Annals of Han, Volume 13
From the year Xuanmo Tunzhan to the year Xuanmu Dunzang, a total of eleven years.
Shizong Xiaowu Huangdi, Part Two, Section One
Yuanfeng Second Year (Renshen Year, 109 BCE)
1 In winter, the tenth month, the Emperor traveled to Yong, offering sacrifices to the Five Emperors; upon returning, he also sacrificed to Taiyi, using this to welcome the Virtuous Star.
2 In spring, the first month, Gongsun Qing said: "I saw a divine being on Mount Donglai, who seemed to say he wished to see the Son of Heaven." The Son of Heaven then traveled to Goushi City, appointed Gongsun Qing as Zhongdafu, and subsequently went to Donglai, where he stayed for several days without seeing anything, only seeing giant footprints. He also dispatched alchemists to seek gods and spirits, gathering lingzhi mushrooms and medicinal herbs, numbering in the thousands. At that time there was a drought, and since the Son of Heaven had no proper pretext for his outing, he prayed to Wanlisha. In summer, the fourth month, he returned, offering sacrifices to Mount Tai along the way.
3 Initially, the Yellow River had breached its banks at Huzi, and for over twenty years it had not been repaired, causing severe damage to the lands of Liang and Chu. This year, the Emperor sent Ji Ren and Guo Chang, both officials, leading tens of thousands of soldiers to seal the breach at Huzi. The Son of Heaven returned from Mount Tai and personally went to the breach site, sinking white horses and jade disks into the river, commanding the assembled ministers and attendant officials, from the rank of general downward, to carry brushwood, and finally sealed the breach. On the river, he built a palace named Xuanfang Palace. He directed the Yellow River to flow northward in two channels, restoring the old course from the time of Yu, and the lands of Liang and Chu became stable again, free from floods.
4 The Emperor returned to Chang'an.
5 He began ordering the Yue shaman to sacrifice to Heaven and all spirits, and to use chicken bones for divination.
6 Gongsun Qing said that immortals preferred to dwell in towers, so the Emperor ordered the construction of the Feilian Guan and Gui Guan in Chang'an, and the Yishou Guan and Yanshou Guan at Ganquan, sending Gongsun Qing with credentials and prepared facilities to await the divine beings. He also built the Tongtianjing Tai, placing sacrificial vessels beneath it. He renovated the front hall of the Ganquan Palace, expanding and adding to the various halls and rooms.
7 Initially, during the time of the full Yan state, it had conquered and subjugated Zhenfan and Chaoxian, setting up officials and building border fortifications. After Qin destroyed Yan, these areas belonged to the outer frontier of Liaodong Commandery. After the Han was established, because the area was distant and hard to defend, it again repaired the old border fortifications of Liaodong Commandery, taking the Pishui River as the boundary, and placing it under Yan. When the King of Yan, Lu Wan, rebelled and fled to the Xiongnu, a Yan man named Wei Man fled, gathered a following of over a thousand people, wore his hair in a topknot and dressed in barbarian clothing, and escaped east out of the border, crossing the Pishui River. He settled in the upper and lower fortresses of the vacant lands formerly belonging to Qin, gradually subjugating and making vassals of the barbarians of Zhenfan and Chaoxian, as well as fugitives from Yan, and established himself as king, with his capital at Wangxian City. During the reigns of Emperor Xiaohui and Empress Gao, when the realm had just been stabilized, the Grand Administrator of Liaodong made an agreement with Wei Man: Wei Man would serve as an outer vassal of Han, protecting the barbarians beyond the border, preventing them from invading the frontier; and if the various barbarian chieftains wished to come to court to see the Son of Heaven, they were not to be prohibited. Thus Wei Man, relying on his military strength and resources, was able to annex and subdue other small surrounding states, and Zhenfan and Lintun all came to submit and obey, his territory stretching several thousand li. When the throne passed to his grandson Youqu, more and more Han fugitives were lured there, and he never came to court to see the Son of Heaven. The Chen State wished to send a memorial requesting an audience with the Son of Heaven, but he obstructed it. This year, the Han sent She He to admonish him, but Youqu ultimately refused to accept the imperial decree. When She He left and reached the border, near the Pishui River, he ordered his charioteer to assassinate the deputy king of Chaoxian who was escorting him, named Chang. He then crossed the Pishui River, galloped into the border fortress, and returned to report to the Son of Heaven, saying: "I killed a general of Chaoxian." The Emperor considered this a good pretext and did not pursue the matter, appointing She He as Commandant of the Eastern Region of Liaodong. Chaoxian, resentful of She He, sent troops to attack and kill him.
8 In the sixth month, a nine-stemmed lingzhi mushroom grew in a room of the Ganquan Palace, and the Emperor granted a general amnesty.
9 The Emperor was worried about the drought, and Gongsun Qing said: "During the time of the Yellow Emperor, performing fengshan would bring a drought, requiring three years of drought to dry the seal earth." The Emperor then issued an edict: "The drought—could it be that Heaven wishes to dry the seal earth?"
10 In autumn, a Mingtang was built beside the Wenshui River.
11 The Emperor recruited all those condemned to death throughout the realm to serve in the army, and sent General of the Towered Ships, Yang Pu, to cross the Bohai Sea from Qi by ship, and General of the Left, Xun Zhi, to march out from Liaodong, jointly attacking Chaoxian.
12 Initially, the Emperor sent Wang Ranyu, using the prestige of defeating Nanyue and exterminating Nanyi, to persuade the King of Dian to come to court. The King of Dian had a population of tens of thousands, and his neighbors to the northeast, Laoshen and Mimo, shared the same surname with the King of Dian and relied on each other, refusing to obey. Laoshen and Mimo repeatedly attacked the Han envoys' officials and soldiers. So the Emperor sent General Guo Chang and Zhonglangjiang Wei Guang to raise troops from Ba Commandery and Shu Commandery to attack and destroy Laoshen and Mimo, then led the army to approach the Dian State. The King of Dian surrendered his entire state, requesting the establishment of officials and permission to come to court. The Han then established Yizhou Commandery there, granted the King of Dian a royal seal, and allowed him to continue ruling his people.
At this time, the Han had destroyed Nanyue and Dongyue, pacified the Southwestern Yi, and established seventeen initial commanderies, governing them according to local customs and levying no taxes. The original commanderies of Nanyang and Hanzhong, each based on geographic distance, supplied the salaries and food, coinage and goods, courier carriages, and horse tack for the officials and soldiers of the initial commanderies. These initial commanderies frequently experienced small-scale rebellions, killing officials, and the Han would send officials and soldiers from the south to suppress them, mobilizing over ten thousand men every other year, with all expenses relying on the Grand Minister of Agriculture. The Grand Minister of Agriculture used the equal transportation system and regulated the salt and iron monopoly to supplement tax revenue, thus able to meet these expenses. However, wherever the army went, the counties only exerted themselves to supply necessities without causing shortages, and dared not arbitrarily impose tax laws.
13 This year, Du Zhou, the Censorate Secretary from Nanyang, was appointed Tingwei. Du Zhou appeared outwardly lenient but was inwardly harsh and penetrating to the bone; in handling cases, he largely imitated Zhang Tang. At that time, the number of cases directly ordered by the Emperor grew increasingly, with officials at the rank of two thousand shi being imprisoned, new and old cases accumulating to no fewer than a hundred; the Tingwei tried over a thousand cases in a single year, each large case involving hundreds of witnesses, and smaller ones dozens; those from afar traveled thousands of li, and those nearby hundreds of li to confront and testify. The prisoners held in the Tingwei and the various capital offices' prisons reached sixty to seventy thousand, and with added connections and charges brought by officials, it exceeded one hundred thousand.
Yuanfeng Third Year (Guisi Year, 108 BCE)
1 In winter, the twelfth month, there was thunder; hailstones fell, some as large as a horse's head.
2 The Emperor sent General Zhao Ponu to attack Cheshi. Zhao Ponu, with over seven hundred light cavalry, arrived first, captured the King of Loulan, then broke Cheshi, and using this military might, besieged states like Wusun and Dayuan. In spring, the first month, on the day Jiashen, Zhao Ponu was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Zhuoye. Wang Hui assisted Zhao Ponu in attacking Loulan and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Hao. From then on, the beacon towers established in Jiuquan Commandery extended to the Yumen Pass.
