The Yanqi Kingdom, situated 70 miles south of Mount Bai, is an ancient country from the Han Dynasty era. Their king's surname is Long, whose style name is Tuqi. The capital city stretches two miles along its walls. The kingdom comprises nine cities and boasts over a thousand elite soldiers. However, the governance is rather chaotic and lacks proper regulations. Their customs include the veneration of Buddhist texts, which is somewhat akin to Brahmanism. Marriage customs are akin to those found in the Central Plains. Upon death, individuals are cremated, and the mourning period lasts for seven days. All men have their hair cut. The Yanqi Kingdom is abundant in fish, salt, bulrush, and reeds, with a good geographical location. To the east lies Gaochang, 900 miles away, and to the west, Kucha, also 900 miles distant. During the Sui Dynasty, they even dispatched envoys to present local specialties as tribute.
The Kucha Kingdom, situated 170 miles south of Mount Bai, is also an ancient country from the Han Dynasty era. Their king's surname is Bai, whose style name is Sunidie. The capital city stretches six miles along its walls, with several thousand elite soldiers. Their laws stipulate "a life for a life" in cases of murder, and robbers are punished by having one arm and one leg amputated. Other customs closely resemble those of the Yanqi Kingdom. The king adorns his head with colorful ribbons, hanging down behind, and sits on a throne made of gold lions. The Kucha Kingdom is rich in rice, millet, beans, wheat, along with copper, iron, lead, deer hides, woolen blankets, gold dust, turquoise, realgar, cinnabar, musk, and frankincense, as well as fine horses and a cattle breed known as Fengniu. To the east lies Yanqi, 900 miles away; to the south, Yutian is 1,400 miles distant; to the west, Shule is 1,500 miles away; to the northwest, it is over 600 miles to the Tujue tribe; and to the southeast, it is 3,100 miles to Guazhou. During the Sui Dynasty, they too dispatched envoys to present local specialties as tribute.
The country of Shule, over a hundred miles south of the White Mountains, is an ancient kingdom dating back to the Han Dynasty. Their king is named Amijue, and he has six fingers on each hand and foot! Children born without six fingers often do not survive long. The capital city spans five miles. The country has twelve large cities, dozens of small cities, and a force of two thousand elite troops. The king wears a hat adorned with golden lions. Shule is abundant in rice, millet, hemp, wheat, copper, iron, silk, and realgar, and they send tribute to the Turks annually. The Yellow River lies to the south of Shule, to the west lies the Congling Mountains, to the east lies Gaochang, 1,500 miles distant, to the west lies the Khaganate, 1,000 miles away, to the south lies Zhu Jubo, approximately 800 to 900 miles away, to the northeast lies the capital of the Turks, over 1,000 miles distant, and to the southeast lies Guazhou, 4,600 miles distant. During the Sui Dynasty, they also dispatched envoys to present local products as tribute.
In the country of Khotan, just over two hundred li north of the Tianshan Mountains, the king's surname is Wang, with the style name Beishibilian (北示闭练). The capital city spans about eight or nine li in circumference. There are five major cities in the country, as well as dozens of smaller cities, with just a few thousand troops. The common people follow Buddhism, with many monks and nuns, and the king often practices vegetarianism and sutra recitation. Fifty li south of the city, there is a Zammam Monastery, which is said to have been built by the Arhat Bhikku Bilu. The monastery's stones still bear the footprints of the Buddha. Five hundred li to the west of the city, there is a Bimo Monastery, believed to be the place where Laozi converted the barbarians into Buddhists. The locals are known for their lack of propriety and have a reputation for being quite unruly, with many thieves. The king sports a brocade cap and a golden crown shaped like a rat, while his queen wears golden flowers. The king's hair is not to be seen by others, because it's believed that seeing his hair brings bad luck for the year. The region is abundant in hemp, wheat, millet, rice, and various fruits, with gardens and plenty of jade found in the mountains. To the east lies Shanshan, fifteen hundred li away, to the south is the Land of Women, three thousand li away, to the west is Chuguapo, a thousand li away, and to the north is Kucha, fourteen hundred li away, with Guazhou to the northeast, twenty-eight hundred li away. During the Sui Dynasty, they often sent envoys bearing tribute.
In the country of Qocho, over five hundred li to the west of the Tianshan Mountains, formerly known as the Quzhou Kingdom, the king's surname is Zhaowu, with the style name Aliqi. The capital city is four li in circumference, with a few thousand elite soldiers. The king sits on a chair crafted from golden sheep, while his queen wears golden flowers. The region is rich in cinnabar, gold, and iron. To the east lies Shule, a thousand li away, to the west is the Sufengshana Kingdom, five hundred li away, to the northwest is the Shiguo Kingdom, five hundred li away, to the northeast is the Tujue Yayingshi camp, over two thousand li away, and to the east is Guazhou, five thousand five hundred li away. During the Sui Dynasty, they also sent envoys to present various local specialties as tribute.
