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

"Okay, okay, this is the best arrangement."Sima Zong said.

The four people sat on both sides of the table. Several dishes were placed on the coffee tables on both sides. These dishes were mainly wild boar, wild boar offal, etc., and there were also several side dishes. There were some on each coffee table. A jar of wine and a wine bottle carved from a bamboo tube. The whole living room was filled with an alluring fragrance. Two maids came to salute, poured wine for everyone, and then stood on both sides. Sima Pei raised the wine bottle, and brothers Sima Shao and Sima Yi They also raised their wine bottles. Sima Pei said:"Come on, Grandpa Wang and Brother Wang, let's have a drink first!"

Putting down the wine bottle, the maid refilled the wine. Sima Pei continued:"Since I assisted General Zu Ti in his Northern Expedition a few months ago, I returned to Jiankang a few days ago, and I have no time to go out to the capital for hunting. This morning I went to Zhongshan with Brother Wang and shot some wild boars."

"Wild boar is a delicacy and I haven’t had it for a long time."Sima Yi said. Sima Shao said:"The two of us killed two large wild boars and five smaller wild boars, so we are going to send most of them to my father to comfort and reward the ministers."

"What a great idea!"Sima Zong said with a thumbs up. Sima Pei smiled and said:"So after the court meeting tomorrow, the two grandpas can still eat wild boar meat."

"That's great!"Sima Yi said. Sima Shao picked up the wine bottle and said:"Although we all live in the royal community in the eastern suburbs of Jiankang, we usually have our own things, so we don't get together much. Come, let me toast you two grandpas!"

After Sima Shao finished speaking, he drank it all in one gulp. Sima Yi and Sima Zong also drank it all in one gulp.

"Besides going to court, what do you two like to do in the mansion? Sima Pei asked. Sima Yi said:"We brothers have little talent and little knowledge, and we don't have any great abilities." In my spare time, I just cultivate flowers, play with grass, flowers, birds, fish and insects, that’s all."

"What do the two grandfathers Wang think of brothers Wang Dun and Wang Dao? Sima Shao asked. Sima Yi did not expect Sima Shao to ask this question, so he thought for a moment and said,"This Wang Dun is the son-in-law of Emperor Wu. He has always been arrogant and domineering." In fact, during the Eight Kings Rebellion, Wang Dun had planned to welcome Emperor Hui Sima Zhong back. After crossing south, he became more and more unscrupulous"

"Brother Wang and I are young, and this is the first time we have heard of this matter. Sima Pei said:"Then what does Grandpa Nanton think of Director Wang?" Compare it with Wang Dun"

"Director Wang is a man of great wisdom, who is incomparable to Wang Dun."Sima Zong picked up the wine bottle and took a sip of wine. He then put the wine bottle down and continued,"Actually, Wang Dun is not scary, and Director Wang is not scary either. The scary thing is that there are people with great wisdom and people with military skills. If these two people join forces openly or covertly, it will be very detrimental to our Sima royal family!"

"Grandpa Nanton Wang has unique insights. I feel inferior to you. I would like to propose a toast to you!"Sima Shao said as he picked up the wine bottle and drank it all. Sima Zong also finished it afterwards.

"The fourth brother was right, as long as they could be prevented from joining forces, there would be no major problems in the court. But if a big problem or event occurs, it must be the Langya Wang family who joins forces. Don’t forget that Wang Han, Wang Ai, Wang Ying and other Langya Wang clans who crossed to the south are not simple people. These royal forces are already entangled in the court."Sima Yi said

"It is a great honor to be able to invite these two grandpas to gather together today. It was very enlightening to hear the views of the two grandfathers on the current situation."Sima Pei said

"Come, my brothers and I will respect the two grandpas together!"Sima Shao and Sima Pei stood up and toasted Sima Yi and Sima Zong. Sima Yi and Sima Zong also stood up quickly. The next morning, in the court hall of the Jin Dynasty, Sima Rui sat on the dragon chair and accepted a few words. Ten civil and military ministers came to pay homage. The ministers shouted in unison:"His Royal Highness the King of Jin, a thousand years old!""

