Liu Bang/Lau Bong/ Lưu Bang
Pleasant, open-minded, generous
Born and raised as a peasant. First married Lu Zhi. Had a way with women -- later had many concubines.
Motive: Upset by Qin political turmoil while he served as a small official in the Qin administration. Decided to take down the Qin Empire with the help of Xiang Yu's army.
Outcome: Became the first Han emperor. Died in 195 BC: hit by a straw arrow in a battle with the Huns.
Lu Zhi/Liu Chi/Lữ Trí
Title: Empress Dowager Lu (Lữ Hậu)
Ambitious, powerhungry, ruthless, evil, brutal, intelligent, straightforward, possessive, jealous
Born and raised in a wealthy family. Married Liu Bang, and remained his first/main wife. Had a son, Liu Ying (Emperor Hui), and a daughter, Princess Luyuan). Conspired against Han Xin and Pang Yue, prominent generals and founders of the Han dynasty.
Motive: Desires to become great despite being a woman. Helped Liu Bang in the Chu-Han War and to rule China.
Outcome: After Liu Bang was killed in 195 BC, she murdered four of his sons to secure the throne for her son. Murdered Concubine Qi. Her inhumane treatment of Concubine Qi terrified and dominated the gentle but weak Emperor Hui. Emperor Hui's infant sons, Shaodi Gong and Shaodi Hong, were installed as her puppets on the throne after Hui's death in 180 BC. Thus, the real power rested in her hands for sixteen years, making her the first female ruler of China. During her reign, members of the Lu family gradually took over important posts in the government. Upon her death, officials that previously served under Emperor Gao (Liu Bang), including Chen Ping, Zhou Bo, and Guan Yin, eliminated the Lu family and placed Emperor Wen on the throne.
Xiang Yu || Hong Yu || Hạng Vũ
Title: Xi Chu Ba Wang (Lord of West Chu) || Tây Sở Bá Vương
Robust, strong, narrow-minded, self-motivated, jealous, arrogant, impetuous, impatient
Born into aristocracy. Served as a general under the Qin administration. Married his POW, Yu Ji.
Motive: Led a massive army during Qin administration. Upset by Qin political turmoil, he decided to overthrow the Qin Empire with the help of Liu Bang. Later fell out with Liu Bang and crowned himself a Lord.
Outcome: His followers left him one by one, and his loved ones died one after another, leaving him alone in the Chu-Han War. Later lost to Liu Bang and committed suicide.
Yu Ji || Yu Gei || Ngưu Cơ
Title: Yu Fei || Ngưu Phi
Skilled in singing, drawing, and dancing; creative, passive, timid, calm, peaceful
Captured by Xiang Yu during war and later married him.
Motive: No political aspirations. She just wants to share Xiang Yu's joys and sorrows and help ease his stress.
Outcome: Stayed by Xiang Yu through most battles. In the last days of the Chu army, she drew out a sword and killed herself after hearing Xiang Yu's song of despair.
Han Xin || Hong Shun || Hàn Tín
Title: General Hanxin (Commander in Chief), Prince of Chu, Marquis Huaiyin
Arrogant, chauvinistic, strong-willed, abrupt, ambitious, talented leader of an army
Originally joined Xiang Yu's army, but left soon thereafter because he knew he had no hope of being promoted. Xiang Yu was constantly jealous of Han Xin. One day, Han Xin bumped into Xiao He, who recommended he ally with Liu Bang. Han Xin quickly became the key strategist in the Chu-Han War. Liu Bang promoted him to Commander in Chief. Han Xin was later bestowed the title of Prince of Chu after Liu Bang declared victory. However, he and Lu Zhi hated each other.
Motive: Nurtured a desire to become an emperor himself.
Outcome: When Lu Zhi saw that Han Xin had accumulated substantial power, she saw him as a threat to the Liu family and forced Liu Bang to demote him to Marquis Huaiyin. Upset and disillusioned, Han Xin disobeyed the Han officials. Xiao He and Lu Zhi forced Liu Bang to arrest Han Xin. Lu Zhi secretly executed him.
Zhang Liang || Cheung Leung || Trương Lương
Title: National Advisor
Intelligent, patient, calm, Taoist, foreteller
The noble descendant of the State of Han during the Warring States Period. Served the Qin Empire for a time, but a failed assassination attempt on Emperor Qin Shihuang forced him to flee the country. Upon hearing Liu Bang and Xiang Yu overthrowing the Qin Empire, he happily joined forces. After Liu Bang and Xiang Yu went their separate ways, Zhang Liang stayed with Liu Bang and helped him create the Han Dynasty.
Motive: No personal aspirations. Only wanted to serve a deserving ruler and to have peace for all.
Outcome: Not long after Liu Bang declared victory, Zhang Liang noticed that his colleagues had been executed one by one to secure Liu Bang's power. Zhang Liang immediately resigned and became a Taoist priest, and thus survived Lu Zhi's administrative massacre.
Qi Ji || Chik Gei || Thích Cơ
Title: Qi Fei || Thích Phi
Youthful, beautiful, talented, kind, cute, carefree, great singer and dancer, very creative
Liu Bang's most loved concubine, but that very fact made her Lu Zhi's most tragic victim. She invented the Go board game of the Han Dynasty. The game was played in a bamboo forest where the winner would make a wish that they believed to come true. She won every year and wished for good fortune. But the game did not work or her life wouldn't have been so tragic. She gave birth to a son, Liu Ru Yi, who Liu Bang really loved because he was like Liu Bang. He made Liu Ru Yi Prince of Zhao after failing to replace Liu Ru Yi with Liu Ying as the Prince.
Motive: No political aspirations. Only loved Liu Bang.
