The Yida Kingdom, located over two hundred li south of the Wuhu River, is a descendant of the Yuezhi. They have a formidable army of about five to six thousand soldiers, fierce in battle. Historically, the country was unstable, and the Turks sent a man named Tongshe Zijiqiang to be their king. Their capital city is roughly ten li across, with many temples and pagodas adorned with gold decorations. Polyandry is common there, where women wear a single-horned cap if they have only one husband, and add a horn for each additional husband. The Yida Kingdom is 1,500 li from the Cao Kingdom and 6,500 li from Guazhou. During the Daxing period, they sent envoys to pay tribute.
The Migu Kingdom, located west of the Namishui River, was once part of the Kangju territory. They have no king; the city lord, Zhaowu, is a collateral relative of the Kang Kingdom's king, with the style name Bizhuo. Their capital city is only two li in size, with just a few hundred elite troops. The Migu Kingdom is 100 li from the Kang Kingdom, 500 li from the Suduishana Kingdom, 200 li from the Shiguo Kingdom, and 6,400 li from Guazhou. During the Daxing period, they frequently offered tribute.
The Shiguo Kingdom, located ten li south of the Dumo River, was also part of the Kangju territory. Their king, named Zhaowu, with the style name Tizhe, is also a collateral relative of the Kang Kingdom's king. Their capital city is also only two li in size, with more than a thousand elite troops, and customs akin to those of the Kang Kingdom. The Shiguo Kingdom is 240 li from the Kang Kingdom, 500 li from the Tuhuoluo, 200 li from the Nasebo Kingdom, 200 li from the Migu Kingdom, and 6,500 li from Guazhou. During the Daxing period, they also sent envoys to pay tribute.
Cao State, located a few miles south of Namishui, used to be the territory of Kangju. The state has no ruler of its own, and the Kangju king appointed his son Wu Jian to govern it. The capital city spans about three miles, which boasts over a thousand elite soldiers. Cao State is home to a highly revered god, worshipped by countries east of the Western Sea. This god has a golden statue, five feet wide and proportionately tall. Every day, five camels, ten horses, and one hundred sheep are sacrificed to it, with leftovers too plentiful for a thousand people to finish. Cao State is one hundred miles from Kangju, one hundred and fifty miles from Heguo, and six thousand six hundred miles from Guazhou. During the Daye era, they also dispatched envoys to present tribute.
Heguo, located a few miles south of Namishui, used to be the territory of Kangju as well. Their king is Zhaowu, a relative of the Kangju king, whose courtesy name is Dun. The capital city is only two miles in circumference, with one thousand elite soldiers. The king sits on a throne shaped like a golden sheep. Heguo is one hundred and fifty miles from Cao State, three hundred miles from Xiaoanguo, and six thousand seven hundred and fifty miles from Guazhou. During the Daye era, they also dispatched envoys to present tribute.
Wunaho State, with its capital built on the west side of the Wuhu River, used to be the territory of Anxi. The king, named Zhaowu, is also a descendant of the Kangju royal family, with the courtesy name Foshi. The capital city stretches two miles along its borders, with only a few hundred elite soldiers. The king's throne is shaped like a golden sheep. Heading northeast for four hundred miles leads to Anguo, heading northwest for over two hundred miles leads to Muguo, and traveling east for seven thousand five hundred miles takes you to Guazhou. During the Sui Dynasty Daye period, they once sent envoys to offer tribute of local products.
Muguo, whose capital is also located on the west bank of the Wuhu River, was also the former territory of Anxi, adjacent to Wunaho State. Their king, also named Zhaowu, is a descendant of the Kangju king, with the courtesy name Alanmi. The capital city extends three miles along its perimeter, with two thousand elite soldiers. Heading northeast for five hundred miles leads to Anguo, heading east for over two hundred miles leads to Wunaho State, heading west for over four thousand miles leads to Persia, and traveling east for seven thousand seven hundred miles takes you to Guazhou. During the Sui Dynasty Daye period, they too dispatched envoys to present local products as tribute.
Speaking of Persia, it is located in Sulind City, west of the Daher River, known in ancient times as Tiaozhi. Their king is Kusahe. The capital spans about ten miles around, boasting over 20,000 elite soldiers, some of whom ride elephants into battle! In this country, there is no death penalty, and the maximum punishment for crimes is the amputation of hands or feet, confiscation of property, shaving off beards, or wearing a sign around their necks to mark their status. Everyone over the age of three must pay an annual tax of four coins. They even have a custom of marrying their sisters. When someone dies, their body is taken to the mountains, and the family observes a month of mourning.
