The Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty: The Competition in the Central Plains

"Absolutely! wonderful!"Putting down the brush, Director Wang and eight other people stood up and applauded Wang Jian.

"Such a wonderful Qixi Festival poem, we should each copy a copy and then save it. You can take it out and enjoy it during the Chinese Valentine's Day every year." Zhuge Hui said.

In order to give the edict to Murong Xin of Xianbei, Wang Dao, Zhou Yi, Diao Xie, and Wang Cheng were summoned by King Sima Rui of Jin Dynasty. In the study, Sima Rui handed the edict to Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi read it Then he handed it to Diao Xie. Diao Xie read it and handed it to Wang Cheng. Everyone except Director Wang read it again.

"Your Highness, it’s a long way to deliver the imperial edict to Liaodong. Who should go there? Director Wang asked. Sima Rui thought for a while and said,"There are more than ten visitors in the mansion. Just send one of them randomly and bring two followers." However, due to the war in the north, it is no longer possible to ride a horse over the dry road."

"If there is no way by water, then take the sea route. The sea route goes all the way north, making it easy to reach Liaodong. If there is a south wind and favorable winds and currents, it can be reached in a few days. Zhou Wei said. Sima Rui nodded, Director Wang and others also nodded in agreement.

Then send your visitor Tao Liao!"Director Wang said. Sima Rui said:"Okay."

"The summoner, Tao Liao, came to the imperial study to meet him! Fei Ren, who was standing at the door of the study, shook his whisk and said. The guard outside the door agreed:"Yes!""

"See King Jin's Thousand Years Old!"Not long after, the visitor Tao Liao came. After entering the royal study, he knelt down and worshiped Sima Rui. Sima Rui said:"Tao Aiqing, please excuse me."

Tao Liao stood up and stood aside. Sima Rui said:"The Murong tribe of Xianbei, Liaodong, has always been my vassal vassal outside the court. Now there is an edict to Murong Xin, the leader of the Murong tribe. Because the dry road is blocked, I am sending you to Liaodong by sea. How many people do you think you need to bring?"

"Return to His Majesty the King of Jin, take two attendants and two guards with you to protect your safety on the road."Tao Liao thought for a while and said. Director Wang said:"On the day of the Xinting meeting, there happened to be five personal followers of General Zu Ti accompanying the navy. It would be best to escort Tao Liao to Liaodong."

"Well, Tao Aiqing should go down and prepare first, and summon Zulian to see you."Sima Rui said. Fei Ren shouted outside the study door:"Summon the ancestors for an audience!"

"See Your Highness."After a while, Zu Lian came to the study, knelt down and saluted Sima Rui after entering the door. Sima Rui waved his hand and said:"Zu Aiqing, please get up."

"Dear Ancestor, I have an edict to send my visitor Tao Liao to Liaodong. There were frequent wars, chaos, and dry roads were blocked, so it was necessary to travel by sea. The sea may not always be safe, so I ask you to travel with the ship and protect Tao Liao on his mission to Liaodong."

"Yes! Zu Lian bowed his hands and saluted:"The five of me will ensure that Tao Liao arrives safely!""

"Mr. Wang Dao is well-informed and he has to follow the specific arrangements of the water and sea routes. You and Tao Liao are ready in the past few days. You can take a boat at any time from the pier southwest of Jiankang and south of Xinting. Okay, you go down!"Sima Rui said.

Five days later, two wooden sailing boats were moored at the pier south of Xinting. Tao Liao and Zu Lian stood on the shore, and more than ten soldiers got off the two boats one after another. Zu Lian looked at Xinting in the north said with emotion:"A few months ago, five of us were defeated by the Hu people because of General Zu Ti, and hundreds of us were scattered from the battlefield. We couldn't find the team and didn't know where to go. Reluctantly, he came to the north bank of the Yangtze River and fled to Jiankang on a dilapidated boat with the refugees crossing from the south. Unexpectedly, when we were about to dock, the boat leaked and capsized. It turned out that a hole was drilled into the boat by someone with malicious intentions!"

"It would be great if he could survive the catastrophe! Tao Liao comforted him. Zu Lian cried and said,"The five of us were sailors and swam to the east coast." However, some northern women who kindly let us board the boat, even their children, were washed away by the Yangtze River!"

"Brother Zu, we picked up a few pieces of unburned papyrus."A soldier under Zu Lian took some pieces of straw paper with black edges and showed them to Zu Lian and Tao Liao. Zu Lian said:"This may be someone burning paper for their relatives during the festival, and it was blown here by the wind."

"Master Tao, I know this. A few days ago, King Jin went to the southern suburbs to worship Emperor Huai, and I happened to be serving as a bodyguard. That day, after the last burning paper was lit, a southeast wind suddenly blew, and some unfinished burning paper blew to the northwest with the southeast wind."

"Then let’s use these pieces of burning paper to pay homage to those souls who lost their lives due to the war on the riverside!"Tao Liao said, and asked the two guards to start a fire and light some pieces of burning paper. The pieces of burning paper instantly turned into paper ashes and were blown up into the sky by a gust of southeast wind. As the wind direction changed, these paper ashes turned into ashes again. It fell into the river and disappeared.

"Is everything packed? Tao Liao asked, looking away and feeling melancholy. The soldiers standing in line on the shore replied in unison:"Everything that needs to be loaded has been loaded!""

"Okay, then please go back and recover! Tao Liao said

"yes!"A leading soldier replied, and then led these soldiers back

"Set off! Tao Liao waved his hand and said. Two guards and two soldiers got on the first boat in the north first, and the other two soldiers got on the boat in the south.

"Master Zu, please come on board! Tao Liao looked back at Jiankang City and said to Zu Lian. Zu Lian looked in the direction of the new pavilion and said,"Master Tao, please!""

Tao Liao and Zulian boarded the second boat in the south. The soldiers began to paddle. The two boats left the shore one after another and sailed along the Yangtze River southwest of Jiankang toward the sea in the northeast direction. The wind on the river was calm and the boats Down the river. The guards and soldiers took turns steering and rowing. When the wind went smoothly, they pulled up the sails and took turns returning to the cabin to rest. In the cabin, Tao Liao and Zu Lian sat opposite each other. The two talked for a while, Tao Liao began to read the bamboo slips"Spring and Autumn". Zu Lian lifted the curtain of the cabin and came to the deck to admire the scenery on both sides of the Yangtze River.

One day later, the two ships sailed into the sea. As the south wind blew, Tao Liao and Zu Lian came Go to the deck. Tao Liao said:"I hope the south wind will not stop and save some energy.""

"In summer and autumn, southeasterly winds blow more often. Zu Lian said.

The vast sea and the seabirds flying above the ship made the eight people on the ship particularly excited. Zu Lian said:"They say there is Penglai Island in the East China Sea. I don't know where it is?""

"yes! If there are immortals who can use magic to transport us to Liaodong, it will save us the bumpy ride on the ship. It has been more than ten days, and there is no land in sight, only the vast sea everywhere."Tao Liao said. Zu Lian sighed:"It would be great if there really were gods who could come out to stop the wars in the world, let the people live and work in peace and contentment, and make people friendly to each other!"