Chapter 113 of 130

南越列傳

Account of the Southern Yue

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趙佗建國

Zhao Tuo Founds the Kingdom

南越王尉佗者，真定人也，姓趙氏。秦時已並天下，略定楊越，置桂林、南海、象郡，以謫徙民，與越雜處十三歲。佗，秦時用為南海龍川令。至二世時，南海尉任囂病且死，召龍川令趙佗語曰：「聞陳勝等作亂，秦為無道，天下苦之，項羽、劉季、陳勝、吳廣等州郡各共興軍聚眾，虎爭天下，中國擾亂，未知所安，豪傑畔秦相立。南海僻遠，吾恐盜兵侵地至此，吾欲興兵絕新道，自備，待諸侯變，會病甚。且番禺負山險，阻南海，東西數千里，頗有中國人相輔，此亦一州之主也，可以立國。郡中長吏無足與言者，故召公告之。」即被佗書，行南海尉事。囂死，佗即移檄告橫浦、陽山、湟谿關曰：「盜兵且至，急絕道聚兵自守！」因稍以法誅秦所置長吏，以其黨為假守。秦已破滅，佗即擊並桂林、象郡，自立為南越武王。高帝已定天下，為中國勞苦，故釋佗弗誅。漢十一年，遣陸賈因立佗為南越王，與剖符通使，和集百越，毋為南邊患害，與長沙接境。

高后時，有司請禁南越關市鐵器。佗曰：「高帝立我，通使物，今高后聽讒臣，別異蠻夷，隔絕器物，此必長沙王計也，欲倚中國，擊滅南越而並王之，自為功也。」於是佗乃自尊號為南越武帝，發兵攻長沙邊邑，敗數縣而去焉。高后遣將軍隆慮侯灶往擊之。會暑濕，士卒大疫，兵不能逾嶺。歲餘，高后崩，即罷兵。佗因此以兵威邊，財物賂遺閩越、西甌、駱，役屬焉，東西萬餘里。乃乘黃屋左纛，稱制，與中國侔。

及孝文帝元年，初鎮撫天下，使告諸侯四夷從代來即位意，喻盛德焉。乃為佗親冢在真定，置守邑，歲時奉祀。召其從昆弟，尊官厚賜寵之。詔丞相陳平等舉可使南越者，平言好畤陸賈，先帝時習使南越。乃召賈以為太中大夫，往使。因讓佗自立為帝，曾無一介之使報者。陸賈至南越，王甚恐，為書謝，稱曰：「蠻夷大長老夫臣佗，前日高后隔異南越，竊疑長沙王讒臣，又遙聞高后盡誅佗宗族，掘燒先人冢，以故自棄，犯長沙邊境。且南方卑濕，蠻夷中間，其東閩越千人眾號稱王，其西甌駱裸國亦稱王。老臣妄竊帝號，聊以自娛，豈敢以聞天王哉！」乃頓首謝，原長為籓臣，奉貢職。於是乃下令國中曰：「吾聞兩雄不俱立，兩賢不並世。皇帝，賢天子也。自今以後，去帝制黃屋左纛。」陸賈還報，孝文帝大說。遂至孝景時，稱臣，使人朝請。然南越其居國竊如故號名，其使天子，稱王朝命如諸侯。至建元四年卒。

Zhao Tuo, King of Nanyue, was originally from Zhending, surnamed Zhao. During the Qin dynasty, after the empire was unified, Qin conquered the Yue peoples of the south and established the commanderies of Guilin, Nanhai, and Xiang, settling exiles there for thirteen years. Tuo served as magistrate of Longchuan under the Nanhai commandery. When the Commandant Ren Xiao was dying as the Qin dynasty collapsed, he told Tuo: "I hear Chen Sheng and others have revolted. The Central Plains are in chaos. Nanhai is remote and protected by mountains. With Chinese settlers to assist you, this could be a state of its own." After Ren Xiao died, Tuo seized control, blocked the mountain passes, killed the Qin-appointed officials, and installed his own men. When Qin fell, he conquered the neighboring Guilin and Xiang commanderies and proclaimed himself King Wu of Nanyue. The Grand Progenitor, exhausted from unifying the realm, left Tuo alone and in 196 BC sent Lu Jia to formally recognize him as King of Nanyue with a diplomatic seal.

