Account of Nanyue, Number 53

The King of Nanyue, Wei Tuo, was a native of Zhending, surnamed Zhao. By the time of the Qin dynasty, it had already annexed the world, conquered and pacified Yangyue, and established the commanderies of Guilin, Nanhai, and Xiangjun, relocating exiled commoners there to live intermingled with the Yue people for thirteen years. Wei Tuo, during the Qin dynasty, was appointed as the magistrate of Longchuan County in Nanhai Commandery. By the time of the Second Emperor of Qin, the Nanhai Commandery Governor Ren Xiao fell gravely ill and was near death. He summoned Zhao Tuo, the magistrate of Longchuan, and told him: "I have heard that Chen Sheng and others have risen in rebellion. The Qin dynasty enforces harsh governance, causing suffering among the people of the world. Xiang Yu, Liu Ji, Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, and others have each gathered troops in their provinces and prefectures, contending for the world like tigers. The Central Plains are in turmoil, and it is unknown when stability will be restored. The heroic figures have turned against Qin and established their own forces. Nanhai Commandery is remote and distant, and I fear that those bandit armies will encroach upon this land. I intended to raise troops, cut off the newly built roads, and prepare for self-defense, awaiting the changes among the feudal lords, but I have fallen gravely ill. Moreover, Panyu is backed by strategic mountain passes, relies on the Nanhai as a barrier, stretches thousands of li east and west, and has many Central Plains people assisting. This too could be the foundation for a regional ruler and the establishment of a state. Among the senior officials of the commandery, none are worthy of consultation, so I have summoned you to inform you of this." Thereupon, he handed over the commission documents to Zhao Tuo, appointing him as acting Governor of Nanhai. After Ren Xiao died, Zhao Tuo immediately issued proclamations to the passes of Hengpu, Yangshan, and Huangxi, stating: "Bandit troops are about to arrive; quickly cut off the roads, gather forces, and defend yourselves!" He then gradually, according to law, executed the officials appointed by the Qin dynasty, replacing them with his own partisans in the commanderies and counties. After the Qin dynasty was destroyed, Zhao Tuo led troops to attack and occupy Guilin Commandery and Xiangjun, declaring himself the Martial King of Nanyue. When Emperor Gaozu of Han pacified the world, he spared Zhao Tuo from attack due to the exhaustion of the Central Plains people. In the eleventh year of Emperor Gaozu of Han, he sent Lu Jia to take advantage of the situation and establish Zhao Tuo as the King of Nanyue, granting him a tally of authority and establishing diplomatic relations, pacifying the Hundred Yue, and ensuring that Nanyue would not become a scourge on the southern border, bordering the Changsha Kingdom.

During the reign of Empress Dowager Lü, the relevant officials requested a ban on the sale of iron tools to Nanyue at border markets. Zhao Tuo said: "Emperor Gaozu established me as king and facilitated mutual envoys and goods. Now, Empress Dowager Lü listens to slander, treats the barbarians differently, and cuts off the exchange of goods. This must be the scheme of the King of Changsha, who wants to rely on the Central Plains to destroy Nanyue and annex it as his own territory to claim merit." Thereupon, Zhao Tuo assumed the exalted title of Martial Emperor of Nanyue and launched troops to attack the border towns of the Changsha Kingdom, capturing several counties before withdrawing. Empress Dowager Lü sent General Longlühou Zhou Zao to attack Zhao Tuo. At the time, it was hot and humid, and a severe epidemic broke out among the soldiers, preventing the army from crossing the Five Ranges. After more than a year, Empress Dowager Lü died, and the Han forces withdrew. Zhao Tuo then used his military might to display his power along the borders and bribed the Minyue, Xi'ou, and Luoyue with goods and wealth, bringing them under his control and service. His territory stretched over ten thousand li from east to west. He then rode in a carriage with a yellow canopy, raised a left-mounted standard, proclaimed himself Emperor, and equated himself with the Emperor of the Central Plains.

