will travel at night like clothes and brocade." Abandoning the mountains and rivers inside and outside Xianyang, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack, handed over this strategic location to others. It was his shallowness and limitations that led to the overall mistake, and he ended up committing suicide in Wujiang, and even his bones were not allowed to be buried in the hometown. And Liu Bang, who has the ambition of "Zhao Bahuang", after establishing the great cause of unifying the world, can build another Xinfeng like his hometown according to his own wishes to show off his wealth. This is the "Zhao Bahuang" and "Lianchi Huang". "The two have completely opposite results. So, how can a man lose his ambition because he is nostalgic for his hometown? "Those who live in the wilderness can start a new life, but those who love the pond god will never be able to live in their hometown. They are the best." (He Zhuo)
The separatist rule of vassal towns in the late Tang Dynasty was a foregone conclusion in some places. The emperors of the late Tang Dynasty mostly ignored the crisis, were satisfied with superficial unification, and gave up the intention of restoration. Therefore, while chanting history, this poem also contains a satirical and exhortative message.
This is a hymn to history, an impromptu work inspired by the poet's feelings when he visited the hometown of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty in his early years. During this period, Li Shangyin first entered his official career and was very enthusiastic about politics. Although he was repeatedly ostracized due to clique fighting, he was not discouraged and was full of confidence in his future.
The poet here uses a very bright tone to praise the emperor of the Han Dynasty, and uses Xiang Yu as a foil to highlight the grandeur of the emperor's founding of the Han Dynasty. Although both Liu Bang and Xiang Yu were leaders of the anti-Qin rebel army, the final victory inevitably belonged to Liu Bang. This was a victory of kingly style, and Xiang Yu's defeat of Gaixia was a historical necessity. The whole poem is full of admiration for the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, and he is determined to imitate the Emperor of the Han Dynasty and do a vigorous career.