Ancient Dian Kingdom

The beginning of the novel takes the family hatred of two aristocratic women from the Ouyue Kingdom, Ruoxi, and their enemies from the Sangzi Kingdom as clues, showing readers the national feud between the Chu Kingdom and the Ouyue Kingdom. At the same time, it also tells in detail the various entanglements between Zhuang Qiao, the general of the Chu State, and Ruoxi and Sangzi. The novel not only contains a large number of historical events about the Chu Kingdom, but also intersperses many martial arts elements. It can be said to be the perfect fusion of historical novels and martial arts novels!

(Continued from part one of the previous article "Did the Ancient Dian Kingdom Really Exist?") Look at the third and fourth paragraphs of the original text: In the sixth year of Jianyuan, Daxing [Daxing, that is, Daxing Order, was in charge of the dynasty's exchanges with its vassal countries and other affairs. ] Wang Hui attacked Dongyue, and Dongyue killed Wang Ying [At this time, the king of Dongyue was Ouyang Ying, a descendant of Si Wujiang, the last monarch of Yue. ] In return. Because of the military power, Hui made Fan (bō) Yangling [the magistrate of Fanyang County. ]Tang Meng Fengzhi [Fengzhi means blowing the wind, that is, spreading news. ] Xiao Nanyue [ Xiao Nanyue means letting the King of Nanyue know the power of the Han Dynasty. ]. South Vietnam eats Meng Shu wolfberry (jǔ) sauce [Chinese wolfberry, the name of the fruit tree, the fruit is sour and can be used as sauce. The King of Nanyue entertained Tang Meng to eat wolfberry sauce. [ The capital of the Nanyue Kingdom is now Guangzhou City. "When Meng returned to Chang'an, he asked the Jia people of Shu, who said: "There are many people who steal Goujiang out of Shu, and Yelang is near the Zangke River. He was subordinated to Yelang with property, that is, he was bribed with property and bribes to make him obey his orders], but he was unable to serve as an envoy when he came to the west. Meng Nai wrote to him and said: "The king of Nanyue, Huang Wuzuo, [dào]. Refers to the emperor's Cheluan. The land is more than 10,000 miles away from the east and west, and he is actually the leader of a state. Today, there are many waterways in Changsha and Yuzhang, and it is difficult to travel. I heard that Yelang has more than 100,000 elite soldiers, and they can float on the Zangke River. This system is more surprising. Sincerely, with the strength of the Han Dynasty, it is easy to appoint officials to Tongyelang Road. Then he worshiped Meng as lieutenant-general, commanding a thousand people and more than ten thousand people carrying food and equipment. ], Enter from Ba Zeguan ["Ba Zeguan" should be "Bafuguan", located in the west of today's Hejiang County, Luzhou. ], Then I saw Duotong, the Marquis of Yelang. He was given a generous gift, which is said to be a powerful virtue, and he was appointed as an official and his son was appointed as an order. The small towns next to Yelang were all greedy for Han silk (zēng bó), thinking that the Han road was dangerous and would never be possible, so they listened to the promise. In return, I thought I was in Qianwei County. He sent troops from Bashu to govern the road, and from Bo Road he pointed to the Zangke River. Sima Xiangru, a native of Shu, also said that Qiong and Zuo in Xiyi could be established as counties. The prime minister was sent to the generals as generals, and they were all like the southern barbarians. They appointed a captaincy, and more than ten counties belonged to Shu. At that time, the four counties of Bashu were connected to the Southwest Yi Road, and the troops were sent to garrison and transport food to supply the needs of the front. ]. After a few years, the road was blocked, and Shiba (pí) was hungry and Li Shi [Bai, to clear "tiredness"; Li, to clear "suffering". Stop hunger and get rid of dampness, that is, you are tired, hungry, and fumigated by moisture. ], There were many dead; the southwestern barbarians rebelled again and sent troops to attack, but in vain. When the superior was troubled, Gongsun Hong went to see him and asked him. That's right, let's just say it's inconvenient. When Ji Hong became the censor, he built Shuofang at that time to occupy the river and drive out the Hu. Hong Yin warned that the barbarians in the southwest were harming him, so he could leave it alone and concentrate on serving the Xiongnu. The Western Yi were dismissed, and the two counties of Nanyi and Yelang were appointed as captains. After a while, Jianwei was ordered to take care of himself, and his counties were gradually built. ]. The above content describes the Han Dynasty's first attempt to communicate with southwestern Yi, but it was forced to stop midway due to insufficient objective conditions. Translated into modern Chinese: In the sixth year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (135 BC), Wang Hui was ordered to lead troops to attack the East Vietnam Kingdom. The East Vietnam army killed the king Ouyang Ying in return for the Han Dynasty. Subsequently, Wang Hui relied on his military power to send Fan Yang to command Tang Meng to the Nanyue Kingdom to convey the Han court's intention to send troops. The King of Nanyue entertained Tang Meng to eat wolfberry sauce. Tang Meng asked where he got the wolfberry sauce. The King of Nanyue replied: "It comes from the Zangdao River in the northwest. The Zangdao River is several miles wide and flows under Panyu City." Meng returned to Chang'an and asked a businessman from Shu County about the matter. The businessman said: "Only Shu County produces wolfberry paste, and many local people smuggle wolfberry paste to Yelang to sell it. Yelang is close to the Zangda River, and the river is wide. There are more than a hundred steps, and it is completely possible to sail. The King of Nanyue wanted to bribe Yelanghou to join him. However, even if the influence of Nanyue Kingdom reached Tongshi in the west, Yelanghou could not be used as a subordinate." Tang Meng then wrote to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty: "The King of Nanyue rides on the emperor's carriage, and the land he commands stretches for more than 10,000 miles. Nominally, he is a foreign minister of the Han Dynasty, but in fact he is the leader of a state. Nowadays, most of the water routes from Changsha County and Yuzhang County are blocked and it is difficult to pass. I have privately heard that Yelang Marquis has more than 100,000 elite soldiers. If these elite soldiers can be sent down the Zoke River to launch a surprise attack on the South Vietnam Kingdom, this will be a great way to subdue the South Vietnam Kingdom. Taking advantage of the power of the Han Dynasty and the wealth of Bashu, it is easy to open a channel from Shu County to Panyu via Yelang County, where it will be easy to establish counties and officials." Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty agreed with Tang Meng's proposal, and appointed Tang Meng as Lieutenant General Lang, leading a thousand troops and more than 10,000 people in charge of grain, grass and baggage. He entered Yelang County from Bajun Fuguan and met with Yelang Hou Duotong. Tang Meng treated Duotong with kindness and power, and gave him many rewards. He also inspired him with the power and kindness of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and agreed to appoint officials to them, and let Dutong's son be the magistrate of Yelang County. The subjects of Xiaoyi under the jurisdiction of Yelang County all coveted the silk and fabrics of the Han Dynasty. They believed that the road from the Han Dynasty to Yelang County was difficult and they would not be able to possess them after all, so they temporarily accepted Tang Meng's covenant. Tang Meng returned to Chang'an to report the matter, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty changed Yelang County to Qianwei County. After that, soldiers from Ba and Shu counties were dispatched to build roads from Bodao to the Zangke River. Sima Xiangru, a native of Shu County, also advised Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that the Qiongdu and Zuo states in Xiyi could establish counties. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Sima Xiangru to Xiyi as a lieutenant general to tell the people here that the court would treat them the same way it treated Nanyi and set up a captaincy and more than a dozen counties for them, subordinate to Shu County. At this time, Bajun, Shujun, Guanghanjun, and Hanzhongjun were preparing to build roads to the southwestern Yi. There were many soldiers guarding the border and transporting supplies and military rations. After several years of busy work, the road was not finally completed. Many soldiers died of exhaustion and hunger, or died of being fumigated by moisture. In addition, the southwestern barbarians rebelled repeatedly and dispatched troops to attack, spending money and manpower but with no results. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was worried about this matter, so he sent Gongsun Hong to inspect and inquire. After Gongsun Hong's inspection, he returned to Chang'an and reported to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, claiming that the development of southwestern barbarians was detrimental to the imperial court. When Gongsun Hong became the imperial censor, the Han Dynasty was building Shuofang County in order to use the Yellow River to expel the Huns. Gongsun Hong took the opportunity to repeatedly admonish Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty for the disadvantages of developing and managing the southwestern barbarians, and suggested that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty temporarily stop development activities so that he could concentrate on dealing with the Xiongnu. So Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered to stop the administration of Xiyi, and only established two counties in Yelang, Nanyi, with a captain to lead them. He also ordered Jianwei County to be self-reliant and gradually improve its own county system. Look at the rest of the original text: In the first year of Yuanshou, Bowang Hou Zhang Qian [Zhang Qian (164 BC - 114 BC), an outstanding diplomat, traveler, explorer, and pioneer of the Silk Road in the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. ]Shi Daxia [the name of an ancient country in the Western Regions, its territory is approximately the northern part of Afghanistan. ] Came and said that when he lived in the Great Xia, he saw Shu cloth and Qiong bamboo sticks [Shu cloth and Qiong bamboo sticks are cloth produced in Shu County and bamboo canes produced in Qiongdu. ], The envoy asked where he came from, and said, "From the southeast of Shendu country, which is thousands of miles away, we can get Shujiarenshi [Shendu country, also called Tianzhu, which is today's India; getting Shujiarenshi, means to buy it from Shu merchants who do business in Tianzhu.]