Good Works Translation from Volume 61

This Good Works Translation renders the Han Shu biography of Zhang Qian and Li Guangli from Classical Chinese into English.

For the Scythian shelf, the biography is eastern frontier evidence. It preserves Zhang Qian's mission through Xiongnu territory toward the Yuezhi, reports on Dawan, Daxia, Kangju, and Wusun, Han attempts to open southwestern and northwestern roads, and the campaign against Dawan for the heavenly horses.

The Classical Chinese source text is printed below the translation.

Translation

Zhang Qian was a man of Hanzhong. In the Jianyuan period he served as a palace gentleman.

At that time Xiongnu who had surrendered said that the Xiongnu had broken the king of the Yuezhi and used his skull as a drinking vessel. The Yuezhi had fled and resented the Xiongnu, but had no one with whom to attack them. Han was just then wishing to bring about the destruction of the Hu. Hearing this report, the court wanted to send envoys to establish communication, but the road necessarily passed through Xiongnu territory. Therefore it recruited men able to serve as envoys. Qian, as a palace gentleman, answered the recruitment and was sent to the Yuezhi. He went out from Longxi with Ganfu, a slave of the Tangyi house.

They passed through the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu captured them and sent them on to the shanyu. The shanyu said: "The Yuezhi are north of me. How can Han send envoys there? If I wanted to send envoys to Yue, would Han be willing to listen to me?" He detained Qian for more than ten years, gave him a wife, and he had a son. Yet Qian kept the Han credential and did not lose it.

While living west of the Xiongnu, Qian and his followers escaped and went toward the Yuezhi. They ran west for several tens of days and arrived at Dawan. Dawan had heard that Han was rich in goods and had wanted to communicate but could not. When they saw Qian, they were pleased and asked where he wished to go. Qian said: "I was sent by Han as envoy to the Yuezhi, but the Xiongnu blocked the road. Now I have escaped. If only the king will send men to guide and escort me. If I truly reach them and return to Han, the goods with which Han will reward the king cannot be fully spoken of." Dawan thought this right, sent Qian on, and provided interpreters and guides, reaching Kangju. Kangju transmitted him to the Great Yuezhi.

The king of the Great Yuezhi had already been killed by the Hu, and his wife had been established as ruler. They had already made Daxia subject and ruled it. The land was fertile and rich, with few raiders. Their intention was set on ease and pleasure. They also considered themselves very far from Han and had no mind at all to repay the Hu. Qian followed the Yuezhi to Daxia but in the end could not obtain the Yuezhi's definite commitment.

He stayed more than a year and returned along the Southern Mountains, wishing to come back through the Qiang. He was again captured by the Xiongnu. He was detained more than a year. The shanyu died, and the state fell into disorder. Qian, with his Hu wife and Tangyi Fu, escaped and returned to Han. Qian was appointed grand palace grandee, and Tangyi Fu was made lord who served as envoy.

Qian was strong and forceful as a man, generous and trustworthy, and the barbarians loved him. Tangyi Fu was a Hu, good at archery; when they were exhausted and in urgent need, he shot birds and beasts to supply food. At first, when Qian set out, there had been more than a hundred men. After thirteen years away, only two returned.

Qian personally reached Dawan, the Great Yuezhi, Daxia, and Kangju, and he heard reports of five or six great states nearby. He reported all their terrain to the Son of Heaven; all his statements are in the Treatise on the Western Regions.

Qian said: "When I was in Daxia, I saw staffs of Qiong bamboo and cloth from Shu. I asked how they had obtained these. The people of Daxia said: 'Our merchants go buy them in the state of Shendu. Shendu lies several thousand li southeast of Daxia. Its people are settled on the soil, like Daxia. The same land is low, damp, hot, and humid. Its people ride elephants in battle. The state borders a great water.' Estimating this, Daxia is twelve thousand li from Han and lies southwest. Now Shendu lies several thousand li southeast of Daxia and has goods from Shu, so it cannot be far from Shu. If envoys now go to Daxia through the Qiang, it is dangerous, and the Qiang hate them. If they go a little north, they are captured by the Xiongnu. If they go from Shu, the route should be direct and without raiders."

After the Son of Heaven heard that Dawan, Daxia, Anxi, and their kind were all great states, with many strange products, settled on the soil, with customs rather like China, but weak in arms and valuing Han goods, and that to their north the Great Yuezhi, Kangju, and their kind were strong in arms and could be drawn to court by gifts and profit, he rejoiced and thought Qian's words right. If these states could truly be gained and attached by righteousness, then territory would be widened by ten thousand li, men would pass through repeated interpreters, different customs would be brought in, and awe and virtue would spread through the four seas.

The emperor then ordered secret envoys sent from Shu and Qianwei, going out together by four roads: by Mang, by Zuo, by Xi and Qiong, and by Bo. Each went one or two thousand li. In the north they were blocked by Di and Zuo; in the south they were blocked by Xic and Kunming. The Kunming peoples had no ruler. They were good at raiding and robbing and repeatedly killed or plundered Han envoys, so in the end no route was opened. Yet they heard that more than a thousand li west was an elephant-riding state named Dianyue, and that Shu merchants secretly carrying goods sometimes reached it. From this, Han, in seeking a road to Daxia, first opened communication with the Dian state. At first Han had wished to communicate with the southwestern barbarians, but the expense was great and the effort was stopped. When Qian said that Daxia could be reached, affairs with the southwestern barbarians were again taken up.

