Cao Country, its capital is just a few miles south of the Mi River, formerly part of the Kangju territory. The country lacks a ruler, so the King of Kang appointed his son Wujian to govern it. The capital spans only three miles, with just over a thousand elite soldiers. In this country, there is a miraculous deity revered and worshipped by many nations from the West Sea to the East. This deity has a golden statue, crafted from gold, measuring over five zhang in width and proportionately tall. Every day, five camels, ten horses, and a hundred sheep are sacrificed to it, and the leftover meat is more than a thousand people can consume. One hundred miles to the southeast of Cao Country is Kang Country, one hundred and fifty miles to the west is He Country, and six thousand six hundred miles to the east is Guazhou. During the Sui Dynasty, Cao Country also dispatched envoys bearing local specialties.
He Country, its capital is also a few miles south of the Mi River, formerly part of the Kangju territory. The king's family name is Zhaowu, a relative of the King of Kangju, whose courtesy name is Dun. The capital is only two miles in size, with a thousand elite soldiers. The king sits upon a throne crafted from gold in the shape of a sheep. One hundred and fifty miles to the east of He Country is Cao Country, three hundred miles to the west lies Xiao'an Country, and six thousand seven hundred and fifty miles to the east is Guazhou. During the Daming era, it also sent envoys to offer tributes east and west.
Wu Nahe Country, its capital is west of the Wu River, formerly part of the Anxi territory. The king's family name is Zhaowu, a relative of the King of Kangju, whose courtesy name is Foshi. The capital is only two miles in size, with a few hundred elite soldiers. The king also sits upon a throne crafted from gold in the shape of a sheep. Four hundred miles to the northeast of Wu Nahe Country is An Country, more than two hundred miles to the northwest lies Mu Country, and seven thousand five hundred miles to the east is Guazhou. During the Daming era, it also sent envoys to offer tributes east and west.
The Kingdom of Mu, with its capital on the west bank of the Wuhu River, was once part of the ancient territory of Anxi and is adjacent to the Kingdom of Wunahuo. The king's surname is Zhaowu. He is also a relative of the Kang king and is known by the courtesy name Alanmi. The capital has a circumference of three li and is defended by two thousand elite soldiers. Five hundred li northeast of the Kingdom of Mu is Anguo, more than two hundred li to the east is the Kingdom of Wunahuo, over four thousand li to the west is Persia, and seven thousand seven hundred li to the east is Guazhou. During the Daye period, they sent envoys to pay tribute to both the east and the west.
Speaking of Persia, it is located on the west bank of the Tudaho River in the city of Sulun, which is ancient Tiaozhi. The king is named Kusahe, and the capital city is about ten li in diameter. They have over twenty thousand fierce troops, who even ride into battle on elephants! This country does not have the death penalty. The worst punishments for crimes include amputation of limbs, confiscation of property, shaving off beards, or wearing a sign around the neck for public display. Children over three years old have to pay four wen in taxes. The Persians also have the custom of marrying their own sisters. When someone dies, their body is left on the mountain, and the family must mourn for a month. The king wears a golden flower crown, sits on a throne made of golden lions, adorns his beard with gold powder, wears brocade robes, and wears jade accessories, which is truly magnificent!
Persia is known for its fine horses, large donkeys, lions, white elephants, enormous bird eggs, pearls, and a variety of gemstones, including coral, lapis lazuli, agate, and crystal, among many other exotic items. Gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, various silk fabrics, spices like aloeswood, saffron, benzoin, sandalwood, pepper, cloves, honey, various dried fruits, and medicinal herbs—everything one could possibly imagine! Even the Turks cannot penetrate Persia; they can only control it from a distance. Persia frequently sends envoys to pay tribute.
From the country of Persia, heading west for several hundred miles is the sea, heading east for over four thousand miles is Mu Kingdom, heading northwest for four thousand five hundred miles is Fuli, and heading east for eleven thousand seven hundred miles is Guazhou. Emperor Yang of Sui sent the Yunqi Captain Li Yu to establish friendly relations with Persia, and later sent envoys with Li Yu to offer some special products as tribute.
Cao Kingdom, north of Congling, was called Jibin Country during the Han Dynasty. The king of this kingdom is Zhaowu, styled Shunda, and is a relative of the royal family of Kangguo.
The capital city is four li long by the city wall, with over ten thousand valiant soldiers. Their laws are very strict, punishable by death for murder or theft. However, they have a custom of particularly enjoying elaborate sacrificial ceremonies.
On Congling Mountain, there is a temple dedicated to Shuntian God, boasting a grand roof of gold, silver, and copper, and the ground paved with silver. There are over a thousand people who come to offer sacrifices every day. In front of the temple, there is a hollow fish spine bone, that even a horse can pass through!
The king wears a gold crown in the shape of a fish, seated on a horse-shaped throne of gold. This region is rich in rice, millet, beans, wheat, elephants, and horses, along with gold, silver, bintie (a high-quality steel), qushu (a type of wool blanket), cinnabar, indigo, frankincense, sandalwood, and various spices, as well as rock honey, semihoney (possibly different types of honey), black salt, asafoetida, myrrh, and white aconite.
From Cao Kingdom, it's seven hundred miles north to Fanyan City, six hundred miles east to Jue Kingdom, and six thousand six hundred miles northeast to Guazhou. During the Daye era of the Sui Dynasty, they also sent envoys to offer various special products.
