1
南越王尉佗者，真定人也，姓趙氏。 秦時已并天下，略定楊越，置桂林、南海、象郡，以謫徙民，與越雜處十三歲。 佗，秦時用為南海龍川令。 至二世時，南海尉任囂病且死，召龍川令趙佗語曰：「聞陳勝等作亂，秦為無道，天下苦之，項羽、劉季、陳勝、吳廣等州郡各共興軍聚眾，虎爭天下，中國擾亂，未知所安，豪傑畔秦相立。 南海僻遠，吾恐盜兵侵地至此，吾欲興兵絕新道，自備，待諸侯變，會病甚。 且番禺負山險，阻南海，東西數千里，頗有中國人相輔，此亦一州之主也，可以立國。 郡中長吏無足與言者，故召公告之。」 即被佗書，行南海尉事。 囂死，佗即移檄告橫浦、陽山、湟谿關曰：「盜兵且至，急絕道聚兵自守！」 因稍以法誅秦所置長吏，以其黨為假守。 秦已破滅，佗即擊并桂林、象郡，自立為南越武王。 高帝已定天下，為中國勞苦，故釋佗弗誅。 漢十一年，遣陸賈因立佗為南越王，與剖符通使，和集百越，毋為南邊患害，與長沙接境。
The King of Nanyue, Wei Tuo, was a native of Zhending. His surname was Zhao. After Qin unified the realm, it conquered the Yangyue region and established the commanderies of Guilin, Nanhai, and Xiang. Exiled settlers were sent to live among the Yue people, and the two groups dwelt together for thirteen years. During the Qin dynasty, Tuo served as the Magistrate of Longchuan in the Nanhai commandery. When the Second Emperor's reign began, the Commandant of Nanhai, Ren Xiao, fell gravely ill and lay near death. He summoned Zhao Tuo, the Magistrate of Longchuan, and told him: "I have heard that Chen Sheng and the others have risen in revolt. Qin has ruled without the Way, and the whole realm suffers for it. Xiang Yu, Liu Ji, Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, and men across the commanderies and districts have all raised armies and gathered followers, fighting over the empire like tigers. The Central Plains are thrown into chaos, and no one knows where peace will come from. Great men everywhere have turned against Qin and set themselves up as rival lords." "Nanhai is remote and far from the center. I fear that rebel forces may push their attacks all the way here. I had intended to raise troops and seal off the mountain passes, fortify our defenses, and wait to see how the situation among the feudal lords develops—but now I have fallen gravely ill." "Furthermore, Panyu is backed by rugged mountains and fronted by the Southern Sea, with territory stretching thousands of li from east to west. A fair number of people from the Central Plains are here to lend their support. This land can certainly sustain a regional lord, and a kingdom may well be founded here." "Among the senior officials of the commandery, none are fit to discuss such matters. That is why I summoned you to tell you all this." He then issued Tuo a formal commission, entrusting him with the duties of the Commandant of Nanhai. After Ren Xiao died, Tuo immediately dispatched orders to the passes at Hengpu, Yangshan, and Huangxi: "Rebel forces are on their way! Cut off the roads at once, muster your troops, and hold your positions!" He then found legal pretexts to gradually eliminate the senior officials Qin had installed, replacing them with his own associates as acting administrators. Once Qin had fallen, Tuo attacked and absorbed the commanderies of Guilin and Xiang, then proclaimed himself the Martial King of Nanyue. After Emperor Gaozu had pacified the realm, the people of the Central Plains were exhausted from years of war, so he pardoned Tuo and refrained from punishing him. In the eleventh year of the Han dynasty, the emperor dispatched Lu Jia to formally install Tuo as the King of Nanyue. The two sides exchanged tallies and established diplomatic relations, with the goal of pacifying the various Yue peoples so they would not cause trouble along the southern border, where Nanyue adjoined the Kingdom of Changsha.