During Empress Lu's regency, trade restrictions were imposed on Nanyue. Tuo declared himself Emperor Wu of Nanyue, attacked the Han border, and used military intimidation to bring the Minyue, Western Ou, and Luo peoples under his authority, claiming territory spanning over 10,000 li. When Emperor Wen ascended, he sent Lu Jia again with a conciliatory letter. Tuo, moved by the gesture, renounced his imperial title and resumed tributary status, though in practice he continued to style himself as before.

Notes

1person趙佗Zhào Tuó

Zhao Tuo (趙佗, c. 240–c. 137 BC), originally a Qin military officer, founded the kingdom of Nanyue (Nam Viet) covering modern Guangdong, Guangxi, and northern Vietnam. He is claimed as a founding figure by both Chinese and Vietnamese historiography.

2place

Panyu (番禺), the capital of Nanyue, is modern Guangzhou (Canton), Guangdong province. Archaeological excavations at the Nanyue Royal Palace site have confirmed many details in Sima Qian's account.

南越之滅

The Destruction of Nanyue

佗孫胡為南越王。此時閩越王郢興兵擊南越邊邑，胡使人上書曰：「兩越俱為籓臣，毋得擅興兵相攻擊。今閩越興兵侵臣，臣不敢興兵，唯天子詔之。」於是天子多南越義，守職約，為興師，遣兩將軍往討閩越。兵未逾嶺，閩越王弟餘善殺郢以降，於是罷兵。

天子使莊助往諭意南越王，胡頓首曰：「天子乃為臣興兵討閩越，死無以報德！」遣太子嬰齊入宿衛。謂助曰：「國新被寇，使者行矣。胡方日夜裝入見天子。」助去後，其大臣諫胡曰：「漢興兵誅郢，亦行以驚動南越。且先王昔言，事天子期無失禮，要之不可以說好語入見。入見則不得復歸，亡國之勢也。」於是胡稱病，竟不入見。後十餘歲，胡實病甚，太子嬰齊請歸。胡薨，謚為文王。

嬰齊代立，即藏其先武帝璽。嬰齊其入宿衛在長安時，取邯鄲樛氏女，生子興。及即位，上書請立樛氏女為後，興為嗣。漢數使使者風諭嬰齊，嬰齊尚樂擅殺生自恣，懼入見要用漢法，比內諸侯，固稱病，遂不入見。遣子次公入宿衛。嬰齊薨，謚為明王。

太子興代立，其母為太后。太后自未為嬰齊姬時，嘗與霸陵人安國少季通。及嬰齊薨後，元鼎四年，漢使安國少季往諭王、王太后以入朝，比內諸侯；令辯士諫大夫終軍等宣其辭，勇士魏臣等輔其缺，衛尉路博德將兵屯桂陽，待使者。王年少，太后中國人也，嘗與安國少季通，其使復私焉。國人頗知之，多不附太后。太后恐亂起，亦欲倚漢威，數勸王及群臣求內屬。即因使者上書，請比內諸侯，三歲一朝，除邊關。於是天子許之，賜其丞相呂嘉銀印，及內史、中尉、太傅印，餘得自置。除其故黥劓刑，用漢法，比內諸侯。使者皆留填撫之。王、王太后飭治行裝重齎，為入朝具。