." Or it is said that there is Shendu country two thousand miles to the west of Qiong. Qian Yin said that Daxia was in the southwest of Han Dynasty and admired China. He was worried about the Huns and was across the way. So the emperor ordered Wang Ranyu, Bai Shichang, Lu Yue and others to send envoys out of the west to seek revenge on the country. When they arrived in Dian, the king of Dian tasted the Qiang and stayed there for more than ten generations to seek the way to the west. For more than a year, they are all closed in Kunming, and they can't get through and poison the country. The king of Dian said to the Han envoy: "Which one is greater, Han or me?" The same goes for Yelang Hou. Because the roads are blocked, each of them thinks he is the lord of his own state, unaware of the vastness of the Han Dynasty. The envoy also said that because of his great talk about the great power of Yunnan, it would be enough for him to join him personally. ]. The emperor pays attention. When the South Vietnamese rebelled, the superior envoy Chiyihou Yinqianwei sent out troops to the southern Yi. And (jū) Lan Jun was afraid that when he traveled far away, other countries would capture his old and weak people, so he rebelled against the others and killed the envoys and the governor of Qianwei. The Han Dynasty sent the Bashu criminals to attack South Vietnam, and the Eighth School Lieutenant defeated them. Hui Yue had been defeated, and the eight Han captains were still there, so they led their troops back to kill Toulan [the name of the country Fang, located approximately between the southwest of Yelang Kingdom and the Dian Kingdom. ]. Toulan is often separated from the Yunnan Road. Toulan had been flattened, and the south was razed to Zangke County. The Marquis of Yelang began to rely on Nanyue. Nanyue had been destroyed, and the rebels would be punished, so Yelang entered the dynasty. I thought it was King Yelang. After the defeat of South Vietnam, the Han Dynasty executed Qie Lan and Qiong Jun, and also killed the Marquis of Zuo. Everyone was frightened and asked the ministers to appoint officials. Therefore, Qiongdu was called Yueqi County, Zhedu was called Shenli County, Ranjun was called Wenshan County, and Xibaima of Guanghan was called Wudu County. His Majesty Wang Ran Yue defeated the Yue and killed the Yi soldiers in the south to show the power of the Dian King in entering the dynasty. The king of Dian has tens of thousands of people, and beside him in the northeast there are Lao Jin and Mi Mo, all of whom have the same surname, but they are not willing to listen. Lao Jin and Mi Mo numerous invaded the envoys and officials. In the second year of Yuanfeng, the emperor sent Bashu troops to defeat Laojin and Mimo, and then approached Yunnan with his troops. The king of Dian was the first to do good things, so he was not punished for it. The king of Dian left the southwestern barbarians [there is a version, "Hanshu" says "the king of Dian left the southwestern barbarians."], The whole country surrendered, and officials were invited to join the court. So I thought that Yizhou County would be given the royal seal of the Dian King to restore its people. The kings of southwestern barbarians number in the hundreds, and Du Yelang and Dian receive the royal seal. Dian Xiaoyi is the most favored. The above content describes the process of the Han Dynasty pacifying the southwestern barbarians and setting up counties and officials in the southwestern barbarians. Translated into modern Chinese: In the first year of Yuanshou (122 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian, the Marquis of Bowang, returned from his mission to Daxia and told Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that he had seen cloth produced in Shu County and bamboo canes produced in Qiongdu during his stay in Daxia. He asked people to inquire about these things. The inquirer told him: "These things come from Shendu Country in the southeast, which is thousands of miles away from Daxia. They can be bought from Shu merchants who go to Shendu Country to do business." He also heard that Shendu Country is about two thousand miles west of Qiongdu. Zhang Qian took the opportunity to talk to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty about Daxia, which was located in the southwest of the Han Dynasty and had always admired China, but the Xiongnu had blocked its road to China. If the official road between Daxia Kingdom and Shu County could be opened, the road through Shendu Kingdom would be very close and convenient, which would be beneficial to the Han Dynasty. So Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered Wang Ranyu, Bai Shichang, Lu Yueren and others to find a shortcut from the west of Xiyi to find the Shendu Kingdom. When they arrived in the Dian Kingdom, the Dian King Changqiang stayed with them and sent more than ten groups of people to the west to find a way for them. More than a year later, all those who were looking for a way were blocked by Kunming people and could not reach Shendu Country. The King of Dian asked the envoy of the Han Dynasty: "Compared with the Han Dynasty and the Kingdom of Dian, which one is greater?" The envoy of the Han Dynasty arrived at Yelang, and the Marquis of Yelang also asked the same question. Why is this so? This is because the roads are blocked, and each of them thinks he is the master of a state and does not know the vastness of the Han Dynasty. The envoys of the Han Dynasty returned to the court and tried their best to tell Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that the Dian Kingdom was a big country and it was worth spending some energy to conquer it and make it surrender. So Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty began to pay attention to the Dian Kingdom. When the King of Nanyue rebelled, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Marquis Chiyi to recruit Nanyi troops in the name of Jianwei County to attack the Nanyue Kingdom. Qie Lanjun was afraid that after his army went on a expedition, neighboring countries would take the opportunity to plunder his old and weak people, so he led his army to rebel and killed the Han Dynasty envoys and the prefect of Jianwei County. So the Han Dynasty mobilized the criminals from Bajun and Shujun who were originally planning to attack the Nanyue Kingdom and the Eighth School Lieutenant's troops to attack the Qielan Kingdom, and finally pacified it. Just when the Nanyue Kingdom had been conquered, the Eighth School Lieutenant of the Han Dynasty did not follow the original deployment and went south along the Zangke River. Instead, they led their troops to withdraw, and in the process of withdrawing their troops and marching westward, they destroyed the Toulan Kingdom. Toulanfang State was a country that once blocked the communication between the Han Dynasty and the Dian Kingdom. After the Toulan Kingdom was pacified, the entire southwestern barbarians were pacified, and Zoke County was established here. Yelanghou initially relied on the Nanyue Kingdom. After the Nanyue Kingdom was destroyed, the Han Dynasty army came back to kill the rebels. Yelanghou was forced to go to the capital to meet Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty named him King Yelang. After the collapse of the Nanyue Kingdom, and the Han Dynasty's execution of Lord Qielan, Lord of Qiondu, as well as the Marquis of Zuo, Ran and other tribes, they were all frightened and professed their vassalage to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, requesting the imperial court to appoint officials for them. In the Han Dynasty, Qiongdu was set up as Yueqi County, Zhedu was set up as Shenli County, Ranjun was set up as Wenshan County, and Baima to the west of Guanghan was set up as Wudu County. Then Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Wang Ranyu to use the military power of destroying the Nanyue Kingdom and killing the Nanyi rulers to tactfully advise the Dian King to go to the capital to pay homage to the emperor. At this time, the King of Dian had an army of tens of thousands. Next to him in the northeast were the Laojin and Mimo tribes. They all had the same surname as the King of Dian and supported each other. Instead of heeding the advice, the Laojin and Mimo tribes repeatedly violated the envoys and officials sent by the Han Dynasty. In the second year of Yuanfeng (109 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty mobilized troops from Bajun and Shujun to attack and eliminate the Laojin and Mimo tribes, and the army approached Dianchi Lake. The King of Dian took the lead in doing good and getting close to the Han Dynasty, so he was not executed. The King of Dian then left Xiyi and went to Beijing to see Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He led the people of the country to surrender to the Han Dynasty and asked the imperial court to appoint officials for them. So the Han Dynasty established the Dian Kingdom as Yizhou County and gave the King of Dian the royal seal so that he could continue to be the ruler of the subjects of the Dian Kingdom. There were hundreds of kings in the southwestern barbarians, but only Yelanghou and the Dian King were granted the royal seal by the Han Dynasty. Although Dian is a small country, it is the most favored by the Han Dynasty. Finally, Sima Qian said in praise: How could anyone before Chu have the fortune of heaven? In the Zhou Dynasty, he served as the teacher of King Wen and was granted the title of Chu. With the decline of Zhou Dynasty, the land was called Five Thousand Miles. Qin destroyed the princes, but only the Miao descendants of Chu still had the king of Dian. The Han Dynasty killed the southwestern barbarians, and many countries were destroyed. Only Dian became the favored king again. However, at the end of the southern barbarians, you can see Panyu with gourd sauce, Daxiazhang and Qiongzhu. After the Western Yi invaded, they divided it into two parties and formed seven counties. Translated into modern Chinese: Did the ancestors of Chu have blessings from God? During the Zhou Dynasty, their ancestor Wan Xiong was the teacher of King Zhou Wen. Later, Xiong Yi was granted the title of King Zhou Cheng to the land of Jingchu and established his country. By the time the Zhou Dynasty declined, the territory of Chu State had stretched over five thousand miles. The Qin State destroyed the vassal states, and only the descendants of the Chu State still had the Dian King (the Dian King Zhuang Qi mentioned above). The Han Dynasty killed the southwestern barbarians and many other kingdoms were wiped out. Only the King of Dian was favored by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. However, the conflict between Nanyi and the Han Dynasty led to their final destruction because Tang Meng ate wolfberry sauce in Panyu and Zhang Qian saw Qiong bamboo stick in Daxia. The reason why Xiyi was later flattened was because Qiongdu and Zeo State refused to submit to the Han Dynasty, and were eventually split into seven counties by the Han Dynasty: Yueqi, Zangda, Wenshan, Wudu, Yizhou, Shenli, and Qianwei. (The picture above is a schematic diagram of the establishment of counties and counties in the southwest by the Han Dynasty) "Biographies of the Southwest Yi" records the geographical distribution, folk customs and origins of the ethnic minorities in the southwest of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan today, as well as their relationship with the Central Plains, as well as the entire process of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's development and management of the southwest. Since Sima Qian made a special trip to this area, the historical records are relatively detailed. From the article, we can learn about the geographical location of the Dian Kingdom, the time of King Zhuang Qi of Dian, the contacts and exchanges between the Dian Kingdom and the Han Dynasty, as well as the major events in which the Dian Kingdom surrendered to the Han Dynasty and the Han Dynasty established Yizhou County and granted the royal seal to the Dian King. Sima Qian's Zhuang Qi, after leading the troops into Yunnan, did not act as a savior to transform the traditional customs of the local indigenous people. Instead, he followed the local customs and lived in harmony with the local ethnic groups, setting a precedent for multi-ethnic integration and development! Later generations wrote a poem praising it: "Out in the southwest, Zhuang Qiao is the first to pass." Because of the Great Xia, Han Dynasty ordered Tang Meng. The work is overwhelming, the customs are different, and the style is different. Yelang is arrogant, Qiong Ze is the lord. And the establishment of counties and counties has made great achievements throughout the generations. …… [To be continued]