2
高后時，有司請禁南越關市鐵器。 佗曰：「高帝立我，通使物，今高後聽讒臣，別異蠻夷，隔絕器物，此必長沙王計也，欲倚中國，擊滅南越而并王之，自為功也。」 於是佗乃自尊號為南越武帝，發兵攻長沙邊邑，敗數縣而去焉。 高後遣將軍隆慮侯灶往擊之。 會暑溼，士卒大疫，兵不能踰嶺。 歲餘，高后崩，即罷兵。 佗因此以兵威邊，財物賂遺閩越、西甌、駱，役屬焉，東西萬餘里。 乃乘黃屋左纛，稱制，與中國侔。
During the reign of Empress Dowager Gao, officials petitioned to ban the sale of iron implements to Nanyue through the border markets. Tuo declared: "Emperor Gaozu installed me as king and opened trade and diplomatic relations. Now Empress Dowager Gao heeds the words of slanderous ministers, treats us as foreign barbarians, and cuts off our access to iron goods and implements. This is surely a plot by the King of Changsha, who wishes to lean on the might of the Central Plains to destroy Nanyue, annex our territory, and claim the glory for himself." At this, Tuo elevated his own title to Martial Emperor of Nanyue. He raised an army, attacked the border towns of Changsha, sacked several counties, and then withdrew. Empress Dowager Gao dispatched General Zao, the Marquis of Longlü, to lead a campaign against him. As it happened, the summer heat and humidity brought a devastating plague among the troops, and the army was unable to cross the mountain passes. Over a year later, Empress Dowager Gao died, and the campaign was promptly abandoned. Tuo then used military might to cow the borderlands. He lavished gifts of wealth and goods upon the Minyue, the Western Ou, and the Luo, bringing them all under his dominion. His territory stretched more than ten thousand li from east to west. He rode in a carriage with the yellow canopy and left-side pennant reserved for an emperor, issued imperial edicts, and styled himself as the equal of the Han court.
3
及孝文帝元年，初鎮撫天下，使告諸侯四夷從代來即位意，喻盛德焉。 乃為佗親冢在真定，置守邑，歲時奉祀。 召其從昆弟，尊官厚賜寵之。 詔丞相陳平等舉可使南越者，平言好畤陸賈，先帝時習使南越。 乃召賈以為太中大夫，往使。 因讓佗自立為帝，曾無一介之使報者。 陸賈至南越，王甚恐，為書謝，稱曰：「蠻夷大長老夫臣佗，前日高后隔異南越，竊疑長沙王讒臣，又遙聞高后盡誅佗宗族，掘燒先人冢，以故自棄，犯長沙邊境。 且南方卑溼，蠻夷中閒，其東閩越千人眾號稱王，其西甌駱裸國亦稱王。 老臣妄竊帝號，聊以自娛，豈敢以聞天王哉！」 乃頓首謝，願長為藩臣，奉貢職。 於是乃下令國中曰：「吾聞兩雄不俱立，兩賢不并世。 皇帝，賢天子也。 自今以後，去帝制黃屋左纛。」 陸賈還報，孝文帝大說。 遂至孝景時，稱臣，使人朝請。 然南越其居國竊如故號名，其使天子，稱王朝命如諸侯。 至建元四年卒。
In the first year of Emperor Wen's reign, he set about bringing stability to the realm. He dispatched envoys to inform the feudal lords and the peoples of the four quarters that he had come from the Kingdom of Dai to take the throne, proclaiming his benevolent virtue. Since Tuo's family tombs lay in Zhending, the emperor appointed custodians for the burial grounds and ordered that sacrificial rites be performed there at the proper seasons. He summoned Tuo's cousins and kinsmen, granted them high offices and generous gifts, and treated them with great favor. The emperor ordered Chancellor Chen Ping and others to recommend a suitable envoy to Nanyue. Chen Ping put forward Lu Jia of Haozhi, who had previously served as envoy to Nanyue under the former emperor. Lu Jia was accordingly summoned, appointed to the rank of Grand Palace Grandee, and dispatched as envoy. He also reproached Tuo for having proclaimed himself emperor without ever sending so much as a single envoy to inform the Han court. When Lu Jia reached Nanyue, the king was deeply alarmed. He composed a letter of apology, which read: "Your humble barbarian subject, the Great Elder Tuo: when Empress Dowager Gao cut off relations with Nanyue, I privately suspected the King of Changsha of slandering me at court. Then I heard from afar that the Empress Dowager had executed all of my kinsmen and dug up and burned the ancestral tombs. In my despair, I cast aside all restraint and attacked the Changsha border." "Moreover, the south is low-lying and damp, surrounded by barbarian peoples on all sides. To the east, the Minyue, with a mere thousand followers, style themselves kings. To the west, the Ou and the Luo, peoples of the uncultivated lands, likewise call themselves kings." "This old subject rashly assumed the imperial title merely to amuse himself. How would I dare bring such a matter to the attention of Your Heavenly Majesty!" He then prostrated himself in apology and pledged to serve forever as a loyal vassal, faithfully fulfilling his tribute obligations. He then issued a decree throughout his kingdom: "I have heard it said that two heroes cannot both stand, nor can two sages share the same age." "The Emperor is a worthy Son of Heaven." "From this day forward, I shall abandon the imperial title and relinquish the yellow canopy and left-side pennant." When Lu Jia returned with this report, Emperor Wen was greatly pleased. Throughout the reign of Emperor Jing, Tuo continued to style himself a subject of the Han and sent envoys to pay tribute at court. Within his own domain, however, Nanyue still secretly retained its former imperial titles and customs. When dealing with the Son of Heaven, Tuo styled himself merely a king and received court orders as the other feudal lords did. He died in the fourth year of the Jianyuan era.
