破斧沉舟 There is another chengyu that has is associated with xiangyu, and from a certain standpoint the message it conveys is in direct contrast to what Xiangyu did when he crossed the river and decided to commit suicide. From another angle, it also shows Xiangyu’s impulsiveness and one-directional mind. This is because 破釜沉舟 is a chengyu with strong connotations of determination and fight, and the story shows that Xiangyu himself was no stranger to the nuances of human psychology. The story takes place during the later years of the Qing Dynasty, before Xiangyu’s struggles with Han. Xiangyu at this point is still a lesser general under 楚怀王, showing the potential to be great, but not yet renowned around the country. Qing had just attacked 赵国 and had defeated them repeatedly, forcing them to retreat to what is now present day 今河北平乡西南. Chuhuai wang, not wanting to see zhao utterly defeated by Qing, decides to send 宋义, one of his generals, to help the struggling Zhao armies, and also orders a young Xiangyu to be his second in command. Songyi leads the chu troops to present day 今山东曹县东南, and stays there for 46 days straight, wanting to wait until the Qing troops are weakened after battle against Zhao troops before attacking Qing. Xiangyu was opposed to this strategy, as he noticed that troops were becoming lethargic with inaction and supplies of food were beginning to run low. Songyi, however, dismissed Xiangyu’s concerns and simply sat around all day doing nothing but drink wine. Xiangyu could not stand it any more, so he decided to take drastic action: he kills Songyi, takes control of Chu’s armies, and marches them across the Yellow River to fight the Qing troops. What is most amazing is that he orders his troops to sink their own ships, break their cooking cauldrons, and take only three days worth of food. His message was clear: we will win, or we will die trying to. Other lord’s armies were now also awaiting the outcome of the battle between Qing and Zhao, but none dared to attack Qing. Although his troops were outnumbered by the Qing’s 10 to 1, Xiangyu’s armies crushed Qing’s troops. Xiangyu gained much fame for his efforts. Conclusion The chengyu 破釜沉舟 now means an unwavering determination to do something. This article is related to 四面楚歌，东山再起.