Chu Nhai

The old chronicles say

The Han thu counts Chu Nhai among the nine commanderies the Han set up on destroying Nam Viet, but the treatise on geography in that same book, where it lists the commanderies of the Viet lands, has only seven; missing are Dam Nhi and Chu Nhai. The same treatise explains why the two island commanderies did not hold: from the time the commanderies and districts were first set up, the Chinese officials and soldiers mostly preyed on and oppressed the people, and so every few years they rose in revolt; under Emperor Yuan they were given up. The two chapters are also exactly one year apart: the one on the destruction of Nam Viet has the nine set up at once in 111 BC, while the treatise dates the two island commanderies to 110.²¹

The abandonment of the island is told in more detail in the life of Gia Quyen Chi. In 46 BC this official sent up a memorial arguing against sending troops to Chu Nhai. He heaps up every contemptuous word he can find for the Lac Viet and concludes that they were never worth making into commanderies and districts; the island is damp with mist, and before the men have even seen the enemy the soldiers are already dying of themselves; to abandon it is nothing to regret, and not to fight is no loss of majesty. Emperor Yuan agreed. His edict placed the reason at home — the lands east of the passes are in great distress, the granaries and treasuries empty — and ordered Chu Nhai commandery abolished.³