3 The performances of jue-di and fish-dragon and serpentine acrobatics began.
4 The Han army entered the Korean border, and King Ugeo of Joseon dispatched troops to hold strategic terrain in defense. The Tower Ship General led seven thousand soldiers from the Qi region and arrived first at the city of Wanggeom-seong. Ugeo defended the city, and learning that the Tower Ship General had few troops, he launched an attack from the city against the Tower Ship army; the Tower Ship army was defeated and scattered, fleeing into the mountains for over ten days, gradually gathering and collecting the scattered soldiers, reassembling them. The Left General attacked the Joseon troops stationed on the western bank of the Pae River but was unable to achieve victory. The Son of Heaven, because the two generals were fighting unsuccessfully, sent Wei Shan to use military might to admonish Ugeo into submission. Ugeo, upon seeing the envoy, kowtowed and confessed his fault, saying: "I am willing to surrender, but I fear that the two generals will deceive and kill me. Now that I have seen the imperial credentials, permit me to surrender again." He then sent the Crown Prince to the Han court to apologize, offering five thousand warhorses and provisions for the army; the Prince was accompanied by over ten thousand followers, all bearing weapons, about to cross the Pae River. The envoy and the Left General suspected they might start a rebellion, and said to the Prince: "Since you have already submitted, you should order the people not to carry weapons." The Prince also suspected that the envoy and the Left General would deceive and kill him, so he did not cross the Pae River and led his troops back. Wei Shan returned to the capital to report to the Son of Heaven, who executed Wei Shan.
The Left General broke through the enemy forces on the Pae River, then advanced to the foot of Wanggeom-seong, besieging its northwestern part. The Tower Ship General also went to join him, encamping in the southern part of the city. Ugeo then held the city firmly, and after several months, it had not been taken. The soldiers under the Left General, from Yan and Dai regions, were mostly strong and fierce, while those under the Tower Ship General, from Qi, had previously suffered defeat and disgrace; the soldiers were very fearful, and the general felt ashamed in his heart. Therefore, during the siege of Ugeo, he often advocated for peace negotiations. The Left General attacked fiercely, and Joseon ministers secretly sent men to privately arrange a surrender with the Tower Ship General; envoys came and went discussing it but had not yet made a final decision. The Left General repeatedly agreed with the Tower Ship General on a date for a joint attack, but the Tower Ship General, wanting to facilitate a peace agreement with Joseon, did not join him. The Left General also sent men to find an opportunity to persuade Joseon to surrender, but Joseon refused, instead inclining toward the Tower Ship General, so the two generals were at odds. The Left General suspected in his heart that the Tower Ship General, having previously committed the crime of losing his army in defeat and now privately communicating with Joseon, which refused to surrender, harbored rebellious intentions, but he did not dare to act.
The Son of Heaven, because the two generals were attacking the city with inconsistent actions and the campaign had dragged on without result, sent Gongsun Sui, the Grand Administrator of Jinan, to correct the situation and granted him the authority to act according to circumstances. When Gongsun Sui arrived, the Left General said: "Joseon should have fallen long ago. The reason it has taken so long is that the Tower Ship General has repeatedly failed to rendezvous on time." He then related all his long-held suspicions to Gongsun Sui, saying: "If we do not seize him now, I fear he will become a great calamity." Gongsun Sui agreed with him, so he summoned the Tower Ship General with the imperial credentials to the Left General's camp to discuss military affairs, and then ordered the Left General's subordinates to arrest the Tower Ship General and merge his army with the Left General's. Gongsun Sui reported the situation to the Son of Heaven, who executed Gongsun Sui.
After the Left General merged the two armies, he launched a fierce attack on Joseon. The Chancellor of Joseon, No-in, the Chancellor Han Eum, the Nisang Chancellor Cham, and General Wang Hyeop consulted together, saying: "Initially, we wanted to surrender to the Tower Ship General, but he has now been arrested. Only the Left General commands the army, and his attacks are even more intense; I fear we cannot resist. Moreover, the king refuses to surrender." Han Eum, Wang Hyeop, and No-in all fled and surrendered to Han, and No-in died on the way. In the summer, the Nisang Chancellor Cham sent someone to kill King Ugeo of Joseon and surrendered. Wanggeom-seong had not yet fallen, and a former minister of Ugeo, Seonggi, rebelled again and attacked Han officials. The Left General sent Ugeo's son, Jang, and the son of the surrendered Chancellor No-in, Choe, to proclaim to the city's inhabitants. Seonggi was killed. Thus, Joseon was finally pacified, and the four commanderies of Lelang, Lintun, Xuantu, and Zhenfan were established. Cham was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Diqing, Han Eum as the Marquis of Chuju, Wang Hyeop as the Marquis of Pyeongju, Jang (son of Ugeo) as the Marquis of Gi, and Choe (son of No-in), because his father died on the road and he himself had considerable merit, was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Nieyang.
The Left General was recalled to the capital, and for the crime of contending for merit out of jealousy and devising erroneous plans, he was sentenced to death and executed in the marketplace. The Tower Ship General also committed the crime of leading his army to Liekou, where he was supposed to wait for the Left General, but instead attacked first, causing heavy casualties and losses to his soldiers; he was deserving of death, but after paying a ransom, he was degraded to commoner status.
Ban Gu says: The commanderies of Xuantu and Lelang were originally the fiefdom of Gija. In ancient times, Gija lived in Joseon, teaching the people with ritual and righteousness, instructing them in farming, sericulture, and weaving, and established eight prohibitions for the people: those who killed each other were to be compensated with the current life price; those who injured each other were to be compensated with grain; thieves were to have their men confiscated as slaves of the victim's household, and women as maidservants; those who wished to redeem themselves had to pay 500,000 cash per person, and even if they were pardoned and became commoners, the custom still held this in shame, and in marriages, no one was willing to form an alliance with them. Therefore, the people there never stole from each other, had no need to lock their doors, women were chaste and faithful, and did not engage in licentious or depraved conduct. In rural areas, meals were served in bamboo vessels, while those in towns often imitated officials and used cups and dishes for eating. At the beginning, the commandery offices transferred officials from Liaodong, who saw that the people had no habit of locking up their possessions. When merchants traveled there, they would steal at night, and the customs gradually became shallow. Nowadays, the number of those violating the prohibitions is increasing, and the prohibitions have increased to over sixty articles. How valuable is the teaching of benevolent and worthy men! Yet the Eastern Yi people are naturally gentle and obedient, unlike those outside the other three directions. Therefore, Confucius lamented that the Great Way could not be implemented, and he intended to take a raft and drift out to sea, wanting to live among the Nine Yi tribes—there was a reason for this!
5 In autumn, the seventh month, Liu Duan, the King of Jiaoxi, died.
6 The Di people of Wudu Commandery rebelled, and they were relocated to Jiuquan Commandery.
In the fourth year of the Yuanfeng era (Jiaxu year; 107 BCE).
1 In winter, the tenth month, the Emperor traveled to Yong, sacrificed to the Five Emperors. He opened the Huizhong Road, then passed through Xiao Pass to the north. He passed through Dulu Mountain and Mingze, returning from Dai, and visited Hedong Commandery. In spring, the third month, he sacrificed to the Earth God, pardoned criminals in Fenyin, Xiayang, and Zhongdu who had committed crimes punishable by death or less.