(Continued from the previous article [Did the Ancient Dian Kingdom Really Exist?] Part 2) 3. Research on the Dian Kingdom by contemporary scholars Mr. Zhang Zengqi's "Dian Kingdom and Dian Culture" is an important treatise on the study of the ancient Dian Kingdom and Dian culture. In this treatise, the author uses a large amount of bronze evidence and documentary materials to demonstrate the location of the ancient Dian Kingdom's capital, territorial scope, ethnic groups, social economy, military, religion, culture and art, social systems, etc. These are the basic characteristics of a country. Finally, he concludes that "the Dian Kingdom existed for about 500 years, that is, from the middle of the 5th century BC to the beginning of the 1st century AD." Huang Yilu In "History of the Dian Kingdom", he used multi-disciplinary comprehensive research methods such as ethnology, culture, linguistics, archaeology, religion, etc. To conduct an in-depth study of the establishment of the Dian Kingdom, its political situation, and the main democratic subjects of the Dian Kingdom. In particular, he made in-depth research on Zhuang Qi's life experience, his relationship with Chu State, and the time and route of Zhuang Qi's troops entering Yunnan. It also clarified some controversial issues that have always existed in the academic world. The Yuxi Ancient Dian Culture Research Association, established in 2005, has published twelve issues of the "Ancient Dian Culture Research Collection", collecting hundreds of papers and conducting research and demonstration on the ancient Dian Kingdom and ancient Dian culture from various angles. 4. Archaeological unearthed cultural relics confirmed the existence of the Dian Kingdom After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the relevant archaeological excavation teams of Yunnan Province and Municipality successively excavated Jinning Shizhai Mountain, Chenggong Tianzi Temple, Chenggong Longjie Stone Tablet Village, Jiangchuan Lijiashan, Anning Taiji Mountain, Qujingzhu A number of ancient tombs were excavated in Jiebatatai, Kunming Daduanshan, Yangfutou, Chuxiong Wanjiaba and other places, and tens of thousands of bronze artifacts were unearthed. This not only confirmed the true existence of the ancient Dian Kingdom, but also showed that the Dian people created a unique Dian civilization and that the Dian Kingdom experienced a prosperous and glorious Bronze Age. (Pictured above, the archaeological site of Shizhaishan ancient tombs in Jinning, Kunming) The important representative cultural relics unearthed from the tombs of the Dian Kingdom include: 1. Seal of the Dian King The "Seal of the Dian King" was Unearthed in Tomb No. 6 Of the Shizhaishan Ancient Tombs Group in Jinning in 1956, it is made entirely of gold and weighs 90 grams. The seal is square, with sides 2.4 Cm long and 2 cm high. It has a snake button with a raised head, a coiled body and scales. "Historical Records" records that in the second year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent troops to attack the Laojin and Mimo tribes and came to the Dian Kingdom. The king of Dian Kingdom surrendered and submitted to the central dynasty. Therefore, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty gave him the "Seal of the King of Dian". The unearthing of the seal of the King of Dian confirmed the authenticity of historical records and also strongly confirmed the existence of the ancient Dian Kingdom. It is this small but precious gold seal that truly presents to the world an ancient kingdom that only existed in legends in the past. (Pictured above, the seal of the King of Dian. Now in the Chinese History Museum) 2. Seal of the Dian Kingdom The "Seal of the Dian Kingdom" seal was unearthed at the Hebosuo site in 2019, only more than 700 meters away from the Shizhaishan Cemetery where the "Seal of the Dian King" was unearthed. The "Seal of the Prime Minister of Dian" and the "Seal of the King of Dian" mutually confirm each other, which not only makes up for the lack of historical records of the ancient Dian Kingdom in ancient documents, but also further confirms the existence of the ancient Dian Kingdom from physical data, indicating that when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established Yizhou County and bestowed the seal of the King of Dian, he also established the "Xiang of Dian" and established an administrative system. (Picture above, "Dian Kingdom Xiang Seal" mud seal) 3. Niuhu Bronze Case The Niuhu Bronze Case was unearthed in Tomb No. 24 Of the Lijiashan Ancient Tombs Site in Jiangchuan County in 1972. The entire body is made of bronze, weighs 174 grams, is 76cm long and 45cm high. Its shape is a clever combination of two oxen and one tiger. It takes a strong bull as the main body, with four legs as the table legs, and the arched back of the cow as the oval table surface; a fierce tiger pounces on the cow's tail, with four claws on the cow's body, biting the cow's tail tightly, and staring at the table with eager eyes. There is a carefree calf standing under the big cow's belly, with its head and tail slightly sticking out of the big cow's belly, implying that the big cow sacrifices itself to protect the calf. The large bull neck in the Ox-Tiger Bronze Case has abundant neck muscles, and its two huge horns extend forward, showing a forward-moving and shaky feeling of the center of gravity. However, the tiger at the end leans back, and the force of the fall restores the balance of the case. The calf placed horizontally under the belly of the big cow moves the center of gravity downward, enhancing the stability of the case. The Ox-Tiger Bronze Case has a unique shape, exquisite production and novel conception. It is an outstanding representative of the bronze ware of the Dian Kingdom. It has reached a very high artistic level and has great artistic appreciation value. It is a masterpiece of Chinese bronze art. It enjoys the praise of "there are horses trampling flying swallows in the north and the Ox-Tiger Bronze Case in the south". It is also a rare treasure of ancient Chinese culture. (Pictured above, the Niuhu Bronze Case, now in the Yunnan Provincial Museum) 4. Murder sacrificial column copper shell storage vessel Unearthed in Shizhai Mountain, Jinning in 1955, it is 38 cm high and 30 cm in diameter. The vessel is in the shape of a bronze drum, with a bottom and a lid. There are hunting patterns engraved on the waist. There are eight people in total, all naked, each holding a weapon in their hands as if chasing a wild boar. There are 52 figures cast on the lid. A small bronze drum is placed on each side of the lid. A copper pillar stands in the middle. Two snakes are coiled in the middle of the pillar. A tiger stands on the top and a crocodile lies on the base. A sign is erected on the right side of the pillar. A naked man's arms are tied behind the wooden sign, and his braid is tied behind the sign. There is a person sitting on the right front of the wooden sign, with his left foot locked in a wooden shackle; another person is kneeling on the ground with his hands tied behind his back, naked. Behind the copper pillars, women sit in four rows, with three to four people in each row, arranged neatly. There are two rows of women, one and two, and a man stands in the middle, wearing a shawl on his shoulders, with his hands on his chest, as if waiting and watching. There are four other women sitting on the left side of the row, with baskets placed in front of their knees. The baskets are filled with fish, meat and other items. There is a man in front of them, standing and watching. (Pictured above, murder sacrificial shell container) To sum up, these important cultural relics unearthed from the tombs of the Dian Kingdom not only confirm the true existence of the ancient Dian Kingdom, but also show that the bronzes of the Dian Kingdom are rich in content and vivid. With their lively expressions, exquisite craftsmanship and unique national style, these bronzes have been exhibited in Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Austria and other countries. Viewers unanimously praised the exquisite production and high artistic level of Dian bronzes, which are rare in the world's bronze culture. With the continuous deepening of archaeological excavation and research in the future, this ancient kingdom that has been forgotten by the world will definitely shine again and restore its original historical appearance. [This article is selected from Ma Feijian's academic monograph "Ancient Dian Kingdom-Historical and Civilization Series"]