Qian, as commandant, followed the great general in striking the Xiongnu. Because he knew the locations of water and pasture, the army was not left in want. Qian was therefore enfeoffed as Marquis of Bowang. This was the sixth Yuanshuo year. Two years later Qian, as commandant of the guards, went out with Li Guang from Right Beiping to strike the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu surrounded General Li, and the army lost many men. Qian arrived after the appointed time and should have been beheaded, but redeemed the penalty and became a commoner. That year the general of swift cavalry broke the western edge of the Xiongnu, killed several tens of thousands, and reached the Qilian Mountains. That autumn the Kunye king led his people and surrendered to Han, and from Jincheng and Hexi west along the Southern Mountains to the Salt Marsh there were no Xiongnu. Xiongnu scouts sometimes arrived, but rarely. Two years later Han attacked and drove the shanyu away north of the desert.

The Son of Heaven repeatedly asked Qian about Daxia and its kind. After Qian had lost his marquisate, he therefore said: "When I was among the Xiongnu, I heard that the king of Wusun is called Kunmo. Kunmo's father Nandoumi had originally lived with the Great Yuezhi between Qilian and Dunhuang. It was a small state. The Great Yuezhi attacked and killed Nandoumi, seized his land, and his people fled to the Xiongnu. His son Kunmo had just been born. His tutor, Bufu, the Marquis of Ling, carried him away and placed him in the grass while seeking food. When he returned, he saw a wolf nursing him; also a crow flew beside him holding meat. Considering this divine, he brought him back to the Xiongnu, and the shanyu loved and raised him. When he grew strong, the shanyu gave Kunmo his father's people and made him lead troops; he repeatedly had merit.

"At that time the Yuezhi had already been defeated by the Xiongnu and had gone west to attack the Sai king. The Sai king ran south and moved far away, and the Yuezhi occupied his land. When Kunmo was strong, he personally requested permission from the shanyu to repay his father's resentment. He then went west, attacked, and broke the Great Yuezhi. The Great Yuezhi again ran west and moved into the land of Daxia. Kunmo took over their people and remained there. His army gradually grew strong. When the shanyu died, he refused again to attend and serve the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu sent troops to strike him but did not win. They increasingly considered him divine and kept away from him.

"Now the shanyu has newly been distressed by Han, and Kunmo's old land is empty. Barbarians long for former lands and are also greedy for Han goods. If at this time generous gifts are truly sent to Wusun, inviting them east to live in their old land, and Han sends a princess to be his wife and makes a bond of brotherhood, in the circumstances he should listen. This would cut off the Xiongnu's right arm. Once Wusun is joined to us, from its west Daxia and its kind can all be invited to come and become outer ministers."

The Son of Heaven thought this right. He appointed Qian palace gentleman general, with three hundred men, two horses for each, cattle and sheep by the ten thousand, and gold, money, and silk worth several thousand great myriads. He carried many credentials for deputy envoys, so that where the road was convenient he could send them to nearby states.

When Qian reached Wusun, he delivered gifts and instructed them in the emperor's intention, but could not obtain a decision. This is told in the Treatise on the Western Regions. Qian then separately sent deputy envoys to Dawan, Kangju, Yuezhi, and Daxia. Wusun provided interpreters and guides to escort Qian and sent several tens of Wusun envoys and several tens of horses with him to repay and thank Han, and also to spy out Han and learn its vastness.

Qian returned and was appointed grand messenger. A little more than a year later, Qian died. A little more than a year after that, the deputy envoys he had sent to Daxia and its kind all came back, many with men from those states. From this time the northwestern states first communicated with Han. Yet because Qian had opened the hollow, all later envoys who went called themselves Marquis of Bowang to make themselves trusted in foreign states, and the foreign states therefore trusted them. After this, Wusun finally made a marriage alliance with Han.

At first, the Son of Heaven had read in the Changes that "divine horses will come from the northwest." When good Wusun horses were obtained, he named them "heavenly horses." When blood-sweating horses from Dawan were obtained, stronger still, he renamed the Wusun horses "horses of the western extreme" and called the Dawan horses "heavenly horses." Han first built Lingju and the lands west of it and first established Jiuquan commandery, in order to communicate with the northwestern states. It then sent more envoys to Anxi, Yancai, Lijian, Tiaozhi, and Shendu. The Son of Heaven loved the horses of Dawan, and envoys followed one another on the road. A large party had several hundred men; a smaller one had more than a hundred. What they carried was greatly modeled on the time of Marquis Bowang. Later, as they grew more accustomed, the parties diminished. Han usually sent more than ten groups of envoys in a busy year and five or six in a smaller year. Distant ones returned after eight or nine years, nearer ones after several years.