In the first year of Emperor Xiaowen of Han, the court had just pacified the world. The Emperor sent envoys to inform the feudal lords and the barbarians of the four directions of his intention to ascend the throne from the Dai kingdom, proclaiming his great virtue. Thereupon, he established guards for the graves of Zhao Tuo's parents in Zhending, offering seasonal sacrifices. He also summoned Zhao Tuo's cousins, granting them high-ranking positions and generous gifts to show favor. He issued an edict to Chancellor Chen Ping and other high officials to recommend someone who could be sent as an envoy to Nanyue. Chen Ping said that Lu Jia of Haozhi had served as an envoy to Nanyue during the reign of the previous emperor and was familiar with the situation. Thereupon, Lu Jia was summoned and appointed as Grand Palace Attendant, and sent as an envoy to Nanyue. He took the opportunity to reprimand Zhao Tuo for declaring himself Emperor without even sending a single envoy to report this. When Lu Jia arrived in Nanyue, the King of Nanyue was greatly frightened and wrote a letter of apology, stating: "I, the barbarian elder minister Tuo, previously was isolated and alienated by Empress Dowager Lü. I privately suspected that the King of Changsha had slandered me. Furthermore, I heard from afar that Empress Dowager Lü had killed all my clan and dug up and burned the graves of my ancestors. Therefore, I abandoned myself and encroached upon the borders of the Changsha Kingdom. Moreover, the southern lands are low and damp, and among the barbarians, the Minyue to the east, with only a few thousand people, proclaims itself a kingdom, and the Ou and Luo states to the west, where people go naked, also call themselves kings. I, the old minister, presumptuously usurped the imperial title merely for temporary amusement. How would I dare to inform the Heavenly King!" Thereupon, he kowtowed in apology, expressing his willingness to long remain a vassal of the Han dynasty and to fulfill his tribute duties. He then issued an order within his state, saying: "I have heard that two male birds cannot stand together, and two wise men cannot coexist in the same era. The Han Emperor is a wise Son of Heaven. From now on, I will abolish the imperial system, the yellow-canopied carriage, and the left-mounted standard." Lu Jia returned to report, and Emperor Xiaowen was greatly pleased. Thus, until the reign of Emperor Xiaojing of Han, the King of Nanyue remained a vassal, sending envoys to pay court and offer greetings. However, within his own state, the King of Nanyue still secretly used his original imperial titles. When sending envoys to the Son of Heaven, he styled himself as a king and followed the commands of the court like a feudal lord. He died in the fourth year of the Jianyuan era.

Zhao Tuo's grandson, Zhao Hu, succeeded him as King of Nanyue. At this time, the King of Minyue, Ying, raised troops to attack the border towns of Nanyue. Zhao Hu sent a memorial to the court, saying: "Both Yue kingdoms are vassals of the Han dynasty and must not raise troops to attack each other without authorization. Now the King of Minyue has invaded me without cause. I dare not act without authorization and only request the Son of Heaven's judgment." The Son of Heaven then praised Nanyue's righteousness and ability to uphold its duties and covenant. For this reason, he dispatched troops, sending two generals to punish Minyue. Before the army had crossed the Five Ranges, the younger brother of the King of Minyue, Yushan, killed Ying and surrendered, so the troops were withdrawn.

The Son of Heaven sent Zhuang Zhu to inform the King of Nanyue of his intentions. Zhao Hu kowtowed and said: "The Son of Heaven has raised troops to punish Minyue for my sake. I cannot repay this kindness even with my death!" Thereupon, he sent his heir, Yingqi, to the Han court to serve as a guard. He said to Zhuang Zhu: "My state has just suffered an invasion. Please, envoy, return first. I am preparing day and night to pack my belongings and travel to court to pay homage to the Son of Heaven." After Zhuang Zhu left, the high ministers of Nanyue remonstrated with Zhao Hu, saying: "The Han dynasty sent troops to execute Ying, also using this to intimidate Nanyue. Moreover, the late king said in the past: 'In serving the Son of Heaven, one must only not lose propriety. The important thing is not to enter court just because of flattering words.' If you enter court, you cannot return; this is the path to the state's ruin." Thereupon, Zhao Hu claimed illness and ultimately did not go to court. After more than ten years, Zhao Hu indeed fell gravely ill, and the heir, Yingqi, requested to return. Zhao Hu died and was posthumously titled King Wen.

