Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 4 Scroll 12 (continued)
The 10th year of the Emperor Gaozu (197 B.C. continued)
In May, the emperor appointed Zhao Tuo, the Nanhai commandant of Qin, as King of Nanyue. He immediately sent Lu Jia as an envoy to grant Zhao Tuo the king’s seal, ribbon, and tally, and to establish communication with the court through emissaries. The emperor wanted Zhao Tuo to govern all the Yue tribes and bring peace to the south.
Earlier, during the reign of the second emperor of the Qin dynasty, Ren Xiao, the commandant of Nanhai, fell gravely ill. He summoned Zhao Tuo, the magistrate of Longchuan county, and said, “The Qin dynasty is tyrannical, and the people are suffering. I’ve heard of the rebellion led by Chen Sheng and others, and the world is uncertain. Nanhai is remote, and I fear bandits may invade this land. I want to raise an army, block the New Expressway, and defend ourselves while we wait for the turmoil among the monarchs to subside. Fanyu County is protected by mountains, and the South Sea forms a natural barrier to the south. It stretches east to west for thousands of miles, and many Middle Kingdom settlers here can support us. This place could serve as the capital of a state. The county officials are incapable of discussing this matter, so I have summoned you to consult.”
Ren Xiao put his delegation of duties in writing and handed it to Zhao Tuo, who then assumed the role of Commandant of Nanhai, entrusted by Ren Xiao. Upon Ren Xiao’s death, Zhao Tuo immediately sent orders to Hengpu Pass, Yangshan Pass, and Huangxi Pass, declaring, “Bandits are about to arrive. We must cut off the roads and gather our troops for defense!” He also gradually eliminated the Qin-appointed officials through legal enforcement and replaced them with his own confidants as acting prefects. After the fall of the Qin dynasty, Zhao Tuo attacked Guilin and Xiangjun, declaring himself King Wu of Nanyue.
When Lu Jia arrived, Zhao Tuo received him disrespectfully, wearing a conical hairdo like a local aboriginal and sitting with his legs wide apart. Lu Jia addressed Zhao Tuo: “You are a Han subject, and your relatives, brothers, and ancestral tombs are in Zhending. Now, you have forsaken your heritage, abandoned your titles and attire, and seek to defy the Emperor of Han with a mere petty state. This will only bring ruin upon you. Moreover, when the Qin dynasty lost its way, many tribes and nobles rose up, but only the King of Han entered the pass and occupied Xianyang. Xiang Yu, after breaking his word, proclaimed himself Hegemon King of Western Chu, and all the lords submitted to him. Yet, the King of Han rose from Ba and Shu, wielded force across the land, and eventually defeated and destroyed Xiang Yu, bringing peace to the empire within five years. This was not due to human strength but was ordained by the will of heaven.
The Emperor has heard that the King of Nanyue has rebelled and failed to help eliminate injustice and tyranny. The Emperor and his ministers are considering sending troops to punish you. However, since the people have just endured hardship, the Emperor has chosen to wait and instead sends an envoy with the imperial seal, tally, and formal means of communication. You should welcome the envoy before he reaches the outskirts, bow to him, and declare your submission while facing north. Why would you wish to build a fledgling state and remain so unyielding? If the Han court heard of this, they would have dug up and burned your ancestors’ graves, exterminated your clan, and sent a general with 100,000 soldiers to Nanyue. The people of Nanyue would have killed you and surrendered to the Han empire like the flip of a hand.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Tuo suddenly stood up and apologized to Lu Jia, saying, “I have been living among the barbarians for too long and have forgotten my sense of propriety.”
He then asked the scholar, “Am I as wise as Xiao He, Cao Shen, and Han Xin?”
Lu Jia replied, “You are as wise as they are.”
Zhao Tuo then asked, “Am I as wise as the Emperor?”
Lu Jia responded, “The Emperor inherits the legacies of the Five Emperors and Three Sovereigns, ruling over the Middle Kingdom. The people of the Middle Kingdom number in the hundreds of millions, and the land is vast and prosperous. The government is centralized, a system unprecedented since the formation of the universe. Now, your army has no more than 100,000 men, all of them barbarians living among rugged mountains and seas. It is equivalent to a single commandery of the Han empire. How can you compare your kingdom to the Han empire?”
Zhao Tuo laughed heartily and said, “I do not seek to rise up in the Middle Kingdom; that is why I am a king here. But if I did it in the Middle Kingdom, how do you know my kingdom wouldn’t have been as great as the Han?” He then entertained Lu Jia for several months. Zhao Tuo said to him, “I have no one to converse with here. Since you arrived, I have learned so much every day.” He presented Lu Jia with a pack of pearls and other treasures worth thousands of catties of gold, along with other valuable gifts.
Lu Jia conferred upon Zhao Tuo the title of King of Nanyue, asking him to become a vassal and abide by a treaty with the Han empire. Upon his return, Lu Jia reported to the emperor, who was greatly pleased and appointed him Grandee of the Palace.
During his time at court, Lu Jia often mentioned and praised the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents. Once, the Emperor rebuked him, saying, “Your old man got his empire on horseback. What do ‘Songs’ and ‘Documents’ have to do with that?”
Lu Jia replied, “Although your Majesty conquered the country on horseback, would you prefer to govern it on horseback as well? Moreover, King Tang of Shang and King Wu of Zhou gained power through conquest but sustained their rule through virtue. Combining military strength with civil virtues is the way to ensure long-lasting stability. In the past, the King of Wu—Fuchai, Zhi Bo, and the Emperor of Qin all fell because they relied too heavily on military might. If the Qin had conquered the realm and then ruled with the virtues of benevolence and justice, following the wise laws of our sages, how could your Majesty have wrested the country from them?”
The Emperor, ashamed of his words, asked Lu Jia to write a book explaining why the Qin lost their empire and how the Han dynasty gained it, as well as the successes and failures of other kingdoms throughout history. Lu Jia composed twelve chapters in total, summarizing the rise and fall of dynasties. After each chapter was submitted, the Emperor praised it, and the entire court cheered, “Long live the lord!” The book was titled New Speak.
The Emperor was ill and refused to see anyone. He remained in his chambers for more than ten days, issuing an order that no one, not even court officials like Zhou Bo and Guan Ying, was allowed to enter. They dared not disobey. One day, the Marquis of Wuyang, Fan Kuai, forcefully pushed his way through the gate and entered, followed by the other officials. The Emperor was lying on an eunuch as a pillow.
Seeing him, Fan Kuai and the others wept and said, “Your Majesty and we started together in Feng and Pei, and built this grand empire, you were so invigorating! Now that the empire has been established, why are you so exhausted? Your Majesty, you are gravely ill, and the ministers are deeply concerned. Why do you not see us to discuss state affairs, instead remain alone with a single eunuch? Have you not seen what happened with Zhao Gao?”
The Emperor laughed and got up.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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