At that time, after Han had destroyed Yue, all the southwestern barbarians connected with Shu shook and requested officials. Zangke, Yuexi, Yizhou, Shenli, and Wenshan commanderies were established, with the desire that the land should join the earlier route to Daxia. More than ten groups of envoys were sent yearly out from these newly established commanderies, but all were again blocked by Kunming, which killed them and seized goods and valuables. Han therefore sent troops to strike Kunming and beheaded several tens of thousands. Later it again sent envoys, but in the end could not open the route. The account is in the Treatise on the Southwestern Barbarians.

After Qian had opened roads to foreign states and by this become honored and noble, officials and soldiers competed to submit memorials speaking of foreign marvels, gains, and harms, seeking to be envoys. Because the Son of Heaven considered the places cut off and distant, not something people would enjoy, he listened to their words, gave credentials, and recruited officials and commoners without asking where they came from. He equipped them with men and sent them out to broaden the roads. Those who came back could not be free from stealing and robbing goods, and envoys also failed in their instructions. Because the Son of Heaven wanted them trained in this work, he would always review and impose heavy punishments in order to stir anger, make them redeem themselves, and seek another mission. The sending of envoys had no end, and they lightly broke the law. Their officials and soldiers also continually exaggerated what foreign states possessed. Those who spoke of great things were given credentials; those who spoke of smaller things were made deputies. Therefore reckless men without conduct all competed to imitate one another.

The envoys all privately used goods carried by the county offices, wanting to buy cheaply for their own profit. The foreign states also grew tired of Han envoys, because every man had claims of great and small importance. They judged that Han troops were far away and could not reach them, and they restricted food and goods to distress Han envoys. Han envoys, exhausted and deprived, complained and became resentful, to the point of attacking one another. Small states such as Loulan and Gushi lay across the empty road and attacked and robbed Han envoys, Wang Hui and others, especially severely. Xiongnu surprise troops also intercepted and attacked them from time to time. Envoys competed to speak of the gains and harms of foreign states, saying that all had cities and towns, weak troops, and were easy to strike. The Son of Heaven then sent Ponu, Marquis of Congpiao, to lead cavalry from the dependent states and several tens of thousands of commandery troops to strike the Hu. The Hu all withdrew. The next year he attacked and broke Gushi and captured the king of Loulan. Relay stations and barriers from Jiuquan reached to the Jade Gate.

The states of Dawan and others sent envoys following Han envoys to come and observe Han's vastness. They presented to Han great bird eggs and jugglers from Lijian, and the Son of Heaven was greatly pleased. Han envoys sought the source of the Yellow River; those mountains had much jade and stone, which they gathered and brought back. The Son of Heaven consulted old maps and books and named the mountain from which the Yellow River issued Kunlun.

At that time the emperor was repeatedly making inspection tours to the seacoast, and he therefore took all the foreign guests with him. In large cities with many people, he passed through them, scattered money and silk as rewards, and made rich preparations and abundant supplies to display Han's wealth and fullness. He set out great wrestling, extraordinary games, and all kinds of strange things, drawing many spectators. He distributed rewards, made wine pools and meat forests, and ordered foreign guests to see everywhere the accumulations in granaries, treasuries, and storehouses, wishing to show the breadth and greatness of Han and overwhelm them with amazement. When the skill of their jugglers was added, the wrestling and strange entertainments increased and changed each year; their greater flourishing began from this. Foreign envoys came and went in turn. The states west of Dawan all relied on their distance, remained arrogant and unrestrained, and could not yet be bent by ritual or held by loose restraint.

Han envoys going there became numerous. Their junior attendants usually advanced familiar reports to the Son of Heaven, saying that Dawan had fine horses at Ershi city but hid them and would not show them to Han envoys. The Son of Heaven already loved Dawan horses; when he heard this, it pleased his heart. He sent strong men, Che Ling and others, carrying a thousand gold pieces and a golden horse, to request the fine horses of Ershi city from the king of Dawan. The people of Dawan, rich in Han goods, discussed it with one another and said: "Han is far from us. In the salt water many have been defeated. To come out to the north there are Hu raiders; to come out to the south there is lack of water and pasture. Moreover there are often breaks between settlements, and many lack food. Han envoys come in groups of several hundred and are always short of food; more than half die. How can they bring a great army? Besides, the Ershi horses are Dawan's precious horses." Therefore they would not give them to the Han envoys. The Han envoys became angry, spoke recklessly, smashed the golden horse, and left. The nobles of Dawan were angry and said: "The Han envoys have greatly slighted us!" After the Han envoys departed, they ordered the king of Yucheng on the eastern border to intercept and attack them, killing the Han envoys and taking their goods.

The Son of Heaven was greatly angry. Yao Dinghan and others who had once gone as envoys to Dawan said: "Dawan's troops are weak. Truly, if Han soldiers number no more than three thousand and strong crossbows shoot at them, Dawan will be broken." The Son of Heaven considered that when the Marquis Zhuoye had attacked Loulan he had arrived first with seven hundred cavalry and captured its king, and thought Dinghan and the others were right. He also wished to enfeoff the family of his favored consort Li. He therefore made Li Guangli general and sent him to attack Dawan.

Qian's grandson Meng, courtesy name Ziyou, had outstanding talent. In Emperor Yuan's time he was grandee of splendid happiness and envoy to the Xiongnu, serving as attendant within. Slandered by Shi Xian, he killed himself.

