In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, who created the night and the day. We thank Allah deeply for guiding us to Islam, the only true way. It is Allah whom we only worship and to Allah we only pray. Allah is our Creator, our Lord, our God, our Owner, our King and our All-Provider whom we love, worship and obey. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah who created man (our father Adam) from clay. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Slave and the Messenger of Allah who guided us to the Truth after we were astray. Peace be on Prophet Muhammad, the Final Prophet and Messenger from Allah to all mankind, whose exalted memory and fragrant mention will always stay. Peace be upon the noble family and the honorable companions of Prophet Muhammad and on those who followed them in all good deeds today, tomorrow and yesterday.
~~~This story happened 1300 years ago (144 AH) in China~~~
China was a strong empire under the rule of a wise, just, strong emperor: Wei Jian. Emperor Wei Jian lives in the Crown Kingdom in the Peace Province in the Jasmine City which is the capital of the Chinese Empire. Emperor Wei Jian's family consists of his wife Empress Fang Huan, his son Prince Yueliang Wei Jian and his daughter Princess Taiyang Wei Jian. In Chinese, Yueliang means the moon and Taiyang means the sun. Yueliang and Taiyang are twins where Yueliang was born about 15 minutes before his sister Taiyang. These two names were the suggestion of Empress Fang Huan.
In the Arabic and Islamic civilization, the sun is a feminine noun whereas the moon is a masculine noun and this is congruent with the selection of Yueliang and Taiyang names. Almutanabbi (المتنبي), one of the eminent Arabic poets, said in two lines of poetry:
لفضلت النساء على الرجال
و لا التذكير فخر للهلال
و لو كان النساء كمن فقدنا
و ما التأنيث لاسم الشمس عيب
“If women were the like of whom we lost, women would be preferred to men.
And the femininity in the sun's name is not a fault, nor the masculinity of the moon is an honor.”
Allah, the One and Only True God, mentioned the sun and the moon in numerous verses in the Holy Koran and here are a few verses:
[THK means Translation of the Holy Koran as taken from: (https://www.quranexplorer.com): S means Sura (Chapter): V means Verse]
“Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, and then He rose over the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty). He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His Command. Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the Alameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)! (54)” [THK: S 7: V 54].
“It is He (Allah) Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out for it stages, that you might know the number of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create this but in truth. He explains the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) in detail for people who have knowledge. (5)” [THK: S 10: V 5].
“Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that you can see. Then, He rose above the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty). He has subjected the sun and the moon (to continue going round)! each running (its course) for a term appointed. He manages and regulates all affairs, He explains the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) in detail, that you may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord. (2)” [THK: S 13: V 2].
“And He (Allah) it is Who has created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, each in an orbit floating. (33)” [THK: S 21: V 33].
“And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate yourselves not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate yourselves to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him. (37) But if they are too proud (to do so), then there are those who are with your Lord (angels) glorify Him night and day, and never are they tired. (38)” [THK: S 41: V 37-38].
“The Most Gracious (Allah)! (1) He has taught (you mankind) the Koran (by His Mercy). (2) He created man. (3) He taught him eloquent speech. (4) The sun and the moon run on their fixed courses (exactly) calculated with measured out stages for each (for reckoning). (5)” [THK: S 55: V 1-5].
In the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, the sun and the moon are mentioned as well many times and here is one example where Prophet Muhammad said:
“The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death of someone from the people but they are two signs amongst the signs of Allah. When you see them (eclipsed), stand up and pray.” [BH-1].
Emperor Wei Jian refused to have concubines along with his wife Empress Fang Huan although he was able to do so. He chose to stay loyal to her and respect her feelings. While the emperor and the empress were sitting together alone, they expressed their mutual love in the following chat:
Wei Jian: Fang, I love you very much; my love for you increases day after day.
Fang Huan: Wei, I am very blessed to have you as my husband. My love for you is ever increasing. How much do you love me?
