Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms: Humans, Volume 13

Page 8

The woodblock illustration depicts a man from the land of Asi. He is dressed in a heavy, fur-lined robe that reaches his shins, paired with sturdy boots suitable for rugged terrain. His hands are tucked into his voluminous sleeves, a detail that historically suggested both the cold climate of his homeland and a formal, dignified bearing. This style of dress identifies him as a member of the "Western Regions" or northern frontier cultures.

Asi

Asi original: 阿思. This is likely a Chinese phonetic transcription for the Alans, an Iranian nomadic group known in Yuan and Ming records as the Asud. By this period, they were associated with the regions near the Caucasus and Central Asia. possesses walled cities that are built by stacking stones original: 有城池用石壘就. The text specifically highlights stone masonry, which would have appeared exotic to Ming readers accustomed to the rammed earth and grey brick architecture of central China..

To reach Yingtian Prefecture original: 應天府. The "Southern Capital" of the Ming Dynasty, modern-day Nanjing. The Ming court used travel time to this capital as the standard metric for determining a nation's distance and its place within the tributary system., it takes one year and seven months traveling by horse original: 馬行一年七個月. This immense duration underscores the vastness of the Silk Road and the incredible endurance required for diplomatic missions or trade caravans to reach the Chinese heartland..