Li Guangli's younger sister, Lady Li, was favored by the emperor and gave birth to King Ai of Changyi. In the first Taichu year, Guangli was made General of Ershi. Six thousand cavalry from dependent states and several tens of thousands of bad youths from the commanderies and kingdoms were sent with him. The expectation was that he would reach Ershi city and take fine horses; for this reason he was titled General of Ershi. Wang Hui, former Marquis of Hao, guided the army.

After they passed west across the salt water, the small states along the route each strengthened their cities and defended them, refusing to provide food. When attacked and taken, food was obtained; when not taken, the army left after several days. By the time they reached Yucheng, there were only several thousand soldiers, all hungry and exhausted. They attacked Yucheng city, but Yucheng resisted, killing and wounding very many. The General of Ershi discussed with those around him: "If we cannot yet take Yucheng, how much less can we reach its royal capital?" He withdrew and returned. The going and coming took two years. When he reached Dunhuang, no more than one or two tenths of the soldiers remained. He sent an envoy with a memorial saying: "The road is far, and food is often lacking. The soldiers do not suffer from battle but from hunger. The men are few, not enough to take Dawan. I request that the army be suspended for now, increased, and then sent again." When the Son of Heaven heard this, he was greatly angry. He sent envoys to block Jade Gate Pass, saying: "If any army man dares enter, behead him." Ershi was afraid and therefore remained garrisoned at Dunhuang.

That summer, Han lost more than twenty thousand Zhuoye troops to the Xiongnu. The dukes and ministers who discussed affairs all wished to dismiss the Dawan army and concentrate strength on attacking the Hu. The Son of Heaven, having already sent troops to punish Dawan, thought that if a small state like Dawan could not be brought down, then Daxia and its kind would gradually slight Han, the fine horses of Dawan would never come, Wusun and Luntai would easily distress Han envoys, and foreign states would laugh. Therefore he examined and punished Deng Guang and others who said attacking Dawan was especially inconvenient. He pardoned convicts and robbers, sent bad youths and frontier cavalry, and after more than a year there went out from Dunhuang sixty thousand men, not counting private followers carrying burdens. There were one hundred thousand cattle, thirty thousand horses, donkeys and camels by the ten thousand, with grain carried along, and arms and crossbows very fully prepared. All under Heaven was disturbed, transporting supplies to attack Dawan. There were more than fifty commandants.

The city of Dawan had no wells and drew flowing water outside the city. Water engineers were sent to shift and empty the water below the city in order to tunnel under it. Eighteen myriads of garrison armored soldiers were further sent to the north of Jiuquan and Zhangye, and Juyan and Xiutu were established to guard Jiuquan. The seven categories of convicts from all under Heaven were sent, and dried grain was carried to supply Ershi. Transport carts and men followed one another without break to Dunhuang. Two men skilled with horses were appointed commandants for driving horses, to prepare for selecting the fine horses after Dawan was broken.

Then Ershi set out again. Because the soldiers were many, none of the small states he reached failed to welcome him and provide food for the army. When he reached Luntai, Luntai would not surrender. He attacked it for several days and massacred it. From there westward he advanced levelly to the city of Dawan; thirty thousand soldiers arrived. Dawan troops came out to strike the Han soldiers, and the Han soldiers shot and defeated them. The Dawan troops ran back and defended their city. Ershi wished to attack Yucheng city, but feared delaying the march and allowing Dawan to produce more deceit. Therefore he first reached Dawan, cut off its water source, and moved it away; Dawan was already worried and distressed. He surrounded the city and attacked it for more than forty days.

The nobles of Dawan plotted: "King Wugua hid the fine horses and killed Han envoys. If we now kill the king and bring out the fine horses, the Han army should withdraw. If not, it will not be too late to fight to the death." The nobles of Dawan all thought this right and together killed the king. The outer city was broken, and the Han captured Jianmi, a brave noble and general of Dawan. Dawan deeply resented this and fled into the inner city. They plotted together: "What Han has attacked Dawan for is Wugua." Holding his head, they sent men to Ershi with an agreement: "If Han does not attack us, we will bring out all the fine horses and let you choose as you please, and we will provide food for the Han army. If you do not listen to us, we will kill all the fine horses. Kangju's rescue is also about to arrive. When it arrives, we will hold the inside and Kangju will hold the outside and fight the Han army. Carefully calculate which course to follow." At this time Kangju was watching the Han troops and saw that they were still strong; it did not dare advance. Ershi heard that inside Dawan city there were newly captured Han men who knew how to dig wells, and that there was still much food within. He calculated that he had come to punish the chief criminal Wugua, and Wugua's head had already arrived. If he did not accept, they would hold firmly, and Kangju, waiting until Han troops were exhausted, would come to rescue Dawan, and the Han army would surely be broken. The army officers all thought this right and accepted Dawan's agreement.

Dawan then brought out its horses and let Han choose them. It also brought out much food to feed the Han army. The Han army took several tens of its fine horses and more than three thousand middle and lower-grade mares and stallions. They established Meicai, a noble of Dawan who had formerly treated Han well, as king of Dawan, made a covenant, and withdrew the army. In the end they never entered the inner city; they withdrew and returned.