Wei Jian: More than you can imagine. More than the number of the stars in the sky. And you?
Fang Huan: I love you more than the number of the grains of sand in deserts.
Wei Jian: No man on the earth is happier than me when I am with you.
Fang Huan: You fill my life with happiness, peace and tranquility. I am also the happiest woman on the earth when I am with you.
Wei Jian: How long have we been married dear Fang?
Fang Huan: Thirty years. Time elapses very fast.
Wei Jian: Do you remember how we first met each other?
Fang Huan: Of course. This is an indelible memory. How can I forget that meeting?
Wei Jian: Tell me our love story from the beginning. It evokes my beautiful memories when I listen to it from your mouth.
Fang Huan: As you like, my sweetheart. You were the Crown Prince of the Chinese Empire. One day in spring, you decided to take a tour in the city masquerading as an ordinary person. As part of your tour, you decided to visit the Covenant Lake. While you were sitting on the beach of the lake enjoying the nice weather, you saw me coming to the lake alone carrying a water jug with me. You were bewitched by my beauty and was curious to know who I was. You loved me from the first sight without knowing who I was. After I filled the water jug and walked a little bit, I stumbled with a stone, lost my balance and fell so the water jug spilled on the ground. I was injured and my leg bled. You directly came to see me and help me after my fall. When I saw your face, I loved you from the first sight without knowing who you were. You gave me a piece of cloth as a gauze to cover my wound. You then went to the lake to refill the water jug for me. Next, you told me: “I will carry the water jug for you until you reach your home; just guide me to the right path.” You accompanied me carrying the water jug on your shoulder until we reached our home where I was living with my parents. When you met my parents, you greeted them. I and my parents thanked you very much for your chivalry, gallantry and unforgettable help. My parents asked you to stay to have lunch with us and you agreed to be our guest for lunch. You found our lunch very delicious and you thanked us for preparing such great food. During your stay, you asked me: “What is your name, miss?” so I said: “My name is Fang Huan.” In return, I asked you: “What is your name, sir?” and you replied: “It is a secret.” I was surprised and perplexed why you did not share your name with me because it is a common practice to share names between people when they are introduced to one another. After that you left. When you returned to your palace, you told your parents about me and that you liked me from the first sight. You expressed your intention to engage me and your parents showed their approval conditional upon doing a background check on me and my family. After doing a background check on our family, you realized that we are a noble family but under harsh financial conditions, we had to release our maids and servants, rely on ourselves and live an ordinary life. After ten days, you came with your Imperial Family in a great procession to visit our home. When you knocked at the door and I opened, I was surprised to see this majestic procession. So you said: “Hi dear Fang, how are you? You asked me last time about my name and I said it is a secret. Do you know who I am? I am the Crown Prince, Wei Jian.” I was shocked in surprise and was filled with awe. You said: “May I enter with my family, the emperor and the empress?” So I said: “Of course, you are most welcome, your Highness.” I welcomed the Majesty of the emperor and the Majesty of the empress and informed my parents directly about our imperial guests. You gave me and my parents a collection of precious gifts. The emperor and the empress expressed their admiration of me and my family and their intention to engage me to you. My parents said: “It is the supreme honor and privilege to have our daughter engaged to the Crown Prince, Wei Jian. Fang Huan, what do you want to say to our guests?” So I said: “This the happiest day in my life to be engaged to the Crown Prince, Wei Jian. I am supremely honored by your generous engagement offer and I hope I will fill the life of the Crown Prince with happiness.” After that we spent around a month in our engagement and then our wedding took place which was unique and magnificent.
Wei Jian: What beautiful memories?! I never get bored hearing this story over and over again.
Wei Jian: Let us now speak about our children Yueliang and Taiyang. Which one do you like more?
Fang Huan: I like them both equally. It is hard for a parent to prefer one child to another. How about you?
