Chapter 170: Pointing Out Errors

Wang Yang was reciting passages from the *Comprehensive Study of the Southern Barbarians* given to him by the woman. "Southern Barbarians" was a general term for the various southern tribes of the time—what the ancients called the Eastern Yi, Western Rong, Southern Man, and Northern Di.

Since ancient times, the non-Han peoples of the south have all been called "Man."

The southern mountains were densely forested, crisscrossed by rivers and streams, dotted with countless small and large barbarian tribes. Whether they belonged to the same clan or spoke the same language, to the central dynasty's eyes, they were all lumped together as "Southern Man."

Though the Southern dynasties had long ruled from the south, their power never fully extended across the region; in certain areas, the barbarian population actually outnumbered the registered inhabitants of local government records!

Take the Southern Qi as an example: of its twenty-two provinces and three hundred eighty-five commanderies, roughly forty percent of the territory was inhabited by barbarian tribes.

Though numerous, they were disunited, with tribes as countless as cattle hairs. Not only did they not submit to one another, they often harbored grudges. This was, of course, a great blessing for the court. For if all the Southern Man were a single tribe, united in alliance, and spread so widely, any rebellion would likely rival the scale of the Yellow Turban Uprising.

Though no large-scale revolt occurred, uprisings flared everywhere, causing constant trouble. Smaller bands murdered travelers and looted property; larger ones stormed passes, seized cities, and seized territory—forcing the court to repeatedly dispatch troops to suppress them.

Suppressing them was no easy task. First, the barbarians had no fixed dwellings, hiding deep in ancient forests, rugged mountains, and remote valleys. Large armies could not maneuver easily; small ones lacked strength. Second, even if logistics could be secured and roads hacked through the wilderness, the barbarians fled at the approach of a large force—either scattering into the hills or retreating to places untouched by human feet, greatly increasing the cost of pacification.

The *Comprehensive Study of the Southern Barbarians* documents these barbarian affairs. The anonymous author clearly possessed vast learning, citing widely and skillfully distilling the essence, balancing detail and brevity. It begins with the Spring and Autumn period and continues to the present, clarifying the chaotic and complex history of the Southern Man with lucidity and order. To call it "Comprehensive" is no exaggeration.

Even more remarkable, the author possessed keen insight. Beyond narration, he frequently offered commentary—not empty moral platitudes, but incisive analyses of gains and losses, concrete proposals, always revealing profound understanding. Sometimes a single sharp remark cut straight to the heart, making Wang Yang slam his hand on the table in admiration.

But under such sweltering heat, even the most captivating book grew tedious to Wang Yang. He merely wanted to finish quickly, then return home for a cool bath.

At that moment, a maid brought Xiao Baoyue a chilled dessert bowl. Wang Yang stared longingly as Xiao Baoyue leisurely scooped up the snow-white substance inside and slowly placed it in her mouth—it seemed to be silver ear fungus.

He felt his throat dry, swallowed hard, stopped reciting, and complained: "We're partners now, aren't we? Fine, you won't let me in the room—but you're eating alone? That's hardly fair. Won't you even give me a bowl?"

Xiao Baoyue didn't even look up, her emerald-green spoon stirring a longan. "You skipped a whole paragraph after 'All four commanderies are pacified.' I haven't scolded you yet, and now you're complaining? The clever are burdened, the wise are troubled; the incapable seek nothing. You missed so many characters—you're utterly incapable. How dare you make demands?"

Wang Yang realized he had indeed skipped a passage—but her attitude was infuriating. He refused to show weakness before her, maintaining a calm face: "I didn't skip it—I omitted it because the passage contains errors."

Xiao Baoyue sneered: "You criticized the ancient *Book of Documents*, and now you criticize my book? Why not just say the book is fake?"

"Your book? You wrote this?" Wang Yang instantly raised his estimation of Xiao Baoyue.

This woman wasn't just skilled in scheming—she had real historical scholarship!

"Why can't I write a book?"

Xiao Baoyue tilted her chin slightly, her beautiful eyes filled with playful pride as she asked Wang Yang: "Aren't you impressed?"

If someone else had written it, Wang Yang would have lavished praise—but since it was written by this woman...

"Though it has some errors, overall, it's quite well-written."