Tocharian Kingdom, located 500 miles west of the Congling Mountains, coexists with Yida Kingdom. The capital city boasts a circumference of two miles. They are formidable, boasting an army of 100,000 elite soldiers, each a skilled warrior. They also follow Buddhism. There is a unique custom in this place where several brothers share one wife and take turns sleeping with her; each time one enters the room, he hangs his clothes outside as a marker. Any children born are considered the eldest's. Legend has it that a divine horse resides in the mountain caves, and each year, they give birth to exceptional foals. To the south lies Cao Kingdom, 1,700 miles away, and to the east is Guazhou, 5,800 miles away. During the Sui Dynasty, they too sent envoys to pay tribute.
Yida Kingdom, located over 200 miles south of the Wuhu River, is descended from the Yuezhi. They have five or six thousand soldiers who are good at fighting, with a fierce and warlike temperament. The country was a bit chaotic before, so the Turks appointed a man named Tong Shezijiang as their king. Their capital city is about ten miles in circumference, with many temples and towers adorned with gold. Polyandry is a common practice there, and if a woman has only one husband, she wears a single-horned hat; if her husband has multiple brothers, the number of horns on her hat increases accordingly. Yida Kingdom is 1,500 miles from Cao Kingdom and 6,500 miles from Guazhou. During the Sui Dynasty, they too sent envoys to pay tribute.
Miguo, situated west of the Nami River, was formerly part of the Kangju territory. They have no king, and the leader in the city is named Zhaowu, a branch of the Kang king, with the nickname Bizhuo. Their capital city is only two miles in size, boasting only a few hundred soldiers. Miguo is a hundred miles from Kang Kingdom, five hundred miles from Suduoshana Kingdom, two hundred miles from Shiguo, and six thousand four hundred miles from Guazhou. During the Daye era, they frequently paid tribute to the east and west.
Shi Kingdom, situated ten li south of the Dumo River, was previously the territory of the Kangju. Their king's surname was Zhaowu, whose courtesy name was Ti Zhe, and he was a distant relative of the Kang Kingdom. Their capital city was only two li in area, boasting over a thousand soldiers. Their customs were similar to those of the Kang Kingdom. Shi Kingdom was 240 li away from Kang Kingdom, 500 li from the Tokhara, 200 li from the Nasebo Kingdom, 200 li from the Mi Kingdom, and 6,500 li from Guazhou. During the Daye period, they also dispatched envoys to pay tribute to both the east and the west.
Cao Kingdom, situated a few li south of the Nami River, was also previously the territory of the Kangju. The kingdom lacked its own ruler, and the Kang King appointed his son Wu Jian to govern it. Their capital city was three li in circumference, fielding over a thousand soldiers. Cao Kingdom had a very powerful deity, worshipped by nations to the east of the Western Sea. This deity was represented by a golden statue, measuring over five feet in width and height. Every day, five camel loads, ten horses, and a hundred sheep were sacrificed to it, with the leftover offerings sufficient to feed a thousand people. Cao Kingdom was 100 li from Kang Kingdom, 150 li from He Kingdom, and 6,600 li from Guazhou. During the Daye period, they also dispatched envoys to pay tribute to both the east and the west.
He Kingdom, situated a few li south of the Nami River, was also previously the territory of the Kangju. Their king was also a relative of the Kang King, with the surname Zhaowu. Their capital city was only two li in area, with a thousand soldiers. Their king sat on a throne crafted from gold in the shape of a sheep. He Kingdom was 150 li away from Cao Kingdom, 300 li from Xiao'an Kingdom, and 6,750 li from Guazhou. During the Daye period, they also dispatched envoys to pay tribute to both the east and the west.
The country of Wunaho, whose capital lies to the west of the Wuhu River, was once part of the Anxi Kingdom. The king's surname is Zhaowu, a descendant of the Kang Kingdom royal family, with the style name Foshi. The capital's city walls stretched two miles, with just a few hundred elite troops. The king sat on a golden throne in the shape of a sheep. To the northeast, Anguo was four hundred miles away, over two hundred miles to Muguo to the northwest, and seven thousand five hundred miles to Guazhou to the east. During the reign of Sui Emperor Yang, they even sent envoys to offer local products as tribute.
Muguo, whose capital is also on the west bank of the Wuhu River, was another former territory of the Anxi Kingdom and neighbored Wunaho. Their king also has the surname Zhaowu, a descendant of the Kang Kingdom royal family, with the style name Alanmi. The capital's city walls stretched three miles, with two thousand elite troops. To the northeast, it was five hundred miles to Anguo, over two hundred miles to Wunaho to the east, over four thousand miles to Persia to the west, and seven thousand seven hundred miles to Guazhou to the east. During the reign of Emperor Yang, they also sent envoys to offer local products as tribute.
