Back then Bowang Hou

This is a character I really don’t want to write about because he is too famous and few people don’t know him. It wasn't until I actually started reading articles and books related to him that I realized how little I actually knew.

Zhang Qian was born in Chenggu, Hanzhong, Shaanxi. Hanzhong is a place that has almost no sense of existence now, but two thousand years ago, it was a place where talents emerged in large numbers. Because it is close to Chang'an, there are naturally more opportunities than other places. Zhang Qian is an ordinary Hanzhong man who seizes the opportunity.

The Xiongnu existed on the Mongolian Plateau for some time. The four hundred millimeters of precipitation was the border line between Han and Huns, and also the line of conflict.

As early as the Warring States Period, all the northern countries did not attack the Xiongnu and other grassland peoples from the north. This is not because countries are warlike, but because of long-standing grievances created by geography. When the autumn is high and the horses are fat, the grassland people all go south to herd their horses. When the Central Plains countries are strong, they also have to go out to fight back. This has been the fate of the two civilizations for hundreds of years, and it will continue until two thousand years from now.

Among the Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period, those facing the prairie soldiers were Qin, Zhao, and Yan. It is often said that there are many generous and tragic people in Yan and Zhao. In fact, I don't admire these so-called chivalrous people. They are just ordinary men who challenge the authority of the country, are chivalrous and righteous, and kill one person in ten steps. What benefit is it to the country and the family?

But I admire those who sacrifice their lives for righteousness, safeguard national interests, and go out to defend their homeland. It is because of them that we have been able to thrive to this day. Throughout history, without such heroes, to what extent would the country be ruined and the family be ruined? Han'er is nothing more than a two-legged sheep!

Meng Tian and Yang Wengzi of Qin, King Wuling and Li Mu of Zhao are famous in history for fighting against the Xiongnu; Qin Kai and Li Fu of Yan are famous in history for attacking the Hu people in the north. But they were not thorough enough. They only saw the moment and failed to see the long-term harm. After repelling the prairie cavalry, the Great Wall was built. Therefore, the Great Wall of Yan, the Great Wall of Zhao, and the Great Wall of Qin were able to be unified.

During the Warring States Period, there were disputes in the Central Plains, and the grasslands were also divided among the heroes. The grasslands were divided into three parts: the Donghu, the Xiongnu, and the Yueshi. When the Qin and Han Dynasties were unified, the Huns also conquered the grasslands.

At this time, the new Central Plains Dynasty and the new Grassland Empire began their first confrontation. The result was shocking. Hundreds of thousands of founding soldiers were unable to do anything to the Xiongnu army, and Baideng was surrounded.

Han Emperor Gaozu and his advance army were trapped on Baishan Mountain for seven days and seven nights, and almost ran out of ammunition and food. In the end, Chen Ping bribed Maodun Shanyu's wife Yan, which was said to be a trick. Only then was he able to survive.

The consequence of this battle is that since Liu Bang, the Han Dynasty has adopted a policy of appeasement towards the Xiongnu, relying on marriage to compromise. But the marriage did not bring peace. The Battle of Baideng completely broke the backbone of the Han army. The sixth generation had no peace and could only humiliate and sue for peace.

It’s not that there are no militant factions in the middle, and it’s not that no one is willing to avenge the past, but the king is not confident, and the soldiers have no way to serve the country. He can only canonize one princess after another and make them burst into tears.

The shame of Emperor Gaozu, the shame of Empress Lu, combined with Wenjing's rule, fate finally gave an explanation and chose a child. This seemingly easy-to-control little boy is actually an emperor who has never been born before. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, who was regarded as a coward, sat on the throne of emperor amidst various intrigues.

After handling the internal affairs and taking control of the power, he finally turned his attention to the source of the humiliation of the sixth generation - the Huns.

It was at this time that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty heard about the dispute between the Dayue clan and the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu defeated the Dayue clan and not only used the king’s head as a wine vessel, but also occupied the Dai Yuezhi’s pasture. Yuezhi always wanted revenge.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty decided to send envoys to the Western Regions to unite with the Dayue clan and attack the Xiongnu together. At that time, the Han Dynasty's understanding of the Western Regions was close to zero, but it was not impossible. Because there was already a folk trade route connecting the Central Plains and the Western Regions - the Jade Road. Later, based on this, there was the Silk Road with greater influence and higher visibility.