4
佗孫胡為南越王。 此時閩越王郢興兵擊南越邊邑，胡使人上書曰：「兩越俱為藩臣，毋得擅興兵相攻擊。 今閩越興兵侵臣，臣不敢興兵，唯天子詔之。」 於是天子多南越義，守職約，為興師，遣兩將軍往討閩越。 兵未踰嶺，閩越王弟餘善殺郢以降，於是罷兵。
Tuo's grandson Hu succeeded him as King of Nanyue. At this time, King Ying of Minyue raised an army and attacked the border towns of Nanyue. Hu sent a memorial to the throne, stating: "Both Yue kingdoms serve as vassals of the empire. Neither should be permitted to raise troops and attack the other without authorization." "Now Minyue has raised an army to invade my territory. I dare not take up arms on my own, and respectfully await the Son of Heaven's command." The Son of Heaven commended Nanyue's righteous adherence to its obligations. He mobilized an army and dispatched two generals to march against Minyue. Before the Han forces had even crossed the mountain passes, King Ying's younger brother Yu Shan killed him and surrendered. The campaign was thereupon called off.
5
天子使莊助往諭意南越王，胡頓首曰：「天子乃為臣興兵討閩越，死無以報德！」 遣太子嬰齊入宿衛。 謂助曰：「國新被寇，使者行矣。 胡方日夜裝入見天子。」 助去後，其大臣諫胡曰：「漢興兵誅郢，亦行以驚動南越。 且先王昔言，事天子期無失禮，要之不可以說好語入見。 入見則不得復歸，亡國之勢也。」 於是胡稱病，竟不入見。 後十餘歲，胡實病甚，太子嬰齊請歸。 胡薨，謚為文王。
The Son of Heaven sent Zhuang Zhu to convey his intentions to the King of Nanyue. Hu prostrated himself and declared: "The Son of Heaven raised an army on my behalf to punish Minyue. Even in death, I could never repay such a kindness!" He dispatched his crown prince, Yingqi, to serve in the palace guard at the Han capital. He told Zhuang Zhu: "Our kingdom has only just been invaded. You may take your leave now. I am making preparations day and night to travel to court and present myself before the Son of Heaven." After Zhuang Zhu departed, the senior ministers remonstrated with Hu: "The Han raised an army to punish Ying, but their purpose was also to intimidate Nanyue. "Moreover, the former king once warned that in serving the Son of Heaven, the key is never to fail in courtesy—but under no circumstances should one be sweet-talked into appearing at court in person. Once you go to court, you will never be permitted to return. That would mean the ruin of our kingdom." At this, Hu pleaded illness and ultimately never went to court. More than ten years later, Hu genuinely fell gravely ill. Crown Prince Yingqi asked permission to return home. When Hu died, he was given the posthumous title of King Wen, the Cultured King.