Are there rivers in the world that flow from low to high? The answer is: yes! And in ancient times, a kingdom used it as its name; in modern times, a province uses it as its abbreviation. This river is in Yunnan. Yunnan Province is located in the southwest border of China, referred to as "Dian" or "Yun"; the provincial capital Kunming, which has neither severe cold in winter nor scorching heat in summer, is located on the bank of Dian Lake, known as the "Pearl of the Plateau". Dianchi Lake is a world-renowned tourist attraction with its beautiful scenery and vast expanse of blue waves. So, why is this large plateau lake with a radius of 300 miles called "Dianchi", and why is the ancient country established around it more than 2,300 years ago called "Dian Kingdom"? This has to be explained from two aspects. 1. Originating from the magical "Backflow Lake" Dianchi Lake has a total of 36 tributaries of different sizes entering the lake (Figure 1, Panlong River, Baoxiang River, Daguan River, Jin Zhihe River, Xinyunliang River, Yunliang River, Wangjiaduiqu, Lengshui River, Maliu River, Xiba River, Chuanfang River, Jinjia River, Wulong River, Nanchong River, Wujia Baoxiang River, Xiaba River, Haihe River, Zhonghe River, Lao River Yuhe River, Liangwang River, Dahe, Cixiang River, Chaihe River, Baiyu River, Cailian River, Daqing River, Luolong River, Gucheng River, Muyang River, Xiaoqing River, Dongda River, Liujia Baoxiang River, Laobaoxiang River, Yao'an River, Laopanlong River, Changcao River), but there is only one river out of the lake, located in the southwest of Dianchi Lake. The upstream is Mantis River, the downstream is Pudu River, and finally merges into Jinsha River and flows into the East China Sea through the rolling Yangtze River. The name "Dianchi" is related to this Mantis River. Fan Ye recorded in "Book of the Later Han·Biographies of Southwest Yi": "There is a pond that goes back more than 200 miles. The water source is deep and wide, but at the end it is shallower and narrower, and it seems to be flowing backwards, so it is called Dianchi." "Huayang Guozhi·Nanzhong Zhi" records: "The lower stream is shallow and narrow, like flowing backwards, so it is called Dianchi." Li Daoyuan recorded in "Shui Jing Zhu": "Dianchi is upside down." It means flowing upside down. Everyone knows the old saying "When people go to higher places, water flows to lower places." Due to the gravity of the earth, water always flows downwards. Why does the water in Tangchuan River in the Dianchi Lake system "backflow"? This has to start with the geological structures of ancient times. (Figure 1, map of the water system around Dianchi Lake) In the Mesozoic Era about 200 million years ago, the crustal plate where Yunnan is located rose from the seafloor for the last time and gradually uplifted into a plateau; about 65 million years ago, the magical cosmic force caused the Indian Ocean Plate to The Tibetan Plateau and the Eurasian Plate collided with each other. After the violent collision, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the east rose significantly. The Himalayas towered into the sky and became the roof of the world. As a result, the terrain of Yunnan Province in the southeast of the mountains has generally become higher in the north and lower in the south, tilting from northwest to southeast. Therefore, the rivers in Yunnan basically flow from north to south, such as the Lancang River, Nujiang River, Yuanjiang River, etc. (See Figure 2); the water systems around Dianchi Lake also flow from north to south, such as Panlong River, Nanpan River, Lvzhi River in the west, etc. Only the Mantis River and Pudu River in the Dianchi Lake system are sandwiched between them and "flow backward" to North is opposite to the overall tilt direction of the surface and is reversed (see Figure 3) (Figure 2, water system map in Yunnan) For general rivers, whether the main stream and tributaries are orthogonal or oblique, the flow directions of the main and tributaries are generally consistent. However, the Mantis River and Pudu River in the Dianchi Lake system flow in completely opposite directions to their main source, the Panlong River. In addition, the flow directions of the Mantis River, Pudu River and their main tributary, the Zhangjiu River, are also completely opposite (see Figure 3). Why does this happen? Let's start with the magical geological formations. (Figure 3, schematic diagram of the modern water system distribution and flow direction of Dianchi Lake) During the Tertiary Himalayan Orogeny, the Yunnan Plateau began to become active again, with multiple intermittent and unequal uplifts. A fault zone appeared where Dianchi Lake is located, causing the west of Dianchi Lake to Steep west mountains rise on the edge, as if rising from the lakeside; the east of the fault zone has relatively subsided, and the uplift of the Citongguan Mountains at the junction of the southwest of Jinning Bazi and Yuxi City has caused the southward flow of the ancient Panlong River to be blocked, and the depression basin has continuously accumulated water to form a lake, forming the ancient "Dianchi Lake". It can be seen that Dianchi Lake is a dislocated structural lake formed by the "rising and falling" of local plates on the surface fault zone. Looking at the overall situation, we can find that Dianchi Lake is located in an important river source and plateau watershed zone: here is the important tributary of the south side of the Jinsha River "Niulan River-Chehong River" and "Pudu River-Mantis River" It is also the source of the Nanpan River, the upper source of the "Xijiang-Honghe River" on the west branch of the Pearl River system; and the birthplace of the "Taihe River-Lvzhi River", the important tributary of the "Red River-Yuanjiang River System". The ancient Dianchi Lake in ancient times, like the eight major lakes on the Yunnan Plateau (Erhai Lake, Fuxian Lake, Chenghai Lake, Lugu Lake, Qilu Lake, Xingyun Lake, Yangzonghai, and Yilong Lake), all flowed "from north to south". In ancient times, the outlet of Dianchi Lake flowed into the Red River through Citongguan at the junction of southwest Jinning Bazi and Yuxi City, belonging to the Red River system, and flowed into the South China Sea through the Red River (see Figure 4). However, due to multiple geological structural influences, the river flowing out of Dianchi Lake eventually changed its flow direction and merged into the Jinsha River "from south to north". Instead of going to the South China Sea, it went to the distant East China Sea! Why does the river flowing out of Dianchi Lake change its course and flow "upside down"? It can be inferred from many geological survey data that a certain section of the Mantis River and the Pudu River were not connected in ancient times. Later, either due to the sharp rise of the earth's crust near Dianchi Lake, or due to the advent of the Quaternary Ice Age and increased precipitation, the water levels of rivers and lakes rose, and the rivers were eroded back to their source, causing river raids. Therefore, the Dianchi Lake water system was connected with the Yangtze River water system. The communication between the two river systems has also exacerbated the decline in the water level of Dianchi Lake, and at the same time formed the "backflow" scene of Mantis River and Pudu River. From a geomorphological point of view, the riverbed and valley in the lower reaches of a river are usually much flatter and wider than those in the upper reaches. This is because when the river flows to the lower reaches, the terrain becomes flatter, the water speed slows down, and the sediment carried from the upper reaches is deposited downstream to form an alluvial plain. Looking back at the Mantischuan and Pudu sections of the Dianchi Lake system, firstly, the flow direction of the river is opposite to the general tilt direction of the surface. Secondly, the upstream riverbed and river valley are wider and flatter than those downstream, which is opposite to the usual river landform. Only ancient books can record - "The water source is deep and wide, but at the end it is shallower and narrower, like flowing backwards", "The lower stream is shallow and narrow, like flowing backwards", "Dianchi Lake is upside down.". Therefore, when people in ancient times saw this abnormal river, they always had the feeling of "the river flowing backwards", so they called the geologically structured lake at its source "Dianchi" (meaning a large pond flowing upside down). To sum up, in fact, the river flowing out of Dianchi Lake does not really violate the rules of gravity and flow backwards, but because of its unique topography, it gives people the illusion of "flowing backwards" from low to high. (Figure 4, the distribution and flow direction of the main water systems of ancient Dianchi Lake) 2. Names derived from ancient tribes Because of the magical geological structure, southwest China has become a mysterious land with beautiful landforms, complex climate, and biodiversity. According to the archaeological data of later generations of paleontology, vertebrate paleontology and paleoanthropology, there was a complete evolutionary process from apes to humans in the ancient land of southwest China. Southwest China is one of the important origins of human beings. About 1.7 Million years ago, Yuanmou people appeared on the land of Yunnan. They discovered and used fire and entered the era of human civilization. The descendants of the Yuanmou people have formed many ethnic groups, one of which is the Yi people of the Southwest (after the founding of New China, after ethnic identification, and in accordance with the common wishes of the Yi people, the "Yi" of "Ding Yi" (ancient sacrificial vessels) was used as the unified ethnic name). They are not only the indigenous people of the Southwest of the motherland, but also developed the Southwest of the motherland. About 1.7 Million years ago to 7,000 years ago, humans in southwest China experienced the long Paleolithic Age, which was a primitive people and a matrilineal clan society; from about 7,000 years ago to the 45th century BC, the ancestors of the Yi people began the transition from a matrilineal clan society to a patrilineal clan society, and entered a new era of human civilization. The Yi people are an ethnic group that advocates ethics and strict hierarchy. They have a long history, have their own national writing, and attach great importance to the inheritance of historical materials. This race created a splendid ancient civilization in the Jinsha River Basin and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and once dominated almost the entire southwest. According to records such as "Southwestern Yi Chronicles" and "General History of the Yi Nationality in China", around 837 BC, a famous leader emerged among the ancestors of the Yi people - Dumu, who was the third generation King of Shu (i. E. Du Yu, the king of Shu who transformed into a cuckoo in the history of the Central Plains). When Dumu was in charge of the Shu Kingdom, he encountered a flood from the Min River. Later, he led his six sons - the eldest son Mu Yaku, the second son Mu Yaqie, the third son Mu Yare, the fourth son Mu Yawo, the fifth son Muke and the sixth son Mu Qiqi - and led the tribe back to Yunnan. When they arrived at Zhaotong Damzi in the Wumeng Mountains today, they divided the tribe into six major tribes - Wu, Zha, Nuo, Heng, Bu, and Mo were handed over to their six sons, and they were entrusted to the six sons - Wuhou Muyaku, Zhahou Muyaqe, Nuohou Muyara, Henghou Muyakwo, Buhou Mukeke, and Mohou Muqiqi. The six sons were allowed to lead the six major tribes to expand and multiply in the east, south, west, and north directions. Later generations called them the "Sixth Patriarch Branch." Many kingdoms and tribes in the southwestern region are related to the Sixth Patriarch branch (see Figure 5). In fact, the pronunciation of "Dian" (diān) is the Yi language's name for an eagle or an eagle. The Dian tribe originally meant the tribe inhabited by the "Yi people with the eagle as their totem". The totems of the Yi people have always been "primary totems" and "secondary totems". The tiger is the original totem of the Yi people. The Yi people believe that the tiger is the "king of all beasts" on the earth and is extremely brave. As a result, the Yi people developed a sense of mystery towards the eagle, began to worship the eagle, and prayed for the eagle's protection. Therefore, the eagle became the "secondary totem" of the Yi people. The Yi people have a proverb: "The tiger's strength is sharp with sharp teeth, and the eagle's strength is sharp claws." "The eagle never loses its feathers when it grows old, and the tiger never loses its prestige when it is dead." The eagle is also the embodiment of the Yi people's view of heroism and power. Whoever can capture people from other clans or other tribes as slaves like an eagle captures chicken chicks is a hero and has power and prestige. The slave owner of the large tribe with the most slaves is the eagle, a hero, which symbolizes supreme power and enjoys supreme majesty. At that time, Mu Yaqie, the leader of the Cha tribe, led his people to a large flat dam and encountered a large lake with a radius of more than 300 miles. The lake was surrounded by lush water and grass, fertile land and lush forests. It was an ideal place to live and reproduce, so he settled here. Later, Mu Yaqe often saw thousands of eagles soaring over the lake. During the day, they hunted birds and mice in the woods, fished and caught ducks in the shallow water. They circled over the Western Mountains in the evening under the sunset, and at night they perched on the cliffs of the Western Mountains. The eagles were majestic and spectacular. Mu Yaqie began to believe in the eagle, and renamed the Cha tribe "Dian tribe", changed the tribal people to "Dian people", which means "people who worship eagles", named the large lake "Luo Duohai", which means "sea of ​​eagle ancestors", and named the area of ​​nearly a thousand miles where the tribe who worshiped the eagle had been active for a long time as "Dian land". Later, Sima Zhuangqiu of the Chu State led his troops to the Dian region, conquered the tribes of various countries, and established a state at Zhuoajidu (Jinning) on ​​the south bank of the Dian Lake. This kingdom was called the Dian Kingdom. (Figure 5, schematic diagram of the migration of various tribes after the branch of the Sixth ancestor of the Yi people) Reference materials: 1. "General History of the Yi Nationality in China", Yunnan People's Publishing House; 2. "Southwestern Yi Chronicles", Guizhou Ethnic Publishing House. [This article is excerpted from Ma Feijian's academic monograph "Ancient Dian Kingdom-History and Civilization Series"]