Wei Jian: You are correct. Since both Yueliang and Taiyang are dutiful to us and obedient, my love for them is equal.
Fang Huan: What attributes do you like in Yueliang and Taiyang?
Wei Jian: I like the bravery and hard work of Yueliang. I like the gentleness and compassion of Taiyang.
Fang Huan: I agree. Both share good manners.
The emperor then summoned Yueliang and Taiyang. Yueliang and Taiyang both came and greeted their parents. The emperor said: “How are you, my loved children?” Yueliang and Taiyang said: “We are fine. How are you our dear father and mother?” The emperor and empress said: “We are fine as well. Today is your 20th birthday. How do you feel?” Yueliang said: “I feel excited and am very happy as long as you are happy.” Taiyang said: “I am very happy as long as you are with us. Life is tasteless without your presence.” The empress said: “I heard you are doing well in your studies. Excellent job, my diligent children. Keep up the great work.” Yueliang said: “Our success is impossible without your careful supervision. Thank you for all that you have done for us.” Taiyang said: “True: you have the lion's share of our success. You offered us everything we need and you continuously watch our progress to keep us on track. Thank you for everything, my beloved parents.” The emperor said: “You are both dutiful and well-bred. I and your mother are proud of you.” The emperor said: “I used to play a game with your mother called the Antithesis Game and I want to teach you this game. I and your mother want to test your wisdom and quick-wittedness by mentioning some pleasures of life and your job is to mention one thing that spoils each pleasure of life that we mention. To ensure justice, each of you answers first in an alternating fashion. Are you ready?” Yueliang and Taiyang said: “Yes, our dear father and mother. We are ready.”
The emperor said: “The pleasure of eating.” Yueliang said: “Eating an unpalatable meal.” Taiyang said: “Eating little without reaching satiation.” The empress said: “The pleasure of drinking.” Taiyang said: “Choking on a sip of a drink.” Yueliang said: “Sipping an extremely hot drink that burns your mouth.” The emperor said: “The pleasure of sleeping.” Yueliang said: “Insomnia.” Taiyang said: “Noise.” The empress said: “The pleasure of marriage.” Taiyang said: “Marrying someone you do not love when circumstances force you to do so.” Yueliang said: “Being forced to leave your spouse alone and travel for long periods of time.” The emperor said: “The pleasure of having children.” Yueliang said: “Having a child with a chronic disease.” Taiyang said: “Having an disobedient child.” The empress said: “The pleasure of having luxurious vehicles.” Taiyang said: “Having an accident with one's vehicle.” Yueliang said: “When the vehicle breaks down.” The emperor said: “The pleasure of listening to beautiful sounds or music.” Yueliang said: “Not being able to replay an exquisitely beautiful musical composition.” Taiyang said: “Hearing a cacophony while listening to a beautiful piece of music.” The empress said: “The pleasure of dancing.” Taiyang said: “To fall while dancing.” Yueliang said: “When the clothes fall while dancing.” The emperor said: “The pleasure of reading.” Yueliang said: “Reading a boring script.” Taiyang said: “Reading while being absent-minded.” The empress said: “The pleasure of writing.” Taiyang said: “Illegible handwriting.” Yueliang said: “Writing something that can be used as a proof against the writer in the future.” The emperor said: “The pleasure of gathering with family.” Yueliang said: “Having to leave a family gathering for an urgent matter.” Taiyang said: “When one family member monopolizes the speech.” The empress said: “The pleasure of meeting friends.” Taiyang said: “Backbiting.” Yueliang said: “Telling lies and believing them.” The emperor said: “The pleasure of leadership.” Yueliang said: “Disobedience to the leader.” Taiyang said: “Making a bad decision that has detrimental effects.” The empress said: “The pleasure of being loved by others.” Taiyang said: “Being loved for interests, not for your own soul.” Yueliang said: “Losing your love in the hearts of others upon doing a mistake.” The emperor said: “The pleasure of enjoying nature.” Yueliang said: “Being chased by predators.” Taiyang said: “Raining until flooding.” The empress said: “The pleasure of achievement.” Taiyang said: “When the achievement is unappreciated.” Yueliang said: “When the achievement is underappreciated.”
