閃越與東甌的興衰
The Rise and Fall of Minyue and Dongyue
閩越王無諸及越東海王搖者，其先皆越王句踐之後也，姓騶氏。秦已並天下，皆廢為君長，以其地為閩中郡。及諸侯畔秦，無諸、搖率越歸鄱陽令吳芮，所謂鄱君者也，從諸侯滅秦。當是之時，項籍主命，弗王，以故不附楚。漢擊項籍，無諸、搖率越人佐漢。漢五年，復立無諸為閩越王，王閩中故地，都東冶。孝惠三年，舉高帝時越功，曰閩君搖功多，其民便附，乃立搖為東海王，都東甌，世俗號為東甌王。
後數世，至孝景三年，吳王濞反，欲從閩越，閩越未肯行，獨東甌從吳。及吳破，東甌受漢購，殺吳王丹徒，以故皆得不誅，歸國。
吳王子子駒亡走閩越，怨東甌殺其父，常勸閩越擊東甌。至建元三年，閩越發兵圍東甌。東甌食盡，困，且降，乃使人告急天子。天子問太尉田蚡，蚡對曰：「越人相攻擊，固其常，又數反覆，不足以煩中國往救也。自秦時棄弗屬。」於是中大夫莊助詰蚡曰：「特患力弗能救，德弗能覆；誠能，何故棄之？且秦舉鹹陽而棄之，何乃越也！今小國以窮困來告急天子，天子弗振，彼當安所告愬？又何以子萬國乎？」上曰：「太尉未足與計。吾初即位，不欲出虎符發兵郡國。」乃遣莊助以節發兵會稽。會稽太守欲距不為發兵，助乃斬一司馬，諭意指，遂發兵浮海救東甌。未至，閩越引兵而去。東甌請舉國徙中國，乃悉舉眾來，處江淮之間。
至建元六年，閩越擊南越。南越守天子約，不敢擅發兵擊而以聞。上遣大行王恢出豫章，大農韓安國出會稽，皆為將軍。兵未逾嶺，閩越王郢發兵距險。其弟餘善乃與相、宗族謀曰：「王以擅發兵擊南越，不請，故天子兵來誅。今漢兵眾彊，今即幸勝之，後來益多，終滅國而止。今殺王以謝天子。天子聽，罷兵，固一國完；不聽，乃力戰；不勝，即亡入海。」皆曰「善」。即鏦殺王，使使奉其頭致大行。大行曰：「所為來者誅王。今王頭至，謝罪，不戰而耘，利莫大焉。」乃以便宜案兵告大農軍，而使使奉王頭馳報天子。詔罷兩將兵，曰：「郢等首惡，獨無諸孫繇君醜不與謀焉。」乃使郎中將立醜為越繇王，奉閩越先祭祀。
餘善已殺郢，威行於國，國民多屬，竊自立為王。繇王不能矯其眾持正。天子聞之，為餘善不足復興師，曰：「餘善數與郢謀亂，而後首誅郢，師得不勞。」因立餘善為東越王，與繇王並處。
至元鼎五年，南越反，東越王餘善上書，請以卒八千人從樓船將軍擊呂嘉等。兵至揭揚，以海風波為解，不行，持兩端，陰使南越。及漢破番禺，不至。是時樓船將軍楊僕使使上書，原便引兵擊東越。上曰士卒勞倦，不許，罷兵，令諸校屯豫章梅領待命。
元鼎六年秋，餘善聞樓船請誅之，漢兵臨境，且往，乃遂反，發兵距漢道。號將軍騶力等為「吞漢將軍」，入白沙、武林、梅嶺，殺漢三校尉。是時漢使大農張成、故山州侯齒將屯，弗敢擊，卻就便處，皆坐畏懦誅。
餘善刻「武帝」璽自立，詐其民，為妄言。天子遣橫海將軍韓說出句章，浮海從東方往；樓船將軍楊仆出武林；中尉王溫舒出梅嶺；越侯為戈船、下瀨將軍，出若邪、白沙。元封元年冬，鹹入東越。東越素髮兵距險，使徇北將軍守武林，敗樓船軍數校尉，殺長吏。樓船將軍率錢唐轅終古斬徇北將軍，為御兒侯。自兵未往。
The King of Minyue, Wuzhu, and the King of Eastern Ou, Yao, both descended from King Goujian of Yue and bore the surname Zou. After Qin unified the empire, they were reduced to tribal chiefs and their territory became Minzhong Commandery. They assisted the Han in overthrowing Qin and Chu, and the Han restored their kingdoms.
During the Wu-Chu Rebellion, Dongyue followed Wu but then killed the fleeing King of Wu to win Han clemency. Later, the King of Wu's son, who had fled to Minyue, incited Minyue to attack Dongyue. When Dongyue appealed to the Han, the Grand Commandant Tian Fen advised letting the Yue peoples fight among themselves. But Zhuang Zhu, a court official, argued that abandoning a loyal vassal would set a terrible precedent. The emperor sent a force by sea from Kuaiji. Before it arrived, Minyue withdrew. Dongyue asked to relocate its entire population to the interior, and they were resettled between the Yangtze and Huai rivers.
When Minyue attacked Nanyue in 135 BC, the Han sent two armies. The Minyue king's brother Yu Shan murdered the king and surrendered. The emperor installed a different prince as king, but Yu Shan, commanding real loyalty, made himself king as well. They ruled in parallel. Later, Yu Shan secretly aided the Nanyue rebels and then openly revolted, killing three Han colonels and declaring himself "Military Emperor." The Han dispatched four armies by land and sea. A Yue defector killed Yu Shan from within. The emperor ordered the entire Yue population relocated to the interior. The land of the Eastern Yue was left empty.
The Grand Historian remarks: Though the Yue were classified as barbarians, their ancestors must have had great virtue to have maintained royal status for so many generations — surely this was the lingering merit of Yu the Great.
Notes
The forced relocation of the entire Yue population to the Yangtze-Huai region was one of the most drastic demographic policies of Emperor Wu's reign. The empty coastal territory would not be fully resettled for centuries.
Minyue (閩越) was centered in modern Fujian province, with its capital near modern Fuzhou. Archaeological excavations at the Chengcun site in Wuyishan have revealed extensive palace foundations confirming the kingdom's sophistication.