其相呂嘉年長矣，相三王，宗族官仕為長吏者七十餘人，男盡尚王女，女盡嫁王子兄弟宗室，及蒼梧秦王有連。其居國中甚重，越人信之，多為耳目者，得眾心愈於王。王之上書，數諫止王，王弗聽。有畔心，數稱病不見漢使者。使者皆注意嘉，勢未能誅。王、王太后亦恐嘉等先事發，乃置酒，介漢使者權，謀誅嘉等。使者皆東鄉，太后南鄉，王北鄉，相嘉、大臣皆西鄉，侍坐飲。嘉弟為將，將卒居宮外。酒行，太后謂嘉曰：「南越內屬，國之利也，而相君苦不便者，何也？」以激怒使者。使者狐疑相杖，遂莫敢發。嘉見耳目非是，即起而出。太后怒，欲鏦嘉以矛，王止太后。嘉遂出，分其弟兵就舍，稱病，不肯見王及使者。乃陰與大臣作亂。王素無意誅嘉，嘉知之，以故數月不發。太后有淫行，國人不附，欲獨誅嘉等，力又不能。

天子聞嘉不聽王，王、王太后弱孤不能制，使者怯無決。又以為王、王太后已附漢，獨呂嘉為亂，不足以興兵，欲使莊參以二千人往使。參曰：「以好往，數人足矣；以武往，二千人無足以為也。」辭不可，天子罷參也。郟壯士故濟北相韓千秋奮曰：「以區區之越，又有王、太后應，獨相呂嘉為害，願得勇士二百人，必斬嘉以報。」於是天子遣千秋與王太后弟樛樂將二千人往，入越境。呂嘉等乃遂反，下令國中曰：「王年少。太后，中國人也，又與使者亂，專欲內屬，盡持先王寶器入獻天子以自媚，多從人，行至長安，虜賣以為僮僕。取自脫一時之利，無顧趙氏社稷，為萬世慮計之意。」乃與其弟將卒攻殺王、太后及漢使者。遣人告蒼梧秦王及其諸郡縣，立明王長男越妻子術陽侯建德為王。而韓千秋兵入，破數小邑。其後越直開道給食，未至番禺四十里，越以兵擊千秋等，遂滅之。使人函封漢使者節置塞上，好為謾辭謝罪，發兵守要害處。於是天子曰：「韓千秋雖無成功，亦軍鋒之冠。」封其子延年為成安侯。樛樂，其姊為王太后，首原屬漢，封其子廣德為龍亢侯。乃下赦曰：「天子微，諸侯力政，譏臣不討賊。今呂嘉、建德等反，自立晏如，令罪人及江淮以南樓船十萬師往討之。」

元鼎五年秋，衛尉路博德為伏波將軍，出桂陽，下匯水；主爵都尉楊仆為樓船將軍，出豫章，下橫浦；故歸義越侯二人為戈船、下厲將軍，出零陵，或下離水，或柢蒼梧；使馳義侯因巴蜀罪人，發夜郎兵，下牂柯江：鹹會番禺。

Zhao Tuo's grandson Hu succeeded as king. When Minyue attacked Nanyue, Hu appealed to the Han rather than fighting back, impressing the emperor with his loyalty. The emperor dispatched two armies that forced Minyue to submit. Hu sent his heir Yingqi to serve as a hostage at the Han court. After Hu died as King Wen, Yingqi returned to rule. He had married a woman of the Jiu family of Handan while in Chang'an and made her queen and their son Xing his heir.

In 113 BC, the Han sent the queen's former lover, An Guoshaoji, to persuade King Xing and the Queen Dowager to submit to direct Han rule. The Queen Dowager, being Chinese and already compromised by her affair with the envoy, pressured the king to accept. But the chancellor Lu Jia, who had served three kings, wielded more real power than the young king. He opposed annexation. At a banquet, the Queen Dowager tried to provoke the Han envoys into killing Lu Jia, but no one dared act. Lu Jia seized the initiative, killed the king, the Queen Dowager, and the Han envoys, and installed his own candidate as king.