The emperor said: “Excellent job, my beloved children. You are really wise, smart and quick-witted. I am really proud of you.” The empress said: “Your answers were correct and wonderful. I am very proud of your intelligence, my dear children.” Yueliang and Taiyang said: “Thank you, our beloved parents. We owe you every success in our lives.” The empress said: “You can leave now and prepare for your birthday banquet today. Preen yourselves, dress elegantly and put on nice perfume.” Yueliang and Taiyang: “Thank you, our dear parents. We will do our best to meet your expectations. Goodbye.”
Today is the 20th birthday for Yueliang and Taiyang and the emperor and the empress are holding a birthday banquet to celebrate this great occasion. This year, the list of invitees includes the relatives of the emperor and the empress, plenty of ministers and their families and many noble families in the Chinese Empire. The relatives of the emperor represent the Imperial Family and they are mainly the brothers of the emperor and their families. Here is the complete list of the brothers of the emperor and their families:
1. Li Jian (emperor's brother), his wife Mu Shan and his only son Qiu Li Jian (10 years old).
2. Jun Jian (emperor's brother), his wife Min Hui and his three daughters Xue Jun Jian (23 years old), Shan Jun Jian (21 years old) and Jiao Jun Jian (18 years old) .
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3. Laquan Jian (emperor's brother), his wife Zhi Ru, his two sons Lin Laquan Jian (17 years old) and Liu Laquan Jian (16 years old), and his two daughters Yi Laquan Jian (14 years old) and Xiang Laquan Jian (10 years old).
4. Shen Jian (emperor's brother), his wife Yun Xing, his two sons Kun Shen Jian (25 years old) and Lian Shen Jian (23 years old), and his three daughters Ting Shen Jian (21 years old), Yong Shen Jian (19 years old) and Zan Shen Jian (17 years old).
Every family is sitting on a dedicated table. The emperor is sitting to the right of the empress. To the right of the emperor is Yueliang and to the left of the empress is Taiyang. Everyone of the Imperial Family has brought a birthday present to Yueliang and Taiyang. In total, Yueliang received 23 gifts from the Imperial Family and so did Taiyang. All the presents are wrapped and placed on two tables: one table for the presents of Yueliang and one table for the presents of Taiyang. The emperor asks Yueliang and Taiyang to unwrap their gifts and thank their relatives who brought these generous gifts. For every gift, there is a gift card attached to it with an inspirational message. Let us see what the gifts are and what the gift cards say.
1. Wei Jian's gift to Yueliang: a first-rate gold-plated sword. Gift card: “To Yueliang, to my beloved son: Be a moon of knowledge that emits wisdom. Be a sword of justice that fights for the Truth.”
2. Wei Jian's gift to Taiyang: a magnificent pearl necklace. Gift card: “To Taiyang, to my beloved daughter: Be a sun of beauty in your words and actions. Adorn your body with clothes and jewelry, your mind with wisdom and your soul with good manners.”
3. Fang Huan's gift to Yueliang: an excellent gold-plated bow with fine arrows. Gift card: “To Yueliang, to my beloved son: Fly with the wings of the pen and the sword until you reach the stars. Be a valorous knight that does not know the impossible.”
4. Fang Huan's gift to Taiyang: a first-class gold crown. Gift card: “To Taiyang, to my beloved daughter: Shine with your beauty and art to give hope to people. With your perseverance, no dream is unachievable.”
5. Li Jian's gift to Yueliang: a fine print of the Art of War book by Sun Tzu. Gift card: “To Yueliang, to my dear nephew: reading opens broad windows for you to explore the world and the valuable wisdom in it. I hope that you will be one of the wisest leaders of the Chinese empire.”