However, ancient and modern management are different. Spontaneous private trade is basically smuggling. At most, the grassroots will know about it, but the country will not understand. It is precisely because of this that the Han Dynasty officials can be said to have a dark eye on the Western Regions.

But this was not a problem for the talented and ambitious Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He recruited talents from all over the country who could be sent as envoys to the Western Regions.

Of course, this was limited to the scholar class, and farmers and businessmen were hardly considered.

In this way, Zhang Qian entered the eyes of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and entered the annals of history. In the fourth year after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty came to the throne, he summoned Zhang Qian, a junior official, and after explaining his mission to him, he sent him on an envoy. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was 18 years old and Zhang Qian was 26 years old.

Zhang Qian’s mission was not the whim of the young emperor, and certainly not a desperate move. After some preparations, Zhang Qian set out along the Hexi Corridor with an envoy of more than a hundred people, using Tang Yifu, a Hu man (some say Huns) as his guide.

At this time, the Hexi Corridor was the pasture of the Xiongnu, and of course it was the pasture of the Da Yuezhi before.

After all, Zhang Qian has no experience and does not understand the principle that it is easier to get things done when there are fewer people, and it is easier to cross the border when there are fewer people. A group of more than a hundred people embarked on the road of no return. The Xiongnu had been in business for generations and knew the Hexi Corridor very well; Zhang Qian was on a mission for the first time, but he had a dark eye on it. One side is at home and one side is away.

Zhang Qian led everyone into the Huns' tiger's mouth and became glorious prisoners.

Zhang Qian and others were taken to see the Chanyu, and the military minister Chanyu asked: "The Yuezhi is in the north of me, how can the Han go there? If I want to cross the border, will the Han listen to me?"

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From this sentence, we can know that the military minister Shanyu had a very international outlook. He not only knew that the Dayue clan was in the Ili Valley in the northwest of the Xiongnu, but also knew that the Nanyue Kingdom was in the south of the Han Dynasty. And it can be seen that the Chanyu was very territorial, and he accused the Han envoys of crossing the border privately, which violated the dignity of the Xiongnu country, which was very unreasonable.

Although Zhang Qian was rebuffed by the questioning, the military minister Shan Yu was not unreasonable and unforgiving. He just left everyone there, served him good food and drinks, and gave Zhang Qian a Hun wife.

Zhang Qian lived happily in the Xiongnu and felt the hospitality of the Xiongnu people. In order to show his surrender, Zhang Qian wore his hair in left folds and became a Huns. He rode horses, ate meat and drank milk, and also learned the Xiongnu language and the common language of the Western Regions under the jurisdiction of the Xiongnu.

After ten years, children were able to ride horses, and the Huns finally recognized Zhang Qian. Zhang Qian did not betray their trust. He abandoned his wife and children and ran away with Tang Yifu and others.

The Xiongnu thought that he would flee south to the Han territory, but Zhang Qian chose to continue westward to complete the mission assigned by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

When I saw this period of history before, I always lamented Zhang Qian's integrity. Of course, it has not changed now, but I admire his integrity even more. For the sake of the nation and the mission, one can sacrifice one's wife and children, and even betray the kindness of the enemy. Compared with Zhang Qian's real experience, Guan Yu's surrender to Cao Cao in Luo Guanzhong's works seems so false and artificial.

Now looking at this historical fact, in addition to admiring Zhang Qian, I can't help but admire the "enemy" military minister Shanyu. He's such a worthy opponent. He is worthy of being the Shanyu who made Emperor Wen and Jing lose his temper. He is worthy of being the guy who gave Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty a headache. His personality charm is comparable to that of Emperor Wu.

During the ten years of the Huns, Zhang Qian completely got rid of his youthfulness and became mature. He is no longer the foolish young man who wanted to do great things just because of his passion.

After escaping this time, he was finally able to serve as an envoy. But he didn't know that the past ten years had been full of changes and the world had changed drastically.