2 In summer, there was a great drought.
3 Since Wei Qing and Huo Qubing crossed the Mobei Desert, the Xiongnu rarely came to harass again. They moved far northward, resting their soldiers and horses, practicing archery and hunting, and repeatedly sent envoys to Han with flattering words and sweet talk to request marriage alliances. The Han sent Wang Wu from Beidi and others to spy on the Xiongnu. Wang Wu conformed to Xiongnu customs, removed his credentials, and entered the felt tents. The Chanyu liked him and pretended with sweet words to promise that he would send his crown prince to the Han as a hostage. The Han sent Yang Xin as an envoy to the Xiongnu, but Yang Xin refused to follow Xiongnu customs. The Chanyu said: “The old treaty stipulated that the Han once sent imperial princesses, supplied silks, and provided provisions at fixed grades to effect peace, and the Xiongnu would not raid the borders. Now you want to violate the old rules and make my crown prince a hostage—this is hardly to be hoped for.” After Yang Xin returned, the Han sent Wang Wu again, and the Chanyu coaxed him with sweet words, hoping to gain more Han goods, deceiving Wang Wu by saying: “I wish to enter the Han court to see the Son of Heaven in person and become sworn brothers.” Wang Wu reported back to the Han, and the Han built a residence for the Chanyu in Chang’an. The Xiongnu said: “Unless a noble envoy from the Han comes, we will not speak our true intentions.” The Xiongnu sent their noble to the Han, but he fell ill. The Han gave him medicine, trying to cure him, but unfortunately he died. The Han sent Lu Chongguo, bearing the seal and ribbon of a two-thousand-picul official, as an envoy, taking the opportunity to escort his funeral, with burial expenses worth several thousand gold, saying: “This is a Han noble.” The Chanyu thought that the Han had killed their noble envoy, so he detained Lu Chongguo and would not let him return. As for what had been said, the Chanyu merely deceived Wang Wu with empty words, with no intention of entering the Han or sending the crown prince. Thus the Xiongnu repeatedly sent elite troops to raid the Han borders. Consequently, Guo Chang was appointed General of Pulling Out the Barbarians, and together with the Zhuoye Marquis Zhao Ponu, they stationed troops east of Shuofang Commandery to guard against the Xiongnu.
Yuanfeng Fifth Year (Yi Hai, 106 BCE)
1 In winter, the Emperor toured southward for hunting, reaching Shengtang, and from afar sacrificed to Yu Shun at Jiuyi Mountain. He ascended Tianzhu Mountain in Qian County, crossed the river by boat from Xunyang, personally shot a jiao dragon in the river, and captured it. The boats stretched in a continuous line for a thousand li, stopped at Zongyang, and then went ashore. He then proceeded north to Langye Commandery, traveling along the coast, and at every place he passed, he performed sacrifices and paid respects to the local famous mountains and great rivers. In spring, in the third month, he returned to Mount Tai and added to the sealed earth. On the day Jiazi, he first sacrificed to the Supreme Emperor in the Bright Hall, with Gaozu as his associate, and thereby received the homage of the feudal kings and marquises, accepting the annual account registers from the commanderies and kingdoms. In summer, in the fourth month, a general amnesty was granted, and the counties the Emperor had visited were exempted from the year's land tax and levies. After returning, he stopped at the Sweet Springs Palace and sacrificed to the Heavenly Emperor at the Tai Altar.
2 The Lie Marquis of Changping, Wei Qing, died. His tomb was constructed to resemble the shape of Mount Lu.
3 Having already repelled and expelled the Xiongnu and Nanyue, opened up territory, and extended the borders, the Emperor established the Jiaozhi Province, Shuofang Province, as well as Ji Province, You Province, Bing Province, Yan Province, Xu Province, Qing Province, Yang Province, Jing Province, Yu Province, Yi Province, and Liang Province, making a total of thirteen provincial departments, each with a Regional Inspector.
4 Because the famous civil and military officials were nearly all gone, the Emperor issued an edict saying: “To achieve extraordinary accomplishments, one must await extraordinary talents. Thus some horses that kick and bite can still travel a thousand li, and some scholars burdened by worldly criticism can still establish merit and fame. Those unruly horses and unrestrained scholars—it all depends on how one handles them. Order the provinces and commanderies to examine officials and commoners for those with outstanding abilities and exceptional virtue who can serve as generals or ministers, or as envoys to distant countries.”
Yuanfeng Sixth Year (Bing Zi, 105 BCE)
1 In winter, the Emperor traveled and stopped at Huizhong.
2 In spring, the Shoushan Palace was constructed.
3 In the third month, the Emperor traveled to Hedong Commandery, sacrificed to the Earth God, and pardoned criminals in Fenyin who were sentenced to decapitation or less.
4 The Han had already established communication with the Southwestern Yi, setting up five commanderies, and wished to connect the territories in order to reach Daxia. Each year they sent over a dozen missions from these newly established commanderies, but they were all blocked by Kunming, who killed the envoys and seized their goods. Thus the Son of Heaven pardoned fugitives from the capital, ordered them to join the army, and sent General of Pulling Out the Barbarians Guo Chang to lead them in attacking Kunming, beheading several hundred thousand people. Later, envoys were again sent, but the route was never successfully opened.
5 In autumn, there was a great drought and a locust plague.
6 The Wusun envoys saw the vastness of the Han territory, reported back to their country, and their country thereby valued the Han even more. The Xiongnu, hearing that the Wusun had relations with the Han, became angry and wanted to attack them. Additionally, neighboring states like Dayuan and Yuezhi all served the Han, so the Wusun grew fearful and sent envoys expressing their wish to marry a Han princess and become sworn brothers. The Son of Heaven discussed with his ministers and agreed. The Wusun used a thousand horses as a betrothal gift to marry a Han woman. The Han made Liu Jian’s daughter, the Princess of Jiangdu, named Xijun, a princess, and sent her to marry the Wusun king; the gifts were exceedingly generous. The Wusun king, Kunmo, made her his Right Wife. The Xiongnu also sent a woman to marry Kunmo, making her his Left Wife. The princess built her own palace to live in, meeting Kunmo once or twice a year for banquets and feasts. Kunmo was old, and their languages were mutually unintelligible. The princess was sad and distressed, wanting to return. When the Son of Heaven heard this, he pitied her and every other year sent envoys with curtains, tents, and embroidered silks as gifts. Kunmo said: “I am old.” He wished to have his grandson, Cenzou, marry the princess. The princess refused and submitted a memorial explaining the situation. The Son of Heaven replied: “Follow their country’s customs; we wish to join with the Wusun to destroy the Xiongnu.” Cenzou then married the princess. Kunmo died, and Cenzou succeeded him, taking the title Kunmi.
At this time, Han envoys went west beyond the Congling Mountains, reaching Anxi. Anxi sent envoys, presenting large bird eggs and illusionists from Lixuan as tribute to the Han, along with various small states like Huanshen, Dayi, Jushi, Yumi, and Sujie, all following the Han envoys to present gifts and pay homage to the Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven was greatly pleased. Western envoys came and went, and whenever the Son of Heaven toured the coast, he had foreign guests accompany him. They passed through great cities and populous places, distributing goods and silks as rewards, supplying them generously to display Han wealth. Grand acrobatic shows were staged, with unusual variety acts and all sorts of strange things, drawing large crowds. Rewards were given, with pools of wine and forests of meat, allowing foreign guests to view everywhere the storehouses and granaries, showing the vastness of Han and astonishing them. Near Dayuan, there were many grapes, which could be used to make wine; and much alfalfa, which the Heavenly Horses loved to eat. Han envoys collected their seeds and brought them back, and the Son of Heaven had them planted beside detached palaces and villas, stretching endlessly. However, the Western Regions, being close to the Xiongnu, often feared the Xiongnu envoys and treated them with more respect than the Han envoys.
7 This year, the Xiongnu Wuywei Chanyu died, and his son Wushilu succeeded him. He was young and was called the “Boy Chanyu.” Thereafter, the Chanyu moved further northwest, with the left army facing Yunzhong Commandery and the right army facing Jiuquan and Dunhuang Commanderies.
Taichu First Year (Ding Chou, 104 BCE)
1 In winter, in the tenth month, the Emperor traveled and stopped at Mount Tai. In the eleventh month, on the day Jiazi, at dawn, it was the winter solstice, and he sacrificed to the Supreme Emperor in the Bright Hall. He then went east to the coast, examining those who had entered the sea and the alchemists seeking immortals, but none had results; yet he dispatched even more, hoping to encounter immortals.