6. Li Jian's gift to Taiyang: a fine print of Tao Te Ching book by Lao Tzu. Gift card: “To Taiyang, to my dear niece: read to irrigate your mind with wisdom and your soul with hope. The more you read, the more you unravel the mysteries of the world.”
7. Mu Shan's gift to Yueliang: a splendid garment. Gift card: “To Yueliang, to my dear nephew: Be a source of hope to the Chinese people and never cease giving. You will be remembered for every good you sow in this world.”
8. Mu Shan's gift to Taiyang: a luxurious gold necklace. Gift card: “To Taiyang, to my dear niece: The more you help people, the happier you shall be. May happiness and good luck accompany you all the way.”
9. Jun Jian's gift to Yueliang: a quill pen and an inkwell. Gift card: “To Yueliang, to my dear nephew: Write brilliantly to share your valuable ideas and insights with the world. Good writers achieve a sense of immortality.”
10. Jun Jian's gift to Taiyang: a superb jewelry box. Gift card: “To Taiyang, to my dear niece: Your body deserves the most precious clothes and jewelry. Let your soul be as beautiful as your charming face.”
11. Min Hui's gift to Yueliang: a perfume bottle. Gift card: “To Yueliang, to my dear nephew: I am certain that you will be a unique hero in Chinese history. Be the voice for the unheard, the hope for the deprived and the light for the depressed.”
12. Min Hui's gift to Taiyang: three beautiful gold bracelets. Gift card: “To Taiyang, to my dear niece: When I look at your beautiful face, I see love, hope and compassion. May your life be full of prosperity.”
13. Laquan Jian's gift to Yueliang: a gold-plated spear. Gift card: “To Yueliang, to my dear nephew: Be a beacon of wisdom, courage and chivalry and do your best to excel in all your duties.”
14. Laquan Jian's gift to Taiyang: an exquisite hairpin. Gift card: “To Taiyang, to my dear niece: Be a star of beauty, purity and elegance and seek to establish your unique glory.”
15. Zhi Ru's gift to Yueliang: a silver ring. Gift card: “To Yueliang, to my dear nephew: May your life be paved with success. Work hard to serve the Chinese nation with incessant giving.”
16. Zhi Ru's gift to Taiyang: a gold ring. Gift card: “To Taiyang, to my dear niece: May your life be filled with happiness. Be a great example that all Chinese women follow.”
17. Shen Jian's gift to Yueliang: a magnificent dagger. Gift card: “To Yueliang, to my dear nephew: I hope that you will be the scale of justice. Be ready to discover your strengths and overcome your weaknesses.”
18. Shen Jian's gift to Taiyang: three super veils with different colors. Gift card: “To Taiyang, to my dear niece: Cherish your dreams until they blossom and become real. There are no limits for what you can achieve.”
19. Yun Xing's gift to Yueliang: first-rate shoes. Gift card: “To Yueliang, to my dear nephew: May your life be rich in accomplishments. Be prepared to seize opportunities, tackle risks and surmount obstacles with patience.”
20. Yun Xing's gift to Taiyang: a fine folding fan. Gift card: “To Taiyang, to my dear niece: Be happy and make others happy. May all your beautiful dreams come true.”
Yueliang and Taiyang felt very happy and grateful to their parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins for their generosity and elegant taste in choosing such a diverse collection of presents. Yueliang and Taiyang thanked everyone from the Imperial Family for their precious gifts. They also thanked everyone from the ministers, their families and noble families who brought them gifts on this occasion. After having the delicious dinner which had a miscellaneous set of traditional Chinese food, the Imperial Family now wants to enjoy a singing and dancing performance by a singing band and a dance band. The songs, music and dancing were well-organized, gorgeous and memorable.