A mysterious figure once appeared in the history of Chu State. He passed by like a meteor across the sky in the eight hundred years of Chu history. There has been a lot of debate in the historical circles about his life experience for a long time. This person is Zhuang Qi (see Figure 1). Because Sima Qian made an error in describing the time of King Zhuang Qi in Dian in the "Historical Records" (when King Wei of Chu began, he sent General Zhuang Qi to lead his troops along the river... Zhuang Qi was the descendant of King Zhuang of Chu and Miao), which caused ancient historians after Sima Qian to have doubts about the historical facts of Zhuang Qi and King Dian. , Put forward different opinions; some contemporary scholars have also argued about Zhuang Qi's kingship in Yunnan. Even in the 1980s, the Chinese historians launched a big debate on the existence of Zhuang Qi, whether he was a thief or a general, and whether he was a Chu or a Yue. There are different versions of Zhuang Qi's life experience, because there are different records in history books, and based on different evidence, the conclusions are also different. In fact, some authoritative historical scholars have already demonstrated clearly the true life story of Zhuang Qi, and they only need to dig out the evidence. (Picture 1, Statue of King Zhuang Qi of Dian, located in Jinning, Kunming) 1. Questions raised by ancient historical scholars about King Zhuang Qi of Dian Fan Ye (gong When he wrote the "Book of the Later Han" (AD 398-445), he did not completely copy Sima Qian's records in the "Biographies of the Southwest Yi" about the Dian Kingdom, but put forward his own brand-new views. Comparing the two, there are four main differences between the records of King Zhuang Qi in Yunnan in "Book of the Later Han" and "Historical Records": First, the time when Zhuang Qi entered Yunnan is different: "Historical Records" records that it was before King Wei of Chu (34 BC 0 to 329 BC), the "Book of the Later Han" records that it was during the reign of King Qingxiang of Chu (298 BC to 263 BC), which was separated by 30 years of the reign of King Huai of Chu (reigned from 328 BC to 299 BC); Second, the people dispatched are different: "Historical Records" records that the person dispatched is Zhuang Qi, and "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" records that the person dispatched is Zhuang Hao; Third, the marching routes are different: "Historical Records" records that the person dispatched is "along the river" , the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" records "from the Yuan River"; Fourth, the occupied areas are different: the "Historical Records" records the surroundings of Dianchi Lake and thousands of miles away, while the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" records that "Yelang was destroyed, but the king of Dianchi Lake was left." Sima Qian is a great and rigorous historian, and he has personally been to the southwestern Yi region, and has heard and witnessed the historical materials and anecdotes of the Dian Kingdom. His accounts are highly credible; however, why does the rising star Fan Ye differ from Sima Qian in his account of King Zhuang Qi of Dian? The reason is that he carefully studied "Historical Records". The main basis for Fan Ye's compilation of "Book of the Later Han" was "Dongguan Hanji", which was written by Ban Gu on the orders of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty. It is an official biographical history of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The records of the Dian Kingdom in the "Book of Han" written by Ban Gu are in the same vein as the "Historical Records", with almost no changes. Only when Fan Ye wrote "Book of the Later Han", he gave some new perspectives on the affairs of King Zhuang Qi in Dian. This is not because Fan Ye discovered any new historical data, but because he found some doubts about Zhuang Qi and King Dian in the "Historical Records" and had to study and identify them carefully to come up with what he thought was a more reasonable interpretation, which was recorded in the "Book of the Later Han" to make it easier for future generations to distinguish. When Zheng Qiao (1104-1162), a historian of the Song Dynasty, wrote "Tongzhi", there was a passage: "Historical Records and Hanshu both say: During the reign of King Wei of Chu, he sent Zhuang Qi to the west of Ba and Qian to Dian Lake. He wanted to return and joined Qin to seize Chuba and Qianzhong counties, because all his kings moved to Dian. Later. When he was more than ten years old, Qin was destroyed. Another case: In the 30th year of the reign of King Huai of Chu, in the 22nd year of King Qingxiang, King Zhaoxiang of Qin sent troops to attack Chu and captured the territory of Wu and Qianzhong Commandery. , The land in central Guizhou was blocked, how could it be flooded for so long after fifty-two years? Perhaps Ban Gu wrote it according to tradition, and Fan Ye recorded it, and it is correct after careful examination: Zhuang Qi was the king of Dian, and Chu was destroyed in fifty-five years, and Qin was destroyed in fifteen years, so why was Yun Qi the king of Dian in ten years? The Qin Dynasty died when he was still more than 10 years old? This is not yet clear." When Fan Ye wrote the "Book of the Later Han", he made some reasonable changes to the story of Zhuang Qi's entry into Yunnan for reasons similar to the above. The most obvious one was to change the time of Zhuang Qi's entry into Yunnan from "the time of King Wei of Chu" to "the time of King Chu Qingxiang". Due to doubts about the affairs of King Zhuang Qi in Dian, some historians in later generations recorded the situation of the Dian Kingdom, but did not mention anything about the affairs of King Zhuang Qi in Dian, such as Li Tai's "Kuo Di Zhi" in the Tang Dynasty, Liang Zaiyan's "Ten Dao Zhi", and Sima Guang's "Zi Zhi Tong Xian" in the Northern Song Dynasty. 2. The debate among contemporary scholars about Zhuang Qi's kingship in Dian Because Sima Qian only talked about Zhuang Qi in "Historical Records" in a few words, some contemporary scholars have argued about Zhuang Qi's life experience - whether he was a slave or a noble, a general or a thief, and a Chu People or Yue people, according to incomplete summary, there are mainly the following opinions: 1. The view that Zhuang Qi is a "robber" is based on a sentence in "Han Feizi·Yu Lao": "Zhuang Qi stole within the territory and the officials could not control it." In addition, Sima Qian also mentioned that Zhuang Qi was a "robber" in "Historical Records·Biographies of Rangers". People who hold this view believe that Zhuang Qi is not a "little bandit" who steals chickens and dogs, but a "great chivalrous man" who performs chivalry and justice, kills the rich and helps the poor. He has an armed army under his command and is deeply supported by the slave class, but he is regarded as a "big bandit" by the court and slave owners. Later, Zhuang Qi could not survive in the Chu Kingdom, so he led his armed army and a group of slaves to flee to the Dianchi Lake area in the southwest, conquered the local indigenous tribes and founded the Dian Kingdom. 2. It is believed that there were two Zhuang Qi in the Chu State. In the "Historical Records", Zhuang Qi appeared as a "sent general", "uprising general" and "robber". Because he was trapped in the mystery set up by Sima Qian on the Zhuang Qi issue, some people thought that these were two people with the same name and the same surname. One was a general of the Chu State who was sent to Yunnan during the reign of King Wei of Chu; the other was a thief in the territory during the reign of King Qingxiang and later became the leader of the rebel army. People who hold this view ignore the fact that Zhuang Qi written by Sima Qian appears in different chapters in "Historical Records" from different angles. It's just that the same person has different experiences of "being a thief", "revolting general", and "dispatching general". 3. It is believed that Zhuang Qi was a thief first and then became a thief. This view is that Zhuang Qi first robbed the territory, then surrendered to the king of Chu, and became a general of Chu after establishing military exploits. 4. It is believed that Zhuang Qi is the king of Yelang Zhuang who moved south. This view holds that "Zhuang Qi, the king of Dian, is the queen of Minshan Zhuang King, and Minshan Zhuang King is the queen of Chu Zhuang King." "The Dian King moved south to the Dian Lake area from Shu and Chuxiong after Qin destroyed Bashu. Queen of Minshan Village." 5. It is believed that Zhuang Qi is a woman. Among the bronzes unearthed in Lijiashan, some precious cultural relics are sacrificial shell containers. There are some figures on the shell storage containers, and the wizards who presided over the sacrifices were all women. Therefore, some scholars believe that women at that time had a very high status, and they might be Zhuang Qi, the king of Dian, so Zhuang Qi was a woman. 6. Some scholars believe that there is no "Zhuang Qi King of Dian" in history. Some scholars believe that the creation of the ancient Dian Kingdom has nothing to do with Zhuang Qi. The Dian Kingdom was not founded by Zhuang Qi, a Chu man who entered Yunnan during the Warring States Period... This view should be discussed carefully. If there is really no "Zhuang Qi King of Dian" in history, why do so many historians in the past mention "Zhuang Qi" and the "Dian Kingdom"? In particular, would historical authorities like Sima Qian, Ban Gu, and Fan Ye be created out of thin air? Why does the unearthed "Seal of the King of Dian" match Sima Qian's records in "Historical Records"? 