I am Zhao Tuo. I lived to the age of 103 and outlasted eight emperors. At twenty-two, I joined the Qin army’s southern campaign against the Baiyue peoples, and while serving as magistrate of Longchuan, I dug wells and built city walls. In 204 BC, I founded the Nanyue Kingdom and ruled Lingnan for 81 years. I promoted harmony among the Baiyue, helping 150,000 immigrants from the Central Plains integrate with the Yue people. I submitted to the Han twice, then declared myself emperor once. I established three lines of defense to resist the Han army and left behind dozens of suspected tombs. I became known as “the first developer of Lingnan.”