In the fifth year of his stay in the Huns (133 BC), the relationship between Han and Huns was completely shattered, and a major event that went down in history occurred - the siege of Mayi.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty wanted to take advantage of the marriage and annihilated the army of Shanyu, the minister, in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, he failed in the end and was discovered by military officials, who evacuated in time. This incident marked that the Han Dynasty changed from its previous weakness to a tough attitude.

Of course, the military minister Shanyu was very angry, so he invaded repeatedly, and the Han army no longer surrendered. Border friction escalated, and a war was about to break out.

It was during these years that Zhang Qian secretly recorded the true and false status of the Xiongnu, and made sufficient preparations for following Wei Qing in sweeping Monan. In this way, the Xiongnu "raised tigers for trouble" and sacrificed themselves to become Zhang Qian's marquis.

Speaking of the Western Regions, these ten years were no less exciting than the confrontation between Han and Hungary. The destination of the mission, the Ili Valley, has changed its owner.

Dayuezhi, who had failed back then, came here to defeat Wusun and used the skull of King Wusun as a wine pot, just like Maodun Shanyu used the skull of King Yuezhi as a wine vessel.

No wonder the people of the Central Plains discriminated against them at that time. It was indeed too barbaric and too bloody.

Wusun failed and turned to the Huns with hatred, never forgetting revenge. When Prince Wusun grew up, with the support of the Huns, he defeated the Yuezhi people in one fell swoop and occupied the Ili Valley.

The Yueshi could only continue to migrate, and this time they arrived in Bactria (Afghanistan). This time it was true that the carp leaped over the dragon's gate. In Daxia, Dayuezhi's good luck finally came. There are no Xiongnu invaders or strong forces in this place. The people are willing to be ruled and will not resist. The Dayue clan settled down with satisfaction and became strong again.

When Zhang Qian fled from the Huns, the Western Region had already changed its appearance. Hearing about the accident on the way, he changed his route to Daxia via Dawan. Along the way, he relied on Tang Yi's father to hunt for food and trudged hard. In this way, we passed through the Gobi Desert, walked through the vast desert, and arrived in Dayuan (today's Uzbekistan).

Here Zhang Qian's eloquence began to work, and it may have been working when he passed through various countries. Zhang Qian's diplomatic skills had matured by this time. It took the Xiongnu ten years to create an outstanding diplomat for the Han Dynasty.

Zhang Qian was stunned to use his eloquent words to persuade all countries to support him in continuing his mission. With the support of King Wan, he brought generous gifts and finally expressed condolences to the suffering emperor on behalf of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Dayuezhi people. He sincerely invites them to return to the country to live, and he will make decisions for them and teach the weak Huns a lesson.

The Dayuezhi people were very touched that the Han Dynasty thousands of miles away had not forgotten them. They expressed that they must strengthen contact with the Han Dynasty. As for returning home, they don't want to. Daxia has fertile land and no cruel neighbors. It is simply a paradise on earth. No one wants to go back and live in fear.

Of course Zhang Qian did not give up and spent a year lobbying everywhere. He usually convinces during the day and changes his mind at night. No matter how good the cake painting is, it can't compete with the real sweetness in your hand.

Zhang Qian finally gave up and could only return without success. This year was not without gains. At least I got a thorough understanding of the situation around Daxia.

Zhang Qian failed the mission and inadvertently accomplished another feat - hollowing out the Western Region.

In order to avoid the Xiongnu, Zhang Qian decided to take another path back to his country. This road became the branch line of the later Silk Road - the Ancient Qiang Middle Road. Later, because Tuyuhun was carried forward, it was also called "Tuyuhun Dao".

This is a trail that passes through Khotan and Ruoqiang, then turns to Qinghai, passes through Qiang settlements, and reaches the Central Plains.

Unfortunately, when he reached Ruoqiang, Zhang Qian was captured by the Huns again. It can also be seen from this that the Huns had a large sphere of influence in the Western Regions, and were even connected with the Qiang people in Qinghai. The Han Dynasty was completely surrounded by the Xiongnu in the north, Korea in the east, Yue in the south, and Qiang in the west. But this will not be difficult for Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He will break through the difficulties one by one and achieve the great achievements of the Han Dynasty.

