During the Han Dynasty, an emissary was dispatched to the State of Dian (in modern-day Yunnan) and the State of Yelang (in modern-day Guizhou).
The King of Dian inquired of the Han emissary, "Which is larger, the Han Dynasty or my State of Dian?"
Similarly, the King of Yelang asked, "Which is larger, the Han Dynasty or my State of Yelang?"
In reality, the territories of both Dian and Yelang were no larger than a single Han prefecture. Isolated and cut off from the outside world, their rulers were ignorant of the vastness of the Han empire.