Wang Yang truly wanted to snap back at Xiao Baoyue, but he couldn't bring himself to dishonestly trash a good book. After a moment's thought, he gave a fair assessment.

Wang Yang thought his evaluation fair—but to Xiao Baoyue, it was laughable.

A mere Confucian scholar dared to critique her work on statecraft? Did he understand barbarian studies? Did he comprehend historiography? Did he think reading the *Spring and Autumn Annals* and the *Zuo Commentary* qualified him to discuss history? That mastering the *Book of Documents* and the *Gongyang Commentary* made him fit to govern? Hmm... many Confucians did think exactly that. Just as foolish as those literati who believed writing a few flowery poems qualified them to rule and pacify the realm.

She let out a light laugh, stirring the chilled bowl with her spoon, her tone laced with mockery: "Then please, our 'Great Talent Wang,' point out exactly where I went wrong."

Wang Yang didn't hesitate: "Take the passage I skipped. You wrote that the two major pacifications of Shu were Sima Cuo's conquest and Zhuge Zhuge Zhuge Liang's southern campaign..."

Xiao Baoyue gazed at the silver ear fungus swirling like a flower in her bowl, a faint smile on her lips, as if listening to a joke. "And where exactly is the error?"

"That part isn't wrong—but then you say, 'The *Records of the Grand Historian* mentions the first event in just eleven characters; the *Records of the Three Kingdoms* covers the second in only a few sentences from the Biographies of the Later Ruler and Zhuge Zhuge Zhuge Liang, totaling sixty-four characters—far too brief.' That's incorrect."

"Beyond those sixty-four characters, the *Records of the Three Kingdoms: Biography of Wang Lian* states: 'At the time, the southern commanderies were rebellious. Zhuge Zhuge Zhuge Liang planned to lead a campaign himself. Lian advised: "This is a barren land, plagued by epidemics; it is unwise to risk the fate of the entire state." Zhuge Zhuge Liang feared his generals were inferior to him and insisted on going.'"

"The *Records of the Three Kingdoms: Biography of Zhou Zhou Qiao Zhou* adds: 'The southern barbarian lands were remote and provided nothing in peacetime, yet still frequently rebelled. Only after the Chancellor's southern campaign, with military pressure, did they submit. Thereafter, they paid taxes and supplied troops, becoming a source of grievance...'"

"The *Biography of Lü Kai* says: 'When the Chancellor launched his southern campaign, while en route, Kai was killed by Gao Ding's troops. Upon reaching the south, Zhuge Zhuge Liang submitted a memorial saying...'"

Wang Yang spoke fluently, listing every passage Xiao Baoyue had omitted. Her smile vanished. She looked up, studying Wang Yang intently.

Seeing Lian San, standing nearby, also cast a deep glance at Wang Yang.

Wang Yang continued: "These records explicitly mention the Chancellor's southern campaign. There are also accounts that provide background on the Southern Man and the campaign itself. The *Biography of the Later Ruler* states: 'In the summer of the first year of Jianxing, Zhu Bao of Zangke Commandery rebelled. Previously, the powerful local clan of Yong Kai in Yizhou had rebelled, exiled Governor Zhang Yi to Wu, and seized the commandery; the Yi king Gao Ding also revolted.' This is the origin of the campaign—how can it be ignored? You claim the *Records of the Three Kingdoms* mentions the southern campaign in only sixty-four characters, and call it too brief—doesn't that amount to partiality, overlooking the whole picture? Isn't my criticism justified?"

Xiao Baoyue nodded and ordered the maid: "Bring him a bowl."

The green bowl held chilled dessert; as it entered his throat, a thousand threads of coolness spread through him.

Wang Yang ate the chilled silver ear and pear soup; the oppressive heat lessened. And the flavor... hmm... it was truly delicious!! Before his transmigration, he sometimes ordered baked pear from the cafeteria—enjoying its natural sweetness, slow-cooked with rock sugar, rich and tender—but compared to this chilled bowl, its taste was at least two levels inferior! Still, this bowl was far too small.

Xiao Baoyue looked at Wang Yang and said: "I didn't expect you to understand historiography..."

Wang Yang kept eating, mumbling: "A little." He finished the bowl in one go, the sunlight suddenly glaring. He turned to the effeminate man named Seeing Lian San: "Get me an umbrella. Block this sun."