7. The view that Zhuang Qi was a general of Chu State is the mainstream in academic circles. Scholars who hold this view believe that in the middle and late Warring States Period, King Qingxiang of Chu sent General Zhuang Qi to lead troops to expand to the southwest in order to expand his sphere of influence. Zhuang Qi conquered the Qielan and Yelang Kingdoms along the way, and finally reached the Dian Lake area and founded the Dian Kingdom, which is no different from the records in "Historical Records". In addition, Mr. Fang Guoyu, a famous historian in Yunnan, always adheres to the view that Zhuang Qi of the Chu Kingdom was king of Dian, and firmly believes that it was the hero Zhuang Qi who founded the Dian Kingdom. Mr. Fang Guoyu believed that "Zhuang Qi led his troops to Yunnan was an integral part of Qin and Chu's struggle for hegemony in the Central Plains." Zhuang Qi, who founded the Dian Kingdom, "sent his troops along the river during the reign of King Qingxiang of Chu." 3. There are six major mistakes in the study of Zhuang Qi Concerning Zhuang Qi and his king in Dian, post-Confucian scholars have different opinions and cannot agree on one, which casts a veil of mystery on the history of Dian Kingdom, which is already full of suspense due to lack of historical data. During the Republic of China, when Zhou Zhongyue and other scholars compiled the "New Compilation of Yunnan General Chronicles", they conducted a comprehensive analysis of the doubts about Zhuang Qi and Wang Dian, and believed that there were six major mistakes in the research on Zhuang Qi and Wang Dian throughout the ages: Zhuang Qi and Wang Dian were misrepresented in ancient times: one is human error. ... "Kun Xue Ji Wen" judged that the two people had the same name, which is true; the second said that the surname was wrong. "Book of the Later Han·Biao of Ancient and Modern People" was written by Yan Qi, and was changed because Ban Gu avoided the taboo of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty (Liu Zhuang); the third reason is that the name is wrong. Zhuang Hao, Zhuang Jin, Zhuang Qiao, Zhao Hua, Shao Hua, etc. Are all written incorrectly; the fourth is a time error. Shi Gong considered it to be the time of King Wei of Chu, Ban Gu's "Han Shu" and Chang Xu's "Huayang Guo Zhi" agree, but Fan Ye's "Hou Han Shu" said it was the time of King Qingxiang. In "Xunzi·Yi Bing Pian", Qiu and Tang Mei are both called together, and in "Han Shi Wai Zhuan" Qiu and Tang Mei are mentioned together. Qin killed Tang Mei in the twenty-eighth year of King Huai of Chu, and there was no doubt that Zhi Qiu was still alive. ... The road to Qieba and Guizhou was unobstructed when King Wei and Huai were there, but there was an obstacle when King Qingxiang was there; the fifth is the road error, the "Historical Records" says it follows the river, the "Book of the Later Han" says it follows the Yuan River; the sixth is the country's governance errors... In short, Shi Gong is not far from Zhuangyu, and he has personally visited the southwestern Yi territory, so he must be able to convey the message. There are many later Confucian scholars, so why should it be important! Mr. Zhou Zhongyue's conclusion is quite enlightening. When ancient and modern scholars discuss Zhuang Qi, their views generally do not go beyond the scope of Zhou Lun. In fact, it is true that Sima Qian was not far from Zhuang Qi's time, and he personally visited the southwest Yi territory. How can we not believe his account? Moreover, the story of "Zhuang Qi King Dian" was also first proposed by Sima Qian. Other theories are unclear or tampered by later generations. Some are reasonable, and some are wrong or even absurd. As for Zhuang Qi's marching route into Yunnan, "Historical Records" says "Follow the River", while "Book of the Later Han" says "From the Yuan River". The poet Qu Yuan has a poem in "Li Sao" that says "Ji Yuanxiang is coming to the south", and in "She Jiang" there is a poem that is "When I enter Xupu, I am wandering here". Xupu is today's Xupu County. In the middle reaches of Yuanjiang River, these two poems are enough to prove that following the Yuan River into central Guizhou and then entering Qielan Kingdom (Zangda Kingdom) and Yelang Kingdom was a route often taken by Chu people during the Warring States Period, and it was the closest route. When Wujun and Bajun were controlled by the Qin army, it was reasonable for Zhuang Qi to lead his troops along this ancient road (see Figure 2). (Figure 2, schematic diagram of Zhuang Qi's entry into Yunnan) 4. Research on "History of Dian Kingdom" According to careful research by Mr. Huang Yilu, the author of "History of Dian Kingdom", we came to a convincing conclusion: Zhuang Qi was born at the end of the reign of King Wei of Chu, and became a commoner (slave) due to the decline of his family. Later he joined the army and established military exploits and became a general. He served as an official in the same dynasty as Qu Yuan and was influenced by Qu Yuan's loyalty and patriotism. After Chu State annexed Yue State, Yue State was divided into Ouyue State and Minyue State. King Chu Huai sent Zhuang Qi to sneak into Ouyue State, conquered Ouyue State and turned it into the Jijun of Chu State. Zhuang Qi was awarded the title of Grand Sima of Chu State for his great achievements and commanded Kuaiji County. Later, King Huai of Chu was tricked by Zhang Yi into entering the Kingdom of Qin and died in Xianyang. The throne of Chu King was succeeded by Xiong Heng, who became King Qingxiang of Chu. When Qi attacked Chu, King Qingxiang wanted to cede Kuaiji County to Qi. However, Zhuang Qi opposed the cession of territory and was forced to lead his "Eastern Army" to rebel against Chu's autonomy, earning a reputation as "stealing within the territory." Later, Bai Qi led his army to conquer the capital of Ying. King Qingxiang led his courtiers to flee to Chen, and Qu Yuan sank into the river in anger. When his country was ruined and his family was in ruins, Zhuang Qi was persuaded by Yangling Lord Zhuang Xin to submit to the Chu State and jointly fight against the Qin army. Zhuang Qi led the Dongdi soldiers out of Kuaiji County and conquered the "Fifteen cities by the river" captured by the Qin army. Later, on the order of King Qingxiang of Chu, he led his army to open up the southwest (279 BC). He originally wanted to cross the Qinling Mountains from Shu County and go around to The Qin State went to attack the Qin State from behind, but was blocked by various forces in the end. He passed through the Yelang Kingdom and came to the surroundings of Dian Lake. He conquered many local native tribes and founded the Dian Kingdom. Zhuang Qi therefore became the king who unified the Dian land. One thing needs to be pointed out in particular: Zhuang Qi led his troops into Yunnan. This was the first time in history that a large-scale outsider entered Yunnan. After these people integrated into Dian, they brought advanced Chu culture, which greatly promoted the development of productivity and cultural development in Dian. However, Zhuang Qi did not come to a deserted and inhabited land. When Zhuang Qi arrived, there was already a very high social civilization here, and there were already many Fang Kingdom monarchs and tribal chiefs. The so-called "Zhuang Qi opened Dian" means that he established the Dian Kingdom after conquering the chiefs of various tribes. It was not a new country on a barren land. In the land of Dian Kingdom, Yuanmou Man, a representative of primitive humans, appeared as early as 1.7 Million years ago. It is one of the origins of mankind (Dian Kingdom civilization has a long history, for details, see "Historical Events in the Ancient Kingdom of Dian"). 5. Research on "Yi Shi" During the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, there was a Jinshi named Ma Su (1621-1673). He studied pre-Qin history throughout his life and wrote books such as "Yi Shi" and "Zuo Chuan Shi Wei". Among them, the 160-volume "Yi Shi", Gu Zuyu's "Miscellaneous Notes on Reading History" and Li Qing's "Combined Notes on the History of the North and South" are collectively known as the "Three Wonderful Books" of the early Qing Dynasty. After conducting research, Ma Su clearly marked Zhuang Qi as a descendant of King Zhuang of Chu in the genealogy chart of "Yishi" (see Figure 3). (Figure 3, schematic diagram of Zhuang Qi's position in the Chu lineage) In summary, we have every reason to firmly believe in Sima Qian's record in "Historical Records" that "Zhuang Qi is the descendant of King Zhuang of Chu." Although Zhuang Qi has aristocratic blood flowing in his body, and his ancestor was once the King of Chuzhuang, one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period who made a sensation and aspired to the Central Plains, he is not of noble origin, and his ancestors only left him a glorious surname. His life path began as a humble slave. However, Zhuang Qi, who came from a humble background, never accepted his fate and worked hard all his life. In the end, he changed his destiny and became the first generation king of Dian! Reference materials: 1. "Historical Records"; 2. "Dongguan Hanji", Zhonghua Book Company; 3. "History of Dian Kingdom", Huang Yilu, Yunnan People's Publishing House; 4. "Yi Shi", Ma Su, Zhonghua Book Company; 5. "Collection of Research on Ancient Yunnan Culture", sixth series. [This article is excerpted from Ma Feijian's academic monograph "Ancient Dian Kingdom-History and Civilization Series"]

