Chapter 334: The Peach Blossom Spring

Wei Zheng sighed and said: "This is Tao Yuanming's realm."

"Others seek fame and fortune; he seeks 'wish without transgression'."

"This 'wish' character is his lifelong pursuit."

Liu Bang suddenly said: "When I was young, I also farmed."

Everyone looked at him.

Liu Bang rarely showed a trace of nostalgic expression,

"When I was in Pei County, I also farmed and served as a village chief."

"Back then life was hard, but carefree."

"Later, after becoming emperor, I became uneasy instead."

Ying Zheng glanced at him: "Do you regret it?"

Liu Bang thought: "Regret isn't quite the word, but sometimes I indeed wonder what it would have been like if I hadn't stepped out back then."

Ying Zheng snorted coldly: "If you hadn't stepped out, you wouldn't be sitting here playing mahjong."

Liu Bang froze, then burst out laughing: "First Emperor, you're right!"

"I don't regret it! I just occasionally think about it!"

Another poem appeared on the sky curtain—

【"Drinking Wine·Part Five"】

Building my hut among people, yet no noise of carriages and horses.

Ask how you can achieve this? Because the heart is distant, the place naturally feels remote.

Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, I leisurely see the southern mountains.

The mountain air is lovely morning and evening; flying birds return together.

Within this lies true meaning; wanting to discuss it, I forget the words.

As this poem appeared, the whole sky curtain seemed to quiet down.

"Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, I leisurely see the southern mountains."

Liu Xiu whispered it, and a look of leisurely longing appeared on his face.

"This scene is too beautiful."

"Not hiding from the world in deep mountains and old forests, but building a hut amidst people, yet hearing no clamor of carriages and horses."

"Why?"

"Because 'the heart being distant makes the place feel remote'—when the heart is detached from the world, one naturally feels one's dwelling is secluded."

Liu Che continued: "'Within this lies true meaning; wanting to discuss it, I forget the words'—there is a genuine truth here that one wants to express but cannot."

"Not that it cannot be said, but that it need not be said."

"Those who understand will naturally understand; those who don't, even if you explain, still won't."

Li Shimin let out a long sigh: "Reading this poem, I suddenly feel that being emperor isn't all that interesting."

Liu Bang quickly said: "Your Majesty Taizong, please don't follow Tao Yuanming's example of resigning and retiring!"

"If you resign, what will become of the Tang?"

Li Shimin smiled: "Rest assured, Emperor Gaozu, I'm just saying."

"I have my duties; I won't abandon them just because of a poem."

Bullet comments exploded again—

【Bullet Comments·Three Kingdoms·Cao Cao】

Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, I leisurely see the southern mountains.

I, Cao Mou, have waged war all my life and never experienced such a state of mind.

Tao Yuanming, you have won.

【Bullet Comments·Three Kingdoms·Cao Zhi】

Father, you can also try it.

Find a quiet place, pick some flowers, gaze at the mountains, write some poetry.

【Bullet Comments·Three Kingdoms·Cao Cao】

Zhi'er, if Father goes to pick flowers and view the mountains, who will unify the realm?

【Bullet Comments·Three Kingdoms·Cao Pi】

Father, you have already unified the north; you can rest now.

【Bullet Comments·Three Kingdoms·Cao Cao】

Not enough.

What I, Cao Cao, want is the whole realm.

The Cao family father-son dialogue made everyone laugh.

Zhuge Liang's bullet comments floated forth—

【Bullet Comments·Three Kingdoms·Zhuge Liang】

"'The heart being distant makes the place feel remote'—this line is superb."

"It's not that the place is remote; it's that the heart is detached from the world."

"Thus even in a bustling city, one can live as if in deep mountains."

"This is the highest realm of cultivating the mind."

【Bullet Comments·Three Kingdoms·Sima Yi】

Brother Zhuge is right.

What Tao Yuanming wrote is not pastoral scenery, but a state of mind.

【Bullet comments·Three Kingdoms·Zhou Yu】

Gong Jin reads this poem and thinks Tao Yuanming is a person of great wisdom.

He knows what he wants, and also knows what he can obtain.

Not greedy, not forceful, content with his duties.

On the celestial screen, the image becomes even more grand.

A stream winds forward, with peach blossoms blooming on both banks, scattering petals in abundance.

A fisherman rows a small boat along the stream, and after passing through a cave, the view suddenly opens up—

A flat stretch of land appears before the eyes, with orderly houses, fertile fields, beautiful ponds, and clusters of mulberry and bamboo.

On the field paths, men, women, young and old, dressed simply, come and go; yellow hair and hanging braids, at ease and content.

【Prose masterpiece·Excerpt from "Peach Blossom Land Record"】

During the Taiyuan era of the Jin dynasty, the people of Wuling made a living by fishing.