Now, after the signing and dancing performance finished, the emperor wants to let his children, nephews and nieces enjoy their time by playing a guessing game named: “Hide and Guess” which is a customized version of “Hide and Seek”. A group of five maids each dressing a unique color is shown. The colors of the dresses of the maids are white (W), black (B), Red (R), Green (G) and Yellow (Y). A set of five cabinets are placed next to one another and numbered from 1 to 5. Yueliang, Taiyang and their thirteen cousins are standing in a row with their faces to the wall and their backs to the maids and the cabinets. A curtain also separates the maids from the players for extra concealment. Now, the judge asks the maids to enter the cabinets and close the doors. After the maids are in the cabinets, the curtain is removed and the judge asks Yueliang, Taiyang and their thirteen cousins to turn back and provide their guesses about the positions of the maids in the cabinets. Each of the players provides his/her guesses to the judge who records the answers for each player in a table. After all players provide their guesses, the maids are asked to open the cabinets and go out so that the results are calculated for each player for a single round.
The game was played for a total of 5 rounds. For each round, a player can guess 1, 2, 3 or 5 maids right. At the end of the five rounds, Yueliang, Taiyang, Liu and Zan were the winners. These four players accumulated a score of 17 out of 25 over the five rounds.
Let us see a snapshot of the game by examining the guesses of Taiyang over the five rounds as shown in the table next. In the first round, the maids were in the cabinets in the following order: Yellow, Black, Green, White and Red. Taiyang's guesses for this round were: Yellow, Green, Black, White and Red. In this round she scored 3 / 5 as she missed the Green and Black maids.
The Maids' Positions
YBGWR
WGBRY
BYWRG
GRBWY
RYBGW
Taiyang's Guesses
YGBWR
WRBGY
BYWRG
RGBWY
RYWGB
Taiyang's Scores
3
3
5
3
3
17
After the game ended, the emperor ordered to give each player 1000 golden taels for each correct guess he/she made in the game. A golden tael is the official currency of the Chinese empire. Yueliang, Taiyang, Liu and Zan each received 17000 golden taels. In total, the emperor paid the players 212000 golden taels. The players thanked the emperor for his generosity and felt very happy for the money they accumulated with this game that depends merely on luck and intuition. Below is the detailed list of the scores and prizes for each of the fifteen players.
Player
Score
(out of 25)
Prize
(golden taels)
Player
Score
(out of 25)
Prize
(golden taels)
Yueliang
17
17000
Taiyang
17
17000
Qiu
15
15000
Xue
16
16000
Shan
16
16000
Jiao
10
10000
Lin
14
14000
Liu
17
17000
Yi
10
10000
Xiang
12
12000
Kun
11
11000
Lian
14
14000
Ting
13
13000
Yong
13
13000
Zan
17
17000
Now, Yueliang asked the emperor: “Your Majesty, I plan to go camping near the Covenant Lake with my cousins and we are asking you for your permission.” The emperor said: “Yes, I agree. You need to be close to nature from time to time. It is harmful if you are confined within the walls of the palace all the time. Seeing nature rejuvenates the human being and refreshes his/her mind.” Yueliang said: “Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. I am planning to go camping tomorrow. Is that suitable for everyone?” All the cousins of Yueliang asked their parents for permission and they all got approval to go for camping.
The next day, Yueliang, Taiyang and their cousins went to the Covenant Lake for camping. There were a myriad of the imperial guards to ensure their safety during camping. Also, there were a team of maids to serve them well and take care of the daily chores such as cooking, cleaning and tidying their tents in the campsite.