Persia, located west of the Douda River in the city of Sulun, known in ancient times as Tiaozhi. Their king was named Kusahe. The capital was approximately ten miles in diameter. They had over twenty thousand fierce soldiers, with some soldiers riding elephants into battle. In this country, there was no death penalty. For crimes, offenders could have their hands and feet amputated, property confiscated, be shaved, or have a wooden board tied around their neck as a form of punishment. People over three years old were required to pay four coins each year. They also practiced marrying their own sisters. When someone died, they were disposed of on the mountain, and family members had to wear mourning clothes for a month. The king wore a golden flower crown, sat on a throne made of golden lions, adorned his beard with gold powder, wore brocade robes, and adorned himself with jade ornaments, truly opulent and grand.
This place produces good horses, large donkeys, lions, white elephants, huge bird eggs, as well as pearls, porphyry (a gemstone), beast spirit (a gemstone), coral, glass, agate, crystal, sese (a gemstone), huluoji (a gemstone), luteng (a gemstone), huoqi (a gemstone), diamonds, gold, silver, jinyushi (a mineral), copper, bintie (a type of steel), tin, silk, fine cloth, felt (a type of woolen blanket), fur, huna (a fabric), yuenobu (a fabric), sandalwood, gold-threaded fabric, red deer skin, cinnabar, mercury, as well as various spices such as aloeswood, saffron, and agarwood, pepper, bibo (a spice), honey, half-sugar (a type of sugar), thousand-year dates, aconite (a medicinal herb), helile (a fruit), wushizi (a fruit), malachite (a mineral), and orpiment (a mineral). The Turks were unable to defeat them and thus established a tributary relationship. The Persian kingdom often sent envoys to pay tribute.
Several hundred miles to the west of Persia is the sea, to the east over four thousand miles is the Mu Kingdom, to the northwest over four thousand five hundred miles is the Byzantine Empire, and to the east over eleven thousand seven hundred miles is Gua Kingdom. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty sent Captain Li Yu of the Yunqi as an envoy to Persia, and later sent someone to accompany Li Yu to pay tribute with some special products.
Cao Kingdom, north of the Congling Mountains, was called the Jibin Kingdom during the Han Dynasty. The king of this country was named Zhaowu, courtesy name Shunda, and was a relative of the Kangju king.
The capital city has a perimeter of four li. There are over ten thousand powerful soldiers. The country's laws are very strict, imposing the death penalty for murder and theft. Their customs include various chaotic sacrificial rituals.
On Onion Ridge, there is a temple dedicated to the worship of the Shuntian God. The ceremonies are quite elaborate, with a roof crafted from gold, silver, and copper, and a silver-paved floor. Thousands of people come to worship there daily. In front of the temple stands a fish vertebra, with a hollow center, large enough for horses to pass through.
The king wears a crown shaped like a goldfish, seated on a golden throne shaped like a horse. The region is rich in rice, millet, beans, wheat, and abundant wildlife including elephants, horses, and wild oxen, as well as gold, silver, brass, carpets, cinnabar, indigo, sandalwood, and various spices, along with rock honey, half honey, black salt, asafoetida, myrrh, and white aconite.
To the north, Fan Yan City lies seven hundred li away; to the east, the Jie Kingdom is six hundred li away; and to the northeast, Gua State is six thousand six hundred li away. During the Sui Dynasty, the Cao Kingdom sent envoys to pay tribute with local specialties.