2 On the day Yiyou, the Boliang Terrace caught fire.
3 In the twelfth month, on the day Jiawu, the Emperor personally performed the Shan ritual at Gaoli Mountain, sacrificed to the Earth God, reached the Bohai Sea, and from afar sacrificed to the Penglai and other immortal mountains, hoping to reach the palaces of the gods. In spring, the Emperor returned. Because of the fire at the Boliang Terrace, he held court at the Sweet Springs Palace to receive the feudal lords and accept the annual account registers. He built residences for the feudal lords at Sweet Springs.
A man of Yue named Yong said: "According to Yue custom, after a fire, when rebuilding a house, one must make it larger in scale to suppress and overcome the disaster." Thus the Jianzhang Palace was built, with a scale of a thousand gates and ten thousand doors. To its east was the Phoenix Tower, over twenty zhang high; to its west was Tangzhong, with a tiger enclosure several tens of li square; to its north a great pool was dug, with the Jian Platform over twenty zhang high, named Taiye Pool, in which were Penglai, Fangzhang, Yingzhou, and Huliang, imitating the divine mountains, turtles, and fish of the sea; to its south were the Jade Hall, the Jasper Gate, and great birds. The Shenming Terrace and the Jinggan Tower were built, fifty zhang high, connected by carriage roads.
4 The Grand Palace Grandee Gongsun Qing, Hu Sui, and the Grand Historian Sima Qian and others submitted a memorial: "The calendar and the system of years have fallen into disorder and been abandoned; it is fitting to reform the correct beginning of the year." The Emperor issued an edict ordering Ni Kuan to consult with the Erudite Ci and others; they jointly discussed and considered that the Xia calendar should be adopted. In summer, the fifth month, an edict ordered Gongsun Qing, Hu Sui, Sima Qian and others to jointly create the Han dynasty's Taichu Calendar, taking the first month as the beginning of the year, with yellow as the honored color, the number five for calculations, fixing official titles, harmonizing pitch pipes, and establishing the rituals for the ancestral temples and all officials, to serve as the constant statutes and laws, to be handed down to later generations.
5 The Xiongnu Er Chanyu delighted in killing and waging war, causing unrest among his people; there were also natural disasters, and many livestock died. The Left Grand Commandant secretly sent a message to Han, saying: "I wish to kill the Chanyu and surrender to Han. Han is far away; if you send troops to receive me, I will act immediately." The Emperor therefore dispatched the General of Yinxuan, Gongsun Ao, to build the City of Surrender beyond the frontier to receive him.
6 In autumn, the eighth month, the Emperor traveled to and stayed in Anding Commandery.
7 Han envoys returning from the Western Regions said: "Dayuan has fine horses, hidden in the city of Ershi, which they refuse to give to Han envoys." The Son of Heaven sent the stalwart Che Ling and others, carrying a thousand jin of gold and a golden horse, to request an exchange for the horses. The King of Dayuan consulted with his ministers, saying: "Han is very far from us, and the Salt Marsh has caused many failures. Going north from there, there are Hu bandits; going south, there is a lack of water and grass. Moreover, along the route there are often no cities, and many of those lacking food. When Han envoys come in groups of several hundred, they often lack provisions, and more than half die. How then could they send a large army? They can do nothing to us. The horses of Ershi are the precious steeds of Dayuan." So they refused to give them to the Han envoys. The Han envoys became angry, spoke arrogantly, smashed the golden horse, and departed. The Dayuan nobles became angry and said: "The Han envoys despise us too much!" They sent men to escort the Han envoys on their way, and ordered the King of Yucheng to the east to intercept and attack them, killing the Han envoys and seizing their goods.
Thereupon the Son of Heaven was greatly enraged. Yao Dinghan and others, who had previously been envoys to Dayuan, said: "Dayuan's military strength is weak; if we truly use no more than three thousand Han troops, and shoot them with strong crossbows, we can capture them all." The Son of Heaven had previously sent the Zhuoye Marquis with seven hundred cavalry to capture the King of Loulan, and he considered Yao Dinghan's words correct. Wishing to enfeoff a relative of his favored consort Li, he appointed Li Guangli, the elder brother of Consort Li, as General of Ershi, and raised six thousand cavalry from the dependent states and several tens of thousands of unruly youth from the commanderies and kingdoms to go and attack Dayuan. Expecting to reach the city of Ershi and seize the fine horses, he was thus called the General of Ershi. Zhao Shicheng served as Army Rectifier, the former Hao Marquis Wang Hui served as guide, and Li Chi served as Colonel, in charge of military affairs.
Your servant Sima Guang says: Emperor Wu wished to enfeoff a relative of his favored consort Li as a marquis, and sent Li Guangli to lead troops to attack Dayuan. His intention was that without merit, he could not be enfeoffed, and he did not wish to violate the covenant of Emperor Gao. Military affairs are a great matter of the state; the safety or danger of the state, and the life or death of the common people, depend on them. If one does not select between the worthy and the foolish when granting military command, hoping to gain a small merit by luck, and thereby taking it as a pretext to favor one's own beloved, it would be better to enfeoff him without merit. Yet Emperor Wu had insight regarding the enfeoffment of states, but had no insight regarding the appointment of generals. To say that he could uphold the covenant of the former emperor, your servant considers this to be wrong.
8 The Commandant of the Interior, Wang Wenshu, was guilty of crimes of treachery and seeking profit; he should have been executed with his clan, but he committed suicide. At the time, his two younger brothers and two of his affinal relatives' families were also executed with their clans for other crimes. The Chief Commandant of the Palace Attendants, Xu Ziwei, said: "How sad! In ancient times, there was the punishment of the three clans, but Wang Wenshu's crime caused the extermination of five clans!"
9 A great plague of locusts arose in the region east of the Pass, flying westward to Dunhuang.
Taichu Second Year (Wuyin, 103 BC)
1 In spring, the first month, on the wushen day, Shi Qing, the Marquis of Muqiu, died.
2 In the intercalary month, on the dingchou day, the Grand Coachman Gongsun He was appointed Chancellor and enfeoffed as the Marquis of Geyi. At that time, there were many affairs of state, and the great ministers were severely supervised. After Gongsun Hong, chancellors were successively implicated in crimes and died. Although Shi Qing managed to die a natural death due to his caution, he was repeatedly reprimanded. When Gongsun He was summoned and appointed Chancellor, he did not accept the seal and ribbon, kowtowed, wept, and refused to rise. The Emperor then rose and left. Gongsun He, having no choice, bowed and accepted. After leaving, he said: "From this point, I am in danger!"
3 In the third month, the Emperor traveled to Hedong and sacrificed to Houtu.
4 In summer, the fifth month, the horses of officials and commoners were registered to supplement the chariot and cavalry horses.
5 In autumn, locusts became a plague.
6 The General of Ershi advanced westward. After crossing the Salt Marsh, the small states along the route each fortified their cities and defended them, refusing to supply food. When he attacked them, he could not capture them. Those he could capture, he obtained food from; those he could not, he left after a few days. By the time he reached Yucheng, the soldiers who had arrived were no more than a few thousand, all hungry and exhausted. He attacked Yucheng, and the Yucheng army heavily defeated the Han army, killing and wounding many. The General of Ershi discussed with Li Chi and Zhao Shicheng, saying: "We cannot even capture Yucheng; how much less their royal capital!" So he led the troops back. When they reached Dunhuang, the remaining soldiers were no more than one or two out of ten. He sent an envoy with a memorial saying: "The road is long and there is a lack of food. Moreover, the soldiers do not fear fighting but fear hunger. The number is too small to be sufficient to capture Dayuan. I wish to temporarily withdraw the troops, and go again after sending more troops." When the Son of Heaven heard this, he was greatly enraged. He sent an envoy to block the Jade Gate Pass, saying: "If any soldier dares to enter the pass, he shall be immediately beheaded!" The General of Ershi, terrified, therefore remained at Dunhuang.