At first, after Ershi set out west from Dunhuang, there were many men, and the states along the road could not feed them. He divided them into several armies along the southern and northern routes. The commandant Wang Shensheng and the former chamberlain for dependencies Hu Chongguo, with more than a thousand men, separately reached Yucheng. The city defended itself and would not provide food. Shensheng was two hundred li from the main army, bore himself lightly toward Yucheng, and attacked urgently. Yucheng saw that Shensheng's army was small, used three thousand men at dawn to attack, and killed Shensheng and the others. A few men escaped and ran to Ershi. Ershi ordered Shangguan Jie, commandant for searching grain, to go and attack and break Yucheng. Yucheng surrendered. Its king fled to Kangju. Jie pursued him to Kangju. When Kangju heard that Han had already broken Dawan, it handed over the king of Yucheng to Jie. Jie ordered four cavalrymen to bind and guard him and bring him to the great general. The four men said to one another: "Yucheng is what poisoned Han. If now we bring him alive, we will in the end lose the great matter." They wished to kill him, but no one was suitable to strike first. Zhao Di, a cavalryman from Shanggui, drew his sword and struck off the king of Yucheng's head. Jie and the others then caught up with the great general.

At first, when Ershi set out the second time, the Son of Heaven sent envoys to order Wusun to raise a great army to attack Dawan. Wusun sent two thousand cavalry, but they held both ends and would not go forward. When the General of Ershi returned east, all the small states he passed, hearing that Dawan had been broken, sent sons and younger brothers to enter with tribute, see the Son of Heaven, and become hostages. When the army returned, more than ten thousand men and more than a thousand horses entered Jade Gate. On the later campaign, there was no lack of food and not very many had died in battle, but the generals and officers were greedy, did not cherish the soldiers, and robbed and encroached on them. For this reason many died from other causes.

The Son of Heaven, because he had campaigned at ten thousand li, did not record Guangli's faults, and issued an edict: "The Xiongnu have been harmful for a long time. Now, though they have moved north of the desert, they plotted with the imperial state to join in cutting off envoys from the Great Yuezhi, and they intercepted and killed the palace gentleman general Jiang and the former administrator Rang of Yanmen. Weixu and the lands west, and Dawan, all made agreements to kill Che Ling, palace guard at the gate, the palace gentleman general Chao, and envoys from Shendu, blocking the eastern and western roads. General Guangli of Ershi campaigned to punish their guilt and attacked and conquered Dawan. Relying on Heaven's spirit, he followed and went against rivers and mountains, crossed the flowing sands, opened the Western Sea, the mountain snow did not accumulate, and officers and grandees passed directly across. He obtained the head of the king and captives, and precious and strange things are all displayed at the palace gate. Enfeoff Guangli as Marquis of Haixi, with a fief of eight thousand households."

The emperor also enfeoffed Zhao Di, who had beheaded the king of Yucheng, as Marquis of Xinzhi. Zhao Shicheng, the army judge, had the greatest merit and became grandee of splendid happiness. Shangguan Jie had dared to go deep and became privy treasurer. Li Duo had plans and strategy and became administrator of Shangdang. Among the army officers, three became ministers of the nine courts; more than a hundred became chancellors of kingdoms, commandery governors, or officials of two-thousand-stone rank; more than a thousand below the thousand-stone rank received offices. Those who had gone in high spirits received offices beyond their hopes. Those who had gone because of penal offenses were all stripped of labor merit. The soldiers were granted money worth forty thousand cash each. The campaigns against Dawan went and returned twice; in all, after four years, they were able to cease.

Eleven years later, in the third Zhenghe year, Ershi again led seventy thousand cavalry out from Wuyuan to strike the Xiongnu and crossed the Zhiju River. The army was defeated, and he surrendered to the Xiongnu. The shanyu killed him. The account is in the Xiongnu biography.

The appraisal says: The Basic Annals of Yu says that the Yellow River comes out of Kunlun, and that Kunlun is more than 2,500 li high, where the sun and moon hide from one another to make their brightness. After Zhang Qian's embassy to Daxia, the source of the Yellow River was exhausted; where did they see what was called Kunlun? Therefore in speaking of the mountains and rivers of the nine provinces, the Documents comes closer. As for what is found in the Basic Annals of Yu and the Classic of Mountains, it is broad and unrestrained.

Colophon

This Good Works Translation was made from the Classical Chinese text of Han Shu volume 61, Zhang Qian and Li Guangli biography, preserved in the local Scythian expansion source base.

The translation is complete for the source body printed below. It keeps the source's court and frontier vocabulary visible rather than smoothing every title into a modern administrative equivalent.