Fu Guo, situated over two thousand li northwest of Shu Commandery, is the territory of the southwestern tribes during the Han Dynasty. There is a tribe called Jialiang Yi to the east of Fu Guo, whose customs are similar to those of Fu Guo, though their languages are not unified. They do not have surnames. The king of Fu Guo is named Yi Zeng. Their country is eight hundred li long from north to south, and fifteen hundred li long from southeast to northwest, without city walls, built near rivers and valleys, relying on dangerous mountains. They have a strong inclination for revenge, which leads them to construct "stone nests" from piled stones to evade their enemies. These "stone nests" reach heights of over ten zhang, with the shortest being five to six zhang. Each layer is about one zhang high, separated by wood. The base measures approximately three to four steps wide, tapering to two to three steps wide at the top, resembling a pagoda. There is a small door on the ground floor, and one must close it at night to prevent thieves. The country comprises over twenty thousand households, all subject to the king's commands. The laws of the Jialiang Yi are issued by the chieftain, with capital punishment for serious crimes and a fine of a cow for lesser offenses. They are nimble and proficient in sword fighting. They use lacquered leather for armor, with bows six feet long and bowstrings made of bamboo. They marry multiple mothers and sisters-in-law, and if a brother dies, the elder brother will also marry the younger brother's wife. They take pleasure in singing and dancing, accompanied by drums, reed instruments, and flutes. When someone dies, there is no mourning attire; the body is placed on a high bed, washed, dressed, covered with lacquered armor, and then with animal skins. Descendants do not cry; they dance with swords in armor, shouting, "My father was taken by ghosts, I will avenge and kill the ghosts!" Other relatives cry three times and then stop. Women must cover their faces while crying. The deceased's family slaughters a cow, and relatives bring pigs and wine; everyone drinks and eats together, then buries the deceased. A grand funeral takes place ten years later, attended by relatives and friends, with sacrifices sometimes reaching dozens of horses. They will set up ancestral shrines to worship their ancestors. They typically wear leather hats shaped like bowls, and some also don headscarves. Most of their clothing is crafted from fur and leather, with boots made from whole cowhide. They wear iron chains around their necks and iron bracelets on their hands. The king and chieftains adorn themselves with gold jewelry, featuring a gold flower about three inches in diameter hanging from their chests. The terrain is elevated, characterized by a cool, windy climate with minimal rainfall. The mountains yield gold and silver, and are home to many white pheasants. The river is home to a prized fish that grows up to four feet long, with very fine scales.
In the year 608 AD, in the fourth year of Emperor Yang of Sui's Dàyè reign, their king sent eight people to the court as tribute. The following year, he sent his student Yílín along with sixty members of the Jiāliáng Yí tribe to present tribute. They wanted to offer fine horses, but due to the difficult terrain, they were unable to make the journey, so they requested the opening of a mountain road for future tribute missions. Emperor Yáng of Sui found it too troublesome and did not agree.
Near the Jiāliáng Yí tribe, there is a river about sixty to seventy zhang wide; to the west of the neighboring country lies a matriarchal society. To the northeast of the neighboring country is a continuous range of mountains stretching for thousands of miles, extending all the way to the Dāngxiàng region. In the mountains, there are numerous Qiang tribal groups, including Dàzuǒfēng, Xiǎozuǒfēng, Xīwèi, and Gěyán. These tribes live in deep mountain valleys without a major leader to govern them. Their customs are similar to those of the Dāngxiàng people; some are under the influence of the Túyúhún, while others are attached to the neighboring country. During the Dàyè period of Emperor Yáng of Sui, these Qiang tribal groups all came to the court to offer tribute. In order to manage these areas, the court established various regional commanders on the southwestern border to oversee these areas from afar.
Historians say: throughout history, in order to open up remote areas and establish connections with border regions, there needs to be a broad-minded monarch and ministers ready to undertake significant tasks for the nation. Zhang Qian had already paved the way to the Western Regions, and Ban Chao later took up arms. They either used treasures to make friends or swords to intimidate, risking their lives for fleeting glory, all because the emperor valued the reputation of the border regions, and the ministers were willing to dedicate themselves to the country. Therefore, it can be said that what those in power favor, those beneath them will prioritize.
Emperor Yang of Sui emulated the extravagance of the Qin and Han dynasties, and to an even greater extent. Pei Ju offered the "Records of the Western Regions" to please him, so Emperor Yang of Sui personally went to Yumen Pass and established Yiwu, Qiemo, and other places. The Guanzhong region and as far as the sandy deserts were in turmoil, and the people's lives were unbearable. If there were no threats from the northern nomadic tribes and good news from the eastern barbarian regions, Emperor Yang of Sui would definitely strengthen the border defenses of Luntai, build cities at Wulei, and even seek the bright pearls of Daqin, bringing back the bird eggs of Tiao Zhi. In this way, the influx of goods would surge, and how could the country shoulder such a burden!
Ancient wise rulers governed territories of only about five thousand square miles, dedicating themselves to stabilizing the Central Plains while neglecting the remote and barren regions. Was their prestige not strong enough, or their virtues not widely acknowledged? No, they simply refrained from squandering resources on distant lands and avoided allowing trivial matters to undermine essential ones. Therefore, the Qin Dynasty guarded the Five Ridges, the Han Dynasty managed the three borders, and the outcomes were either fields strewn with corpses or a drastic population decline. The Sui Dynasty, believing itself to be powerful, ultimately faced a significant defeat in Qinghai. All of this stemmed from the rulers losing their way, leading to the suffering of the common people.
If Emperor Yang of Sui had seriously considered the implications of this situation, refused the Protectorate's request, returned the steed that travels a thousand miles, and not asked for tribute from the White Wolf, then the Seven Rong and Nine Yi tribes would have come to pay tribute on time. Even without the military successes in Liaodong, the tragedy in Jiangdu might have been avoided!