7 The Emperor also considered that the City of Surrender was too far from the Xiongnu. He sent the General of Junji, Zhao Ponu, with over twenty thousand cavalry, to go out from Shuofang northwest beyond the frontier for over two thousand li, expecting to return after reaching Mount Junji. When the Zhuoye Marquis reached the appointed place, the Left Grand Commandant was about to revolt but was discovered. The Chanyu killed him and sent the left-wing troops to attack the Zhuoye Marquis. The Zhuoye Marquis captured prisoners while marching, obtaining several thousand. On his return, when he was still four hundred li from the City of Surrender, eighty thousand Xiongnu cavalry surrounded them. The Zhuoye Marquis went out at night himself to find water, and the Xiongnu secretly captured him. They then fiercely attacked his army. The officers in the army, fearing execution for losing their commander, did not advise anyone to return, and the army was thus annihilated among the Xiongnu. The Er Chanyu was greatly delighted, and then sent elite troops to attack the City of Surrender, but could not capture it, so they raided the border and then departed.
8 In winter, the twelfth month, Ni Kuan died.
Taichu Third Year (Jimao, 102 BC)
1 In spring, the first month, the Grand Administrator of Jiaodong, Yanguang, became Imperial Censor.
2 The Emperor traveled east to the coast. Examining the affairs of the immortals, none had come to pass. He ordered the sacrifice officer to sacrifice to Mount Dongtai. In summer, the fourth month, he returned, repaired the feng sacrifice on Mount Tai, and performed the shan sacrifice at Shilü.
3 The Xiongnu Er Chanyu died. His son was young, so the Xiongnu established his uncle, the Right Worthy King, Goulihu, as the Chanyu.
4 The Emperor sent the Chief Commandant of the Palace Attendants, Xu Ziwei, out from Wuyuan Fortress for several hundred li, and for the distant parts over a thousand li, to build walls, barriers, and beacon towers, extending northwest to Luqu. He sent the General of Youji, Han Shuo, and the Marquis of Changping, Wei Kang, to guard their flanks. He sent the Colonel of Strong Crossbows, Lu Bode, to build a wall on the Ju Yan Marsh. In autumn, the Xiongnu invaded Dingxiang and Yunzhong in great force, killing and plundering several thousand people, defeating several officials of the two-thousand-picul rank, and then departed, destroying the walls, beacon towers, and barriers built by Xu Ziwei along the way. They also sent the Right Worthy King to invade Jiuquan and Zhangye, capturing several thousand people. Just then, the Army Rectifier Ren Wen attacked and rescued them, recovering all the captured people and then departing.
5 This year, Zhang Chang, the Marquis of Suiyang, had his marquisate abolished because, while serving as Grand Minister of Ceremonies, he had been negligent in sacrifices.
Originally, Emperor Gaozu enfeoffed one hundred and forty-three meritorious officials as marquises. At that time, after the chaos of war, the people of large cities and famous capitals had scattered and fled, and the registered population that could be counted was only two or three-tenths. The largest marquises had no more than ten thousand households, and the smaller ones had five or six hundred. The oath of enfeoffment said: "Even if the Yellow River becomes as narrow as a sash, and Mount Tai becomes as small as a whetstone, the fief will exist forever, passed down to descendants." They used a red document to declare the covenant and a white horse oath to emphasize its meaning. By the time of Empress Lü, all the ranks of the marquises were arranged, stored in the ancestral temple, with copies kept by the relevant officials. By the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing, over four or five generations, the wandering people had returned, the registered population had increased, and the larger marquises reached thirty to forty thousand households, while the smaller states also doubled their size, and their wealth followed suit. The descendants became arrogant and dissolute, often violating legal prohibitions, losing their lives and their fiefs. By this time, only four marquises remained in their positions, and the legal net had also become somewhat stricter.
After Han had already lost the army of the Zhuoye Marquis, the ministers in discussion all wished to stop the campaign against Dayuan and concentrate forces on attacking the Xiongnu. The Son of Heaven had already sent troops to punish Dayuan; if Dayuan, a small state, could not be conquered, then states like Daxia would gradually despise Han, and the fine horses of Dayuan would be cut off and not come. Wusun and Luntai would also easily create difficulties for Han envoys, and Han would be laughed at by foreign states. Therefore, he tried those like Deng Guang who had particularly spoken against attacking Dayuan. He pardoned prisoners, levied unruly youths and border cavalry, and in a little over a year, sixty thousand men set out from Dunhuang, not counting those who brought their own provisions. There were one hundred thousand oxen, thirty thousand horses, and donkeys and camels numbering in the tens of thousands, with ample supplies of grain, weapons, bows, and crossbows. The whole realm was stirred up, with continuous supplies for the fifty-odd colonels attacking Dayuan. The city of Dayuan had no wells, drawing water from a river outside the city, so water engineers were sent to divert the river under the city, clearing space to dig tunnels to attack the city. Additionally, one hundred and eighty thousand garrison soldiers were dispatched to the north of Jiuquan and Zhangye, setting up garrisons at Juyan and Xiutu to protect Jiuquan. They levied seven categories of people from across the empire: convicted officials, fugitives, sons-in-law living with their wives' families, merchants, those formerly registered as merchants, and those whose parents or grandparents had merchant registries, all to serve in the army. They also transported dry grain to supply the Ershi General, with a continuous line of transport vehicles and personnel. They appointed two men knowledgeable about horses as the Colonel of Horse Management and the Colonel of Horse Driving, preparing to select fine horses after breaking Dayuan.
Thus, the Ershi General later set out again. With a large army, every small state he passed came out to welcome him, providing grain to supply the troops. When he reached Luntai, Luntai did not surrender. After attacking for several days, he massacred Luntai. From there westward, they advanced peacefully to the city of Dayuan, with thirty thousand troops arriving. The Dayuan army came out to meet the Han army. The Han army shot them with arrows and defeated them. The Dayuan troops fled into the city and defended it. The Ershi General wanted to attack the city of Yucheng, but fearing that a delay would allow Dayuan more opportunities for treachery, he first went to Dayuan, cut off their water source, and diverted the river. Dayuan was already suffering distress. They surrounded the city and attacked for over forty days. The nobles of Dayuan deliberated, saying: "King Wugua hid the fine horses and killed Han envoys. Now, if we kill the king and hand over the fine horses, the Han army should lift the siege. If they do not lift the siege, we will fight to the death, and it will not be too late." All the Dayuan nobles agreed and together killed the king. Their outer city was breached, and the brave Dayuan general Jianmi was captured. The Dayuan people were greatly terrified, fled into the inner city, took the head of King Wugua, and sent someone to see the Ershi General, making an agreement: "If the Han army does not attack us, we will hand over all the fine horses for you to choose, and supply the Han army with grain. If you do not heed us, we will kill all the fine horses. The relief troops from Kangju will soon arrive. When they arrive, we will be inside the city, and Kangju outside, and together we will fight the Han army. Consider carefully: what should be done?" At that time, the scouts of Kangju saw that the Han army was still strong and did not dare to advance. The Ershi General heard that the city of Dayuan had recently obtained some Han people who knew how to dig wells, and that the city still had ample grain. He considered: "We came to execute the chief culprit, Wugua. His head has already been sent. If we do not agree now, it will cause them to hold out, and Kangju, waiting until the Han army is exhausted, will come to rescue Dayuan and will surely defeat the Han army." So he agreed to Dayuan's terms. Dayuan then handed over their horses, allowing the Han army to choose for themselves, and provided much grain to supply the Han army. The Han army selected several tens of fine horses, and over three thousand male and female horses of medium and lower quality. They established a Dayuan noble named Micai, who had previously been friendly to Han, as the king of Dayuan, made a covenant with him, and withdrew their troops.
