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

At this time, the sound of rapid horse hooves came from the direction of Jiankang to the east of Xinting. Dozens of war horses galloped over. In the blink of an eye, these dozens of people arrived in front of Director Wang and others.

"It is His Highness Sima Rui, the General of Zhendong, Prime Minister, and King of Langya!"Someone in the crowd said loudly. People were all looking towards the east side of the hillside. Sima Rui and other people came to Director Wang and others and dismounted, and the entourage on horseback also dismounted and stood on both sides.

"See General Zhendong and His Highness King Langya! See you two gentlemen! See His Highness the King of Xiyang! See His Royal Highness King Nanton! See His Royal Highness King Qiao!"Wang Dun was the first to come forward and salute, followed by Wang Dao and Zhou Wei. Others also successively saluted Sima Rui, the two young masters, and other members of the Sima royal family. Although Wang Dun was the first to salute Sima Rui, But he was still playing with the riding whip in his hand, with an aloof expression.

"Thank you for your hard work, gentlemen!"Sima Rui held Wang Dun with his left hand and Director Wang with his right hand, and then beckoned the others to walk up the hillside. Looking at the new pavilion in front of him, Sima Rui said thoughtfully:"This new pavilion faces Hao on the west. The mighty Yangtze River was the place where courtiers welcomed, gathered, and had banquets during the Soochow period hundreds of years ago. Until Emperor Wu Sima Yan conquered Soochow, this was the gateway to the southwest of Jiankang. I have been away from the town of Jiankang for several years, although I have been to Xinting several times. But today we are gathering here, and we are still filled with emotions! Director Wang and others kept nodding, while chatting with Sima Rui. Director Wang said:"Although the war in the north did not affect this place, Xinting has been in ruins for a long time. For today's party, I have sent people to make some repairs to the new pavilion these days."

Sima Rui couldn't help but smile and nod after hearing this. Sima Yi, the king of Xiyang, and Sima Zong, the king of Nanton, were smiling brightly. The two brothers chatted while walking. Although Sima Cheng, the king of Qiao, was over fifty, he was in good spirits. A hill not far away On the hillock, the hexagonal new pavilion is particularly eye-catching. Although the new pavilion is located on a hill beside the Yangtze River, the south side of the new pavilion on the hillock is flat, like flat ground. Except for the highest new pavilion, to the east of the new pavilion There are three smaller hexagonal pavilions on each side and west. On the south, north and east sides of the hill, in addition to the cleared roads up the mountain, there are some deep or shallow valleys. On the hill and in the valley, Trees of different heights and thicknesses, and weeds of varying heights can be seen everywhere, which are especially suitable for hiding some soldiers without being discovered. A few towering trees are particularly conspicuous.

Someone has already placed them under this huge new pavilion in advance. There is a large antique coffee table. On the north side of the coffee table, there are three chairs. The chair in the middle looks different. There are also two smaller coffee tables, each with two chairs. On both sides of the new pavilion Coffee tables and seats were also placed in the six small pavilions.

As they talked, everyone came to the new pavilion on the hill. The south side of the new pavilion was full of people, and no less than dozens of people arrived one after another. Sima With a smile on his face, Rui asked Director Wang and the others to sit down. Director Wang smiled and whispered,"If Your Highness doesn't take a seat, who dares to sit down?!"

Sima Rui looked around, then sat on his seat in the middle. Seeing Sima Rui sit down, Director Wang said:"Everyone who has come from afar, please take a seat!"

Sima Rui's eldest son Sima Shao, his second son Sima Pei, Sima Yi, Sima Zong and Sima Cheng each went to sit in a small pavilion to the east and west. The people in the six small pavilions came together with the five royal families Members said hello. Some officials and generals who came from various places came to the new pavilion to see Sima Rui, Director Wang, Wang Dun and others, and then went to other small pavilions to find seats. After sitting down one after another, the hill gradually became quiet. Come down. Sima Rui looked around and saw that in addition to brothers Wang Dun and Wang Dao beside him, those sitting in the new pavilion were also sitting at the two small coffee tables. There were also Zhou Wei from Runan, Diao Xie from Bohai, and Yingchuan. Yu Liang from Taiyuan and Wang Cheng from Taiyuan. The six small pavilions on both sides of the new pavilion were also full of people. Those who came later, after seeing Sima Rui, had to go to the open space south of the new pavilion to stand and talk..While these people were chatting, many people came up the hill. When everyone looked back, they saw one after another ox carts, donkey carts, and small carts, pulling and pushing various tables, The coffee table, stools, chairs, etc. have already arrived on the hill. The people following behind, some are carrying burdens, and some are carrying things in their hands. There were about twenty people who came with Director Wang and Zhou Wei early in the morning. There were servants and servants. Director Wang said to these people:"The folks from Jiankang are here, hurry up and help! Be sure to be polite."

