Person
Han Thien Thu
Formerly chancellor of the state of Te Bac, sent by the Han with Cu Lac and two thousand men into Nam Viet. That force was wiped out by the Viet forty li short of Phien Ngung.
At a glance
- Role
- Formerly chancellor of the state of Te Bac; sent by the Han court, together with Cu Lac, the queen dowager's younger brother, with two thousand men into Nam Viet1
- End
- Forty li short of Phien Ngung, the Viet brought up their troops, attacked him and his men, and wiped them out1
Life
The old chronicles say
The Shiji preserves a remark he once made: over that paltry little country of Viet, give me two hundred brave men, and I will surely cut down Gia and come back to report. The force that actually set out was two thousand men, ten times the number he had boasted of. The army entered Viet territory and took several small settlements; then the Viet simply opened the road and gave them food to march on, and when the army was forty li short of Phien Ngung they attacked and wiped it out. Nam Viet then put the banners of office of the Han envoys in a sealed box at the frontier pass, sent an apology, and posted troops to hold the strategic strongpoints.1
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