6
嬰齊代立，即藏其先武帝璽。 嬰齊其入宿衛在長安時，取邯鄲樛氏女，生子興。 及即位，上書請立樛氏女為后，興為嗣。 漢數使使者風諭嬰齊，嬰齊尚樂擅殺生自恣，懼入見要用漢法，比內諸侯，固稱病，遂不入見。 遣子次公入宿衛。 嬰齊薨，謚為明王。
When Yingqi took the throne, he immediately hid away the imperial seal that had belonged to the earlier Martial Emperor. During his time serving in the palace guard at Chang'an, Yingqi had taken a woman of the Jiu clan from Handan as his consort and fathered a son named Xing. Upon his accession, he petitioned the Han court to recognize the Jiu woman as his queen and Xing as his heir. The Han court repeatedly sent envoys to urge Yingqi to present himself at court. But Yingqi relished the power to pass life-and-death judgments at will and to indulge himself as he pleased. He feared that appearing at court would mean submitting to Han law and being treated as an inner feudal lord. He stubbornly pleaded illness and never went. Instead, he sent his son Cigong to serve in the palace guard at the capital. When Yingqi died, he was given the posthumous title of King Ming, the Brilliant King.
7
太子興代立，其母為太后。 太后自未為嬰齊姬時，嘗與霸陵人安國少季通。 及嬰齊薨後，元鼎四年，漢使安國少季往諭王、王太后以入朝，比內諸侯； 令辯士諫大夫終軍等宣其辭，勇士魏臣等輔其缺，衛尉路博德將兵屯桂陽，待使者。 王年少，太後中國人也，嘗與安國少季通，其使復私焉。 國人頗知之，多不附太后。 太后恐亂起，亦欲倚漢威，數勸王及群臣求內屬。 即因使者上書，請比內諸侯，三歲一朝，除邊關。 於是天子許之，賜其丞相呂嘉銀印，及內史、中尉、太傅印，餘得自置。 除其故黥劓刑，用漢法，比內諸侯。 使者皆留填撫之。 王、王太后飭治行裝重齎，為入朝具。
Crown Prince Xing succeeded to the throne, and his mother was elevated to the rank of Queen Dowager. Even before the Queen Dowager had become Yingqi's consort, she had carried on an affair with a man named An Guoshaoji from Baling. After Yingqi's death, in the fourth year of the Yuanding era, the Han court dispatched An Guoshaoji to persuade the king and the Queen Dowager to present themselves at court and accept the status of inner feudal lords. The court also ordered the eloquent Remonstrance Grandee Zhong Jun and others to present the arguments, the brave warrior Wei Chen and others to provide military backing, and the Commandant of Guards Lu Bode to station troops at Guiyang in readiness to support the envoys. The king was young, and the Queen Dowager, who was originally from the Central Plains, had previously been An Guoshaoji's lover. When he arrived as envoy, the two resumed their affair. The people of the kingdom were well aware of the affair, and many withheld their support from the Queen Dowager. The Queen Dowager, fearing that unrest might break out, sought to rely on the might of the Han dynasty. She repeatedly urged the king and his ministers to petition for the status of inner subjects of the Han. Through the envoys, a memorial was submitted requesting that Nanyue be treated as an inner feudal state, pay court once every three years, and have the border passes abolished. The Son of Heaven approved the request. He bestowed silver seals upon the chancellor, Lu Jia, as well as seals for the positions of Inner Historian, Colonel of the Guard, and Grand Tutor. The remaining officials could be appointed by Nanyue at its own discretion. The old punishments of tattooing and nose-cutting were abolished, Han law was adopted, and Nanyue was treated on the same footing as the inner feudal lords. All the envoys remained in Nanyue to help maintain order and stability. The king and the Queen Dowager began outfitting their traveling retinue and assembling lavish gifts in preparation for the journey to court.