Regarding Zhang Qian’s second capture, the current records are unclear. From the books I read about the history of the Western Regions, I only recorded a few sporadic entries. It is said that he was caught in Ruoqiang, returned to his wife and children, and finally fled back to his country.

Now let’s connect them together and talk about them briefly. After Zhang Qian was captured, he was escorted back to Shan Yuting and met his wife and children after being away for a year. The military minister Shanyu still had no intention of killing him, but strictly monitored him, and his return to the country seemed far away.

But fate did not intend to give up on Zhang Qian. More than a year passed. A major event happened to the Xiongnu, which changed the fate of the Xiongnu and also changed the fate of Zhang Qian, his wife and children.

In 126 BC, the military minister Shanyu died, and the Huns made a fuss over Shanyu's position. Zhang Qian finally found an opportunity. This time he did not abandon his wife and children, but took them with him on the road back home.

When Zhang Qian arrived in Chang'an, he cried with joy. Of the more than a hundred people who accompanied him on the mission, only he and Tang Yifu were left. The others brought back a Huns wife and son.

His son seems to have no sense of existence, but his son's son, Zhang Qian's grandson, will continue Zhang Qian's unfinished mission in the future and solve the Huns problem for the Han Dynasty, which indirectly contributed to Zhaojun's departure. But the ending of Zhang Qian's grandson was not very good, and it was also a tragedy.

Zhang Qian did not know the impact that he did not abandon his wife and children this time on future generations. I wonder if Zhang Qian had not taken away his wife and children this time, would his grandson have become the vanguard in attacking the Han Dynasty? Is there no tragedy of Zhaojun leaving the fortress?

During the thirteenth year of Zhang Qian’s mission (138 BC to 126 BC), the Great Han Scepter has been retained. From then on, it became the standard equipment for all Han envoys to use the Jie. Festival represents integrity, which is explained by Su Wu. People can die, but the scepter cannot be thrown away. Countless Han envoys have created the integrity of the Han Dynasty. It is precisely because of their perseverance and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's protection that all countries knew that the Han Dynasty could not be humiliated.

Zhang Qian and Tang Yifu were rewarded by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and Zhang Qian reported on his unexpected gains in Daxia. Daxia actually has local specialties from Sichuan. I heard merchants from Daxia say they were brought by Indians from the south.

India is in the southwest of the Han Dynasty, and Bactria is in the northwest. Through the Silk Road, one should also go through Bactria to reach India. Therefore, Zhang Qian speculated that there was a southwest passage that could reach the Western Regions via India.

If this southwest road is found, the Han Dynasty can avoid the Xiongnu and contact the Western Regions, and can transport troops through the southwest road to sneak attacks on the Xiongnu. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was very happy to hear the news, so he sent Zhang Qian as an envoy again to open up a new path for the Han Dynasty.

In 122 BC, Zhang Qian, who had only returned to China for three or four years, once again went on an mission with integrity. This time he was destined to be in vain, but he also gained a lot of unexpected gains.

Zhang Qian sent four envoys, each of which traveled one or two thousand miles. In the end, they encountered various difficulties and could not continue moving forward. One is the miasma in the south, the other is the mountains and dense forests, and the other is the inability to cross the territory of ethnic minorities.

During this period, the envoy met the King of Dian and King Yelang. They unexpectedly showed off the strength of their country and asked the Han envoy: Who is greater between the Dian Kingdom (Yelang Kingdom) and the Han Dynasty?

So the idiom "Yelang is arrogant" was left to the world. The King of Dian was so wronged. It was clearly his patent. King Yelang just misappropriated his words. However, future generations only remember Yelang's arrogance, but not the arrogance of the King of Dian. It is estimated that the Dian King will not rest in peace until his death!

But it was a pity for Yelang. He was clearly an ignorant envoy from the Han Dynasty and did not know that Yelang's territory was so big that it could not be compared to the size of a Han county. How ridiculous is it to say that Yelang is arrogant when he is arrogant and ignorant!