The king usually wears a golden flower crown, sits on a throne made of gold lions, and decorates himself with gold powder on his beard. Dressed in brocade robes and adorned with jade necklaces, he is truly magnificent! This region is known for its fine horses and large donkeys, lions, white elephants, huge bird eggs, including pearls, poli (a type of gemstone), shoupo (another gemstone), and coral, glass, agate, crystal, sese (a gemstone), huluoji (a gemstone), luteng (a gemstone), huoqi (a gemstone), diamonds, gold, silver, various jade stones, copper, bintie (a type of steel), tin, brocade, fine cloth, carpets, various furs, huna (a type of fabric), and yueno cloth, sandalwood, gold-threaded fabric, red deer skin, cinnabar, mercury, incense, tulips, suhe incense, green wood incense, and various other spices, pepper, bibo (a spice), honey, semi-honey (a type of honey), millennium dates, fuzi (a medicinal herb), helile (a medicinal herb), wushizi (a medicinal herb), green vitriol, and realgar, and more.
Although the Turks could not reach Persia, they were considered a tributary state of Persia. Persia often sent envoys to Central China to offer tribute. Geographically speaking, to the west, there is the sea just a few hundred miles away; to the east, it is over four thousand miles to the Mu Kingdom; to the northwest, it is four thousand five hundred miles to the Byzantine Empire; and to the east, it is eleven thousand seven hundred miles to Gua Prefecture. During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, Yunqiwei Li Yu was sent to establish diplomatic relations with Persia, and later, some local products were also sent along with Li Yu.
Cao Country, located north of Congling, was known as Jibin during the Han Dynasty. The king of this country was named Zhaowu, styled Shunda, and was a relative of the Kangju king. The capital city is four li long along the city wall. There are over ten thousand capable soldiers and cavalry. The laws of the country are very strict, and anyone who commits murder or theft will be sentenced to death. Their customs involve various unusual sacrificial rituals.
On Congling Mountain, there is a temple dedicated to the Shuntian God, which is quite grand. The roof is made of gold, silver, and bronze, and the floor is covered in silver. There are over a thousand people who visit the temple to worship every day. In front of the temple stands a fish spine bone, with an empty space in the middle that a horse can ride through.
The king wears a hat shaped like a gold fish head and sits on a throne made of gold horse. The region produces rice, millet, beans, and wheat, along with many elephants, horses, wild oxen, gold, silver, steel, carpets, cinnabar, indigo, frankincense, sandalwood, rock honey, semi-honey, black salt, asafoetida, myrrh, and white aconite. To the north lies Fanyan City, seven hundred miles away; to the east, it is six hundred miles to Jieguo; and to the northeast, it is six thousand six hundred miles to Gua Prefecture. During the reign of Daye of the Sui Dynasty, Cao Country also sent envoys to present local products as tribute.
It is said that over two thousand li northwest of Shu County, once part of the territory of the Southwest Yi during the Han Dynasty, there was a place called Fuguo. To the east of Fuguo lived the Jialiang Yi, who were self-governing and had similar customs to Fuguo, though their language was somewhat different and not unified. Interestingly, they had no surnames whatsoever. The king of Fuguo was called Yi Zeng. Fuguo stretched eight hundred li from north to south and fifteen hundred li from east to southeast, without city walls, with people living near valleys and mountains. The locals had a strong sense of vengeance, so they all lived in "stone nests" constructed from stones to evade their enemies. These "stone nests" were over ten zhang high, while others were five or six zhang high, with each layer about one zhang high, separated by wooden partitions. The base measured only three or four steps in circumference, and the upper part was even smaller, roughly two or three steps, resembling a tower. The lower level featured a small door, accessible only from the inside for going up, and it had to be locked at night to keep thieves out. The country had over twenty thousand households, all under the king's rule. The Jialiang Yi were governed by their chieftain, and serious crimes were punishable by death, while minor offenses resulted in a fine of a cow. They were agile and skilled swordsmen, dressed in lacquered leather armor, with six-foot-long bows and bamboo bowstrings. They had a unique custom of marrying multiple wives and sisters-in-law; if a brother passed away, the surviving brother would marry his widow. They enjoyed singing, dancing, and playing drums, reed pipes, and flutes.