After Yingqi succeeded to the throne, he hid the seal of the previous Martial Emperor. While serving as a guard in Chang'an, Yingqi married a woman from the Ju clan of Handan, who bore him a son named Zhao Xing. When he ascended the throne, he submitted a memorial requesting that the Ju woman be made queen and Zhao Xing be made heir. The Han court repeatedly sent envoys to subtly urge Yingqi to enter court. Yingqi enjoyed wielding the power of life and death arbitrarily and was afraid that if he entered court, he would be forced to adopt Han laws and be treated as an equal to the feudal lords within the realm. Therefore, he persistently claimed illness and ultimately did not go to court. He only sent his son, Cigong, to the court to serve as a guard. Yingqi died and was posthumously titled King Ming.

The heir, Zhao Xing, succeeded to the throne. His mother became the Queen Dowager. Before becoming Yingqi's consort, the Queen Dowager had had an illicit relationship with An Guoshaoji of Baling. After Yingqi's death, in the fourth year of the Yuanding era, the Han court sent An Guoshaoji to Nanyue to instruct the King and Queen Dowager of Nanyue to enter court and be treated as equals to the feudal lords within the realm. They also sent the eloquent adviser, Grand Master of Remonstrance Zhong Jun, to convey the imperial will, and the brave man Wei Chen to assist where needed. Colonel of the Guards Lu Bode led troops stationed in Guiyang, awaiting news from the envoys. The King of Nanyue was young, and the Queen Dowager was a Central Plains person. She had previously had an illicit relationship with An Guoshaoji, and now, as envoy, he resumed the affair. Many people in Nanyue knew of this, and many did not support the Queen Dowager. The Queen Dowager, fearing a revolt, also wanted to rely on the might of the Han dynasty. She repeatedly urged the King of Nanyue and his ministers to request submission to the Han. Thereupon, through the envoys, they submitted a memorial requesting to be treated as equals to the feudal lords within the realm, to pay court once every three years, and to abolish the border barriers. The Son of Heaven then granted this, bestowing upon the Nanyue Chancellor Lü Jia a silver seal, as well as seals for the Palace Secretary, Commandant, and Grand Tutor. Other offices could be established as they saw fit. They abolished Nanyue's original punishments of tattooing and nose-cutting, adopted Han laws, and were treated as equals to the feudal lords within the realm. The envoys all remained in Nanyue to maintain order. The King of Nanyue and the Queen Dowager prepared their baggage and lavish gifts, making preparations to enter court.

The prime minister of Nanyue, Lü Jia, was very old and had served three generations of Nanyue kings. More than seventy members of his clan held important official positions; all his male relatives married daughters of the Nanyue king, and all his female relatives married brothers or other members of the royal house. He also had marriage ties with the King of Cangwu and Qin. His influence within the state was extremely prominent; the Yue people trusted him, many served as his informants, and his popularity exceeded that of the Nanyue king. When the Nanyue king submitted a petition requesting incorporation into the Han Empire, Lü Jia repeatedly advised against it, but the king did not listen. Lü Jia then developed rebellious intentions and frequently claimed illness to avoid meeting with Han envoys. The envoys all observed Lü Jia’s movements, but circumstances prevented them from killing him. The Nanyue king and the queen dowager also feared that Lü Jia and others might strike first, so they held a banquet, intending to use the authority of the Han envoys to plot the assassination of Lü Jia and his faction. The envoys all sat facing east, the queen dowager faced south, the Nanyue king faced north, and Prime Minister Lü Jia with his ministers all faced west, sitting as drinking companions. Lü Jia’s younger brother served as a general, commanding troops stationed outside the palace. After several rounds of wine, the queen dowager said to Lü Jia: “Nanyue’s submission to Han is beneficial to the state, yet you, Prime Minister, consider it disadvantageous—why is that?” She intended to provoke the Han envoys into action. The envoys hesitated, looking at each other, and in the end, no one dared to act. Seeing the tense atmosphere, Lü Jia immediately rose and left. The queen dowager, enraged, tried to stab Lü Jia with a spear, but the Nanyue king stopped her. Lü Jia then went out, deployed his brother’s troops to guard his residence, claimed illness, and refused to see the Nanyue king or the Han envoys. He then secretly plotted rebellion with his ministers. The Nanyue king had never intended to kill Lü Jia, and Lü Jia knew this, so for several months no rebellion broke out. The queen dowager had engaged in licentious behavior, and the people did not support her; she wanted to kill Lü Jia and his faction alone, but lacked the strength to do so.

