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

At the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, Empress Jia was in chaos. The land of the Central Plains is turbulent. First came the Eight Kings Rebellion, followed by the Yongjia Disaster. The Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, Qiang, Di and other tribes who had been eyeing the Central Plains from the north for hundreds of years were able to advance straight into the country, and the Five Husbands intensified their chaos. What was originally a peaceful life has turned into a life of ruin and deprivation for the people. The Central Plains and northern regions were in chaos. In the chaos of war, tens of thousands of the northern Han population were massacred. In order to survive and reproduce, a large number of northern scholars and people took their families and crossed the Yangtze River south...

The rolling water of the Yangtze River, with splashing waves, roared through the southwest of Jiankang. Then it bypasses Jiankang City and flows eastward to the endless and vast sea.

In the spring of the fifth year of Jianxing, it was a morning that was suddenly warm but then cold. It was a cloudless and sunny day. A bit of chilly northwest wind blows the trees on both sides of the Yangtze River. On the river that is several miles wide, ships from the north can still be seen occasionally. On these ships of different sizes, the larger ones were hung with simple sails, and there were people in the cabins and decks. On the smaller boat, there was only one person rowing, but it was also crowded with seven or eight people. These ragged northern people had to leave their homes to save their lives. Suddenly a small boat in the river swayed left and right and lost its balance. A dozen people on board, including adults, women, children, and children, were swallowed up by the rushing river in the blink of an eye. With the current rising and falling, people struggled and splashed in the river, hoping to swim to the east bank of the Yangtze River. But among these people, women and children cannot swim and have little strength. I saw several women and children being washed away by the river. Although several young people who fell into the water at the same time tried to save them, they were helpless. In the end, only five young and strong men swam to the east bank of the Yangtze River.

Because other ships were far away, they could only watch helplessly as people fell into the water and were helpless. The women and children were no longer visible on the river, only the upside-down boat drifting with the current. Two middle-aged men on the east bank of the Yangtze River are anxiously watching the tragedy happening in the Yangtze River. Although these two people also wanted to help rescue these northerners who fell into the water, they were helpless because the river was turbulent. Two middle-aged men quickly came to the river and pulled the five surviving young people ashore first. Then a dozen boats without accidents also docked one after another. The two middle-aged people and these five young people pulled other people ashore. More than 200 northerners got off these boats.

The accidental boat also drifted to the shore, along with a wooden wedge. Only then did the five young men see clearly that someone had dug a hole in the bottom of the boat and plugged the hole with a wooden wedge. The wedge came loose during the voyage, and the boat took on water and capsized.

The sun has risen, the biting northwest wind has stopped, and the weather has become much warmer. On the east bank of the Yangtze River in the southwest of Jiankang City, hundreds of people who had fled from the north gathered one after another. These people are old and young, male and female. Many people have sallow complexions, thin muscles, and a weak appearance. When we finally landed, people threw down their luggage, cheered, high-fived and hugged each other. Young people were holding their elders, some women were holding children of several years old, and some were holding babies a few months old in their arms. Afterwards, these people each found a flat, sunny place to lie down and enjoy the warmth of the sun. Many people closed their eyes. They had been running from the north to Jiangnan for many days in a row. They were too tired. Only the five surviving young people walked towards the two middle-aged men not far away, regardless of their wet bodies.

"Who are you two?"A young man walking at the front stepped forward to salute and asked respectfully. The two middle-aged men looked at each other with smiles. One of them, a man in his forties, cupped his hands and said,"My name is Director Wang. Mao Hong, a native of Linyi County, Langya County"

"My name is Zhou Wei, courtesy name Boren, and I am from Ancheng County, Runan County."The other older man continued. The five young people looked at each other and knelt down together and said:"We came from the north and traveled by land and water for more than 20 days, and finally found the two adults!"

"Are you from the north? Did you also come to Jiangnan to seek life? Where did it come from? What do you want from us? Director Wang and Zhou Wei quickly helped them up, Director Wang asked. The young man in the lead said:"Two adults, it's really hard to explain in words!" My name is Zu Lian, I am a clansman of General Zu Ti and a subordinate of General Zu Ti. These four brothers are also subordinates of General Zu Ti, and we are all the personal sailors of General Zu Ti."

Zhou Wei looked back at the lying northerners and said,"Brothers and sisters from the north, you must have been hungry and tired when you left your family and business to come from the north. I will send someone to bring you some food in a while. You can rest here for a while first!"

The men, women, and children who were lying down also became energetic at this time. They all stood up and said,"Thank you two adults for taking care of those of us who are still alive. We are saved!"

Hearing this, Director Wang and Zhou Yi had sore noses and almost shed tears. The five young people also felt the same, and their eyes were a little moist. Zulian led the four young people who came ashore together, and followed Director Wang He and Zhou Wei walked towards the small hill to the north. Looking at the people coming down from the hill in twos and threes, Zu Lian asked as he walked:"Two adults, why is the riverside so busy today? Could something big happen? Or something happened?"

