During the nationwide anti-Qin movement, the former forces of the old vassal states such as Yan, Zhao, Qi, and Wei successively restored their original kingdoms. The Qin dynasty was already fragmented and on the verge of collapse at any moment. Xiang Liang led his army to several victories, and while winning praise from others, he himself became arrogant.
In 208 BC, Xiang Liang led a large army in a determined advance toward Xianyang. Qin general Zhang Han fought back fiercely, but Xiang Liang was brave and skilled in battle, and with the morale of the rebel forces running high, the Qin army was repeatedly defeated. Dong'e (northeast of present-day Yanggu, Shandong), Puyang (northeast of present-day Huaxian, Henan), and Dingtao (south of present-day Heze, Shandong) fell to the rebels one after another. At this time, Liu Bang also brought a large force to join King Huai of Chu. Xiang Liang, stationed in Dingtao, immediately sent Xiang Yu and Liu Bang to provide support and ordered them to continue advancing toward Xianyang. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang lived up to expectations, killing Qin general Li You in battle. Seeing that the Qin army was nearly wiped out, Zhang Han hurried back to Xianyang to recruit new troops, planning to catch Xiang Liang off guard. Due to overconfidence and underestimating the enemy, Xiang Liang tragically died in battle. The Chu army lost its leader, and panic spread among the troops. Zhang Han pressed his advantage, driving Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, and the others back to Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu). With no other choice, they had to hold their ground and defend Pengcheng.
Seeing that Xiang Liang had been killed and the Chu army had become dispirited, Zhang Han assumed everything was under his control, so he withdrew a large number of troops to the area north of the Yellow River, where the newly established Zhao state was located. Zhang Han thoroughly defeated the new Zhao king, Zhao Xie, who ultimately retreated to Julu (present-day Xingtai, Hebei). Unable to capture it after a prolonged siege, Zhang Han could only surround Julu tightly. He then split his army in two: one part, led by himself, stockpiled grain near Julu, while the remaining forces, commanded by Wang Li, continued the siege.
Zhao Xie, trapped inside the city, paced anxiously, while the Qi and Yan armies that had rushed to the scene outside the city dared not intervene out of fear of the Qin army's strength, forcing Zhao Xie to send messengers to seek help from the Chu state; upon receiving the news, King Huai of Chu immediately appointed Song Yi, Xiang Yu, and the strategist Fan Zeng to lead the army northward.
In 207 BC, Song Yi led the Chu army to reinforce the Zhao state, but despite being the grand general, he was a coward who valued his own life above all else, having only gained King Huai of Chu's approval through his glib tongue. Song Yi never intended to fight the Qin army, so when the troops reached Anyang (east of present-day Cao County, Shandong), he ordered them to halt, and they stayed there for over forty days. No matter how much the officers and soldiers urged him to advance, he kept the army idle, spending his days drinking and amusing himself in the camp.
Finally, Xiang Yu stormed angrily to find Song Yi, demanding that he dispatch the troops. Song Yi flew into a rage, berating Xiang Yu for insubordination and declaring that all military matters must follow his orders, warning that anyone who dared to disobey would be punished by beheading. Unconvinced, Xiang Yu retorted that Song Yi was unworthy of being a commander, to which Song Yi coldly accused Xiang Yu of being nothing but a reckless brute who knew nothing about military strategy. Swallowing his fury, Xiang Yu had no choice but to leave the tent in frustration.
Unexpectedly, early the next morning, Xiang Yu appeared before Song Yi fully armored. He asked Song Yi one last time whether they would march, but Song Yi still refused. So Xiang Yu drew his sword and swung it, and Song Yi's head fell to the ground. Xiang Yu then announced to the entire army that he would take over as the Grand General and ordered the soldiers to prepare for battle.
Xiang Yu first sent Ying Bu and General Pu with a portion of their troops to reach Julu, while he himself remained by the river to observe the situation. Wang Li thought that Zhang Han was stationed nearby, and the allied reinforcements from the various feudal states dared not easily attack him; although the Chu army had crossed the river, he assumed they, like the others, could only fret helplessly without daring to act rashly. Inside the city, King Zhao Xie grew even more anxious as food supplies dwindled—if no aid arrived soon, he feared they would starve to death within the walls.
However, as soon as Ying Bu and General Pu crossed the river, they charged straight at Wang Li's army. The Qin troops were still frozen in confusion, while the Chu soldiers were already battle-crazed. Wang Li never expected the Chu army to be so audacious—he had underestimated them. The Qin forces crumbled after little resistance, and Ying Bu immediately ordered a halt to the fighting, leading his troops to the riverbank. He did this both to lure Wang Li and Zhang Han's forces and to help Xiang Yu cross the river smoothly. When Xiang Yu heard that Ying Bu and General Pu had won a victory, he was overjoyed and decided to launch another surprise attack, giving the Qin army no time to think or regroup. Xiang Yu led his troops across the river and ordered each soldier to carry only three days' worth of dry rations, smashing all the boats and cooking pots and sinking them to the riverbed. Seeing this, the soldiers knew they had to win this battle at all costs. Every one of them was energized and morale soared, determined to fight the Qin army to the death.
Xiang Yu first consulted with Fan Zeng about attacking Wang Li, blocking the supply routes for grain and fodder, which would then free Zhao. Fan Zeng would lead a portion of the troops to besiege Zhang Han, but avoid direct confrontation, and once Wang Li's forces were eliminated, they would lead the entire army to capture Zhang Han in one decisive move. Thus, Ying Bu and General Pu took control of the Qin army's supply lines, Xiang Yu led his troops to attack Wang Li, while Fan Zeng covered the main Chu forces from Zhang Han's garrison.
Xiang Yu and Wang Li's armies clashed several times, and eventually Xiang Yu achieved a great victory, capturing Wang Li. Then Xiang Yu, along with Ying Bu and others, rushed to reinforce Fan Zeng. From a great distance, they heard soldiers shouting to the heavens; as Xiang Yu drew closer, he saw that the Chu army soldiers were beating drums and shouting, but whenever the Qin army advanced, they stopped drumming. After this happened several times, Zhang Han suddenly sensed that the Chu army was up to some trick. Just then, a scout reported that the army besieging Zhao had been completely annihilated and its general captured. Zhang Han urgently led his troops toward Julu, but unexpectedly, Xiang Yu was already waiting not far from the camp. As soon as Xiang Yu saw Zhang Han, he thought of his uncle Xiang Liang's death, and the two quickly engaged in battle. After all, Zhang Han was no match for Xiang Yu; after a few rounds, the Qin army fell into a disadvantage. Xiang Yu fought with increasing ferocity, and the Chu soldiers were not to be outdone, so the Qin army was beaten and fled in panic, with Zhang Han also escaping in disarray.
After his victory, Xiang Yu did not accept Zhao's invitation; instead, he sat in his military camp receiving generals and soldiers from various states. The allied forces, originally too fearful to advance and help the besieged Zhao, were later stunned into silence by the sight of the Chu army's fierce fighting, especially Xiang Yu's overwhelming might. From that point on, the generals of all states unanimously held Xiang Yu in awe and reverence.