Ying Bu
A fierce general who had suffered facial tattooing as punishment; he first followed Xiang Yu and later went over to Liu Bang, and in the end rose in revolt against Han and was killed.
Life
Branded convict
Ying Bu was a native of Liu County. As a young man he broke the law and was punished by having his face tattooed, which is why people called him Qing Bu ("Tattooed Bu"). He was sent to do forced labor at Mount Li, escaped with other convicts to become an outlaw, and rose in revolt at the end of the Qin.
Xiang Yu's vanguard
He joined Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu, fought fiercely and often led the vanguard; at the Battle of Julu he was the first to cross the river and attack Qin. When Xiang Yu buried 200,000 surrendered Qin soldiers alive at Xin'an, it was Ying Bu who carried it out.
Defected from Chu to Han
During the Chu–Han Contention he was won over by Liu Bang, defected from Chu to Han, and was made King of Huainan. After Han Xin and Peng Yue were killed one after the other, he grew fearful, and in 196 BCE he rose in revolt against Han. Defeated by Liu Bang's personal campaign, he was killed while fleeing.
Legacy
Ying Bu was the fiercest general under Xiang Yu, and his defection to Han greatly affected the course of the Chu–Han war.
Major works & achievements
- Vanguard at the Battle of Julu
Did you know? After putting down Ying Bu's rebellion, Liu Bang returned to his hometown and sang "A great wind rises, the clouds fly high."
Key dates
- 207 BCEVanguard at the Battle of Julu
- 206 BCEMade King of Jiujiang
- 204 BCEDefected from Chu to Han
- 203 BCEMade King of Huainan
- 196 BCERose in revolt against Han; killed after defeat