"Well, you will understand this when we arrive at the new pavilion on the mountain in a while! Director Wang looked at the five wet soldiers and said to Zulian:"You go to the new pavilion on the mountain first. There are dozens of people there working on the mountain. You can dry your clothes.""

The five soldiers cupped their hands and ran towards the hill. As soon as the five men ran up the hill, they saw another seven or eight large boats approaching on the river. The five men looked up and saw that these large boats were getting closer and closer. Zu Lian's eyes were relatively clear. He said excitedly:"It's a big army ship, and the soldiers on it are holding swords and guns! Is there going to be a war? This is Jiangnan!"

There were many people on the hillock, cleaning weeds and fallen leaves on the hillock. When they saw five young people they didn't know, they started to take a look. Zu Lian quickly stepped forward and said,"Brothers are busy. Coming from the north, I just met Mr. Wang and Zhou!"

There were several piles of weeds and fallen leaves, and they were even set on fire. Seeing that the five people were all wet, several workers said,"You guys should take off your clothes and bake!""

The five people quickly took off their clothes and roasted them on the fire. Some of the people on the hill were looking into the Yangtze River, and some were still cleaning up.

"Could it be cousin Wang Dun's fleet?"At this time, Director Wang and Zhou Wei also came to the hill. Looking at the ships docking, Director Wang said:"It seems that the formation is not small! There were at least five to six hundred soldiers on the ship. He must be his cousin. He likes to mobilize troops."

People came down from the hill one after another and walked towards the shore. Director Wang was in front, followed by Zhou Wei and others. Hundreds of northerners lying on the shore also stood up and looked at the boats in the river. After these ships docked one after another, fifty soldiers armed with spears and bows and arrows first disembarked from the northernmost ship. These soldiers lined up on the shore, with the spearmen holding spears in their hands, and the archers bending their bows. They nocked their bows and arrows and watched the people around them. Then from the second boat, two soldiers pulled down a big red horse with a tall head like charcoal.

"This big red horse is so majestic! Zu Lian said with some admiration

"The man on horseback must be more majestic!"A soldier behind him added.

At this time, a man in military uniform and with majestic weapons slowly came ashore. This man was about fifty years old, wearing a sword and holding a riding crop. Four soldiers followed closely behind him. Five hundred soldiers disembarked from eight large ships. On each ship, there were several soldiers guarding the ships. There was still a way away from the hill. This man surrounded by soldiers held a horse whip in his hand. They neatly mounted the big red horse waiting on the shore. A soldier was holding the horse in front, and dozens of soldiers were leading the way. Other soldiers followed closely behind. This man who looked like a general, Li Wang guided them About twenty steps away, he dismounted and came forward with a smile on his face. Director Wang clasped his fists and said,"Brother, you have worked hard all the way!"

"Thank you for your hard work, General Wang!"Zhou Wei then said. Wang Dun also clasped his fists and returned the greeting:"Master Zhou, thank you for your hard work, Brother Mao Hong, thank you for your hard work!"

"Although General Wang is in Jingzhou, he is the first to come to Xinting for the banquet!"Zhou Wei said with a smile. This general who holds the moon in his arms is Wang Dun, the son-in-law of Sima Yan, Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty. Wang Dun is the cousin of Director Wang. He arrogantly greeted Director Wang and Zhou Yi, Get ready to walk together towards the hill. Not far awayThose northerners were also looking at Wang Dun who had just disembarked. Wang Dun looked at these sallow-looking northerners and asked,"Are these people who have just come from the north to flee? They must have been hungry for several days."

Before Wang Dao and others could answer, Wang Dun ordered his soldiers:"Hurry up and get some food from the ship. They are all poor people and our brothers and sisters!"

Dozens of soldiers returned to the ship to get some food. Wang Dun was fiddling with the horse whip in his hand, looking arrogant, and the remaining soldiers followed him from a distance. Wang Dun looked at the nearby scenery, then looked back at the Yangtze River to the west, and nodded. Just when these people were about to walk up the hillside, the official road in the direction of Jiankang and the south became busy. There were some ox carts and donkey carts on the official road, but there were very few carriages. Occasionally you can see people on horseback, but there are very few people on horseback. When these visitors saw that Wang Dun had arrived first, they quickly stood on both sides of the road below the hillside, and then they all said hello and saluted Wang Dun, Director Wang, and Zhou Wei.

"General, hard work along the way! Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Wang! Thank you Mr. Zhou for your hard work!"The sounds of one after another resounded around the hill. Wang Dun, Wang Dao and Zhou Wei kept returning their hands to the people on both sides, and then stood on both sides of the hillside road, as if waiting for someone.

Five hundred people followed. A soldier stopped a hundred steps away from the hillside.