When the Yelang Kingdom was at its most powerful, it not only occupied part of Sichuan, most of Guizhou and Yunnan, but also expanded its power to the Indochina Peninsula. Although it was not as large as the territory of the Han Dynasty at that time, it was at least one-third or even half of the area. It is speculated that the reason why India had Sichuan specialties at that time was probably because Yelang merchants transported them to India through Indochina, that is, Myanmar.

Zhang Qian’s envoy had obviously found Yelang, but he missed discovering this southwest road because he was not seeking truth from facts. As a result, Zhang Qian's mission failed again. It is conceivable that the selection of people must be accurate, otherwise things will only go wrong. Zhang Qian, Zhang Qian, why don’t you go to Yelang Kingdom to find out for yourself? If you had gone, there would be no joke about Yelang's arrogance!

Although Zhang Qian’s mission to the southwest failed, he played an important role in understanding the countries and ethnic groups in the southwest. It also allowed people in the southwest to learn about the Central Plains, setting a precedent for future generations to become one.

In the next dozen years, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established seven counties one after another to strengthen the management of the southwest. As for how to set it up, is there a better way besides war?

Always failing, God finally couldn’t stand it anymore, so he waved his hand and wiped away a touch of bad luck. The god of luck finally came.

Zhang Qian seized this opportunity. 123 BC seems to be the year before the Southwest Road was opened. Since it has been written backwards, let’s make the mistake right!

This year, Zhang Qian followed Wei Qing on two expeditions to attack the Xiongnu. Because he understands the Xiongnu's reality and reality, he has experience in desert survival. He solved many problems for the army during the desert march, and finally won the victory and was named "Bo Wanghou".

So in the second year of his mission to Southwest China, he used the name of Bowang Hou for the first and only time.

In the third year, 121 BC, Zhang Qian followed another famous general out of the country and failed miserably. This general is Li Guang, who is known as the "flying general". He is also the Li Guang who "is difficult to seal Li Guang". He is also the flying general Li Guang who "will only use the flying general in Dragon City, but will not teach Hu Ma to cross the Yinshan Mountains".

Later generations often feel unjust for Li Guangming, but according to the deeds I have seen about Li Guang so far, he did work hard, but he had no merit. Calculation based on merit is not enough to make a marquis based on merit. Judging from his connections, since he doesn't know how to deal with interpersonal relationships, has no nepotism, and has no outstanding achievements, it is normal that Li Guang is difficult to seal.

Future generations probably saw themselves in Li Guang, so let’s use this to complain!

Because Zhang Qian did not arrive on time, Li Guang suffered heavy losses. In the end, the merits and demerits were outweighed and he was demoted to a commoner. This was the end of being Bowang Hou for only two years.

Just when Zhang Qian missed the opportunity and Li Guang fought alone, Huo Qubing began a thousand-mile assault. After going around in a circle, they moved to the west of Hexi and defeated the Xiongnu kings. They captured the prince's family and changed their surname to Jin. The Jin family and his son later influenced the three kings of the Han Dynasty. It can be said that the contribution lies in Sheji.

The Battle of Hexi established Huo Qubing's historical status and was the first major victory of the Han Dynasty against the Huns.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established four counties in the Hexi Corridor, which was like a sharp sword thrust into the Xiongnu, blocking the alliance between the Xiongnu and Qiang people, and creating a bridgehead for the Han to manage the Western Regions. The most important thing is that the Han Dynasty has his own pasture, a steady supply of good horses, and his military strength has been greatly improved.

The failures of Zhang Qian and Li Guang and the success of Huo Qubing occurred in the same year and in the same battle against Hungary. But the destinies of the three are completely different. There is no doubt that Huo Qubing is the winner, Li Guang is a complete loser, and Zhang Qian, the son of destiny, failed for him, but it was just a pavement for him to achieve greater success.

Zhang Qian learned from the pain of this failure for two years and finally recognized his strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to fighting, let alone military geniuses like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing who are rare in a thousand years, even the seemingly ordinary Li Guang cannot compare with him.