When the Son of Heaven heard that Lü Jia was disobeying the Nanyue king, and that the king and queen dowager were too weak to control the situation, and that the Han envoys sent were cowardly and indecisive, he also thought that since the Nanyue king and queen dowager had already submitted to Han, only Lü Jia was causing trouble, which did not warrant raising an army. He planned to send Zhuang Can with two thousand men on a mission to Nanyue. Zhuang Can said: “If it is a peaceful mission, a few men are enough; if it is a military one, two thousand men are insufficient to succeed.” He declined and refused, so the Son of Heaven dismissed him. Han Qianqiu, a stalwart from Jia County and former Chancellor of Jibei, said with fervor: “Given Nanyue’s small territory, with the king and queen dowager as internal allies, and only Prime Minister Lü Jia as the obstacle, I request two hundred brave men, and I will surely cut off Lü Jia’s head and report back.” So the Son of Heaven sent Han Qianqiu and the queen dowager’s younger brother, Jiu Le, with two thousand men to enter Nanyue territory. Lü Jia and his faction then rebelled, issuing an order within the state: “The king is young. The queen dowager is a Central Plains woman, and she has engaged in licentious acts with the Han envoys, caring only to submit to Han. She has given all the former king’s treasures to the Son of Heaven to curry favor, and she has taken many attendants with her; when they reach Chang’an, they will be sold as slaves. She seeks only short-term personal gain, disregarding the Zhao family’s state and not considering future generations.” Then Lü Jia and his younger brother led troops to attack and kill the Nanyue king, the queen dowager, and the Han envoys. They also sent word to the King of Cangwu and Qin, and to all commanderies and counties, establishing the eldest son of the Ming King, Zhao Jiande, the Marquis of Shuyang, born of the Nanyue king’s wife, as the new king. Meanwhile, Han Qianqiu’s army, after entering Nanyue, broke through several small cities. Then the Yue people directly cleared the way, supplied food, and at a place forty li from Panyu, they attacked Han Qianqiu and his men, annihilating them all. The Yue people sent someone to place the Han envoys’ credentials in a box at the border, offering false words of apology in a contemptuous manner, while deploying troops to guard strategic points. Thereupon, the Son of Heaven said: “Although Han Qianqiu did not succeed, he was still outstanding among the vanguard.” So he enfeoffed his son, Han Yannian, as the Marquis of Cheng’an. Jiu Le’s sister was the queen dowager, who first wished to submit to Han, so he enfeoffed her son, Jiu Guangde, as the Marquis of Longkang. Then the Son of Heaven issued an edict: “When the Son of Heaven’s power waned, the feudal lords attacked each other, and people only criticized subjects for not punishing rebels. Now Lü Jia and Zhao Jiande have rebelled, establishing themselves as kings and acting complacently. I order that criminals and the naval forces from south of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, one hundred thousand men, go to punish them.”