Compiled for the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: Classical Chinese

張騫，漢中人也，建元中為郎。時匈奴降者言匈奴破月氏王，以其頭為飲器，月氏遁而怨匈奴，無與共擊之。漢方欲事滅胡，聞此言，欲通使，道必更匈奴中，乃募能使者。騫以郎應募，使月氏，與堂邑氏奴甘父俱出隴西。徑匈奴，匈奴得之，傳詣單于。單于曰：「月氏在吾北，漢何以得往使？吾欲使越，漢肯聽我乎？」留騫十餘歲，予妻，有子，然騫持漢節不失。

居匈奴西，騫因與其屬亡鄉月氏，西走數十日至大宛。大宛聞漢之饒財，欲通不得，見騫，喜，問欲何之。騫曰：「為漢使月氏而為匈奴所閉道，今亡，唯王使人道送我。誠得至，反漢，漢之賂遺王財物不可勝言。」大宛以為然，遣騫，為發譯道，抵康居。康居傳致大月氏。大月氏王已為胡所殺，立其夫人為王。既臣大夏而君之，地肥饒，少寇，志安樂，又自以遠遠漢，殊無報胡之心。騫從月氏至大夏，竟不能得月氏要領。

留歲餘，還，並南山，欲從羌中歸，復為匈奴所得。留歲餘，單于死，國內亂，騫與胡妻及堂邑父俱亡歸漢。拜騫太中大夫，堂邑父為奉使君。

騫為人彊力，寬大信人，蠻夷愛之。堂邑父胡人，善射，窮急射禽獸給食。初，騫行時百餘人，去十三歲，唯二人得還。

騫身所至者，大宛、大月氏、大夏、康居，而傳聞其旁大國五六，具為天子言其地形，所有語皆在西域傳。

騫曰：「臣在大夏時，見邛竹杖、蜀布，問安得此，大夏國人曰：『吾賈人往市之身毒國。身毒國在大夏東南可數千里。其俗土著，與大夏同，同卑溼暑熱。其民乘象以戰。其國臨大水焉。』以騫度之，大夏去漢萬二千里，居西南。今身毒又居大夏東南數千里，有蜀物，此其去蜀不遠矣。今使大夏，從羌中，險，羌人惡之；少北，則為匈奴所得；從蜀，宜徑，又無寇。」天子既聞大宛及大夏、安息之屬皆大國，多奇物，土著，頗與中國同俗，而兵弱，貴漢財物；其北則大月氏、康居之屬，兵彊，可以賂遺設利朝也。誠得而以義屬之，則廣地萬里，重九譯，致殊俗，威德遍於四海。天子欣欣以騫言為然。乃令因蜀犍為發間使，四道並出：出駹，出莋，出徙、邛，出僰，皆各行一二千里。其北方閉氐、莋，南方閉巂、昆明。昆明之屬無君長，善寇盜，輒殺略漢使，終莫得通。然聞其西可千餘里，有乘象國，名滇越，而蜀賈間出物者或至焉，於是漢以求大夏道始通滇國。初，漢欲通西南夷，費多，罷之。及騫言可以通大夏，乃復事西南夷。

騫以校尉從大將軍擊匈奴，知水草處，軍得以不乏，乃封騫為博望侯。是歲元朔六年也。後二年，騫為衛尉，與李廣俱出右北平擊匈奴。匈奴圍李將軍，軍失亡多，而騫後期當斬，贖為庶人。是歲驃騎將軍破匈奴西邊，殺數萬人，至祁連山。其秋，渾邪王率眾降漢，而金城、河西西並南山至鹽澤，空無匈奴。匈奴時有候者到，而希矣。後二年，漢擊走單于於幕北。

天子數問騫大夏之屬。騫既失侯，因曰：「臣居匈奴中，聞烏孫王號昆莫。昆莫父難兜靡本與大月氏俱在祁連、焞煌間，小國也。大月氏攻殺難兜靡，奪其地，人民亡走匈奴。子昆莫新生，傅父布就翎侯抱亡置草中，為求食，還，見狼乳之，又烏銜肉翔其旁，以為神，遂持歸匈奴，單于愛養之。及壯，以其父民眾與昆莫，使將兵，數有功。時，月氏已為匈奴所破，西擊塞王。塞王南走遠徙，月氏居其地。昆莫既健，自請單于報父怨，遂西攻破大月氏。大月氏復西走，徙大夏地。昆莫略其眾，因留居，兵稍彊，會單于死，不肯復朝事匈奴。匈奴遣兵擊之，不勝，益以為神而遠之。今單于新困於漢，而昆莫地空。蠻夷戀故地，又貪漢物，誠以此時厚賂烏孫，招以東居故地，漢遣公主為夫人，結昆弟，其勢宜聽，則是斷匈奴右臂也。既連烏孫，自其西大夏之屬皆可招來而為外臣。」天子以為然，拜騫為中郎將，將三百人，馬各二匹，牛羊以萬數，齎金幣帛直數千鉅萬，多持節副使，道可便遣之旁國。騫既至烏孫，致賜諭指，未能得其決。語在西域傳。騫即分遣副使使大宛、康居、月氏、大夏。烏孫發譯道送騫，與烏孫使數十人，馬數十匹，報謝，因令窺漢，知其廣大。

騫還，拜為大行。歲餘，騫卒。後歲餘，其所遣副使通大夏之屬者皆頗與其人俱來，於是西北國始通於漢矣。然騫鑿空，諸後使往者皆稱博望侯，以為質於外國，外國由是信之。其後，烏孫竟與漢結婚。