"All my dear friends, please go free of charge! Sima Rui smiled with a smile on his face and waved for everyone to stand up. Fei Ren said:"Which adults have something to report?""

Diao Xie came out of the squad and said:"I would like to inform His Highness the King of Jin that the drought in various places will be serious this autumn. Locust plagues in Sizhou, Jizhou, Qingzhou, Bingzhou and Yongzhou are also serious. Floods unprecedented in many years occurred in the Yellow River and Fenshui basins, inundating more than a thousand households. People living in the ancestral home in the south of the Yangtze River can still live a good life, but life in the north is particularly difficult for people crossing south. Please ask King Qian Sui of Jin to make a decision.

Sima Rui looked at Director Wang at the front and asked,"What good advice does Master Mao Hong have?""

"Free the mountains and forests so that people can hunt. Open up rivers and lakes so that people can fish. Reclaiming ownerless wasteland to plant crops so that Nandu families can live and work in peace and contentment. All walks of life were liberalized, allowing people to freely buy and sell food, cloth, and other goods."

After listening to Wang Dao's suggestion, the ministers behind him all nodded. At this time, a guard came in and reported:"To His Highness the King of Jin, Hedong County has heard that Guo Pu wants to see you! Sima

Rui was startled for a moment, then said with a smile:"Feng Shui master Guo Pu?" Please!"

A tall man in his forties came to the main hall and saluted Sima Rui.

"See the King of Jin is a thousand years old, a thousand years old, a thousand years old! Guo Pu knelt down and said. Sima Rui stood up, and then said with a smile:"Show me the world-famous Feng Shui master Guo Pu!""

One attendant brought a bamboo stool, and another attendant also brought a small square table and placed it in front of Guo Pu. Guo Pu raised his hands and said,"Thank you so much, King Jin!"

"Master Guo Pu is also a native of Nandu. If you come here today, do you have any plans to become an official in the court? Sima Rui said:"You and your father Guo Yuan are both world-famous learned men." It has been ten years since my king traveled south to the Yangtze River. The Jin Dynasty on the left side of the Yangtze River has just been established, and its future is uncertain. Therefore, I would like to ask Master Guo to calculate how powerful my Jiangzuo court is?!"

Guo Pu repeatedly opened his left hand with his right hand, not knowing what he was doing. Then he looked left and right. Then he looked up at the roof of the hall, then looked down at the ground. Then he raised his head and said,"Please bring your highness and I would like to inform you of the birth dates of the two princes."

Sima Rui picked up a roll of cloth on the desk and handed it to Fei Ren. Fei Ren came down and gave it to Guo Pu. Guo Pu unfolded the cloth with the birthdays of Sima Rui and Master Sima Rui on the small table. Then there was another burst of laughter. Fidgeting with his fingers. Guo Pu looked up at the sky, then looked down at the ground, and then said:"Congratulations to His Majesty the King of Jin, Congratulations to the Sima Royal Family, the Jin Dynasty in Jiangzuo has achieved 200 achievements!""

There was a period of silence in the court hall, and then there were deafening cheers from the civil and military ministers:"Two hundred years! Two hundred years! Long live my king! Long live! Long live!"

Sima Rui was also very excited. He stood up and said:"The previous dynasty established by Emperor Wu, Guo Zuo, only existed for fifty-two years before being attacked and destroyed by the Huns' cavalry. The country was destroyed, the family was destroyed, the capital was in ruins, and Emperor Min's life and death are unknown to this day. Since my king's journey to the south, all of you, dear friends, have been breathing together and sharing the same joys and sorrows. After listening to Master Guo Pu’s prediction, Gu Zhen had mixed feelings and tears in his eyes!"