8
其相呂嘉年長矣，相三王，宗族官仕為長吏者七十餘人，男盡尚王女，女盡嫁王子兄弟宗室，及蒼梧秦王有連。 其居國中甚重，越人信之，多為耳目者，得眾心愈於王。 王之上書，數諫止王，王弗聽。 有畔心，數稱病不見漢使者。 使者皆注意嘉，勢未能誅。 王、王太后亦恐嘉等先事發，乃置酒，介漢使者權，謀誅嘉等。 使者皆東鄉，太后南鄉，王北鄉，相嘉、大臣皆西鄉，侍坐飲。 嘉弟為將，將卒居宮外。 酒行，太后謂嘉曰：「南越內屬，國之利也，而相君苦不便者，何也？」 以激怒使者。 使者狐疑相杖，遂莫敢發。 嘉見耳目非是，即起而出。 太后怒，欲鏦嘉以矛，王止太後。 嘉遂出，分其弟兵就舍，稱病，不肯見王及使者。 乃陰與大臣作亂。 王素無意誅嘉，嘉知之，以故數月不發。 太后有淫行，國人不附，欲獨誅嘉等，力又不能。
The chancellor, Lu Jia, was advanced in years. He had served as chancellor under three successive kings, and more than seventy members of his clan held senior offices. Every one of his sons had married a princess, and every one of his daughters had married a prince or a member of the royal clan. He was also linked by marriage to Zhao Guang, the King of Cangwu. His influence within the kingdom was immense. The Yue people placed their trust in him, and many served as his eyes and ears. He commanded the loyalty of the populace even more than the king himself. When the king submitted his memorial to the Han court, Lu Jia remonstrated repeatedly against it, but the king refused to listen. Lu Jia harbored thoughts of rebellion. He repeatedly pleaded illness and refused to meet with the Han envoys. The envoys all had their eyes on Lu Jia, but they lacked the means to eliminate him. The king and the Queen Dowager, fearing that Lu Jia might strike first, arranged a banquet. They planned to use the presence and authority of the Han envoys to assassinate Lu Jia and his faction. At the banquet, the envoys were seated facing east, the Queen Dowager facing south, the king facing north, and Chancellor Lu Jia and the senior ministers all facing west. Lu Jia's younger brother, who was a general, had his soldiers stationed just outside the palace. As the wine flowed, the Queen Dowager turned to Lu Jia and said: "For Nanyue to submit as an inner subject would serve the kingdom's best interests. Yet you, Lord Chancellor, keep objecting that it is inconvenient. Why?" She said this to provoke the envoys into acting against Lu Jia. But the envoys hesitated, glancing at one another uncertainly. In the end, none of them dared to make a move. When Lu Jia sensed that something was amiss, he rose at once and left the banquet. The Queen Dowager flew into a rage and wanted to strike Lu Jia down with a spear, but the king held her back. Lu Jia withdrew, deployed a portion of his brother's soldiers to guard his own quarters, and claimed illness. He refused to see either the king or the envoys. He then began secretly plotting a revolt with the other senior ministers. The king had never truly intended to execute Lu Jia, and Lu Jia knew it. For this reason, he bided his time for several months without making a move. The Queen Dowager's scandalous conduct had cost her the people's support. She wished to eliminate Lu Jia and his faction single-handedly, but she lacked the power to do so.
9
天子聞嘉不聽王，王、王太后弱孤不能制，使者怯無決。 又以為王、王太后已附漢，獨呂嘉為亂，不足以興兵，欲使莊參以二千人往使。 參曰：「以好往，數人足矣； 以武往，二千人無足以為也。」 辭不可，天子罷參也。 郟壯士故濟北相韓千秋奮曰：「以區區之越，又有王、太后應，獨相呂嘉為害，願得勇士二百人，必斬嘉以報。」 於是天子遣千秋與王太后弟樛樂將二千人往，入越境。 呂嘉等乃遂反，下令國中曰：「王年少。 太後，中國人也，又與使者亂，專欲內屬，盡持先王寶器入獻天子以自媚，多從人，行至長安，虜賣以為僮仆。 取自脫一時之利，無顧趙氏社稷，為萬世慮計之意。」 乃與其弟將卒攻殺王、太后及漢使者。 遣人告蒼梧秦王及其諸郡縣，立明王長男越妻子術陽侯建德為王。 而韓千秋兵入，破數小邑。 其後越直開道給食，未至番禺四十里，越以兵擊千秋等，遂滅之。 使人函封漢使者節置塞上，好為謾辭謝罪，發兵守要害處。 於是天子曰：「韓千秋雖無成功，亦軍鋒之冠。」 封其子延年為成安侯。 樛樂，其姊為王太后，首願屬漢，封其子廣德為龍亢侯。 乃下赦曰：「天子微，諸侯力政，譏臣不討賊。 今呂嘉、建德等反，自立晏如，令罪人及江淮以南樓船十萬師往討之。」
