The Spitfire White Light Car in "The Book of Jin: The Biography of Yu Liang": What is the significance of the UFO queue that appeared during the Eastern Jin Dynasty?
Have you ever heard of the Flying Fire White Light Car of the Eastern Jin Dynasty? This is a mysterious phenomenon, it is said that it is a strange vehicle driven by a god in the sky, which can fly in the air, emitting fire and white light. This kind of flying fire white light car is recorded in detail in the "Book of Jin: The Biography of Yu Liang", which has a close relationship with Yu Liang, a famous minister of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and even affected his life. Today, let's explore this ancient UFO incident to see what it is, why it appeared, and what significance it has for Yu Liang and the history of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
First of all, we have to understand who Yu Liang is. Yu Liang was an important political figure in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he was the elder brother of Yu Wenjun, the empress of Emperor Sima Shao of the Ming Dynasty, and one of the two elders who assisted the young lord Sima Yan (i.e., Emperor Cheng) after Sima Shao's death. Together with Wang Dao, he was known as the "Second Prince", and was the political, military, and cultural leader of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He once quelled many rebellions of Guo Mo and Su Jun, and also planned the plan of the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains, but in the end he degraded himself to the third rank because of failure. He has a serious and upright personality, a majestic demeanor, likes the learning of Lao Zhuang, is upright, and is deeply trusted and respected by Emperor Ming and Emperor Cheng.
Yu Liang has a special biography in the Book of Jin, "The Book of Jin: The Biography of Yu Liang". In this biography, there is a very peculiar story about the appearance of the Spitfire White Light Car. This story takes place in the tenth year of Xianhe (345 AD), when Yu Liang had been an auxiliary government for many years, but he was also hated and opposed by many people. He once killed the two royal families of Nanton Wangzong and Xiyang Wangyi because they planned to abolish the ruling power of the young lord. This led many to think that he was a sinner who cut off the clan. He also turned down many awards and promotions because he felt he had no merit. This makes many people think that he is a pretentious gentleman. He also wanted to go north to the Central Plains and restore the old land of the Han dynasty, but failed because the city of Yicheng was captured. This made many people think that he was an incompetent general.
In such a situation, the Spitfire white light car appeared. "The Book of Jin: The Biography of Yu Liang" records as follows:
On the night of the first month of the first month of the tenth year of Xianhe (February 3, 345 AD), a strange scene suddenly appeared in the sky over Jingkou (now Zhenjiang, Jiangsu): dozens of objects shaped like wheels flew in the air, emitting fire and white light. They lined up in a row, going from east to west at great speed, and soon disappeared. At that time, Jingkou was the location of Yu Liang, where he was preparing for the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains. He was very surprised when he saw this strange phenomenon, and asked the people around him what it meant. Some people say that this is a flying fire white light car driven by the gods in the sky, which is an auspicious sign, indicating that Yu Liang's Northern Expedition plan will be successful, and he will be able to recover the lost territory and restore the glory of the Han family. When Yu Liang heard this, he was overjoyed, and ordered to step up preparations for the Northern Expedition.
This story is only a few short sentences in the Book of Jin, but it has aroused countless conjectures and discussions in later generations. Some people believe that this is a natural phenomenon, perhaps an astronomical phenomenon such as a meteor or comet. It has been suggested that this is a man-made phenomenon, perhaps an illusion created by the enemy or rebels with rockets or kites or the like. Some believe that it is a supernatural phenomenon that may be a miracle caused by gods or aliens. Either way it can fully explain all the details and doubts in this story. For example, why do the Spitfire white light cars look like wheels, why do they line up, why do they go from east to west, why do they appear in Yu Liang's location, why are they related to Yu Liang's Northern Expedition plan? There is no definite answer to these questions.
However, we can analyze the significance and impact of this story from a historical perspective. First of all, we can see that this story reflects the social psychology and cultural atmosphere of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The Eastern Jin Dynasty was an era of turmoil, division and strife, external troubles and internal troubles. The north was occupied by the Wuhu and Sixteen Kingdoms, and the south was ruled by the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Although the Eastern Jin Dynasty claimed to be the orthodoxy of the Han dynasty, it was actually a clan regime dominated by the Sima clan. The scholar groups colluded with each other or confronted each other, forming several major political factions represented by Wang Dao, Yu Liang, Huan Wen, etc. There is both cooperation and competition between these political factions, and there is both consensus and disagreement. One of the biggest differences was the issue of the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains. Some people believe that the Central Plains should be invaded north, the old land of the Han dynasty should be restored, and the great cause of reunification should be realized. Some people believe that one should settle for the South, maintain the status quo and avoid risk-taking. This question is not only about political interests and military strategy, but also about national sentiment and cultural identity.