In the autumn of the fifth year of the Yuanding era (112 BCE), Lu Bode, the Commandant of the Guards, served as the General of the Vanguard, setting out from Guiyang and descending along the Hui River; Yang Pu, the Chief Commandant of Nobles, served as the General of the Towered Ships, setting out from Yuzhang and descending along the Hengpu River; two former Nanyue marquis who had submitted to Han served as the General of the Ge Ships and the General of the Xia Li, setting out from Lingling, some descending along the Li River and others heading straight to Cangwu; also, the Marquis of Chiyi was sent to use criminals from Ba and Shu to mobilize the Yelang army, descending along the Zangke River: all armies were to rendezvous at Panyu.

In the winter of the sixth year of the Yuanding era (111 BCE), the General of the Towered Ships led elite troops to first capture Xunxia, break through Shimen, and seize Nanyue’s ships and grain, then pressed forward, blunting the enemy’s edge, and led tens of thousands of men to await the General of the Vanguard. The General of the Vanguard led criminals, but due to the long route, he missed the rendezvous, meeting the General of the Towered Ships with only over a thousand men. They then advanced together, with the General of the Towered Ships in front, reaching Panyu. Zhao Jiande and Lü Jia both defended the city. The General of the Towered Ships chose a favorable position and camped to the southeast; the General of the Vanguard camped to the northwest. As evening fell, the General of the Towered Ships defeated the Yue people and set fire to the city. The Yue people had long heard of the General of the Vanguard’s reputation, and in the dark, they did not know how many troops he had. The General of the Vanguard then set up camp, sent envoys to summon the Yue people to surrender, granted them official seals, and sent them again to summon others. The General of the Towered Ships attacked fiercely with fire, but instead drove the enemy into the General of the Vanguard’s camp. At dawn, all the Yue people in the city surrendered to the General of the Vanguard. Lü Jia and Zhao Jiande had already fled into the sea at night with several hundred of their followers, heading west by boat. The General of the Vanguard, by questioning surrendered Yue nobles, learned of Lü Jia’s whereabouts and sent men to pursue him. The former Colonel Sima Su Hong captured Zhao Jiande and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Haichang; the Nanyue courtier Du Ji captured Lü Jia and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Lincai.

Zhao Guang, the King of Cangwu, shared the same surname as the Nanyue king. Hearing of the Han army’s arrival, along with Shi Ding, the magistrate of Jieyang County in Nanyue, he decided to submit to Han; Ju Weng, the Nanyue Governor of Guilin, persuaded the Ouluo to submit to Han: all these men were enfeoffed as marquises. The armies of the General of the Ge Ships, the General of the Xia Li, and the Yelang forces mobilized by the Marquis of Chiyi had not yet arrived when Nanyue was already pacified. Nanyue was then divided into nine commanderies. The General of the Vanguard had his fief increased. The General of the Towered Ships, due to his merit in breaking the enemy, was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Jiangliang.

From the time Wei Tuo first proclaimed himself king, the line passed through five generations, spanning ninety-three years, until the state of Nanyue was extinguished.

The Grand Historian says: Wei Tuo was able to become king originally due to Ren Xiao’s promotion. It happened that the Han dynasty had just pacified the empire, and he was enfeoffed as a feudal lord. The Marquis of Longlü withdrew due to Nanyue’s humid heat and epidemics, so Wei Tuo grew even more arrogant. The Ouluo attacked each other, and Nanyue was also shaken. The Han army approached the border, and Yingqi entered the court for an audience. Later, Nanyue’s downfall stemmed from the Jiu woman; Lü Jia’s petty loyalty caused Wei Tuo to have no descendants. The General of the Towered Ships indulged his desires, grew negligent and arrogant, and lost his resolve; the General of the Vanguard faced difficulties, yet his wisdom increased, turning misfortune into fortune. The transformation of success and failure is as unpredictable as the twisting of ropes.

When the heroes contended for power in the Central Plains, no feudal lord could control them. Han power expanded westward, while Nanyue claimed authority in the south. Lu Jia’s persuasion succeeded, and Wei Tuo abandoned his imperial title. The Jiu dowager entered the court to submit, but Lü Jia was violent and cruel. Lord and minister could not be of one mind, and in the end they were destroyed and cast aside.