When the Son of Heaven learned that Lu Jia defied the king, that the king and the Queen Dowager were too weak and isolated to control him, and that the envoys were timid and indecisive, he took action. He also reckoned that since the king and the Queen Dowager had already aligned with the Han, it was Lu Jia alone who was causing trouble. This did not warrant a full military campaign. He planned to send Zhuang Can with two thousand men on a diplomatic mission. Zhuang Can replied: "If the purpose is diplomacy, a handful of men will do. If the purpose is war, two thousand men are nowhere near enough." He firmly declined the assignment, and the Son of Heaven relieved him of it. Han Qianqiu, a bold warrior from Jia and former Chancellor of Jibei, stepped forward and declared: "Yue is a trifling state, and the king and the Queen Dowager are on our side. Only Chancellor Lu Jia stands in the way. Give me two hundred brave men, and I will take Lu Jia's head." The Son of Heaven then dispatched Han Qianqiu along with the Queen Dowager's younger brother, Jiu Le, at the head of two thousand soldiers to enter Yue territory. Lu Jia and his faction then launched their rebellion in earnest, issuing a proclamation throughout the kingdom: "The king is young. The Queen Dowager is a woman from the Central Plains who has carried on a sordid affair with the envoy. She is bent on submitting our kingdom to the Han, carrying off all the treasures of the former kings to present to the Son of Heaven and ingratiate herself. She plans to take many of our people along to Chang'an, where they will be seized and sold into servitude. She seeks only to save herself for a fleeting advantage, with no thought for the Zhao ancestral altars or for the kingdom's future across ten thousand generations." Lu Jia and his brother then led their soldiers in an assault on the palace, killing the king, the Queen Dowager, and the Han envoys. He sent word to the Qin King of Cangwu and to all the commanderies and counties, and installed as the new king Jiande, the Marquis of Shuyang, who was King Ming's eldest son by a Yue wife. Meanwhile, Han Qianqiu's forces crossed into Yue and overran several small towns. The Yue then deliberately cleared the roads and provided provisions to lure them deeper. When the Han force was within forty li of Panyu, the Yue attacked and annihilated Han Qianqiu and all his men. They sealed the credentials of the Han envoys in a case and left them at the frontier pass. They composed a disingenuous letter of apology and deployed troops to guard the strategic passes. The Son of Heaven declared: "Although Han Qianqiu did not succeed, he was the vanguard of our military valor." He enfeoffed Han Qianqiu's son Yannian as the Marquis of Cheng'an. As for Jiu Le, whose elder sister had been the Queen Dowager and the first to advocate submission to the Han—his son Guangde was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Longkang. The emperor then issued an edict: "When the Son of Heaven's authority wanes, the feudal lords seize power by force, and ministers are condemned for failing to punish rebels. Now Lu Jia, Jiande, and the rest have risen in rebellion and sit at ease as though nothing were amiss. I hereby command that convicts and a hundred thousand tower-ship soldiers from south of the Yangzi and Huai be dispatched to crush them."
10
元鼎五年秋，衛尉路博德為伏波將軍，出桂陽，下匯水； 主爵都尉楊仆為樓船將軍，出豫章，下橫浦； 故歸義越侯二人為戈船、下厲將軍，出零陵，或下離水，或柢蒼梧； 使馳義侯因巴蜀罪人，發夜郎兵，下牂柯江：咸會番禺。
In the autumn of the fifth year of the Yuanding era, the Commandant of Guards Lu Bode was appointed General Who Calms the Waves. He marched out from Guiyang and descended the Hui River. Yang Pu, the Commandant of Titles, was appointed General of the Tower Ships. He marched out from Yuzhang and descended through the Hengpu Pass. Two former Yue marquises who had submitted to the Han were appointed General of the War-Boats and General of the Lower Li. They set out from Lingling—one descending the Li River, the other advancing toward Cangwu. The Marquis Who Gallops for Righteousness was ordered to recruit convicts from Ba and Shu, mobilize the soldiers of Yelang, and descend the Zangke River. All forces were to converge on Panyu.