初，天子發書易，曰「神馬當從西北來」。得烏孫馬好，名曰「天馬」。及得宛汗血馬，益壯，更名烏孫馬曰「西極馬」，宛馬曰「天馬」云。而漢始築令居以西，初置酒泉郡，以通西北國。因益發使抵安息、奄蔡、犛靬、條支、身毒國。而天子好宛馬，使者相望於道，一輩大者數百，少者百餘人，所齎操，大放博望侯時。其後益習而衰少焉。漢率一歲中使者多者十餘，少者五六輩，遠者八九歲，近者數歲而反。

是時，漢既滅越，蜀所通西南夷皆震，請吏。置牂柯、越巂、益州、沈黎、文山郡，欲地接以前通大夏。乃遣使歲十餘輩，出此初郡，皆復閉昆明，為所殺，奪幣物。於是漢發兵擊昆明，斬首數萬。後復遣使，竟不得通。語在西南夷傳。

自騫開外國道以尊貴，其吏士爭上書言外國奇怪利害，求使。天子為其絕遠，非人所樂，聽其言，予節，募吏民無問所從來，為具備人眾遣之，以廣其道。來還不能無侵盜幣物，及使失指，天子為其習之，輒覆按致重罪，以激怒令贖，復求使。使端無窮，而輕犯法。其吏卒亦輒復盛推外國所有，言大者予節，言小者為副，故妄言無行之徒皆爭相效。其使皆私縣官齎物，欲賤市以私其利。外國亦厭漢使人人有言輕重，度漢兵遠，不能至，而禁其食物，以苦漢使。漢使乏絕，責怨，至相攻擊。樓蘭、姑師小國，當空道，攻劫漢使王恢等尤甚。而匈奴奇兵又時時遮擊之。使者爭言外國利害，皆有城邑，兵弱易擊。於是天子遣從票侯破奴將屬國騎及郡兵數萬以擊胡，胡皆去。明年，擊破姑師，虜樓蘭王。酒泉列亭鄣至玉門矣。

而大宛諸國發使隨漢使來，觀漢廣大，以大鳥卵及犛靬眩人獻於漢，天子大說。而漢使窮河源，其山多玉石，采來，天子案古圖書，名河所出山曰昆侖云。

是時，上方數巡狩海上，乃悉從外國客，大都多人則過之，散財帛賞賜，厚具饒給之，以覽視漢富厚焉。大角氐，出奇戲諸怪物，多聚觀者，行賞賜，酒池肉林，令外國客遍觀各倉庫府臧之積，欲以見漢廣大，傾駭之。及加其眩者之工，而角氐奇戲歲增變，其益興，自此始。而外國使更來更去。大宛以西皆自恃遠，尚驕恣，未可詘以禮羈縻而使也。

漢使往既多，其少從率進孰於天子，言大宛有善馬在貳師城，匿不肯示漢使。天子既好宛馬，聞之甘心，使壯士車令等持千金及金馬以請宛王貳師城善馬。宛國饒漢物，相與謀曰：「漢去我遠，而鹽水中數有敗，出其北有胡寇，出其南乏水草，又且往往而絕邑，乏食者多。漢使數百人為輩來，常乏食，死者過半，是安能致大軍乎？且貳師馬，宛寶馬也。」遂不肯予漢使。漢使怒，妄言，椎金馬而去。宛中貴人怒曰：「漢使至輕我！」遣漢使去，令其東邊郁成王遮攻，殺漢使，取其財物。天子大怒。諸嘗使宛姚定漢等言：「宛兵弱，誠以漢兵不過三千人，強弩射之，即破宛矣。」天子以嘗使浞野侯攻樓蘭，以七百騎先至，虜其王，以定漢等言為然，而欲侯寵姬李氏，乃以李廣利為將軍，伐宛。

騫孫猛，字子游，有俊才，元帝時為光祿大夫，使匈奴，給事中，為石顯所譖，自殺。

李廣利，女弟李夫人有寵於上，產昌邑哀王。太初元年，以廣利為貳師將軍，發屬國六千騎及郡國惡少年數萬人以往，期至貳師城取善馬，故號「貳師將軍」。故浩侯王恢使道軍。既西過鹽水，當道小國各堅城守，不肯給食，攻之不能下。下者得食，不下者數日則去。比至郁成，士財有數千，皆飢罷攻郁成城，郁成距之，所殺傷甚眾。貳師將軍與左右計：「至郁成尚不能舉，況至其王都乎？」引而還。往來二歲，至敦煌，士不過什一二。使使上書言：「道遠，多乏食，且士卒不患戰而患飢。人少，不足以拔宛。願且罷兵，益發而復往。」天子聞之，大怒，使使遮玉門關，曰：「軍有敢入，斬之。」貳師恐，因留屯敦煌。

