Han Xin, a renowned military strategist of the late Qin and early Han dynasties, was from Huaiyin (southwest of modern-day Huaiyin, Jiangsu). He was appointed a grand general by Liu Bang, the first emperor of the Han dynasty, and made immense contributions to overthrowing the Chu state and establishing the Han dynasty. He was recognized as one of the "Three Heroes of Early Han," alongside Xiao He and Zhang Liang.

After Han Xin led the Han army to pacify the Qi region, he declared himself King of Qi, which aroused Liu Bang's suspicion. After Liu Bang became emperor, some secretly reported that Han Xin was plotting a rebellion. Liu Bang then adopted Chen Ping's strategy: he feigned a tour of Yunmeng Marsh (a famous wetland in Chu, now in Hubei) and had Han Xin arrested when he came to pay his respects in Chen. Han Xin was then escorted back to the capital.

Upon returning to Luoyang, the capital, Liu Bang announced a general amnesty. Han Xin was stripped of his title as King of Qi and demoted to "Marquis of Huaiyin."

Later, the relationship between Liu Bang and Han Xin somewhat eased. One day, at a banquet, Liu Bang asked Han Xin, "In your opinion, how many troops can a person like me command?" Han Xin replied, "Your Majesty can lead 100,000 troops." Liu Bang then asked, "And what about you?" Han Xin, without any false modesty, declared, "For me, the more, the better!" Liu Bang then laughed and said, "Since you are so skilled at commanding troops, how is it that I managed to capture you?" Han Xin paused for a moment before replying, "Although Your Majesty is not adept at leading troops personally, you are skilled at commanding generals. This is precisely the reason."