What are your strengths? Needless to say, diplomacy! So Zhang Qian decided to fight for himself one more time and went on a mission to the Western Regions. Use civilized diplomacy to replace bloody wars and complete Emperor Wu's plan to cut off the Xiongnu arm.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty agreed to Zhang Qian’s mission again. Zhang Qian led a delegation of more than 300 people to the Western Regions through the Hexi Corridor in 119 BC. This is a year destined to be remembered by history, not only for Zhang Qian, but also for Huo Qubing and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Just when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty agreed to send Zhang Qian as an envoy, he asked Huo Qubing to go out. Huo Qubing did not betray the trust of Emperor Wu and sealed the wolf as a Xu. At the same time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Huo Qubing became emperors and ministers.

Zhang Qian didn’t know this, but he knew that what he did was more important than any military results. In the next four years, he sent deputy envoys to Anxi, Daxia, Dayuezhi, Dayuan, Kangju, Shendu (India), Khotan, Mumi and other countries. With its footprints all over Central Asia and Southwest Asia, the influence of the Han Dynasty reached the highest level in history.

It was Zhang Qian’s activities in the past four years that laid the foundation for the Han Dynasty to manage the Western Regions for the next three hundred years.

History is a coincidence, especially 119 BC. In this year, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty achieved major military and diplomatic achievements and reached the peak of history. Confining the wolf to live in Xu and hollowing out the Western Region became the two most dazzling events of the year.

Zhang Qian’s second mission was highly praised by later generations, but in terms of purpose, only half of it was accomplished. His most important task was to unite Wusun troops to attack the Xiongnu. This was only the beginning, and it was not realized until more than 40 years later during the reign of Emperor Xuan. This was achieved through the sacrifice and hard work of countless people.

The secondary mission is to expand the influence of the Han Dynasty to the Western Regions and expel the Xiongnu forces from the Western Regions. This was basically achieved, but of course there were still some repetitions. Counting the part completed by uniting with Wusun, Zhang Qian's mission was considered to have fulfilled his mission.

The rest can only be left to time and to future generations.

In 115 BC, Zhang Qian returned to China, and Wusun envoys followed him. They saw the prosperity of the Han Dynasty, so they decided to move closer to the Han Dynasty and make peace with the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty married Princess Xijun and Princess Jieyou to King Wusun one after another.

Princess Jieyou is Wusun after Princess Xijun died of illness. Her arrival heralds the honeymoon period of Sino-Ukrainian relations. With the efforts of women such as Jieyou and Feng Liao, as well as envoys such as Fu Jiezi and Chang Hui, in 72 BC, Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty sent a six-pronged army of 160,000 troops to join the Wusun army of 50,000 troops to attack the Huns. The Huns finally regained their strength. Serious injury.

The dream of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and the pursuit of Zhang Qian were finally realized during the period of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty after several generations of unremitting efforts.

Zhang Qian died of illness in 114 BC, the second year after returning from his second mission, at the age of fifty-one. He spent almost the rest of his life on missions. But the most glorious thing is to be granted the title of marquis for meritorious service, although it is not because of the mission.

The title of Bowang Hou lasted only two years, but it has been spread in the Western Regions for thousands of years. In order to enhance his persuasiveness, his deputy envoy lied that he was on the order of "Bo Wanghou" Zhang Qian. Countries around the world either met Zhang Qian or heard about his deeds. He warmly entertained Deputy Envoy Zhang Qian, so that the name Bowang Hou spread like wildfire.

After Zhang Qian, there were more than a dozen batches of Han envoys sent to the Western Regions every year, and as few as five or six batches. They all claimed to be Bowang Hou, fooling other countries into believing that all the Han envoys were Bowang Hou and had Zhang Qian's abilities. This not only increased the success rate of the envoy, but also further expanded Bowang Hou's influence.

The imperial court also learned about the rumors about Bowang Hou, but in order to facilitate the envoys, they turned a blind eye and did not expose it, and of course they would not admit it. After all, it was difficult for even Li Guang to be granted the title of Marquis, let alone the dozens or hundreds of envoys claiming to be "Bo Wanghou".

Zhang Qian and his short-lived Bowang Hou have become legends that have been passed down through the ages. It can be regarded as a consolation for his decades of persistence and his achievements in the Western Regions.