《汉书·传·严朱吾丘主父徐严终王》
于是追究高祖刘邦被围困在平城的旧事，总计匈奴自冒顿单于以来侵扰边境所造成的损害，聚兵备马，取资富民以供兵用，攻打匈奴，疆土西连西域诸国至于安息，束过碣石山设置玄菟郡、乐浪郡，北却匈奴于大漠以北，兴修营塞守卫，南边制服南海设置八郡，可是全国每年处理的案件有上万起，老百姓的口赋多达几百钱，经营盐铁酒榷之利用来增加财政开支，还是不能满足。
乃探平城之事，录冒顿以来数为边害，厉兵马，因富民以攘服之。西连诸国至于安息，东过碣石以玄菟、乐浪为郡，北却匈奴万里，更起营塞，制南海以为八郡，则天下断狱万数，民赋数百，造盐、铁、酒榷之利以佐用度，犹不能足。
So he investigated the old affair of how Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang was besieged in Pingcheng, and calculated the total damage caused by the Xiongnu, from Modun Shanyu on, by invading the border. He collected soldiers and horses, borrowed resources from the rich people to supply the army, attacked the Xiongnu, and expanded his territory in the west to reach Xiyu and Anxi, and in the east to establish Xuantu and Lelang commanderies beyond Jieshi Mountain. In the north, he drove the Xiongnu back to the north of the Gobi Desert and built fortifications to defend the border. In the south, he pacified Nanhai and established eight commanderies, but there were still tens of thousands of cases to be handled each year in the whole country, and the taxes on the common people amounted to hundreds of coins. Yet exploiting the profits from salt, iron, and alcohol sales to increase the financial expenditure was still not enough.