The movement of heaven and earth has its own unstoppable trend. The rise and fall of a country's destiny, just like the rotation of the sun and the moon, the alternation of cold and heat, has its own irreversible destiny... You and I are all involved in the reverse journey of life, how can we go against the movement of heaven and earth and the glorious road of dynasty change? ——Red Bi, excerpt of Chapter 01 of "Ancient Dian Kingdom"

All flesh and blood are eager to compete. If I don't defeat the enemy, the enemy will destroy me! ——The King of Yue Wujiang, summary of Chapter 02 of "The Ancient Kingdom of Dian"

Under the fragrant bait, there must be fish hanging. Xuanyu's death is entirely his own fault! ——Zou Ji, "Ancient Dian Kingdom" Chapter 03 Abstract

Did the ancient Dian Kingdom really exist? To answer this question, we must find the answer from historical documents and archaeological excavation evidence. The earliest authoritative historical material recording the ancient Dian Kingdom is the "Historical Records" written by Sima Qian. However, this immortal historical masterpiece actually included the historical materials of the Dian Kingdom in the "Biographies of the Southwest Yi", sandwiched between the Xiongnu, Dongyue, Among the biographies of South Vietnam, Korea and some legendary figures, the words are unclear and the description is vague, only a few hundred words. The writing style is also full of the unique arrogant attitude of the Central Plains Dynasty that has no intention except the Central Plains. Since then, from the Han Dynasty to the Republic of China, there have been "Hanshu" written by Ban Gu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, "Huayang Guozhi" written by Chang Cu (qú) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, "Kuo Di Zhi" written by Li Tai of the Tang Dynasty, "Yuanhe County System" written by Li Jifu of the Tang Dynasty, "Ten Dao Zhi" written by Liang Zaiyan of the Tang Dynasty, Du You of the Tang Dynasty "Tongdian" written by Fan Ye of the Southern Song Dynasty, "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" written by Fan Ye of the Southern Song Dynasty, "Zizhi Tongjian" written by Sima Guang of the Northern Song Dynasty, "Cefu Yuangui" co-authored by Wang Qinruo, Yang Yi and others of the Northern Song Dynasty, "Tongzhi" written by Zheng Qiao of the Southern Song Dynasty, "Taiping Yulan" co-authored by Li Fang, Li Mu and others of the Northern Song Dynasty, Yue Lan of the Northern Song Dynasty "Taiping Huanyu Ji" written by Shi, "Shu Jian" written by Guo Yuncuo of the Southern Song Dynasty, "Yunnan Chronicles" written by Li Jing of the Yuan Dynasty, "Jiu Gu Dian Shuo Ji" written by Zhang Daozong of the Yuan Dynasty, "General Chronicles of Yunnan" written by Li Yuanyang of the Yuan Dynasty, "Dian Lue" written by Xie Zhaozhe of the Ming Dynasty, and Liu Wenzheng of the Ming Dynasty Dozens of documents, such as "Dian Chronicles" written by Gu Zuyu in the Qing Dynasty, "Minutes of Reading History Fangyu" written by Gu Zuyu in the Qing Dynasty, "Dian Kao" written by Feng Su in the Qing Dynasty, "Biographies of Dian Yun in the Past" written by Ni Tui in the Qing Dynasty, and "New Compiled General Chronicles of Yunnan" written by Zhou Zhongyue in the Republic of China, all record the deeds of Zhuang Yu, the general of Chu State, who founded the Dian Kingdom. However, except for the "Book of Han" and "Book of the Later Han", almost all the records of the Dian Kingdom are copied and quoted from the "Historical Records". Some documents conducted textual research on this "Biography of the Southwest Barbarians" and found that there were several errors in Sima Qian's records; some records tampered with this "Biography of the Southwest Barbarians", leading to misinformation and misinformation, making it even more difficult to determine the issue that was originally full of doubts due to the scarcity of historical materials. In order to uncover the mystery of the ancient Dian Kingdom, it is necessary to take a look at these documents recorded in history books. 1. The Dian Kingdom recorded in "Historical Records" "Historical Records: Biographies of Southwest Yi" records: The number of southwest Yi kings is shí, Yelang is the largest; ] Among the genus, Yunnan is the largest; among the kings from the north of Yunnan, Qiongdu is the largest. ] (Tuí jì), plowing fields, gathering towns. Its outer west came from Tongshi [also known as Tongshi, located between the west of Cangshan Mountain and the east of Lancang River in present-day Dali. ] To the east and north to (yè)yu [also called Yeyu, which is now Xizhou in the northwest of Dali. ], Named Wei [the name of Yiyi, its land is about the north of today's Baoshan City. ] (Xī), Kunming [the name of a Yi town, the main ethnic group of the tribe is a branch of the ancient Yi people, namely Kunmi Yi, also called Kunming people. ], All have their hair braided, and they move with the animals. They don't live in a permanent place, and they don't grow up. The place can be thousands of miles away. From the northeast of Wei, the kings grew up to be numerous and migrated [also known as Si and Siyu, a branch of the ancient Yi people, whose land was approximately in the Ya'an area of ​​Sichuan today. ] (Sī) and Zuo (zuó) are the largest; from the northeast of Zuo, the number of kings is as high as Ran Zhan [Ran and Zhan tribes, the main ethnic group is Diqiang tribe, and their land is approximately south of Songpan County in Sichuan and north of Mao County. ] (Máng) the largest. Its customs are either indigenous or migrated to the west of Shu. From Ranjun to the northeast, there are many kings, Baima [the name of Qiang, the main ethnic group is Baima Qiang, and its land is about Chengxian and Wudu in southeastern Gansu today. ] The largest, all are of the Di class. These are all barbarians outside the southwest of Bashu. (The above picture is a schematic map of the tribal areas of various countries in the southwest) The above is the first paragraph, which summarizes the distribution of various ethnic minorities outside the southwest borders of Bajun and Shujun. There is a key word that needs explanation: What is "Southwestern Yi"? It refers to the Central Plains dynasty where the emperor lives as the center of the world. Besides the emperor's race, those "barbaric" peoples living in the barbaric areas in the far southwest are called "barbarians". The geographical location where these ancient Yi people were active was roughly today's four provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi. The word "Yi" has a great origin, specifically referring to the ancient Yi people, who evolved from the Yuanmou people in Yunnan about 1.7 Million years ago (discussed in detail in the following chapters). These ancient Yi people are not only the ancestors of the modern Yi people (after the founding of the People's Republic of China, "Yi people" were used as the unified national name for "Yi people"), they also branched off into numerous and complex branches, which evolved into complex ethnic branches in the long history. This is also the historical reason why there are so many ethnic minorities in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other places today. The entire paragraph is translated into modern Chinese: There are dozens of chiefs of the Yi tribes in the southwest, among which the Yelang Kingdom is the most powerful; the Mimoyi tribe west of the Yelang Kingdom also has many chiefs, of which the Dian Kingdom is the most powerful; there are also many tribal chiefs in the north of the Dian