It is said that in the country of Fu, over two thousand li northwest of Shu County, was the land inhabited by southwestern tribes during the Han Dynasty. There was a tribe called Jialiang Yi to the east of Fu, each tribe governing themselves, with customs similar to those of Fu, but their languages were not unified. They didn't have surnames. The king of Fu was called Yi Zeng. Their country was eight hundred li long from north to south and fifteen hundred li long from southeast to northwest, lacking city walls and residing near river valleys and mountain cliffs. The people there had a strong sense of revenge, so they constructed "stone nests" from stones to hide from their enemies. These "stone nests" were over ten zhang tall, with some as short as five or six zhang, each layer one zhang high and separated by wood. The base was only three or four steps wide, while the top was two or three steps wide, which resembled a pagoda. The lower level had a small door, and it had to be closed at night to keep thieves out. There were over twenty thousand households in the country, all obeying the king. The Jialiang Yi tribe obeyed their chieftain, with severe crimes punished by death and minor ones fined with a cow. The people there were agile and skilled in swordsmanship. They used lacquered leather for armor, with bows six chi long, with strings made of bamboo. They also had a custom of marrying multiple wives, including sisters-in-law, and if a brother died, his brother would marry the widow as well. They enjoyed singing and dancing, with drums, reed instruments, and flutes.
When a person dies, there's no special funeral clothing. The body is laid on a high bed, cleaned, dressed in lacquered armor, and then covered with animal skins. The kids and grandkids don’t cry; they put on armor, dance with swords, and yell, "My father was taken by ghosts, I will avenge and kill the ghosts!" Other relatives cry three times before stopping. Women cry with their hands covering their faces. When someone passes away, the family butchers a cow, and relatives and friends show up with wine; everyone eats and drinks together, and then they bury the deceased. Ten years after death, they hold a grand funeral, with all the relatives and friends coming, and they slaughter at least a few dozen horses. They also set up an ancestral shrine for worship. People there sport round leather hats, some even wear hat covers. Most folks wear clothes made of fur and leather, and they wear iron chains around their necks and iron bracelets on their hands. The kings and chiefs flaunt gold jewelry, with a gold flower pendant hanging from their chest with a diameter of three inches. This place is high up, has a cool climate, and doesn’t get much rain. They mine gold and silver in the mountains, and there are loads of white pheasants. There’s a good fish in the river, four feet long with very fine scales.
In 608 AD, during the fourth year of Emperor Yang's reign in the Sui Dynasty, their king sent eight people to the imperial court to pay tribute.
The following year, his student Yilin came with sixty folks from Jialiang to pay tribute. They wanted to offer good horses, but since the road was dangerous and couldn’t be traveled, they asked for a mountain road to be opened up for easier tribute. Emperor Yang thought it was too much hassle and didn’t agree.
Jialiang has a river about sixty to seventy yards wide; the neighboring country has a river over a hundred yards wide, and both of them flow south. The locals made boats from animal skins to cross the river.
To the south of Fu Country, there is a place called *Boyuan Yi*, with customs and habits similar to those of Fu Country. To the west of Fu Country is a matriarchal society. To the northeast of Fu Country, there is a chain of mountains stretching thousands of miles, all the way to the Dangxiang region. There are Qiang tribes scattered throughout the mountains: *Dazuofeng*, *Xiaozuofeng*, *Xiwei*, *Geyan*, *Baigou*, *Xiangren*, *Wangzu*, *Lintai*, *Chunsang*, *Lidou*, *Misang*, *Biyao*, *Dahua*, *Bailan*, *Chilimotu*, *Naoe*, *Dangmi*, *Qubu*, *Sangwu*, *Qiandiao*. These tribes all live in deep mountain valleys without a central leader to govern them. Their customs and habits are similar to those of the Dangxiang people, with some tribes submitting to the Tuyuhun and others attaching themselves to Fu Country. During the reign of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, these tribes all came to the court to pay tribute. In order to manage these areas, the court set up various general managers on the southwestern border to govern from a distance.
Historical books say: from ancient times to the present, to explore remote regions and establish connections with border territories, there must be a monarch with a broad mind, as well as proactive ministers. Zhang Qian opened up the Western Regions, Ban Chao abandoned his pen for the sword; they either forged alliances with treasures or intimidated with swords, risking their lives to strive for temporary merits, all because the emperor prioritized border expansion, and the ministers were willing to go through fire and water. Therefore, it is said that what the people above like, the people below will be more enthusiastic about.
Emperor Yang of the Sui liked extravagance and waste, surpassing the two dynasties of Qin and Han. Pei Ju presented the "Records of the Western Regions" to cater to his thoughts, so Emperor Yang of the Sui personally marched to Yumen Pass, established Yiwu, Qiemai, and other places, and the Guanzhong region all the way to the shifting sands was exhausted, leaving the people struggling to survive. If the northern nomadic tribes were not a threat, and if reports from the Eastern Yi region were favorable, Emperor Yang of the Sui would definitely strengthen the garrisons at Luntai, build the cities of Wulei, seek the pearls of Daqin, and bring back the bird eggs of Tiaozhi. How could they possibly manage such a heavy burden of transportation?
Ancient wise monarchs, governing an area of only five thousand li, dedicated themselves to stabilizing the Central Plains and turned a blind eye to the remote and barren regions. Is it because their authority is not strong enough, or their benevolence is not sufficiently acknowledged? No, it is because they did not exhaust the people of the Central Plains with the barbarians from remote areas, nor allow trivial matters to undermine significant ones. Therefore, the Qin Dynasty guarded the Five Ridges, the Han Dynasty governed the Three Borders, resulting in either corpses covering the fields or a halving of the population. The Sui Dynasty, relying on its strong power, ultimately found itself in dire straits in Qinghai. This all stemmed from the rulers losing their way, leading to disasters for the people.
If Emperor Yang of Sui could seriously reflect on the significance of "pacifying the borders," firmly reject the requests of the local officials, withdraw a thousand miles, and not seek tribute from the White Wolves, then the Seven Rong and Nine Yi would come to pay tribute on time. Even without a victory in Liaodong, how could the tragedy at Jiangdu have occurred?