In this context, the Spitfire white light car has become a symbol and signal. It symbolizes the yearning and nostalgia of the Eastern Jin Dynasty people for the homeland of the Central Plains, the insistence and maintenance of the orthodoxy of the Han family, and the expectation and trust of the gods. It also signaled the political and military opportunities and challenges that Yu Liang faced as the leader of the Northern Expedition, as well as his role and status in history. After Yu Liang saw the flying fire white light car, he strengthened his determination and confidence in the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains. He believes that this is the will of heaven and the help of the gods, and he will definitely be able to continue writing
Successfully regain the lost territory and restore the glory of the Han family. He believed that this was the will of heaven and the help of the gods, and that he would definitely be able to defeat the enemy in the north and realize the great cause of reunification. So, he ordered the Northern Expedition and led an army of 100,000 to march towards Yicheng. Yicheng was an important stronghold of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the north, and was once captured by Murong Chui of the former Yan State. Yu Liang wanted to recapture the city, and then continued to advance north to the Central Plains.
However, contrary to expectations, the Spitfire White Light Car did not bring good luck to Yu Liang. On the contrary, it brought disaster to him. When his army reached the vicinity of Yicheng, he was ambushed by the former Yan State. Murong Wei, the emperor of the former Yan Kingdom, sent elite cavalry led by his younger brother Murong Ke and Murong Chui to flank Yu Liang's army from two directions. Yu Liang's army was disrupted by the enemy's sudden attack and was unable to resist effectively. Yu Liang himself was also surrounded by enemies and fell into a critical situation. He had no choice but to send envoys to sue for peace with the former Yan State, hoping to exchange it for his own life and that of some of his soldiers. However, Former Yan was unwilling to let go of this opportunity, rejected his request for peace, and continued to attack his remnants of the defeated army.
At this moment, the Spitfire White Light Car appeared again. But this time, instead of going from east to west, they are coming from west to east. They were no longer lined up in a row, but divided into two groups, one hovering over Yu Liang, and one flying over the former Yan Kingdom. The firelight and white glow they emitted were also no longer bright and warm, but dim and cold. They seemed to be laughing at Yu Liang's failure and misery, and they also seemed to be warning the arrogance and cruelty of the former Yan Kingdom.
This strange phenomenon left both sides horrified and disturbed. Yu Liang thought that this was the punishment and abandonment of him by the gods, and lost all hope and faith in his heart. He regretted and blamed himself for everything he had done, and felt that he had failed to live up to the trust and expectations of Emperor Ming and Emperor Cheng, as well as the support and praise of the people of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He wanted to end his life, but felt it was too cowardly and shameful to do so. He could only wait helplessly for the enemy to be killed or captured.
Former Yan Guo also thought that this was a warning and threat to them from the gods, and there was a trace of wavering and fear in his heart. Although they have the advantage, they also pay a big price. They don't know if the Spitfire White Light will cause them any disaster or change. They wanted to completely wipe out Yu Liang and the Eastern Jin army, but they were worried about arousing the wrath and revenge of the gods. In their hesitation and entanglement, they missed the best opportunity.
At this critical juncture, reinforcements from the Eastern Jin Dynasty arrived. It turned out that before Yu Liang sent his troops to the Northern Expedition, he had sent his younger brother Yu Yi and his son Yu Bing to lead a force and stay in the rear just in case. When they learned that Yu Liang's army had been ambushed by the Former Yan Kingdom and was in a predicament, they immediately led their soldiers to the rescue. They engaged in a fierce battle with the cavalry of the former Yan Kingdom, successfully opening a passage that allowed Yu Liang and some of his soldiers to escape. Although the Eastern Jin army still suffered heavy losses, it also avoided the end of the entire army.
After Yu Liang escaped, he did not feel joy or gratitude, but felt ashamed and sad. He felt that he was a loser and a sinner who did not deserve to live in this world anymore. He returned to Jingkou, pleaded guilty to Emperor Cheng, and degraded himself to the third class. Although Emperor Cheng still had respect and sympathy for him, he could not restore his confidence and morale. Since then, Yu Liang has faded out of the political arena and no longer participates in any official affairs. He just studied behind closed doors at home, Xi the old village, and waited for death to come.
The ancient UFO incident of the Spitfire White Light Car affected the history of Yu Liang and the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It is both a mystical phenomenon and an allegory of history. It tells us that the fate of human beings depends not only on their own efforts and wisdom, but also on the will of God and the arrangement of the gods. It also tells us that human beings should act not only in consideration of their own interests and desires, but also the interests and aspirations of society. It also teaches us that the human mindset is not only courageous and faithful, but also humble and temperate. Only in this way can we find our place and direction in this complex and ever-changing world.