During the first day of camping, Yueliang wanted to exercise his archery skills so he installed multiple targets with concentric circles and he challenged his cousins to compete with him. Both male and female cousins took part in the contest. At the end, Yueliang was the sixth after Kun Shen Jian (the first), Xue Jun Jian (the second), Lian Shen Jian (the third), Shan Jun Jian (the fourth), Ting Shen Jian (the fifth). Interestingly, the first five winners are all older than Yueliang so the factor of age played a role in their winning. Taiyang was the last winner as she has little experience with archery. Yueliang felt a bit frustrated because he thought himself the best archer in the Imperial Family and Taiyang felt ashamed because of her loss. Kun wanted to soothe the pain of Yueliang and Taiyang so he said: “Do not worry. It is all a game. In this life, do not expect to win everything every time. There are times when you win and times when you lose. As long as you do your best, you have nothing to regret.” Taiyang said: “Thank you for your consoling words, Kun. But loss has a bitter taste at all events.” Xue said: “True. But loss is a reality in this life and we have to adapt to it when it occurs.” Yueliang asked Kun: “How frequently do you practice archery?” Kun said: “I practice archery for an hour everyday.” Yueliang said: “That is the reason for your victory. As they say, practice makes perfect. As for me, I practice it one hour a week. Taiyang barely practices archery, maybe one hour a month.” Lian said; “The more you give your time to an activity, the more it pays off. That is basic logic” Shan said: “But not everything in this life works according to logic. There are times when luck, not logic, is the dominant factor.” Ting said: “True; do you remember when we played the Hide and Guess game? it merely depended on luck and intuition. There was no logic in that game.” Yi said: “Yes, I had terrible luck along with Jiao. We both scored 10 out of 25.” Jiao said: “Yes, but thanks to our uncle, the emperor, he gave us 10000 golden taels each. 10000 golden taels is much better than nothing.” The cousins laughed a lot at what Yi and Jiao said.
Qiu said: “What are we going to eat today? I feel hungry.” Taiyang said; “The maids have a variety of foods they are preparing for us. I promise you shall have a delicious meal today, Qiu.” Lin said: “I have an idea: instead of only relying on what the maids will cook, what do you think about hunting some animals and cooking them for dinner? Eating what you hunt has a unique taste.” Yueliang said: “I agree. Let us try to hunt some animals and have them cooked for dinner.” Liu said: “I crave some rabbits. I hope we can hunt some rabbits.” Xiang said: “Rabbits are not my favorite. I hope we could hunt some birds. The meat of birds is tastier than the meat of rabbits.” Yong said: “Each person has his/her unique taste. There is no accounting for taste. The important thing is that you do not enforce your taste on others and respect everyone's taste.” Zan said: “I am starving. Let us stop talking and start acting. Let us hunt what we can and share the games (hunted animals) together.”
The cousins then started chasing animals and exercising their archery skills. At the end of the day, they hunted five ducks, three geese, and seven rabbits. They handed the games to the maids so that they could prepare them well for dinner. The cousins had a delicious dinner together and they enjoyed the barbecues.
The next day, some of the cousins chose to swim in the Covenant Lake while others wanted to stay dry so they stayed on the beach. Qiu, the youngest of the cousins, was one of the swimmers and he was swimming in a shallow area then suddenly he moved to a deep area without knowing. When he was trying to rest his feet on the ground of the lake, he could not. He started to float with rhythmic movements of his hands and legs then his legs had cramps. He started to lose control of his body and drown. Qiu shouted: “I am drowning; please help me; I am drowning; please help me; I am drowning; please help me...” Yueliang was sitting on the beach and was the closest to Qiu. So when Yueliang heard the screams of Qiu, he swiftly swam toward Qiu without removing his clothes. He caught Qiu and rescued him. Qiu thanked Yueliang and said: “Yueliang, thank you very much for saving my life; you are my hero.” Yueliang said: “Qiu, you are the dearest to us; you are the only son of your family; we cannot lose you, my sweetheart.”
