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

The villagers dug the well day and night, and the well was completed in a few days. The well was built from top to bottom with blue bricks, and the well mouth was paved with large, flat black pebbles. On the day of water, two young men tied the wooden bucket with a rope and slowly lowered the bucket into the well. The young man holding the rope swung the rope, and the wooden bucket was filled with water. The two young men pulled up the first bucket of water, and the villagers came to the wooden bucket with ladles to scoop water to drink. Looking at the clear and transparent well water, the elders and villagers around the well cheered. The elder in the lead took the gourd, tasted it first, and said happily: "The water in this well is mellow and sweet, just like the nectar given to us by God! Mr. Guo is worthy of being a famous Feng Shui master. This well is not far from Tanghe River, and it has hit the underground water vein. The water level in the well is also six feet higher than the water level of Tanghe River. Folks, we are blessed and can celebrate the New Year without worries!"

Everyone present tasted the water in the well and praised it highly. Many people said "It tastes good!". The elder looked at the villagers who were drinking water one by one and said happily: "Mr. Guo Pu paid for such a good well for us in Tangqi. His merits are immeasurable! In order to let future generations remember him, let's call this well "Guo Pu Well"!

The donkey cart traveled on the uneven road for two days, and finally arrived in Wukang County, Wuxing County on a sunny morning. Guo Pu lifted the curtain on the donkey cart and saw two villagers, a man and a woman, who looked like a couple. Guo Pu told the driver to stop the cart and then got off the cart. Guo Pu bowed and asked, "Excuse me, how do I get to Shen Nei Shi's manor?"

"Shen Nei Shi's house! About five miles ahead is Shen Nei Shi's Shenjia Manor!" the man replied. Guo Pu bowed again and said, "Thank you for showing me the way!"

Guo Pu returned to the donkey cart and continued on his way. Near noon, the donkey cart arrived at Shenjia Manor. Two young villagers were guarding the intersection south of the village. When they saw a donkey cart coming, they stepped forward and asked, "Where did the donkey cart come from? What do you want to do in the manor?"

"We are from Wuchang, and we are here to pay a special visit to Lord Shen Chong." The three people got off the donkey cart, and Guo Pu said politely. The two villagers saw Guo Pu wearing court clothes and looked quite impressive. One of them said, "Then please come in. The most impressive manor is here!"

"Okay, thank you!" Guo Pu lowered the curtain and drove the donkey cart into Shenjiazhuang. When they arrived at a tall and imposing gate, the driver got off and said, "This is it!"

Tall, imposing, and spacious, with four large seal characters "Wuxing Shen Mansion" on the lintel. Standing at the gate, it looked like a small palace. There was a large flower bed at the gate, and four soldiers stood at the gate. Seeing a donkey cart coming, the soldiers surrounded it. Guo Pu got off the donkey cart and handed over his name card before the soldier asked. The soldier who received the name card saw it and quickly bowed and said, "It turned out to be Mr. Guo, please wait a moment!"

Guo Pu returned the greeting, and the soldier hurried in to report. Not long after, Shen Chong and several of his men arrived at the gate. Shen Chong saw that it was GuoGuo Pu, first bowed his hands and saluted, then said happily: "I haven't seen you for many days, how come you have time to come to my Shenjiazhuang today?"

"I am here on the order of General Minggong to learn about the situation of Shen Neishi." Guo Pu quickly returned the greeting. Shen Chong smiled and said: "Please come to the mansion to chat!"

Guo Pu and Shen Chong chatted and laughed, and came to the main hall of Shen's mansion to sit down as host and guest. Shen Chong sat in the middle, Guo Pu and others sat behind the tables on the west side, and the people of Shen's mansion sat on the east side. Three maids brought tea, one poured tea for Shen Chong, and two maids poured tea for Guo Pu and others. Shen Chong smiled and said: "Sir Guo, you came from Wuchang to me, and you must be very tired. Drink a few cups of tea first, and I will welcome you later!"

"Thank you for your hospitality!" Guo Pu bowed his hands and said. Shen Chong pointed to a child of seven or eight years old sitting on the east side and said, "This is my son Shen Jin. He always attends every banquet. Although he is young, he has been studying literature and martial arts for many years."

"Mr. Shen has a handsome face and a promising future when he grows up!" Guo Pu said.

Shen Chong pointed to other people on the east side and introduced them one by one: "This is my general Wu Ru, this is my Sima Gu Yang, this is my fellow villager Qian Ju, and he is from the same family as the military officer Qian Feng. The other generals and military officers are all in the barracks, and I will introduce them to Lord Guo later. Now let's enjoy the singing and dancing for a while, and then we will clink glasses and drink until we are drunk!"

As soon as Shen Chong finished speaking, two musicians, one male and one female, came up first, followed by nine gorgeously dressed dancers. The musicians sat down and began to play, and the nine dancers danced a Wuxing song and dance that made people intoxicated with the music. Guo Pu was immediately excited when he saw so many young and beautiful women. He watched intently, appreciating each one, and was intoxicated by the melodious music and dance. After about a cup of tea, the song and dance ended, and the musicians and dancers bowed and left the stage. Guo Pu's eyes were still fixed on the backs of the dancers who left.

"Master Guo, how is our Wuxing song and dance?" Shen Chong asked. Guo Pu had not yet recovered, and just said "oh, oh" twice. Chongyi beside him quietly reminded him, and Guo Pu said embarrassedly: "Very good, very good! Good people, good dance, good music!"

Shen Chong laughed, and others laughed too. Shen Chong joked, "These singing girls all fled from Luoyang. I asked their parents and brothers to cultivate the land for me. Some went to fish in the rivers and lakes, and some guarded the house. These girls from Luoyang, although weak, are good at singing and dancing, so I took them in in my mansion. Lord Guo has a unique eye for women and is a refined scholar. Which one do you think dances the best?"

"All good, all good! If I have to pick the best one, I think it's the lead dancer! She is tall, dignified and beautiful, extraordinary and unworldly." Guo Pu exclaimed.

While Guo Pu and Shen Chong were talking, the dancers had changed into maids' clothes. The nine maids had already started serving food and wine. The lead dancer first put the food and wine on Shen Chong's table.In front of him. The wine and food below were also quickly placed. Guo Pu looked at the famous Wuxing dishes on the table and nodded constantly. Shen Chong looked at Guo Pu's happy expression and said, "If I remember correctly, this is the second time that Mr. Guo has come to my place. In order to express my welcome to Mr. Guo and to fulfill my hospitality as a host, I asked my chef to cook these Wuxing dishes. Although there is no Wuchang fish here, these famous Wuxing dishes are also famous all over the world!"

Happy Qingming outing and reading! Recharge 100 and get 500 VIP points!

Recharge now (activity time: April 4 to April 6)