Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 189 Returning to Jiangling in a Day [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]

After another day of travel, the boat passed Badong and entered the Xiling Gorge.

Having just experienced the beauty of the Wu Gorge, the Xiling Gorge immediately revealed its ferocious side.

The river became turbulent again, with numerous reefs and dangerous shoals.

"Hold on tight! There's a shoal ahead!" the boatman shouted.

Everyone's hearts were in their throats instantly.

Suddenly, the river narrowed, and the water was torn apart by a group of huge reefs.

The white waves surged to the sky, and the sound of the water was like thunder!
The boat was violently tossed about by the turbulent current, rocking up and down and swaying from side to side, as if it might be thrown up or crash into the dark reefs at any moment.

The boatmen had already put away their oars and were using all their strength to keep themselves steady so as not to be thrown overboard. All eyes were fixed on the captain.

The captain, like a rock nailed to the stern, pressed almost his entire body weight onto the huge oar handle. Instead of swaying from side to side, he pushed and pulled fiercely against the frantic tearing of the water against the stern, trying to align the bow with the narrow and only safe channel.

Lu Beigu gripped the stable object beside him tightly, feeling the cold water splashing on his face, listening to the deafening roar of the water and the boatman's hoarse shouts, his adrenaline soaring.

At that moment, he realized with absolute clarity how insignificant, yet how resilient, human strength was in the face of such violent natural forces.

—This is the "Perilous Western Mausoleum"!
After what seemed like an eternity, the violent jolts finally subsided.

The boat suddenly felt lighter and broke free from the constraints of the last treacherous shoal.

The river ahead suddenly opened up, and although the current was still rushing, it was no longer violent and raging, and the mountains on both sides gradually became gentler.

The warm autumn sun shone brightly on the wide river, making it sparkle like countless pieces of gold.

Lu Beigu let out a long sigh of relief, only then realizing that his back was soaked with cold sweat.

He loosened his clenched, white fingers and looked back. The majestic mountains of the Three Gorges, stretching like a barrier between heaven and earth, were gradually receding and blurring behind him, eventually turning into a bluish-gray outline on the horizon.

Only the thunderous roar of the river seemed to still faintly echo in my ears.

Cui Wenjing walked to his side, patted him on the shoulder, and pointed to the horizon where the water met the sky: "Brother, look, Xiazhou is in sight. After passing Jingmen Mountain, we will be in the real land of Jingchu, and Jiangling Prefecture is not far away."

Lu Beigu nodded, but the turbulent emotions in his chest remained unsettled for a long time.

The grandeur, beauty, and danger of the Three Gorges, like three giant paintings, have been deeply imprinted in his mind.

Entering the Three Gorges and passing through Jingmen Mountain, just as Li Bai wrote in "Farewell at Jingmen," "The mountains end where the plains begin, the river flows into the vast wilderness," the mighty Yangtze River broke free from the constraints of the treacherous mountains and began to surge towards the plains of Jingchu. Lu Beigu stood at the bow of the boat, his emotions stirred by the magnificence of the Three Gorges gradually calming down with the broadening of his vision, turning into a contemplation of a new world.

Both sides of the river are gradually flattened hills and a vast alluvial plain that is just beginning to emerge, with villages and fields dotting the landscape, and wisps of smoke rising from chimneys, creating a scene of everyday life.

Although the Yangtze River here is not as turbulent as the Three Gorges, its vastness and the density of boats far surpass those of places like Luzhou in Sichuan upstream.

Cui Wenjing pointed to the horizon where the water met the sky and said, "Brother, this is already the territory of Jinghu North Road. This place connects Bashu to the west, Wuyue to the east, controls Xianghan to the north, and governs Chenli to the south. It is truly a vital transportation hub."