11
元鼎六年冬，樓船將軍將精卒先陷尋陜，破石門，得越船粟，因推而前，挫越鋒，以數萬人待伏波。 伏波將軍將罪人，道遠，會期後，與樓船會乃有千餘人，遂俱進。 樓船居前，至番禺。 建德、嘉皆城守。 樓船自擇便處，居東南面； 伏波居西北面。 會暮，樓船攻敗越人，縱火燒城。 越素聞伏波名，日暮，不知其兵多少。 伏波乃為營，遣使者招降者，賜印，復縱令相招。 樓船力攻燒敵，反驅而入伏波營中。 犁旦，城中皆降伏波。 呂嘉、建德已夜與其屬數百人亡入海，以船西去。 伏波又因問所得降者貴人，以知呂嘉所之，遣人追之。 以其故校尉司馬蘇弘得建德，封為海常侯； 越郎都稽得嘉，封為臨蔡侯。
In the winter of the sixth year of the Yuanding era, the General of the Tower Ships led his elite troops in capturing Xunxia first, then broke through the Stone Gate, seized Yue boats and grain stores, and pressed forward, blunting the Yue vanguard. He halted with tens of thousands of troops to await the General Who Calms the Waves. The General Who Calms the Waves, leading his convict soldiers, had a long march and arrived after the appointed time. When he linked up with the Tower Ships general, he had only a little over a thousand men. Nevertheless, the two forces advanced together. The Tower Ships general took the vanguard and arrived at Panyu. Jiande and Lu Jia had fortified the city and held their positions. The Tower Ships general chose a favorable position on the southeast side of the city. The General Who Calms the Waves took up position on the northwest side. As dusk fell, the Tower Ships general launched his attack and defeated the Yue defenders, then set fire to the city. The Yue had long heard of the fearsome reputation of the General Who Calms the Waves. In the darkness, they had no way of knowing the size of his forces. The General Who Calms the Waves set up camp, sent out messengers to offer terms to those willing to surrender, bestowed seals upon them, and then released them to recruit more defectors. The Tower Ships general pressed his attack and set fires, but in the chaos, the fleeing Yue soldiers were driven straight into the camp of the General Who Calms the Waves. By dawn, the entire city had surrendered to the General Who Calms the Waves. Lu Jia and Jiande had slipped away under cover of night with several hundred followers, fleeing to the sea and sailing westward. The General Who Calms the Waves interrogated the surrendered nobles to learn where Lu Jia had fled, then sent men in pursuit. His former Colonel Commandant, Su Hong, captured Jiande and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Haichang. A Yue Gentleman-Attendant named Du Ji captured Lu Jia and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Lincai.
12
蒼梧王趙光者，越王同姓，聞漢兵至，及越揭陽令定自定屬漢； 越桂林監居翁諭甌駱屬漢：皆得為侯。 戈船、下厲將軍兵及馳義侯所發夜郎兵未下，南越已平矣。 遂為九郡。 伏波將軍益封。 樓船將軍兵以陷堅為將梁侯。 自尉佗初王後，五世九十三歲而國亡焉。
Zhao Guang, the King of Cangwu, who was of the same clan as the King of Yue, submitted to the Han upon hearing of the army's approach. The Magistrate of Jieyang, a man named Ding, likewise submitted on his own initiative. Ju Weng, the Inspector of Guilin in Yue, persuaded the Ou and the Luo peoples to submit to the Han. All of these men were enfeoffed as marquises. Before the forces under the General of the War-Boats and the General of the Lower Li, or the Yelang soldiers mobilized by the Marquis Who Gallops for Righteousness, had even arrived, Nanyue had already been pacified. The territory was subsequently divided into nine commanderies. The General Who Calms the Waves was granted additional fiefs. The General of the Tower Ships was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Jiangliang for his troops' valor in storming fortifications. From the time Wei Tuo first claimed the throne, the kingdom endured for five generations and ninety-three years before it fell.
13
太史公曰：尉佗之王，本由任囂。 遭漢初定，列為諸侯。 隆慮離溼疫，佗得以益驕。 甌駱相攻，南越動搖。 漢兵臨境，嬰齊入朝。 其後亡國，徵自樛女； 呂嘉小忠，令佗無後。 樓船從欲，怠傲失惑； 伏波困窮，智慮愈殖，因禍為福。 成敗之轉，譬若糾墨。
The Grand Historian remarks: Wei Tuo's kingship had its origin in Ren Xiao. He came to power as the Han was first establishing its rule, and was counted among the feudal lords. When the Longlü campaign foundered in the southern damps and plagues, Tuo's arrogance only grew. When the Ou and the Luo turned on each other, Nanyue was shaken to its foundations. When Han forces arrived at the border, Yingqi presented himself at court. The kingdom's eventual destruction traced its origins to the Jiu woman. Lu Jia's narrow-minded loyalty brought about the extinction of Tuo's line. The General of the Tower Ships yielded to his desires; his arrogance and complacency led him astray. The General Who Calms the Waves, though beset by hardship, grew only more resourceful in his stratagems, transforming calamity into triumph. The turns of fortune between success and failure are as intertwined as the strands of a twisted cord.