The kingdom of Linyi林邑國

In the second year of Yongchu under Gaozu, Fan Yangmai, king of Linyi, sent an envoy with tribute, and appointments were at once conferred on him. At the beginning of Yuanjia under Taizu he raided the commanderies of Rinan and Jiude. Du Hongwen, inspector of Jiaozhou, raised his war standard (牙旗) and gathered a host to strike him, but hearing that his replacement was coming he stopped. In the seventh year Yangmai sent an envoy to state for himself that he had not been on good terms with Jiaozhou, and to beg pardon. In the eighth year he again sent more than a hundred tower ships to plunder Jiude, and they entered the estuary of Sihui. Ruan Mizhi, inspector of Jiaozhou, gave the company commander Xiang Daosheng three thousand men and sent him to strike, but he attacked the city of Qusu without taking it and drew back. Linyi wished to attack Jiaozhou and borrowed troops from the king of Funan, but Funan would not follow. In the tenth year Yangmai sent an envoy with a memorial and local products, and asked to be given charge of Jiaozhou. The edict answered that the road was far, and did not allow it. In the twelfth, fifteenth, sixteenth and eighteenth years he often sent tribute, yet his raiding did not cease, and what he offered was poor and thin.

Taizu was angry at his defiance and arrogance. In the twenty-third year he sent Tan Hezhi, general of the Soaring Dragon and inspector of Jiaozhou, to strike him, and sent Zong Que, general of Rousing Valor in the office of the grand commandant, to serve under Hezhi's command. Hezhi made Xiao Jingxian, marshal of his headquarters, the vanguard, and Que went as second in command of Jingxian's army. When Yangmai heard that he was to be struck, he sent an envoy with a memorial, asking to give back the households of Rinan he had carried off and to offer the treasures of his kingdom. Taizu sent an edict to Hezhi: "If Yangmai is truly sincere, allow him to submit." In the second month of that year the army reached the garrison of Zhuwu. Jiang Zhongji, adjutant of the household section of the headquarters and grand administrator of Rinan, and Jiao Hongmin, adjutant of the bandit section of the front division, were sent with the transmitters of edicts (傳詔) Bi Yuan, Gao Jingnu and others to proclaim the gracious purpose. Yangmai seized Zhongji, Jingnu and the rest, twenty-eight men in all, and sent Hongmin back alone. Outwardly he spoke of submission, while his suspicion and his defenses grew stricter. Jingxian and the rest then advanced toward the city of Qusu. Yangmai sent the grand chief Fan Fulongda to hold Qusu with a great garrison, and sent foot and water troops straight there as well. Jingxian broke the relief force outside, threw all his best men against the city, and took it in the fifth month. He cut off the head of Fulongda and took gold, silver and goods beyond counting. Following up the victory he pursued and struck, and at once took Linyi. Yangmai and his son both fled with nothing but their bodies, and the rare things taken were all treasures without a name. The emperor praised the merit of his commanders and issued an edict: "Linyi has relied on its distance and its barriers and has long delayed the royal punishment. Tan Hezhi, general of the Soaring Dragon and inspector of Jiaozhou, is loyal and resolute above others, and his thought and planning reach to the ordering of the world. He received the command to attack and pushed his blade forward ten thousand li. His law and his orders were strict and even, his civil and military officers gave all their strength, he kept himself clean in the public service, and he led those below him by his own person. So he was able to set up merit beyond the sea, and to make a strange people tremble and submit.

It is fitting to add honors to him and to let him share in close attendance (近侍). He may be made gentleman attendant at the Yellow Gate, with the post of commandant of the Yue cavalry as well, and acting general of Establishing Valor. Xiao Jingxian, marshal of the Soaring Dragon, helped the head of the army, and his diligence and speed were plain to see. He took charge of the vanguard and destroyed their nest, and he will surely be able to hold the wild Yi in awe and to comfort the common people. He may be made bearer of the tally, commander of the military affairs of Jiaozhou and of the two commanderies of Yulin and Ningpu in Guangzhou, general of Establishing Awe, and inspector of Jiaozhou." Tong Linzhi, marshal of the Soaring Dragon, and Fu Weizu, grand administrator of Jiuzhen, died in battle, and both were granted the posthumous office of palace attendant.

In the second year of Xiaojian under Shizu, Linyi again sent its chief clerk Fan Longba as envoy with tribute, and Longba was made general of Raising Valor. In the second year of Daming, Fan Shencheng, king of Linyi, again sent his chief clerk Fan Liu with a memorial, and offered vessels of gold and silver, incense, cloth and other goods. In the first year of Taiyu under Taizong he again sent an envoy with local products.

At first, when Tan Hezhi had been summoned and reached Yuzhang, Hu Danshi and others among the people of Yuzhang rose in revolt, and he struck and settled them as he passed. His merit in this was reckoned together with his merit in Linyi, and he was enfeoffed as viscount of Yundu county with a fief of four hundred households. Hezhi was a man of Jinxiang in Gaoping, and the son of Tan Ping. In the twenty-seventh year of Yuanjia under Taizu he went from commandant of the crown prince's Guard of the Left to be marshal of Shizu's garrison army, general who Upholds the State, and grand administrator of Pengcheng. When the Great Malefactor, Liu Shao, murdered the emperor and ascended the throne, he made him general of the Household of the West and inspector of Yongzhou. When Shizu went in to strike, the title of general who Upholds the State was added to him and he led the garrison affairs of Yuzhou, and from there he ran out to the south. When Shizu ascended the throne he made him general of the Guard of the Right. In the second year of Xiaojian he was appointed general who Upholds the State and inspector of Yuzhou, but he did not take up the post, and he became general of the Guard of the Right again, with the rank of cavalier attendant in ordinary added. In the third year he went out as inspector of South Yanzhou. There he fell into guilt for drinking deep, for greed after bribes, and for bringing a woman out of the prison into his house, and he lost his office and was barred from service. He died that year. He was granted the posthumous office of general of the Left, and his posthumous name was Xiangzi (襄子).

In the many mountains of Guangzhou there are the Li and the Liao, whose kinds are many and flourishing. They raided again and again, before and after, and for generations they were a grief and a trouble. In the Daming years under Shizu, Chen Tan, grand chief of Hepu, submitted, and he was made general of the Soaring Dragon. In the fourth year Tan sent up a memorial begging that the royal army strike those who had not yet submitted, so Tan was made grand administrator of Gaoxing, keeping his generalship as before. Fei Shen, former grand administrator of Zhuti, and Wu Qi, general of the Soaring Dragon, were sent to lead a host south, and to open the road to Zhuya as well. They had no success at all, and they suddenly killed Tan and came back. Shen was thrown into prison and died there.