The emperor dispatched a massive five-pronged invasion in 112 BC. The Towered Ship General Yang Pu broke through first from the east while the Wave-Calming General Lu Bode approached from the northwest. Panyu was stormed and burned. Lu Jia and his king fled by sea but were pursued and captured. Nanyue was divided into nine Han commanderies. The dynasty Zhao Tuo had founded lasted five generations and ninety-three years.

Notes

1person呂嘉Lǚ Jiā

Lu Jia (呂嘉) was the powerful Nanyue chancellor who served three kings and whose clan held seventy-odd offices. His coup against the pro-Han queen mother triggered the Han invasion that destroyed the kingdom.

2context

The Nanyue conquest of 111 BC was one of Emperor Wu's most significant territorial expansions, bringing the entire South China coast and northern Vietnam under direct Han administration. The five-pronged invasion was a masterpiece of coordinated amphibious and overland warfare.

太史公論贊

The Grand Historian's Appraisal

元鼎六年冬，樓船將軍將精卒先陷尋陝，破石門，得越船粟，因推而前，挫越鋒，以數萬人待伏波。伏波將軍將罪人，道遠，會期後，與樓船會乃有千餘人，遂俱進。樓船居前，至番禺。建德、嘉皆城守。樓船自擇便處，居東南面；伏波居西北面。會暮，樓船攻敗越人，縱火燒城。越素聞伏波名，日暮，不知其兵多少。伏波乃為營，遣使者招降者，賜印，復縱令相招。樓船力攻燒敵，反驅而入伏波營中。犁旦，城中皆降伏波。呂嘉、建德已夜與其屬數百人亡入海，以船西去。伏波又因問所得降者貴人，以知呂嘉所之，遣人追之。以其故校尉司馬蘇弘得建德，封為海常侯；越郎都稽得嘉，封為臨蔡侯。

蒼梧王趙光者，越王同姓，聞漢兵至，及越揭陽令定自定屬漢；越桂林監居翁諭甌駱屬漢：皆得為侯。戈船、下厲將軍兵及馳義侯所發夜郎兵未下，南越已平矣。遂為九郡。伏波將軍益封。樓船將軍兵以陷堅為將梁侯。

自尉佗初王後，五世九十三歲而國亡焉。

太史公曰：尉佗之王，本由任囂。遭漢初定，列為諸侯。隆慮離濕疫，佗得以益驕。甌駱相攻，南越動搖。漢兵臨境，嬰齊入朝。其後亡國，徵自樛女；呂嘉小忠，令佗無後。樓船從欲，怠傲失惑；伏波困窮，智慮愈殖，因禍為福。成敗之轉，譬若糾墨。

中原鹿走，群雄莫制。漢事西驅，越權南裔。陸賈騁說，尉他去帝。嫪後內朝，呂嘉狼戾。君臣不協，卒從剿棄。

The Grand Historian remarks: Zhao Tuo's kingship originated with Ren Xiao's deathbed plan. Encountering the newly founded Han, he was ranked among the feudal lords. When the army of Longlu succumbed to tropical disease, Tuo grew more arrogant. The Ou and Luo peoples attacked each other and Nanyue was shaken. Yingqi came to court. The dynasty's fall was brought about by the Jiu woman; Lu Jia's petty loyalty left Zhao Tuo without descendants. The Towered Ship General was reckless with desire; the Wave-Calming General, though in desperate straits, showed greater strategic wisdom and turned disaster into fortune. The rotation of success and failure is like twisted rope.

Notes

1translation

Sima Qian's appraisal uses rope-twisting (糾墨) as a metaphor for the unpredictable alternation of fortune. The contrast between the two Han generals — Yang Pu's aggression versus Lu Bode's patient strategy — carries an implicit lesson about military wisdom.

Edition & Source

Text: 《史記》 Shiji
Edition: 中華古詩文古書籍網 transcription
Commentary: 裴駰《史記集解》、司馬貞《史記索隱》、張守節《史記正義》(Three Commentaries)