"We are currently in Jinghu North Circuit, and we are about to reach the capital, Jiangling Prefecture. Jinghu North Circuit also includes ten prefectures: E, An, Fu, Ding, Li, Xia, Yue, Gui, and Chen. In addition, there are the two armies of Jingmen and Hanyang. South of the Yangtze River is Jinghu South Circuit, with its capital in Tanzhou. Its territory includes seven prefectures: Tan, Heng, Dao, Yong, Shao, Chen, and Quan, as well as the Guiyang Military Prefecture."

Lu Beigu nodded. Jinghu North Road was roughly equivalent to modern Hubei Province, while Jinghu South Road was Hunan Province. Tanzhou was actually the name of Changsha in the Song Dynasty.

He said, “When the two lakes are bountiful, the whole country is well-fed. Both the north and south of Jinghu are important sources of revenue for the imperial court. I know this.”

"As for Jiangling Prefecture," Cui Wenjing said with a touch of historical感慨, "its name originated in the first year of the Shangyuan era of Emperor Suzong of Tang, when Jingzhou was upgraded to Jiangling Prefecture and its southern capital was established. During the Five Dynasties period, the Gao family held sway, calling themselves the Southern Ping Kingdom, which also had its capital here. In the first year of the Qiande era of this dynasty, the army marched south, and Gao Jichong surrendered, so Jiangling Prefecture returned to the rule of the emperor and became a prefecture again. In the third year of the Zhidao era of Emperor Taizong, it was officially designated as the capital of Jinghu North Circuit, where it remains to this day. The city walls here still show traces of the reinforcements built by the Gao family in previous dynasties. Despite the ravages of war and floods, they still stand majestically on the riverbank, which is truly remarkable."

The boat moved swiftly, and sure enough, before long, the majestic outline of the city appeared on the horizon.

Unlike the low walls of Hejiang County, Jiangling Prefecture City resembles a giant beast lurking on the banks of the Yangtze River, with its long walls and imposing battlements casting deep shadows under the clear autumn sky.

Countless masts and sails converged on the river west of the city. Towering cargo ships, exquisite pleasure boats, merchant ships laden with goods, and even government patrol boats were densely packed together, almost filling the wide river surface.

"This is the old wharf on the west side of Jiangling Prefecture!" Cui Wenjing was obviously quite familiar with the place, pointing out, "Products from Jinghu, salt and tea from Sichuan, silk from Jiangnan, and rare treasures from Lingnan are all gathered and distributed here. It is truly a place where merchants from all over the world gather and boats compete."

Their passenger boat, skillfully maneuvered by the captain, skillfully navigated the crowded convoy, searching for a berth.

Lu Beigu's gaze swept over the various types of ships. The huge grain transport ships had a very deep draft, with flags symbolizing the government flying on both sides of the hull. The boatmen were shouting slogans as they unloaded sacks of grain. The ornate pleasure boats had carved beams and painted rafters, with well-dressed stewards standing at the bow, directing the crew to move boxes of goods. There were also many fleets of ships flying flags with the character "纲" (gang), which were "gang ships" that transported local tributes or monopolized goods to the capital. They were large in scale and orderly.

The shouts of boatmen, the cries of vendors, the clatter of planks, and the crashing of waves all blended together to form a massive and clamorous sound wave that swept over us.

The passenger ship finally docked in a somewhat secluded corner.

After setting up the springboard, Lu Beigu and Cui Wenjing, carrying their satchels and luggage, stepped onto the solid ground.

The docks were teeming with people. Porters, shirtless and showing off their strong muscles, carried heavy sacks and wooden crates between the boats and the warehouses on the shore, their steps steady and swift. Merchants or accountants, wearing headscarves and long gowns, stood by pointing and haggling loudly, their spittle flying.

In addition, vendors carrying baskets nimbly weave through the crowd, hawking steaming hot cakes, freshly boiled water chestnuts, freshly picked tangerines, and "Jiangling fish slices" wrapped in lotus leaves, which is a local specialty of pickled fish.

Lu Beigu couldn't help himself.

(End of this chapter)