Kingdom, among which the Qiongdu Kingdom is the most powerful: These Yi people all wear their hair in buns, engage in farming, and live in fixed villages and cities. Except for the Dian Kingdom and the Qiongdu Kingdom, the area from Tongshi (located between the west of Cangshan Mountain and the east of the Lancang River) in the west to the Yiyu area in the north (today's Xizhou northwest of Dali) is called the Yi tribe and the Kunming Yi tribe. Going from Wei to the northeast, the tribes had many kings and chiefs, among which Yiguo (today's Ya'an, Sichuan) and Zuo (today's Meishan, Leshan, Sichuan) were the most powerful; going from Zuo to the northeast, there were also many tribes to have kings, among which the Ranzu tribe was the most powerful. Some of the people there are indigenous people, and some are foreigners who have fled and migrated. They are all located in the west of Shu County. Going northeast from Ranjun, there are also many tribal rulers. Among them, the Baima tribe is the most powerful. They are all of the Di and Qiang tribe. These ethnic groups are all barbarians outside the southwest of Bajun and Shujun. Look at the second paragraph of the original text again: When King Wei of Chu began, he sent General Zhuang Qi (qiāo) to march his troops along the river and capture Ba and the west of Qianzhong. ]. Those who are Zhuangqiao are descendants of the Miao king of Chuzhuang. Jumping to Dianchi Lake ["Book of the Later Han Dynasty" records: The water source of the pool is deep and wide, but at the end it is shallower and narrower, as if flowing backwards, so it is called (Dian) Dianchi Lake. ], With an area of ​​three hundred miles, with flat land on the side, and thousands of miles of fertile land, it was determined to belong to Chu due to its military power. Wanting to return and retaliate, Hui Qin attacked Chuba and Qianzhong counties, but the road was blocked. Because of the road blockade, he returned, and all the kings of Yunnan subdued him, followed their customs, and grew up. In the Qin Dynasty, the Wuchi Road was often built (è). It is also called the Bo Road and the ancient Dian Bo Road. It is an ancient official road connecting Yunnan and the mainland. During the reign of King Xiaowen of Qin Dynasty, Li Bing, the governor of Shu, began to build this road from Chengdu to Yibin via Leshan. When arriving at Changyang, the road continued to the south, passing through Zhuti (today's Zhaotong, Yunnan) to Dianchi Lake. Because many sections of the road passed through cliffs and were only five feet wide, it was called the "Five-foot Road" in history. ], All these countries have a lot of officials. When he was more than ten years old, Qin was destroyed. With the rise of the Han Dynasty, they all abandoned this country and started to travel to Shu. The people of Bashu might steal merchants and take their Bo horses and Bo children. ], Fashionable cattle, Bashu Yin rich. The above content describes how General Zhuang Qi of the Chu State led his army into Yunnan, how he became king and founded the country in Yunnan, and how the Qin State once appointed officials to the southwestern Yi. Translated into modern Chinese: During the reign of King Wei of Chu, General Zhuang Qi was sent to lead his army up the Yangtze River and captured the areas west of Bajun and Qianzhong County. Who is Zhuang Qi? He is a descendant of King Zhuang of Chu. When Zhuang Qi led his troops to Dian Lake, he found that Dian Lake was more than three hundred miles in radius, surrounded by flat land and thousands of miles of fertile and fertile land. Zhuang Qi relied on the troops he led to conquer the tribes in these places and made them belong to the Chu State. Zhuang Qi was leading his troops to report back to Chu State, when the Qin army captured Bajun and Qianzhong County. The Chu army's return route was cut off, so Zhuang Fu was forced to return to the area around Dian Lake. With his army, he proclaimed himself king and founded the country. He also led his soldiers to change into local clothes, obeyed local customs, and became the ruler of many ethnic groups in Dian. When the Qin Dynasty unified the world, Qin Shihuang sent a general named Chang Yi to build the Five-foot Road from Chang'an to the southwest Yi region, and sent some officials to rule and govern many tribes in the southwest. After more than ten years, Qin fell. Later, when the Han Dynasty was first established, many tribes from the southwestern Yi tribes were abandoned, and the original southwestern border of Shu County was used as a pass. Some people in Bajun and Shujun secretly went out of the frontier to do business in exchange for war horses from Zuo and boy servants and yaks from Bo. Therefore, Bajun and Shujun were particularly wealthy. However, there are two errors in this account according to the research of later generations of scholars: First, the time when Zhuang Qi entered Yunnan should not be the time of King Wei of Chu (reigned from 340 BC to 329 BC), when Chu's national power was at its peak; At that time, the state of Chu had completely declined; secondly, Zhuang Qi's route into Yunnan was not through Bajun, but by boat along the Yuanshui River, a tributary of Dongting Lake, passing through Qianzhong County, and arriving at Tianguan Village, the capital of the Zangda State. ...... [To be continued] (pictured above, the route map of Zhuang Qi leading his troops into Yunnan)

"It is okay to kill people to appease people; to attack a country and love its people, it is okay to attack it; to stop a war with war, it is okay to fight!" —— Zhao Yang, excerpt of Chapter 04 of "Ancient Dian Kingdom"

"When the Holy Lord is about to move, he must obey the heavens and respond to the people and conform to their will; the Holy Lord's plan is invisible and hidden before warning." —— Zhao Yang, excerpt of Chapter 05 of "The Ancient Dian Kingdom"

"The high-flying bird dies of delicious food; the fish of the abyss dies of fragrant bait!" ——Si Ti, excerpt of Chapter 06 of "Ancient Dian Kingdom"

"Throughout the world... The rise and fall of the world are all determined by human plans, not destiny!" ——Si Ti, excerpt of Chapter 07 of "The Ancient Kingdom of Dian"

"In a time of great strife, the stronger will win, and the false reputation of benevolence and righteousness is the decoration of the winner!" ——Shangguan Dafu, excerpt of Chapter 08 of "The Ancient Kingdom of Dian"

The country is the best in the world. Those who serve the country well should control the people like a parent who loves his son, and an older brother who loves his younger brother. He feels sad when he hears that he is hungry and cold, and feels sad when he sees his toil. Do not harm what is beneficial, do not fail when you succeed, do not kill what is alive, Do not take away what is given, do not suffer when you are happy, do not be angry when you are happy... ——Wen Ang, excerpt of Chapter 10 of "The Ancient Kingdom of Dian"

"True poetry is among the people... As a singer, as a poet, speaking on behalf of the people, expressing the hearts of the people, and shouting for this silent world!" ——Old fisherman, excerpt of Chapter 11 of "The Ancient Kingdom of Dian"

"Wolves bite people, just to bury themselves in the belly to survive. It is natural. How can there be distinction between good and evil? It is human beings who recite benevolence and morality with their mouths and burn, kill and loot with their hands! In this world, the worst and most unpredictable thing is probably... Only the human heart!" ——Young man Zhuang Qi, excerpt of Chapter 12 of "The Ancient Kingdom of Dian"