Originally, the Ershi General Li Guangli set out from Dunhuang westward, dividing his army into several routes, taking the southern and northern roads respectively. Colonel Wang Shensheng led over a thousand men on a separate route to the city of Yucheng. The king of Yucheng sent out troops, attacked them, and annihilated them. Only a few men escaped, fleeing to the Ershi General. The Ershi General ordered the Colonel of Grain Collection, Shangguan Jie, to go and attack Yucheng. The king of Yucheng fled to Kangju, and Shangguan Jie pursued him to Kangju. The king of Kangju, hearing that the Han army had already broken Dayuan, handed over the king of Yucheng to Shangguan Jie. Shangguan Jie ordered four cavalrymen to bind and guard the king of Yucheng and escort him to the Ershi General. Zhao Di, a cavalryman from Shanggui, fearing that the king of Yucheng might escape, drew his sword and cut off his head, then caught up with the Ershi General.
Fourth year of Taichu (Gengchen, 101 BC)
1. In spring, the Ershi General Li Guangli returned to the capital, Chang'an. The small states that the Ershi General had passed through, hearing that Dayuan had been broken, all sent their sons and younger brothers to follow the Han army to pay tribute, see the Son of Heaven, and thereby serve as hostages. When the army returned, they brought back over a thousand horses. When the army had set out later, it was not short of grain, and not too many men died in battle. But the generals and officials were greedy for wealth and did not cherish the soldiers; they encroached upon and embezzled from them, so many died. The Son of Heaven, because this was a campaign of ten thousand li, did not investigate their faults. He issued an edict enfeoffing Li Guangli as the Marquis of Haixi, enfeoffing Zhao Di as the Marquis of Xinzhi, appointing Shangguan Jie as the Chamberlain for the Palace Revenues, and among the army officials, three became Nine Ministers, over a hundred became feudal princes' chancellors, commandery governors, or officials with a salary of two thousand bushels, and over a thousand became officials with salaries of a thousand bushels or below. Those who had volunteered for the campaign received offices beyond their expectations. Those who had been sent as punishment for crimes were all exempted from their labor service, and each soldier was rewarded with forty thousand cash.
The Xiongnu, hearing that the Ershi General was attacking Dayuan, wanted to intercept him. But the Ershi General's army was strong, and the Xiongnu did not dare to oppose him. So they sent cavalry through the state of Loulan to wait for an opportunity to intercept those Han envoys who were passing later, intending to cut off the Han route to the Western Regions. At that time, the Han army's colonel Ren Wen was stationed with troops at the Jade Gate Pass. He captured prisoners, learned of the situation, and reported it. The Son of Heaven issued an edict ordering Ren Wen to take a convenient route, capture the king of Loulan, and escort him to court for interrogation. The king of Loulan replied: "A small state is squeezed between large states. If it does not belong to both sides, it cannot preserve itself. I am willing to move my state to live within Han territory." The Son of Heaven considered his words reasonable, so he released him and sent him back to his state, also ordering him to spy on the movements of the Xiongnu. From then on, the Xiongnu no longer trusted Loulan.
Since Dayuan was broken, all the states of the Western Regions were terrified. Han envoys sent to the Western Regions were able to carry out their duties even more smoothly. From Dunhuang westward to the Salt Marsh, signal stations were built along the route. At Luntai and Quli, there were several hundred garrison soldiers. They set up envoys and colonels to oversee them, providing supplies for envoys sent to foreign states.
After a little over a year, the nobles of Dayuan considered that Micai was good at flattery and had caused their state to suffer slaughter, so they together killed Micai and established Wugua's younger brother Chanfeng as the king of Dayuan, sending his son to Han as a hostage. Han then sent envoys with goods to reward them, so as to appease them. Chanfeng made an agreement with Han to present two heavenly horses as tribute each year.
2. In autumn, the Mingguang Palace was constructed.
3. In winter, the emperor made a tour to the Huizhong Palace.
4 Xiongnu King Hulugu the Huhli died, and the Xiongnu established his younger brother, the Left Great Chieftain Jiedihou, as the Chanyu. The Son of Heaven, wishing to take advantage of the prestige gained from conquering Dayuan to further trap the Xiongnu, issued an edict saying: "The High Emperor left me the distress of the siege at Pingcheng; during the time of Empress Gao, the Chanyu's letter was extremely rebellious. In ancient times, Duke Xiang of Qi avenged his ancestor of nine generations, and the Spring and Autumn Annals greatly praised this." Chanyu Jiedihou, having just ascended the throne, feared that Han might attack him, so he said: "I am but a child; how dare I compare myself to the Han Son of Heaven! The Han Son of Heaven is my elder." Thereupon, he returned all the Han envoys who had not surrendered, such as Lu Chongguo, and sent envoys to offer tribute.
Tianhan Year 1 (Xinsi, 100 BCE)
1 Spring, first month. The Emperor visited the Ganquan Palace and performed sacrifices at the Tai Zhi. Third month. He visited Hedong Commandery and performed sacrifices to the Hou Tu deity.
2 The Emperor praised the goodwill of the Xiongnu Chanyu and sent Zhonglang General Su Wu to escort the Xiongnu envoys who had been detained in Han back to their country, taking the opportunity to bestow generous gifts on the Chanyu in return for his kindness. Su Wu, along with Deputy Zhonglang General Zhang Sheng and the temporarily appointed official Chang Hui and others, set off together. Upon arriving among the Xiongnu, they presented the gifts to the Chanyu. The Chanyu became even more arrogant, not fulfilling what Han had hoped.
It happened that the Prince of Gou, Yu Chang of Changshui, and those who had surrendered to the Xiongnu under Wei Lü secretly plotted to seize the Chanyu's mother, the Yanzhi, and bring her over to Han. Wei Lü's father was originally a Hu from the Changshui region. Wei Lü had a close relationship with Xie Lü Du Wei Li Yannian, who recommended Wei Lü to go as an envoy to the Xiongnu. After returning from his mission, Wei Lü heard that Li Yannian's family had been arrested, so he fled and surrendered to the Xiongnu. The Chanyu favored him, consulted him on state affairs, and appointed him the King of Dingling. Yu Chang, while in Han, had been on intimate terms with Deputy Envoy Zhang Sheng. He privately visited Zhang Sheng and said: "I have heard that the Han Son of Heaven deeply resents Wei Lü. I can ambush and shoot him with a crossbow for Han. My mother and younger brother are in Han, and I hope to receive a reward." Zhang Sheng agreed and gave him gifts. Over a month later, the Chanyu went out hunting, leaving only the Yanzhi and his children at the royal court. Yu Chang and over seventy others prepared to act, but one of them fled during the night and reported them. The Chanyu's children raised troops to fight them. The Prince of Gou and others all died in battle, and Yu Chang was captured alive.
The Chanyu sent Wei Lü to try the case. When Zhang Sheng heard this, he feared that his earlier words to Yu Chang would be exposed and told Su Wu about the situation. Su Wu said: "Since it has come to this, it will certainly implicate me. To die only after being disgraced would be even more a betrayal of the state." He wanted to commit suicide. Zhang Sheng and Chang Hui together stopped him. Yu Chang indeed implicated Zhang Sheng. The Chanyu was greatly angered and summoned his nobles to discuss the matter, wanting to kill the Han envoys. The Left Yizizhi said: "If it were a plot to harm the Chanyu, what heavier punishment would there be? They should all be made to surrender." The Chanyu sent Wei Lü to summon Su Wu for interrogation. Su Wu said to Chang Hui and the others: "To compromise my integrity and disgrace my mission, even if I live, what face would I have to return to Han?" Drawing his sword, he stabbed himself. Wei Lü was greatly alarmed and personally embraced Su Wu, hastily summoning a physician. They dug a pit in the ground, placed a low fire in it, laid Su Wu face down over it, and trod on his back to let the congealed blood flow out. Su Wu lost consciousness and only regained breath after half a day. Chang Hui and the others wept and carried him back to the camp on a cart. The Chanyu admired Su Wu's integrity and sent people to inquire after him morning and evening, while Zhang Sheng was detained.