Together with the people from Jiankang City, nearly a hundred people were busy for a while. Zulian and four soldiers who were watching nearby also hurried over to help. In just one stick of incense, on the small hill, the sky to the south of the new pavilion was On the ground, there were twenty miscellaneous tables, coffee tables, stools, and chairs arranged neatly in two rows on the east and west. Director Wang and Wang Dun accompanied Sima Rui to talk, and Zhou Wei came over to greet the Jiankang villagers. The man with the burden put down his burden and was resting. Inside the burden were various Jiangnan dishes. What he was carrying were famous Jiangnan wines. A dozen young women also held smaller wine jars in their arms. After a while, Xin Inside the pavilion, mouth-watering Jiangnan famous dishes have been placed on the coffee tables and tables in the south of the new pavilion. On each table and coffee table, there is a jar of Jiangnan famous wine. Wine bottles are placed on each coffee table. The young women stood aside, preparing to pour wine.

At this time, Director Wang also came over, saying hello to the Jiankang people who helped, and saying words of thanks. After putting these things away, people drove ox carts and donkeys one after another. Cars and carts were pushed away one after another. The aroma of the dishes filled the entire hill.

Director Wang and Zhou Wei saluted these Jiankang people:"Thank you for your hard work, fellow villagers!"

"If there are people, help people, if you have money, you will have money, if you have strength, you will have strength, and if you have cars, you will have cars. In order to drive out the barbarians and regain our northern homeland, we will not hesitate and will not hesitate even to the death!"Ji Zhan, the leader of the Jiangnan gentry and a Wu native, said. Another Jiangnan gentry, He Xun, was already very familiar with Director Wang, Wang Dun, and Zhou Wei. He Xun said to Director Wang:"Those of us who are older are also not included. used. Leave twenty young men and women to pour wine for us, and let the others go back!"

Ji Zhan, He Xun, Wang Dao, and Zhou Wei bowed to each other and went to see Sima Rui.

Looking at the Jiankang people leaving one by one with such enthusiasm, Wang Dao was thoughtful. He said to Zhou Wei:" I remember that Sima Rui, the king of Langya, came to Jiankang to guard it. When they first arrived, few Wu people were willing to make friends with King Langya. As Jiankang, the old capital of Wu State, the gentry and celebrities did not think highly of Sima Rui, a descendant of the royal family. Later, it was my cousin and I who made a lot of efforts and took the initiative to associate with celebrities such as Ji Zhan and He Xun before we were recognized by the people of Wudi."

"Since Yiguan's journey to the south, every time the weather is fine, we northern nobles will each ride in their own ox carts and donkey carts, and let the servants bring wine and food to the new pavilion here to have a banquet. This tradition has been around for some years."Zhou Wei said

"Yes, today will definitely be a day recorded in history! Director Wang said with some emotion:"Today's banquet is different from previous years. Today's scene is grand, there are so many people today, and today's party will definitely be unprecedented!""

In addition to the ten young women standing in the new pavilion and six small pavilions, as well as some servants in the south of the new pavilion, there were dozens of young people from Jiankang City in the south of the new pavilion. The whole new pavilion was silent. Director Wang looked at Seeing Sima Rui say:"Your Highness, can we start now?"

"It’s time to get started!"Sima Rui said. Director Wang said loudly:"Pour the wine!"

There are four women in charge of serving and pouring wine in the new pavilion, all of them are very beautiful. In each of the other six small pavilions, there is a good-looking woman serving them. A young man standing next to Director Wang The woman was particularly outstanding. She slowly lifted up a jar of wine on the big coffee table with both hands, deftly pulled out the stopper, and put the stopper on the coffee table. She smiled and poured the wine for Sima Rui first, and then the person on Sima Rui's left Wang Dun, followed by Director Wang on the right. On the other two coffee tables in the new pavilion, there is a woman pouring wine, and the other woman is ready to help. Zhou Wei, Diao Xie, Yu Liang, and Wang Cheng all poured wine into the wine bottles. Full of wine.

Director Wang stood up and looked at the six small pavilions, as well as the tables and coffee tables in the south of the new pavilion. Everyone's wine bottles were filled with wine. Director Wang held the wine bottles and said loudly:"Everyone Jin Except for those in Jiankang, all the loyal ministers and generals of the dynasty came from afar. In order to regain the Central Plains and regain the northern land, let us first pay a toast to His Royal Highness King Langya!"

Hearing what Director Wang said, everyone stood up with wine bottles in hand. Sima Rui also stood up with wine bottles in his hands, smiling and making a half circle in front of him as a gift in return. Although the atmosphere was warm, some drank in one gulp. Although some of them were still holding the wine bottles, they still refused to drink. Director Wang put down the finished wine bottles, looked at Zhou Wei’s wine bottles which were still full, and asked,"Mr. Zhou, what’s going on with you? The two of us are the conveners of this banquet today!"

Zhou Wei stopped talking, with a sad look on his face. After a while, he said:"I will never get drunk until I drink. I become addicted as soon as I drink. The more I drink, the more addicted I become. I'm going to stay awake today. In recent years, our northern scholars who have traveled south have settled down in life, but they often miss their homeland. In our spare time, we often come in groups to have dinner at this new pavilion outside Jiankang City on the east bank of the Yangtze River. Standing on this small hill, looking at my hometown in the north, it is the homeland where our ancestors have lived for generations! The scenery is not special, there are different rivers as far as the eye can see!"

These words of Zhou Wei made all the officials and generals present feel emotional. Diao Xie said:"In recent years, the Central Plains area has fallen into the hands of the barbarians, and we have not resisted. Unfortunately, the Hu people are so cruel that there is no hope of restoring our country at the moment. We can only take one step at a time!"