Outcome: After Liu Bang's death, Qi and her son (Liu Ru Yi) endured the most inhumane revenge in human history by Lu Zhi. Within a year or two after Liu Bang's death, Lu Zhi forced poison down Liu Ru Yi's throat. She then chopped off Qi's arms and legs, blinded her by scooping out her eyes, and dumped and abandoned her body parts to the pigs.
Fan Zheng || Fan Tsang || Phàn Tăng
Title: National Advisor, "Lesser Father"
Wise, resourceful
Liu Bang credited Fan Zeng to be his most dangerous enemy because Liu Bang could have been killed on two separate occations by Xiang Yu, but was able to flee both times solely because Xiang Yu had not taken Fan Zeng's advice.
Motive: As they were uncle and nephew, his greatest desire was to help Xiang Yu.
Outcome: Fan Zeng and Xiang Yu originally had a very close relationship, but it was tarnished when Chen Ping planted seeds of distrust between the two. Disappointed with Xiang Yu's distrust, Fan Zeng begged to retire at the age of 73 and left for his hometown. Unfortunately, he died of a disease along the way. Without Fan Zeng, Xiang Yu had no more capable men and a year later, the Chu army came to an end.
Chen Ping || Chan Ping || Trần B́nh
Title: Strategist, Left Prime minister
Intelligent, quick-thinking, eloquent, motivational, ngă theo ch́u gío, proud
Worked for Xiang Yu, but left because Xiang Yu yelled at him in front of a crowd. After joining the Han army, he sided with Lu Zhi to offer strategies on bringing down Xiang Yu and the Chu army. One of his most famous acts was breaking the strong bond between Xiang Yu and his number one advisor, Fan Zeng, one of Liu Bang's greatest threats.
Motive: Destroy Xiang Yu (to seek revenge for hurting his pride).
Outcome: Because he was close to Lu Zhi, he survived the massacre of Liu Bang's administration. When Lu Zhi became ruler of the administration, she made him her Left Minister and Shen Shi Qi her Right Minister. After the death of Lu Zhi, Chen Ping lobbied for Concubine Bo's son to become Emperor, titled Wu Wen Di. He also become Wu Wen Di's Left Minister. He died peacefully in 178 BC.
Xiao He || Siu Ho || Tiêu Hà
Title: Prime minister, Lord of Cou
Incredibly loyal, good judge of character, persuasive, patient, modest
Liu Bang's closest advisor (childhood friends). During the Chu-Han War, he constantly sided with Lu Zhi because they had the same goal--to help Liu Bang succeed. Xiao He was famous for recommending Han Xin to Liu Bang when Han Xin was abandoned by Xiang Yu. Xiao He stayed by Liu Bang and Lu Zhi through the thick and thin throughout the entire Chu-Han War.
Motive: As they were like brothers, he wanted most just to help Liu Bang.
Outcome: When Liu Bang became Emperor, Xiao He was promoted to be Han's Prime Minister and ennobled as the Lord of Cou. After the death of Liu Bang, he disobeyed Lu Zhi's orders and was executed in 193 BC.
Fan Fai || Phàn Khoái
Liu Bang's follower, executed by Lu Zhi in 189 BC.
Peng Yue || Pang Yuet || Bành Việt
A general of the Han army. Executed by Lu Zhi.
Ying Bu || Ying Bo || Anh Bố
Title: General
Xiang Yu's alter ego. A great military leader, but hữu dũng vô mưu. He fell into Lu Zhi's trap, causing him to betray Xiang Yu.
Xiang Huang || Hong Chong || Hạng Trang
Title: General
Xiang Yu's closest cousin and only treasured man. Xiang Huang was ordered to assassinate Liu Bang under the mask of doing a Sword Dance. The assassination plan failed and Liu Bang escaped.
Xiang Liang || Hong Leung || Hạng Lương
Title: General
Xiang Yu's uncle. Enthroned a descendant of the former King of Chu, and won a series of victories against the Qin. However, he grew over-confident and was killed in one battle. Apparently, arrogance runs in this family.
Xiang Ji || Heung Gei || Hương Cơ
Title: Xiang Fei || Hương Phi
Han Xin's wife.
Bo Ji || Po Gei || Bộ Cơ
Title: Bo Fei || Bộ Phi
Liu Bang's prisoner-of-war turned concubine. She bore Liu Bang Prince Liu Huan, who later became Emperor Han Wendi (Fourth Ruler). Bo was a beloved concubine of Wei Bao, a rebel against the Han army. Her low-key personality and subtle popularity allowed her to escape Lu Zhi's deathly massacre in the palace after Liu Bang's death. She later became a kind empress dowager to her son.
Hu Hai Di || Wu Hoi Dei || Hồ Hợi Đế
Title: Emperor (2nd Qin Emperor, after Qin Shuhuang)
Three years after Qin Shihuangdi's death (207 BC), rebellions, torched off by Chen Sheng and Wu Guang of 209 BC, overthrew Qin rule. In 207 BC, the Eunuch Prime Minister, Zhao Gao, murdered Hu Hai, in an attempt to negotiate peace with rebel Liu Bang. Liu Bang declined the request to divide Qin land into two parts.
Zi Ying Di || Yi Ying Dei || Tử Anh Đế
Title: Emperor (3rd Qin Emperor)
A benevolent and intelligent ruler, refreshing after Qin Shihuang and Huhai. Unfortunately, he came too late to save his empire from the Chu and Han armies. With the help of two sons, he killed Zhao Gao, but in still had to surrender to Liu Bang after being on the throne for 46 days (260 BC). Liu Bang was able to take over Qin's capital because General Xiang Yu had entangled major Qin armies in former Zhao Principality territories. Xiang Yu entered Qin's capital, Xian Yang, and killed Qin's last emperor Zi Ying and Qin's royal family members.