As Su Wu's wounds gradually healed, the Chanyu sent envoys to urge him to surrender, planning to use the trial of Yu Chang as an opportunity. After Yu Chang was executed with a sword, Wei Lü said: "The Han envoy Zhang Sheng plotted to murder a close minister of the Chanyu, for which the punishment is death. But the Chanyu is recruiting those who will surrender, and they can be pardoned." Raising his sword as if to strike Zhang Sheng, Zhang Sheng begged to surrender. Wei Lü then said to Su Wu: "The deputy envoy is guilty; the chief envoy should be implicated." Su Wu said: "I was never involved in the plot, nor am I his relative; on what grounds should I be implicated!" Wei Lü again raised his sword and gestured toward Su Wu, but Su Wu remained unmoved. Wei Lü said: "Su Jun, I, Wei Lü, formerly turned my back on Han and submitted to the Xiongnu. Fortunately, I received great favor, was granted a title and made a king, and have tens of thousands of followers, with horses and cattle covering the mountains—such wealth and honor! If Su Jun surrenders today, you will be the same tomorrow. To waste your body moistening the grass, who would know of it?" Su Wu did not answer. Wei Lü said: "If you surrender through me, I will become your sworn brother. If you do not follow my advice today, later on, even if you want to see me again, will it be possible?" Su Wu cursed Wei Lü, saying: "You are a minister, but you disregard loyalty and righteousness, betray your lord, abandon your kin, and become a captive surrender among the barbarians—why should I see you! Moreover, the Chanyu trusts you, allowing you to judge life and death. You do not uphold justice but instead want to stir up conflict between two rulers, watching their ruin from the sidelines. The Nanyue killed a Han envoy and were exterminated, their land made into nine commanderies; the King of Dayuan killed a Han envoy, and his head was hung at the northern gate of the palace; Joseon killed a Han envoy and was immediately destroyed. Only the Xiongnu have not yet suffered this. You clearly know I will not surrender, but you want to provoke war between the two states. The disaster for the Xiongnu will begin with me." Wei Lü knew that Su Wu would never be coerced and reported this to the Chanyu, who desired even more to make him surrender. Thereupon, they imprisoned Su Wu in a large underground cellar, cutting off his food and drink. Heavy snow fell, and Su Wu lay there, chewing snow and swallowing it with the felt from his clothing. After several days, he did not die. The Xiongnu considered him a deity and moved him to an uninhabited place by the North Sea, ordering him to tend rams, saying: "When the rams produce milk, you may return." They separated his subordinates, such as Chang Hui, and placed them in other locations.
3 White yak hair fell from the sky.
4 Summer. Great drought.
5 Fifth month. A general amnesty was granted to the empire.
6 Exiled convicts were conscripted to garrison Wuyuan.
7 Zhuoye Marquis Zhao Ponu escaped from the Xiongnu and returned.
8 This year, the Grand Administrator of Jinan, Wang Qing, became the Imperial Censor.
Tianhan Year 2 (Renwu, 99 BCE)
1 Spring. The Emperor visited the Donghai Commandery. On his return, he visited the Huizhong Palace.
2 Summer, fifth month. The Emperor sent Ershi General Li Guangli, leading 30,000 cavalry, to set out from Jiuquan and attack the Right Wise King at the Tian Mountains, killing or capturing over 10,000 Xiongnu before returning. The Xiongnu heavily surrounded the Ershi General. The Han army lacked provisions for several days, suffering heavy casualties. Acting Sima Zhao Chongguo of Longxi, along with over a hundred soldiers, broke through the encirclement, stormed the enemy ranks, and the Ershi General followed with his troops, thereby breaking the siege. The Han army lost six or seven out of ten men, and Zhao Chongguo suffered more than twenty wounds. The Ershi General reported this, and an edict summoned Zhao Chongguo to the Emperor's presence. The Emperor personally received him, examined his wounds, expressed admiration, and appointed him as Zhonglang.
Han also sent Yiyu General Gongsun Ao to set out from Xihe and rendezvous with Qiangnu Duwei Lu Bode at the Zhuotu Mountains, but they achieved nothing.
At first, Li Ling, the grandson of Li Guang, served as a Palace Attendant. He was skilled in horseback archery and was kind to others, treating worthy men with courtesy. Emperor Wu considered him to have the demeanor of Li Guang and appointed him as Chief of Cavalry, ordering him to lead five thousand men from Danyang and Chu to practice archery in the area of Jiuquan and Zhangye, in order to guard against the Xiongnu. When the Ershi General Li Guangli attacked the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu issued an edict to Li Ling, intending to have him manage the baggage train for the Ershi General. Li Ling kowtowed and volunteered, saying: "The soldiers stationed at the border under my command are all brave warriors, extraordinary talents, and swordsmen from Jing and Chu. Their strength is enough to choke a tiger, and their arrows hit the target every time. I hope to be allowed to lead a separate force to the south of Mount Lanyu, to the Chanyu's forces and prevent them from concentrating solely on the Ershi General's army." Emperor Wu said: "Are you unwilling to be someone else's subordinate? The troops I have mobilized are numerous, but I have no cavalry to give you." Li Ling replied: "I do not need cavalry. I am willing to use fewer to strike more, leading five thousand infantry straight to the Chanyu's court." Emperor Wu, impressed by his spirit, agreed. He then issued an edict ordering Lu Bode to lead troops to meet Li Ling's army halfway. Lu Bode was also ashamed to serve as Li Ling's rear support and submitted a memorial, saying: "Now it is autumn; the Xiongnu's horses are fat and strong, and we cannot engage them in battle. I hope to have Li Ling wait until spring, and then we can attack together." Emperor Wu was furious, suspecting that Li Ling regretted not wanting to go and had instigated Lu Bode to submit the memorial. He then issued an edict ordering Lu Bode to lead troops to the Xihe region to attack the Xiongnu. He also ordered Li Ling to set out in the ninth month, exit the frontier from the Barrier of the Shaded Prisoners, proceed to the area of Longle River south of East Junji Mountain, patrol and observe the enemy situation, and if nothing was found, return to the Surrender City to rest his troops. Thus Li Ling led his five thousand infantry from Juyan, marched north for thirty days, reached Junji Mountain, and set up camp. He drew a map of the mountains and rivers along the route and sent his subordinate cavalry officer Chen Bule back to the court to report. Chen Bule was summoned and reported that Li Ling commanded his troops well, and the officers and men were all willing to die for him. Emperor Wu was very pleased and appointed Chen Bule as a Gentleman.
Li Ling reached Junji Mountain and encountered the Chanyu's army. The Xiongnu cavalry numbered about thirty thousand and surrounded Li Ling's force. Li Ling's army camped between two mountains, using the wagons as a palisade. Li Ling led his troops out of the camp to form a battle line; the front ranks held halberds and shields, while the rear ranks held bows and crossbows. When the Xiongnu saw that the Han army was small, they charged straight at the camp. Li Ling led his troops in fierce combat, and a thousand crossbows were fired simultaneously; the Xiongnu soldiers fell as the arrows struck them. The Xiongnu withdrew up the mountain, and the Han army pursued them, killing several thousand. The Chanyu was greatly alarmed and gathered over eighty thousand cavalry from the left and right regions to attack Li Ling. Li Ling fought while retreating, moving south for several days until they reached a valley. They fought continuously, and the soldiers were wounded by arrows. Those with three wounds were carried on carts, those with two wounds drove the carts, and those with one wound still fought with their weapons. They killed over three thousand more enemies. Li Ling led his troops southeast, following the old Dragon City road for four or five days, until they reached a large marsh with reeds. The Xiongnu set fire from upwind, and Li Ling also ordered his army to set fires to protect themselves. Moving south to the foot of a mountain, the Chanyu was on the southern mountain and sent his son to lead cavalry to attack Li Ling. Li Ling's army fought on foot among the trees, killing several thousand more, and fired repeating crossbows at the Chanyu, who fled down the mountain. That day, they captured a prisoner, who said: "The Chanyu said: 'These are the elite troops of Han. Attacking them, we cannot prevail. Day and night they lead us south toward the border. Could it be that there are no ambushes?' The various Danghu and Chieftains all said: 'The Chanyu himself leads several tens of thousands of cavalry to attack several thousand Han troops, yet cannot destroy them. In the future, we will no longer be able to drive the border officials, and it will also make Han despise the Xiongnu more. Let us fight fiercely again in the valleys. There are still forty or fifty li. When we reach the flat ground, if we cannot break them, then we will withdraw.'"