Seeing Lian San bowed slightly, smiling politely—but made no move.

Xiao Baoyue picked up a piece of pear, ate it, and glanced at Wang Yang with disdain. "You found one mistake—and now you're ordering my servants around?"

"It's not just one mistake. Later, you wrote that Zhuge Zhuge Zhuge Liang pacified the Southern Man without appointing officials, instead using their chieftains directly, stationing no troops, transporting no grain, thus ushering in thirty-eight years of peace in the south..."

Xiao Baoyue frowned: "This praises the Chancellor's achievements. Where is the error?"

"The Chancellor's achievements shine through the ages—no error there. But you claim he ushered in thirty-eight years of peace—that's historically inaccurate. Though Zhuge Zhuge Zhuge Liang pacified the Southern Man, peace did not begin then. As soon as his army withdrew, the barbarians rebelled again. The *Records of the Three Kingdoms: Biography of Zhang Ni* states: 'Since the Chancellor's campaign against Gao Ding, the Yi repeatedly rebelled, killing governors Gong Lu and Jiao Huang; thereafter, governors dared not reside in the commandery, staying instead in Anding County.' The *Biography of Li Hui* says: 'After the army returned, the southern barbarians rebelled again, killing their governors.' The *Biography of Ma Zhong*: 'In the eleventh year, the southern chieftain Liu Zhou rebelled, disturbing the commanderies.' The *Biographies of the Elders of Yizhou*: 'After the southern pacification, the Duke Duke Zhuang and Xinggu barbarians rebelled again.' How could the southern lands ever have been at peace?"

Xiao Baoyue gave a faint, mocking smile.

"I know all this. My point here is to magnify the Chancellor's strategy of indirect rule. 'Ushering in peace' means laying the foundation. You fixate on minor inaccuracies and ignore the broader intent—merely a Confucian scholar picking at phrases. What does it matter?"

Wang Yang's expression turned serious: "You're wrong. This isn't a minor error. If your intent was truly to highlight the Chancellor's strategy of indirect rule, then you're writing history to guide future generations. But if later readers see this passage, won't they all assume the Chancellor's method was an inviolable law? Won't they believe that merely applying it will permanently pacify the Southern Man? Yet they don't realize Zhuge Zhuge Zhuge Liang's true aim was northern expedition. His southern campaign was merely a pretext to secure military authority, train troops, and discipline soldiers. As soon as the southern threat was subdued, he returned north, giving little attention to governing the barbarians. Hence his own words: 'The laws are roughly settled; the barbarians and Han are roughly at peace.' He used the word 'roughly' twice—clearly showing his focus lay elsewhere. He merely handled the matter broadly."

Wang Yang feigned regret and shook his head: "It's a pity you only know the brilliance of the Chancellor's strategy, yet ignore its shortcomings. You exaggerate the 'unattained' strategy, claiming 'ushered in thirty-eight years of peace'—isn't that excessive?"

"It is a pity that you only know the brilliance of Wu Hou's strategies, yet are unaware of where they fall short—yet you exaggerate wildly about these 'unimplemented strategies,' claiming 'they will bring thirty-eight years of peace.' Is that not an overstatement?"

Note: ① For Southern Man population figures, see Zhang Jianmin and Lu Xiqi, *Special Research on Human Activity and Environmental Change in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River During Historical Periods*, Chapter Six; Zhou Zhou Yiliang, *The Various Peoples Within the Southern Dynasties and Government Policies Toward Them*.

② "White idiot" is an ancient term: *Zuo Zhuan, Cheng Gong 18th Year*: "Zhou Zi had an older brother who was foolish." Du Yu's commentary: "Foolish—what the world calls a white idiot."

③ Xiao Baoyue's claim that the *Records of the Three Kingdoms* mentions Zhuge Zhuge Zhuge Liang's southern campaign in only sixty-four characters, too brief, derives from Zhuge Zhuge Liang Zhuge Zhuge Liang Qichao's argument—see Author's Note.

③Xiao Baoyue's argument that the Records of the Three Kingdoms' account of the Martial Marquis's southern campaign, at only sixty-four characters, is too terse, draws from Zhuge Zhuge Liang Zhuge Zhuge Liang Qichao's analysis; see the author's note for details.