The evening came and the maids prepared the dinner for the Imperial Family members. After enjoying the tasty dinner, the cousins had a chat about a variety of topics. Taiyang asked a question and requested that everyone provide his/her own answer. Taiyang said: “Mention your greatest achievement in life so far. Let us start with our youngest cousins first.” Qiu said: “My greatest achievement in life is being dutiful to my parents. Whenever they asked me to do something, I do it readily.” Taiyang said: “That is a beautiful achievement Qiu; we are proud of you!” Xiang said: “My greatest achievement in life is helping my mother in making beef dumplings. My mother asked me to help her and I prepared 25 dumplings out of 100 dumplings. My mother was very pleased with me.” Yueliang said: “I am angry with you Xiang. Why did not you invite me to taste your delicious beef dumplings?” Xiang laughed and said: “I am sorry Yueliang. I did not know that you wanted to taste my handmade beef dumplings. I will invite you the next time we prepare this meal.” Yueliang said: “Never mind, Xiang. I was only joking with you.” Yi said: “My greatest achievement in life is embroidering a garment for my mother.” Liu said: “My greatest achievement in life is hunting three rabbits and handing them to our maids to cook them for our family.” Lin said: “My greatest achievement in life is memorizing ten Chinese poems.” Zan said: “My greatest achievement in life is when I tailored my own wallet” Jiao said: “My greatest achievement in life is reading Tao Te Ching in a single day.” Yong said: “My greatest achievement in life is riding my horse for a distance of ten miles.” Taiyang said: “My greatest achievement in life is being an artist and producing ten splendid paintings that my mother chose to hang on the walls of our palace.” Yueliang said: “My greatest achievement in life is saving the life of Qiu today when he was drowning.” Qiu said: “Thank you again Yueliang. I will never forget your chivalrous help for the rest of my life.” Yueliang said: “Do not mention it, my sweetheart. It is incumbent on me to save you from any danger.” Ting said: “My greatest achievement in life is winning the literacy competition of our school where I read ten difficult Chinese scripts without any error.” Shan said: “My greatest achievement in life is winning the dancing competition of our school.” Xue said: “My greatest achievement in life is designing five beautiful folding fans for myself and my family members.” Lian said: “My greatest achievement in life is sculpting three magnificent sculptures that are now exhibited in the main hall of our palace.” Kun said: “My greatest achievement in life is winning the archery competition of our school.”
Yueliang said: “It is interesting that each one of us had a unique achievement. It seems that each human being is unique in his/her personality and achievements as well. It is the differences between people that enriches diversity in our lives.” Kun said; “True, Yueliang. Imagine a world where people are identical copies of one another. Life would be so boring in that case.” Taiyang said: “I agree. But the differences between people can also be a fuel for evil and wrongdoing. The wars are sparked between nations for differences in interests and a fierce competition for power. So differences between people are a double-edged sword.” The cousins said: “Very wise, Taiyang. We agree with what you said.”
One day, Xiang, the youngest of the female cousins, was asleep in her tent and when she woke up, she found a snake approaching her. The snake stood erect near Xiang and Xiang was extremely frightened and she screamed: “A snake wants to bite me; Help me.” multiple times. The nearest one of the cousins to Xiang was Taiyang so she ran quickly to Xiang's tent. Taiyang felt also scared but she composed herself and looked for a nearby weapon in the tent. She found a sword so she grabbed it and then unsheathed it. She approached the snake from behind and struck the snake with her sword. The snake's head was chopped off by Taiyang's strike. Xiang started to weep and she hugged Taiyang. She thanked her deeply for saving her from the snake. It is noteworthy how Yueliang saved his youngest male cousin and Taiyang saved her youngest female cousin. Such memories of bravery and chivalry between relatives are indelible.
The cousins stayed in the campsite for ten days and enjoyed their time with different activities such as archery, horse riding, hunting, singing, dancing, preparing food at times instead of relying on the maids, playing different games such as Hide and Seek, Hide and Guess, the Game of the Antithesis etc. After the camping ended, they returned to their palaces to meet their families and rest after this unique adventure that yielded a myriad of beautiful memories for each one of the cousins including Yueliang and Taiyang. The camping was necessary for charging the energies of the participants, breaking their daily routines, and changing their moods for the better.