At this time, Li Ling's army was in an increasingly critical situation. The Xiongnu cavalry were numerous, and they fought several dozen times a day. They killed and wounded another two thousand Xiongnu soldiers. The Xiongnu were at a disadvantage and wanted to retreat. Just then, Li Ling's army marshal Guan Gan, having been insulted by a colonel, deserted and surrendered to the Xiongnu. He reported in detail: "Li Ling's army has no reinforcements, and their arrows are nearly exhausted. Only the general's own troops and Colonel Cheng'an Marquis Han Yannian, each leading eight hundred men as the vanguard, use yellow and white banners as their markers. You should send elite cavalry to shoot them, and then you can defeat them." The Chanyu was overjoyed to get Guan Gan and sent cavalry to attack the Han army with full force, shouting loudly: "Li Ling and Han Yannian, surrender quickly!" Then they cut off the road and fiercely attacked Li Ling. Li Ling's army was in the valley, while the Xiongnu were on the mountain, shooting from all sides, with arrows falling like rain. The Han army moved south, but before they reached Mount Dihan, five hundred thousand arrows were used up in one day, and they abandoned the wagons. There were still over three thousand soldiers; they could only cut down the spokes of the wagons to use as weapons, while the officers held short swords. When they reached the foot of the mountain and entered a narrow gorge, the Chanyu cut off their retreat and rolled stones down the mountain, causing many deaths and injuries, so they could not advance. After dusk, Li Ling left his tent alone in plain clothes, stopping his attendants, saying: "Do not follow me. A great man should capture the Chanyu alone!" After a long time, Li Ling returned and sighed, saying: "The army is defeated; we are going to die!" Then he cut down all the banners and buried them together with the treasures. Li Ling sighed and said: "If I could get another few tens of arrows, it would be enough to escape. Now we have no weapons to fight. At dawn, we can only sit and be bound. Let each of you scatter like birds and beasts, and perhaps someone can escape and report to the Son of Heaven." He ordered each soldier to carry two sheng of dried rations and a piece of ice, and arranged to meet at the Barrier of the Shaded Prisoners. At midnight, he beat the drum to muster the troops, but the drum made no sound. Li Ling and Han Yannian mounted their horses together, followed by a dozen brave men. Several thousand Xiongnu cavalry pursued them, and Han Yannian was killed in battle. Li Ling said: "I have no face to return and see His Majesty!" Then he surrendered. The soldiers scattered and fled; those who reached the border numbered over four hundred.
The place where Li Ling was defeated was over a hundred li from the border. The border reported the matter to the court. Emperor Wu hoped that Li Ling had died in battle; later, when he heard that Li Ling had surrendered, he was very angry and interrogated Chen Bule, who committed suicide. All the officials blamed Li Ling. Emperor Wu asked the Grand Historian Sima Qian about this. Sima Qian vigorously defended Li Ling, saying: "Li Ling served his parents with filial piety, was trustworthy in his dealings with scholars, and often risked his life without regard for himself, dedicating himself to the nation's emergencies. This is the virtue he has cultivated over time, and he has the demeanor of a national scholar. Now that things have unfortunately turned out badly, those ministers who preserve themselves, their wives, and children then follow to fabricate his shortcomings—this is truly heartbreaking! Moreover, Li Ling led fewer than five thousand infantry deep into the land of warhorses, holding back several tens of thousands of enemy troops. The Xiongnu were so busy rescuing the dead and caring for the wounded that they had to mobilize all who could draw a bow to surround and attack him. Li Ling fought for a thousand li, his arrows exhausted and his path blocked, yet his soldiers drew their empty bows and faced the white blades, striving northward to fight to the death with the enemy. To gain such desperate loyalty from his soldiers—even the famous generals of antiquity could not surpass this. Although he was defeated, the damage he inflicted on the enemy is enough to be known throughout the world. The reason he did not die is probably that he wanted to find a suitable opportunity to repay the Han dynasty." Emperor Wu considered that Sima Qian was slandering and deceiving, trying to disparage the Ershi General and plead for Li Ling, and so he subjected Sima Qian to castration.
After a long time, Emperor Wu regretted that Li Ling had had no reinforcements. He said: "Li Ling should have been given an edict when he left the border, ordering the Qiangnu Colonel to meet his army. But because I issued the edict beforehand, it allowed the old general to harbor treacherous intentions." He then sent an envoy to comfort and reward the soldiers who had escaped from Li Ling's army.
Emperor Wu used laws and regulations to control his ministers and favored promoting and employing harsh officials. The two-thousand-stone officials in the commanderies and kingdoms mostly governed with cruelty and brutality, causing officials and commoners to increasingly disregard the law and commit offenses. Eastern bandits grew more numerous; large gangs numbered up to several thousand, capturing cities and towns, seizing government armories and weapons, releasing condemned prisoners, and binding and humiliating commandery governors, commandants, and killing two-thousand-stone officials. Smaller gangs numbered in the hundreds, robbing and plundering villages and countryside beyond count, so that roads became impassable. Emperor Wu initially sent the Palace Assistant Secretary and the Chief Clerk of the Chancellor to investigate, but they could not suppress them. He then dispatched the Grand Master of the Palace, Fan Kun, together with former Nine Ministers like Zhang De, dressed in embroidered robes, bearing imperial tallies and tiger tokens, to mobilize troops for encirclement and suppression. Beheadings of large gangs sometimes reached over ten thousand, and those who colluded with bandits, supplied them with food and drink, and were liable for collective punishment were executed according to law; in some commanderies, the number of such executions reached several thousand. After several years, they roughly captured the leaders, but scattered remnants who fled and regrouped, relying on mountain and river strongholds, often formed gangs, and the authorities could do nothing about them. Thus the Shenming Law was enacted, stating: "If bandits arise without being detected, or if after detection the number captured does not meet the required standard, then officials from the two-thousand-stone rank down to minor clerks, and the responsible officers, shall all be executed." Thereafter, minor clerks feared execution and, even when there were bandits, did not report them, worrying they could not capture them and would fail the assessment, thereby implicating higher authorities. Higher authorities also told them not to report. Consequently, bandits became more numerous, and superiors and subordinates concealed the truth from each other, using official documents to evade the law.
At this time, Bao Shengzhi served as a Directing Imperial Commissioner, and the number of two-thousand-stone officials he executed was especially great, his authority shaking entire provinces and commanderies. When he reached Bohai Commandery, he heard that the commandery resident Juan Buyi was worthy and summoned him for an audience. Juan Buyi, with a dignified appearance and imposing robes and cap, caused Bao Shengzhi to slip on his shoes and rise to welcome him. After entering the hall and sitting down, Juan Buyi pressed the mat and said: "I have lived in seclusion by the sea, long hearing of Sir Bao’s great reputation, and now am fortunate to meet you face to face. Generally, those who hold office: if too rigid, they break; if too soft, they become slack. After displaying authority, one should then bestow kindness, thus one can establish merit, make one’s name known to later generations, and enjoy emolument forever." Bao Shengzhi deeply accepted his admonition. After returning to court, he memorialized and recommended Juan Buyi. Emperor Wu summoned him and appointed him Inspector of Qing Province. Wang He of Jinan also served as an embroidered-robed censor, pursuing the numerous bandits of Wei Commandery, but he often showed leniency and released them. He was dismissed for failing in his mission as an imperial envoy. He sighed and said: "I have heard that saving a thousand people earns one’s descendants a fief. The people I have saved number over ten thousand; perhaps my descendants will flourish!"
This year, Emperor Wu enfeoffed the surrendered Xiongnu general, Prince Cheng Wan of Jie, as the Marquis of Kailing, and ordered him to lead the army of the Loulan Kingdom to attack the Cheshi Kingdom. The Xiongnu sent the Right Worthy Prince leading several tens of thousands of cavalry to rescue Cheshi. The Han army fought unfavorably and withdrew.