其夏，漢亡浞野之兵二萬餘於匈奴，公卿議者皆願罷宛軍，專力攻胡。天子業出兵誅宛，宛小國而不能下，則大夏之屬漸輕漢，而宛善馬絕不來，烏孫、輪臺易苦漢使，為外國笑。乃案言伐宛尤不便者鄧光等。赦囚徒扞寇盜，發惡少年及邊騎，歲餘而出敦煌六萬人，負私從者不與。牛十萬，馬三萬匹，驢橐駝以萬數齎糧，兵弩甚設。天下騷動，轉相奉伐宛，五十餘校尉。宛城中無井，汲城外流水，於是遣水工徙其城下水空以穴其城。益發戍甲卒十八萬酒泉、張掖北，置居延、休屠以衛酒泉。而發天下七科適，及載糒給貳師，轉車人徒相連屬至敦煌。而拜習馬者二人為執驅馬校尉，備破宛擇取其善馬云。

於是貳師後復行，兵多，所至小國莫不迎，出食給軍。至輪臺，輪臺不下，攻數日，屠之。自此而西，平行至宛城，兵到者三萬。宛兵迎擊漢兵，漢兵射敗之，宛兵走入保其城。貳師欲攻郁成城，恐留行而令宛益生詐，乃先至宛，決其水原，移之，則宛固已憂困。圍其城，攻之四十餘日。宛貴人謀曰：「王毋寡匿善馬，殺漢使。今殺王而出善馬，漢兵宜解；即不，乃力戰而死，未晚也。」宛貴人皆以為然，共殺王。其外城壞，虜宛貴人勇將煎靡。宛大怨，走入中城，相與謀曰：「漢所為攻宛，以王毋寡。」持其頭，遣人使貳師，約曰：「漢無攻我，我盡出善馬，恣所取，而給漢軍食。即不聽我，我盡殺善馬，康居之救又且至。至，我居內，康居居外，與漢軍戰。孰計之，何從？」是時，康居候視漢兵尚盛，不敢進。貳師聞宛城中新得漢人知穿井，而其內食尚多。計以為來誅首惡者毋寡，毋寡頭已至，如此不許，則堅守，而康居候漢兵罷來救宛，破漢軍必矣。軍吏皆以為然，許宛之約。宛乃出其馬，令漢自擇之，而多出食食漢軍。漢軍取其善馬數十匹，中馬以下牝牡三千餘匹，而立宛貴人之故時遇漢善者名昧蔡為宛王，與盟而罷兵。終不得入中城，罷而引歸。

初，貳師起敦煌西，為人多，道上國不能食，分為數軍，從南北道。校尉王申生、故鴻臚壺充國等千餘人別至郁成，城守不肯給食。申生去大軍二百里，負而輕之，攻郁成急。郁成窺知申生軍少，晨用三千人攻殺申生等，數人脫亡，走貳師。貳師令搜粟都尉上官桀往攻破郁成，郁成降。其王亡走康居，桀追至康居。康居聞漢已破宛，出郁成王與桀。桀令四騎士縛守詣大將軍。四人相謂：「郁成，漢所毒，今生將，卒失大事。」欲殺，莫適先擊。上邽騎士趙弟拔劍擊斬郁成王。桀等遂追及大將軍。

初，貳師後行，天子使使告烏孫大發兵擊宛。烏孫發二千騎往，持兩端，不肯前。貳師將軍之東，諸所過小國聞宛破，皆使其子弟從入貢獻，見天子，因為質焉。軍還，入玉門者萬餘人，馬千餘匹。後行，非乏食，戰死不甚多，而將吏貪，不愛卒，侵牟之，以此物故者眾。天子為萬里而伐，不錄其過，乃下詔曰：「匈奴為害久矣，今雖徙幕北，與帝國謀共要絕大月氏使，遮殺中郎將江、故雁門守攘。危須以西及大宛皆合約殺期門車令、中郎將朝及身毒國使，隔東西道。貳師將軍廣利征討厥罪，伐勝大宛。賴天之靈，從泝河山，涉流沙，通西海，山雪不積，士大夫徑度，獲王首虜，珍怪之物畢陳於闕。其封廣利為海西侯，食邑八千戶。」又封斬郁成王者趙弟為新畤侯；軍正趙始成功最多，為光祿大夫；上官桀敢深入，為少府；李哆有計謀，為上黨太守。軍官吏為九卿者三人，諸侯相、郡守、二千石百餘人，千石以下千餘人。奮行者官過其望，以適過行者皆黜其勞。士卒賜直四萬錢。伐宛再反，凡四歲而得罷焉。

後十一歲，征和三年，貳師復將七萬騎出五原，擊匈奴，度郅居水。兵敗，降匈奴，為單于所殺。語在匈奴傳。

贊曰：「禹本紀言河出昆侖，昆侖高二千五百里餘，日月所相避隱為光明也。自張騫使大夏之後，窮河原，惡睹所謂昆侖者乎？故言九州山川，尚書近之矣。至禹本紀、山經所有，放哉！

Source Colophon

The Classical Chinese source body was extracted from the local source-text page Good Works Library Ready/Scythian/Expansion Bench 2026-05-11/Han Shu -- Zhang Qian and Li Guangli -- Classical Chinese Source Text.md and copied for this translation pass at Tulku/Tools/scythian/sources/expansion_bench_2026-05-11/hanshu_zhang_qian_li_guangli_chinese_source_manual97.txt.

The local source page identifies its inspection route as Chinese Text Project, CTP URN ctp:han-shu/zhang-qian-li-guang-li-zhuan.

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