Following the creek, they forget the distance of the road.

Suddenly they encounter a peach blossom forest, a few hundred steps between the banks, with no stray trees, fragrant fresh grass, and petals scattering in abundance…】

In the pavilion, everyone stared dumbfounded.

"This..."

Liu Che widened his eyes, "This is an ideal country!"

"No war, no exploitation, no oppression; everyone lives peacefully and works happily, the young and old are all cared for."

Liu Xiu nodded, "This is the ideal world in Tao Yuanming's heart."

"It doesn't exist in reality, so he created it with words."

Li Shimin sighed, "This article writes not about a place, but about a dream."

"After thousands of years of war in the Huaxia lands, the people most long for a place like this—no war, no oppressive taxes, everyone living peacefully and calmly."

Ying Zheng stared at the celestial screen, silent for a long while.

Liu Bang asked curiously, "Brother Zheng, what do you think?"

Ying Zheng slowly spoke, "I built the Great Wall and unified the Six Kingdoms so that the world would have no war."

"But my method is to establish a powerful nation."

"Tao Yuanming's method is to find a place isolated from the world."

"Different paths lead to the same goal, but…"

He paused, "His way is gentler than mine."

These words from Ying Zheng surprised everyone.

Bullet comments flood the screen—

【Bullet comments·Tang Dynasty·Wang Wei】

Tao Gong's "Peach Blossom Land Record", the place we all yearn for.

【Bullet comments·Song Dynasty·Su Shi】: "A world beyond peach blossoms, the ultimate dream of the Huaxia people."

【Bullet comments·Ming Dynasty·Tang Yin】

In Peach Blossom Village lies Peach Blossom Hermitage, beneath the hermitage dwells the Peach Blossom Immortal.

After Tao Gong, peach blossoms became a synonym for hermitage.

【Bullet comments·Modern netizen】

Every Chinese person has a Peach Blossom Land in their heart.

【Bullet comments·Workplace netizen】

I don't seek a Peach Blossom Land, I only seek a weekend without overtime.

【Bullet comments·Three Kingdoms·Liu Bei】

"A world beyond peach blossoms… If everywhere in the world were Peach Blossom Lands, how wonderful that would be."

【Bullet comments·Three Kingdoms·Zhuge Liang】

"Lord, this will require time to achieve."

Tao Yuanming wrote it down; we must strive toward this direction.

【Bullet comments·Three Kingdoms·Cao Cao】

"Liu Bei, you are dreaming again."

There is no Peach Blossom Land in the world; only the strong can survive.

【Bullet comments·Three Kingdoms·Sun Quan】

"Cao Cao, can you not be so realistic?"

【Bullet comments·Three Kingdoms·Cao Cao】

"Isn't being realistic better?"

The bullet comment area turned into a Three Kingdoms debate, the scene becoming quite chaotic.

On the celestial screen, the image freezes in Tao Yuanming's study.

He sits by the window, lifting his brush to write something.

Outside the window are green mountains and clear waters; inside are the aromas of books and tea.

A satisfied smile graces his face, as if saying—this is the life I want.

【Timeless Classic·《Biography of Mr. Five Willows》

He did not know where he came from, nor did he know his surname and given name; there were five willow trees by his home, and so he took that as his sobriquet.

Tranquil and quiet, he spoke little, and did not seek fame or profit.

He loved to read, but did not seek deep understanding; whenever he grasped the meaning, he would joyfully forget to eat……】

Li Shimin laughed and said, "I really like this "not seeking deep understanding.""

"Reading is not for showing off; it is to make oneself happy."

Liu Che, however, disagreed: "Not seeking deep understanding? Shouldn't reading be about constant improvement?"

Wei Zheng explained, "Your Majesty Emperor Wu, this "not seeking deep understanding" does not mean not reading seriously; it means not getting stuck in nitpicking, not obsessing over trivial details."

"Tao Yuanming read to grasp the principles and the state of mind, not for rote memorization."

""When he understood, he joyfully forgot to eat"—that is, when he comprehended and gained insight, he was so happy he forgot to eat his meal. That is what a true reader is."

Liu Che thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "That makes sense."

Zhang Fei's comment suddenly popped up——

【Comment·Three Kingdoms·Zhang Fei】

"This is great!"

"Old Zhang I get a headache when I read, but I know what 'joyfully forgetting to eat' means."

"When I eat meat, I also joyfully forget to eat!"

【Comment·Three Kingdoms·Guan Yu】

"Third brother, your 'forgetting to eat' is just because the meat is too delicious; it has nothing to do with reading."

【Comment·Three Kingdoms·Zhang Fei】: "Second brother, don't ruin my act!"

The comment section was filled with joy.