When a person dies, there is no special funeral ceremony. They are placed on a high bed, cleaned, dressed, covered in polished armor, and then covered with animal skins. The children and grandchildren do not weep; instead, they wear armor, perform sword dances, and shout, "My father was taken by spirits! I will avenge him and slay the spirits!" Other relatives weep three times before stopping. When women cry, they must cover their faces with their hands. They slaughter a cow at the deceased's home, and relatives and friends bring pigs and wine. After everyone has eaten and drunk together, the burial takes place. Ten years later, a ceremonial funeral is held, with family and friends in attendance, and dozens of horses slaughtered. Ancestral altars are set up for worship. They wear hats made of leather, round like a bowl, some with face masks. Most clothes are made of fur, and boots are made of whole cowhide. They wear iron shackles around their necks and wrists. The king and local chieftains wear gold jewelry, with a gold ornament shaped like a three-inch flower on their chests. The area is high in altitude, cool in climate, with little rain and strong winds, ideal for cultivating wheat and barley. There is gold and silver in the mountains, and many white pheasants. In the river, there is a prized fish, four feet long with delicate, fine scales.
In the year 608 AD, during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, their king sent eight people as tribute to the imperial court.
The following year, his student Yilin brought sixty people from the Jialiang Yi tribe to pay tribute. They wanted to offer good horses, but the treacherous terrain made it impossible, so they requested Emperor Yang of Sui to create a mountain pass for easier tribute in the future. However, Emperor Yang of Sui deemed it too bothersome and declined the request.
The Jialiang Yi tribe lived near a river, approximately sixty to seventy yards wide; on the opposite bank, there was a river over a hundred yards wide, both flowing south. They used boats made of animal skins to ferry across the river.
To the south of the country of Affu is a tribe called Boyuanyi, whose customs are similar to those of Jialiangyi. To the west of the country of Affu is a matriarchal society. "To the northeast, there are continuous mountains stretching for thousands of miles, connecting to the Dangxiang region." The mountain range in the northeast extends for thousands of miles, all the way to the Dangxiang area. In the mountains, there are Qiang tribes everywhere, such as Dazuo and Xiaozuo, Xiwei, Geyan, Baigou, Xiangren, Wangzu, Lintai, Chunsang, Lidou, Misang, Biyao, Dahua, Bailan, Chilimotu, Nae, Dangmi, Qubu, Sangwu, Qiandiao, and so on. These tribes all live in deep mountain valleys, lacking a strong leader to unite them. Their customs are similar to those of the Dangxiang people, some affiliated with Tuyuhun and others with Affu. During the reign of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, these tribes all visited the court to offer tribute. To manage these areas, the Sui Dynasty established several regional governors' offices on the southwestern border to remotely control these tribes.
Historical records say: From ancient times to the present, to expand the frontier and establish connections with remote areas, there must be an ambitious emperor and proactive ministers. Zhang Qian had previously opened up the road to the Western Regions, and Ban Chao later joined the army, making significant contributions to the empire. They either used treasures to make friends or used swords to intimidate, risking their lives for fleeting successes, all because the emperor valued the opening up of the frontier and the ministers were willing to sacrifice for the country. Therefore, it is said that what those in power desire, those below will inevitably emulate.
Emperor Yang of Sui imitated the extravagant style of the Qin and Han dynasties, embarking on massive construction projects that dwarfed those of the Qin and Han dynasties. At this time, Pei Ju presented the "Record of the Western Regions" to please Emperor Yang. As a result, Emperor Yang personally led a large army out of the Yumen Pass, establishing garrisons in Yiwu, Qiemo, and other areas, extending all the way to the Lop Nur region. The people were exhausted and grumbling. Even if the nomadic tribes in the north did not cause trouble, news of victories from the eastern barbarians arrived. Emperor Yang would definitely strengthen the garrisons at Luntai, build fortresses at Wulei, in search of the treasures of Great Qin, acquire the eggs of the Tiaozhi birds, transport them back and forth—how could they possibly sustain such enormous expenses?
Wise emperors of old kept their territories within a radius of five thousand li, focusing on stabilizing the Central Plains and neglecting the far-flung and uncivilized regions. Could it be that their prestige could not reach the border regions, and their grace could not benefit the distant areas? No, they simply did not want to burden their people and squander resources on distant territories, nor did they want to harm useful matters with useless ones. Therefore, the Qin Dynasty guarded the Five Ridges, the Han Dynasty managed the three borders; at times, the fields were littered with corpses, and sometimes the population was sharply reduced by half. The Sui Dynasty, overconfident in its strength, also faced a significant defeat in Qinghai. All of this was because the rulers themselves had lost their way, resulting in the people's suffering.
If Emperor Yang of Sui could seriously consider the pros and cons of this matter, turn down the governor's requests, pull back a thousand miles, and refrain from demanding tribute from the White Wolf, then the seven Rong tribes and nine Yi would pay their tributes on time. Even without achievements in Liaodong, how could the tragedy at Jiangdu have happened?
